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Chapter Text

Continental studios was Rio’s entire life. She’d started there as an intern and somehow made her way up to near the top of the pyramid. Or temple, as the studio tour guide liked to say. ‘A temple of cinema.’

She always enjoyed life on the lot, yet she hadn’t had much chance to enjoy it lately. And that day was no exception, as she sat beside her assistant, Quinn on a golf buggy.

“You have a meeting with the Jenga people.”

“Great,” Rio said, remaining positive. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“How are you so cool with making a Jenga movie?” Quinn asked as she went to park up outside the office building. 

“I’m not,” Rio answered. “But Patty’s corporate overlords want us to do more brand tie-in movies, so we have to show some willing.”

Quinn turned off the engine. “So, you’re not going to make a Jenga movie?”

Rio shrugged before climbing out of the buggy. “I’m open to any good ideas, even the most unlikely ones.” 

They headed inside and bumped straight into Sal.

“How do I smell?”

Rio sniffed. “Like vodka.”

“Yeah, I partied hard with Pedro Pascal last night. He’s so fucking cool. I was going to take the day today, but I had to be here for this.”

Rio frowned. “Here for what?”

Sal was overexcited. That was normal. Sal got excited about a lot of things. In their many years of friendship, Rio had become used to his antics and expected the reason for his giddiness to be totally underwhelming. This time, however, was an exception to the rule. 

“Patty’s MIA.” 

“What? Why?” 

“No idea but Griffin is here. I’m telling you, Rio. CEO turning up unannounced. Shit is going down, man. Shit it’s going down.” 

“Wait, Griffin’s here?”

“Yeah, and I think this is it. Patty is gonzo. She’s gotta be.” 

“Oh shit.” Rio pressed her hand against her forehead. “What the fuck are we going to do?” 

“We’ll be fine,” Sal assured. “They’ll replace her with one of us.”

“One of us?” 

“Yeah, we’re the only people qualified. It has to be one of us.” 

“Well, I hope it’s you,” Rio told him. “I hate all that bullshit.” 

“If he offers you it, you have to take it,” Sal told her. “Otherwise, he’ll blacklist you.”

“He won’t offer me it,” Rio said dismissively. Griffin was old school. He’d never hire a non-white woman when a white man was there ready and waiting. Patty had been lucky. She had a fire Rio just didn’t have. The kind of fire that made the rich guys forget she wasn’t one of them. She could never be like that. Never, ever.

“Okay, whatever,” Sal dismissed. “Let’s just promise that whatever happens, it won’t affect our friendship.”

“Yes, of course,” Rio said honestly. 

“Great, now I’ve gotta go network.” Sal patted her on the back before rushing for the stairs. “This is our time!”

Rio moved to where Quinn had returned to her desk. “Quinn, did you hear?” 

 “Patty ‘s out! I just spoke to her assistant. She was fired.”

Rio’s heart dropped. “Seriously?! Fuck! Is there anything we can do to-”

“No, Rio. We can’t save Patty. She made her bed, and now it’s your turn.”

“No, it’s not,” Rio insisted as they walked into her office. “Maybe my turn to pack up my shit and leave, but other than that…”

“Why would you have to leave?” Quinn frowned. “You’re the only person here who gets consistent results.”

That was true. Rio had managed to bag the right to the Lorna Wu biopic, as well as the rights to The Witches’ Road script written by Wu’s own daughter. She had also greenlit three projects that had become big franchises and award winners for the studio, but none of that mattered. She was Patty’s right-hand gal, her protégé. If Patty was out, it wouldn’t be long until she got the boot too.

“Hollywood is complicated, Quinn,” Rio answered. “One minute you’re riding high then the next you’re flat on your ass.”

“Very encouraging words for a young assistant at the beginning of her career,” Quinn sassed, and Rio managed to crack a smile.

“Sorry,” she said as she slumped in the chair behind her desk. “I’m sad about Patty, and I know what you’re going to say but she was me when I was you, if that makes sense?”

“Kind of.” Quinn sat on the edge of her desk. “And maybe when you make a complete ass of yourself in ten years, I can be a little sad before I bag that studio head seat.”

And that made Rio laugh. “Well, if I do end up being the studio head, or Sal by extension, I’ll make sure you get that creative exec job I promised you before I get the boot. You deserve it, Quinn. At least for putting up with me all day.”

Quinn shrugged. “You’re not that bad. Could be worse. Could be Sal.”

Though she loved the guy, Rio guessed she had a point.

Her desk phone rang and Quinn quickly picked it up. “Rio Vidal’s office, how many I help you?…Okay, I’ll send her up.” She put down the phone and looked at Rio nervously. “Griffin wants to see you.”

“Oh fuck.”

She was so getting fired.

Griffin had set himself up in an old production wing on the lot. They didn’t use it much, but Patty hadn’t bothered renovating it, and Rio had been glad. The place had a lot of history, and she’d hate for it to get lost.

She walked across the stage to where Griffin had set up his desk and sat in the chair opposite him. “Hello, sir.”

“Vidal.” Griffin leaned back in his chair. “Good to see you.”

“You too, sir.”

“You’ve worked here a long time, haven’t you?”

“Seventeen years and counting,” she said proudly. “From the bottom to, well, here.”

“I love a story of endurance. Shows character.” Griffin pushed his glasses up his nose. “The board want you to take over from Patty.”

Rio blinked. “T-they do?”

Griffin nodded. “You know her playbook. You can keep getting us results, but I can we also love this studio. Don’t you, Vidal?”

Rio nodded. “I do. It’s my whole life.”

Griffin grinned. “Great, now Patty didn’t get it. She kept pushing back and doing her own thing, but I know you’ll play ball, won’t you? For the studio.”

Rio thought for a moment. Was she about to sell her soul to the devil?

“I guess…”

“Fantastic!” Griffin got out of his seat and Rio did the same, watching nervously as he moved round the desk and put a hand on her shoulder. Up close, Griffin looked older, and the smell of stale cigarettes was near unbearable. “Now, I’ve been keeping this to myself, but I’m close to acquiring the rights…to Kool-Aid.”

Rio frowned. “Kool-Aid?”

“Kool-Aid,” Griffin repeated excitedly. “So I want a good pitch ready for a Kool-Aid movie on my desk ASAP.”

“You want us to make a Kool-Aid movie?”

“I don’t just want, I need you to make a Kool-Aid movie. And a good one at that! Brand tie-ins are the in thing right now, and what’s cooler than Kool-aid?”

A lot of things, Rio mused, but put on a smile, nonetheless. “I’ll get something ready for you, sir.”

“Good.” Griffin shook her hand. “I’ll be in touch.”

Rio watched him walk away with a frown. Had she…become head of the studio?

She bit her lip and decided to make a call.

Sal took the news well. He didn’t seem too jealous, though he did excuse himself for a while after she told him, so she suspected he went to cry. He was a pretty emotional guy.

Quinn was over the moon, especially after she was promoted to a junior executive. A very deserved position, if Rio didn’t say so herself. She had hired a new assistant Petra, who seemed to be great too, and it seemed everything had fallen into place.

For now, anyway.

“Your first meeting as the boss,” Sal said as they walked towards the meeting room, his arm slung around her shoulders. “You nervous?”

“Why would I be nervous?” she looked between him and Quinn. “It’s just you guys, and I’ve seen Patty do it a thousand times.”

“This is different though,” Quinn pointed out. “You’re the boss. The buck stops with you.”

“And let’s not forget who is also going to be in this meeting,” Sal said teasingly, earning him an elbow to the side.

“Shut up, Sal.”

“Oh, I’ve hit a nerve. Do you think she’ll be impressed by your new job title?”

“Shut up,” Rio repeated through gritted teeth, just as the subject of the conversation rounded the corner.

Maya Mason. Head of marketing and Rio’s long-term crush.

Like always, she looked awesome, with her trendy clothes and long brown hair, and those nails that looked like they’d take someone’s eye clean out. Every time she saw her, Rio thought she’d end up melting into a puddle, but somehow, she always miraculously survived standing so close to a certified goddess.

