L.A. Fire (40 page)

 
But then Athena called me into her office just before lunch, saying she had
something urgent to discuss with me. When I was settled into the teak armchair
across from her desk, I took one look at her and could tell she meant business.

 
“There’s a potential client coming in this afternoon,” she said, adjusting her
flowing, blue silk blouse. “And I want you to come in on the meeting.” I looked
at her in surprise, and she smiled at my reaction. “Don’t look so shocked, my
dear. Paul is a hard man to please, and he raved about your professionalism in
the boardroom. So I want you in on this.”

 
She started flipping through a stack of papers. “Aha,” she said, apparently
locating what she was looking for, and pulling out a chunk of white sheets from
the pile. “The potential client’s name is Sylvia Laurence. You heard of her?”

 
I nodded, and Athena smiled at me slyly. “Good girl. You’ve done your homework.
Anyway, she’s kind of a brassy broad. She likes to be in the limelight,
considers herself one of a kind. She’s interested in working with me because of
my reputation, but the one time I met her, she was obviously put off by my
flamboyance. You know, the kind of babe who doesn’t like any competition
because she wants all eyes on her.” Her eyes twinkled slyly, and I smiled
appreciatively in response. “Anyway, Paul tells me that you know how to be both
retiring and charming at the same time. And that’s what I want from you this
afternoon. Show her we’re here to serve her. That we’re not a threat.”

 
My eyes must have lit up with recognition, because Athena looked satisfied that
she’d been understood. “Anyway,” she said, picking up the stack of paper she’d fished
out, “this is her latest Rom Com. It’s hot. And I want it. I know I can sell
this thing for enough to buy myself that third vacation home I don’t need.” She
winked at me, and I laughed. “Have a look through it,” she said, her tone
getting serious. “So you’ll be up to speed for the meeting.” She leaned back in
her chair, and let out a long sigh. “And that is all my dear. Get to work.”

***

 
For the rest of the early afternoon, I carefully studied Sylvia Laurence’s
screenplay. Athena was right. It was damn good. The leading couple was fresh
and quirky, and there was an interesting twist at the end. Sylvia hit all of
the commercial notes, following the romantic comedy formula, without her work
coming across as clichéd or overdone.

 
At ten to three, the receptionist buzzed me to let me know Sylvia had arrived.
I quickly informed Athena, and she told me to bring Sylvia to the boardroom.
When I went out to the reception area and saw Sylvia, I was completely blown
away. The woman was a stunner, but in an overdramatic way. She had on full
evening makeup, which called attention to her huge chocolate eyes and high
cheekbones, and she was wearing an almost blinding orange off-the-shoulder
dress. Hanging from her ears were massive teardrop gold earrings, and they were
paired with a long, chunky, gold necklace. Her stilettos were three inches
high, adding to her already considerable height, and were done in a leopard
print design.

 
She turned toward me and looked me up and down, her eyes narrowing slightly.
She was clearly sizing me up. Luckily, I’d worn a simple beige sheath dress and
almost-natural makeup that day, so I didn’t look like someone who would be
vying with her to be the center of attention. I subtly took a deep breath, then
put on my most winning and appreciative smile. “Good afternoon, Ms. Laurence,”
I said, holding out my hand. Her features instantly relaxed, and she shook my
hand in response.

 
“You must be Athena’s new assistant,” she said, her face registering curiosity.
“It didn’t peg her for hiring the modest type.”

 
Someone cleared her throat behind us. I turned around, and found my boss
standing there, her face schooled into an expression that somehow projected
both confidence and approachability. “I assure you the only thing modest about
Ms. Stevens is her dress.”

 
Sylvia smirked slightly, and I noticed her not so furtively sizing up Athena,
who was wearing a very flashy diamond necklace, a low cut silk blouse, and a
crazy-looking, but figure flattering asymmetrical skirt. “Good to see you
again, Athena,” she said, and my boss smiled in response.

 
“Let’s go to the boardroom, shall we?”

 
When we were settled into the boardroom, and I’d fetched Sylvia a bottle of
chilled water from the minibar, it was obvious that everyone was ready to get
down to business.

 
“So, Athena,” Sylvia began, eyeing her shrewdly. “What are you prepared to
offer me?”

 
Athena took a sip of her water, then leaned toward Sylvia, her eyes flashing
with determination. “My reputation proceeds me, I’m sure.” Sylvia gave her a
questioning look, but it was obvious from the slight glint in her eyes that she
was very aware of the reputation Athena was referring to. “I can get you the
best deal in town,” she said.

 
Sylvia eyed her speculatively. “I admire your confidence,” she said.

 
Now Athena’s eyes became shrewd. “No, you admire my reputation. And I don’t
need to assure you that it’s built on a solid foundation.”

 
Sylvia started toying with her earring, then folded her hands together in a quick,
decisive gesture. “Yes, Athena. I’m aware of your reputation. But I also know
you have many clients. Let’s be frank. I’m a big name in the industry, and my
screenplay is hot. You stand to make a lot of money off me. And I don’t
begrudge you for it. But I do expect to be catered to. And I’m not sure you
have the time to give me the kind of attention I need.”

 
Athena flashed her a winning smile, and then vaguely gestured toward me. “I’ll
seal the deal for you, Sylvia, and Sarah here, under my guidance, will attend
to all of your other needs. She’s an exceptional up-and-coming agent, and I’m
sure you won’t be disappointed with her degree of attention to detail.”

