THE HERO'S HEROINE
MEL
That day, after her hangover had subsided and she felt human again, Mel smiled to herself as she leaned over the counter in the kitchen and glanced over the recipe card Martina had helped her write out several days before. She was proud of herself. She had put the chicken and vegetable combination together all by herself, seasoned it correctly, and even had the patience to let the oven preheat itself. It was hearty and it was healthy and it was just along the guidelines of things Jason was allowed to have during his training program for the film he was preparing for. To top it all off, she hadn't set off the smoke alarm and that, in itself, was an accomplishment. This was the first night she had ever cooked anything without Martina. Martina would be pleased. Mel knew she hadn't been the easiest of "students" to teach, but Martina had been patient with her and Mel appreciated her for that.
As the smell began to fill the kitchen, Mel happily began cutting fruit for the fruit and granola parfaits she was putting together for dessert. Glancing to her right, through the doorway of the dining room, she scrunched her nose up and grinned. Just this morning, the furniture guys had delivered the brand new dining room table and were even gracious enough to assemble what needed assembling. When she first moved in, she'd been shocked to find that it was a completely empty room--Jason had never used it. Today, after the furniture guys left, she immediately made a home out of the room, hanging a painting or two, hanging curtains, putting together a centerpiece and laying placemats down. She figured tonight, when Jason came home, they'd have dinner, then maybe do dessert outside on the deck...it would be a nice, quiet evening, just the two of them.
Mel couldn't believe she'd never been into the whole merry homemaker Martha Stewart thing. She was coming to find that she didn't mind it at all. Taking care of Jason made her happy.
She put the fruit in the refrigerator for later, set the table, and then she waited. She sat in the kitchen at the island and leafed through a magazine she bought earlier that day that featured Jason in it. She was so proud of him.
The longer she flipped through the magazine, the later it got and she realized that Jason was later than he said he would be and he hadn't called. That was okay, though. She'd gotten a late start on dinner and it wouldn't be ready for awhile anyway, so she had a little extra time to work with. Still, though. She couldn't wait for him to come home and see everything she'd done.
The sun was setting when she finally heard the front door open. She grinned when he stepped into view. "Hey, baby," she said cheerfully. "Meeting run late?"
He glanced at her, expressionless. "No."
Turning around on her stool as her eyes followed him to the refrigerator, she asked him, "So how did it go?"
"It went," he muttered, taking a beer and opening it.
Mel giggled. "No, silly, I mean what did they say?"
"GODDAMMIT, MEL, JUST LET ME GET IN THE FUCKING DOOR! I DON'T NEED THE GODDAMN THIRD DEGREE THE SECOND I COME HOME!"
Mel's eyes widened, shocked at his outburst. "Um--but--I--"
But it was too late. He was already out the back door, slamming the sliding glass door shut loudly behind him to the point where it bounced open again.
Her feelings would have been hurt had she not been able to read his eyes--had she not known him like she did. Something had obviously gone terribly wrong while he was gone. As he shouted at her, his eyes read hurt, betrayal, even pain. Not an ounce of the rage that came from his voice. Nothing in his face said that his rage was directly targeted at her and that was why she was choosing not to take it personally. She was concerned for him.
Following the path he took out of the house, she stopped and looked out the sliding glass door as he sat out on the beach, staring out at the crashing ocean waves. Her heart broke for him. Whatever happened at that meeting hadn't been good. That much was obvious.
She let him sit for a couple of minutes before she pulled on a cardigan to fight off the light chill in the night breeze. The floodlight from the porch illuminated her path as she stepped off the wooden deck and walked gently through the sand until she reached him. She lowered herself to her knees behind him and tenderly placed her hands on his bare arms, pressing her lips to his shoulder, barely missing the seam of the black tank top he wore. Sliding her arms around him, she hugged him from behind, resting her head against his as she watched the waves crash along with him.
Jason was silent for a moment as he mindlessly ran his hand lightly up and down her arm. Turning his head slightly, he said quietly, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," she answered, her volume matching his. "I know I have a bad habit of jumping the gun as soon as someone walks in and I'm trying to work on that. I just--I don't know, I get excited when you come home. I'll try to work harder on it."
"No. No, it's really not okay. I'm not--this isn't what I do. I don't want you to think this is normal or anything, like I'm some kind of monster."
"I don't think that."
"Your face said different."
"I was--caught off guard, I guess. But I'm not hurt."
"I thought you might have been since you just sat there and took it. Don't ever sit there and take it, Mel. If I ever pull that shit again, put my head through a wall or something. Don't ever just take it."
She smiled, amused. "Don't be so melodramatic."
He took a swig of beer and sighed as he turned his head back toward the ocean. "They gave my role to someone else."
Mel was confused. "What? But you were already confirmed and scheduled to start filming and you've been training--"
"I know. But this guy--I don't know, I don't know where he came from. I don't know whose dick he sucked or if he's cheaper or what, I don't know. All I know is it was like walking into the lion's den or some shit. I knew it as soon as I walked in the door. I was late tonight 'cause I stopped by the gym on the way home and hit a bag for awhile to try to clear my head."
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, turning her head to kiss his cheek as she tightened her arms around him.
"It was short and sweet and to the point. It was just like, 'Sorry but we found someone else for the role, we think you're a great talent, but not quite right for this project.' But I was perfect, fucking--weeks ago. You know? It's fucking insane."
"They can't just--just rip it out from under you like that. It's not fair."
"They can do whatever they want," he said. "And as an actor, you just gotta kinda sit there and take it. It's an extremely cutthroat industry."
Mel was silent for a moment, taking the news in. Finally, she said, "I don't know anything about acting or the movie industry or anything like that. It's a complete mystery to me. But what I do know is that you are one of the most talented people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing and that your talent is a true gift. It's not the kind that can be taught in a class somewhere. I realize that this was a huge opportunity, but you know what? Everything happens for a reason and I'm willing to bet that they did you a favor today."
Jason scoffed and looked over his shoulder, amused. "You think so?"
"Well, yeah," she answered, matter-of-factly. "They're gonna realize that letting you go was the wrong decision when this project bombs and they lose out on all that money. And when something bigger and better comes along for you in place of it, guess who's going to be laughing all the way to the box office?"
He squeezed her hand and smiled. "You really have that much faith in me?"
"Of course I do. You're my hero."
"Not really sure how much of a hero I am," he said. "Sometimes I wonder what I ever did without you, you know that?"
"You held your head high in confidence and you moved on to bigger and better things. Just like you're going to do after tonight. Always remember, it's their loss, not yours. You did everything right, you got the part. They're the ones fucking up here, not you."
He lifted her hand and he kissed it before she retracted both of her arms from around him and began to massage his shoulders. He moaned quietly as she leaned in close to his ear. "Why don't you finish your beer and then come inside and take a long, hot shower? And by the time you get out, I'll have dinner ready for you and then afterward we can sit and I'll rub your shoulders and we can plot creative death scenes for each of the assholes in the meeting today. Okay?"
Jason smiled over his shoulder. "That sounds perfect. And it smells amazing in there, by the way. What time did Martina leave tonight?"
Mel rested her chin on his shoulder and she grinned. "Martina didn't come over today."
"Oh really? You did that yourself?"
"All by myself," she boasted proudly. "You're gonna be surprised."
"I can't wait," he responded.
Smiling, she stood from the sand and brushed off her knees. "I better get back inside while I'm still in good standings with the oven. I haven't heard the smoke alarm yet, so I better stay ahead of the game."
Turning his body around, he reached his arm out and took her hand. "Hey," he said, looking up at her. "Just--stay for another minute?"
She couldn't deny him. Not in the least. The entire house could go up in flames and if he asked her to stay and watch it burn, she couldn't deny him. Walking around in front of him, she dropped to her knees once again and wrapped her arms around him, his arms instantly tight around her and his forehead on her shoulder. With her fingers, she stroked the back of his head and his neck as she held him. Pulling away, he held her head in his hands and he kissed her gently. "I love you, little woman," he smiled.
She smiled back at him. "Little woman?"
"You're my little woman. And the best little woman a man could ask for."
"Well, we little women have to take care of our men. It's what we do best."
"You're damn right it's what you do best. I swear I don't know how I managed to survive before you."
She smiled and pulled away. "If you don't let me go in, dinner may not survive either. Or even the house. I know my way around a fire extinguisher, you know."
Jason laughed and stood with her, picking up his beer and taking her by the hand as she led him inside the house.
