The Director Gets a Grip Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Happy Ending at 88%

  Half Title

  1 ~ I Say We Glamour This Toad

  2 ~ Enough With the Cowboy Thoughts

  3 ~ Oh, the Irony!

  4 ~ He Loved Challenges

  5 ~ The Unbridled Power is Going to My Head

  6 ~ Jedi Mind Tricks

  7 ~ Wildflowers

  8 ~ People Started Eating Without You

  9 ~ The Great Vampire War of 1898

  10 ~ Don't Play the Love Card

  11 ~ Cowboys are Hero Material

  12 ~ Going on a Weasel Hunt

  13 ~ What Had He Ever Seen in Her?

  Epilogue

  Thank you!

  Author's Note

  Book Club Questions

  About the Author

  Books by Heather Horrocks

  Acknowledgments

  Copyright

  Excerpt: #0.5 Jingle Belle ~ free with newsletter sign-up

  Excerpt: #4 The Fireman Finds His Flame

  Thanks again

  THE DIRECTOR GETS A GRIP

  Moonchuckle Bay Romantic Comedy #3

  Heather Horrocks

  Dedicated to my beautiful and brainy granddaughter, Ashlee Fenn, for going for your dream of being a biological engineer. You astound me with your brilliance, truly you do — plus you’re cute and funny.

  And to Mark, for validating my dream of writing and showing me — with those hideous equations from your differential equations class — that I never, ever, not in a million years, want to be an engineer.

  I’m so glad there are different dreams for for all of us different people.

  THE HAPPY ENDING IS AT ABOUT 88% ~ ENJOY!

  In case you’re like me and want to know how close you are to the end of a book, and because there are pages that come after the end of a book (excerpts, copyright, about the author, and—in some boxed sets—more novellas), I just want to let you know that ‘The End’ of this book is at approximately 88%. Enjoy.

  RECEIVE A FREE BOOK - click here.

  DISCOVER HEATHER’S OTHER BOOKS.

  Heather Horrocks has written numerous books. If you’re new to her writing, see her romantic comedies and funny mysteries at www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com.

  The Director Gets a Grip

  I Say We Glamour This Toad

  “BAD NEWS, BRO. YOU’RE OUT of the will again.” An evil villain laugh echoed over the Bluetooth earpiece. “It’s all mine, mine, mine!”

  No surprise there. His parents offered no support of his career choice. Blake Gladwell shook his head and asked his brother, “What heinous thing did I do this week?”

  “Mom found out you’ll be doing — and I quote —” Steven raised his voice in a mediocre imitation of their mother, “one of those vulgar romance movies.”

  “I guess I should have gone to work for them like they wanted. Like you did.” His parents had expected him to join Gladwell Pharmaceuticals, Inc — their family business based in his hometown of Austin, Texas. Steven had complied, but the prospect held absolutely no allure for Blake.

  Unfortunately, following his dream had made him an outcast in his family, with rare exceptions. For example, they’d sent him a congratulatory card the year he’d been part of the team that won a Technical Achievement Academy Award for accomplishments contributing to the progress of the motion picture industry. He’d helped develop an innovative new way to filter light for special effect shots. The card had surprised him, but would have felt more sincere if it hadn’t ended with a plea for him to return to his roots and their business. He still had the certificate that detailed the achievement and listed his name among the group, and it sat right beside the framed card from his parents on a shelf at his house.

  It was a big deal to him because they pretty much disapproved of everything he did.

  He didn’t know if the will was actually changed as often as Steven claimed, but he knew his brother got a kick out of teasing him about it. His parents had amassed a fortune from their successful business in the pharmaceutical industry. The inheritance would be significant, and his parents constantly dangled it like a carrot in front of him.

  Steven’s tone shifted from teasing to earnest. “You’d hate working here, bro. You wouldn’t last a week and you know it.”

  “Hey, you did it, and Mom and Dad actually want to spend time with you. You like it well enough.” Sometimes Blake wondered if he was doing the right thing.

  “I’m a science nerd. Of course I like playing with living organisms and manipulating them to find cures for diseases.”

  “You make it sound like a glamorous career.”

  “And you like working on movies and you’re good at it,” his brother said pointedly. “You get to mess around with equipment and solve problems during filming. And didn’t you tell me you’ve got a reputation as a good-luck charm on sets? Where’d that come from, anyhow?”

  “Yup,” Blake laughed. “My first big film was Walk the Line with Reese Witherspoon and Joacquin Phoenix. After Reese took home the Best Actress Oscar — along with a slew of other awards — she called me her good-luck charm, and the reputation just kind of stuck.”

  “Then keep making movies. Mom and Dad may be able to keep you from inheriting officially, but they can’t stop me from sharing the money with you after they’re gone.”

  “Thanks, Steven. I appreciate your loyalty.” His parents certainly had none for him, and that hurt.

  Steven heaved a deep sigh. “Mom wants me to ask you if you’re aware that Miranda got remarried two weeks ago.”

  Miranda. What a painful experience that had been. He tried to look at it now as an extreme learning experience.