 
Sylvia looked at me skeptically, then her eyes flicked back to Athena. “Has she
even read my screenplay?”

 
“Yes, I have,” I piped up. “And in my humble opinion it’s absolutely
brilliant.”

 
Sylvia’s face brightened at the compliment, but then her expression became
cautious and assessing. “What did you find so brilliant about it?” she asked.

 
I swallowed hard, then launched right into what I had to say. “Everyone knows
how hard it is to show something universal through a highly specific situation.
But that’s exactly what you manage to do. Your male and female leads are really
unique, complex characters, so much so that a lesser writer might not be able
to create them in a way that the audience can relate to. But you succeed in
doing that, and it looks effortless.”

 
The corner of Sylvia’s mouth quirked up, and she gave me an approving nod.
“Smart girl,” she said. “You obviously notice the essentials.” Then she focused
her eyes back on Athena. “This just might work,” she said. “But I’m not quite
ready to commit yet.” She took a sip of her water, eyeing Athena over the rim
of the bottle. “I still have a meeting set up with Cooper McGregor. You’re both
the best in town. It’ll be a hard decision to make.”

 
Athena nodded, her expression placid. “I understand,” she said. “Of course you need
to explore all of your options. Take all the time you need.”

 
 Sylvia looked at Athena with both appreciation and admiration. It was
clear that Athena had won her over, despite whatever womanly competition there
was between them. Sylvia got to her feet, grabbing her purse. “I’ll be in touch
soon to let you know my decision.” Athena nodded, and stood up quickly to shake
her hand.

 
“I look forward to hearing from you,” she said. Then she gestured to me again
and added, “Sarah here will see you out.”

 
When I returned to my desk, Athena was standing there waiting for me. Her eyes
flashed with pride. “Great work, Sarah,” she said, giving my shoulder a quick
squeeze. “Sylvia was clearly impressed with you. Paul was right. You’re bright,
quick, and discerning. And you know how to win clients over. I must say, it was
brilliant of me to hire you.” She winked at me, and chuckled slightly. “Now if
only we can lure her in and seal the deal.”

 
I watched Athena walk back to her office, and then sunk into my seat, feeling
overwhelmed by how well the meeting had gone, and by how much my new boss
appreciated my skills. I felt like I was finally starting to make my mark. As I
got back to writing a rejection letter for the horrid spy thriller I’d read in
the morning, I kept hoping and praying that Sylvia Laurence would sign with us.
I knew that if Stone and Allen scored her as a client, it would mean amazing
things for my career. I sighed. A girl could hope, couldn’t she?

 
The rest of my first week at Stone and Allen was hectic. I was working long
hours, and rarely got home before eight. I had, however, promised Angela to
celebrate scoring my new job on Friday night. We’d made tentative plans to meet
at six at a new bar right around the corner from my office. By five o’clock, my
desk was clear, and I called her to confirm. Then I grabbed my purse, and
busted out of there, excited to leave the office early for once.

 
The bar was called
Stella’s
. It was decorated in1960’s Parisian style,
with plush red velvet banquettes, distressed hardwood floors, and smoked-glass
mirrors. The walls were done with mahogany paneling, and the tables were
rectangular and made of dark wood. I found Angela sitting by the window,
lounging in a leather armchair. She was already sipping on a margarita. When
she saw me, her eyes lit up, and she jumped to her feet, pulling me into a big
hug. “You made it through your first week!” she said, gesturing for me to sit
down.

 
I laughed and said, “you mean my second first week. Hopefully this is the last
of my job hopping for at least a little while.”

 
Angela smiled slyly. “Your boss is a woman, right? Unless you plan on switching
teams, I think you’ll be okay.”

 
I laughed again, right as the waitress came by to take my order. “I’ll have
what she’s having,” I said. The waitresses nodded, then disappeared.

 
“So,” Angela said. “How was your first week? I mean, I’ve only seen you for
like a whole five minutes since you started this new job.”

 
I shrugged my shoulders. “I know, it’s been crazy.”

 
The margaritas were on special, and it was happy hour, so the waitress was able
to return with my drink almost immediately. I took a huge gulp, the cool liquid
sliding down my throat and giving me a pleasant shiver.

 
“I’m so close to helping score a major new client,” I said, taking another sip.
“And if we can pull it off, it will be a huge notch on my belt. But we’ll see.
Anyway, enough shop talk. I don’t want to bore you. How was your week?”

 
Angela’s eyes glimmered gleefully, and I knew at once that something was up.
“Okay, spill it,” I said.

 
She beamed at me. “I scored a pretty cool role in a movie.”

  I
slammed my drink on the table, sprung to my feet, and rushed over to give her a
hug. “Oh my god, Ange, that’s so amazing.”

 
Her eyes were still twinkling. “I know, right? It’s not the lead. But it’s a
major supporting role. So I’ll have tons of onscreen time. Plus I’ll be making
good money.”

 
I settled back into my seat, and reached over to squeeze her hand. “We need to
celebrate,” I said. “I’m taking you out this weekend.”

 
Angela shook her head. “I can’t this weekend. I’m working every night at
Strut.
”

 
“Well, then I’m coming out to
Strut
,” I said. “And then taking you out for
a proper night on the town later on in the week.”

 
Angela arched her eyebrow at me. “During the week? Are you kidding me? You have
to get up at like the crack of dawn. That’s when I go to bed, for fuck’s sake.”

 
“I’ll just skip a night of sleep,” I said. “I don’t care. This is huge. It
needs to be recognized and celebrated.”