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“About year ago, I guess.”
“You don’t know for sure?”
“It was already open when I moved here. I just took over the operations.” Sam pushed up the sleeves of his untucked denim shirt. “I was told it used to be a craft store or something.”
“Oh, yeah. Knitty Witty. What happened to them?”
“Owner retired and closed, I guess.”
“So where’d you move here from?”
“Back east.” Sam shuffled back to the counter. “You get two fifteen-minute breaks during your shift.”
Jake turned back to his task. He hadn’t worked a “regular” job for years. He’d moved to Los Angeles right after graduation and spent three years working low-level set jobs and auditioning before landing small roles in a sci-fi movie, a low-budget western, and a spy thriller. The director of the thriller had mentioned Jake to another director, who was looking to cast the firstFatal Glorymovie. After several auditions, he got the part, and Blaze Ripley was born.
It was a good role. A great role. Blaze wasn’t all that different from most action heroes—smart, witty, never-give-up—but there was no question Jake had enjoyed bringing him to life. He hated the thought of Blaze’s six-movie journey coming to a laughable ending instead of the happy one he’d fought so hard for.
After shelving all the romance novels, he went into the backroom for his fifteen-minute break. He took out his cell to join a scheduled conference call with Pete, theFatal Glory 7director, and one of the studio execs.
“Jake, dude, how the hell are you?” Pete shouted over the background noise of LA traffic. “Can’t wait to get started rehearsing.”
“There won’t be any rehearsals unless the script is overhauled.”
“Jake, let’s just calm down for a minute,” Mark, the studio head, put in smoothly.
“I’m plenty calm. I’m telling you I’m not signing the contract until I approve of the script.”
“What the…” Pete’s voice rose to a screech. “You don’t get script approval, dude. It’s my movie.”
“Petra doesn’t die. Blaze doesn’t get abducted by aliens or fall in love with a Zorgian princess. We go back to the actual story of a Navy SEAL on a mission.”
“Bor-ring.” Pete groaned.
“Sci-fi is huge right now, Jake,” Mark said. “If we catch the wave, we’ll take Blaze on a whole new journey. Theuniverseis the limit. Get it?”
“No aliens. No space-ray guns. Petra is alive and well, and there are no scenes of her naked in a bubble bath or anywhere else. She and Blaze are still partners, but this time as husband and wife.”
“That’s not going to work.” Irritation edged Mark’s tone. “We can’t have a blockbuster film with a husband-and-wife team and no new love interest.”
“I got it!” Pete shouted. “We throw in a sexy double-agent…maybe Japanese or something…and Blaze has an affair with her!”
Jake gritted his teeth. “Blaze is not having an affair. Do you know this character at all? He’s loyal to a fault and would never cheat on anyone, least of all his wife. The woman he loves more than life.”
“Oh my god.” Pete’s laugh filtered over the line. “This isn’t a rom-com, dude. Or a tragedy.”
“No, it’s not. If you’dthinkabout the story and characters, you’d know the natural progression is for Blaze to become a father and take his—”
“What?” Pete screeched. “Afather? What is this,Daddy Daycare? Mark, I can’t work like this.”
“Jake, you need to leave the screenwriting up to the pros.” Mark’s voice rose an octave. “We agreed to one helluva deal to keep you onboard, but I can’t have you getting difficult.”
“Ican’t have you fucking up the character I helped create,” Jake snapped.
“Do you know how many actors we have lined up to take over the Blaze Ripley role?” Mark retorted. “Hundreds.Especially after you assaulted that reporter. Yeah, the studio will take a hit selling fans on a new actor, but hell, it worked for James Bond. It’ll work for Blaze Ripley. So you damned well better remember that you’re replaceable.”
“Then good luckreplacingme.”
Smothering a burn of anger, Jake ended the call and called his agent.
