Up & Out - Ariella Papa [34]
“You are a divorcée.”
“I know.”
“I don’t get it. Aren’t things supposed to get easier when you’re older? You know, like aren’t I supposed to be nearing my sexual peak?”
“In like another twelve years. You faked, didn’t you?” She is not exactly accusing.
“I kept trying to clear my head and get into it, but it was so weird to be with someone new. I didn’t purposely do anything. I just let him believe he was on the right track.”
“Well, make sure he finds the right track.”
“I will, when I feel more comfortable.”
“You’re going to miss me, aren’t you?” She smiles and exhales a smoke ring and I see a flash of one of her old school funny faces. I am going to miss her. She holds up her glass. I clink it.
“Of course I am. Without you New York’s just a cold, friendless city.”
I regret only getting three hours of sleep after I have to sit through a two-hour meeting with Licensing and Delores Wagner. Why can’t people just do things and make everyone else deal instead of meeting and pretending to care what everyone else said and then just doing what they want, anyway? And because Delores was name-dropping about various executives, all the licensing people felt they had to name-drop, too.
I hate the outfit that Esme was wearing on the sample plush toy. There is a part of me that is excited that Esme even has a plush toy, but at the same time she looks hokey. And I was expected to be happy that the Esme sample was created by someone who one time cleaned the bathroom for someone who worked on a sample of Snoopy or something.
The Stoli Vanilla hangover was making everything very hazy.
Don Beckford is creating quite a ruckus about the size of Gopher’s teeth on his plush toy. Delores continues referencing anecdotes from her old job. She has a tendency to talk a lot without really going anywhere. She reminds me of one of those tops that just goes when you pull the string. She lets it “slip” that she went to Harvard.
Don, who is sitting next to me, elbows me so I would read a note he wrote on his production calendar. “Where’s she from?”
I write, “A forest. Germany.”
He laughs and I write, “Seriously.”
“I think we should lose the glasses,” Delores says to the designer. I tune back in.
“We can’t lose the glasses,” I say. “They’re Esme’s trademark.”
“I just think kids like to see characters’ faces.” Where is she getting this from? And why does she feel she can speak with authority about what kids want?
“I think the glasses came out fantastic,” Carl, the head of Licensing, says.
“Well, I’m not saying that they didn’t. I’m just not sure they’re working for the brand.”
“It’s a kids’ brand. Kids wear glasses,” I say, feeling Don kick me under the table. Here we go again: “And they loved it in the focus groups.”
“Well, we’ll have to make a decision about this ASAP,” Delores says. I think one had been made. “For now, let’s talk about the game tie-in.”
After the meeting, Don pulls me aside. “That didn’t have to be that long. I asked about her and no one knows who she is.”
“She’s from abroad.”
“She’s full of shit and she confuses everyone. I’ve had hit shows. I’m not going to deal.” I notice that when someone new comes around, everyone has to justify their jobs. “But watch yourself.”
“Why?”
“She asked me about your other show experience when I went in for my meeting with her.”
“Why would she ask you?”
“I don’t know.” I’m not sure I can trust Don. “I told her that everyone thought you did a really great job and Esme was your creation. And it’s true.”
“Well, thanks. What did she say?”
“Nothing, she went off on some rant about Gopher’s curriculum. They expect kids to learn lessons about morality from a talking gopher.”
“How’s Jordan doing?”
“So far, so good. It’s to be expected. He’s too much of a nobody to be a prima donna.”
“Right.”
“No offense.” I shrug. I hated Jordan after the way he treated Lauryn, but I felt a little bit protective of him. Kids’ TV is tough business. It chews people up and spits them out. “Anyway, make sure you hold your ground.”
“Okay, thanks.”
That doesn’t make me feel confident. Neither