---------------------
After Mel had spent the previous night feeding her man and massaging his back, which the thoroughly enjoyed, she ended up stewing over what he had told her. She had told him maybe it was for the best. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. But she wasn't sure she necessarily believed it herself. It was bullshit, was what it was. Jason had worked hard to get the audition and worked even harder after being given the role. He had dedicated himself to it and this was ridiculous.
After he'd gone to sleep, she'd gotten out of bed and spent most of the night researching the stories that these movies would be based on. She felt like a horrible girlfriend, not knowing anything about these movies already and she decided she needed to educate herself. She couldn't help but get into some of it and the part he was intended to play was completely for him. She could see him in every scene, in the description of the role, everything. Jason was perfection for this. It was almost as if this was written especially for him. So what the fuck had happened? What crawled up these assholes' asses?
The next morning, Jason didn't go to the gym. Instead, he said he was going for a run on the beach. Mel didn't object when he grabbed his iPod and headed out the back door. Walking out on the deck and watching him disappear down the beach, she quickly ran back inside the house and picked up her phone, dialing out the number she had scrawled in the paper she hid in her purse. She knew she shouldn't be doing this. This was completely wrong and Jason would be SO pissed, but she couldn't help herself. She had to do it.
"Hey, buddy, what's hangin?"
Mel scowled into the phone. Seriously? This was how his agent spoke to him? "Don't buddy me," she said back.
"Um, excuse me? I, uh, I must have looked at the number on my caller ID wrong..."
"Is this Andy?"
"Yeah."
"It's the right number. You're Jason's agent, right?"
"Uh, yeah...why are you calling me from--"
"This is Melody Banks. I'm his girlfriend. This is my phone, he's called you from it before."
"Um...hi, Melody...how are you...? I'm sorry, I'm a little confused here..."
"I'm not good, Andy. Not good at all. I imagine you're aware of what happened yesterday."
"Does he know you're calling me?"
"At this point it doesn't matter."
Andy sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I was there."
"That was bullshit. Complete bullshit."
"It was. I agree."
"You dropped the ball, Andy."
"Do what?"
"You're his agent. He lost a role he was contracted for. You dropped the ball. You didn't do your job. How many more ways do I need to say it?"
"Ms. Banks--"
"Call me Mel."
"Mel--I don't know what you want me to do."
"Your job."
"I've bent over backward for these people--"
"Apparently you didn't bend far enough. Listen, Jason is perfect for this role, you and I both know it's true. Or at least you better know it. You've been his agent from day one and, apparently, you must be worth something because he's kept you around for so long. But the reality is, this was an incredibly huge opportunity for him. And for you, too, as his agent. He did his part, he got the role, he did everything he was told to do. The rest of it falls on you. YOU dropped the ball, Andy. He trusts you with his career and you may have just single-handedly flushed it down the toilet. Do you understand what I'm saying, Andy? Do you understand that he expects you to go to bat for him? To fight for him? And that you ultimately DIDN'T? How is he supposed to feel about that?"
She heard him swallow over the phone and she smiled. She had him by the balls and she knew it. "So, uh, what are you trying to say?"
"I want you to do your job, Andy. I want you to earn your percentage. I want you to get his role back. Nobody can play it but him. You know his talent. Sell it."
"I told you. I've done ALL of that already--"
"No you haven't. Or else we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Let me paint a picture for you, Andy. I'm sitting here with a list of agents that have been recommended to me by a collection of very high-profile people. Agents who are practically salivating to represent Jason Kamealoha. I've even researched a couple of them and they look pretty good." Mel was bluffing like hell, but he didn't need to know that.
"If you're threatening--"
"Oh, I'm not threatening anything. I'm simply letting you know how this is going to play out. Jason loves me. He listens to me and takes everything I say into consideration. He trusts me. And he's going to be back from his run any time now and I'm more than prepared to have this conversation with him. I'm a very persuasive woman, Andy. Jason is upset and he's confused and I don't like seeing him this way. And I'm blaming it all on you. My man's gonna get what he wants. What he deserves. What he's EARNED. I don't play games, and you have no idea who you're dealing with."
There was silence on the other end for several moments. Finally, Andy sighed, exasperated. "Fine. Fine. Okay. I'll talk to the people over at the studio and see what we can get worked out. Find out the details, I'll get back to you."
"The next time you get back to anyone, it better be good news. I mean it, Andy. Nobody fucks with my man and his career."
"I got it, I got it, Jesus. You're something else, you know that?"
"Just get him that role back, Andy."
And with that, she terminated the call. She smiled to herself as she looked out the window, the clouds building up in the morning sky. Jason was going to be so pissed when he found out she called his agent. She knew he would. But if it worked out and it got him back in that movie, she could handle him being a little mad at her.
She milled around the kitchen, wiping counters and checking the contents of the refrigerator. Her stomach was rumbling and her need for comfort food had only been increasing lately. While she appreciated how diligent and dedicated Jason was to his training diet, she'd been eating roughly the same things he was and she had to admit, the whole west coast fad eating thing was getting a little old. Mel was from Oklahoma. In Oklahoma they ate biscuits and gravy and bacon and chicken and waffles. She couldn't live on egg whites and fruit for the rest of her life. It just wasn't going to happen.
To her surprise, she heard the sliding glass door open and she peeked around the wall to find Jason walking through it. "That didn't last very long," Mel observed.
"Yeah," he said glancing behind him out the window. "It's starting to rain. Decided I'd rather not get caught in it."
"Got any plans today?" She asked as she started taking things out of the refrigerator.
"Not anymore," he said, sighing. "I figured I'd take a break today. Let my mind clear a little before I get with Andy and see what else I have going on."
"Hm," Mel nodded. Then she changed the subject. "You hungry? You probably should have eaten earlier. Anything specific you're in the mood for?"
He looked back at her and glanced around the kitchen. She'd caught him off guard. Shit, was she doing it again? Attacking him as soon as he got in the door? Jesus, that was such a bad habit. "Uh, no," he said hesitantly. "You can make whatever you want, it's not like I'm counting calories anymore or anything." He lingered for a moment as he stood there.
Mel put down the carton of eggs she was holding and rested her hands against the counter. "Look. I know this is a little strange, me doing all...this. I know I've never been the most domesticated person in the world. And it's taking some getting used to. But it turns out, I kinda like it. And I think I'm pretty good at it, so..."
Jason gave a small smile and nodded. "You're fantastic. I appreciate you, kid."
She bit her lip and grinned before he headed toward the bedroom. "Jason," she said catching him before he disappeared. "I care about you. I care what happens to you and the things you go through. Okay? Nobody fucks with my man and gets away with it."
His grin widened. "Goddamn, I love you. Now get in the kitchen and cook my breakfast, woman."
Mel giggled as he disappeared and she happily busied herself with the food. At least he knew she cared for him before the ball got dropped on him. Hopefully he would remember this little exchange before he flew off the deep end.
-------------
It rained all damn day long. They hung out together in the house all day, which was something they rarely ever got to do with his busy schedule. They took advantage of it, camped out on the sofa in front of the television, Mel cuddled up to his chest with her legs thrown over his lap. As much as he objected, she had forced him to watch his own movies with her and give her the play-by-play commentary. She knew he hated doing it but she appreciated him for humoring her. It was something she'd been dying to do since he made his first movie.
Late in the afternoon, Jason's cell phone rang. He didn't budge for a second and he let it go to voicemail. When it rang immediately after that, he sighed and sat up, retrieving it from the coffee table. "What the hell does he want?" He muttered as he checked his phone. Mel slowly removed her legs from his lap as he sat straighter and answered his phone. "Andy, what's going on?"
Mel's heart started to pound.
"Wait, wait, wait, are you serious?" Jason said into the phone.
Mel thought she would have a heart attack and die right there.
Standing from the sofa, he walked across the room, obviously listening as Andy talked his ear off. Finally, he was saying, "Yeah, okay...Okay, yeah...Yeah, I'll be there...Okay. Wait, and do what? Why? I mean, not that I wouldn't want her there, but--Okay. Okay, yeah. That's cool, we'll be there...Okay, see you later."
Jason hung up his phone and turned around and landed his eyes directly on Mel. She felt herself hunkering down into the sofa.
Walking over to the back of the sofa, he rested his hands against it behind her head. "So that was Andy. My agent. I have a dinner meeting tonight with him and the casting director, director, and producers of the movie. A movie I just got booted from."
She looked over her shoulder and attempted an innocent smile. "You got a meeting, that sounds promising."
He lowered himself closer to the sofa, resting his chin on his hands. "As much as the meeting intrigues me, I can't help but wonder why, prey tell, was YOUR presence specifically requested at this meeting?"
