Chapter 47 – What Does Laleh Do?
Early the next morning Laleh and Shim sat on his balcony sipping coffee and watched the dog walkers at Waterfront Park. The last forty-eight hours had been a whirlwind for them, culminating the previous afternoon with the news that George Clooney was coming to Charleston to do the project. The team didn’t know anything about Soderberg, and they didn’t really care. They’d gotten Big George, and that was the key. Roger had said Soderberg would come too, and maybe he was right. In any case it appeared that the movie or play or whatever it was would happen at The Hall. There had been another whirlwind later that evening for them, here at Shim’s apartment, and it had been great for both of them. Now they sat quietly together with their thoughts.
Laleh asked herself if she had a role other than financier? If so, what was it? Shim asked himself if he was going to write a screenplay or a script for whatever it was that Clooney and Soderberg were going to cook up? Roger had suggested that Gwen would use her considerable influence to get him the job, but nothing further had been said by Gwen, who Shim knew was calling the shots, as usual, and he hadn’t started working. So both of them were in limbo on the production front, but had developed their compartmentalization skills enough to keep that from influencing their sex life, which was cookin.
Laleh said, “So we have our star, and probably have our director, if Roger’s right, and we have the money to do this, and Gwen as the producer, and Gale as herself, and Jinny to protect George from Gale, and Roger as associate producer. What we don’t have is a leading lady, because just between you and me I don’t think Gale is going to get the job, as much as she wants it. You think George will come up with the actress?”
“I think George will do what Gwen tells him to do. If she tells him to get a big name actress he’ll do it. If she tells him he’s acting opposite their dog, he’ll do it.”
“The dog’s a guy dog.”
“You get my point,” said Shim.
“Ok. So what do we do? I know I sign the checks, but what else? And what about you?”
“I got two possible roles: script writer and gopher. I could do either or both. Oh, and there’s a third role, dog walker. When the Junes crank on a production, it’s seven days a week, and they keep the dog at The Hall, and he needs walking and someone to talk with. You can help me with him.” Shim looked at her stunning profile as she gazed out at the harbor, and realized he didn’t know much about her background. He said, “What are you good at, other than, you know? What did you do when you lived in Iran?”
She smiled at his compliment, then said, “I’m good at managing businesses. I know about finance and money and world markets and business stuff. Boring stuff, which is why I decided to do this thing.”
Shim said, “This is a business. A complex business, even if it’s temporary. Hiring staff, PR, everything going on at The Hall, insurance, salaries, supplies and equipment, extras, utilities, rentals, tons of stuff. Gwen had a professional working for her on the other two productions. Maybe you should do that. It would be challenging, and it’s an essential position; big part of the team.”
Laleh looked at him and said, “Hmm, yeah, I can see that. Maybe.” Then she said, “If Roger told you to start writing the thing, whatever it is, why don’t you start?”
“How can I start when I don’t know what it is? No one knows what it is.”
“So, umm, figure it out. Make them do what you want them to.”
“Me tell George and Steven what to do? Huh?”
“No. You figure it out, get Gwenny to buy it, and she tells George and Steven what to do.” And she smiled at him. “Or, you get Roger to buy it, and he sells it to her, and then she tells them what to do. Or….” and he interrupted her.
“Don’t say it. Or, I get the dog to buy it, and he sells it to Roger, and Roger sells it to Gwen, and she tells George and Steven what to do.” Now they smiled at each other, knowing their relational intuition was growing. Just then Laleh’s phone rang, and she answered it on speaker.
Gwen said, “Good morning. Hope you slept well. You and the boyfriend ready to go to work?”
“What work?”
“Business manager of the production for you and writer for Shim. The rest of us are down here at The Hall. When can you two get here?”
Lahley said, “Fifteen minutes.” Shim violently shook his head no, making funny motions with his hands. “Check that. How about forty-five?”
Gwen said, “See you then. Leave some energy in him for writing.”
The Ayatollah's Money Page 47