Maya approached with Tyler, the head of publicity, by her side. She offered Rio her usual smirk.

“Studio head Rio Vidal,” Maya mused as she looked her up and down. “It suits you.”

“Thanks.” Rio held the door opened and smiled to her little team. “Shall we?”

Once they were all sat down, Rio stood at the top of the table and made her announcement.

“We’re fast tracking a Kool-Aid movie.”

Maya’s face lit up. “Let’s fucking go!”

Sal frowned. “Kool-Aid? Really?”

Rio shrugged. “Griffin got the rights.”

“Could he not go for Pepsi or Coke?” Quinn questioned. “Or even, I don’t know, Mountain Dew?”

Maya continued to smile. “I can sell the fuck out of this.”

“That’s great, Maya,” Rio smiled. “But we need to make this a good movie. I can’t have my first movie as studio head be some dumbass film. So, it needs to be artsy, cool and prestigious. And that starts with a top director!” 

Maya’s glee quickly soured. “Oh, fuck me. You want to make a fancy KoolAid movie?”

“Not fancy just…not dumb.”

“Dumb fucking sells.” Maya got up and stepped into her space. Rio faltered. Maya always smelled so good. Always looked so good, and the fact she was so fucking mean made her like her even more. She’d had a crush on her for years, but she knew Maya didn’t see her like that. To her, she was still Patty’s dorky assistant that spilt coffee on her limited-edition Nikes.

“I know dumb sells, but I want to make a good movie.”

“How?” Quinn asked. “What are you going to do?”

“I’ll put some feelers out. See what’s what. We see what we get back and choose from there.”

“Sick plan, man.” Sal gave her a high five. “I’ll get in touch with some people.”

Maya pursed her lips. “Try not to fuck this up, Vidal.”

“I’ll try,” Rio said honestly, hopefully. 

Their feelers caught two fish, both equally as surprising as the last. 

Martin Scorsese and Hayao Miyazaki.

Miyazaki had sent them a plot and prototype animation designs, with a pitch to collaborate with Studio Ghibli. Sal was dubious that Griffin would be pleased with a collab, so Rio decided to take the meeting with Scorsese. (She was going to anyway- who said no to Martin Scorsese?!)

She met Scorsese at his production office, and he greeted her with a smile.

“Miss Vidal, it’s a pleasure to see you again!”

Rio smiled and shook his hand. They had met at one of Patty’s industry parties and Rio had got so drunk on the cocktail punch that she spent an hour telling him how much she loved Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. It must have made an impression as the next week Patty gave her an original script and a signed poster he’d asked to be passed along. Rio of course treasured them.

“It’s an honour to be here,” Rio said truthfully. “I’m excited to talk with you in general, and to here about this idea of yours.”

Marty asked them to sit in the two armchairs and got his assistant to make her a coffee.

“I’m taking a wild shot at this,” he admitted. “I know I made Shark Tale, but I’m not interested in making another animated film.”

“And I understand that,” she told him. “And honestly, if that was the way we were going to go, I’d hire the other guy.”

Marty frowned. “Who’s that?”

“Hayao Miyazak.”

“Really?”

Rio nodded.

“Well luckily I’m not going that route,” he said with a chuckle. “No, my idea is a bit…unorthodox. You see, I…I want the name. Kool-Aid.”

Rio took a nervous sip of her coffee. “Okay, what’s ‘Kool-Aid’ going to be about?”

Marty leaned forward and held up his hands. “Jonestown.”

Oh fuck.

“Jonestown? As in…Jonestown?”

“I have a script ready, and Steve Buscemi has said he’ll play the lead if we get a green light.”

It was just getting worse…

“So, what do you say? You in?”

No, she was as far from in as humanly possible.

“Send me the script,” she told him as she got up from her chair. “And I’ll consult your people.”

“Oh, fantastic.” He took her hand and shook it. “I’m looking forward to working with you.”

Rio forced a smile and nodded before retreating out of the building.

No way was she making a Jonestown movie. Nope, nope, nope.

By the time she made it back to the lot, everyone was buzzing and as she walked into the office building, Sal and Quinn were ready and waiting.

“I don’t believe it.” Sal pulled her into a hug. “You got Scorsese?!”

“Huh?” Rio frowned. “No, I just said I’d read the script?”

“That’s not what his agent told me,” Quinn countered. “They said it was a done deal.”

“Oh fuck,” she said under her breath. “I need to go make some calls.”

She made it too her office and called Marty’s assistant personally, but no answer.

“Fuck,” she cursed to herself. Had she somehow given him the wrong impression? Had she agreed to make his Kool-Aid movie? Oh she was so fired!

Then, too make matters worse, her door flew open and Maya came in, throwing her back in the corner.

“Marty Scorses? On God? No fucking way!”

“Yeah,” Rio said glumly. “He’s even has a full script ready.” 

“Really?”

Rio bowed her head. “Yeah, he’s totally enthusiastic about it and wants it to be our Kool-Aid movie.”

Maya gasped. “Great! What the fuck is it?”

“Look, it’s not what you expect, and I don’t know what I even think about it…”

Maya’s tone dropped. “What the fuck is it?”

“And I didn’t say yes, but he’s told everyone and now everyone is excited...”

“Rio…”

“It’s about, erm, Jonestown.”

There was a pause. “Jonestown?”

“Yes, but just listen…”

Maya didn’t listen. Instead, she chose to swipe everything off her desk.

Rio flinched back. “Woah, okay, calm down…”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Maya questioned as she got up in her face. “You wanna bring down this fucking studio? Oh my God!”

“Maya, please just chill…”

“I need a fucking Xanax right now.” Maya tore off her jacket. “I’m so hot.”

“I don’t want to make a Jonestown film,” Rio insisted. “But how the fuck do I say no to Scorsese? And I have Hayao Miyazaki ready to go, but he wants us to collab with Ghibli and I know Griffin won’t like that. But maybe we can make it work. Make it, I don’t know, cool?”

“‘Cool’?” Maya mocked. “Who are you, the fucking Fonz?”

“Look, we agreed to pitch projects, so we just carry on with what we planned,” Rio suggested. “Whichever’s best, wins.”

Maya pursed her lips, but didn’t argue. Rio took that as a win

“So, this is the worst case skenario we could be in,” Maya announced to the meeting room. “We have two projects, both equally unmarketable but we need to decide: an artsy Kool-Aid anime, or fucking Jonestown.”

Rio would have cringed if she wasn’t so distracted by Maya’s big glasses. They were both ridiculous and hot at the same time. 

Quinn put her head in her hands. “How did you get two of the best filmmakers in cinema history and somehow make this into a big fucking disaster?” 

“Yeah, Rio,” Sal criticized. “This is the biggest fucking mess of our careers. You can’t let us go down like this!”

Maya jabbed her finger against the table. “When Griffin asks me if either of these are going to sell, I’ll have to be honest and say this all fucking blows.”

Rio put her head on the desk. She hated this stupid job.

Maya placed a laptop in front of them. “Luckily, I have this.”

A video began to play, showing a wall with the continental logo on it. The wall shook, before the Kool-Aid man came jumping through, doing some stupid dance.

Rio grimaced. “What the fuck is this?”

“Kool-Aid,” Maya answered. “How it should be fucking made.”

Rio slammed the laptop shut. “This is dumb, Maya. I said not dumb!”

Maya growled. “Kool-Aid is fucking dumb! Just accept it and move on.”

“I can’t!”

“You have to,” Sal insisted. “What else are we supposed to do?”

Rio thought for a moment. Then, it hit her. 

“I got it!” She clicked her fingers. “We make both!” 

Everyone stared at her in disbelief. Eventually, it was Quinn who spoke up. “So you want to solve our problem…by making it worse?”

“No, I’m making it marketable,” Rio insisted. “Think about it! We realise them both at one and have them ‘compete’. Barbenheimer, but with Kool-Aid.”

“Fuck yeah!” Maya’s eyes lit up. “The memes will totally clap!”