Mel swallowed a lump and she shrugged. "Um, maybe they just want to meet me? You know, curiosity and stuff?"
Jason straightened up and shoved his hands in his pockets. "What did you do?"
She shifted in her seat and turned herself backward on the couch, sitting herself on her knees. "I told you, Jason, nobody fucks with my man and gets by with it."
He stared back at her, his eyes blinking. He wiped the sweat from his upper lip and continued to stare at her. Holy shit, he was pissed. She knew he would be, but--holy shit, he was pissed. She made a mental note to personally kill Andy if this meeting went bad. Finally, he muttered, "Put on a dress, we're going to dinner."
"It's raining out there, I don't want to wear a--"
"I better want to fuck you by the time you walk out of that bedroom because it's the only thing that's going to keep me from flying off the handle right now.
Mel couldn't argue with him. She did something she had no business doing and she knew it, regardless of her intentions. At this moment, she was going to do whatever Jason told her to do. Anything that might remotely help his mood in this situation.
-----------
Not wanting to provoke him anymore, Mel put on a dress. She found a short, white lacy number that she paired with a black blazer that hung past her butt and a pair of nude pumps. It wasn't necessarily the picture of "Fuck me now," but he would have to get over it. She knew he was just spouting off words at the time and she chose not to take him overly serious.
Regardless of him being mad at her, Jason was a gentleman, just like he always was. He held the umbrella for her, opened the car door for her (she let him drive the Viper), and held her hand as she got in.
The drive into LA was silent. Traffic was shit and the rain made it even worse. Mel kept glancing over at Jason, trying to read him. His expression remained stoic and his eyes focused on the road. She was nervous as hell. Neither one of them knew exactly what they were walking into and it made Mel feel like shit for putting him in this situation.
Hesitantly, she reached over and laid her hand over his as it rested on the gear shift. "I love you," she said quietly.
He glanced over at her. "I love you, too."
"Please don't hate me."
Jason sighed and shook his head. "I don't hate you, gorgeous. I could never hate you. I just--I'm kind of in shock right now."
She glanced down at her lap and back at the road in front of her. "I went too far this time, didn't I?"
"I love sharing my life with you," he said. "It's the greatest experience I've ever had and I don't ever want that to change. But--but sometimes..."
"I know. I'm sorry. You were just--so upset and I didn't think it was fair and I hate seeing you that way and--and I had a moment of weakness and I meddled where I shouldn't have meddled and I'm sorry."
He glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow. "But you got me a meeting."
"Jason, I don't want you to think--I mean, I don't want you to feel like I stepped in because I didn't think you could--I mean, I just--I felt so helpless and I couldn't just stand by and--"
"You fought for me," he interrupted. "And that's, uh...nobody's ever really done that for me before."
She glanced at him nervously. She didn't know what to say. She just prayed this meeting wasn't another trip into the lion's den.
---------------
They walked into Acabar and Mel couldn't help but feel like a tourist as she took in the impressive architecture. Mosaic walls, tile floors. "I feel like I've walked into some Middle Eastern monastery or something," she whispered to Jason.
"They're wining and dining tonight," he whispered back, leaning down into her ear as he gripped her hand. "Means they're compensating."
The hostess led them to their table, a round table surrounded by rounded, high-backed booth chairs. They were the last to arrive and the five men who already sat at the table rose as they approached. They had smiles on their faces as they greeted Jason and introduced themselves to Mel, but Mel could see right through them. These men had hurt her man and that was all she could see when she looked at them.
"Melody, it is so great to meet you in person," Andy said, as he kissed the top of her hand.
"Lay off, Andy, you don't have to try to impress her," Jason spat at him.
Mel's eyes widened for a second, not really sure how to take that comment. Then she realized that even with people he trusted, he was protective of her. Protective or possessive? She and Jason were way more alike than she thought they were.
"Uh, of course. You're right. I was too forward, forgive me." As he sat down along with the rest of the table, Andy continued. "You have quite a woman there, Jason."
Jason's eyes darted at Andy. "I know."
You could cut the tension at the table with a knife.
Mel looked across the table at Andy. He didn't look like she expected him to look. Actually, she wasn't sure what she expected. She expected him to be older, maybe? Balding with glasses? Instead, she was met with someone close to her age with a slender frame, at least six feet tall, with blonde hair cut close to his head, in a preppy outfit consisting of a sweater with the collar of his undershirt folded over it. His blue eyes shone through his clear complexion and Mel swore he was gay. Except if he was, would Jason have reacted the way he did to his introduction?
The men made small talk as they waited for their drink orders to arrive and Mel stayed relatively quiet. She had no idea what to say. The only person at the table she'd actually talked to was Andy and she had no way of knowing what Andy had said to the movie guys. Jason had said that her presence was specifically requested, but was that only because Andy wanted to meet the woman in person who had nearly made him shit his pants earlier that morning?
Mel was grateful when their drinks finally arrived and she went ahead and ordered her second one before the waiter even left the table. Downing half of her cocktail in that sitting, she realized that all eyes were on her. She glanced at her drink and then looked around sheepishly and she smiled. "Um, this one's so good that I didn't want to have to wait too long for the next one."
Everyone seemed to be okay with that answer and they went back to talking about business as usual. Everyone but Jason, that was. Instead, he lay his arm across her lap and leaned into her ear, "Are you okay?"
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she turned her face into his. "I don't really understand what I'm doing here," she whispered. "I'm nervous as shit, I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing."
"Don't be nervous, I'm sitting right here," he said. "It's okay."
She looked up at him and smiled gratefully into his smiling eyes before he went back to his conversation.
After the waiter had left the table with their dinner order, it seemed like it was finally time to get down to business. "It's come to our attention, Jason, that perhaps yesterday's meeting...didn't go quite as well as it should have," the producer said.
Beside her, Jason straightened up in his seat, taking his arm from Mel's lap, and rested his elbows on the table. Mel reached her hand subtly behind him and placed it on the small of his back. She needed him to know she was there, no matter what.
"I'm not sure how any part of that meeting could have gone well," Jason replied.
"You're right. That's fair," the producer continued. "But we're all human, Jason. All of us. We all make mistakes. Even you. Even your lovely lady, there."
"How about we stay on topic and watch our mouths?" Jason spat.
"Sometimes it takes a pair of fresh eyes, a fresh perception, a fresh mind, to open your eyes a little bit. See the things you didn't see before. Make you realize that some of the decisions you've made, on a whim, may not have been the best of decisions after the fact. I'm sure you can relate to that."
Jason glanced at Mel and she turned up her drink. The guy was being so goddamn ambiguous, nobody could read what the hell he was getting at. "Yeah. Some. I guess," Jason said.
"You've got a fantastic woman, there, Jason," the casting director said. "I've been through a lot of shit with a lot of actors in my time, but this just took the cake."
Maybe it was the alcohol loosening her up, she didn't know. But now she finally felt the need to speak up. "I didn't mean to--to cause any trouble, I only talked to Andy--"
"And Andy talked to us," the casting director continued. "And I don't know what kind of fire you lit under his ass, but the guy came at us with a vengeance and made a lot of good points we couldn't ignore." The casting director looked from Jason to Mel to Andy. "And we don't like to be wrong. We certainly don't like it pointed out to us. We make decisions, we stick with them. We do what's best for the movie. And letting you go was best for the movie."
"Yesterday," the producer cut in. "It was good for the movie yesterday. But we seem to have collectively exercised a momentary lapse in judgment because, like I said before, we're only human. We offered you the part to begin with because you were perfect for the role. And you still are. And we'd be idiots to allow you to walk away from this meeting tonight and not be back on as the lead for these films."
The table fell silent as Jason looked around at everyone. Mel's nails lightly grazed Jason's back. Inside, she was ecstatic. And a little stunned. It worked. That damn stunt she pulled had worked. She swore right then and there she would never go behind Jason's back like that again. This time was too close of a call and it wasn't her business to meddle in his career anyway. But damn. This was an opportunity of a lifetime and they were practically begging for forgiveness. It was beautiful.
Andy's voice interrupted the silence as he pulled a packet of papers out of the briefcase that sat on the floor beside him. "We've modified your contract," he said, handing the paperwork across the table to Jason. "I'm sure you'll find it more favorable than your first one. It includes all the extra perks, everything. Anything you could possibly want or need is in there."
Jason glanced around the table again as he took the contract in his hand. Mel was dying to get her hands on it and read it, but she was patient and allowed Jason to leaf through it himself. He was silent. He paused to read certain sections, but continued to leaf back and forth through it. Mel was dying of curiosity.
