And yet another shot at the title (part xxiv)

“Alright, I’ll get out of your hair,”’Jimmy said. “Katherine, this is your show.”

“Thank you Jimmy,” she said.

Jimmy picked up his candy tote and departed the conference room. The two parties sat on either side of the table staring at each other. Kat stacked some papers and started the meeting. “First off, salary negotiations…,” she began. Greta interrupted.

“Well James, congratulations on hijacking another production,” she told me.

“No hard feelings Greta,” I said. “There were some legalities regarding my dismissal which Jimmy and I settled in court. This is only business.”

“I fired you!” she shouted.

“We can keep digging up the past but I’m here now. We have a movie to make. So if you don’t mind, I’d like to move forward with this project…”

“James is right,” Kat interjected. “We’re all professionals here and we’re running behind schedule.”

Greta was fuming. She said nothing for the duration of the meeting. We went over the logistics, casting choices, and story boards while she sat with her arms folded and staring off into space.

“Cassandra, take note,” I ordered, “the film should end with the lead bending over, spreading his ass cheeks, and shitting out Chatty Cathy onto the ground with her shouting ‘Thank Christ for mayonnaise’”

This failed to illicit a response from Greta. A concerned Kat motioned to her. “Greta do you have any input on this ending?” she asked.

Greta took a deep breath, unfolded her arms, and looked me dead in the eye. “I think you left your brain splattered on the ground in Eastern Europe,” she told me.

She stood up and huffed out of the room. Everyone was quiet. I rubbed my fingers to the backside of my head where the scars of the exit wound lay. “Well ladies and gentlemen,” I told them, “let the building of sets commence. Welcome to the production of Chatty Cathy. I look forward to working with each and every one of you. I’ll see all of you on Monday.”

TO BE CONTINUED…