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"You'll have to see how he handles this blowup. Watch what he does and what he says. Try and figure out why he's making the choices he's making, and then decide if you can live with that."
"Thanks, Ma. I love you."
"And I love you, baby. I'm going to stroll over to craft services for a coffee before I hit the road, but I don't want to keep you. Will I see you at dinner Friday?"
"I'm planning on it."
"Good."
Frankie watched Jo walk off toward the food and beverage tables with a grin. How on earth did her mother always know exactly when to show up for a heart-to-heart?
CHAPTER26
Jake leanedagainst the craft services table in the shade of a pop-up tent with his fresh cup of coffee, trying to figure out what his next move should be. He always knew what came next. It was always laid out in his head, like a clear path from where he was to where he wanted to be. When he'd started this project, his aim had been to prove himself as a director and to keep his crew family employed and together as long as possible. He hadn't expected to have the bedrock of his beliefs about family and his sense of not belonging shaken. He hadn't expected to be welcomed into the Valenti fold or to find out that his lost childhood had been a sham.
And now his goal was tangled and cloudy, and it was all Frankie's fault. He wanted the show to succeed and he wanted her to earn Dom's approval. But he also wanted her to love him. And he seemed to have lost his shot at that last one by chasing the first goal too hard.
"I think that's the first time I've seen you with coffee in your cup but not drinking it."
How long had Jo been standing there watching him moon over her daughter? "Hi, Jo."
"You really stepped in it this time, huh?"
"I see you ran into Frankie."
"Yes, I came by to see my daughter and check out how the build was going. She mentioned that you sabotaged things to make the show more interesting."
“Every challenge only makes the show better, which is good for both of us. But she won’t even let me explain.”
“So, she’s pissed because you made her life harder on purpose, and you're upset that she won’t let you mansplain to her why she’s wrong? Interesting stance."
Jake dropped his head and stared at his coffee, hoping it would give him the right words. “That’s not what I meant.”
“No, but it’s what you said. Words matter, Jake, and actions matter more. You should have told her."
"This is just how reality TV works. My God, Jo, she's been on MDash for two seasons. How could she not know?"
"Because she isn't some Hollywood actor who grew up playing the game. She put her dreams and her heart in your hands, Jake, and your lie betrayed her on both counts."
"I never lied to her. I never told her I wasn't doing it. She didn't ask."
Jo gave him such a look that he dropped his head in shame.
"Oh, so we're using four-year-old logic now. A lie by omission hurts just as much."
Jake flushed. She was right. He knew that. He should have been more open with Frankie about what he'd been doing behind the scenes. A hot summer breeze whipped up off the valley floor and blew past, scorching them both, but his shame burned hotter. Jake couldn't tell if he was sweating from the heat or the panic that he'd screwed this up forever.
"I never meant to hurt her."
"And yet you purposely made her job harder, knowing what she stood to lose if she failed."
"But she hasn't failed. She's brilliant, smart and funny, and a damn good leader on the site. This show is only going to showcase her strengths."
"Can you guarantee that? I heard about the multiple versions of the pilot. Can you promise me that only the good one will get used?" Jo propped her hands on her hips, and Jake shrugged his shoulders up toward his ears.
“It was never going to air, Jo. My execs were nervous about trusting so much responsibility and money on an untried woman who had shown them nothing but humor and hijinks on the other show. I had to cut together a backup version with Dom’s voiceovers so they would move forward with the show. But I edited that version so closely. No offense to Dom, but it’s nowhere near as good as Frankie’s solo pilot. She shines on-screen, solving problems and getting things done.”
"But at what cost? She has put the rest of her life on hold. She's made sacrifices on the build and called in favors to make it all work. Personally and professionally she put herself on the line for this. You stole that time and energy from her."