  “Yup. I heard.” Blake had been Miranda’s second husband. She’d left him three years ago for husband number three, and had dumped him to marry sucker number four. “And get this — she invited me.”

  “To the wedding? No! Did you go?”

  “I have a hard and fast rule to never go to more than one of Miranda’s weddings in my lifetime; that one being my own tragic event.”

  “Too bad she tried to change you into Mr. Hollywood. Didn’t she realize you can’t take Texas out of the cowboy?”

  “She does now,” he replied wryly.

  “Did I mention that I never liked her?”

  Blake laughed. “Only a few hundred times.”

  “That’s because Miranda is on the opposing team.”

  “There you go with the football metaphors again.”

  “So I played football. Sue me.”

  A ping sounded in Blake’s earpiece so he checked his phone’s screen to find a text from the producer of Deleted. “Hold on, Steven. I just got a text about the new movie I’m doing.”

 

  He’d better get that handled. They’d offered him more money than he usually earned, which would be helpful in saving up for the property he had his eyes on.

  Before he could even reply, his phone pinged with another incoming text. This one was from a guy he’d worked with over the years and was now working on Deleted.

 

  “Lovely,” he said, rubbing a hand over his face.

  “What?” asked Steven.

  “You know that new movie I just got the offer on?”

  “Yeah.”

  “They just signed Miranda on as the lead.”

  There was a long pause on the other end of the line while Steven digested the information. “So you’ll be working on the same set with her? That’s a spectacularly bad idea, bro.”


  That was the understatement of the year. “I know.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  Blake raked his fingers through his hair. He really didn’t want to work with Miranda. He didn’t still have feelings for her, but he didn’t want anything to do with her games. She was an expert manipulator and loved to cause drama — drama he didn’t want anything to do with. He’d gotten out of the starring role in that particular soap opera three years ago, and had no interest in auditioning for even a bit part now.

  Blake shrugged, even though his brother couldn’t see him. “I don’t know. The deal is lucrative, and I’m saving up for that land in the canyons. I certainly don’t want to work with her, but the producer wants the contract back right away.”

  “Good luck, dude. Let me know what you decide. I’ll send my condolences if you do the film with her. And a journal for you to write down all the good parts.”

  “Thanks for nothing. I guess if I don’t find something else today, I’ll have to send back the contract and work with Miranda.” Just the idea made him shudder.

  Bianca Rossi’s oldest brother Leo greeted her with the double-cheek kiss that dated back to their nineteenth-century Italian upbringing and then looked her over at arm’s length. “Wales was good for you. You look refreshed and you have that gleam in your eye that you get when you’re ready to tackle a new film. You always seem to find inspiration at The International Horror Festival.”

  Bianca’s eyes sparkled. “It’s always nice to win an Abetoir, since they only give out three in the New Features category.”

  “Brains was your brainchild, from beginning to end. You deserved to win.” Her brother gave her another brief hug.

  She patted Leo’s cheek. Born Leonardo, he’d dropped the last part in the mid-1900s, and was extra glad that he had when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became popular. He shifted the conversation to their reason for being there. “Let’s begin. Why did you call us together, little sister?”

  It was now or never. Butterflies churned in her stomach at the thought of what she was about to propose. This was going to be a battle, but it was one she was prepared to fight.

  She turned to her second brother. Orlando exchanged cheek kisses with her, as well. “We can hardly wait to see what horror you want to unleash on the world of moviegoers next, la mia cara sorella.” He always called her his dear sister, one of the many reasons she loved Orlando. He took her hand. “Come. Sit and share your idea.”

  Her idea was going to shock them. Just as she’d kept the fact that she loved to read romance novels from her brothers, — she could imagine their disdain if they ever found out — she’d also hidden her desire to make a different kind of movie. She’d suppressed it for two decades, until the desire had reached the bursting point. She was no longer willing to put off doing what she wanted.

  She’d created a string of hits for their family’s Moonchuckle Bay Studios: Creature Features that were fashioned after classic monster movies, but with modernized pacing and special effects. She’d directed many and even written a few.

  “Sit,” Orlando repeated invitingly, gesturing toward a large, gleaming ebony conference table surrounded by twenty high-backed chairs. This was where they held group brainstorming sessions, laid out storyboards, and conducted the majority of the studio’s business. The area held the centermost offices of Moonchuckle Bay Studio, with other conference rooms and offices situated around the periphery.

  There was a seating area toward the front of the room where a couch and four armchairs were arranged in a semicircle facing a fireplace. There were four offices — two on either end of the room — for Bianca, her two brothers, and their executive assistant, Camilla Schirone.

  “Is Camilla back from her father’s funeral yet?” Bianca asked. Camilla had gone back east to be with her family.

  “No,” Leo said. “She’ll be back in two days.”

  The door opened and Fiona, their personal assistant, entered, carrying a tray with three goblets and a bottle. Knowing their routine well, she set it at the end of the conference table.

  “Thank you, Fiona,” Leo said. “Please bring us refreshments later. You know what we like.”

