I nodded and after the pleasantries took my seat across from them.
“We understand that at this time you have no book agent, Olive. Is that right?” Keith asked.
“Yes,” I answered. “This wasn’t something I was expecting to happen. At all. I’m an indie author, and as you must already know, Soul Ache is my first novel, which makes all this even more surreal.”
“We understand that it could be a little overwhelming, but you definitely impressed us with your story and we wanted to get your attention before anyone else could steal you.”
“Keith is right.” Bobby took over again. “We want you to look at this as the first step of our partnership. You don’t have to decide on anything today, but you should know that we are extremely eager to take on this project. You should also be aware that—excuse me.” He paused when his phone pinged with a new text message. Lifting his eyes, he absently waved his hand in a gesture that said ‘keep going’.
“I need to check on something, but please go on without me for a few minutes and I’ll be right back. We might even have a surprise for you, Olive. I think you’ll like it.”
I forced a smile on my lips and then Boobie Bobby was gone.
“Let’s get to it, shall we?” Keith asked and got a nod from both Harry and me. “As Bobby just mentioned, we are interested in optioning your book. But—” He lifted his hand as if to stop me from cutting in.
I’m all ears, Keith. No one is stopping you.
“We wanted to set this meeting so we could get to know each other better and see if we can impress you. After today, if you like what you’re hearing, I’d be happy to set up a lunch meeting so we can go over the details and present you with an option agreement for the exclusive rights.”
“Okay,” I nodded, because that made sense, right? He wasn’t saying anything scary, not at all.
Keith nodded back at me with a big smile that showcased his blinding pearly whites again and kept going. “So, essentially, Olive, we want to stay true to your story as much as we can. You captured so many hearts from so many different age groups, so we want to keep the heart of your story. The only difference is that we want to elevate it even more. Polish the main characters, maybe do a few small changes here and there, add a few new secondary characters, big names from Hollywood of course. We haven’t decided if we want to change the ending yet, but that’s just the details I’m sure you’re not interested in.” Linking his hands together on top of the table, he looked straight at me. “We want the movie to get everyone’s attention.”
Somewhere in the middle of his explanation of the studio’s intentions with my book, had he just said that I wouldn’t be interested in the changes? What on earth was he talking about?
“It all sounds great, but maybe we should take a few steps back,” I said. “I really feel like I’m out of my depth here. When you say a few small changes…?”
“I’ve read your book, Miss Taylor, and while everything was great for a book format, for a movie it won’t translate the same way. Making changes will be necessary at certain parts,” Harry said, speaking for the first time.
“We’ll walk you through everything.” Keith assured me, cutting in. “Usually it takes time—around a year or possibly even more than a year—to gather funding for the movie, to find the right director for the story, the right actors, the production company, and many other steps…but we want to use the buzz of your book to our advantage and keep the momentum going. Since you don’t have a book agent, I would highly suggest you to find one or have a lawyer go over the contract we’ll be presenting you at our next meeting so there won’t be any issues in the future.”
“Sure, sure. But what about those changes?” I asked, feeling more overwhelmed by the second.
Keith must have seen something on my face because his smile softened.
“I don’t think we asked you, would you like to have something to drink? Something to celebrate, maybe?”
“No, I’m good. Thank you.”
“Next time then. So do you have any questions for me?”
I glanced at Harry, but he was having none of it.
“I think I do. First of all, it’s very exciting to hear that you’re interested in my book, but to be honest, the changes you mentioned you want to make are…I don’t know how to put it into words actually. The thing is, I’ve spent years on this novel. While I do want to see my characters come alive on the big screen, I’m not sure if it’s worth it to go through this whole thing only for it to end up completely unrecognizable.” Every word in that book held a special place in my heart.
“You are not interested in selling the movie rights?”
“I didn’t say that. Actually, I did some research and I believe in some cases authors can act as a consultant. Would that be an option for me? Will I have any say in the making of the movie?”
“Olive, trust me, all authors feel the same way as you do at first, but when the project goes forward and the production starts, everything changes. The screenplay isn’t written yet, so we can’t really comment on any changes, but I’ll definitely make sure that you are included in the process.”
Thankfully, I was smart enough to know that having a say in the screenplay and being ‘included in the process’ were nowhere the same thing.
“Let’s talk about the casting,” he said while I was still trying to decide how to answer.
“Isn’t it a little early for that?” I asked, fidgeting in my seat.
“That’s one of the first things we focus on because securing the right actor for the role will change everything. We already have a few names we think would be a perfect fit for Isaac and Genevieve.” He checked the notes in front of him. “For Isaac, your main character, we have one specific actor we are trying to get in touch with, but for Genevieve we have a pool of names we are going through. Do you have any ideas, maybe suggestions for the casting?”
“Well, when I picture them in my mind, I don’t see them as other people.”
Lie, Olive. Lie through your teeth.
“I would love to hear the names you’re considering though,” I added.
Right at the end of my sentence, the door to our left opened and Bobby walked back into the room with another man right beside him. Keith’s gaze shifted toward them too, and before I knew what was happening, Jason walked in behind them, playing with the phone in his hand.
As in Jason fucking Thorn.
My mouth dropped open.
Shit!
My Jason.
Double, triple shit!
No, not my, my Jason.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
In shock and stuck in my seat, my mouth was still hanging wide open when Bobby chuckled, drawing my attention. I’m sure I was a sight to see.
“Olive, I want—” Bobby’s mouth was moving, but none of it was getting through to me.
Remember the peaceful waterfall Lucy tried to trick me into believing I was?
It was gone. All dried up. It was a disaster, really.
I was an avalanche—the mother of all avalanches to be precise.
Jumping up from my seat in a rush, I turned my back to them before Jason could notice me. Maybe I was acting crazy, but there weren’t that many Olives in the world. What if he remembered me? Remembered my name?
Damn it!
What if he saw my last name on the book cover that was sitting so prettily in the middle of the table?
Searching for a quick exit, I found none. Surely it would hurt a bit too much if I tried to break the window and jump out. Noticing the bar cart next to the window, I shakily made my way toward it.