Quinn frowned. “You want to make a meme out of…Jonestown?”

“Warner Brothers did it with Oppenheimer,” Rio reminded her. “Sure there was backlash, but we can be tasteful about it,”

“We could get the movie theatres to sell Kool-Aid slushies!” Sal suggested. “And popcorn buckets!”

Quinn clicked her fingers. “And suggested double-bill viewing!”

Maya put an arm around Rio’s shoulders. “I knew you were smart, Vidal.”

Rio couldn’t help but beam. 

“But will Griffin agree with this?” Quinn questioned. “He’s probably expecting, I don’t know, Barbie?”

Rio nodded. “Just leave it to me.”

Griffin was so excited. He was already on the phone with Kool-Aid when she left, getting them to start making the tie-in merch and exclusive flavours. Scorsese was excited too, and Miyazaki said he was looking forward to them being friendly rivals. 

Soon, contracts were signed and pre-productions were on the way.

“Good job, man,” Sal praised. “You know, I’m glad you got the job. I’d have crumbled and released Maya’s crap.” 

“It wasn’t crap,” Rio insisted. “She tried her best.”

“You know you defending her isn’t going to make her fuck you, right?” Sal joked, wincing when she punched him in the arm. “Hey, it’s a meme!”

Rio rolled her eyes. “You’re so annoying.”

“Yeah, but you love me.” Sal put his arm around her. “We’re the dream team. You, me, Quinn, and your future lover.”

Rio shrugged out of his arms. “Enough now. Go home.”

“Home?” Sal frowned. “I thought we were going to Charlize Theron’s party tonight? She’s been asking to see you.”

“Give her my apologies,” Rio replied. “I have somewhere I’ve got to be.”

Sal raised his eyebrows. “Must be important if you’re missing flirting with Theron?”

Rio nodded. “Yeah, it is pretty important.”

Rio drove up Patty’s driveway, using the gate fob her former boss had given her three years ago. She parked up outside the main house, and had barely gotten out of the car before the doors flew open. 

“Rio!” Patty rushed out and greeted her with a tight hug. “My darling girl.”

Rio snuggled into the embrace. She had missed her mentor so much. 

“Come on in,” Patty led her inside. “I made brownies earlier.”

“Normal brownies or fun brownies?”

Party cackled. “Like you need to ask.”

Soon, they were lounged out in Patty’s home cinema, drinking wine and eating pot brownies, watching Goodfellas. 

“You know I fucked him…and him.”

Rio grimaced. “Gross.”

“Please, it was a different time. And like you wouldn’t have been all up in Jodie Foster’s pants if you were in my position.”

“I am now in your position, and I’d still never fuck an actor.”

“No, but you’d fuck the head of marketing.”

Rio almost spat out her drink. “Patty!”

“Well, did I lie?”

Rio sighed in defeat. “I can’t now. She’s my subordinate. It would be unethical.”

“Please, no one would ever see Maya as your subordinate. Including Maya.”

Rio figured Patty had a point. Maya still treated her the way she always had, which was a relief really. If Maya was to have feelings for her, she’d want it to be for real reasons, not because of her new job title.

“I have other things I need to concentrate on,” Rio reminded her. “As you well know.”

“Oh, I do,” Patty grinned. “You know, I was so low when you called me that day, but now I can finally see my life mapped out in front of me again. It’s going to be a lot of hard work, but if we work together, we might just pull this off.”

“We will,” Rio assured. “We have to.”

Patty raised her glass. “To taking back Continental Studios.”

Rio smiled and clinked their glasses together. This was going to be fun.

Chapter Text

MAYA

how did the ‘big scene’ go?

RIO

Brilliant! It’s going to be so iconic!

MAYA

and you behaved?

RIO

I even told Sal to shut the fuck up

MAYA

good girl

MAYA

how was patty?

RIO

Great! She’s really thriving!

MAYA

i still can’t believe you two are still friends

RIO

Patty knows business is business

MAYA

alright but i still think it’s weird

RIO

We did talk about you.

MAYA

you did??

RIO

Sal said you’d want to market the film as a lesbian love story

MAYA

well duh lesbian sells

RIO

You do remember I’m a lesbian right? 

MAYA

and wouldn’t you run to see a lesbian love story on the big screen?

RIO

Okay you have a point…

MAYA

i know…btw it would have worked on me too

RIO

Wait what?

MAYA

night rio

RIO

Night Maya

Chapter Text

Ron fucking Howard.

Rio loved that guy. 

He was nice, cool, and a great fucking director. And he was making a film for Continental.

Alphabet City was an homage to the works of Scorsese and Tarantino, set in the 70s with a gripping script and what was set to be awesome action sequences. Rio had seen parts, but Ron had asked her to trust him on some additions, and she did. How could she not? The guy directed Willow!

And so, she, Quinn and Sal settled in the old dailies screen, ready to watch what they hoped to be a modern masterpiece. 

“You’re wearing a Robert De Nero shirt,” Quinn commented, and Rio grinned.

“Taxi Driver. Scorsese, De Nero, Foster. It’s a classic.”

Sal rolled his eyes. “Will you ever shut up about Jodie Foster?”

“She’s an icon.”

“I know, but you bring her up every five fucking minutes. Almost as much as you bring up….”

The theatre door swung open. “All right, fam! Let’s roll this shit!”

Rio turned in her seat to see Maya walking down the side aisle, dressed to the nines with a huge drink in her hand and her hair in a ridiculously (hot) long braid. Rio’s heart jumped in her chest. The crush she had on that woman was indescribable.

“So effin’ pumped,” Maya moved to sit a seat away from her. “Ronald Howard movies are a fucking mood. And then a fucking action movie? We’ve got Anthony Mackie. He’s gonna bring in that young hip audience.”

“I’m obsessed with Anthony Mackie,” Quinn admitted excitedly. 

“Then you’ve got Dave Franco,” Maya added. “He’s gonna line up those ladies moister than an oyster.”

Rio grimaced. “Okay, one, don’t say that again. Ever. And two, not all ladies are lining up for Dave Franco.”

Maya rolled her eyes. “Okay fine, then straights, bis, pans…”

“The non-lesbians,” Quinn added helpfully.

Maya clicked her fingers. “She gets it.”

“Well, I’m more excited about Ron Howard,” Rio admitted. “I used to watch Willow over and over as a kid.”

Sal laughed. “Let me guess, you liked that warrior lady?”

“Sorsha?”

“Dude, as if you know the names.”

“Of course I know the fucking names, it’s one of my favourite…”

“Okay,” Maya interrupted. “Can we dim the fucking lights, please?”

The movie started great, with lots of action and conflict that had her and Maya high-fiving, and funny moments that had them all in stitches. In the words of Maya ‘that shit slapped’.

Then the emotional points started hitting, the kind that hook you to the point of ridiculous character investment that’ll likely leave you heartbroken. 

And as for THAT taxi scene? Fucking fantastic. It was the perfect ending to a sure classic piece of cinema.

Except it wasn’t.

The film went on. 

And on, and on.

Rio loved metaphorical cinema. Things didn’t have to be big or exciting. She was a huge fan of arthouse films, specifically independent Scandinavian cinema. This, however, was just a load of…well, nothing. 

“Oh thank god it’s finally over,” Maya said as they burst back out into the California sun. 

“What the fuck was that?” Sal questioned and Rio shrugged.

“I don’t know. That wasn’t in the cuts I’d seen before.”

“Okay, it’s definitely long,” Quinn said, with a tone that was trying to show some positivity. “But a lot of movies are long these days, you know? The last Marvel film I saw was like three fucking hours.”

“Marvel movie?” Sal questioned. “This was not a three-hour fucking superhero movie, okay? That hotel sequence? What the fuck was that man? There were no fights, or monsters or Deadpools! It was just people fucking staring at each other!”

Maya nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s too long. You gotta be delulu if you think people are going to watch that. This is gonna make my job fucking impossible ‘cause it’s gonna destroy word of mouth.” She pointed to Rio. “Wait, is this the final cut?”

