“What aren’t you telling me?”
“The more you know, the more you feel you have to act. I owe you big time for the presidential pardon.”
“You’ve more than paid that back.”
“I can never pay that back. I’m happy to help in small ways.”
“If you want to pay me back, tell me what’s happening.”
Teddy smiled. “Nice try, Stone.”
38
Stone took everyone out to dinner, bypassing the more trendy Hollywood restaurants in favor of an old-fashioned steakhouse that’d been around for more than fifty years. Sylvia Kenmore, the well-known film star Peter Barrington had invited as a date for his father, was no vegetarian, and he knew the others in his party would approve. They included Peter and Hattie Barrington, Ben and Tessa Bacchetti, and Teddy Fay, on hand as producer Billy Barnett.
Peter and Hattie would have been happy to host the dinner at their place, but Stone wanted to relieve everyone of any responsibility while he was there. “After all,” he told Peter, “you’re making a movie.”
After they had ordered and their drinks had arrived, Stone raised a glass. “To the movies. May people never stop going.”
“What? Did you hear something?” Sylvia said, and everybody laughed.
“It’s a problem already, I fear,” Stone said. “All these streaming services allow people to view movies cheaply, from the comfort of their own homes. Without box office takes, the financing for future films becomes tricky.”
“I don’t think we’ll ever see the end of big cinema,” Teddy said, “because the movies still deliver something that streaming can’t. Nothing beats the experience of being in the theater when everyone laughs at something funny or gasps in suspense. As long as you move an audience, you’ll get an audience.”
An actor walked by. “Isn’t that Leonardo DiCaprio?” Sylvia said.
“I have no idea,” Tessa said. “So many of these actors have beards these days I can’t tell anyone apart.”
“If it is Leonardo DiCaprio,” Peter said, “I bet he’s over there saying, isn’t that Sylvia Kenmore?”
“How’s the picture coming?” Stone said.
“Good,” Peter said.
“Better than good,” Ben said. “I’ve seen the dailies. I think it’s Peter’s best work yet.” He put his arm around Tessa. “I’m not just saying that because my wife is fantastic.”
“Isn’t Brad Hunter kind of a stiff?” Stone said.
“We need the name to get the wider distribution, and Peter has drawn an amazing performance out of him.”
“It’s our stunt man who’s kind of a stiff,” Peter said, grinning.
“Yeah, but he works for scale,” Teddy said, and everybody laughed.
Sylvia looked around, puzzled. “Is that an inside joke?”
“It’s a bit of an inside joke,” Stone said. “He’s a friend of ours.”
Peter turned to Sylvia. “I wanted to ask you to read for my next film.”
“I’d be delighted,” she said.
“As would we,” Ben said. “You’d be perfect for the part.”
There was a break in the conversation while the entrées were served. As they dug in, Peter said, “Oh, I didn’t tell you. Tessa’s mother’s sick.”
“Really?” Stone said. He felt a personal connection, having dated her.
Tessa blushed furiously. “It’s nothing really. Just a scare. She thought it was something, but it wasn’t. The tests were all negative.”
“What was it?” Stone said. He was genuinely concerned.
“You never mentioned she was having tests,” Ben said, confused and alarmed. He put his hand over Tessa’s.
“She’s been quite private about it, and I know she didn’t want it widely known. And in any case, it amounted to nothing. I never should have mentioned it in the first place.”
“Oh, I know those scares,” Sylvia Kenmore said.
The rest of the meal went smoothly.
Teddy managed to sidle up to Tessa on the way out. “Remind me to teach you about lying,” he whispered.
Tessa ignored him and kept walking.
“It’s called Telling Stories That Don’t Come Back to Bite You 101.”
39
The stockholders’ meeting was held in the boardroom at Centurion Studios, and was scheduled during the lunch break so Peter could attend. Present were Stone Barrington, Peter Barrington, Ben Bacchetti, Tessa Tweed Bacchetti and her adviser, and a bespectacled young man in a business suit. Peter had given Mark Weldon a day off from filming so Teddy could come as Billy Barnett.
“Very well,” Stone said, calling the meeting to order. “I regret we have only the lunch break, but Centurion is in the business of making motion pictures. I know everyone here but you, sir. And who might you be?”
“Todd Reynolds. I’m here representing Glendale Management, Venn Holding, Everest Holding, and the USB Corporation.”
“All four?” Stone said. “You don’t find that a conflict of interest?”
“No, I do not. This is my first meeting, and I don’t really know anyone.”
“I beg your pardon. I’m Stone Barrington. This is Ben Bacchetti, Peter Barrington, Tessa Tweed Bacchetti, and Billy Barnett.”
Todd Reynolds had his briefcase open on the table and was consulting a file folder in his lap. “I see. I have a list of stockholders here. I do not find the name Barnett.”
“Mr. Barnett is here with Mrs. Bacchetti as her adviser. This is her first meeting and she wanted support.”
The young man made a tsk-tsk sound. “My clients would object to the presence of anyone not holding stock.”
“And just who are your clients?”
“The four holding companies I mentioned.”
“And whom do they represent?”
“Oh, I couldn’t divulge the identity of their clients without permission.”
Stone nodded. “Get it.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I suggest you get their permission.”
Todd Reynolds frowned. “The confidentiality of my clients is not the issue. We’re getting off the subject. If this gentleman is not a stockholder, he has no right to be here.”