Mataya De Luca was not known for her ability to keep anything a secret. She was also extremely poor at keeping anything that had her excited to herself. Which was why she'd spent the whole day at work annoying the hell out of her various colleagues and employees, and finally bounced in through her own front door, filled with bubbly excitement that sent her straight into Max's arms with a wide grin, long legs wrapping around his waist as she kissed him. "Dude, you are never gonna guess what I got in the post this morning!"
Max had taken to his role as house husband seriously in between shows and there wasn't a surface in the house that wasn't sparkling and dust free. He wasn't just a housekeeper, though, he cooked, too! So the house was awash in the tantalizing scents of a chicken marsala and gnocci soup when Mataya burst through the door and greeted him in her own unique way. He laughed into the kiss, gripping her rump tightly to keep her where she was, even if it meant the apron he'd been wearing was torn off and snatched to the ground. And it was the only thing he'd been wearing. With Juno off studying or rehearsing, the house had been devoid of anybody except himself, so there was no need to worry about embarassing his family. "You got a Max Yako action figure?" he guessed with a laugh.
"Why would I be excited about that when I have my own life-sized Max Yako right here?" she laughed, only just realizing that he was utterly starkers but for his apron. "Dude ....Juno!" Snickering, Mataya unhooked her legs from around him to set herself back down on the ground, rummaging in her bag to produce a thick manilla envelope that had obviously come from Earth. She dropped it on the kitchen counter, beaming a little too cheerfully. "I got a job offer. Someone's written a character, for me!"
"Well, you know, for trips. We could put a motor in its head and hook up....she's not here," he grinned and then walked towards the table when the manila envelope was tossed onto the table. Max knew full well what a script looked like, even without having to see it. He ran his fingers over it, tracing her name. "A movie, where" When do we go?" He turned his attention back to his Mataya and smiled. This was what she'd always wanted, always had dreamed of. Stepping away from the table, he grabbed her into a very tight squeeze. "It's happening, baby. Everything you've ever wanted, it's happening!"
She giggled, surprised to find him just as excited about it as she was, throwing her arms around his waist as he hugged her tight. "Baby, I haven't worked on screen in years," she pointed out, her disbelieving grin still there as she looked up at him. "I thought they'd forgotten all about me; I mean, my agent doesn't even call me anymore. And then this shows up." She pulled away, opening the envelope to show him the cover letter. Two things leapt out - the fact that this independent producer had big studio backing, and the fact that not only had the female lead been written with her in mind, but that they were hoping that Jonathan Granger would take the male lead. "I skimmed it during my lunch break. It's got all the marks of an Academy Award winner, if it's submitted in time."
"Hey." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze as she pulled the script from the envelope. He glanced down at the cover letter and raised a curious brow. Somewhere inside, he heard his mother's voice creep in. If it's too good to be true, it's probably a lie. He frowned slightly and tried to shake that nagging voice from his head. "Maybe Jon pulled some strings," he mused as he continued to read the cover letter. Max didn't realize he'd voiced that opinion.
Despite the fact that he was only voicing an opinion that had made itself known in her mind over the course of the day, it still stung to hear him say it. 'Taya knew it was almost too good to be true - how often did you get your career revived with an option to work with your best friend" "Maybe he did," she agreed from behind a smile that faltered only a little bit. "But if he did, why wouldn't he tell me?"
Max gave her a startled look before realization dawned in his eyes that he'd spoken out loud. "I don't think he'd keep it to himself," he agreed with her and slid his arm around her waist. "I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean to imply anything. If you're all for it, then I'm all for it. Let's just do a little research before you tell them what you think, okay?"
She nodded, leaning into him, glad he was being honest with her rather than playing up to her excitement. She needed the injection of common sense after her overly excited day. "No, I know what you meant," she nodded. "The last movie I did was six years ago, the last TV spot was four years ago. I've been mostly theater since then, and even that's been sorta almost entirely backstage. I'm flattered, you know" But it means time away from the Shanachie, and away from Elena with the trial coming up ....I haven't really been able to think about it clearly. I was just really stoked about getting an offer at all."
Max smile and he relented on the paranoia. "It sounds like a once in a lifetime offer, baby. And I don't think anybody at the Shanachie, Elena, nor anybody else will stand in the way of that. But I bet it was when you were last on stage that inspired the writer. And, if I remember right, last time you were on stage, it was with Jon."
"It was with you, actually," she laughed. "And it was a musical. This is ..." She gestured to the script a little helplessly. "This is serious drama. I mean, the role's sort of the straight man in a comedy duo, you know" She's just there as a catalyst for the male lead, but ....it's heavy stuff. It'd be such a challenge, and I haven't had a challenge in a long time."
Max couldn't help but step back and give her a look. "Then what?s stopping you, baby' You know that no matter what you do or where you go, I'm behind you one hundred percent, and so is your family. That includes the theater. They'll make do in your absence. Go for it, baby."