“No, he’s still working with it.”

“Great, so you can give him that note to cut that fucking interminable motel sequence.” 

“Uh huh.”

“Wait, what? Why are you acting so weird?”

“What?”

“Are you delulu?”

“No, I agree that the sequence doesn’t work,” Rio insisted. “I just think we’ve maybe not understood the intention behind it.”

“What kind of intention is that?” Sal questioned. “To put everyone to fucking sleep.”

“I think he was trying to make a metaphor for something,” Rio justified. “It just fell a little flat.”

Sal scoffed. “It fucking splatted on the ground.”

“I know,” Rio admitted sadly. “It sucked.”

“Well, Ron is coming by at one for a marketing meeting,” Maya told her. “Just to show him some early poster concepts. Pop by and give him the note then?”

“You seriously want me to give him a note?”

“Yeah, tell him he needs to fix it so we can sell the fucking movie.”

Rio said nothing, and Sal groaned. “Not this shit again.”

“Sal, don’t,” Rio pleaded. “You know I hate this.”

“Hate what?” Quinn asked. 

“Rio doesn’t believe in notes.”

Rio shot him a glare. 

“You don’t believe in fucking notes?” Maya questioned. “They’re not fucking Santa. It’s part of your job.”

“I know, and I get that, but Ron Howard is a legendary director. I don’t want to offend him.” 

“He works for us,” Sal reminded him. “Sure, he might not work with us again, but we can’t lose money on this.” 

“Maybe we’re not the right audience for this,” Rio suggested. “Maybe other audiences will understand it more. Like, I mean I guess the kid is a metaphor for a dead son?”

“No, it’s obviously a dream sequence,” Quinn argued. 

“He’s a ghost,” Sal countered, making Rio grimace.

“I fucking hate ghosts.”

Maya huffed. “We can’t even agree what the fuck it means. That is the clear sign that this movie is wack as fuck.”

“Well, you seem pretty passionate about this,” Rio commented. “Maybe you should be the one to give him the note in your meeting.” 

“Oh hell no,” Maya quickly protested. “A director is not gonna fucking take notes from marketing. Rio…” Maya looked to Sal for help, who stepped up to Rio’s dismay.

“Rio, I know you like hero-worship this dude, but he’s famously the nicest guy in Hollywood. He’ll listen.”

“I know, but you don’t understand. Willow was…”

“Enough about fucking Willow,” Maya snapped. “Talk to him, Rio. He won’t thank you in the long run if this movie flops.” 

Rio put her head in her hands. She really hated this fucking job.

She spent most of the afternoon pacing in her office, until Petra came in and announced Ron Howard had arrived. 15 minutes early.

Rio sucked in a deep breath and headed down to greet him. 

“Ron!”

“Oh hey.” Ron came over and shook her hand. “How’s it going?”

“Good, we watched the full cut of the film this morning. There are definitely scenes in there that I can see becoming some classic cinema sequences.”

“Thanks,” Ron smiled. “I’ve been showing it around and been getting some very encouraging feedback.” 

“That’s great.” Rio forced a smile. “Gotta…love that feedback.”

“Sure, if it’s good,” Ron said with a chuckle, and Rio laughed awkwardly with him. “So, do you have any feedback?” 

“I, erm, I do, actually.” Rio looked into his eyes. The eyes of the man who made the first film she fell in love with. She had to tell him, she had to…but she couldn’t. “I think you’re fucking awesome.”

Ron grinned and patted her on the arm. “Thanks, Rio. I’ll take that all day.” 

Rio forced another smile before backing up towards the stairs. “Hey, I gotta finish some stuff up before the meeting but I’ll see you soon.”

With that, she raced back to her office. Unfortunately, Sal was loitering outside. 

“How did it go?”

“Good.” Rio carried on walking, but Sal followed along behind. 

“Really?”

Then Quinn appeared at her side. “How did it go?” 

“We talked. It went well.” 

“It did?”

Then of course Maya spawned out of nowhere like a gorgeous hell demon.

“Hey, what’s the D?”

“The D is all good. I mean, not like the D, because I wouldn’t know about his D. He’s married and I’m gay, but…”

“She’s rambling!” Sal gasped. “That means she’s lying.”

Rio quickly rushed into her office, hoping she’d have time to lock the door, but her colleagues were too fast. 

“You didn’t tell him, did you?” Maya accused. 

“You didn’t?” Quinn questioned.

Maya shook her head. “Nah, look at her pussy-ass face she didn’t say shit.” 

Rio slumped into her office chair. “I couldn’t, okay?! He’s the guy who made me fall in love with movies, okay? Before him, I wanted to be a basketball player! Then I saw Willow…”

“Enough about that stupid fucking movie.” Maya slammed her hand on the desk. “He made it like 40 years ago. Get over it.” 

“I can’t. One of you will have to do it.”

“Fine.” Maya turned to Sal. “You do it.”

“I’m not doing it.” 

“Why not?”

“How can I give feedback? I was asleep during the motel sequence.”

“No, you weren’t,” Rio accused. “You were texting.”

“I just sleep like that.” 

“Bullshit,” Maya snapped. “I could see the fucking screen glow.”

“I will fucking do it,” Quinn called out, making them all turn to look at her. “I’ll do it, okay? Because, unlike you guys, I’m not a bitch. I don’t care if Ron Howard likes me. I care about making good entertaining movies.”

“Yeah, pop off girl,” Maya said, adding sound effects to her aggressive finger gun. 

And with that, Quinn left the office with a determined stride. Rio and Sal looked to each other in confusion but accepted that at least the problem would be fixed…even if Quinn got blacklisted by Ron Howard’s full contact list. 

Five minutes later, she ran back in, cheeks flushed and totally flustered.

“Well?” Maya questioned. “Did you do it?”

Quinn shook her head. “Anthony Mackie was there.”

They all groaned. This was impossible.

“Let’s just leave it,” Rio suggested. “Maybe word of mouth will tell people to leave after the shoot-out sequence and all will be good.”

“That’s not how marketing works,” Maya snapped. “And that won’t stop the bad reviews. We have it slated for fucking Cannes.” 

There was a knock at the door, but the person on the other side didn’t wait to enter. “I could hear you all floundering across the lot.”

Rio looked up, and to her relief, there was Patty.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to suck up to Ron, then headed up here to kick your asses. Why haven’t you given him that note?”

They all looked to Rio, who smiled sheepishly to Patty. “Hey Patty, how’s things?”

“Great, but you need to talk to Ron. I can’t critique him, but you can. Suggest some editing, a sequel, anything, but you can’t tell him to cut it.”

“What?” Rio frowned. “Why?” 

Patty sighed “It’s a metaphor for him letting go of his cousin who died when they were kids.”

“Wait, his dead cousin IRL?” Maya questioned, and Patty nodded gravely. 

“Wait, really?” Quinn questioned. “That actually kind of makes it interesting.”

“That talk isn’t helpful,” Maya dismissed. “He should not be burdening audiences with his catharsis.”

“Yeah,” Sal agreed. “And save us 45 minutes of runtime.” 

Rio, however, was quiet. Suddenly, Willow didn’t matter. Her admiration for the man didn’tt matter. Because he was just a man stuck with grief, and suddenly she knew what to do.

“Okay, I get it now.” She got up to her feet. “Leave it with me.”

“What are you doing?” Sal asked as she walked to the door.

“Giving him the fucking note.” 

Afterwards, Rio went for a walk around the lot, eventually finding herself on the Witches Road soundstage. Shooting was pretty much done, but they’d built a full practical set, and they didn’t want to break it down in case they needed reshoots. She sat down on a log in a faux clearing, taking in the fake trees all around her.

The magic of cinema. A witchy forest created inside an old warehouse. This was the part she loved. Not all the bullshit. 

She heard the stage door open then slam shut, but she didn’t move. It was her studio. She could tell them to leave her alone. Yet when the person came into view, she knew she could never turn them away.

“There you are.” Maya walked into the cleaning. “We’ve been looking for you fucking everywhere.”

