Vicki was not made to be idle. This was something Jon had discovered on the two attempts he had made to make her take a vacation - the woman never stopped, always doing something, even if it was utterly inane. She hated to have idle hands. The condo was spotless; Cosmo had been walked so far, so often that he was snoring in the main room; and even now, when there was ostensibly nothing else for her to do, she'd found something. That something was painting her toenails, admittedly, but at least it kept her hands busy while Jon was distracted with his huge pile of scripts and job offers.
Lifting her chin from her knee, she blew on her blue-glittered big toe, glancing toward him from her perch on the end of the bed. "Anything taking your fancy?"
"That stuff stinks, you know that?" Jon idly remarked, wrinkling his nose at the smell of wet nail polish. He had tried to come up with things to keep her busy, knowing idleness drove her crazy, just short of allowing her to paint his toenails. He tossed yet another script aside with a sigh, almost wishing he had a cigarette. He hadn't smoked in weeks, maybe months. It was something he only did when he was feeling stressed and craved the nicotine to calm him down. Today was one of those days, but so far, he was resisting.
"I've got it narrowed down to three. One is a spy thing, the other is a period romance, and this one..." He held up the script he'd just tossed onto the pile. "This one is thinly disguised porn."
"Thinly disguised porn?" Her eyes lifted away from her toes, fingers automatically and easily screwing the lid back onto the bottle before she dropped onto her back on the eiderdown, waving her foot around to dry the polish. "Obviously I get why people are sending you porn scripts, but ....how did it end up in the shortlist?" she asked with a grin, reaching up to tweak his nose fondly.
"Because they're offering me an obscene amount of money to do it?" he answered, rhetorically. "It's based on a best seller. Fifty Shades of Grey. Ever heard of it?" He handed her the script. "It's about a millionaire with a dark past and a girl who becomes his sub. It's not a bad story. It's just..." He sighed. "It's not exactly Oscar material, but it's going to make a crapload of money. Mark my words."
Vicki couldn't help smirking a little as she flicked to a random page in the script, finding herself in the midst of a rather detailed description of a BDSM sex scene. She snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to have to find this book and read it," she chuckled, looking up at him. "I think I've heard of it ....didn't it start out as fanfiction based on the Twilight books?" That in itself guaranteed the film to be a success, let alone the gratuitous sex.
"It's got about as much in common with Twilight as Twilight has with Dracula." He plucked up another from pile on the bed. "This one's been done a million times. Story about a guy who accidentally gets involved involved in some spy drama." He tossed it aside to pick up another. "And this one is yet another re-telling of Wuthering Heights with me as Heathcliff." He tossed that one onto the slush pile, as well, nodding his head toward the one Vicki held in her hands. "The only problem with that one" It's a trilogy. If I sign on for one, I may have to sign on for all three."
She frowned, chewing on her lower lip. "You've already said you're not interested in spy stories, and I seem to recall a loud proclamation that if you were ever asked to play Heathcliff again, you were going to strangle someone," she pointed out thoughtfully, still randomly flicking through the script in her hands. "Did they send through filming schedules with these?" Satisfied her toes were dry now, she rolled onto her stomach to rifle through his papers with him. "A trilogy that only needs a three or four week commitment on Earth, with short trips back for the publicity, would be a better deal than a schedule that needs you around for months at a time."
"Heathcliff is depressing," Jon agreed. He didn't really remember ever having played the part, but he knew enough about the story to know it would depress him. The fact of the matter was that the last time he'd played Heathcliff it had taken two months of detox to exorcise him from the role. He was sitting crosslegged on the bed, feet bare, jeans and a I <3 NY tshirt the only clothes he was wearing, his hair allowed to do what it wanted, tousled and curly. "Yeah, it's about a four week commitment, give or take, not including the premiere and promotion."
He looked at her pointedly. "Vicki, they're offering me two million, just for one movie. That's not including royalties, and if it does well, I'd get double that for the next one."