"Because I'm kinda scared," she laughed, shaking her head at him. "Come on, Max. It's a two-week shoot. That's a hell of a lot of work in a short time, and what if I suck" What if I suck so bad I bring Jon down" Or what if he says no and I end up playing this gal up against someone I've never even heard of before?"
Max had taken to his role as house husband seriously in between shows and there wasn't a surface in the house that wasn't sparkling and dust free. He wasn't just a housekeeper, though, he cooked, too! So the house was awash in the tantalizing scents of a chicken marsala and gnocci soup when Mataya burst through the door and greeted him in her own unique way. He laughed into the kiss, gripping her rump tightly to keep her where she was, even if it meant the apron he'd been wearing was torn off and snatched to the ground. And it was the only thing he'd been wearing. With Juno off studying or rehearsing, the house had been devoid of anybody except himself, so there was no need to worry about embarassing his family. "You got a Max Yako action figure?" he guessed with a laugh.
"Why would I be excited about that when I have my own life-sized Max Yako right here?" she laughed, only just realizing that he was utterly starkers but for his apron. "Dude ....Juno!" Snickering, Mataya unhooked her legs from around him to set herself back down on the ground, rummaging in her bag to produce a thick manilla envelope that had obviously come from Earth. She dropped it on the kitchen counter, beaming a little too cheerfully. "I got a job offer. Someone's written a character, for me!"
"Well, you know, for trips. We could put a motor in its head and hook up....she's not here," he grinned and then walked towards the table when the manila envelope was tossed onto the table. Max knew full well what a script looked like, even without having to see it. He ran his fingers over it, tracing her name. "A movie, where" When do we go?" He turned his attention back to his Mataya and smiled. This was what she'd always wanted, always had dreamed of. Stepping away from the table, he grabbed her into a very tight squeeze. "It's happening, baby. Everything you've ever wanted, it's happening!"
She giggled, surprised to find him just as excited about it as she was, throwing her arms around his waist as he hugged her tight. "Baby, I haven't worked on screen in years," she pointed out, her disbelieving grin still there as she looked up at him. "I thought they'd forgotten all about me; I mean, my agent doesn't even call me anymore. And then this shows up." She pulled away, opening the envelope to show him the cover letter. Two things leapt out - the fact that this independent producer had big studio backing, and the fact that not only had the female lead been written with her in mind, but that they were hoping that Jonathan Granger would take the male lead. "I skimmed it during my lunch break. It's got all the marks of an Academy Award winner, if it's submitted in time."
"Hey." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze as she pulled the script from the envelope. He glanced down at the cover letter and raised a curious brow. Somewhere inside, he heard his mother's voice creep in. If it's too good to be true, it's probably a lie. He frowned slightly and tried to shake that nagging voice from his head. "Maybe Jon pulled some strings," he mused as he continued to read the cover letter. Max didn't realize he'd voiced that opinion.
Despite the fact that he was only voicing an opinion that had made itself known in her mind over the course of the day, it still stung to hear him say it. 'Taya knew it was almost too good to be true - how often did you get your career revived with an option to work with your best friend" "Maybe he did," she agreed from behind a smile that faltered only a little bit. "But if he did, why wouldn't he tell me?"
Max gave her a startled look before realization dawned in his eyes that he'd spoken out loud. "I don't think he'd keep it to himself," he agreed with her and slid his arm around her waist. "I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean to imply anything. If you're all for it, then I'm all for it. Let's just do a little research before you tell them what you think, okay?"
She nodded, leaning into him, glad he was being honest with her rather than playing up to her excitement. She needed the injection of common sense after her overly excited day. "No, I know what you meant," she nodded. "The last movie I did was six years ago, the last TV spot was four years ago. I've been mostly theater since then, and even that's been sorta almost entirely backstage. I'm flattered, you know" But it means time away from the Shanachie, and away from Elena with the trial coming up ....I haven't really been able to think about it clearly. I was just really stoked about getting an offer at all."
Max smile and he relented on the paranoia. "It sounds like a once in a lifetime offer, baby. And I don't think anybody at the Shanachie, Elena, nor anybody else will stand in the way of that. But I bet it was when you were last on stage that inspired the writer. And, if I remember right, last time you were on stage, it was with Jon."
"It was with you, actually," she laughed. "And it was a musical. This is ..." She gestured to the script a little helplessly. "This is serious drama. I mean, the role's sort of the straight man in a comedy duo, you know" She's just there as a catalyst for the male lead, but ....it's heavy stuff. It'd be such a challenge, and I haven't had a challenge in a long time."
Max couldn't help but step back and give her a look. "Then what?s stopping you, baby' You know that no matter what you do or where you go, I'm behind you one hundred percent, and so is your family. That includes the theater. They'll make do in your absence. Go for it, baby."
"Because I'm kinda scared," she laughed, shaking her head at him. "Come on, Max. It's a two-week shoot. That's a hell of a lot of work in a short time, and what if I suck" What if I suck so bad I bring Jon down" Or what if he says no and I end up playing this gal up against someone I've never even heard of before?"