Madeline
Chapter Eleven - But This Is Something
Gordo
"Gordo, I'm still not sure about this. Honestly man, this just seems too easy and what kind of sense does it make to give a great composer a demo from some nothing band that is nothing at all like what he does. Maybe if it was like some random rock star or something, but John Williams? I'm not doing this, there's no way I can do this. Should I do this?"
I looked over at Matt who was sitting next to me in my car as we drove down the highway on our way to my lunch meeting and felt the urge to give him a good slap. Having worries and cold feet was one thing, but to have to listen to him go back and forth over the same five lines of dialogue for the last four hours was driving me insane. "I told you, John is great about this sort of thing. He just passes it on to people he thinks would be interested in it and just because he conducts orchestras doesn't mean the man never listens to the radio. Can you stand to listen to only one type of music all the time?"
"I guess not, but still. . .it's not even that good."
"Just stop, I've already told you the many ways that demo is good and I'm not going to do it again. You can either take the chance or not, it's up to you." I looked into my rearview mirror again at Madeline and smiled at her angelic face as it slept in the backseat. "We're almost there, so I'd make up my mind quick if I were you." He turned and looked out the window. I didn't say anything else to him until we had parked and I was gently waking Madeline up to go inside.
"You might want to come inside."
"Huh?" He looked around and seemed actually surprised that he was sitting in a parking lot, surrounded by cars. "Oh, right. Hey Gordo?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't let me not do this okay? I'll regret it forever if I don't."
"Yeah, I know. That's why I wouldn't have anyway. You really think I was going to leave it up to you?" I smiled as he laughed. He got out of the car and walked around to where I was standing with the newly awakened and only half conscious Madeline.
"I guess you need to learn where work ends and life begins, cause the first time you direct Lizzie's life for her, well, I wouldn't trade places with you for anything." I rolled my eyes at him and we headed for the door of the slightly crowded looking restaurant. "Not as fancy as I'd imagined. Aren't you a celebrity or something now, you're supposed to be above eating where everybody else can afford to pay for a lunch."
"I must have skipped that page in the handbook they passed out at the Oscars along with the awards." I threw him a slightly annoyed look with the words.
"Wait, when did you win on Oscar? I only knew about the AFI thingy, and they really hand out a handbook?"
"Matt, seriously? I mean, I know I could have used more sarcasm, but I thought it would be over the top. I wasn't even nominated for an Oscar, but no they don't really hand out books on how to be a celebrity. You watch way too much Entertainment Tonight."
"Sorry, I'm just nervous about this whole meeting someone famous and giving them something I've created. It's a little overwhelming."
"I know, trust me." We walked inside and I told the hostess my name and that we were supposed to be meeting someone. I followed her with Madeline in my arms and Matt following close behind me. I glanced over at our reflection in a long mirror stretching across most of the wall to our side and noticed Matt looked very uncomfortable and out of place. He really looked about ready to just run for his life any second and I understood the feeling. It was the same one I had been suppressing at every party I'd been forced to go to by producers and various studio execs, it was the feeling rising up inside me even now as I saw the familiar bearded face rising with a smile to greet me from the table we were standing in front of.
"David, it's great to see you again! And this must be the daughter you mentioned would be joining us today, Madeline wasn't it?"
"How did you know my name? Are you Santa?" I heard Matt snort behind me as he tried to hold his laughter in. It was hard for me to keep from doing the same.
"No, I'm not Santa, although my grand daughter asked me the same thing when she saw me for the first time with my beard." He smiled wide and shook her tiny hand before turning his attention back to me.
"Yes, this is Madeline my daughter, and this is Matt McGuire a good friend of mine and Madeline's uncle."
"Ahh, the crowd control." He shook Matt's hand before gesturing for us to sit down at the table. Madeline jumped into the seat next to him from my arms before either me or Matt could even move to a seat.
"So you're a grandpa. That's almost as good as Santa, because my bestest friend in the world at school," She paused for a deep breath, "She said her grandpa always gives her presents."
"Madeline. . ." I tried to use my best warning tone as I sat down across from her at the table and Matt sat beside her, facing Mr. Williams.
"Actually, I did bring something for her." He turned to face my daughter as he pulled a few action figures from his jacket pockets. "Do you like Star Wars, Madeline?" Her eyes lit up as she took the representations of various characters from his hands and began to play with them.
"Yeah, Uncle Matt watches it with me sometimes!"
"Thank you. You didn't have to do that for her."
"No problem at all. Lucas sends me those things by the box full for my grandchildren." The waiter arrived and took our drink orders, which took a few minutes after Matt tried to play it safe by ordering water and then had to have the differences between their various choices explained to him. John got a kick out of it and told us how his son-in-law had done the very same thing the first time they'd gone to an 'overly done up place' as the guy had called it.
We spent the fifteen minutes after ordering our food trading small talk, industry rumors and secrets, and discussing various likes and dislikes of new movies. Only after we had been working on our meals for a few minutes did he turn the conversation to the reason we were there.
"Now, I believe I've gotten all the emotions we discussed for each scene pretty much pegged. I forgot to ask you if you were going to use any songs on top of the score so I could make sure there was some cohesive movement between the two from various scenes."
"Originally, I hadn't planned on it. But, I came across a song by an independent band that really seems to fit the theme of the movie. I'm not planning on a full soundtrack of songs though, just this one as a main theme and possibly one or two others if they fit the scenes as good as I think they will in my head."
"Independent is usually a good move, do you have a copy of the song by any chance?" I turned and looked at Matt who was frozen in mid bite.
