Chapter Twelve
chapter twelve
H er car pulled up to the PathMobile Copenhagen office at 7:58 a.m. It was a midsized regional office housing a sales and marketing team. It was not uncommon to launch products in the Denmark and Ireland offices prior to the US to work out glitches and get initial consumer plus retailer feedback. Kat had interfaced with Poul, the Copenhagen CEO by way of global leadership meetings, but they had only directly spoken a few times. Poul was a favorite of the board and a personal friend of the founder. Until this morning, she was looking forward to getting to spend time with him. Today, however, she was feeling off her game and scattered. Not the impression she wanted to make on someone so important to her future. In a futile attempt to calm her mind, she took a few deep breaths before opening the car door.
Poul was standing just inside the entrance when Kat walked in the building. He greeted her with cool efficiency. She shook his hand and Poul led her straight through the office and into a conference room. She sat down at the vast wooden table and pulled her laptop out of her bag. She expected Poul to sit across from her, but he sat down in the chair next to her and swiveled toward her.
“Will called me last night,” Poul started. “Walk me through the issue.”
Kat tilted her laptop toward Poul and walked through the issue affecting units that either had not been sealed or were sealed with faulty stickers. She showed Poul the numbers that were currently available for the early-launch global markets and those that would need to be shipped out directly to retail in the US. With the potential three-week delay on the new adhesive, they were still at a deficit. They could either delay the US launch by three weeks, which would certainly mean missing their unit projections and wasting locked marketing dollars, or they ran the risk of lengthy shipping delays, resulting in bad consumer sentiment and costing them additional sales.
They both agreed that neither option was a good one, and Poul offered to mobilize the Denmark team to brainstorm solutions. He called a meeting for an hour later and asked Kat to prepare comprehensive briefing documents to get the team started. Leaving Kat to prepare, he rushed out of the conference room.
J ake didn’t feel how strongly he was clenching his jaw until Garren said, “Let’s try it,” and he released the tension. He’d brought his notes and sketches to the meeting with Garren, and they were fanned out across the table.
Garren flipped through a few of the sketches, pulled one out, leaned back, and looked at it closely. He tossed it in the middle of the table. “Jake let’s test this. I want to see how you play this version of Tom.” He radioed the production crew to set up on the back part of an empty lot, just to see how Jake’s interpretation played on screen.
They walked out of the production tent together, heading to where a small crew was setting up with a few handheld cameras, boom mics, and basic lighting. It wasn’t meant to be part of the final print—just enough for Garren to decide if he agreed with Jake’s characterization. If so, it could mean some reshoots of earlier scenes, so it was imperative that their visions aligned.
“It looks like the break was good for you,” Garren said offhand. “You were busy.”
“Yes,” Jake said. He would elaborate, but he was already getting into Tom’s head and scrolling through an iPad to the section of the script they would be testing. The setup didn’t take long.
As Jake became Tom, he felt himself slip away, believing for a moment he was a man who just wanted to slide through the world unnoticed and live his life with the sole purpose of dissolving into the background. There was a very physical aspect to how one would move through a world when trying to disappear while still living.
Jake conveyed the complexity of Tom’s fear and self-loathing through his physical presence. Of course, eventually, Tom would become the unlikely hero—strong, witty, and commanding—but that would come later. It was critical to the story arc to capture the more nuanced Tom in the beginning of the film. It would add power to the transformation for the audience.
Garren called cut and motioned for Jake to watch the playback on a small screen. Jake studied the video as it replayed. He stayed quiet and stole a glance at Garren. He couldn’t read the expression on his face. Garren hit play for a second time.
“What do you think?” Garren asked, his face neutral. “Does this capture what you were envisioning?”
“Yes, mostly,” Jake said, pausing to gather his thoughts. “You described this story to me as a simple arc of an unexpected hero. I think it’s more universal than that. It’s the story of overcoming your darkest, most scarred self … a man who breaks out of who he is told to be and finally becomes who he wants to be.”
Garren nodded. “Jake, I’m blown away. This is different than I saw him, but I absolutely love where you’re taking him.” Garren shook his head slightly. “There’s a lot we have to figure out to adjust the direction.” He asked one of his assistants to bring them lunch from craft services. He wanted them to watch the previous footage to decide what needed to be reshot. They’d need go through the schedule and pencil in reshoots in the middle of the current production in order to get back on track.
