where, when, and what. But I had to focus. “The screenplay, yes. What’s it about?” I feathered through the pages. “Some captain leading his platoon over a hill against a hundred enemy soldiers?” I joked, because I really hadn’t read much of it on the drive up.
“Like I said, it’s not a war movie.”
“It’s about Americans in Korea in the 1950s. But not a war movie. Okay—what is it?”
“It’s about an American nurse serving in Korea—during the war, yes. She has a fiancé back home in law school. During her deployment, she goes on a month-long leave to Australia and meets a man. They fall madly in love. Soul mate love.”
“Wow,” I said, surprised. A romance? “And you want to make this movie?”
It came out harsher than I intended but Leo didn’t seem offended. Instead, he said, “Absolutely.”
“This isn’t the kind of movie you normally make,” I said, stating the obvious.
“You’re wondering where are the explosions and car chases and aliens?” he asked. “There will be a some gunfire in the beginning. Vivian—that’s our heroine, the nurse—she’s stationed at a hospital, so there will be some blood and disturbing war images.”
“Thank goodness for that,” I joked.
“But the majority of the story—the bulky middle—will be set in and around Sydney. Lots of sun, bright blue skies, beaches, that sort of thing. But I need you to help with the script.”
I was flattered, but intimidated. “Leo, I appreciate the vote of confidence and all but I’m no expert. I can’t write or rewrite a script.”
“I think you can. I already know that you have a good eye for story, and a good ear for dialogue,” he said. “And frankly, I trust you. No one at the studio—no one anywhere, actually—knows I'm working on this.”
“Really?”
“Really,” he said. “And I don’t want them to. I don’t need to hear the negative comments about Leo Armstrong’s Epix Pictures working on what they’d no doubt call some sappy romance, and the industry chatter about my losing grip on reality and what makes a hit. I don’t need it. So I want to work on this with you, to see what comes of it.”
“Wow,” I said, intimidated. “Leo, I’m not sure I’m qualified for this.”
“You won’t be alone,” he said. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
I felt not only comfort in that statement, but warmth. Having Leo Armstrong as a mentor on a movie script was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Having Leo Armstrong by my side as I did anything was more thrilling and exciting than any roller coaster in the world.
Of course, now that he’d defied my preconceived notions about him, my guilt was slowly crawling back into view again. Guilt over the fact that Leo had entrusted me with more and more aspects of his business and his personal life, while I was…
Lying. Plain and simple.
I tried to shake off the nagging sensations of tension that were squeezing me from the inside, but it was hard to do. I almost wished Leo would do something mean again, just to remind me why I was doing any of this.
I’d always considered myself a pretty honest person, but for the first time I was starting to wonder how that could be true if I was willing to say and do anything for a story and my career.
The food was served in slow rounds, giving us time to enjoy every bite while talking about the story. We read through sections of it together and I got a feel for the tone. It was definitely more cerebral than any of his other movies, to say the least. He wasn’t joking when he said the majority would be set in the happy, sunny land of Australia.
Almost three hours passed. I’d been so consumed in talk of the story of Vivian and her true paramour, Ian, that I missed the sunset and couldn't even say how many plates of food we’d gone through. Not to mention the wine and cold sake Leo had ordered.
“It’s a good thing you have that driver,” I said, feeling tipsy. “It’s a long drive back to Wilshire Boulevard.”
“Luckily I have a place nearby,” he said.
I tilted my head. “You have another home?”
He smiled. “A man of means can’t have just one home, Sophie. What would people think?”
“It would be so low rent,” I said, taking a last sip of the sake. “And I’m sure this place of yours nearby is on the beach?”
He spread his hands. “Why bother having a house in Malibu if