Chapter 10: The Way It Really Is

“It’s a shitty movie, Rome,” Jeannie Stokes, the director of Cop with a Side of Robot, declared standing next to the new set that was just completed, her hands on her hips. “It’s a shitty script, a shitty concept. Everything about it is shitty, shitty, shitty, Rome.”

“Tell me how you really feel,” he muttered, looking at the robot in front of him as if it was a plate full of vegetables he had to eat before he could get up from the table.

“We both know that. But… we’ve got to get through it. We can’t move on to less shittier projects until we’re done with this particular shitshow.”

He shook his head. “That’s what I’m telling you, Jeannie. You may get to go on to do something less shittier when this is all over, but I will be stuck in this revolving door of shit for the next nine movies.”

“You don’t know that.” She placed her hand on his shoulder in sympathy.

“I do know that. Henry Caron will tell you if you ask him.”

The middle-aged woman with dirty blonde hair that she always pulled into a ponytail on the back of her head took a deep breath. “I understand the two of you have a history, but I can’t imagine anyone would be willing to waste that sort of money to ruin someone’s career.”

“I can.” He knew he was stalling, that she was right, that he needed to just get in there and film the scene, but the idea of saying the lines as they were written, including a declaration that made him cringe just thinking about it, had him stuck. “You may have been made in a robotics department at a robot factory in Robot City, but you made me human through your loyalty, courage, and heart. And that makes you the best damn partner I’ve ever had!” How could he say that line with any sense of honesty? That line alone could ruin his career, and that was one of dozens he’d already pushed through in the filming, most of the time with his mouth full of bile.

“Rome, you’re a good kid. Chances are, you’re about to see your name all over the nomination lists for the movie you did with Wynnie. That comes out at the end of the month, right?” He nodded. He was looking forward to the release, even though he wouldn't be able to take his wife to the openings. “This shitty little movie will fade away in the shadow of that accomplishment. If anyone asks why you did it, tell them the truth; it was part of your parents’ sale to Caron. You had nothing to do with it.” She shrugged like it was just that easy.

He thought she was wrong. He was certain that he would be the laughing stock of Hollywood as soon as this movie came out. If any reporter asked him to explain why he decided to do the movie, he couldn’t give the answer she had just rattled off without looking like a cry baby. No, he’d have to lie and say there was something about the manuscript he’d been drawn to, even though he had no idea what that might be. Perhaps he could hang his hat on good CGI or something like that, though he doubted it. Henry was likely to put as little time and money into making this movie look good as possible since he was sure to tank at the box office and cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“Please, for my sake then, Rome, let’s just get it over with. I promise you, if there’s anything I can do to help you in the future, to get you out of this situation, I will. If you’ll help me get out of it now. I have another project with another studio I’d love to work on, but I’ve gotta be done with this shitshow first. Let’s just get it over with, put it behind us, and move on. Please.”

Rome looked down at his tap shoes--yes, his character, the cop, wore tap shoes--and then back at Jeannie. She was a good director, and she didn’t deserve to have her name tied to this train wreck either. He’d stalled as much as he could lately, trying to irritate Henry and eat up more money in production cost, but she was right. He was doing an injustice to everyone else by dragging his feet. “Fine,” he said quietly. “I’ll do it. But let’s just settle on one take. I’m not going to be able to do it any better the second, third, three hundredth time.”

“Works for me,” Jeannie said, patting him on the back.

With a deep breath, Rome squared himself to the makeup and hair people, letting them fix anything he’d messed up while he was talking to Jeannie. He would be happy to put this movie behind him. Even if it meant he’d have to live through another nine installments of hell, he would finish this one as quickly as possible now.

Once he was presentable for the camera, Rome stepped into his spot and waited for Jeannie to start rolling film, praying he and Ella would find a way to get out from under Henry before he had to do it all over again.