There’s a happily ever after out there for me, and when I find it, I’ll grab on with both hands and never let it go.
Chapter 2
Ben
Four weeks later…
I was certain that when I’d walked into the office this morning, the giant naked woman that formed the logo of White Lace Productions hadn’t been replaced with a sign that said “Romper Room.”
“I want to intern with you.”
A teenager, no more than nineteen, sat across from me. Acne marring his pale skin. Dark-rimmed glasses the most prominent feature on his forgettable face. He might have only been five years younger than me, but there was no mistaking that I was miles ahead of him in life experience.
I was going to kill my assistant, Barbara, for letting him in here before I’d even had my morning coffee.
I smoothed down my shoulder-length hair that I hadn’t bothered to secure away from my face after I’d showered this morning. “Look…” I froze. I thought I had been listening when he’d introduced himself.
“Cory.” He smiled wide, hope washing over his face. Too bad I was going to have to crush it.
“Cory. Right.” Showing up unannounced had been ballsy. I had to give him credit for that. Plus, I envied his commitment to stay in school. To learn the fundamentals. I’d only made it one semester before dropping out to work full time at White Lace. Sometimes I wondered how much better my work would be if I had stayed in school. Sometimes I wondered if I’d still be here if I hadn’t dropped out.
I shuffled around the production schedul
e I was supposed to be reviewing and sat back in my chair. “We don’t usually take interns from college programs.”
Not because we didn’t want to, necessarily, but what college was going to allow their student to intern at a porn company? The alumni and parents would just love that.
“Please?” He eyed me with a sad puppy-dog face. I wasn’t a chick. That wouldn’t work on me. “I’m a hard worker. I learn fast. I’ve wanted to make movies my entire life.”
I could relate to that. But when it came to being a filmmaker, there were only three things I needed to know.
“Who’s your favorite director?”
He looked at me like I had a dildo on my forehead. “Tarantino.”
“Favorite actor?”
“De Niro.”
How was I supposed to mentor a kid whose idols were as predictable as the sunrise? “Favorite Schwarzenegger one-liner?”
“What?” Now he looked at me like I had two dildos stuck to my forehead.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is the greatest actor. Ever. His ability to deliver a one-liner—epic. There was no question he had some of the most classic movie moments of all time.
I clasped my hands on my desk, leaning forward and repeating my words very carefully. “Favorite. Schwarzenegger. One-liner.”
He scrunched up his face. “I’m not really an Arnold fan.”
I couldn’t work under these conditions. Good thing I was already going to say no.
“Get out right now.” I gestured to the door with my hand, looking away in disinterest.
Cory actually contemplated getting up and walking out, his body hovering over the seat of the chair, until I burst out laughing. He settled back, blowing out a huge breath then chuckling along with me.
But then his laughter stopped, and the awkward, shy kid no longer sat in front of me. His expression had now turned to determined adult in an instant. “I want to work here, Mr. Lockwood, and placements start next week.”
Cory had emailed me over the summer, and in the fall, but I’d shrugged him off. We hadn’t had an intern yet this year, simply because Max wasn’t here to arrange it. Normally, my only involvement with them were the few days they got to spend on set. I usually pushed them out of the way. Nothing ever messed with my vision.