She stared at him, shocked into silence yet again by the ridiculous amount of money Earth's entertainment industry were prepared to throw at a movie just to get a name. "Just for showing your arse on screen?" Vicki blinked slowly, weighing up pros and cons in her mind. "Do you get approval on your co-star?" she asked mildly, quite pleased with herself when it didn't come out as b*tchy and jealous as she'd thought it might.
"They're looking for an unknown. Fresh face. Someone young. I was thinking about Aimee, but I'm not sure she'd be interested in the part. It's ....not exactly tame." He smiled, blue eyes dancing. "Unless you'd like the part," he teased, nudged her with an elbow.
Vicki laughed, shaking her head. "Like anyone would pay to see my arse on a big screen." She paused as he made his suggestion. "Aimee?" For a moment, Vicki's mind flashed to Aimee Savage, the star of Crowes, and the jealousy she'd been trying to keep under wraps showed itself in a scowl. Blue eyes touched Jon's with wary suspicion. "Which Aimee?"
"I would, but I don't have to." He smirked, letting his gaze slide over her, admiring her assets. "Aimee Malone. She's young, relatively unknown. She fits the part. She could use a break, but I'm not sure she'd be interested in the part." He swung around to lay down beside her, leaning his cheek against a propped up elbow. "She's sharing the role of Christine at the Shanachie. It's not the easiest role, and Gabriel's been pretty hard on her."
"Oh, that Aimee." Vicki relaxed out of her bristle. Aimee Malone was happily engaged and genuinely petrified of anyone who didn't have regular contact with her; she was also pretty good, if she'd ended up sharing that particular role in the aftermath of the studio going down.
Rolling onto her back once again, Vicki smiled up at Jon. "Well ....I'd be happier if it was her, rather than any of the up and comings on Earth. She knows the difference between work and reality." She inched up onto her elbows, nuzzling softly to him with a teasing grin. "You think she could do it?"
"You know, if she takes the role and it does well, Lelah might be able to salvage Alyson ....or find another studio who'd be willing to buy it." So, he wasn't just thinking of himself and his own debt. He chuckled as he realized she'd thought he'd meant the other Aimee, the one he'd co-starred with in Crowes. "You thought I meant I can't act my way out of a paper sack Aimee?" He reached over to play with a wayward tendril of red hair, a one-shouldered shrug. "Only one way to find out." He quieted a moment in that way he did when he was considering something, turning thoughtful.
Lifting her chin from her knee, she blew on her blue-glittered big toe, glancing toward him from her perch on the end of the bed. "Anything taking your fancy?"
"That stuff stinks, you know that?" Jon idly remarked, wrinkling his nose at the smell of wet nail polish. He had tried to come up with things to keep her busy, knowing idleness drove her crazy, just short of allowing her to paint his toenails. He tossed yet another script aside with a sigh, almost wishing he had a cigarette. He hadn't smoked in weeks, maybe months. It was something he only did when he was feeling stressed and craved the nicotine to calm him down. Today was one of those days, but so far, he was resisting.
"I've got it narrowed down to three. One is a spy thing, the other is a period romance, and this one..." He held up the script he'd just tossed onto the pile. "This one is thinly disguised porn."
"Thinly disguised porn?" Her eyes lifted away from her toes, fingers automatically and easily screwing the lid back onto the bottle before she dropped onto her back on the eiderdown, waving her foot around to dry the polish. "Obviously I get why people are sending you porn scripts, but ....how did it end up in the shortlist?" she asked with a grin, reaching up to tweak his nose fondly.
"Because they're offering me an obscene amount of money to do it?" he answered, rhetorically. "It's based on a best seller. Fifty Shades of Grey. Ever heard of it?" He handed her the script. "It's about a millionaire with a dark past and a girl who becomes his sub. It's not a bad story. It's just..." He sighed. "It's not exactly Oscar material, but it's going to make a crapload of money. Mark my words."
Vicki couldn't help smirking a little as she flicked to a random page in the script, finding herself in the midst of a rather detailed description of a BDSM sex scene. She snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to have to find this book and read it," she chuckled, looking up at him. "I think I've heard of it ....didn't it start out as fanfiction based on the Twilight books?" That in itself guaranteed the film to be a success, let alone the gratuitous sex.
