Malcolm woke up early that morning. He had a lot on my mind. He couldn’t stand not doing anything, so he left the hotel and took a run in the park. He had been held up in that hotel for a week trying to work out these rewrites and present it to the brokers. The early morning fog, still caught up between the tree branches, made for an eerie site as he ran by. The run energized him and as he got back to the hotel, his mind was racing with new ideas to fill the gaps. He showered and ordered room service. He sat in front of his laptop in his bathrobe and a pair of boxers. Like a surgeon, he began cutting up the script meticulously, making the necessary adjustments to make it work better overall. It was 8:00am.
The meeting with the brokers was scheduled for 1:00pm. Come 11:30am He felt the script was edited up enough that the final fate of the script was left up to the ones brokering the film. He got dressed, wearing black Visum denim jeans, a light blue chambray short sleeve Staples design button down, a black Nike destroyer letterman jacket, a crisp pair of Air Force Ones, and his gold Rolex. He got downstairs and outside, on the street the doorman hailed him a cab occupied by a young attractive woman in a white cleavage bearing dress. She didn’t pay him any attention, as she was so into the moment with her iPhone. Malcolm told the cabby my destination, and they were off.
The rewritten script was bound and in a manila folder in his Marc Jacobs messenger bag on his lap. He was told this script could go for as much as 6 digits, and he was looking forward to negotiating for more as these brokers came from money. When he got to the building the cabby pulled up in front. He paid, got out, and made his way to suite 375. Malcolm was to be meeting with three brokers at their, office a Victorian style space with two giant double-panned windows with a breathtaking view. He sat confident in front of the three brokers. They were all lawyers, or all lawyers and accountants. He didn’t remember exactly what he was told initially, but he wasn’t impressed. They wanted to enter the filmmaking business. They were told he was the “hottest” screenwriter out with an eye for the provocative. After seeing Malcolm’s latest film they wanted to do business with him. Before they could get down to business they had some “manly’ conversation, as one on the brokers talked about his new black Lamborghini. Malcolm mentioned to him that he had gotten the chance earlier that year in Paris to race the exact model he was talking about on a professional track. The look on his face was priceless, as living in the city he probably never got his lambo over 55 mph.
Malcolm figured, after a little side conversation, that they’d get to the point of the meeting. The broker seated in the middle of the other two proceeded to offer Malcolm a drink as he made one for himself. The other two followed suit pouring themselves a drink. He proceeded to stay focused on what was at hand. Each of the brokers made their way to the bar and back to their seats, as the conversation continued moving to another topic. All of the men dressed in muted neutral colors looking like a bunch of grown frat boys at a social. Now the broker seated in the middle began talking about a masquerade party that was held over the weekend. He went on to describe his backroom rendezvous that night with the secretary from down the hall, going on about her adept oral capabilities. At that moment Malcolm got up and made myself a drink. He explained to the brokers, that if they were serious about having him as screenwriter on this project, they needed to work now. He could relate to the “Boys Club” mentality, but he’d hope they were more focused. Malcolm knew now these guys were getting into the business for the wrong reasons. They were thinking that films would be another pool of women they could dip into or another stream of money to collect from. He’d seen it before. Those types don’t last, and if they did stick around for a bit their work was shit. He was always told, “Do what you love, and love what you do”. He had a commission piece of artwork that said that exact thing back at the studio. He instantly became home sick.
He thought to myself, “How did I end up meeting with these guys?”, as their conversation went on a bit more in graphic detail. He sipped his drink while looking out the window. “This was a great script,” He thought to myself; maybe even an Oscar contender. Did he want them to reap the benefits of his labor...? He thought hard and deep. He finished my drink, walked over to the coffee table where his script still lay in the manila folder, unaddressed or even looked over. They’d need time to look at it, but he wouldn’t give them the chance putting the envelope back into his bag. It was 2:30pm. Malcolm set his drink at the bar and left with no consideration for the three brokers. Once outside of the broker’s office he got on his phone and called his assistant Nicole to inform her that he would be coming home early, and he asked her to look and see if they had it in the budget to shoot another film this year. His heart began to beat faster, aroused at the thought of working on another film. He knew he’d be ready when the time came. He just didn’t know it would happen like this.
Feeling a burst of creative energy and empowerment upon leaving the brokers office and setting up plans to shoot their 4th film Malcolm found himself in New York with a completed script and time on his hands. As he made it to the buildings lobby ready to reach the outside he thought of contacting Harumi.
They had re connected in a sort of way holding a phone conversation two days earlier when Malcolm had made it to town, but they had yet made plans to meet up. So Malcolm took it upon himself to contact her hoping she could get away for a coffee or a drink and possibly dinner later. As the phone rang Malcolm stood in a busy plaza section with a grassy nole where people were taking in the fantastic day.
The phone rang a few more times and then it picked up, it was Harumi. She was glad to hear Malcolm’s voice although she was tied up with work so she suggested he come to her and afterward they could get happy hour drink and some food. With that conversation Malcolm hailed a cab and traveled to Harumi’s studio where she was holding a model fitting for an upcoming show she was a part of.
On the way over Malcolm re thought the decision to walk out on the brokers and questioned himself honestly if he had made the right choice. There was no real plan ahead for the film yet there was no plan to go back either so ahead it was. He was becoming attached to the script any way believing he was the only one trusted enough to give this film the attention needed to bring it to an audience.
In and out of traffic the cab swung wildly ending up in front of the building where Harumi’s studio was held. From the outside the place didn’t look like much, but upon entering the space it exploded into a loft slash warehouse layout. but with the amenities to make it a workable studio. Malcolm made his way up the freight elevator to the loft space where he found the place was a buzz with hair and makeup artist, stylists and half naked models all about. Malcolm made his way through the orchestrated chaos trying not intruding with his presence as he looked for Harumi.
Finally he had found her in the distance working with the designer and a few models. He watched from the distance seeing her in her element was fascinating to Malcolm as he could relate to the joy, ecstasy and stress taking on a project with so much evolved. When he saw she had a free moment he walked toward her and when she saw him she walked toward him ending in an embrace before the next group of models walked up for review.
Malcolm then sat off to the side watching the entire production of non-stop stylists and models working in concert to complete their work. Upon the last fitting Harumi moved to Malcolm as it was now later than expected. In that time Malcolm had patiently waited, while in the back of his mind he was mulling over his decision from earlier in the day. Harumi took his hand and they walked to a local restaurant and had some drinks and a late dinner talking throughout about the time they had lost while being out of contact.
With an amazing amount of banter they reminisced and shared their ups and downs from the past year, it was like their level of intimacy they shared had not diminished or left the two. As they wrapped up dinner the two headed back to Harumi’s studio now silent with the late night moonlight pouring through the large windows setting the mood and without a moments hesitation they picked up where they had left off so many months ago at Malcolm’s home.
