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I nodded and did all I could to keep from laughing, but I had a feeling that would be the best CGI jaguar anyone had ever seen.
After we finished, I thought it was time I did my old friend a favor. “You have to let Ben do Ben. His style is a bit eccentric, and he’s known for taking a lot of liberties which, believe it or not, many critics not only find refreshing but genius.”
“I do find that hard to believe,” she said as I fell in step with her.
“Want to grab something with me from craft services?”
“Sure,” she said as we made our way to the table. “Although after that, I’ll probably be fired and escorted off the lot. Why hire someone to keep you on track when you don’t really want to listen?”
“That’s just it. He will listen, but in there, he’s the boss, and he’s not going to let anyone know he’s listening. Ben is complicated. I’ve been his friend for years, and he gave me one of my first breaks, so I know him well. He’s a nice guy, but he loves to flex his creative freedom, so when you come in telling him that he’s all wrong, it’s a blow to what little ego he has. Just take some advice and tread lightly. He’s listening, but don’t call him out in the middle of a scene in front of me and his entire cast and crew.”
She let out a long breath. “Fair enough. I wasn’t trying to be that person.”
“Well, I know that, but someone else might not, and that’s all Ben cares about. His integrity is challenged a lot. He’s in a place where everything, including every decision he makes, is scrutinized, dissected, and judged, and even though he’s one of the hottest directors in the business, his career is on the line just like the rest of us.”
“I only wanted to help him make it the best it can be. If that means that he needs to learn the difference between animal regions, then so be it.”
“Well, I’d pull him aside next time.”
She nodded, and we went about fixing our food as the crafty, also known as Roxie, came to the table. “Hey, Jake, can I fix you something? I sent a box to your trailer already, and it’s in the fridge.”
“Thanks, Roxie, but I’m just going to save that for later. I thought I’d show my friend, Kate, the ropes.”
Roxie smiled and then returned to her duties.
Kate smiled. “It must be nice having everyone wanting to dote on you.”
“At times, but mostly it gets on my nerves. It’s easy to get spoiled in this business, but I try to stay humble. We’re all the same when it comes down to it, and I’m determined not to lose sight of that.”
“Very humble,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I think I’d get used to it.”
“Well, it is nice when I need something and don’t feel like going out. I could order anything in the city, and someone would spend all day fetching it. It’s kind of ridiculous until you remember that’s their job. They want a paycheck as much as I do. Respecting them and knowing that makes all the difference in the world.”
“You’re still a good guy, aren’t you?” She gave me a nudge. “It’s no wonder you’re playing the hero.”
“I’m not the villain type. That’s for sure.”
“Not with that smile.” The way she flirted was subtle but effective. And it was good just to talk as old friends.
“Look at this,” she said, holding up a small carton of milk. “I haven’t seen these since the elementary school cafeteria. Do you remember how kids would blow bubbles with their straws?”
“Hey, I was one of those kids. I’d bubble it up over the carton, and the teacher would get mad. Those were the days, weren’t they? Remember when they’d get the chocolate and strawberry milk? We thought we had something special.”
“And don’t forget pizza day,” she said, holding up a finger to prove a point. “That was damned good pizza.”
“I used to love burger day.” I could still taste that soybean patty, but there was just something about it. Delicious.
She crinkled her nose. “They were okay, but nothing beat the dinner rolls. Those rolls were the absolute best, and I’ve never had another like them. I used to trade my Fruit Rollups for those.”
“Damn, I should have sat at your table back then.” I had only seen her around in those early days. I was all about my friends back then, until I spotted her in high school and realized that the prettiest girl had been right there in my geometry class all along.
“Yeah, you should have.”
“I’d have made that trade.”
We shared a laugh and seemed like we were finally getting comfortable around each other again, which was refreshing. But about that time, things took a nosedive.
