Erin -- Upping the Anty (29)

Venus had been very cloak and dagger about what she had in store for us.  She called me several days after my welcome home dinner and asked me to meet her today at a studio I’d never been to yet.  I wasn’t even quite sure where it was to be honest; I had to Google it.   Based on the directions, it looked like it was in the middle of the Sony movie lot.  Despite my comments at the dinner party, Venus had never steered me wrong, and I wasn’t about to start second guessing her now. 

Turns out I was right, and I found myself pulling my new silver Chevy truck up in front of a line of sound stage warehouses.  I didn’t see Violet’s Ford nearby, but I headed towards the buildings anyway.  The girls were always dogging me about being late, and I was determined to be on time today.  Keeping up appearances could be exhausting, but I did not want to risk losing my meal ticket at this point. 

I walked along the sidewalk until I saw the building with the number 35 over the door.  A security guard sat outside the door.  As I approached, he picked up his clipboard. 

“Erin Taylor to see Venus Mitchell.”  I stated crisply and smiled at him.  He did not return my grin.  He checked off my name and waved his wand in front of the door to unlock it.  “Third door on the right” he barked.  I grabbed the handle and stepped inside.  The hallway was dimly lit, and momentarily an unfortunate scene from one of the Scream movies flashed thru my head.  I counted to three and turned the knob on the third door.

Inside looked like a TV control booth, with monitors from floor to ceiling.  Venus and Violet turned to face me, along with a man I didn’t know.  The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I worried for a brief instant that this was another intervention of some kind. 

“Hey Cowboy,” Venus said.  “We’ve been waiting for you to join the party.”  Her smile put me at ease instantly.  “I think you’re going to like your next assignment here.” 

Violet chimed in.  “It’s a really exciting opportunity for us.  I can’t wait to get started.”

“Well then.  Will somebody clue me in as to what is making everyone here so giddy with enthusiasm?”  I waited impatiently.

“Basically, we’re being asked to write a song for a movie!  Eek!!” Violet practically squeaked with glee.  “Isn’t that the coolest thing ever?  I know I sound so unprofessional right now.  Sorry Robert.”  She glanced towards him for a second before turning back towards me.  “We’re going to watch the movie now.  Well really a rough cut, before they do all of the editing and sound effects and stuff.” 

Robert interjected.  “Violet is right.  It’s pasted together and you will see all of the counters on the top and bottom edges.  I loved your song “Our Dance” and I’d like to see what you can come up with for this.  I have a feeling it’s right up your alley, and Venus agreed with me immediately.  She’s got a knack for being right all the time, so I figured I better listen to her when she told me that you two were the ones to talk to about this.”  He reminded me a little too much of Dr. Green on ER with his bald head and wire-rimmed glasses. 

I thought for a moment before speaking.  “It certainly isn’t something we’ve done before, but we’re up to the challenge, aren’t we Violet?”  I looked to her for confirmation.

“Absolutely!   I can’t wait to dive in.”  She confirmed.

“That’s what I like to hear,” said Robert.  “Let’s not waste any time then.  Erin, hit the lights and take a seat so we can get started.”

The movie rolled by in a flash.  When I got up to turn on the lights, I could tell from Violet’s glassy eyes that we would knock this one out of the park, in a manner of speaking.  Venus looked like perhaps she had also gotten misty over the Hallmark card ending.  I knew this movie could be huge for us if we hit the right tone with the song. 

Robert surveyed his audience and clapped his hands together.  “So tell me what you think.  We’re sure this is going to be a huge hit with women, and we want a soundtrack to piggyback and add revenue like they did for My Best Friend’s Wedding.  We’ve already got some licenses for remakes that will be integrated into the picture and sung by some popular heavy hitters.  The original song is what we still need though.  Think Titanic.  Think Rocky.  That’s what I want.  When you hear that unforgettable melody and lyrics that take you back to the movie every time you hear it.  I’m getting chills just thinking about it.”

“I’m sure we can deliver that for you, Robert.”  I spoke confidently and looked him square in the eye.  “Violet and I will put our heads together and come up with the recipe you’re looking for.”

Venus chimed in.  “Just to be clear, what kind of turn-around time do you expect?  I want to give my superstars enough time without pushing your deadline.”

“Can we meet back here in two weeks?  If you finish sooner, that would be even better.”

“I think we can make that happen.”  Venus glanced at Violet and me for confirmation.  We both nodded in agreement.  “Great.  I’ll send over the paperwork Robert.”

And then Violet blindsided everyone.  “Wait a minute.  May I say something?”  We all turned and stared at her.  “I want to negotiate a stipulation.  I want a percentage.”  She focused her attention on Venus.  “If this movie is as big as I think it is going to be, and we are writing the theme song, I want a percentage.”  She turned to Robert and continued.  “You called us here because you know we are good. Better than good.  And I…we, Erin and I will make that happen.  Therefore, I am asking for a percentage of profits from the soundtrack and from the movie.”

The silence thundered in my ears.  My mouth fell open but I could not locate my ability to speak.  What in the hell did she think she was doing?  Trying to sabotage our very existence?  I could not afford to go toe-to-toe with Venus at this juncture; my every move was still being monitored under a microscope.  My calm veneer quickly dissipated as the seconds ticked by slower than an NFL clock. 

After what seemed like a decade of torture, Robert chuckled softly as he shook his head.  “You told me she was a firecracker, didn’t you Venus?”  He peered at Violet over his glasses.  “I had not counted on adding stakeholders at this juncture, Ms. Hutchence.  I will have to take that back to our investors and hash out that little detail.  While I work on that, I would appreciate you focusing your creative talents on the task ahead.  I’m sure you can agree that having a profitable product is of utmost importance here.”

“Absolutely.”  Violet smiled at him.  “I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.  And just so we are clear, Venus was not aware that I was going to ask for this.  I kind of surprised myself too.  I’m sure you can appreciate taking advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like this, at least from a business perspective.  I trust you and Venus will be able to iron out the details.” 

She stood and picked up her notebook.  “Erin, I’ll meet you at the studio in an hour.”  She disappeared before I could even process the events that had just happened in front of my face.  I think I mumbled some sort of thank you before sliding out the door but my mind was still a jumbled mess.  I didn’t know what I was going to say when we met up at the studio in an hour, but I couldn’t decide whether to kiss her or throttle her.  I had about 58 more minutes to decide…