Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
“We’ve run into some trouble with Mardel’s schedule. We thought we could get him out of a commitment, but they were having none of it. Bodi is dedicated to Mardel for the part, so now, I’m afraid, everything’s going to have to be pushed back six weeks, giving him time to see to this other project. We’ll have a new shooting schedule, shooting around him for two weeks before he can join us. But he’s our hero, that’s all we can do before we have him on set. Unfortunately, we’ve no choice but to postpone production.”
I was sure this was bad news for him, but it was crazy good news for me, and it came with the best timing in the history of the world.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, not sounding very sorry at all.
The thing was, Dyt didn’t seem sorry either.
“It’s a nuisance, but this kind of thing happens all the time.”
He wasn’t wrong about that. This had happened on other productions I’d worked on.
Scheduling talent was a nightmare.
The weird part about this was, normally, some assistant would comm, or they’d just send me a mail to explain things.
“It’s my understanding you have the fittings scheduled. We’ll carry on with them unless you need to postpone them too. You have time,” Dyt continued. “And can I say, we are just so delighted with your recent mating. Thus, we’re thrilled that this nuisance can be a boon for you as we’re sure you need some time to get used to your new situation.”
I was such an idiot.
I’d been so in the thick of all that was happening in my life, I hadn’t realized practically everyone else was in the thick of it too.
I was carving out time to spend on watching social tapes, and it hadn’t escaped my notice that the work I’d done before was being alternately exalted and reviled, and this meant more people were watching those vids and shows so they could have an opinion.
Not to mention, there was quite a bit of speculation about my work on the current vid, which was nothing but good PR for Dyt and Bodi.
“That’s very kind of you,” I said.
“We’ve found a little wiggle room in the budget, so we’d also like to offer you the use of a personal assistant on the production. Someone qualified to see to your duties if you should be called away.”
What he meant was, they were worried my new situation might make me quit, and in order to keep me and what I offered their vid by being the new me, even though they were going to bleed money on this postponement, they were finding some to give me a personal assistant I didn’t need (I’d have two assistants when it came to dressing the actors) so I wouldn’t quit.
However, I was not going to let the weird feeling he was so blatantly kissing my behind stand in the way of a good thing.
“This would be lovely,” I told him. “I must admit, things are very busy for me.”
“Of course, of course,” he intoned. “And you’ll be directly involved in hiring.”
“I appreciate that.”
“And we appreciate you.”
“Thank you for personally sharing this information,” I said. “But I’m afraid I need to let you go. I have a busy afternoon.”
He chuckled, and if he twiddled his fingers like a mad, greedy business mogul, I wouldn’t be surprised, as he saw the future of the credit line he was tapping for this production expand when beings flocked to the vid I designed the costumes for, partially because of what I was busy doing that day.
“Indeed, you do. Thank you for taking my comm, Laura.”
“My pleasure, Dyt.”
He smiled blindingly.
I disconnected.
“Kiss ass,” Antheme muttered.
I burst out laughing.
Oh yes.
I totally loved when Antheme was Antheme.
“I suppose I have to get used to that kind of thing,” I remarked.
“As far as I can tell, Aleksei is the total shit. That male has it all together. But I think his greatest talent is not hurling when people line up to try to shove their noses up his ass.”
I watched as she descended to land in front of the gleaming, black, severe, one-hundred-and-fifty story, pointed spear of the famous Spire Building.
It was new, only about a year old, and had changed the skyline of Nocturn in what I thought was an awesome way.
Was Aleksei’s office in the Spire?
This question led me to the uncomfortable realization that we’d been together for weeks, and I didn’t know where Aleksei’s office was. Or, really, what he did in it.
Because I hadn’t asked.
Oh gods.
Was I making us all about me?
“A sobering thought,” I murmured in reply to Antheme, but it was also a note to self, as she set down on a spot on the street that had indisputably been cleared just for us. “My life has changed a lot in a short period of time,” I pointed out the obvious (considering that spot was indication of just that).