The table laughed and did it’s best to clean up the mess, Camilla now never far from the table, joining in to help.
“Too bad we didn’t have that on tape.” Tess said, helping the waitress gather used napkins. “We couldn’t recreate that if we tried.”
“You willing to give it a shot?” Ian eyed her.
“You offering me a deal, Sticky Man?” Tessie eyed him back.
“No.” Ian said, wiping his fingers. “I’m flat out offering you a series, a five year guarantee.”
“You produce, I don’t do a pilot, and I have script and cast approval.”
“I’ll exec, we don’t have time for a pilot, and blow the cast and script approval out your ass.” Ian drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “You get equal billing and I’ll match Jeff Torkelson’s contract.”
Tessie sat back in her chair. “Tough guy, huh? Torkelson’s got a fat deal, but I overhear the show’s a piece of crap.”
“You’re overhearing must be bad. We canned that a few minutes ago. I have another idea. Jeff are you in?”
“Me and the legend of comedy? Are you kidding me?” Jeff gushed.
“Put up or shut up.” Tess said.
“Say yes, give me give five minutes and be ready to start in two weeks.” Ian said.
Tessie looked at her watch. “Time’s cheap, Justyn. You got four minutes and 51 seconds.”
Ian flipped open his phone and hit a few buttons. “Ronnie, do you have your cell phone on you?”
“Yes, but I’m only allowed to use it for emergencies.” He reminded him.
“This is an emergency buddy.” Ian dipped his finger in his sundae and wrote a number on the table. “Call this number. Ask for Mr. Jenson Michael. When he’s on the line, hand me the phone.” He said and Ronnie reached in his backpack and pulled out a little red phone.
Ian’s call connected. “Mr. Turner? Ian, not a lot of time, I think I’ve solved the Jeff Torkelson problem…I’ve got a question, a legal one. If Jeff is in agreement can we tear up his contract with no hassle or arrange a codicle?…I’ve got a something better in mind…Same amount of money split into two contracts, but double the back end with percentage raises based on share points.” Ian looked at Jeff and Tess for approval.
Tess nodded and Jeff gave him a thumbs up.
“It was a dream contract.” Jeff whispered to her. “Half is still a hefty raise. I’d rather have a good show than lots of money.”
“Good for you boy.” Tess smiled. “We’re gonna get along just fine.”
“A new show, ready in time for fall…” Ian held up his finger and crossed them. “Co-starring Jeff and Tess Sinclair.” Ian had to hold the phone away from his ear.
“Think that’s a good sign?” Jeff asked Tess.
“Me and Dave go way back. My guess is it’s a good sign.” Tess nodded.
“Right, anything, just get it done…Thank you, Mr. Turner. I’ll be ready to announce on Wednesday.”
“Papa…?” Ronnie handed Ian the other phone.
“Jenson? Thank you for holding.” Ian said. “Can you wait just a second longer, I’m balancing plates. Thanks.”
Ian handed his phone to Ronnie. “Puppy, call Miss Wella and try and tell her what’s going on. See if she can meet us at home, Blake too, if she can get hold of him.”
“Got it.”
“Jeff, call your writers, tell them to meet us in my office at the crack of dawn.” Ian said as Jeff hauled out his phone and started dialing.
“What can I do?” Tess asked.
“Look pretty.”
“Type cast again.” She said, and sat back watching the proactive testosterone in the room.
“Okay, Jenson, I’m back.” Ian said into his phone. “What was the name of that series you gave me a couple of scripts for and an episode breakdown for two seasons?” Ian mouthed the word ‘Pen’. Tess produced one from her purse and handed Ian a stack of napkins. “The comedy…single camera…”
“Ooh, I like that.” Tess said to no one listening.
“Uh huh…” Jeff said to his phone. “First thing in the morning…a whole new concept…”
“Do you have an aversion to taking a role as creator and writing consultant if I’ve got the perfect cast and want to go ahead and green light it for fall…yes, for fall and full year commitment…Jenson…Jenson?” Ian looked into his cell phone and over to Tess. “I think he passed out.”
“Newbie?”