"It's got about as much in common with Twilight as Twilight has with Dracula." He plucked up another from pile on the bed. "This one's been done a million times. Story about a guy who accidentally gets involved involved in some spy drama." He tossed it aside to pick up another. "And this one is yet another re-telling of Wuthering Heights with me as Heathcliff." He tossed that one onto the slush pile, as well, nodding his head toward the one Vicki held in her hands. "The only problem with that one" It's a trilogy. If I sign on for one, I may have to sign on for all three."
She frowned, chewing on her lower lip. "You've already said you're not interested in spy stories, and I seem to recall a loud proclamation that if you were ever asked to play Heathcliff again, you were going to strangle someone," she pointed out thoughtfully, still randomly flicking through the script in her hands. "Did they send through filming schedules with these?" Satisfied her toes were dry now, she rolled onto her stomach to rifle through his papers with him. "A trilogy that only needs a three or four week commitment on Earth, with short trips back for the publicity, would be a better deal than a schedule that needs you around for months at a time."
"Heathcliff is depressing," Jon agreed. He didn't really remember ever having played the part, but he knew enough about the story to know it would depress him. The fact of the matter was that the last time he'd played Heathcliff it had taken two months of detox to exorcise him from the role. He was sitting crosslegged on the bed, feet bare, jeans and a I <3 NY tshirt the only clothes he was wearing, his hair allowed to do what it wanted, tousled and curly. "Yeah, it's about a four week commitment, give or take, not including the premiere and promotion."
He looked at her pointedly. "Vicki, they're offering me two million, just for one movie. That's not including royalties, and if it does well, I'd get double that for the next one."
She stared at him, shocked into silence yet again by the ridiculous amount of money Earth's entertainment industry were prepared to throw at a movie just to get a name. "Just for showing your arse on screen?" Vicki blinked slowly, weighing up pros and cons in her mind. "Do you get approval on your co-star?" she asked mildly, quite pleased with herself when it didn't come out as b*tchy and jealous as she'd thought it might.
"They're looking for an unknown. Fresh face. Someone young. I was thinking about Aimee, but I'm not sure she'd be interested in the part. It's ....not exactly tame." He smiled, blue eyes dancing. "Unless you'd like the part," he teased, nudged her with an elbow.
Vicki laughed, shaking her head. "Like anyone would pay to see my arse on a big screen." She paused as he made his suggestion. "Aimee?" For a moment, Vicki's mind flashed to Aimee Savage, the star of Crowes, and the jealousy she'd been trying to keep under wraps showed itself in a scowl. Blue eyes touched Jon's with wary suspicion. "Which Aimee?"
"I would, but I don't have to." He smirked, letting his gaze slide over her, admiring her assets. "Aimee Malone. She's young, relatively unknown. She fits the part. She could use a break, but I'm not sure she'd be interested in the part." He swung around to lay down beside her, leaning his cheek against a propped up elbow. "She's sharing the role of Christine at the Shanachie. It's not the easiest role, and Gabriel's been pretty hard on her."
"Oh, that Aimee." Vicki relaxed out of her bristle. Aimee Malone was happily engaged and genuinely petrified of anyone who didn't have regular contact with her; she was also pretty good, if she'd ended up sharing that particular role in the aftermath of the studio going down.
Rolling onto her back once again, Vicki smiled up at Jon. "Well ....I'd be happier if it was her, rather than any of the up and comings on Earth. She knows the difference between work and reality." She inched up onto her elbows, nuzzling softly to him with a teasing grin. "You think she could do it?"
"You know, if she takes the role and it does well, Lelah might be able to salvage Alyson ....or find another studio who'd be willing to buy it." So, he wasn't just thinking of himself and his own debt. He chuckled as he realized she'd thought he'd meant the other Aimee, the one he'd co-starred with in Crowes. "You thought I meant I can't act my way out of a paper sack Aimee?" He reached over to play with a wayward tendril of red hair, a one-shouldered shrug. "Only one way to find out." He quieted a moment in that way he did when he was considering something, turning thoughtful.