"Actually, I believe Matt does. It was written by him and performed by his band." He put the fork down on his plate and looked at me first before slowly turning his gaze to Mr. Williams.
"Um, yeah. I. . .uh. . .I've got it here, but I'm not sure which song specifically he's talking about." He shakily passed the CD across the table to the other man. "That's our entire demo so there's fifteen different songs, you never know which one the right person will here and like, so we put as many as we thought were good down." His face turned back down to his plate.
"I was thinking of using song number four, it's a nice simple acoustic song that I think spells out the next to last scene we were having trouble getting a feel for what emotion was needed." I jumped in for Matt, allowing him the chance to breathe.
"Good, good. I was still having some difficulty with that movement. I'll give this a listen to and pass the rest of it on, if you don't mind. Although you might want to think of releasing it as the theme for David's new movie and let them hunt you down once they hear something they like. If he picks out his songs like he does scripts, I'm sure this song is going to get some attention once it's where it can be heard."
"Thank you, sir. I hadn't thought about doing that."
"It would give you a better position to work from if a few of them want to sign you on to their label, creates competition, and please don't call me sir. I prefer John once I know you."
"Right, sorry s. . .John." Matt looked about ready to float through the ceiling. He looked at me with as big a smile as I'd seen on him ever and said, "I can't wait to tell Miranda tonight. This on top of the whole idea on how to make moving in together work out for everyone is almost too much to hold in."
"Uncle Matt, I need to tell you something." We all looked over to see Madeline gesturing him over to her with her tiny fingers. Once he had bent down to where his ear was close to her head, she loudly whispered, "I have to go potty."
Without losing any of the smile or beaming look on his face he took her hand and lead her to the bathrooms after finding someone to ask where they were. "He's really good with her, I hope I get to be that good at this parenting thing someday." I hadn't really meant to think out loud and was slightly surprised when John answered.
"Our jobs do ask a lot of time spent away from family, don't they. Sometimes, my wife will be talking about some special event in one of our child's lives and I'll be reminded of yet another memory I'll never get to have with them. It's almost like I wasn't around for most of their lives, even though I was physically there." To me those words meant more than he could have imagined. While he had at least gotten the knowledge that they'd existed as he was missing the chances, I hadn't even had that. I missed her first words, her first steps, and any number of other things and I didn't even get to know I was missing them. I wasn't sure which would be worse, I only knew I didn't want to miss another thing in her life.
"Yeah. . ." I looked away from our table and was scanning the room when I caught sight of Miranda entering with two people I remembered from her office Christmas parties that she always drug me to so she wouldn't be alone.
"Well, David, here is some basic arrangements of the score." I turned back to take the CD being offered me. "I titled them the same as the corresponding scenes so you could play them back and see how they fit with what you were thinking."
"I'll do that tomorrow. I have to go in and reschedule some shooting dates thanks to some sloppy work by someone handling the film. For now on I'm shooting everything in digital format. It's just easier." I stood up and shook his hand as Madeline and Matt returned to the table.
"Matt, Miranda just walked in a few minutes ago with some friends from work." I nodded in her direction.
"Really? I can't lose today! Thanks again Mr. Williams." Matt hurriedly shook his hand and walked off towards Miranda.
"Let me know if everything works out fine with the score so I can arrange the recording time with the orchestra." He bent down to eye level with Madeline. "It was nice to meet you, maybe next time your dad and I have a meeting I can bring some of my grandchildren along so you'll have someone to play with. I think their about your age."
"They're five too?" He smiled and stood up, once again taking my hand in a shake.
"Thanks again John. I'll get back to you by Monday on everything."
"Sounds fine, David. Just don't forget to take advantage of these down times between busy shooting schedules to make some memories."
"I won't, thanks." I turned and took Madeline's hand in mine and her newly acquired toys in the other before following in Matt's direction. Miranda waved at me and looked surprised to see us, understandable since we were a good little while from Hillridge.
I walked up to the table as she started the introductions. "Phil and Jennifer, I'd like you to meet Matt McGuire, David Gordon, and Madeline. Guys, this is Phillip King and Jennifer Lounger." A chorus of nice to meet yous and good to see you agains went around the table along with shaking hands and smiles. "Now Matt, what is it that you can't wait to tell me about?"
"Can we go outside and talk in private actually?"
"If it's about the moving in together thing, don't be shy around us." I watched Miranda give the Jennifer woman her best death glare and I stifled a laugh.
"Oh, you told them? Well, okay then." He seemed unsure if it was a good or bad thing and just let it go as he sat down next to her, leaving me and Madeline standing beside the table.
I was about to tell him we'd be waiting out in the car when someone at the table next to theirs said, "Hey, aren't you David Gordon? The director who won that award?" I sighed internally and prepared myself to be overly nice to some guy who didn't really care about me beyond saying he'd meet me in a restaurant and I would prefer that be a good story, not a classic snob celebrity blow off tale. I shook the man's hand and answered his few questions along with the other people at his table.
When I looked back, Matt was standing up from the table. "You ready to go Gordo?"
"As soon as you are." I reached down to take Madeline's hand but didn't see her when I looked around after her hand didn't take mine. "Where's Madeline?"
Matt looked up from saying goodbye to Miranda quickly and began scanning the room. I could feel worry rising inside me when neither of us spotted her right away. I had started walking towards the front door when I heard a car horn outside followed by screeching tires. For a moment I froze and couldn't move until Matt bumped me as he flew by on his way to the door.