“Well, you found me,” Rio said miserably. “Congratulations.” 

Maya moved to sit beside her on the log. “Talk went that well, huh?”

Rio nodded. “He was an asshole about it. Called me an amateur and fucking stupid for not understanding his vision.”

“He’s fucking stupid for thinking his vision was understandable,” Maya countered. “What a fucking asshole.”

“Yeah.” Rio looked at the ground. “I tried to be as nice as possible. You know, have a talk with him about it, but he just shot me down.”

“This being upset thing isn’t about being shouted at by a director, is it?”

“Well, he was very mean.”

“I’m very mean but you put up with me every day,” Maya reminded her. “Come on, spill.”

Rio sighed and dared herself to meet Maya’s sharp blue eyes. “My parents died when I was young. My brother and I were raised by our grandmother, and every week she’d take us to Blockbuster to rent a movie. I always let Beni pick because I didn’t really care, and he always chose a Disney movie, or Ghostbusters. Then one week he chose Willow, and when I watched it, I got totally lost in it. It was like suddenly I was in this whole new world, one where all the pain and the grief didn’t exist. Where good somehow finds a way to win over evil, and eventually the good guys end up happy. After that, films became my home, where I could escape and forget how awful things were. Ron Howard’s film saved me and now he fucking hates my guts.”

“I didn’t know about your parents,” Maya admitted, and Rio shrugged.

“I don’t talk about it a lot. I tried to talk to Ron about it, because like him my way of dealing with grief got in the way of doing my job today. He still didn’t give a shit.”

“Asshole,” Maya said again. “Just can the whole movie. We’ll make it all back on Kool-Aid anyway.”

“I can’t just can it,” Rio argued. “Get rid of the motel sequence and it’s a fucking hit.”

“But with it it’s a load of fucking crap. No one will watch that shit.”

Rio sighed. “I don’t know. I’ll decide in the morning. Tonight, I’m going to drink the bottle of whiskey Scorsese gave me and watch a film not made by Ron Howard.”

“That sounds totally pathetic,” Maya criticised. “Let’s go out. Have a sick night on the town.”

Rio raised her eyebrows. “You want to party with me?”

“Sure.” Maya smirked. “You can be pretty dope sometimes.”

Rio smiled. “You’re pretty dope too.”

They both stood up, ready to leave the soundstage and hit the town, when the door creaked open again. Some more footsteps and Patty appeared.

“Ah, here she is. I got worried you’d booked a flight to Peru.”

Rio managed a laugh. “No, you’re still all stuck with me, at least until Griffin fires me.”

Patty gave her a sympathetic smile. “Well, someone here wants to speak to you.”

They both looked to see Ron Howard stepping through the faux trees. Rio noticed Maya’s jaw tighten, but she put a hand on her arm. It was okay. She could deal with this.

Ron stepped forward, a saddened expression on his face. “I’m sorry, Rio. I got upset, and I shouldn’t have acted the way I did.”

Rio shrugged. “My emotions have gotten in the way plenty today, too.”

“I’ll cut the motel sequence,” Ron decided. “It doesn’t fit the movie anyway.”

“It doesn’t,” Rio agreed. “But it might fit another movie. One where you can maybe explore this grief in greater depth.”

Ron nodded in agreement. “Thanks Rio.”

She shook his hand. “No problem, Ron.”

Patty put a hand on Ron’s back. “Why don’t we talk about that possible new film? Get some ideas written down.”

Rio smiled and shook her head as she watched Patty lead Ron Howard off the soundstage. Same old Patty. Taking the opportunities as they come.

She looked to Maya and saw her eyes were narrow with suspicion. “Is it just me or she being super helpful round here at the moment?”

Rio shrugged. “No idea what you mean.”

Chapter Text

Rio was sat watching the dailies when Maya came crashing into the theatre. “What the fuck are you doing in here?”

“Watching scenes,” Rio answered, and Maya clicked her fingers up towards the projection booth. 

“Hey, turn this off. I need to talk to the boss…Hey! Are you listening to me?!”

Rio stood and waved towards the booth. The projector stopped as the lights came back up. “What’s the matter, Maya?” 

“I wanted to see if we could go grab a drink after work? Talk about the KoolAid marketing.”

“Sure.” Rio grabbed her stuff, trying not to seem too eager. But really, who wouldn’t be when their work crush asks them out? Not out out, but still it was something. 

“Well come on then,” Maya huffed impatiently. “If we go now, I can get us a table at…”

Before she could finish, Rio’s phone rang in her pocket. She quickly scrambled for it while Maya laughed. 

“You left your phone on in a movie theatre? Isn’t that like sacrilege for you?”

Rio flushed and quickly answered the call.

“Hello?…Oh, hey Sal, what’s up?...Wait, what?!” 

“This is why using film is a fucking bad idea,” Maya huffed as she sat in the back of the buggy. “You’ve totally fucked up now, Vidal.”

“Thanks Maya,” Rio replied as she drove through the lot. “Like I don’t already feel like shit.” 

“Calm down, dude,” Sal insisted. “We’ll sort this out.”

“You fucking better,” Maya snapped. “Fucking film. They invented digital cameras for a reason.”

“I like the crispness,” Rio argued. “The grain. It gives it character.”

“Well, this film is going to have no character because half of its gone.”

“Not that much,” Rio insisted. “It’s just one reel.”

“Yeah, with the most expensive shots of the day,” Sal argued. “We’re fucked.”

“Yeah, this is bad.” Panic rose within her again. “Really, really bad. How the fuck does this happen?”

“I don’t know,” Sal replied. “But it’s happening.”

Rio still couldn’t believe it. “Are you a 100% sure?”

“Yes,” Sal insisted vehemently. “I’ve been on the phone with Jean-Paul, the line producer, for the last hour.”

“It’s happened, Rio,” Maya interjected. “Accept it. A reel of film is missing.”

“So, it’s lost?”

“No, it’s fucking stolen, dude.” Sal sounded equally as panicked. 

This was a nightmare. Fuck, where was Patty when she needed her. Oh yeah? Fucking Griffin fired her and he’d do the same to her if this came out. Not only would her career be ruined, but also the plan to get Patty back. Not to mention the damage it would do to the artistry of film. She’d be known at the person who killed film. She’d be the reasoning behind every other studio head never using it again. All her years of hard work advocating for the arts totally up in smoke.

“Who the fuck would do that?”

“Could be a cover up on set,” Maya suffered. “Or a potential leaker, or someone who has a beef with the film.”

“Why would there be beef?” Rio questioned. “I’ve thrown so much money at this film. I’ve even paid for a wrap party out of my own pocket because it went over budget, and at this rate, we’ll have to cancel that too. Fuck!”

“I told you this film was a bad fucking idea,” Maya reminded her. “It’s just a remake of fucking Chinatown.”

“It’s more than that!” Rio insisted. “You haven’t seen the dailies I’ve seen!”

“All I know is it’s a load of money on something that’ll be in select fucking theatres. You need to stop with this artsy shit. The only reason the KoolAid movies are working is because the internet is eating up that shit. This is just going to fucking crash.”

“It will if we don’t find this film,” Sal added. “And we’ll all be out of fucking jobs.”

The buggy pulled up at set and three of them jumped off. The line manager was stood waiting for them and Sal greeted him. “Hey Jean-Paul.”

“She’s through here,” Jean-Paul led them inside a Chinatown restaurant set. Rio spotted Olivia Wilde instantly towards the back, pacing anxiously. She pushed through the beaded curtain into view and watched as the director’s shoulders instantly relaxed.

“Oh, Rio.”

“Hey Olivia.” 

“Thank God you’re here. Literally, like you’re the only person I trust right now. You too, Sal and…Maya?”

“Relax, I’m here to help.” Maya looked Olivia up and down. “So, you lost some film?” 

“I only just found out,” Olivia insisted. “Jean-Paul just told me.”

“Yeah, one of the reels from yesterday’s shoot is missing,” Rio confirmed. 