After a long, grueling, silent few minutes, Jason closed the contract back up and handed it back to Andy. "I appreciate the offer and the consideration--again--but I'm going to have to decline this time."
Six pairs of eyes widened and gaped at him. Mel started on her second drink as if it was going out of style.
"Um, is something wrong?" Andy asked.
"I was your first choice," Jason said to the producer and the casting director. "And now I'm your second. And now you're feeling guilty and you're trying to buy me off and I'm not that kind of man. I worked hard and I earned that goddamn role, I don't need you to buy me."
Mel couldn't keep it in anymore. "Jason," she hissed.
He turned his head and looked at her. "What? I'm not doing it. I appreciate what you tried to do for me, but this is bullshit."
Mel was mortified. She had to think fast, she had to save this meeting. Maybe this was it. Maybe this was why Andy wanted her there. Because he knew Jason might react this way. That clever bastard.
Mel took a deep breath and turned to Andy. "Can I have that contract, please?"
"Mel, you don't have to--"
She cut Jason off when she took him by the hand, firmly. "Excuse us, gentleman, can we have a minute?"
Against Jason's will, she led him out of the booth and into the waiting area of the restaurant. She sat him on a bench and she took a seat on his knee, holding the contract for the two of them to see. "What's wrong, are you crazy?"
"I don't do business this way," Jason said quietly. "If they wanted me the first time, great. I don't need them wanting me back out of guilt."
"Sometimes you need to not let you pride get in the way so much," she hissed.
He narrowed his eyes at her, apparently offended by her statement. She didn't care. "Jason, you would be stupid to turn this film down," she continued.
"What? Just last night you said it was their loss and that it would flop."
"I didn't know jack about this series last night, Jason. Last night, after you fell asleep, I researched it all. It's a fucking cash cow. I mean, I hate to sit here and act like it's all about the money when the real conversation here is about your talent and there's no doubt you're talented. This role was made for you. That's a given. That's not even the issue. The issue right now is business and you're being very stupid right now."
"Well you're awfully blunt today..."
"I'm serious. What about the contract didn't you like? If they want you bad enough, they'll bend for you."
"The contract is fine. It's the principle."
"Fuck the principle. They made a mistake and they're making up for it, Jason. Do you want to star in this movie or not?"
"Well--I mean, yeah, I was excited as hell about it."
"Then you're going to star in this movie. Plain and simple."
She felt Jason's arm grip her a little tighter and she smiled at him. Then she flipped through the contract and read through it herself. They were giving him a pay raise. All the perks an actor could ask for, including a personal assistant and accommodations for whenever Mel wanted to travel with him. As she leafed through it, she looked at him. "Anything you want to add?"
"I didn't see pay or play in there. I want that definitely."
"What's pay or play?"
"So that this bullshit doesn't happen again. So that if they decide to just up and get rid of me at no fault of my own, I still get paid for it."
Mel nodded. "That seems completely fair. I don't like your merchandising clause either. That needs a little modification. Other than that, what do you think? You think you're ready to rethink your answer?"
Jason looked up at her and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You're absolutely amazing, you know that? I don't know what I ever did to deserve a woman like you."
"I fight for what I believe in," she said. "And I believe in you. I believe in your talent and what this movie could be if you're starring in it. I couldn't sit back and just allow you to be wronged like that."
He smiled at her. "What the hell did you say to Andy?"
She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "I may or may not have mentioned that I was looking up other agents..."
"You threatened him, didn't you?"
"Threaten is such a strong word..."
"You lit a fire under his ass."
"I had him by the balls."
Jason laughed. "That's my girl." Then he sighed. "Okay, then. Fine. I'm going to tell them that I want the contract modified and then I want my attorney to look over it. And then...yeah, I guess I got my movie back."
Mel grinned and threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, baby, I'm so proud of you!"
He hugged her back and chuckled. "I don't know what the hell you're proud of, you're the one who did it."
"Well, technically Andy did it, I just--intimidated him into it a little."
"Okay, okay, you little mafia don," he said endearingly as he patted her leg and they stood up. "I'm fucking starving, let's go see what this restaurant is all about."
As they sat back down at the table, Mel handed the contract back to Andy. "It isn't signed yet. It requires a pay and play clause and your merchandising proposal has fallen a little short. Raise the percentage and get it back to him so his attorney can look it over. As long as the contracts is to his standards, you boys have yourselves a deal."
"Holy shit," the producer said as he sat back against the booth with a cigar between his teeth. "You got yourself a regular little powerhouse negotiator there, don't you?" He said to Jason, amused.
"It has nothing to do with being a talented negotiator," Mel answered. "It's about knowing what you want and how to get it."
"Have you ever thought about becoming an agent, yourself?" Andy asked. "Or maybe even my assistant? I'd love to have--"
"I don't 'assist,'" Mel said, cutting him off. "It's either my rules or I don't do it. But thank you for the compliment, I do appreciate it. And no, I don't see myself representing anyone like that--"
Jason turned up his beer. "Yeah, man, the only asshole she'll ever represent is me. And you probably ought to watch your back, cause she looks a hell of a lot better than you do."
The men laughed and Mel found herself blushing. He didn't lie. She really wasn't interested in anyone else's career but his. But she couldn't deny the thrill she got in the split moment that she got to call the shots. She always loved being in charge. It felt good to be back in that seat again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
JASON
Jason was silent on the way home from dinner. He was happy, but he was silent. He just had to take the entire evening--hell, the entire day--in. It was wild. He kept glancing at Mel. When he had asked what he'd done to deserve her earlier, he'd meant the question. Seriously. What had he done? He was nobody, really. He was just a guy who liked beer and lifting weights. So he acted in a few films, she knew him before that. There was really nothing to him, he thought. What was it about him? What had he done to deserve her? Her support? Her belief? Her faith in him? She fought for him. And she won. She didn't back down, he belonged to her. This movie opportunity was a big deal. Huge for his career. How would he ever repay her for such dedication?
He sighed and he didn't realize he'd been loud about it when she asked him, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm great."
"You don't--you don't feel like you're being forced into this, do you?"
He glanced at her and furrowed his brow. "No. No, not at all. I knew what I was getting into the first time."
"Okay."
They were silent again as Jason thought about taking her home and taking her to bed. He wanted to make love to her for the entire night. For the rest of his life. Whatever he did for her would never be enough.
And that made him think of the house and it dawned on him. Home. That house had never felt so much like home until she had moved into it. Sure, when she first moved in she never ceased to blow his mind, but everything had worked out. And somehow, every wild and crazy decision she ever made seemed to work out for the best. He found himself in eager anticipation of whatever crazy thing he'd walk into next. There had never been a dull moment at home since Mel had moved in. And furthermore, he had never spent near as much time at home as he did now, either. He found himself WANTING to be home now. Wanting to come home to her.
She made his house a home.
"How would you feel if I bought our house?" He blurted suddenly.
"You mean your house?" She clarified.
"OUR house."
"Um--"
"You've expressed interest in it before. And that way you can do whatever you want. You can tear up the entire backyard if you want. You can convert the downstairs of the guest suite into a garage. You can do whatever you want."
"I want a bigger dining room."
"You can do that, too. What do you think?"
"Is that--is that where you want to stay? I mean, it's kind of permanent."
"Gorgeous, the only thing that's permanent is that I love you. If you don't want to go through with it, we don't have to. But I want you to have a home. I want you to have something of your own. You've made that house a home for me and I want it to be yours. I want you to have it."
She was silent as he waited for a response. Making this purchase was a big deal for him. He'd never actually owned a home before. He really had no reason to. The only reason he had this rental for so long was because he wanted to come back to the same place when he was in LA--and since he spent the majority of his time in LA, it seemed only fitting. But owning a home had never been useful to him until now. Until now where he craved the commitment. He craved the stability. He craved Mel's happiness.
Unable to deal with her silence, he added, "No pressure."
"No. No," she finally spoke up. "I...I'm a little surprised is all. I never struck you as...I mean I assumed that when you and I got together that we'd be--well, traveling constantly."
"Well, I mean, I do want you with me as much as possible, but I want you to have somewhere to call your own. Somewhere that's yours, that when you say you're going home, it's HOME."
"But home is wherever you are."
"You know what I mean."
He glanced at her in the dark and he could see the smile creep across her face. "You, um, you wanna buy the house..."
"Our house. Yes. Both our names on it. Together."
"Together? To own a home together? Jason, that's practically like--"
"I know what it is."
"Yes," she said without hesitation.
He glanced over at her and smiled. "Yes?"
"Yes. Let's buy the house. Together."
The grin never left Jason's face for the rest of the drive home.
