She chuckled and unlocked the door, releasing a small brown and white fury of excited yodeling, licking, and wriggling.? "Yes, hello to you, too, Mr. Dogface!" Lee said, leaning down to pet her dog before he barreled past them and launched himself out into the yard.? She slipped her shoes off and set her bag down on the table next to the front door before heading into the kitchen to fetch a bottle of good red wine and two glasses.? "Hungry?" she asked Jon as she poured.

He laughed when the dog hurried past them, not even taking a moment to greet his guest. "Hello to you, too, Oscar!" He leaned a hand against the wall while he bent over to pull his shoes off, leaving them beside hers before stepping further inside. "I could eat something."

"Cedar-plank salmon, mushroom risotto, haricots vert almondine?"? She handed him a glass of wine before going to her fridge to pull ingredients out, noting with satisfaction that Liv had added a strawberry tart as well.

"Lena keeps trying to feed me. I think she's trying to make me fat." He poked at his own stomach. He'd gained a little weight back from his convalescence but was still looking thinner than normal.

"Good for her," she said and started cooking.? "So.? Yeah.? The situation with me and Monsieur DeMuer, right?"? She paused in the middle of chopping mushrooms and took a sip of her wine.

He sipped his wine and took a backwards lean against the counter, watching her and wondering if there was something he could help with. He smiled. "Monsieur? Is he French?"

"I think so.? Some kind of French.? Maybe from Quebec."? She shrugged.? "Anyway, he introduced me to this friend of his, Gideon.? F*cking beautiful man, Jon.? Oh, my God.? But he's a bit of a spoiled brat.? Arrogant, condescending, cold."? She sipped more wine and seasoned the salmon fillets before sliding them onto a cedar plank and putting the whole thing in the oven.? "But, man...? I fell for him hard."

He sipped more wine, remaining quiet so she could continue her story, following her so far. "Okay, go on..."

"I was with Ori and cheated on him with Gideon.? And," she trailed off, a frown on her face, a distant look in her eye as she was silent for a moment.? Then she shook her head, seemingly coming back from where ever she'd just gone.? "Gideon scared me.? A lot.? And Alain told him about my heroin addiction and I have no idea what happened between Gideon and I.? Things just sorta fell apart.? There were too many public fights and he has a string of other lovers that he loved parading around in front of me and I just couldn't handle it anymore. You know me; I'm high-maintenance."? Another shrug and she started on the rice.? "I accused Alain of being duplicitous and of betraying confidences and might have insinuated that he treated his business dealings the same way."

He listened intently while she told him the rest, quietly taking it all in and thinking it over. "Has he said he wants to sell his shares yet? Is there anyone willing to buy him out?" He wasn't sure he wanted to touch the part of her story that was about Ori and Gideon. What was done was done, and she was with Danny now.? What was important now was the studio and making sure there was no scandal.

"He hasn't said anything, no.? I think he'd probably ask Ed Batten if he was serious about it.? If I were in Alain's position, I'd wait until after the film came out.? If it does well, he'd be stupid to sell.? If it doesn't, well, he wouldn't be able to unload them anyway."

He lifted his glass for another sip. "How much are we talking?"

"He bought in for 300,00 gold, which is like $750,000."? She glanced up at him, a brow arching.? "You interested?"

He almost choked on his wine. No, he did choke on his wine, breaking into a coughing fit, shocked at the amount. He knew it was going to be high, but not that high.

She chuckled, giving him a concerned look.? "You gonna live?"

He coughed again and nodded, raising a hand to indicate he was all right. When he finally found his voice, he sounded a little strained. "That's... a... lot."

"It's 16% of the total net worth of the studios right now."? She shrugged a little and then started getting plates and silverware out, handing them to Jon and nodded to the table.? She took the rice off the stove and poured it out into a serving bowl, did the same with the beans, and took both to the table.

He set his glass of wine on the table and took the plates and silverware from her and set both their places. "That's more than I can afford. I could talk to Caroline, but I might not be on her A list right now. Have you talked to anyone at Granger Conglomerate yet, or is that too much like nepotism?"

She sighed softly and tilted her head to the side, studying him with dark, kohl-lined eyes.? "I would honestly go crazy if I had so many family members all breathing down my back and trying to force me to live my life the way they wanted me to, you know?"

