Chapter 22: Settling Down

Having taken a leave of absence, Simon changed into casual clothes and left the changing room with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

Courtney was chatting with Jonathan, holding a shopping bag. Seeing Simon approaching, she stepped forward with a smile, then stopped, shyly greeting him. She then followed the two men out of Griffin Supermarket.

Jonathan Friedman's black Mercedes was parked at the curb. Both men got into the car, nodded to Courtney at the curb, and Jonathan drove off eastward.

As Jonathan's Mercedes turned a corner and disappeared from view, Courtney's smile faded. She felt a twinge of regret about the words she had refused Simon the other night. If she hadn't spoken them, perhaps she might have been invited to join them.

In the departing car, Jonathan glanced at the rearview mirror to see Courtney still standing by the curb. He smiled and asked Simon, "Do you have a thing for Courtney?"

"No," Simon shook his head, clarifying, "Just friends."

Jonathan smiled, unperturbed, "Actually, if you liked Courtney, I could make her the lead actress in your movie. That way, you'd have a chance to pursue her."

Simon considered this and replied, "Courtney would indeed fit the role of a lead actress well, but we really are just friends."

Jonathan nodded and then said, "Then she's probably not right for you."

Changing the subject, Simon looked at his agent and asked, "Is there a result?"

"Yes," Jonathan nodded, indicating a nearby cafe. "There's a nice cafe up ahead."

The Mercedes continued for a short distance before Jonathan parked the car. The two entered a roadside cafe together.

Settling at a street-facing window table, they waited for the server to bring their coffee. Jonathan then briefly explained Fox's new offer for Simon's screenplay and asked, "So, Simon, what do you think?"

The base pay had doubled, and royalty terms were preserved. Although a contract for an option on another screenplay was added, Simon knew this was a very generous offer for a newcomer like him.

After nodding in agreement, Simon asked, "What about the packaging deal? I assume WMA isn't likely to give up on the project now, right?"

Jonathan wasn't surprised by Simon's question and didn't hide anything. "Brian will also serve as a producer while directing. Matthew has dropped out of the project, and the company has assigned me to select the main roles again."

Seeing Jonathan's smiling eyes after saying this, Simon understood why his agent had mentioned Courtney could be the lead actress.

However, Simon didn't continue on that topic and asked instead, "When can we sign the contract?"

"The official package will be announced in a few days, and the contract should be ready by next week," Jonathan answered. "But, Simon, you can go ahead and quit your job now. If you need money in the meantime, I can lend you some."

Simon shook his head and smiled, "That won't be necessary."

He had agreed with Roger Griffin, the supermarket manager, that he would give a few days' notice before resigning to allow time to find a replacement. Although Roger was frugal, their relationship had been good. Moreover, Simon planned to use Roger's store for shooting 'Run Lola Run,' so it wasn't the right time to suddenly leave.

Unaware of Simon's thoughts, Jonathan didn't press further and instead mentioned another matter, "There's one more thing, Simon, about the WGA—do you want to join the guild?"

Simon looked puzzled, unsure why Jonathan would suddenly bring this up.

Jonathan explained, "Joining the WGA would base your future contracts on the guild's Basic Agreement, which could better protect your rights. If you're willing, I can get it arranged quickly, possibly even before you sign with Fox next week."

Joining the Writers Guild of America (WGA) required earning enough points from screenwriting work over the past three years.

Simon had no doubt about Jonathan's ability to facilitate a special exception from the WGA. However, his ambition was to reach the very top of Hollywood, not just to be a screenwriter.

Joining the WGA now could complicate future decisions, especially if he ended up on both sides of a guild strike.

Shaking his head, Simon told Jonathan, "No need. If I join any guild, it'll be the Producers Guild of America (PGA)."

Jonathan smiled at the response, "Alright, that settles it."

After chatting briefly about some final details and wrapping up Simon's business, Jonathan hurried back to the WMA headquarters.

This incident had made many things clear to Jonathan. Given the task of reselecting the main roles for 'The Butterfly Effect,' he had no intention of sharing the project further. He secured roles for his clients wherever possible, and for roles that didn't suit his clients, he chose actors managed by agents with whom he had good relations.

After

 a busy afternoon, Jonathan submitted the finalized cast list to his superiors. Following further discussions with Fox, a press conference was held on Wednesday by WMA and Fox to announce the detailed package project.

Simon did not attend the press conference. In fact, no major creatives involved in 'The Butterfly Effect' were present.

Nevertheless, Simon soon learned the details of the new creative team. Apart from himself and Brian De Palma, the main roles selected by Jonathan included Matt Dillon and Elizabeth Shue—both clients under his management and both promising young actors not yet well-known in Hollywood.