“The camera department PA, Fred, loaded all ten reels of film in the van at the wrap,” Jean-Paul explained. “But the lab says that they only got nine reels.”

“That reel has the big third act shoot-out,” Olivia admitted.

Rio’s eyes widened. “Oh no.”

“Yeah. And the remember the note that you gave us for that?”

“Yeah, to just really…”

“Go all out. Yeah. And I loved that. And you suggested my cameo, which was genius.”

“Oh, thank you.” Rio tried not to blush. She didn’t take compliments well. Especially from beautiful women. 

Maya cleared her throat. “Let me guess, that was also on the reel?”

Olivia nodded. “Yep.”

Rio hid her face in her hands. “Oh fuck.” 

“Is this PA sure that he didn’t leave one of these reels in the truck?” Sal asked and Jean-Paul shook his head.

“We scoured the truck. Someone definitely took it.” 

“Oh fuck,” Rio repeated. This wasn’t just going to ruin her, it was going to ruin the whole artistry of film. Christoper Nolan was going to fucking kill her. 

“What do you think, Olivia?” she asked. “Is there anyone one on the crew that has it out for you or anything?”

“Yeah, Olivia,” Maya piped up. “Anyone trying to fuck you over?”

Rio gave Maya a confused glance before looking back to Olivia. 

“I’m sorry, on this crew?” Olivia questioned. “This crew is my family. Each and every one of them is so devoted to the message of this film. They’ve been working their asses off. I have no idea who would do something like this!” 

“Okay, okay.” Rio assured. “I get it.” 

Jean-Paul then tapped Olivia on the arm. “They need you on set.” 

Olivia sighed and went to grab her coat and bag. “Okay. Sorry, I-”

“No, it’s alright,” Rio insisted as they followed Olivia out into set. “It’s a lot for us too but we’ll fix this, Olivia. I promise. We’ve got your back.”

“Okay, great.” Olivia gave her a tight smile and brushed her arm. “Thank you, Rio. I really appreciate everything you have done for me. And if the film isn’t recovered, we’ll just reshoot it, right? Insurance pays for that?”

Rio looked back at Sal, who mimed for her to shut that down. 

“We’ll discuss that if it comes to it, but for now this stays between us, okay? You finish up and leave this with us.” 

Jean-Paul reappeared at Sal’s side. “Alright we’ve only got a couple more setups with the main unit. We wrap them out, got a few pickup shots with the splinter unit by the Hollywood sign, and then it’s official picture wrap on Rolling Blackout. If we don’t have the film by then, I have to report it missing.”

“Shit,” Sal cursed, and Rio wholeheartedly agreed. This was fucking shit. 

Olivia pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank you so much for having my back, Rio. I can’t tell you what it means to have a studio head who is also a friend.”

Rio spotted Maya making a gagging motion behind Olivia’s back and shot her a confused frown. What was up with her? 

“We’ve got this,” Rio assured as she pulled back. “See you soon.”

Olivia gave her one last perfect smile before rushing off to set. Jean-Paul went to follow her, but Maya stopped him. 

“We need to talk to this PA, whatever his fucking name is. Can you make that happen?”

“Sure thing,” Jean-Paul nodded before heading off to catch Olivia up. 

Rio watched Olivia go, her heart aching. She couldn’t imagine working so hard on something only to have it snatched away from her like that. This really was a fucking nightmare. 

“What are we going to do?” Sal asked. “Question this Fred guy?”

“Guess so,” Rio answered. “Follow the trail, like film noir sleuths.”

“Well call me Miss fucking Marple because I’ve solved the case already.” 

They both looked to Maya in surprise. “You have?”

Maya folded her arms and nodded towards the set, specifically to where Olivia was talking to her team. “She fucking took it.” 

“Olivia?” No, she wouldn’t…would she?

“How can you be so sure?” Sal asked and Maya laughed.

“Please, she may have fooled you two, but I can smell bullshit from miles away, and she was serving up a stinker.”

Rio grimaced at the analogy. “You really think Olivia Wilde would sabotage her own film?”

“Fuck yes,” Maya replied without hesitation. “She’s a good actress, but that was by far her worst performance.”

Rio looked to Sal, who shrugged. “She was being super friendly with you. Like really nice.”

“Maybe she’s just nice?”

Sal shook his head. “No, this was overly nice. And did either of you smell the booze on Olivia’s breath?”

“Who can blame her from having a drink?” Rio countered. “This day fucking sucks.” 

“No, this was different,” Sal insisted. “It was weird. I was trying to pinpoint the smell, but I couldn’t. It was like really harsh and powerful stuff.”

Maya clicked her fingers. “There. See? She fucking did it.”

Rio held up her hands. “We can’t just accuse someone without a proper investigation. The most important thing right now is that me and Sal find that film, fast!”

Sal nodded in agreement while Maya scoffed. “Like hell I’m leaving this potential PR nightmare to you two. Let’s find this fucking film and when I am right and it is in Olivia Wilde’s fucking car or something, then I want you to take me out for dinner, Vidal. Somewhere schmancy.”

“Fine, let’s go talk to the PA. Maybe he’ll give us some clues to go off.”

They met Fred at sundown in crew parking, sitting side by sides in buggies to make it look less obvious, though Maya argued they just looked ‘sus’.

“I loaded all ten reels into that van,” Fred, the camera PA, insisted. “I write it into the log. Like every night. See?” He held up the log to show them. “Right there. Ten reels marked ‘loaded in van’ at 5:48am. Zac Efron was there. He said hi. He’s always nice, no matter how much Olivia grinds him.”

“Olivia,” Maya whispered in Rio’s ear. “See, not the nice person you think she is.”

Rio glanced back at her before her attention returned to Fred as she continued. 

“Then I went and closed up the camera truck, came back, drive the van with the reels.”

“Okay, how long were the reels sitting in that van?” Sal asked. 

“I can tell you exactly,” Fred replied. “I always make it in the crew text chain.”

“Group chat,” Maya corrected. “God, am I the only person living in the present fucking day?”

Fred was unfazed as he looked through his phone. When he found what he was looking for, he showed them the screen with the message right there in blue and white.

“‘Camera department wheels up, 6:08am.’”

Rio thought over the information. “So someone-”

“Olivia.”

“Someone could have taken the reel in the 20 minutes the van was left unattended. Other than Zac Efron, who was around this van?” 

“Hell, everyone,” Fred answered. “It was wrap and the van was right by the gate.” His earpiece buzzed with chatter. “Shit, I got to get to set.” 

“Wait, wait,” Sal stopped him. “Hold on, hey.”

Rio reversed her buggy so Sal could keep up with Fred’s. 

“Did anyone else have an axe against Olivia?” he asked. “You said she was making Zac crazy.” 

“Did I?”

“Yes,” Sal and Maya said in union.

“Nah, she’s cool,” Fred deflected. 

“You better not be shitting us, Frank,” Maya snapped. “Because if we find out you are…”

“I mean, look…” Fred stopped his buggy and Rio braked alongside him. She watched the PA glance around before leaning towards them. “She’s gone full Fincher this last week. She made Zac do 40 takes of putting on a hat. It was fucking nuts! He’s about to lose his shit!…I’ve said too much. I don’t wanna be known for talking shit about my boss. I’m gonna go. Can I go?”

“Of course,” Rio assured. “And thank you, Fred.”

Fred zoomed off as fast as the buggy could take him, leaving them alone in the parking lot. 

Sal looked between them. “Okay, he’s a weirdo for sure, but I believe every word he just said.” 

“Me too,” Rio admitted.

“Me three,” Maya added. “And it proves my point. Olivia Wilde is guilt AF!”

Sal nodded. “Yeah, I totally agree with Maya now. She has to be up to something.”

“We need more proof,” Rio insisted. “Let’s go talk to Zac Efron.”

When they arrived at Zac Efron’s trailer, he invited them all in with smiles.

“Sal! My dude.” He gave Sal a high five before giving Rio a hug. “Hey, Rio. How’s things? How’s your brother?”