He took a swallow of the wine and leaned forward, one arm folded against the table. "You know why I couldn't return Kaylee's affection? I finally figured it out. It wasn't because I'm gay. It's because when I kissed her it was like kissing my own sister.? That's why. Why isn't it enough that I love them the way I do? Why do they always want more than I can give?" He shook his head. "I don't know what happened with Correy. It started out as a... it started out as a joke. Correy even said it himself."

"A joke?? How...?? I mean, why?"

"It was all about the sex, Lee. At least, at first."

She blinked.? And then chuckled.? "You were f*cking him as a joke?? Wow. That's harsh."

"No! Not as a joke." He sighed. It was too complicated to explain.

She smirked at him and finished her wine.? "Sex is stupid, you know that?? It really messes things up."

He mirrored her smile, though his was tinged with sadness. "Maybe that's why we've never had it. Sex complicates things."

"Yep.? Amen to that."? She nodded at his plate.? "Want more or are you done?"

He glanced at his plate, which was nearly cleaned. "No, I'm good. Thanks."

She nodded and then started clearing away the dishes, leaving them in the sink to soak until she was good and ready to wash them.? Then she went back and sat at the table once more, leaning forward and resting her chin in her palm.? "What are we going to do about Aimee?" she asked, shifting the conversation away from hurtful, confusing topics.

He got up and helped her clear the table, not one to sit on his laurels and be waited on, especially not by a friend. Once they were done clearing the table, he retook his seat and drained the contents of his wine glass. "Honestly? I think she's just nervous. Put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel if you were the lead actress in Rhydin's first movie and being directed by, well... you?"

"Well," she said thoughtfully.? "I'll tell you what I wouldn't do.? I wouldn't talk back to the director when she's giving, you know, direction.? Since that's her job and all."? She considered opening another bottle of wine briefly, but then realized that she'd more than likely have to drive Jon home so asked instead, "Want some coffee? There's a strawberry tart, too."

She wouldn't have to drive him home if he stayed over night. He smiled. "Dessert already? Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Nope.? It's been too long.? I'd like to keep you all to myself," she added with a wicked smile.

He looked around. "I don't see anyone else around here but me... and your dog. It looks like you get your wish." He turned serious. "What do you want to do about Aimee? You're the boss."

"We're too deep into the production to fire her and replace her.? So, I guess, someone needs to talk to her and convince her that I actually know what I'm doing and that talking back to me when she should instead be listening and trying to take my direction into account when she's doing the scene would be in her best interest."? She sighed heavily.? "But I will fire her if I don't get more from her.? If she doesn't pull herself out of a funk by July, she's gone."

"Has she got an acting coach? Do you want me to talk to her? Work with her privately?" He asked, after listening to her, knowing she meant business. As much as he liked Aimee, they had to do what was best for the movie.

"I have no idea if there is such a thing as a coach in this place.? And yeah, I think she'd be open to talking to you, to listening to you.? You're not me, you know?? You're not the big, bad, scary ball-buster."? She grinned at that.

"Yeah, but I don't really want to do eleven takes either." He and Aimee had read together and rehearsed together, but they hadn't started filming yet, and he prided himself on getting it right in a few takes, at most. There were no second takes when he was on stage. He was accustomed to getting it right the first time around. "Do you have anyone in mind to take her place?"

She pushed a hand through her hair and pulled the clip that was holding it back; it fell around her shoulders in loose curls.? "I'm sure she doesn't want to do eleven takes, either."? Then she gave him a smirk.? "I think I'd have to do it.? I honestly didn't like any of the others who auditioned for the role.? There was one girl who was a possibility, but then I saw her at the gubernatorial debates and she was just so...immature.? I didn't want that kind of behavior representing my first film, you know?"

He smirked, teasing her a little. "I don't know if you'd want to do it. I hear the director is a bitch."

She snorted and stuck her tongue out at him.? "Yeah, and the male lead is a spoiled brat."

"That's not what I heard. I heard he's the next Brad Pitt." He grinned. "Would that make us Lelathon? If we were a couple, I mean."

She cracked up at that.? "Oh, I love that!? I absolutely love that!? We'll have to get the gossip guy to call us that."

"We have to actually be seen together for that to happen, Lee." He leaned back in the chair, giving her a serious look. "Seriously, if Aimee doesn't work out... that's a lot of work for you. I'll help any way I can."

"Thank you," she said and reached for his hand again.? "I appreciate it."

He leaned forward again and took her hand between his own. "I mean it, Lelah. We've known each other a long time. That's what friends are for."

((Many thanks to Jonathon Granger's player for this scene!))