Up & Out - Ariella Papa [35]
“What is this?” I take it from him. It’s a long-winded e-mail from Delores with notes from the tenth and eleventh episodes John had been animating.
“When did she even see this?”
“She asked for it. I gave it to her. Notice how every change she wants is ASAP. And the very last one is very ASAP.”
“I see she put that one in bold.” I smile at him, but he isn’t having it. I rarely see him get upset, but he certainly is right now.
“Who am I supposed to be listening to? You or her?”
“Well, I’ll talk to her about them and get back to you. ASAP.” At last, he smiles.
I’m beginning to dread this walk down the hall. I knock. “Come in.”
Delores is a flurry of activity. She is giddy (with power?) and speaking in a baby voice. I imagine this is to prove her creativity.
“Hey, I see you made some notes on a couple of the Esme scripts,” I say, trying to sound firm but nonthreatening. I keep thinking of what Kathy said. I don’t want to believe women can really be so threatened by other women.
“Yeah, I had a couple of very significant concerns that you seemed to have overlooked.”
“I haven’t had time to check out those scripts.” Delores takes her glasses off and rises to her full four-foot-ten frame.
“Rebecca, do you know how dangerous it will be if we let this get away from us?”
“We have plenty of time before we have to animate.”
“A week.”
“The way things have been moving that seems like a long time,” I say.
“I realize we’re all very busy. I was here until eleven last night.” God, she’s one of those. We don’t have to punch in a time clock, but every once and a while there’s someone who feels the need to justify their job by announcing how late they worked. I hate those people. “But getting these episodes out is an emergency.”
“John and Janice work really well under pressure,” I say, giving them the props they deserve.
“They need to work better. You need to get them to work better.” I am furious. She doesn’t seem to know anything about timetables. But she is the boss, so I have to accept.
“Okay. I’ll talk to them about it.” I start to leave. I can’t resist. “ASAP.”
“That would be terrific.” She’s back on the giddy baby voice, but then suddenly switches back to condescending. “I haven’t gotten your calendar today.”
“There aren’t any changes from the last one.”
“Send it, anyway. Thanks.”
Never in my life was I so glad it was Friday. I am not usually one of those people who “worked for the weekend.” Even before Esme, I always kind of liked my job, but now I am turning into someone who can’t wait to get home.
Wasn’t I the It Girl? Hadn’t I been the person who got the affiliates so excited? Doesn’t that count for anything anymore?
My phone rings just as I hit Send to e-mail the pixie her unrevised calendar. It is Lauryn, inviting me out for drinks with the girls. It is her attempt at peace between the warring factions of Beth and Kathy.
“Kathy has actually agreed not to go straight home tonight, and Beth can give us some time before some party she was noncommittal about. I’m short on dough so I was thinking maybe Pepe Giallo.”
“Do you think the garden’s open yet?”
“I dunno. It’s warm enough.”
“Okay, I’m in.” Pepe Giallo is cheap and has reliable pasta and cute Italians running around. If the garden is open, it might be just what we all need to relax. I hear Lauryn sigh on the other end. “What?”
“I’ve got some bad news. The lease is up and if you want to keep the place, the rent’s going up.”
“Again? Do they want our blood? How much?”
“Twenty-five.”
“Fuck! $2,500! Do they think we are made of money?”(This is why it is good to have an office door.)
“It’s two bedrooms and a pretty big kitchen. Only two floors to walk up. They know they can get it. The Flatiron-Chelsea neighborhood is hopping these days and we’re right there.”
“Fine.”
“There is Tommy’s offer,” she says, mocking.
“I’ll just see you at Pepe’s.”
“Okay, bring your smile. And be there in twenty because I don’t want Kathy to get antsy or Beth to piss me off.”
Thirty-three minutes later,