“He’s good,” Rio answered. “He’s in Argentina right now.”

“Sick! Let him know I said hi.”

“Will do.” Rio looked back to Maya. “Zac, this is our head of marketing, Maya Mason.”

“Nice to meet you.” He shook her hand before looking between them all. “So what’s up? Is this about the party tomorrow?”

“No, it’s something else,” Rio answered. “We just need five minutes of your time.”

“Sure thing. Do you guys mind if I carry on getting ready? I need to be on set in five.”

“It’s cool,” Rio assured. “So how’s the shoot? How’s everything going? How’s-”

“What’s the tea with you and Olivia?”

“Maya!”

“What?” She questioned. “We don’t have the time for small talk.” 

Zac frowned as he straightened his tie. “Me and Olivia?”

“Yeah, we heard you…”

The trailer door swung open and a set assistant appeared. “First team is being invited, Zac.”

“Tell Olivia to hold up,” Maya told her. “We need Zac a little longer.”

The assistant checked her watch. “Five minutes”.

“Thank you,” Rio said as the trailer door shut again. 

Zac looked between them all. “Okay, what the fuck is going on?”

Rio looked to Sal and Maya. She knew Zac. He was friends with Benito. They’d been at his house for gatherings. He was a good guy. She could trust him. “There’s a reel of film missing.”

Zac’s eyes widened. “There’s a reel of film missing? Holy shit! From what day?”

“The shoot-out at the solar factory,” Rio answered.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Zac began to pace around. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck fuck! That was the hardest day. That was a nightmare. Olivia hated everything we did that day.”

Maya folded her arms. “She did, huh?”

Zac nodded. “Except her cameo, which was legit amazing. It was really, really good, like award-worthy. Fuck, man, she’s gonna be so pissed.”

“But she hated the rest of it?” Rio questioned. “Like she literally said she hated it?”

“Yes, several times actually.” Zac pulled at his tie. “I’m so over this movie, man. Fuck!”

Rio thought for a moment before deciding to just go for it. “Zac, be honest with me. Was Olivia near the van when filming wrapped?”

“Yeah, she had her car parked right fucking next to it. Why?”

Rio looked to Maya before her attention turned back to Zac. “Okay, what I need you to do is keep filming going as long as you can. Take the complaints and the criticisms. Just keep it going until Sal runs in and gives you the all-clear.”

Zac looked confused but nodded all the same. “Sure, whatever you need, Rio.”

The assistant banged on the door. “We need to go!”

Zac patted her on the shoulder as he walked towards the door. “Whatever you guys are doing, I hope it works because I’m technically not available for reshoots. I really hope you guys find it, otherwise you’re fucked.”

Rio hoped so too. Because if they were wrong about this, they were in for one hell of a lawsuit. 

Olivia’s car was a white vintage Volkswagen Beetle. Rio knew because she always admired it and so found it pretty easily. The three of them stood around the trunk, unsure of their next move.

“How do we get in?” Rio asked, and Maya shrugged.

“Hotwire it?” Maya suggested. “Can’t you break into a car with bra wire?”

“I’m not wearing a bra,” Rio admitted.

“And mine is Calvin Klein so fuck that.”

Rio looked at her feet, trying desperately not to think about said Calvin Klein bra. 

“Let me try.” Sal got on the ground and shuffled under the car. “Spent a lot of my teen years doing stupid shit like this.”

After a few hollow bangs, there was a sharp click and the trunk popped up. Rio quickly pulled it open, ready to retrieve the reel, make this movie, and save the use of film forever…but it wasn’t there.

“Fuck!” Rio kicked the car. “What the fuck are we going to do now?”

“She must have put it somewhere else.” Maya pursed her lips, deep in thought. “Have we checked her trailer?”

Rio sighed. “It can’t be Olivia. If it was Olivia, it would be here.”

“Please,” Maya dismissed. “She could have hidden it anywhere.”

“Or maybe we’ve wasted our time chasing a red herring.”

Maya rolled her eyes. “You watch too many fucking movies.”

“I’m head of a film studio!”

“Still no excuse.” 

“Hey,” Sal interrupted, frowning at his phone. “Zac Efron sent me something.”

They all looked at the message, or rather the image. A picture of Zac with a fan. Another message soon followed.

ZAC EFRON

Look in the back!

Rio zoomed in on the background and saw someone holding open the van door, a tattoo visible on their arm.

“What the fuck is that?” Sal frowned. “Just looks like a blur.”

Maya took the phone and tried to zoom even closer. “Fuck, I recognize it. Let me think. Let me think…yes! It’s the tattoo for the gang! We got sent it for marketing. All of them have it.”

Sal clicked his fingers. “Rubbing alcohol!”

Rio frowned. “What?”

“How do you get prop tattoos off? Rubbing alcohol! I told you Olivia stunk of booze, but it wasn’t her breath. She’d removed the tattoo. It’s her!”

“But where is it?” Rio questioned. “We’ve already broke into her car. We can’t break into her house, or her trailer. It’s either we confront her or pass it to the police. Either way, we’re fucked.

They stood there in silence, thinking over which of the two terrible options they should pick. Then Maya smacked Sal on the arm.

“Hey!”

“It’s in her bag!”

“Her bag?” Rio frowned. “What bag?”

“The big ugly ass tote she had.”

Sal and Rio shared clueless looks, and Maya growled in frustration. 

“You two really are the worst fucking sleuths. Luckily, I have an eye for both bullshit and fashion and that bag was a fucking crime. Even Jane Birkin wouldn’t have carried that shit.”

Rio took her word for it. She knew nothing about fashion. She only paid attention to the brands Maya liked to wear and even then, she was only interested in them on her. 

“So you think the reel is in the bag?” Sal asked and Maya nodded. 

“If I stole something like that, I’d keep it on me at all times.”

Rio nodded in agreement. “So we know where it is, but how do we get it?”

“We have to get in her bag,” Sal stated. “Someone needs to distract her so we can steal it back!”

Rio thought for a moment, thinking back at how Olivia fooled her. How she had easily fallen for the schmoozing. A devious smile played on her lips.

“We’ll fight fire with fire.”

They arrived at set on the buggy, and Sal quickly pointed forward. “There she is. Bossing everyone around.”

Rio parked up and looked between them. “We all know what we’re doing right?”

Sal and Maya nodded, and then the plan was afoot. 

Olivia was close wrapping up on set, wrapped in her coat and the bag under her arm. She was almost in the clear. Once the film was declared wrapped, she would have won. Yet to Rio’s relief, she was still there. Thanks, of course, to Mr Efron.

“Dammit Zac!” Rio heard Olivia huff as she and Sal walked over. “Just say the lines. It’s not hard!”

“I can’t help it,” he insisted. “The dialogue is clunky.”

“No, it’s not, it’s fine!”

“Woah, woah,” Rio approached with her hands up. “What’s all this?”

“Your golden boy is messing up every take.”

“I’m not messing anything up,” Zac insisted. “We need to rewrite the scene.”

“No, we need to wrap!” 

Rio moved to step between them. “Okay, cool it guys. Look, Olivia, we’re not exactly in a rush to wrap, remember?”

Olivia blinked before forcing a smile. “You’re right, but still. This is ridiculous.”

Rio waved to Zac. “Hey, take five.” 

Zac gave her a wink before heading over to get a drink. 

“What’s up?” Olivia looked between them. “Did you find the reel?”

“Well,” Rio began. “We have good news and bad news.”

Olivia nodded. “Okay, bad news first.”

Rio and Sal made a show of exchanging sad looks. “We’ve lost the reel. I’m sorry, Olivia.” 

Olivia bowed her head. “I knew it. I knew this film was too good to be true.”

“Hey.” Rio placed a hand on her arm. “But we have good news. The reels were mislabelled. The lab looked and said the shootout is all there.”

Olivia’s face stiffened. “Wait, what?”

“Yeah, it’s all good,” Sal assured. “It’s just some extra shots and your cameo that’s missing. All good. We can just fix it in the edit.”

Olivia blinked. “But what about my cameo?”