  “Yes, sir.” The woman nodded, and smiled at Bianca. “It’s good to see you back safely, Ms. Rossi.”

  “Thank you, Fiona,” Bianca replied warmly.

  As the woman pulled the door shut behind her, Leo spoke in Italian, and the others switched effortlessly to their native language. “I knew you’d have another great idea for us so I wanted some Merl-O on hand for us to celebrate your return.”

  Normally, she would be delighted to have some of her favorite faux blood, vintage Type O, but she was too nervous to drink anything. Not yet. “Thank you, but I’ll wait until after I’ve shared my thoughts. I have an idea that I want to run past you both.”

  Leo nodded and, as usual, took the seat at the head of the conference table. Orlando took his seat to the right of his brother. Normally, Bianca would have settled into the comfortable chair at Leo’s left, but this time was different. The dynamic of this conversation wouldn’t be typical, so she thought it would be best for her to change the routine right from the start. Instead of taking her usual seat, she leaned against the back of the couch, hiding her trembling hands on the soft fabric behind her. It had been years since she’d felt this vulnerable.

  Her brothers exchanged a glance and, without skipping a beat, swiveled their chairs to face her. Leo prompted, “Tell us about your idea. Please.”

  She smiled at them, swallowing the inner butterflies that were threatening to flutter up and choke her. Before she could reconsider her actions, she took the leap. “I’m excited about what I’ve come up with. I hope you will be as well.”

  Her brothers didn’t pour any Merl-O for themselves, instead opting to hear her out first. Apparently they sensed that she was about to reveal something big.

  She took a deep breath and, even though she didn’t technically need it, the familiar gesture calmed her. “So, I’ve directed a string of hits for our studio.”

  Her brothers nodded, now looking a little wary about where the conversation was headed. Orlando said slowly, “Yes. You have indeed.”

  “And I’ve loved every minute of it,” she continued, noticing the glance that her brothers exchanged. “I certainly don’t want to stop making Creature Features, but I want to do something a little different for my next film.”

  She wanted to add an entirely new line to the studio offerings, but there was no way she’d pitch that today. First she’d dip her toe into the water and convince them to finance the first film. After the first one made a profit, then she’d pitch more.

  Leo arched a brow. “I’m surprised, but I’m sure that whatever you come up with will be magical.”

  Orlando nodded his agreement.

  Now that they appeared willing to hear her out, Bianca continued with a bit more confidence. “I want to stay with the paranormal element that has been so lucrative for us, but branch out a little.”

  Leo narrowed his eyes now. “You’re making us nervous, cara. Just say what you want to do.”

  She took another breath and crossed her arms. “I want to produce a light paranormal rom-com with magic, but no magical creatures.”

  The silence that followed her announcement was deafening, and the tension was palpable. Her brothers looked as stunned as she’d expected they would.

  Orlando recovered first, shaking his head vehemently. “Absolutely not. That’s not our studio’s brand.”

  Leo stood and crossed to her. Taking one of her hands, he forced her to uncross her arms. “Cara, whatever brought you to think of this? Were there rom-coms in Wales?”

  Bianca bit back a huff of impatience. “Since it’s a horror festival, of course there were no romances.”

  “Well, are there rom-coms at any of the major film festivals? What made you decide to pursue this?”

  Must. Not. Mention. Romance. Novels! />
  She forced a smile. “No. There weren’t any rom-coms at any other film festivals, just hook-up films — totally unromantic movies with no paranormal element. And there were lots of action thrillers. Suspense. Foreign films. But for the most part, there haven’t been any really great romantic comedies since the 1980s. They were very popular then, and I believe there’s an audience for them still.”

  Leo looked utterly confused. “Are you bored? Surely we can find something for you to do that is more in line with Creature Features.”

  She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her brother. Next he’d be asking if it was “that time of month.” He was too old-fashioned for her — and she was talking 1800s-league old-fashioned, not 1990s. “No. I’m not bored, exactly. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. I’ve been directing films, under my own name and others, since the early 1900s. Always monster movies. You’ve got the studio and property in Moonchuckle Bay to care for. And I want to branch out and do this movie.”

  Amazed, Orlando raised an eyebrow. “I think she’s serious, Leo.”

  Leo tipped his head in surprise. “You wanted to make Even More Brains. Why don’t we move that up in production and you can take it? And then we’ll talk about this...” He seemed to have difficulty getting the syllables out, “...rom-com some other time.”

  She steeled her resolve and shook her head. “Why don’t you support me now and I’ll do the movie I want and make it profitable for the studio?”

  Back at the table, Orlando poured three goblets half-full of Merl-O. “If you’re serious, my love, let us drink to the success of our new venture.” It was no surprise to Bianca that Orlando was willing to give her idea a shot. Convincing her older brother, however, had her stomach tied in knots.

  Leo shook his head. “Not yet. I have a few conditions if we’re going to allow this.”

  “If you don’t allow it, I’ll fund it myself.” It would deplete her considerable savings and she might have to sell some properties, but she’d do it if she had to. But she’d rather have her brothers’ support. “It will be a rom-com set at Christmastime. They are particularly popular.”