Chapter 47

Adam was sitting beside Shelly on the bus when Ben Benedict returned his call. It was only 7:30 a.m.

"You're up early," Adam commented.

"There is a lot going on in the next few days," Ben said with a laugh. "Besides, someone has to come in to get the coffee brewing."

He paused for a heartbeat.

"You've created quite a shit storm," he continued.

"Me?" Adam asked. "How?"

Ben laughed.

"The mark of a great man is how much chaos he can create without really trying," he said. "First off, you've got Jerry Goldsmith in a tizzy. That's where Dad and I were when you called. His daughter has him convinced you're some sort of Svengali filling those poor girl's impressionable little minds with rubbish."

"You know, Ben," Adam interrupted, his voice harsh. "The more I meet people in this business the less I like them. That is complete bullshit."

Ben laughed again. His voice was gentle when he spoke again.

"That's what Dad told her," Ben said. "Almost word for word. I believe he said 'complete and utter bullshit, ' but you get the gist. Dad told them that we either need to get used to the new type of performer – educated, self-reliant and self-assured – or get the hell out of the business. You are probably the first group like that but we don't think you'll be the last.

"Jerry and Ellen are used to the older types – like Gloria at Elite is – the ones who need the money and will do just about anything to get the money. They have nothing to negotiate with except their bodies. They bring no real know-how and they have no influence. Even the ones who think they have influence really don't. They have as much influence as their employer allows them but no more. That's changing. We see that. At least Dad and I do."

Adam wasn't sure how to respond so he stayed quiet and wondered if what Ben said was true.

"One of the main reasons we want Ashley as our contract model is because of the things she brings to the table," Ben continued when he saw Adam didn't plan to respond. "Sure, she's adorable. But she's got charisma and spark. Not many people stand up to Dad and make him back down. But she was right and he knew she was right.

"Then I told him about the other things that happened – Michelle fixing the lighting; Candy doing the graphics; Sahara writing a script. He saw the cover mock-up Ashley did yesterday. He was amazed. He had already put it together in his mind what you were doing. But yesterday sealed it for him."

"What we're doing?" Adam asked.

"You have a team there, Adam," Ben said, unsure if Adam was really in the dark or just pretending to be.

"Well, yeah, we do," Adam admitted. "This is why I called yesterday."

"Is it about the rumor Jerry told us, you know, the anti-piracy thing?" Ben asked, real excitement in his voice.

"It's no rumor," Adam stated.

Ben smiled.

"Jerry is convinced it can't be done," Ben told him. "His tech guy has assured him that something like that just isn't possible."

"Of course he did," Adam replied angrily. "That tech guy makes his money off ignorance and paranoia. He's not going to admit that someone can do something he never dreamed of doing, that someone went after a problem in a way he didn't consider. You don't need to take my word for it. We're willing to demonstrate it for you."

"We'll probably want to get pricing information first," Ben told him. "Dad is in the same boat as Jerry. He is convinced it will cost more than it will save. What is the going rate?"

"That's not for me to set," Adam replied. "Ben, Candy wrote the program. The patent is through Subarctic Enterprises. The reason I called yesterday is to see if you and your Dad would be willing to meet with Subarctic for a demonstration and discuss details. Would that be possible?"

"Yes," Ben said without hesitation. "That's why I called you so early. Dad and I convinced Jerry and Ellen that it wouldn't cost us a thing to meet with the person who designed the script. We both know how much it cost us last year in losses. We just suffer through it and put up with it.

"It actually costs Dazzle more to fight it than it does us to just let it go. They have about 25 full-time employees whose only job is to cull the Net looking for uploaded content and file-sharing torrents. Jerry says they paid out $1.6 million in salary, benefits and bonuses last year and still lost a hundred grand to theft. We figure we lost about $1.5 million in illegal downloads. But there is no way to track that, really. It's only an estimate on our part."

"We figured slightly higher, I think," Adam said. "Based on your reported income and the industry numbers. But you're right. There is really no way to track it. Ben, I think you'll be amenable to what Subarctic wants to do. At least I hope you will be."

"Are you involved with them?" Ben wondered. "I got the impression from Ellen that Subarctic is probably the four of you I met last week and Candy Bottoms. Am I right?"

"We're all 5 involved in one form or another," Adam confessed. "But there are three others. One has a head for business; one has at least two local marketing campaigns under her belt and the third can design and build or repair almost anything."

"So Dad was right," Ben said. "You do have everything in place to produce your own videos."

"Uh, well, that is an option," Adam hedged. "But it's not really the direction we want to go. We have the pieces and the resources to go on our own. What we don't have is the reputation or the experience to do it right."

A light bulb went off over Ben's head and he smiled broadly.

"Which is where we come in," he said. "Just like we lacked the experience in features and the equipment to do it right, so we brought in Dazzle. Now you're offering the technology and craftsmanship to keep the costs in line and the business and marketing avenues to possibly take things mainstream."

Adam cringed as Ben spoke. He hadn't wanted to be so transparent and he hadn't wanted to spoil Rachelle's presentation.

"It is one aspect we've considered," Adam said. "I guess I should say that would be our ideal situation. But I'm sure we'll meet resistance so we're going to try to remain open-minded. I spoke to Judy yesterday about another project..."