MEL
That day, after her hangover had subsided and she felt human again, Mel smiled to herself as she leaned over the counter in the kitchen and glanced over the recipe card Martina had helped her write out several days before. She was proud of herself. She had put the chicken and vegetable combination together all by herself, seasoned it correctly, and even had the patience to let the oven preheat itself. It was hearty and it was healthy and it was just along the guidelines of things Jason was allowed to have during his training program for the film he was preparing for. To top it all off, she hadn't set off the smoke alarm and that, in itself, was an accomplishment. This was the first night she had ever cooked anything without Martina. Martina would be pleased. Mel knew she hadn't been the easiest of "students" to teach, but Martina had been patient with her and Mel appreciated her for that.
As the smell began to fill the kitchen, Mel happily began cutting fruit for the fruit and granola parfaits she was putting together for dessert. Glancing to her right, through the doorway of the dining room, she scrunched her nose up and grinned. Just this morning, the furniture guys had delivered the brand new dining room table and were even gracious enough to assemble what needed assembling. When she first moved in, she'd been shocked to find that it was a completely empty room--Jason had never used it. Today, after the furniture guys left, she immediately made a home out of the room, hanging a painting or two, hanging curtains, putting together a centerpiece and laying placemats down. She figured tonight, when Jason came home, they'd have dinner, then maybe do dessert outside on the deck...it would be a nice, quiet evening, just the two of them.
Mel couldn't believe she'd never been into the whole merry homemaker Martha Stewart thing. She was coming to find that she didn't mind it at all. Taking care of Jason made her happy.
She put the fruit in the refrigerator for later, set the table, and then she waited. She sat in the kitchen at the island and leafed through a magazine she bought earlier that day that featured Jason in it. She was so proud of him.
The longer she flipped through the magazine, the later it got and she realized that Jason was later than he said he would be and he hadn't called. That was okay, though. She'd gotten a late start on dinner and it wouldn't be ready for awhile anyway, so she had a little extra time to work with. Still, though. She couldn't wait for him to come home and see everything she'd done.
The sun was setting when she finally heard the front door open. She grinned when he stepped into view. "Hey, baby," she said cheerfully. "Meeting run late?"
He glanced at her, expressionless. "No."
Turning around on her stool as her eyes followed him to the refrigerator, she asked him, "So how did it go?"
"It went," he muttered, taking a beer and opening it.
Mel giggled. "No, silly, I mean what did they say?"
"GODDAMMIT, MEL, JUST LET ME GET IN THE FUCKING DOOR! I DON'T NEED THE GODDAMN THIRD DEGREE THE SECOND I COME HOME!"
Mel's eyes widened, shocked at his outburst. "Um--but--I--"
But it was too late. He was already out the back door, slamming the sliding glass door shut loudly behind him to the point where it bounced open again.
Her feelings would have been hurt had she not been able to read his eyes--had she not known him like she did. Something had obviously gone terribly wrong while he was gone. As he shouted at her, his eyes read hurt, betrayal, even pain. Not an ounce of the rage that came from his voice. Nothing in his face said that his rage was directly targeted at her and that was why she was choosing not to take it personally. She was concerned for him.
Following the path he took out of the house, she stopped and looked out the sliding glass door as he sat out on the beach, staring out at the crashing ocean waves. Her heart broke for him. Whatever happened at that meeting hadn't been good. That much was obvious.
She let him sit for a couple of minutes before she pulled on a cardigan to fight off the light chill in the night breeze. The floodlight from the porch illuminated her path as she stepped off the wooden deck and walked gently through the sand until she reached him. She lowered herself to her knees behind him and tenderly placed her hands on his bare arms, pressing her lips to his shoulder, barely missing the seam of the black tank top he wore. Sliding her arms around him, she hugged him from behind, resting her head against his as she watched the waves crash along with him.
Jason was silent for a moment as he mindlessly ran his hand lightly up and down her arm. Turning his head slightly, he said quietly, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," she answered, her volume matching his. "I know I have a bad habit of jumping the gun as soon as someone walks in and I'm trying to work on that. I just--I don't know, I get excited when you come home. I'll try to work harder on it."
"No. No, it's really not okay. I'm not--this isn't what I do. I don't want you to think this is normal or anything, like I'm some kind of monster."
"I don't think that."
"Your face said different."
"I was--caught off guard, I guess. But I'm not hurt."
"I thought you might have been since you just sat there and took it. Don't ever sit there and take it, Mel. If I ever pull that shit again, put my head through a wall or something. Don't ever just take it."
She smiled, amused. "Don't be so melodramatic."
He took a swig of beer and sighed as he turned his head back toward the ocean. "They gave my role to someone else."
Mel was confused. "What? But you were already confirmed and scheduled to start filming and you've been training--"
"I know. But this guy--I don't know, I don't know where he came from. I don't know whose dick he sucked or if he's cheaper or what, I don't know. All I know is it was like walking into the lion's den or some shit. I knew it as soon as I walked in the door. I was late tonight 'cause I stopped by the gym on the way home and hit a bag for awhile to try to clear my head."
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, turning her head to kiss his cheek as she tightened her arms around him.
"It was short and sweet and to the point. It was just like, 'Sorry but we found someone else for the role, we think you're a great talent, but not quite right for this project.' But I was perfect, fucking--weeks ago. You know? It's fucking insane."
"They can't just--just rip it out from under you like that. It's not fair."
"They can do whatever they want," he said. "And as an actor, you just gotta kinda sit there and take it. It's an extremely cutthroat industry."
Mel was silent for a moment, taking the news in. Finally, she said, "I don't know anything about acting or the movie industry or anything like that. It's a complete mystery to me. But what I do know is that you are one of the most talented people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing and that your talent is a true gift. It's not the kind that can be taught in a class somewhere. I realize that this was a huge opportunity, but you know what? Everything happens for a reason and I'm willing to bet that they did you a favor today."
Jason scoffed and looked over his shoulder, amused. "You think so?"
"Well, yeah," she answered, matter-of-factly. "They're gonna realize that letting you go was the wrong decision when this project bombs and they lose out on all that money. And when something bigger and better comes along for you in place of it, guess who's going to be laughing all the way to the box office?"
He squeezed her hand and smiled. "You really have that much faith in me?"
"Of course I do. You're my hero."
"Not really sure how much of a hero I am," he said. "Sometimes I wonder what I ever did without you, you know that?"
"You held your head high in confidence and you moved on to bigger and better things. Just like you're going to do after tonight. Always remember, it's their loss, not yours. You did everything right, you got the part. They're the ones fucking up here, not you."
He lifted her hand and he kissed it before she retracted both of her arms from around him and began to massage his shoulders. He moaned quietly as she leaned in close to his ear. "Why don't you finish your beer and then come inside and take a long, hot shower? And by the time you get out, I'll have dinner ready for you and then afterward we can sit and I'll rub your shoulders and we can plot creative death scenes for each of the assholes in the meeting today. Okay?"
Jason smiled over his shoulder. "That sounds perfect. And it smells amazing in there, by the way. What time did Martina leave tonight?"
Mel rested her chin on his shoulder and she grinned. "Martina didn't come over today."
"Oh really? You did that yourself?"
"All by myself," she boasted proudly. "You're gonna be surprised."
"I can't wait," he responded.
Smiling, she stood from the sand and brushed off her knees. "I better get back inside while I'm still in good standings with the oven. I haven't heard the smoke alarm yet, so I better stay ahead of the game."
Turning his body around, he reached his arm out and took her hand. "Hey," he said, looking up at her. "Just--stay for another minute?"
She couldn't deny him. Not in the least. The entire house could go up in flames and if he asked her to stay and watch it burn, she couldn't deny him. Walking around in front of him, she dropped to her knees once again and wrapped her arms around him, his arms instantly tight around her and his forehead on her shoulder. With her fingers, she stroked the back of his head and his neck as she held him. Pulling away, he held her head in his hands and he kissed her gently. "I love you, little woman," he smiled.
She smiled back at him. "Little woman?"
"You're my little woman. And the best little woman a man could ask for."
"Well, we little women have to take care of our men. It's what we do best."
"You're damn right it's what you do best. I swear I don't know how I managed to survive before you."
She smiled and pulled away. "If you don't let me go in, dinner may not survive either. Or even the house. I know my way around a fire extinguisher, you know."
Jason laughed and stood with her, picking up his beer and taking her by the hand as she led him inside the house.
