Chapter 40
It was not Ingrid’s intention to spend her Saturday night watching Tasha’s new film at the DGA Theater Complex, but she knew Charlie would be there.
She heard from a producer friend on Kelly Clarkson’s show that Camila’s in talks to come on the show next week.
Ingrid needs to talk to Charlie immediately.
She applauds politely when the film’s over and beelines over to him.
As she walks into the reception hall, she bumps into Mel, the writer whose take for Summer Rain didn’t land with Charlie.
“Mel!” she says, feeling suddenly apologetic when she remembers the way she delivered the bad news to her. “I’ve been meaning to call you. Things have been so hectic—”
“You’ve been busy putting a badass movie together, I get it!” Mel says with a smile.
It means so much to Ingrid to hear that, and coming from a Black writer, no less.
A writer she had to let down, who is no doubt extremely disappointed but still manages to find it in her to be kind and think about what’s good for her in the long run.
That’s the kind of attitude it takes to succeed.
“Thanks, you’re a real gem. Let’s get a lunch on the books!
” Ingrid smiles. She spots Charlie on the other side of the reception area, standing with Tasha, and keeps moving through the sea of people.
As she walks, she sees a voicemail on her phone. She taps on the text transcript.
Hey, Ingrid…it’s me. Maggie. I was just with my parents. They know. Call me back!
Ingrid’s blood pressure skyrockets. They know?
About the transfusions? Why would Maggie tell a thing like that to her parents?
Her mind immediately goes to the worst. All the transfusions have to stop.
Her cancer signals are going to return! She’s so seized with anxiety as she pictures herself lying in hospice, zonked out on morphine, that she almost falls on a waiter.
“Ingrid!” Tasha says, rushing over with Charlie and steadying her. “Are you OK?”
“Yeah, I’m fine!” Ingrid says. “Congratulations, Tasha! The film’s brilliant!” She gestures to Charlie: We need to talk.
“Thank you! I never got a chance to congratulate you on Summer Rain. Charlie told me the new direction you guys are going in. Whose idea was that? Did you get a new writer?”
“No…not yet.”
“The reason I ask is I’m running a screenwriting incubator for new writers who identify as women!
I’ll be picking six nonprofessional writers and training them on script development, pitching, everything!
It’s going to be great! All they have to do is send in an original script that hasn’t been bought. Will you tell your new writers?”
Ingrid is stumped for a second. Why would she send anyone to Tasha so they can learn under her and not Ingrid? But she puts on the biggest smile. “Yeah! Absolutely!” Ingrid says. “That’s very generous of you! I’ll be sure to spread the word.” She turns to Charlie. “Got a minute?”
“Sure,” he says, following her outside.
—
Ingrid cuts straight to the chase when they’re alone. “Camila knows. She’s pissed. And now she’s going on Kelly Clarkson.”
Charlie sighs and shakes his head. “Shit. When’s she going on? I can put in a call to her agent—”
Ingrid shakes her head. They don’t have time to deal with agents. “I need you to call Variety and announce that we’re in discussions with Camila to star.”
Charlie flips out when he hears, as she knew he would. “Are you insane? We’re miles down the road with Hailey!” Ingrid puts her hands up to calm him down. But before she can tell him why she thinks this is the smartest move, her phone rings. It’s Kyle.
“Hey,” she answers. “I don’t have time to talk right—”
“Ingrid, Maggie called me. Her parents know about the transfusions! What are we going to do?!”
Ingrid hangs up the phone, terrified that Charlie might overhear. She’s deeply annoyed that Kyle blurted it out like that, but even more annoyed that Maggie’s calling her husband.
She turns back to Charlie. “I don’t have time to get into it right now. I need you to trust me.”
“Can I just say something here—”
“Charlie, if there were any other way, I wouldn’t be recommending it,” Ingrid says bluntly. She gazes into his eyes, hoping that all the time they’ve worked together means something. “You know what she can do to us. To me.”
“And you know this puts us in a corner. We’ll have to stop negotiations with Hailey, and that means Harper’s off the table—”
“I will fix it. Trust me. Just run it.”
He takes a long, deep breath. Finally he nods.
“As a friend, I hope you know what you’re doing…” Charlie says gently.
Ingrid feels the caution of his words as she heads to her car.