Junior Year Box Set

“Okay, Saul. Do what you think is best,” I said.

“What about The Royal Palm? Did they send over paperwork?” Caryn asked.

“Jennifer!” Saul bellowed.

His assistant stuck her head in.

“Did we get anything for The Royal Palm?”

“I put it on your desk while you were watching the movie,” she said.

He stepped over to his desk and opened the packet. Saul glanced through it.

“When does he need to be there?” Caryn asked.

“May 16, like we requested. That’s the week following your finals,” Saul said. “I’ll have my lawyers confirm everything, and then we can sign it. Congratulations! Are you excited?”

The movie was going to be shot in Cuba. The studio was working with the State Department to let us do it and give us access to Cuba.

“I’m excited to see Cuba,” I said as a compromise.

Saul didn’t care, all he saw were dollar signs. I hoped the director and I could work together.

◊◊◊

So, what’s a boy who’s learning to love surfing to do if he has a free day? Take his girlfriend out to lunch. I had Saul call over to the Soho House in West Hollywood so we could have a late lunch there. Halle had heard of it and always wanted to go. When we arrived, there was a handful of paparazzi present. They’re like roaches in a rental house: you just can’t seem to avoid them.

Fritz had some errands to run, so he dropped us off. He was sure we’d be fine once we got inside. I asked that we go to the upper garden again. It was a pleasant, relaxing place.

We sat down, and Halle pointed at someone.

“Do you know who that is? That’s Dana Brunetti, the producer of Fifty Shades of Grey,” she said and then pointed to another table. “That’s Thelma Yates, a talent agent for UTA. She represents Channing Tatum. Now he’s good looking.”

“Better looking than me?” I asked.

“David, in a certain light you might be considered handsome,” Halle said as she caressed the back of my hand.

“Is that so?”

“Why else would I let you hang out with me? Your butt’s a bit too big, though,” she grinned.

I just shook my head. We had a good lunch. I tried their fish tacos on our server’s recommendation. After lunch, I had a hot fresh mint tea and cardamom-and-gingersnap sticky toffee pudding.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Halle asked.

“It’s about your mom and the massages that I’ve been giving her. I think she’s trying to seduce me.”

“Is that wishful thinking, or do you really believe that?” Halle said as she sipped her tea.

“I’m about eighty percent sure.”

She looked down for a moment, then took a deep breath and let it out before looking me in the eyes.

“Do you know who my dad was?” Halle asked.

“I’ve heard rumors,” I admitted.

“Then you’re aware he died of cancer three years ago,” she said.

That confirmed it for me.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Were you close?” I asked.

“He married a nice lady, and I have a half brother and sister. They separated a few months before his death, and he and my mother reconnected, so I was able to get to know him. He was one of the few people who didn’t treat me like a child, and when you’re fourteen, that’s a big deal. The cancer was diagnosed late, and it took him quickly, but it was still devastating.

“At the time they reconnected, my mother was acting in The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance. Her role was very stressful. Then, on top of that, they discovered his cancer. She turned into a different person; she was even mean to Rosy. It was so unlike my mom because everyone loves Rosy,” Halle said, and I had to agree.

“Anyway,” she continued, “he had me come in shortly before he died so he could talk to me in private. He told me that when they first met, before she was pregnant with me, she was acting the same way. I guess the best word was she was ‘bitchy.’ He told me one day he’d finally had enough and pulled her over his lap and spanked her hard. I guess she cried and cried, but he told me he was so mad he just kept going, and somehow it seemed to help. She actually came to him on the set later on and thanked him for calling her out for her actions.”

Halle looked nervous, glanced around and licked her lips.

“David, this has to stay between us.”

“Of course.”

“My dad told me that back in the day, she would come to him when she was stressed. She would tell him she’d been bad and needed discipline, and he gave it to her. He eventually came to like it, and he told me he thought she did, too. Over time, they escalated to sex, rough sex. I don’t know what it all means, but he told me those sessions always seemed to calm her down.

“He and my mom spent some private time together before the cancer got bad. I don’t know what went on, but it was easy for me to see she was much better after being alone with him. I’m sure he was still helping her cope with stress, but he didn’t talk about that.