---------------------
After Mel had spent the previous night feeding her man and massaging his back, which the thoroughly enjoyed, she ended up stewing over what he had told her. She had told him maybe it was for the best. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. But she wasn't sure she necessarily believed it herself. It was bullshit, was what it was. Jason had worked hard to get the audition and worked even harder after being given the role. He had dedicated himself to it and this was ridiculous.
After he'd gone to sleep, she'd gotten out of bed and spent most of the night researching the stories that these movies would be based on. She felt like a horrible girlfriend, not knowing anything about these movies already and she decided she needed to educate herself. She couldn't help but get into some of it and the part he was intended to play was completely for him. She could see him in every scene, in the description of the role, everything. Jason was perfection for this. It was almost as if this was written especially for him. So what the fuck had happened? What crawled up these assholes' asses?
The next morning, Jason didn't go to the gym. Instead, he said he was going for a run on the beach. Mel didn't object when he grabbed his iPod and headed out the back door. Walking out on the deck and watching him disappear down the beach, she quickly ran back inside the house and picked up her phone, dialing out the number she had scrawled in the paper she hid in her purse. She knew she shouldn't be doing this. This was completely wrong and Jason would be SO pissed, but she couldn't help herself. She had to do it.
"Hey, buddy, what's hangin?"
Mel scowled into the phone. Seriously? This was how his agent spoke to him? "Don't buddy me," she said back.
"Um, excuse me? I, uh, I must have looked at the number on my caller ID wrong..."
"Is this Andy?"
"Yeah."
"It's the right number. You're Jason's agent, right?"
"Uh, yeah...why are you calling me from--"
"This is Melody Banks. I'm his girlfriend. This is my phone, he's called you from it before."
"Um...hi, Melody...how are you...? I'm sorry, I'm a little confused here..."
"I'm not good, Andy. Not good at all. I imagine you're aware of what happened yesterday."
"Does he know you're calling me?"
"At this point it doesn't matter."
Andy sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I was there."
"That was bullshit. Complete bullshit."
"It was. I agree."
"You dropped the ball, Andy."
"Do what?"
"You're his agent. He lost a role he was contracted for. You dropped the ball. You didn't do your job. How many more ways do I need to say it?"
"Ms. Banks--"
"Call me Mel."
"Mel--I don't know what you want me to do."
"Your job."
"I've bent over backward for these people--"
"Apparently you didn't bend far enough. Listen, Jason is perfect for this role, you and I both know it's true. Or at least you better know it. You've been his agent from day one and, apparently, you must be worth something because he's kept you around for so long. But the reality is, this was an incredibly huge opportunity for him. And for you, too, as his agent. He did his part, he got the role, he did everything he was told to do. The rest of it falls on you. YOU dropped the ball, Andy. He trusts you with his career and you may have just single-handedly flushed it down the toilet. Do you understand what I'm saying, Andy? Do you understand that he expects you to go to bat for him? To fight for him? And that you ultimately DIDN'T? How is he supposed to feel about that?"
She heard him swallow over the phone and she smiled. She had him by the balls and she knew it. "So, uh, what are you trying to say?"
"I want you to do your job, Andy. I want you to earn your percentage. I want you to get his role back. Nobody can play it but him. You know his talent. Sell it."
"I told you. I've done ALL of that already--"
"No you haven't. Or else we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Let me paint a picture for you, Andy. I'm sitting here with a list of agents that have been recommended to me by a collection of very high-profile people. Agents who are practically salivating to represent Jason Kamealoha. I've even researched a couple of them and they look pretty good." Mel was bluffing like hell, but he didn't need to know that.
"If you're threatening--"
"Oh, I'm not threatening anything. I'm simply letting you know how this is going to play out. Jason loves me. He listens to me and takes everything I say into consideration. He trusts me. And he's going to be back from his run any time now and I'm more than prepared to have this conversation with him. I'm a very persuasive woman, Andy. Jason is upset and he's confused and I don't like seeing him this way. And I'm blaming it all on you. My man's gonna get what he wants. What he deserves. What he's EARNED. I don't play games, and you have no idea who you're dealing with."
There was silence on the other end for several moments. Finally, Andy sighed, exasperated. "Fine. Fine. Okay. I'll talk to the people over at the studio and see what we can get worked out. Find out the details, I'll get back to you."
"The next time you get back to anyone, it better be good news. I mean it, Andy. Nobody fucks with my man and his career."
"I got it, I got it, Jesus. You're something else, you know that?"
"Just get him that role back, Andy."
And with that, she terminated the call. She smiled to herself as she looked out the window, the clouds building up in the morning sky. Jason was going to be so pissed when he found out she called his agent. She knew he would. But if it worked out and it got him back in that movie, she could handle him being a little mad at her.
She milled around the kitchen, wiping counters and checking the contents of the refrigerator. Her stomach was rumbling and her need for comfort food had only been increasing lately. While she appreciated how diligent and dedicated Jason was to his training diet, she'd been eating roughly the same things he was and she had to admit, the whole west coast fad eating thing was getting a little old. Mel was from Oklahoma. In Oklahoma they ate biscuits and gravy and bacon and chicken and waffles. She couldn't live on egg whites and fruit for the rest of her life. It just wasn't going to happen.
To her surprise, she heard the sliding glass door open and she peeked around the wall to find Jason walking through it. "That didn't last very long," Mel observed.
"Yeah," he said glancing behind him out the window. "It's starting to rain. Decided I'd rather not get caught in it."
"Got any plans today?" She asked as she started taking things out of the refrigerator.
"Not anymore," he said, sighing. "I figured I'd take a break today. Let my mind clear a little before I get with Andy and see what else I have going on."
"Hm," Mel nodded. Then she changed the subject. "You hungry? You probably should have eaten earlier. Anything specific you're in the mood for?"
He looked back at her and glanced around the kitchen. She'd caught him off guard. Shit, was she doing it again? Attacking him as soon as he got in the door? Jesus, that was such a bad habit. "Uh, no," he said hesitantly. "You can make whatever you want, it's not like I'm counting calories anymore or anything." He lingered for a moment as he stood there.
Mel put down the carton of eggs she was holding and rested her hands against the counter. "Look. I know this is a little strange, me doing all...this. I know I've never been the most domesticated person in the world. And it's taking some getting used to. But it turns out, I kinda like it. And I think I'm pretty good at it, so..."
Jason gave a small smile and nodded. "You're fantastic. I appreciate you, kid."
She bit her lip and grinned before he headed toward the bedroom. "Jason," she said catching him before he disappeared. "I care about you. I care what happens to you and the things you go through. Okay? Nobody fucks with my man and gets away with it."
His grin widened. "Goddamn, I love you. Now get in the kitchen and cook my breakfast, woman."
Mel giggled as he disappeared and she happily busied herself with the food. At least he knew she cared for him before the ball got dropped on him. Hopefully he would remember this little exchange before he flew off the deep end.
-------------
It rained all damn day long. They hung out together in the house all day, which was something they rarely ever got to do with his busy schedule. They took advantage of it, camped out on the sofa in front of the television, Mel cuddled up to his chest with her legs thrown over his lap. As much as he objected, she had forced him to watch his own movies with her and give her the play-by-play commentary. She knew he hated doing it but she appreciated him for humoring her. It was something she'd been dying to do since he made his first movie.
Late in the afternoon, Jason's cell phone rang. He didn't budge for a second and he let it go to voicemail. When it rang immediately after that, he sighed and sat up, retrieving it from the coffee table. "What the hell does he want?" He muttered as he checked his phone. Mel slowly removed her legs from his lap as he sat straighter and answered his phone. "Andy, what's going on?"
Mel's heart started to pound.
"Wait, wait, wait, are you serious?" Jason said into the phone.
Mel thought she would have a heart attack and die right there.
Standing from the sofa, he walked across the room, obviously listening as Andy talked his ear off. Finally, he was saying, "Yeah, okay...Okay, yeah...Yeah, I'll be there...Okay. Wait, and do what? Why? I mean, not that I wouldn't want her there, but--Okay. Okay, yeah. That's cool, we'll be there...Okay, see you later."
Jason hung up his phone and turned around and landed his eyes directly on Mel. She felt herself hunkering down into the sofa.
Walking over to the back of the sofa, he rested his hands against it behind her head. "So that was Andy. My agent. I have a dinner meeting tonight with him and the casting director, director, and producers of the movie. A movie I just got booted from."
She looked over her shoulder and attempted an innocent smile. "You got a meeting, that sounds promising."
He lowered himself closer to the sofa, resting his chin on his hands. "As much as the meeting intrigues me, I can't help but wonder why, prey tell, was YOUR presence specifically requested at this meeting?"
