Chapter 22
Hi everyone, sorry for the wait. My life has been so busy that writing anything has become challenging, with work and personal stuff. I am sure you all can understand that.
So first off, let's answer the few questions from the last chapter.
Dao_8teh, the MC is a dropout—no formal education. I have no plans to have him get his GED at this point in time. Most of his relationships will be committed, with some being open. I don't see him marrying, and if he does, it will only be for short amounts of time. As for being a hedonist, he will come off that, but he has great control over himself. It's safe to say he won't be Diddy or Harvey Weinstein. He knows what happens if you can't control your desires
Xscraid, you have a solid point lol. I will most likely do that, but he has a lot of kids down the road with several women: Max 5 or six, baby mamas. Have yet to decide on a final number or who.
As for the note I put up, I will be deleting it. I see three out of four people said yes to a Hollywood story based on the Golden Age of Hollywood. Now I will most likely start writing one as a side project to my other two stories. With that said, I have yet to pick a time between the 30s, 40s, or 50s. Of course, for historical reasons, the MC will be white. I am thinking either Italian or Irish and Italian mix. Open to either male or female, leaning towards male for historical reasons. Let me know your thoughts on the first movie. Lastly, this story won't be a rags-to-riches story, nor will the rich get richer.
Now on with the story.
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"Looking back, that was our first power play. The acquisition of Marvel characters was our way of signaling to Hollywood that new players were in town. We were formed from an unlikely group of celebrities, later dubbed the Hollywood Cartel by the press. Nobody saw it coming, and I wasn't even sure what would happen at the time. My only goal was to ensure that Hollywood couldn't put me on the sidelines later when they felt like it, by buying the rights to what would become the biggest franchise ever. It wasn't about going head-to-head with the Big Six. I mean, how were we even going to afford to make one movie? X-Men alone would cost $75 million, and none of us had that kind of cash at the time." - Caesar Espinar.
-1998-
I miss the 1950s. No, really, I do. While I wasn't born back then, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have enjoyed living in that era, they certainly had a few things figured out. Not many, but one aspect that stands out is that men didn't have to change diapers. Looking back, that sounds like a good idea. Don't get me wrong—I love my children, but there should be some boundaries.
"Salma, seriously, what the fuck are you feeding this kid?" I exclaimed to my baby mama as I changed my daughter, Julia's, diaper. She is the apple of my eye, but her poop looks like rotten apples and smells even worse.
Poking her head into the room, Salma replied, "Hey, watch your language in front of the child. They remember what they hear."
"Oh, really?" I say, looking back down at my daughter. "You owe me, kid. When I start going, and start shitting myself, I am making you and your brother change my damn diaper."
"Ceaser!" Salma yelled from the other room.
"Right, right, sorry," I yell back, but then add under my breath, "Perra ruidosa."
"What was that?" she asks as she sticks her head back inside the room.
Looking up at her, I reply, "Nothing."
In response, she gives me that look and says, "That's what I thought."
Turning back to my daughter, I say, "You'd better watch yourself around her, kid. Your old man doesn't scare easily, but that woman frightens me."
This earns me a giggle from my little girl, and I smile. After finishing changing her, I pick her up and head to the living room, where Salma is watching TV with my little boy.
For those of you wondering why I'm here today, the answer is simple. Though I did give up my parental rights to Julia, Salma never tried to keep me away from her. Despite wanting to keep the circumstances of her birth a secret, she allowed me to spend as much time with my daughter as possible. I took full advantage of that time, knowing I would miss much of her and her brother's childhood. As for why Augustus is here, it's for the same reason.
Salma was a proud Latina woman with strong Catholic roots. She was devoted to her family and put aside any concerns about my son. After all, we were not married, and it wasn't his fault that both she and Tiff became pregnant by the same man at the same time. Tiff felt similarly, and both women were determined that their children would know each other. However, there was undeniable tension between Tiff and Salma, so they didn't spend much time together.
As I enter the room, I groan at the sound of the Dawson's Creek theme song playing in the background.
"Really, have I wronged you in a past life, Salma?" I ask, my voice filled with annoyance.
