Hondo said, “So he threw out the original scene and wrote another one that’s not even close to the first one.”
Shells nodded, “Yes. I tried to talk him out of it, but he told me if I didn’t shut up he would fire me, then sue me.”
I read a few lines, “He wants us to desert and join the mafia to fight against our old unit. Is he serious?”
“I am most serious,” G said as he walked to join us. “This will show the plight of the mafia and make them more relatable to the audience.”
“You just had a scene where the mafia murders an innocent young girl. I don’t think audiences will buy the Cosa Nostra as the good guys,” I said.
“You are wrong. I am preparing to write Mandy as another who joins the mafia side, and that will win the audience.” Mandy’s head came up and she hurried to our group.
“What did you say, G? I’m going to be mafia?”
“You’re going to be inspired by their leader and join him in the fight with the Vikings against the infidels. And we will shoot scenes that will fill theaters, where you and the leader make love. Actually make love.”
I said, “We’re now making a porn film.”
G said, “It is art, and symbolism, realistic symbolism.”
Mandy’s cheeks glowed pink, “I thought we were a couple, G. And you want me to have sex with another man? On camera?”
“It is art, my dear.”
Mandy looked at us, then at Shells, and finally at G. She said, “That’s not gonna happen, you ass. In fact, I’m going to sue you. And I’m leaving here, right now.”
G reached for her, but she slapped away his hand. He growled, “Get back here, right now.”
Shells said, “I’m with her. And my lawyer will be talking to your lawyer.”
Hondo and I grinned, then followed the other two out of there.
G yelled, “You can’t sue me! I’m dissolving the company and stopping production! There will be no film! And don’t look for any money from me!”
As we walked to Shamu, I said, “I hope we get the last check, but I’m not counting on it.”
“Things will work out,” Hondo said.
When we returned to our office and went next door to the gym to tell Archie all of it, including the chance of not being paid.
He said, “You want some work?”
“Sure.”
“It’s a movie for the SyFy Channel. They need some supporting characters that can do stunts in the action scenes. After you guys talked to him, Farlow came to see me at the gym. I took him on as a client and got him this gig. Farlow is second AD and special effects, and he’ll vouch for you, I’m sure.”
I pictured Farlow after Hondo’s two-finger punch, when he apologized to everyone, and I knew he was a nice guy. I grinned, “You got Farlow an AD job? I thought maybe in makeup.”
“He did makeup and FX on two films already, and the producers liked him. They liked his suggestions when they asked him about this or that. You know how smaller productions go, if they like you, they want to work with you again.”
“Sounds good to us. What will we be playing?”
“Aliens from outer space who are turned into some zombie monsters that kill lots of folks and rip a small town to pieces. That’s all I know. Oh, and they’re blue.”
“So we’ll be alien killer Smurfs,” I said.
“Pretty much.”
Hondo said, “Sounds like fun.”