Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“How was work today, darling?” my mom asks my dad.
“It was good. I was at a meeting with the CEO this morning. These two boys came in and tried to pitch their movie. I don’t know a lot about that side of the business. It sounded interesting enough, but Brick was having none of it. He was absolutely ruthless. He sent someone to deliver the news that he was not going to be buying their script. But he wasn’t nice about it in the slightest.”
I see my dad visibly shiver. My dad definitely has a mix of fear and respect for his boss. I don’t think Brick would be unnecessarily cruel, but I also barely know the guy. He was nice enough to not call the cops on me last night, but maybe he wasn’t doing it out of the kindness of his heart. He did take the tape and then say something ominous and vague about seeing me around. What could he possibly want with that tape? There are many ways he could use it to get me in trouble.
“I’d never want to be on the wrong side of Brick. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this happen. It’s never good for the offending party.”
Am I on his bad side? Is that why he didn’t call the police? Because he has something more humiliating in mind for me? Oh no… He works in the film business; I’m sure he could think of increasingly creative ways to embarrass me.
“Mmm, I remember you telling me about a time one of the cameramen destroyed some equipment out of anger. That day sounded stressful.”
“It was,” my dad huffs through his nose. “I was worried the rest of us would catch the brunt of Brick’s frustration, but he only got mad at the guy who broke the equipment. I realized that day that Brick is a pretty fair boss. He only fired the guy. Didn’t even call the cops or make him pay to replace anything. I’d say that was more than a fair shake. Still, I wouldn’t say he’s the warmest guy.” My mom nods as if she can remember that day like it was yesterday.
“Does he have a woman? Brick is such a handsome guy, and maybe having someone in his life would make him less on edge. You know, a little more understanding at times. Maybe even a little nicer.” This part of the conversation definitely piques my interest. I’d be interested to know if Brick is seeing anyone. I mean, it’s not like whether he is or not is going to change anything. Only in my wildest dreams would someone like Brick Barrister fall for me.
As if that would happen just because we had this weird encounter.
“I don’t think so,” my dad shakes his head. “Of course, I’m not privy to my boss’s personal life, but I’ve worked with him for a long time, and not once have I ever seen him with anyone. I think I would know if Brick was steadily dating someone.”
“That’s strange,” my mother comments. “He’s so gorgeous. It’s a wonder he’s not married with three children already.”
Personally, I’m not totally surprised Brick’s still single. I’ve heard some of the women in town talk about Brick, and he seems to be a bit of a playboy. Nothing too salacious, but he’s definitely enjoying the single life. I’m not going to hold that against him, but who knows what that means concerning the situation between the two of us.
“I don’t know,” my father shrugs. “Some people are just different, I guess.”
Different, ha! Brick is different all right. He reacted in a way I never would have guessed to catching me. God, my heart is beating as fast as a racehorse. At least my parents don’t know about what I did. I’d never be able to show my face in this house again if they did. I might would actually have to resort to running away.
The big question is what do I do now? Brick holds all of the cards in his hand, and I'm sure he knows it. Holding the power is what he does for a living. It’s a side of his business that I learned about over the years while hearing my father talk about his work at the dinner table. But with this audition tape fiasco, I can't just sit back and do nothing. The panic really set in this morning when I remembered he had that tape of me. Why did he take it?
I have a theory. Maybe he's going to blackmail me. But what could a man like Brick Barrister want from me? What could I possibly give him that he doesn't already have? He’s rich, handsome, and a successful businessman. I’m poor, in debt, and my life is a bit of a mess.