With a mocking smile, Salma replies, "What? I need to catch up for the next season, Mr. Teen Drama Writer."
"Oh God, just shoot me already," I say as I take a seat.
For those of you who are wondering, yes, I am now the new writer for the WB's hit show Dawson's Creek, though it wasn't my choice. After Kevin Williamson, the show's creator, was fired, Arnold approached me to inform me that, in exchange for Kevin's dismissal, the WB wanted me to write for the show's second season. To put it more bluntly, they didn't just want me to write for the show; they made it clear that I was expected to do so.
That situation was somewhat upsetting, but as I mentioned, I had little choice in the matter. They may have been frustrated with Kevin for not following the rules, but canceling the show wasn't a viable option. While they could technically cancel it, they would still have to pay him, which wasn't ideal. After a quick cost analysis and review of viewership, they realized they had more to gain by firing Kevin and continuing the show than by simply canceling it. However, they had to be cautious about maintaining the quality of the writing since Kevin and his entire writing team had also left. As a result, they hired me to write for the show, offering me $50,000 per episode, with a minimum of 10 episodes per season for as many seasons as necessary.
Upon closer inspection, it was a worthwhile deal. Ten episodes across six seasons, excluding the first, amounted to $ 2.5 million. Honestly, it wasn't a bad payday. However, after completing post-production on "Shakespeare in Love," I intended to step away from romantic stuff and return to my roots. While I could easily replicate various rom-coms and romance movies that were set to release, I felt uncomfortable doing so. My involvement in "Shakespeare in Love" was primarily to demonstrate to Gwyneth and the world that I could write in any genre. Now that I had accomplished that, I planned to shift my focus to projects like "The Sixth Sense," "Unbreakable," and similar works.
I still intended to proceed with my plans, but I needed to maintain a good relationship with Warner Bros. after all, a lot depended on their willingness to finance my Marvel project. While I was considering other major studios—primarily Fox, since they were the original release partner for X-Men—I was also looking at Paramount and Sony. Currently, I don't have strong connections with either of them, but Arnold had several contacts over at Sony who would be eager to collaborate with me. David had similar connections at Paramount.
I had been staying away from Disney because of what they tried to pull. I understood it was just business, and by that point, it was clear my countersuit would prevail over Kevin's lawsuit. Still, I wasn't about to turn to them for support on any project. Regardless of the business aspect, they attempted to screw me over, and while I was willing to let it go and focus on moving forward, I first needed to get even. What better way to do that than to sell them something I was certain would flop and charge them a hefty price for it?
"Oh, come on, it's not that bad, and it's a hit show," Salma said with a teasing smile, fully aware of how much he disliked doing romantic projects. This was especially evident when they collaborated on "Shakespeare in Love."
"Yeah, I guess you're right, and it pays," I replied, glancing at my children, who were now sleeping peacefully beside each other.
For them, I would write as many trashy romantic shows and movies as necessary—anything to give them the life I never had.
"See, you can look on the bright side," Salma says with a smile, knowing what he was thinking.
At first, like Tiff, she was concerned about how Caesar would be as a father. Having never had one, she had feared he would quickly lose interest in his own children. However, while it was still too early to tell, she had a feeling he would never lose interest in them and would be a good, if not great, father. One only had to see the way his eyes softened when he looked at them to understand that much. It was a look he didn't give anyone else—neither his closest friends nor even her and Tiff. Sure, he cared for them, but it wasn't the same.
Salma thought to herself, "Fuck, if only he weren't dating Tiff right now." She was certain they would be in her bedroom together, just the two of them. God help her.
"Speaking of getting paid, are you sure you don't want me to talk to the people at TriStar again about you playing the female lead in 'The Mask of Zorro'? Last time I spoke to them, they were willing to offer as much as $2 million and 2 points off the box office," she heard Caesar say to her.
Letting out a soft sigh, Salma considered her options for a moment. Caesar had been open about his desire for her to play the lead role of Elena Montero, and he had the influence to ensure it happened if she wanted it. It didn't matter whether he believed she was right for the role; his voice, along with that of Steven Spielberg, could make it a reality. Salma couldn't deny she was tempted. After all, two million dollars and 2% of the box office was a substantial amount, especially if the film became a hit like many of Caesar's scripts. The potential earnings were significant—far more than what Caesar would receive, which was only 150 thousand dollars and 1%.
