The Blue In Your Eyes

The meeting

"You cannot save this man from himself." Erin was not laughing.
"I know. I don't have any intension of saving him. He is not a good person."
"No ... but he is good looking, though."
"Once maybe." Who was I kidding. Grant Shelby was still good looking, even as a drunken asshole in his forties. It had to be the genes. The vampire genes.
"I cant believe you met Matthew Shelby, though, he is so dreamy." Now I laughed at Erin and her laughter reach me through the phone. I missed my friend.
"Yes he is very dreamy." I said. "And I can't believe you know that name."
"Of course I do. He is like the face on major brands all over the world." Erin always knew stuff like that, hell, she knew everything. The smartest person I ever met. And My best friends for years.
"It is sad that he is not 10 years older, or that his dad is not ten years younger..."
"Why is that sad?"
"You know, it would make a perfect ending to the movie about your life."
"My life is not a movie."
"Not but it could be." The phone got very still. I sighed.
"I'm sorry Karen, I am so sorry. I didn't mean it." Erin then said.
"I know." But it hurt anyway.
"I understand that you took this stupid job to get some money, some real money, but at one point we have to talk about, what this money means."
"You know damn well what it means."
"I just worry about you. This job, this horrible house, you by yourself most of the time... I don't like it."
"Not even if I send you a snap of Matthew Shelby?"
"Dammit, that would be helpfull..."
"Seriously don't worry about me E, I am fine. The job is fine, the house is fine. And I have a lot of free time to...." I almost bit my tunge.
"To search the internet..." She finished my line.
"And practise on my Spanish, I said as if it would make everything better.
"Karen I love you, you know I do. But it has been five years..." I clinched my fist. I knew what she was going to say.

The knock on the door was so startling that I almost dropped the phone. Had I imagined it? No there was another knock. Hard and commanding.
"E... I have to call you back." Nobody had knocked on my door in all the time I had lived in the big stupid house.
Slowly I opend the door. And blinked. Before me stood Grant Shelby. I couldn't tell if he was drunk or not. But he was shaved, and his hair smelled of shampoo. He was wearing a clean shirt and black jeans.

"Took you long enough," he didn't smile.
"What can I do for you?" I asked." Please don't fire me, please don't fire me... I hadn't seen him since the kitchen meeting with Matthew six days ago.
"We need to go, now."
"Where are we going?"
"To a meeting with my agent."
"Okay, do I need to change."
"Why would you change? It is not your meeting, you just need to take notes."
I had to bite my tongue, while I hastily put on my sneakers. Drunken vampire has-been-movie-star I cursed in my mind.
"Ready," I jumped to my feet and grapped my jacket. He just fucking rolled his eyes and stormed off. I followed him without hesitation.
"Did you read the script," he suddenly asked. A bit to casually.
"Yes, or some of it."
"What did you think?"
"It was very bad."
"So you threw it out?
"Yes, the recycling bin and all," I muttered.
Something that could have been a smile many years ago tugged at his lips. It never reached his eyes.
"Smart girl," he said.

The drive was uncomfortable. I sat at the passenger seat next to the driver in a shiny black Chevrolet. Grant Shelby in the back seat. His eyes hidden behind the sunglasses. Non of the men spoke - so I didn't speake. Instead I scrolled on my phone, hoping the drive would end very soon and put us all out of our misery. I was lucky. It was a short drive. We stoppede infront of a tall building of glass and metal and an entrance screaming: Only for the wealthy people. Grant Shelby just marched out of the car, asking the driver to pick us up in an hour, and I did my best to follow the boss. Thank God for the sneakers.

"Grant, so nice to see you. You look good." The man in the expensive black suit was called James and was the agent.
"I don't look good, stop kissing my ass, " Grant Shelby answered, placing himself in a chair. "Can you get me a drink?"
"You know we have a no drinking policy at this office," James said, smile never leaving his face.
"Well maybe I should find another agent."
"Don't be ridiculous, who would take you?" Still that smile, but now I really liked James and smiled myself.
"You have a point," Grant Shelby mumbled and pointed at me. "This is my new assistant, her name is Carol. She is a smart one, so consider yourself warned..." Did my boss just pay me a compliment?
"Carol, nice to meet you." I shook James hand.
"It's Karen," I said loud and clear. Grant Shelby ignored me. No suprise there.
"Okay, Karen... Can you give me and Grant a second? There is coffee and soft drinks out in the hallway."
I knew when I wasn't wanted, so I nodded and left the room closing the door behind me.

The coffee machine was something from out of space... it had so many options, that I almost didn't know what button to press.
A young girl in a short skirt came to my rescue. "It is the men who wanted this monster... " She explained. "What do you want?
"Just a cappuccino." The girl pressed some buttons, and a wonderful smell soon filled the hall and my cup.

"Here you go." Her lips was painted red, and she had more layers of make up on than I could count. But she was pretty.
"You are here with Grant Shelby?"
I nodded.
"So..." she moved closer. "How is he? Quite a handful I preasume."
"He has good days and bad days like everybody else." Why the fuck was I defending the mean asshole.
"Yeah, guess you're right. Oh my God. I had the biggest crush on him when I was a teenager... He was so handsome. That was before the drinking started I guess."
"I should go back," I excused my self. I had no idea what the girl wanted from me.
"Yes, yes of course, it was nice meeting you. And must I say, you are very different from his other assistants..."
That again. I just smiled. "Good or bad?"
"Very good - I hope..."

When I came back to the room some kind of shouting contest was at it highest between James and Grant Shelby.
"You signed a contract. You cannot get out of it." James shouted.
"No, but you can. It is your fucking job!"
"No, it is your fucking job, to get to set and start filming. Show the world that you still can do your job."
"Oh I can do my job. This is just a job I don't want to do."
"You signed for three movies. You have only made two. If you don't live up to your contract they can sue you for alle you are worth."
"So let them, I don't give a shit!"
"Grant, for God sake... You are killing me... and your own career. Can't you see?"
"I was fucking drunk when I signed the contract, that should be a legal excuse to get me out."
"Why not just make the bloody movie?"
"Because I don't like my caracter, he is to perfekt - to young - to be real."
"Then let's talk with the writer and... oh hi Karen, you can come in. Maybe you can help me convince your boss that he is making the biggest mistake of his life."
"What the fuck is wrong with you James. She is an assistant, a new one, she doesn't have a clue." Grant Shelby looked at me through his sunglasses. and then reached out his hand.
"Thank you, I could use a coffee."
The Coffee was so not for him and he knew it. I hated my self for handing him the cappuccino.
James took a deep breath, and for a moment I was convinced I could see a smile at Grant Shelby lips behind the cup.
"We will schedule a meeting with the studio and the writers in two weeks. Hopefully we can all come to some kind of understanding. How does tuesday sound?
"Ask Carol, she is in charge of my calendar and all other assistant stuff."
Seriuosly what had I ever done to this man?