Mel swallowed a lump and she shrugged. "Um, maybe they just want to meet me? You know, curiosity and stuff?"
Jason straightened up and shoved his hands in his pockets. "What did you do?"
She shifted in her seat and turned herself backward on the couch, sitting herself on her knees. "I told you, Jason, nobody fucks with my man and gets by with it."
He stared back at her, his eyes blinking. He wiped the sweat from his upper lip and continued to stare at her. Holy shit, he was pissed. She knew he would be, but--holy shit, he was pissed. She made a mental note to personally kill Andy if this meeting went bad. Finally, he muttered, "Put on a dress, we're going to dinner."
"It's raining out there, I don't want to wear a--"
"I better want to fuck you by the time you walk out of that bedroom because it's the only thing that's going to keep me from flying off the handle right now.
Mel couldn't argue with him. She did something she had no business doing and she knew it, regardless of her intentions. At this moment, she was going to do whatever Jason told her to do. Anything that might remotely help his mood in this situation.
-----------
Not wanting to provoke him anymore, Mel put on a dress. She found a short, white lacy number that she paired with a black blazer that hung past her butt and a pair of nude pumps. It wasn't necessarily the picture of "Fuck me now," but he would have to get over it. She knew he was just spouting off words at the time and she chose not to take him overly serious.
Regardless of him being mad at her, Jason was a gentleman, just like he always was. He held the umbrella for her, opened the car door for her (she let him drive the Viper), and held her hand as she got in.
The drive into LA was silent. Traffic was shit and the rain made it even worse. Mel kept glancing over at Jason, trying to read him. His expression remained stoic and his eyes focused on the road. She was nervous as hell. Neither one of them knew exactly what they were walking into and it made Mel feel like shit for putting him in this situation.
Hesitantly, she reached over and laid her hand over his as it rested on the gear shift. "I love you," she said quietly.
He glanced over at her. "I love you, too."
"Please don't hate me."
Jason sighed and shook his head. "I don't hate you, gorgeous. I could never hate you. I just--I'm kind of in shock right now."
She glanced down at her lap and back at the road in front of her. "I went too far this time, didn't I?"
"I love sharing my life with you," he said. "It's the greatest experience I've ever had and I don't ever want that to change. But--but sometimes..."
"I know. I'm sorry. You were just--so upset and I didn't think it was fair and I hate seeing you that way and--and I had a moment of weakness and I meddled where I shouldn't have meddled and I'm sorry."
He glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow. "But you got me a meeting."
"Jason, I don't want you to think--I mean, I don't want you to feel like I stepped in because I didn't think you could--I mean, I just--I felt so helpless and I couldn't just stand by and--"
"You fought for me," he interrupted. "And that's, uh...nobody's ever really done that for me before."
She glanced at him nervously. She didn't know what to say. She just prayed this meeting wasn't another trip into the lion's den.
---------------
They walked into Acabar and Mel couldn't help but feel like a tourist as she took in the impressive architecture. Mosaic walls, tile floors. "I feel like I've walked into some Middle Eastern monastery or something," she whispered to Jason.
"They're wining and dining tonight," he whispered back, leaning down into her ear as he gripped her hand. "Means they're compensating."
The hostess led them to their table, a round table surrounded by rounded, high-backed booth chairs. They were the last to arrive and the five men who already sat at the table rose as they approached. They had smiles on their faces as they greeted Jason and introduced themselves to Mel, but Mel could see right through them. These men had hurt her man and that was all she could see when she looked at them.
"Melody, it is so great to meet you in person," Andy said, as he kissed the top of her hand.
"Lay off, Andy, you don't have to try to impress her," Jason spat at him.
Mel's eyes widened for a second, not really sure how to take that comment. Then she realized that even with people he trusted, he was protective of her. Protective or possessive? She and Jason were way more alike than she thought they were.
"Uh, of course. You're right. I was too forward, forgive me." As he sat down along with the rest of the table, Andy continued. "You have quite a woman there, Jason."
Jason's eyes darted at Andy. "I know."
You could cut the tension at the table with a knife.
Mel looked across the table at Andy. He didn't look like she expected him to look. Actually, she wasn't sure what she expected. She expected him to be older, maybe? Balding with glasses? Instead, she was met with someone close to her age with a slender frame, at least six feet tall, with blonde hair cut close to his head, in a preppy outfit consisting of a sweater with the collar of his undershirt folded over it. His blue eyes shone through his clear complexion and Mel swore he was gay. Except if he was, would Jason have reacted the way he did to his introduction?
The men made small talk as they waited for their drink orders to arrive and Mel stayed relatively quiet. She had no idea what to say. The only person at the table she'd actually talked to was Andy and she had no way of knowing what Andy had said to the movie guys. Jason had said that her presence was specifically requested, but was that only because Andy wanted to meet the woman in person who had nearly made him shit his pants earlier that morning?
Mel was grateful when their drinks finally arrived and she went ahead and ordered her second one before the waiter even left the table. Downing half of her cocktail in that sitting, she realized that all eyes were on her. She glanced at her drink and then looked around sheepishly and she smiled. "Um, this one's so good that I didn't want to have to wait too long for the next one."
Everyone seemed to be okay with that answer and they went back to talking about business as usual. Everyone but Jason, that was. Instead, he lay his arm across her lap and leaned into her ear, "Are you okay?"
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she turned her face into his. "I don't really understand what I'm doing here," she whispered. "I'm nervous as shit, I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing."
"Don't be nervous, I'm sitting right here," he said. "It's okay."
She looked up at him and smiled gratefully into his smiling eyes before he went back to his conversation.
After the waiter had left the table with their dinner order, it seemed like it was finally time to get down to business. "It's come to our attention, Jason, that perhaps yesterday's meeting...didn't go quite as well as it should have," the producer said.
Beside her, Jason straightened up in his seat, taking his arm from Mel's lap, and rested his elbows on the table. Mel reached her hand subtly behind him and placed it on the small of his back. She needed him to know she was there, no matter what.
"I'm not sure how any part of that meeting could have gone well," Jason replied.
"You're right. That's fair," the producer continued. "But we're all human, Jason. All of us. We all make mistakes. Even you. Even your lovely lady, there."
"How about we stay on topic and watch our mouths?" Jason spat.
"Sometimes it takes a pair of fresh eyes, a fresh perception, a fresh mind, to open your eyes a little bit. See the things you didn't see before. Make you realize that some of the decisions you've made, on a whim, may not have been the best of decisions after the fact. I'm sure you can relate to that."
Jason glanced at Mel and she turned up her drink. The guy was being so goddamn ambiguous, nobody could read what the hell he was getting at. "Yeah. Some. I guess," Jason said.
"You've got a fantastic woman, there, Jason," the casting director said. "I've been through a lot of shit with a lot of actors in my time, but this just took the cake."
Maybe it was the alcohol loosening her up, she didn't know. But now she finally felt the need to speak up. "I didn't mean to--to cause any trouble, I only talked to Andy--"
"And Andy talked to us," the casting director continued. "And I don't know what kind of fire you lit under his ass, but the guy came at us with a vengeance and made a lot of good points we couldn't ignore." The casting director looked from Jason to Mel to Andy. "And we don't like to be wrong. We certainly don't like it pointed out to us. We make decisions, we stick with them. We do what's best for the movie. And letting you go was best for the movie."
"Yesterday," the producer cut in. "It was good for the movie yesterday. But we seem to have collectively exercised a momentary lapse in judgment because, like I said before, we're only human. We offered you the part to begin with because you were perfect for the role. And you still are. And we'd be idiots to allow you to walk away from this meeting tonight and not be back on as the lead for these films."
The table fell silent as Jason looked around at everyone. Mel's nails lightly grazed Jason's back. Inside, she was ecstatic. And a little stunned. It worked. That damn stunt she pulled had worked. She swore right then and there she would never go behind Jason's back like that again. This time was too close of a call and it wasn't her business to meddle in his career anyway. But damn. This was an opportunity of a lifetime and they were practically begging for forgiveness. It was beautiful.
Andy's voice interrupted the silence as he pulled a packet of papers out of the briefcase that sat on the floor beside him. "We've modified your contract," he said, handing the paperwork across the table to Jason. "I'm sure you'll find it more favorable than your first one. It includes all the extra perks, everything. Anything you could possibly want or need is in there."
Jason glanced around the table again as he took the contract in his hand. Mel was dying to get her hands on it and read it, but she was patient and allowed Jason to leaf through it himself. He was silent. He paused to read certain sections, but continued to leaf back and forth through it. Mel was dying of curiosity.
