A 'SUB' REQUEST (Cate Blanchett x OC)

Chapter 10: A fatal misunderstanding

I was buying a cup of coffee before work the next morning when one the assistants texted: "Are you downstairs? She wants to see you in her office asap." This did not sound like good news. 

I ran across the Fox lot with a cup of hot macchiato in my hand. Coffee stains have never helped anyone in trouble, I thought to myself as I raced up the stairs. 

My boss closed her office door before asking me to sit down. This was definitely bad news. 

"Hylda Queally told me yesterday that you had known about Tár for a week now, but you never once asked to be involved. In fact, she had the impression that you were completely uninterested. Standard Film got attached to it this morning and they're no longer taking pitches." She said sternly, "What's going on?" 

FUCK. The bitch screwed me over again. 

I'd always been quick on my feet, but being put on the spot like this was not something I could handle. Think of something quick. 

"I'm sorry...there must be some kind of a misunderstanding..."

"ONE THAT PROBABLY COST OUR COMPANY AN OSCAR! Don't you fucking understand how a film like this comes once in a blue moon!? It's bad enough that we missed our shot, but to be told straight to my face by Hylda herself..." My boss had her face in her hands. "WHY? WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU WAITING FOR?" 

"It was a bit of a complicated situation," I tried to hold back the prickly sensation in my tear ducts and felt every one of my words being scrutinized, "please, I didn't feel like it was my place to - "

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S COMPLICATED!? This is EXACTLY what you were hired to do. We pay you money. You go and land us projects. You had an in, so don't try to blame it on your lack of connections." 

I bit down so hard on my tongue that my lips bled. "I'm sorry." Was all that I was able to repeat. "I just can't be involved with this project." 

"EVERY COMPANY IN TOWN IS CHASING IT! And here you are, lying and pretending not to know about it. I could've sent another more senior exec after it - but I TRUSTED YOU! Wait until the board knows about this, we'll never take a chance on a 25-year-old again..." 

Her words were drowned out by the blood pounding my temples again. Never in my life had I imagined that being with Cate would jeopardize my own career. 

And as if this wasn't enough, a text came from Hylda: "If you ever see Cate again, I'll tell your boss that you have been sending out resumes to competitors lately and have no loyalty to Fox. Shouldn't be difficult to convince her to fire you given your lack of commitment at work. I also have photos of you networking with industry people in London. Break it off now. This is my final warning." 

-----

4am. I'd been staring at my dark, unremarkable ceiling for 5 hours for now. Suddenly, my phone lit it up with a glare. 

A string of unanswered calls from Cate. 

I had multiple moments of weakness the evening before to just call Cate and tell her everything, to cry in her arms, and beg her to make everything okay. But I realized that I was in way over my head. I was insignificant and disposable. Cate would never choose me over her agent and friend of two decades. Hylda had protected Cate through thick and thin - I was just one of a million problems that Hylda had to solve. Besides, Hylda had probably tapped Cate's phone at this point. 

My fingers quivering, I held up my phone and started texting Cate, my autocorrect going crazy because I couldn't see anything through my tear-streaked vision. 

"Something came up at work, I can't continue to give you piano lessons. It'd be best for us not to see each other for anymore. I'm very, very sorry." 

I pressed "send". Then "block number". 

-----

"What do you mean, you were almost fired?" My mom's concerned voice rang on the other end. 

"Mom, please...I've had the worst week. Can we please just talk about something else?" My tone was palpably weary. 

"I told you, this industry is not good for you, and they're paying you shit...you're so smart honey, why not go join one of those tech companies? Jeanine's daughter had no experience and just started at Google with six figures. She even gets free company swag..." 

"I don't want to work for Google, mom." 

"I never liked the entertainment business, honey - you know, pretty young girls like you always have to get past disgusting old men like Weinstein to have any real opportunities. Did you know that he raped 60 women? You could be next..."

It always amused and infuriated me when my mom thought she knew more about Hollywood than I did, but sometimes she was spot on. "First of all, mom, Weinstein will be in prison for like, his whole life. Second of all, my boss is a woman, okay? Now can we please change the subject?" 

"Okay, well, have you met any nice boys at least? And not the 'influencer' type - I know LA is full of those and I promise you'd find them too superficial in time..."

"Bye mom." I hung up. 

I logged into my Citibank account - I had 684 dollars left. Barely enough to cover half a month's rent. I could not afford to get fired right now. I hustled so hard to break into this industry. It wouldn't end like this. I would not allow it to end like this. 

My job was all I had now. 

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