Thanks for your patience everyone!
*****
When someone (or me for that matter) would get overly anxious about something I'd tell them they were jumping to conclusions and that it was the only exercise they ever got. It was usually good for a laugh. Now it was Roger Sullivan's turn to use that line on me. The major shake-up at my old employer, Artists Unlimited, had gotten to me for some reason. I had no real connection to the company anymore, I'd moved on with a new employer, Jackie Morrison, Hollywood's newest power broker, one who'd been very generous to me so far, so why was I concerned?
"You're being completely ridiculous about this, you know." He said to me.
"I know, I know, I just can't help but wonder..."
"Oh, geez, about what?" he asked, in weary voice "That place was hemorrhaging talent and money ever since Walter Murphy died. Biggest mistake Chuck ever made was not accepting Jackie's partnership offer, and you know it. The company would've been ten times more powerful."
He was right, I'll give him that. Jackie's offer was generous and between her business expertise and Chuck's contacts and drive we could've done amazing things.
"Yeahhh...OK you're right" I said in the same weary tone as his "One thing I've never been able to get a clear answer on was, well why did Chuck get fired in the first place? I know he'd had his problems with New York but that can't be the only thing, right?"
There was a long silence on Roger's end.
"OK, I don't have all the info either but my sources say he had some nasty encounters with a few actresses."
"Any names?"
"If there were, I never heard any. But if it's what I think it is, AU had to take care of it very quietly."
"What does that mean?"
"It means the company paid off more than a few not to talk, and paid some big bucks to them too."
"A settlement?"
"Right, and a couple of them might've worked for an escort service too. So there's an element of blackmail as well. I even heard from one that the LA Times was about to do a big investigative piece on him. So the company decided to cut their losses."
"By cutting him?"
"Right."
An escort service, that meant only one name to me, Laura Austin. If there was anyone who knew the dirty dealings of the rich and powerful, it was her.
"Well, look, just for the heck of it what do you think will happen without him?"
"Jeff will probably look to liquidate whatever's left there."
"And that's the end of it?"
"Unless he's got some secret weapon up his sleeve, that's the only thing I can think of."
That sense of finality hit me. The company would be no more.
"Geez, I wonder what Chris would've said about this?"
"He'd say go to Disneyland, Hollywood. And that's what I'll say to you. Now, I'm due in court, talk to you soon." It was Roger's way of ending the conversation, and it always worked.
One thing I'd never done while living in California, and being around all the glitterati, was go to Disneyland. Maybe it was because I never went as a kid (plus I grew up on the east coast) and now as an adult the idea of being around a lot of screaming kids and frazzled adults didn't excite me much. No, make that at all. Sure, I had a curiosity about it, and what it could've been like but I just filed it away in the "what if" file in my mind and moved on. Jackie Morrison had other ideas, the producers of an animated series that ran on the Disney channel were looking for a big production deal on their next series, and she knew that any dealings with Disney could mean blockbuster revenues for all involved. She was eager to close a deal.
"I don't think I need to tell anyone here how a deal like this will raise our status in the industry" she said at a staff meeting "I've been trying to get in the door with the Disney people for five years and this is the perfect opportunity."
"You're not gonna try and buy the company are you?" I joked.
"Far from it, James" she replied, not looking up from her notes "That company will never be bought at any price. I think it's an unwritten rule in this town. But there's no rule that says we can't go after the talent associated with them. And that's what I plan to do." It was another sign of her fierce determination "I plan to meet with their top people this week and close the deal by the weekend. If this goes as planned, we'll all have a free day at Disneyland. How's that sound kiddies?"
Those on the staff with kids were naturally pleased. Jackie turned things over to Mark Walker, who handled aspects of the TV division and was a skilled dealmaker in the industry and another talent that "the Jackal" had poached from a top law firm on the east coast. Though I didn't know him well, he seemed all business.
"The deal we're working on is with the producers of a series called "Sofia the First", anybody know it?"
I sheepishly raised my hand before anybody else did. It's a little embarrassing to know the show, but even more that I did this before the ones with kids could! After all, that's their target audience, not a single guy who accidentally put it on while trying to reset his TV remote.
"Why James, you continue to surprise me every day." Jackie said, making the others chuckle.
"Well, when you're trying to fix your remote, you end up on channels you never expected."
"As I was saying..." Mark continued "...the producers are planning to launch a new show on the Disney Channel. We have a chance to represent them in negotiations. It's pretty cut and dried, standard deal with Disney we've seen it before. But the timing is very opportune for us, they'll be celebrating the launch of a new season of Sofia at the park and we could announce the deal at that time."
"Good idea." Jackie said in her firm, all business voice "Alright, people. That's all for today."
At the end of the week an email was sent informing us all of Jackie's success closing the deal, we were off to the "happiest place on earth" as V.I.P. guests. Since I didn't have kids and all my nieces and nephews were on the other coast I was more curious than anything. The day of our trip was classic California weather and rather than a bus ride with everyone else I drove myself down there, I wanted some measure of "grownup freedom". The drive down the 405 highway gave me a chance to clear my head of the week's work and my iPod was loaded with all my Tom Petty songs. Once I got there I knew I'd made the right decision, it was pretty chaotic getting in even for V.I.P.'s like us. We were given special badges on lanyards that would get us in to any rides or attractions there without having to wait. As well as a special tram bus to get to the entrance. This was one time I didn't feel guilty getting special treatment. So I started to freely wander the park. And I gotta admit, "Uncle Walt" sure knew what he was doing when he built this place. There was just an epic scale to everything I saw, especially Cinderella's castle. Near the castle I spotted from behind a short brunette girl in tight denim shorts and an electric blue t-shirt with two companions. She bore a striking resemblance to...Laura Austin?
No way!