Ian nodded his head. “Already has a spot and a 22 ep commitment for another show.” Ian looked at Ronnie, who nodded and imitated Jeff’s thumbs up. “Tell Blake to bring his magic book…Jenson, are you there?”
“Already asked for it, Papa. She gonna see about some of the other staff, too.” Ronnie said. “We need soda, potato chips and ice cream.”
“You got it, Puppy.” Ian said only half listening.
“Be my agent, kid.” Tessie said, slurping on her shake.
“Thank God, I thought you’d died, and I’d have had to kill you.” Ian said back into Ronnie’s phone. “I’ve already got it cast, just have to get approval from them…Jeff Torkelson and Tess Sinclair…Jenson…Jenson…uhm…Jenson?”
Taking a cue from Ian, Jeff said into his phone. “If we approve there’s already two scripts and a two year breakdown…new guy, already working full time on a new show for fall…He’ll be billed as creator and writing consult…Me, too…”
“Is that guy on the phone still breathing?” Tess asked.
“Jenson…if you can hear me moan or slap the phone on a table or something…” Ian pulled the phone away from his ears again. He rolled his eyes and said, “Okay, buddy, I need you to keep breathing. When you calm down, call me back…”
Ronnie got Ian’s attention by waving his hands in the air. “Meet us at the house.”
“Jenson, when you can sit back up, meet us at the house…uh, bye.”
“Ronnie?” Ian looked at the boy.
“Miss Wella and Mr. Blake will meet us at the house about 9:30.”
“Good boy. Jeff?”
“All ago. We’ll all be in your office at the crack of dawn.”
Great. “Tess?”
“Still beautiful.” She turned to Ronnie. “Ya know kid, you’re almost at good at this as your Dad.”
“Two weeks ago I was gatherin’ eggs and playin’ kickball.” Ronnie slip his phone in his backpack and sighed. “I’m just a natural.”
Ian smiled. “Okay, here’s what I got, a great idea from a hot new writer I’ve got under contract. He calls it ‘The World On A String’, but you can change that if you don’t like it.”
“Who cares about the title?” Tess was all business. “What’s the premise?”
“Tess you’re a legendary actress, successful at every endevour, except her personal life.”
“I breathe that.” Tess said.
“Jeff, you are a thirty something widower with a handful of kids, lost his job, living out of a camper who desperate, decides to look up the mother he’s never met and ask for help.”
“This is a comedy?” Jeff asked.
“An hour long dramedy, but you can cut it to a half hour format if you decide. I’m just giving you the breakdown. How you throw it against the wall we’ll all decide once we get everything and everyone in one room.”
“I don’t get it.” Tess said. “How do the two even get together? They have nothing in common.”
“They have one thing.” Ian smiled. “The superstar is the widower’s mother. It’s a story about two people with nothing but blood in common trying to connect in Hollywood.”
Jeff smiled. “In the land of the superficial and the disconnected.”
“Bullseye. Unless the two of you want to come to the house for the working pajama party…” Ian said.
“I sleep in the raw.” Tess smirked.
“Somebody right that down.” Ian quipped. “I’ll fax the scripts and breakdown when I get home tonight. I remember the very first scene clearly. Tess Sinclair, lounging in all her spectacular glory. An assistant comes to her and says ‘Someone is here that insists on seeing you.’ Tess says send them in. It’s Jeff with the three kids. Jeff says “Hello, mother.” Tess turns to her assistant and asks “I have kids”. He looks through a book and says “October 22, 1976.” Tess says, “Did I win something for it?” And one of the kids says, “Yeah, but it wasn’t mother of the year…granny.” And then we roll opening credits.”
“I like it.” Tess thought.
“The first scene sets up a simple premise and defines all the characters.” Jeff smiled. “Gives a lot of great direction for character and situation to go in.”
“You’ll love this guys writing. I’m sure your team with be able to take and turn it into platinum. Believe me, it’s already gold.” Ian beamed. “We’ll bust the veneer of every everyone and everything in town. Show the pathos of two people trying to reconnect in a town where that is the only thing that’s not an art form.”
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