After a long, grueling, silent few minutes, Jason closed the contract back up and handed it back to Andy. "I appreciate the offer and the consideration--again--but I'm going to have to decline this time."
Six pairs of eyes widened and gaped at him. Mel started on her second drink as if it was going out of style.
"Um, is something wrong?" Andy asked.
"I was your first choice," Jason said to the producer and the casting director. "And now I'm your second. And now you're feeling guilty and you're trying to buy me off and I'm not that kind of man. I worked hard and I earned that goddamn role, I don't need you to buy me."
Mel couldn't keep it in anymore. "Jason," she hissed.
He turned his head and looked at her. "What? I'm not doing it. I appreciate what you tried to do for me, but this is bullshit."
Mel was mortified. She had to think fast, she had to save this meeting. Maybe this was it. Maybe this was why Andy wanted her there. Because he knew Jason might react this way. That clever bastard.
Mel took a deep breath and turned to Andy. "Can I have that contract, please?"
"Mel, you don't have to--"
She cut Jason off when she took him by the hand, firmly. "Excuse us, gentleman, can we have a minute?"
Against Jason's will, she led him out of the booth and into the waiting area of the restaurant. She sat him on a bench and she took a seat on his knee, holding the contract for the two of them to see. "What's wrong, are you crazy?"
"I don't do business this way," Jason said quietly. "If they wanted me the first time, great. I don't need them wanting me back out of guilt."
"Sometimes you need to not let you pride get in the way so much," she hissed.
He narrowed his eyes at her, apparently offended by her statement. She didn't care. "Jason, you would be stupid to turn this film down," she continued.
"What? Just last night you said it was their loss and that it would flop."
"I didn't know jack about this series last night, Jason. Last night, after you fell asleep, I researched it all. It's a fucking cash cow. I mean, I hate to sit here and act like it's all about the money when the real conversation here is about your talent and there's no doubt you're talented. This role was made for you. That's a given. That's not even the issue. The issue right now is business and you're being very stupid right now."
"Well you're awfully blunt today..."
"I'm serious. What about the contract didn't you like? If they want you bad enough, they'll bend for you."
"The contract is fine. It's the principle."
"Fuck the principle. They made a mistake and they're making up for it, Jason. Do you want to star in this movie or not?"
"Well--I mean, yeah, I was excited as hell about it."
"Then you're going to star in this movie. Plain and simple."
She felt Jason's arm grip her a little tighter and she smiled at him. Then she flipped through the contract and read through it herself. They were giving him a pay raise. All the perks an actor could ask for, including a personal assistant and accommodations for whenever Mel wanted to travel with him. As she leafed through it, she looked at him. "Anything you want to add?"
"I didn't see pay or play in there. I want that definitely."
"What's pay or play?"
"So that this bullshit doesn't happen again. So that if they decide to just up and get rid of me at no fault of my own, I still get paid for it."
Mel nodded. "That seems completely fair. I don't like your merchandising clause either. That needs a little modification. Other than that, what do you think? You think you're ready to rethink your answer?"
Jason looked up at her and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You're absolutely amazing, you know that? I don't know what I ever did to deserve a woman like you."
"I fight for what I believe in," she said. "And I believe in you. I believe in your talent and what this movie could be if you're starring in it. I couldn't sit back and just allow you to be wronged like that."
He smiled at her. "What the hell did you say to Andy?"
She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "I may or may not have mentioned that I was looking up other agents..."
"You threatened him, didn't you?"
"Threaten is such a strong word..."
"You lit a fire under his ass."
"I had him by the balls."
Jason laughed. "That's my girl." Then he sighed. "Okay, then. Fine. I'm going to tell them that I want the contract modified and then I want my attorney to look over it. And then...yeah, I guess I got my movie back."
Mel grinned and threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, baby, I'm so proud of you!"
He hugged her back and chuckled. "I don't know what the hell you're proud of, you're the one who did it."
"Well, technically Andy did it, I just--intimidated him into it a little."
"Okay, okay, you little mafia don," he said endearingly as he patted her leg and they stood up. "I'm fucking starving, let's go see what this restaurant is all about."
As they sat back down at the table, Mel handed the contract back to Andy. "It isn't signed yet. It requires a pay and play clause and your merchandising proposal has fallen a little short. Raise the percentage and get it back to him so his attorney can look it over. As long as the contracts is to his standards, you boys have yourselves a deal."
"Holy shit," the producer said as he sat back against the booth with a cigar between his teeth. "You got yourself a regular little powerhouse negotiator there, don't you?" He said to Jason, amused.
"It has nothing to do with being a talented negotiator," Mel answered. "It's about knowing what you want and how to get it."
"Have you ever thought about becoming an agent, yourself?" Andy asked. "Or maybe even my assistant? I'd love to have--"
"I don't 'assist,'" Mel said, cutting him off. "It's either my rules or I don't do it. But thank you for the compliment, I do appreciate it. And no, I don't see myself representing anyone like that--"
Jason turned up his beer. "Yeah, man, the only asshole she'll ever represent is me. And you probably ought to watch your back, cause she looks a hell of a lot better than you do."
The men laughed and Mel found herself blushing. He didn't lie. She really wasn't interested in anyone else's career but his. But she couldn't deny the thrill she got in the split moment that she got to call the shots. She always loved being in charge. It felt good to be back in that seat again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
JASON
Jason was silent on the way home from dinner. He was happy, but he was silent. He just had to take the entire evening--hell, the entire day--in. It was wild. He kept glancing at Mel. When he had asked what he'd done to deserve her earlier, he'd meant the question. Seriously. What had he done? He was nobody, really. He was just a guy who liked beer and lifting weights. So he acted in a few films, she knew him before that. There was really nothing to him, he thought. What was it about him? What had he done to deserve her? Her support? Her belief? Her faith in him? She fought for him. And she won. She didn't back down, he belonged to her. This movie opportunity was a big deal. Huge for his career. How would he ever repay her for such dedication?
He sighed and he didn't realize he'd been loud about it when she asked him, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm great."
"You don't--you don't feel like you're being forced into this, do you?"
He glanced at her and furrowed his brow. "No. No, not at all. I knew what I was getting into the first time."
"Okay."
They were silent again as Jason thought about taking her home and taking her to bed. He wanted to make love to her for the entire night. For the rest of his life. Whatever he did for her would never be enough.
And that made him think of the house and it dawned on him. Home. That house had never felt so much like home until she had moved into it. Sure, when she first moved in she never ceased to blow his mind, but everything had worked out. And somehow, every wild and crazy decision she ever made seemed to work out for the best. He found himself in eager anticipation of whatever crazy thing he'd walk into next. There had never been a dull moment at home since Mel had moved in. And furthermore, he had never spent near as much time at home as he did now, either. He found himself WANTING to be home now. Wanting to come home to her.
She made his house a home.
"How would you feel if I bought our house?" He blurted suddenly.
"You mean your house?" She clarified.
"OUR house."
"Um--"
"You've expressed interest in it before. And that way you can do whatever you want. You can tear up the entire backyard if you want. You can convert the downstairs of the guest suite into a garage. You can do whatever you want."
"I want a bigger dining room."
"You can do that, too. What do you think?"
"Is that--is that where you want to stay? I mean, it's kind of permanent."
"Gorgeous, the only thing that's permanent is that I love you. If you don't want to go through with it, we don't have to. But I want you to have a home. I want you to have something of your own. You've made that house a home for me and I want it to be yours. I want you to have it."
She was silent as he waited for a response. Making this purchase was a big deal for him. He'd never actually owned a home before. He really had no reason to. The only reason he had this rental for so long was because he wanted to come back to the same place when he was in LA--and since he spent the majority of his time in LA, it seemed only fitting. But owning a home had never been useful to him until now. Until now where he craved the commitment. He craved the stability. He craved Mel's happiness.
Unable to deal with her silence, he added, "No pressure."
"No. No," she finally spoke up. "I...I'm a little surprised is all. I never struck you as...I mean I assumed that when you and I got together that we'd be--well, traveling constantly."
"Well, I mean, I do want you with me as much as possible, but I want you to have somewhere to call your own. Somewhere that's yours, that when you say you're going home, it's HOME."
"But home is wherever you are."
"You know what I mean."
He glanced at her in the dark and he could see the smile creep across her face. "You, um, you wanna buy the house..."
"Our house. Yes. Both our names on it. Together."
"Together? To own a home together? Jason, that's practically like--"
"I know what it is."
"Yes," she said without hesitation.
He glanced over at her and smiled. "Yes?"
"Yes. Let's buy the house. Together."
The grin never left Jason's face for the rest of the drive home.