“What about Hal?” That was Nance Shepard, producer-slash-ice-queen. She was enthusiastic in a monotone fashion and was the one I could usually count on to tactfully point out possible logistical issues.
“Hal just wrapped up filming The Last Drop. We need to change it up. Different energy this time. Someone snappier, ya know? Like Rodriguez. Milt, get a hold of him, and let’s make that happen.”
Milt Corden gave a thumbs-up and typed notes…no questions asked. He was probably my favorite “yes man.” He rarely spoke and when he did, he always agreed with me. Which could be annoying sometimes. Not today.
“Sure thing, Seb.”
“Great. I’m heading to London on Monday to scout action sequence locales. Hit me with some ideas.”
My “yes people” shared a confused stare.
Ed finally spoke up. “You’re going to London now?”
“Yeah. Is there a problem with that?”
That was a rhetorical inquiry. Of course there wasn’t a problem. This was my show. I could go wherever the fuck I wanted.
“No, no. Not at all. It’s just that…you’re usually here for post-production. We have sound edits coming up and—”
“Well, they certainly don’t need my help in the editing department,” I replied sarcastically.
“And it’s a nice touch to have you make an appearance with Pierce for the video-game release.” That was Kathy from Marketing.
Oh. Fuck. Well…that’ll only take an hour or two.
“I think so too,” I lied, tapping the script on the table. “Let’s dive into this. I have—”
“Excuse me, Seb. Before we move on, we’ll need your input on the zinger promo for The Last Drop. Any ideas?”
I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my jaw thoughtfully. Zinger promo was crucial. This was that extra pop I’d mentioned to Trent the night we met. The flashy soundbite that caught the public’s attention and caused a frenzy of anticipation prior to release day. I was usually all over this aspect of marketing, but I’d been more interested in moving on to the next film this time around. It was a tad alarming that someone had to remind me to focus on sales.
“Nothing solid,” I admitted. “Forward your premarket data to me. I’ll think about this while I’m away.”
“Great. Between Pierce and a new location, I’m sure you’ll come up with something amazing,” Kathy gushed.
“I always do,” I jokingly bragged. “But of course, I need your help. Keep your eye on London. Pierce usually does something unintentionally newsworthy. And if I’m needed here, contact Trish. I can handle important issues remotely.”
“That works.”
“No problem.”
“Excellent.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“Looking forward to it.”
“This is gonna rock.”
I smiled at my “yes” team and raised my water bottle in a toast. “Here’s to a new Baxter advent—”
“Seb?” Milt the Agreeable glanced up from his iPad with a frown. “I don’t think it’s possible to film at Stonehenge.”
“Anything is possible, Milt.” I gathered the script and headed for the door, pausing to give a thumbs-up. “Let’s make it happen.”
I dropped the cheerleader routine and scrolled Trish’s number the second I stepped out of the room.
She answered on the first ring. “Perfect timing. I was about to remind you that you have a call in twenty minutes with—”
“That’s fine. I’m on my way now. You know I’m leaving for London Monday, right?”
“Of course. I have the jet prepped and your LA calendar has been cleared for ten days. You’ll stay at your usual hotel in Mayfair. I’ve booked it for two weeks in case you decide to stay longer.”
“Great. Maybe I should rent a place for a month or buy something. Do I own property in England?”
“Not yet.”
“Hmm. Remind me to look into that. Thanks, Trish.”
“One last thing. I received a call from PR, something about a story leak with you and the gentleman Hal fired.”
What the fuck?
I stopped in my tracks, furrowing my brow as I checked to make sure I wouldn’t be overheard. Everyone in the vicinity appeared to be too busy to notice me. Assistants and camera crews zipped around the wide corridors, deep in conversations. I wasn’t guaranteed to be alone in an elevator, and this was definitely confidential.
“What kind of story?”
“A budding romance piece. Apparently, there are a few photos at a restaurant. They want to run the Pierce Story again to refute it.”
“What? No. Absolutely not.”
“All right. I’ll let them know. But just beware, Pierce is scheduled to be in London next week to promote the new Baxter video-game release and—”
“I know, I know.” I massaged my temple and sighed. “Thanks for the info. I gotta run.”
I hung up and immediately called Charlie.
“Hi, Dad. I’m late for a meeting. Can I—”
“I have a possible PR issue.” I recited Trish’s message like a true team player. “I thought you might want to know since Trent is your employee now.”
“Ugh. How did I not catch this? What’s the source? Do you know the IG account?” he asked in a panicky tone.