‘Sit, sit, sit. Nice to meet you all, finally! And who do we have here, my namesake Ben! Nice to meet you, buddy!’
Oh God, please don’t let him be condescending or Ben’s going to hate him straight off the bat, I prayed behind a smile I wasn’t feeling. Already alarm bells were ringing and I made a mental note to chew Alice out for this later. I don’t know why, but years of watching my back had sharpened my sixth sense, and it was very ill at ease at the moment.
‘Are you all ready for this extraordinary adventure?’ Ben Stein asked no one in particular but making eye contact with all of us in turn.
Chloe shrugged. ‘I want to know who’s going to be acting in it. I’ve got a bet at school.’
Ben Stein laughed. ‘Oh, really? Who’s your money on for the male lead?’
‘My mate’s mum says it’s going to be Ashton Kutcher and maybe Kate Winslet.’
I snorted my coffee, narrowly missing Ben Stein’s sleeve. ‘Sorry,’ I said, but continued to chuckle to myself at the mere thought. Me, portrayed by Kate Winslet. I only wished.
‘Does that tickle your fancy?’ Ben Stein asked in an exaggerated British accent. ‘Who do you see, Nina? Or should I call you Fab, because you certainly are fab, young lady.’
Fab and young? Give me a break.
‘Two fibs in one sentence, well done. You’re not a Hollywood producer for nothing,’ was the dumbest thing I could say, but I said it. Which, luckily, made him laugh. Unless he was an Academy Award winner for acting as well.
‘Nina, I wanted to meet you and your kids before the official meeting tomorrow because—’
Uh-oh, here it came.
‘We’re having a bit of a problem at the moment.’
I could feel my Bloody Mary turning into a Bloody Ben (the older Ben) in the pit of my stomach. Why didn’t he just come out and say it – the movie was a no-go. I chanced a glance at Alice who was too busy with her own Bloody Mary to meet my eyes.
‘Oh? What kind of problem?’
‘Just… producer stuff. Executive decisions.’
‘Meaning?’
‘Meaning that we don’t want to change anything about your book. We love it just the way it is.’
I don’t know why, but I exhaled. But of course I know why. I was terrified they’d Hollywood the book all up. Make the female lead be someone absolutely glamorous like Scarlett Johansson or Charlize Theron. The book had worked because it was about a normal woman.
The guy, admittedly, would have to be half as handsome as Phil had been. And have the same boyish charm. Not to mention the new love in Stella’s life. Good luck pulling that one off.
‘Who would you see in your role, Nina?’
I coughed. ‘Uh… I’m not in the book, Ben. The heroine’s name is Stella. It’s a work of fiction.’
Ben Stein bowed. ‘Yes, yes of course. We need someone super-talented to match the male lead. Someone who can step up to the plate – a consummate actress that normal women can relate to at the same time. Have you got any names off hand?’
They were asking me? ‘Uh… I dunno. Maybe Reese Witherspoon?’
He nodded. ‘Nice, nice. Anyone else?’
I darted a glance at Alice. ‘What do you think, Alice?’
She jumped as if I’d startled her in the shower of her own home and then shot a glance at Ben Stein, while my Ben followed the conversation like it was a ping-pong match. Chloe, I noticed, was lost in contemplation of the fashion scene around her. Something was not right. What were these two up to?
‘Me?’ she asked. ‘I don’t know, really. It’s up to you, Nina.’
‘No, it’s not,’ I answered.
‘What if it was?’ Ben Stein asked.
I stared at him.
‘What if I could get you anyone of your choice?’
Was I dreaming, or would the restaurant suddenly reveal the Candid Camera crew? But then again, who was I that they’d be playing a joke on me?
‘You’re the producer. Anyone you choose will be fine by me. Well, except for maybe Cher or Liz Taylor.’
Ben Stein guffawed. ‘That’s more like it. I just wanted to know if you had an idea of who you wanted or didn’t want.’
I shrugged. ‘Who’s in the running?’
‘I can get you anyone you want.’
‘Right. Wow, uhm… thank you.’
Ben Stein stood up. ‘So, I’ll see you all at the studios tomorrow! Sleep tight, kids.’
Alice nodded and polished off the last of her drink, raising her hand for another one.
‘What the hell was that all about?’ I hissed when he was out of earshot.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked innocently.
I rotated my head in an exaggerated gesture. ‘No producer goes to all the trouble to meet some obscure author the day before an official meeting. So what’s going on, Alice? Why do I feel I’ve just been tricked?’
She gulped and put down her empty glass. ‘All right. I can’t tell you everything yet, but I feel that trust here is an issue.’ She took my wrist. ‘Nina, trust me when I say you will thank me tomorrow.’
‘Thank you for what?’
‘I can’t tell you. But Ben is in it completely. He’s one hundred per cent behind this project. But so is someone else. Someone I somehow feel you’d prefer, but I’m holding out for the highest bid.’
‘There’s a bidding on my book?’
‘Not really. They’re willing to produce it together, but there’s a catch.’
‘But of course.’ How stupid of me. After all, this was Hollywood, land of lies and compromises, right? ‘What’s the catch?’ I persisted and Alice hung her head. Bingo. Man, not here three hours and already I was Hollywood-savvy.
‘Alice?’
She groaned. ‘The other producer is threatening to walk unless he gets his say in a few things.’
‘Walk? Oh, I get it. He’s got some protégé to pimp. I understand. As long as she’s good and doesn’t make the movie tank, I’m okay with it. I just want