“This won’t be easy, but I think we can do it,” Garren said, already taking notes. “I’m going to need some long hours. You ready?”
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Jake said, ready to work twenty-four hours a day if that’s what Garren needed.
B y the time Jake made his way back to the apartment, it was past 10:00 p.m. He and Garren had spent eleven hours watching footage, taking notes, and inserting reshoots into the schedule. Jake walked off the set feeling excited by the collaboration that had occurred, a far cry from where they were only days ago.
He had put in the work to better understand Tom, but he’d also clawed out of the dark cave he’d been sliding into. Kat had given him an emotional ladder to climb out. She made him feel safe and centered, which allowed him the strength to become another person. Jake was beginning to understand: this was his process. He had to take the character off the page through understanding how they physically moved through the world and what motivated them and their inner thoughts. Alongside the work to know the character, he needed to shore up his own personal psyche to control and withstand the transformation. Kat not only helped remind him of his process, he believed she was part of the process. He wanted … needed … her in his life.
He walked into the apartment and found Kat pacing in the kitchen, on the phone. He was surprised to see her back at the apartment. He’d texted her to let her know he would be late, and she hadn’t replied. He half expected her to still be in the office. It was clear to Jake that Kat’s day had not gone so well. He saw a defeated look in her eyes when he walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. He retreated to the living room to give her space.
Her voice sounded hoarse and tense. He could only hear her side of the discussion, but the frustration was palpable.
“Only five million units … It won’t affect it. No, I did the calculations three times … Me. I take full responsibility. Yes, I should have … I know. It won’t happen again … Yes, I’m aware.” Finally, she took out her AirPods and tossed her phone on the counter with a loud sigh.
She walked over to where Jake was on the couch and flopped onto the other side. He watched her put her head back on the couch, blink away tears, and blow out a shuttered breath. He moved closer and turned his body to face her.
“Looks like you had a rough day. I take it the stickers are still an issue?” he asked, placing his hand on her knee.
Kat swiped a single tear out of her eye and took a deep, shaky breath. “No,” she said, still looking like tears were going to flow at any moment. “We actually found a solution today. Well, a super smart marketing manager came up with a solution. It’ll still delay some shipping, but the customer won’t notice.”
Kat went on to explain that the marketing team had come up with an idea to create a larger sticker, with a QR code featuring virtual assistant apps, and use that sticker to seal the boxes. It was a tactic the Denmark team had used when they’d launched a previous device. Their manufacturer in India could turn the stickers around within four days. There was enough buffer in the timeline for a four-day bump without changing any sales projections.
Jake watched her intently as she explained the solution, no longer holding back her tears. He reached over and swiped a tear off her cheek.
“Kat, that’s great news, isn’t it?” he asked. He couldn’t keep the confusion out of his voice. Her story was one of triumph, but her tears were those of defeat.
“Yes, it’s fantastic,” she said, her voice flat. He raised his eyebrows at her until she continued.
“Will, my boss—the current COO—is disappointed. Specifically, in me,” she said, and put her hands over her eyes. “Everyone is watching me to see if I have what it takes to be COO. There are people who think they deserve the job. I bet they’ll be thrilled if I fail. This wasn’t perfect. I screwed up and I feel.…”
Jake knew that feeling all too well. He had just crawled his way out of that unsustainable headspace of shaken confidence mixed with a side of self-loathing. He wasn’t going to let her sink into that space too.
“How exactly did you screw up?” he asked. He really didn’t see this as anything other than thinking on your feet.
“First off, going to sleep without my phone,” she started. He opened his mouth to protest, but she put her hand over his and continued. “Jake, I’m here in Denmark to help them with a launch that happens on Wednesday, and I’m in the middle of leading the US launch. Even on a Sunday, I can’t go silent.”
“That’s ridiculous,” he fired back at her. He didn’t mean to sound edgy, but he felt guilty. “I’m sorry, Kat.”