"I know and it started a whole new shit storm," Ben cut in. "Look, I can tell you're not keen to discuss this over the phone. So let's try to meet tomorrow night. I know you have the Dazzle shoot in the morning and an afternoon class. How does that work for the rest of your group?"

"Very well," Adam said. Thursday nights were the only night of the week everyone was free. "But I might have that thing with Judy."

"We'll work around it if we have to," Ben said. "But back to that. I saw what Judy wrote and then Carmen Karlson basically responded by calling you a liar."

"What?!" Adam exclaimed. "That's ridiculous."

"It is," Ben said. "And, if can give you a little advice, stay out of the fray. My Dad saw what Carmen posted. Judy got back on and defended you, reiterating that people should be sure to talk to you about the situation before assuming anything. Then Dad wrote that, wait, let me pull it up. I was actually looking to see how it played out when I called you.

"OK, Dad wrote, 'If Derrick Driller says it's true, you can take it to the bank. I don't think he even knows how to lie and he certainly wouldn't bother lying about Carmen Karlson. If he didn't want to work with her, he would have flat out told her to go screw. Ask the proprietor at 'Robin's Quest' if you don't believe me. Judy Jackem is right. Do yourself a favor before you dismiss working with Derrick. Call him and discuss the situation. You'll find he is a pleasant young man and probably the most forthcoming person you'll ever meet in this business.'"

"Wow," Adam said. "Tell your Dad I said thanks."

"Holly and Randy logged on to put in their two cents and it looks like Carmen backed down," Ben said. "Her last post says she might have 'misinterpreted' what you said. Gee, I wonder who spelled that word for her. It has more than 6 letters so I doubt she came up with it alone."

He chuckled.

"Sorry, that was mean-spirited and uncalled for," he said, still laughing. "I only meant it the way it came out."

Adam couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, I'm glad I caught up with you this morning," Ben said. "But I'm sure you are almost to class. I'll let Dad know about tomorrow and you can let your group know. Maybe have someone contact him this morning to work out final arrangements. You have Dad's private line, right?"

"I think so," Adam replied. He repeated the number from his call log.

"That's it," Ben said. "Who do you think will call?" "I'm not sure," Adam admitted. "Probably Rachelle Cunningham but it might be Mary Rose. This is her project. I'll make sure whoever it is identifies herself as being from Subarctic. Have a good day, Ben."

"You, too," Ben laughed. "Oh, and Dad will be calling Ashley today to work out final details with her. If you see her, let her know."

"Will do," Adam said. He closed his phone and started dialing again, stopping only when Shelly put her hand on his.

"We're at our stop," she said. They departed the bus and split the calls until they parted on campus with a kiss and a wave.

Adam's 11 o'clock class concluded early because he finished his exam early. He waited outside the building where Shelly's class was held, enjoying a few moments of relative relaxation.

The late winter air was still warm and the day was sunny. Pretty much every day that Adam had lived in L.A. had been at least decent. There was a haze downtown, the sky darkened by what years of pollution and simple humanity brings. Be he liked living there. He especially liked living in L.A. on days like this – at moments like this.

He had a few minutes with nothing pressing to do. It wasn't like living on the farm where there was always a chore waiting – or demanding – to be done. It wasn't even like the past two weeks where he felt as if he was always running from one place to another – be it class, to a shoot, spending time with the girls, attending to the new ventures that had been proposed.

Adam didn't know what his role would be in Subarctic and that bothered him. He didn't bring any special skill or talent. He couldn't write like Sarah or craft an image for the group like Rachelle. He wasn't adept at fixing things like Walt or with a camera like Shelly. He couldn't draw like Allie or make a computer dance like Mary. His skills most mirrored Sean's – and Adam would be the first to admit his skills came up well short when compared to Sean's.

He simply didn't see how he could fit into the group's long-range plans. He had become something he had never wanted to be – a charity case. He had not told his friends what happened in Missouri until they found out on their own. It wasn't because he didn't think they would care. He knew they would and for the most part, they would go out of their way to help him. He didn't want the help. A man didn't grow up on a farm to rely on others when things got tough. He made his own way and tried to be beholden to none.

Adam had grudgingly accepted Rachelle's father's offer for a job during Christmas – because Mike had couched in a way to make it seem like Adam was doing him a favor and not the other way around. He tried to provide a service for everything his friends offered, although sometimes those services fell well short of what they had done for him. He insisted on paying his own way and he refused to eat the other's food when he didn't have money to contribute.

They told him he was being silly, that if found them in the same situation, he would help them as much as he could – and they were probably right. There was a difference, in Adam's mind, of giving assistance and accepting it.

His new career had seemed like a simple solution. He kicked himself for thinking there was a simple solution to anything, but the new job – and the people it had brought him in contact with and by the portions of personality it had awakened in his friends – had complicated his life far more than having no money did.

He was trying to get to know and juggle the needs of three girlfriends. He was trying to facilitate a deal with a major studio when he was out of his league even dealing with the smallest. He was trying to slow down his friends' growing obsessions with exploring parts of life they felt they missed. And he was still trying to come to grips with the sudden deaths of his parents.