She looked at Caesar and said, "Thanks, Caesar, but I still have to decline. As I mentioned, I need to take time off until at least Julia can walk."
I shrugged my shoulders and replied, "If that's what you want, then that's fine. You won't have to worry about work when you're ready to come back, anyway."
My meaning was clear. As long as she wanted to work, I would help her find a job. And even if she decided not to, our investments would ensure she never had to. By the time Julia could walk, I planned to be an even bigger deal than I already was, so giving the mother of my child a prominent role would be easy.
"That's very sweet of you, Caesar, but no, we are not having sex," Salma says in a teasing voice.
"I wasn't asking," I reply.
"Maybe not, but tell me you weren't thinking it," Salma says, looking at me.
I avoid her gaze and say, "I'm with Tiff."
"That didn't stop you the night we made her," she says, pointing to our child.
"I was drunk," I answer flatly.
She gives me a knowing look and says, "Hmm, not that drunk, I suspect."
My lips twitch at this, and this time I say nothing. After all, she was right; I wasn't that drunk.
Pushing me lightly on the shoulder, she says, "Pig."
That makes me smile even more, and we go back to watching the ridiculous teen drama.
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"So, are you two ready for this?" I asked Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz, the stars of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Both looked more than a bit nervous right now.
I couldn't blame them; they both understood what was at stake today. Making it in Hollywood is no easy feat, and more often than not, success hinges on the connections you have—both to secure auditions and to access opportunities that might otherwise elude you. A prime example of this is my own experience and the opportunities I received because of David Fincher. The show's unexpected success made everyone aware of this reality. It didn't matter that the first season was a hit; many shows have strong first seasons, but it's the second that can make or break them. That's why most of the actors were on edge. Not only did this season need to surpass the first, but with it being my first time directing, they felt the pressure to elevate their performance to compensate for any shortcomings I might have—all in the name of the connections they had built with me.
That was at least how David Boreanaz viewed it. Caesar was a great guy for Sarah, him, and the rest of the cast. On the surface, he might have seemed like someone who would be difficult to get to know or talk to, but that wasn't the case at all. In reality, Caesar was much more easygoing, understanding, and enjoyable to be around. He could be a bit tough in the gym, as David could attest, especially after Caesar knocked him down during a boxing spar. Overall, he was a cool guy. Both David and the others wanted to do right by him and give their best, but honestly, they were all worried.
As far as they knew, Caesar had no formal training before coming to Hollywood. He didn't attend any school for this. Yet here he was, about to direct for the first time, and they all understood that a lot was riding on his performance. This was especially true because Caesar openly acknowledged that his reputation was at stake; if things went poorly, he would face the consequences, and if he suffered, so would they. It was no secret that Caesar did favors for those he considered friends. For instance, Allison had secured roles in two upcoming movies: the first, *Strangers*, alongside Nicholas, and the second, a teen comedy called *American Pie*. Although Caesar didn't write *American Pie*, he had spoken to a few influential people on her behalf, which helped Universal Pictures decide to cast her.
Those two weren't the only ones who benefited from connections to Caesar. While Caesar was discussing a script he had been writing even before "Scream" was released with Sarah, David had no idea what the movie was about, and Sarah wasn't sharing any details. However, it was clear that whatever it was, it had captured her interest significantly.
Additionally, David couldn't overlook his own situation. From the very beginning, Caesar and Joss Whedon had made it clear that Angel was never intended to be just Buffy's vampire boyfriend. They had bigger plans for his character, and if "Buffy" continued to perform well in the ratings, David could expect his own spinoff show in a couple of years.
This opportunity was substantial for someone like David—well, it was significant for anyone in the industry. Thus, it was in his best interest to ensure that the upcoming episodes were the best they could be. Otherwise, his career could end up being just another fleeting moment of fame as a teen heartthrob, which wasn't the worst outcome, but definitely not what he desired.