“No, no. Don’t apologize. If I were you, I would have let me sleep, too. None of this is your fault. I know it sounds ridiculous, but this is a one-point-two-billion-dollar launch, Jake. So, whether or not it’s fair, it’s true. It was a bad coincidence that the one time I stepped away was when the shit hit the fan,” she said with a sigh. “So, that was one thing.”
“What’s the other?” Jake asked. He knew this promotion was important to her, and he was trying to understand how her world operated. He thought her schedule and inability to step away, even for a minute, seemed unsustainable.
But, when he thought about it, that kind of dedication was not foreign to him. His work wasn’t so different. When he was on a project, it was all-consuming. He understood a nearly 24-7 focus, but the difference was his shooting schedule had a beginning and an end. In a short time, he’d observed Kat’s life and to him, it was a constant state of high pressure.
“I didn’t put anything in our manufacturer contract that would protect against this,” she said. “They decided to change the adhesive, and I should have put a contingency in the contract that required them to alert us.” She shook her head. “Will called it a rookie mistake, and that hurt.”
Jake pulled her feet into his lap. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I can imagine that stings,” he said.
Her face told him she was playing “rookie mistake” over and over in her mind. He knew, all too well, the anxiety of disappointing someone you admire. Whether it was a corporate COO or a film director, the feeling of inadequacy was the same.
“Kat, try not to beat yourself up. It’s solved. And everyone makes mistakes,” he said. “You’re not omniscient.”
“I don’t make mistakes,” she fired back. “I can’t make mistakes.”
He looked at her and shook his head. “That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself, Kat. No one can be perfect all the time. Not even you.”
When she didn’t respond, he just focused on rubbing her feet. He didn’t want to make it worse by arguing with her, but he watched the pressure she put on herself and wondered how she didn’t break.
She finally spoke. “I’m just glad the situation is fixed, for now. Oww.…” She started laughing when he cracked her toes. “That hurts and tickles at the same time.”
Jake loved hearing her laugh and seeing her tears stop. “Oh,” he said, setting her feet to the side so he could stand up. “Can’t believe I forgot. I picked something up on my way to set today.” He pulled a bottle of wine out of his backpack. “Sounds like you could use it.” He pulled two glasses out of the cabinet and filled them both.
“Right! How was your first day back?” she asked.
He sat back down on the couch and handed her a glass. “It went better than I could have imagined. Garren loved the direction, and we were able to sketch out reshoots. Really, it felt good. I know when it’s right, and it’s finally right.” He took a sip of wine and relaxed into the warm feeling.
“Jake, that’s wonderful,” she said, raising her glass to his and then taking a drink. “This is good. This isn’t our normal cab, what is it?” she asked, taking another sip before pulling the bottle off the table to look at the label.
“We needed a new wine,” he started. “It’s a cabernet and merlot together. I thought a blend would be appropriate,” he said, and gave her a wink. He really did want to create a new memory for them—one that symbolized a time they were together, facing the real world, instead of in the temporary bubble of the pandemic. These past few days had not just been about sex for Jake. It had been a comfort; an intimacy and friendship he hadn’t realize how much he’d missed.
“Jake,” she said softly. “That’s incredibly sweet.”
He was emboldened by her response, and he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He moved closer and took both of her hands in his.
“Kat,” he started, “I want to talk about this. Us.” He stopped as he watched her face drop, and her eyes fill with tears yet again. “I want—”
She shook her head, “No, we can’t. I can’t,” she said. “You have the worst timing, Jake.”
He searched her face and all he saw was sadness. He put his hand on her cheek.. “You don’t have to say anything. I needed you, and you came. I just really feel like I have to tell you—”
Before he could say another word, Kat’s fingers were on his lips. “Shh … please don’t,” she said. “Not tonight. No more talking.”
Jake sighed with disappointment but didn’t push her. They’d promised to keep it simple and easy, and that’s what he thought he’d wanted. He’d convinced himself that he wanted to be free, unencumbered and without anyone’s expectations, but that was before she was here. She came to him, and they instantly fit together as if they had never been apart. It felt easy and it felt right. That was worth something, and he needed to know if she felt the same. If he was a stronger person, he would have pushed further, but Kat pulled him toward her on the couch and his brain went fuzzy.