“It was only a note,” Rio shrugged. “It sucks but we can continue without it.” 

“No, no.” Olivia threw her bag onto her director’s chair. “Rio, I need that scene. It was fucking amazing.”

“I know, Olivia and I’m sorry but unless the reel shows up, we can’t do much about it.”

“Wait, Rio, please I…”

“Well, well, well.”

They all looked to see Maya stood by the director’s chair, the reel safely in her possession. She smirked at Olivia. “Look what I found.” 

“I have no idea how that got there!” Olivia quickly insisted. “I’ve been framed.”

“Oh cut the crap,” Sal snapped. “We knew it was you as soon as we spoke to you this morning.”

Olivia’s eyes widened. “What? How?”

“That doesn’t matter.” Rio stepped up to her. “Why did you do it? Why ruin your own movie?”

Olivia sighed and dropped her hands to her sides. “It was the most important day of the shoot, and I realized as we were filming that it’s not big enough. Efron should have a machine gun. He shouldn’t have a stupid little handgun. It’ll be way more badass. I mean, it’s Scarface. But I knew you’d thrown too much money at it already and you had paid for the wrap party out of your own pocket. You’d never approve the reshoot, so I had to force your hand.”

“But why keep it?” Sal questioned. “Why not get rid of it?”

Olivia held up her hand. “My cameo, okay? It is the best performance of my career. I just fucking nailed it. I just took the frustration from the day and just put it into the character, and it was fucking transcendent. And I was just going to secretly cut my close up into the reshoots.”

“But you could have just talked to me,” Rio countered. “I’d have found the money. But this? This is not the way.”

“Efron also isn’t available for reshoots,” Sal pointed out. “So you’d have fucked yourself over too.”

Olivia bowed her head in shame. “I’m sorry.”

“No, Olivia, I’m sorry.” 

Olivia frowned. “You are?”

Rio nodded. “Because you’re fired.”

Olivia’s eyes widened. “What?! You can’t do that!”

“Oh I can. Get off my fucking lot.”

“I have a bigger name than you, Rio. If you do this, I will ruin you!” Olivia threatened, only to be met with Maya’s best evil laugh. 

“Oh look! A new tabloid article just dropped. ‘A Deadline exclusive: sources at Continental Studios report that Olivia Wilde has been fired from directing ‘Rolling Blackout’, starring Zac Efron, after allegedly stealing a reel of film from set. The source claims that the reel never left the lot, however Wilde’s actions have left studio head, Rio Vidal with no choice but to remove Wilde from the lot affective immediately. Whether Wilde will be removed from credit has not yet been decided.’”

“You have no idea what you’ve just done! The film will fail without me!”

“I don’t take kindly to being manipulated.” Rio waved to the side, and two security guards came over. “We’ll talk about what happens next with lawyers present.”

“You’re making a big mistake,” Olivia shouted as she was escorted away. “This film could have been a classic!” 

“I don’t think so,” Rio called back. “It’s just Chinatown.”

Once she was gone, Rio turned to address the crew. “Right, let’s just finish this scene and wrap this film up. Everyone knows what they’re doing. Good work, everyone.”

As Zac moved back into position, Maya nudged Rio playfully. 

“You owe me dinner, Vidal. If it wasn’t for me, she could have cost the studio fucking millions!”

“I know.” Rio tried to suppress a smile. “Good work, Mason.”

“Damn right, Vidal.”

Sal pushed between them and threw his arms over their shoulders. “Who’s up for raiding Rio’s office and drinking her expensive whisky.”

“Fuck yeah that shit claps!” 

Rio chuckled and shook her head. Yet another chaotic day in Hollywood.

Chapter Text

Rio pulled in to the lot, her driving playlist replaced by a call with her assistant, Petra.

“Yeah, I’m just trying to get in now,” Rio assured her. “There were a million people trying to get on the lot this morning.”

“That Netflix Waterloo miniseries started shooting today,” Patra reminded her, and Rio grimaced.

Griffin had told her they were renting out the stages for Netflix, and assured Rio he had everything sorted. When she told Patty, she laughed and told her to let Griffin roll with it. If it messed up, the board would look to him, and as long as Rio stayed helpful, it would be a firm mark against his name.

“Also, Chris Hemsworth is in town this week, “Petra added as Rio pulled into her reserved parking space. “He wants to get martinis, but you’re booked solid.”

“Really?” Rio asked as she got out of the car and headed towards her office. “I’m sure I can find time. Hey, if any slot opens up, please can you arrange a meet then? I love Chris. He’s so funny.”

Once she’d dumped her stuff in her office, she headed out onto the floor to grab a coffee and spotted Quinn arriving. She checked her watch and frowned. Quinn was never late, and today she was by two minutes.

“Hey,” Rio walked over. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I had to park down the street,” Quinn explained. “Sorry.”

“Hey, no need to be sorry. I know it’s busy, but the board agreed to rent out our space to Netflix so we’re a little overcapacity at the moment. I’ve been assured your reserved parking spot will be finalized by the end of the week.”

Quinn grinned. “This is why you’re the best boss ever.”

Rio waved her off. “I’m doing as every boss should.”

“Did you read that script I left you?” Quinn asked as they began walking upstairs, back towards her office.

“The Owen Kline slasher flick? Yeah, I loved it. But Sal’s also been developing a low-budget slasher movie, and I don’t know if we can do both. You know maybe if we weren’t spending most of our marketing on KoolAid, we could run it as a double bill, but I don’t want to stretch Maya too thin.”

“Sal’s rip off of Smile?” Quinn questioned. “Are we really still doing that?”

“Sal’s super excited about it, and he’s got a director on board. Hey, why don’t you join forces? You know, make the ultimate slasher!”

“Oh, okay, sure.”

Sal was always in her office when they arrived, the ‘Wink’ script in hand. “Hey dude, I got a fresh copy of the script for you here…wait why is Quinn here?”

“Quinn is joining us on the project,” Rio told him as she settled in her desk chair. “So, tell me everything.”

“So, the Wink script is really great. The Parker Finn offer is out. He wants to meet you, which I said was fine.”

“Isn’t that the guy who directed Smile?” Quinn commented.

“Yep,” Sal confirmed.

“Really? Him?”

Rio frowned. “Is there something wrong with him or…”

“No, not at all,” Quinn insisted. “It’s just because I feel like if we’re already ripping off his movie, it makes sense to hire, like, a new, cool director, you know? Just so it doesn’t feel stale.”

Rio nodded in agreement. “It could be stale.”

“I don’t think it’s gonna feel stale,” Sal jumped in. “The offer iss out, the meeting is being set for this week. But that was awesome, Great ideas, Quinn.”

“Sal, don’t dismiss her,” Rio huffed. “She’s made a good point, but I’m open to meeting with Finn still. If he has some strong creative ideas, it won’t be stale.”

“Exactly, we shouldn’t just settle,” Quinn argued. “We should probably take some more meetings. Hey, what about Owen Kline? He’s been dying to make a slasher for forever.”

“That’s a good idea,” Rio praised once more, but Sal didn’t look convinced.

“Wait a minute. The Owen Kline? Follow-up. Who the fuck is Owen Kline?”

“He literally make one of the coolest movies of 2022, so…”

“Did he really?”

“Yeah, it’s called Funny Pages.”

“Oh I loved that one,” Rio gasped. “Let’s get a meeting in. My schedule is pretty booked, but we can work something out with both directors.”

They both opened their mouths to argue, but a knock at the door beat them to it.

“Come on in,” Rio called out. The door opened and she quickly jumped to her feet.

“Maya, hey.” Rio ran a hand awkwardly through her hair. “What’s up?”

Maya was dressed in all Adidas, the three strap pattern everywhere from her hat to her sneakers. An absolute vision as usual. “Hey, can I have a word?”

“Yes, of course.” Rio looked to Sal and Quinn with a polite smile. “Good meeting, guys. We’ll pick this up later.”

Sal and Quinn left, bickering as they went.

Maya watched them go with clear amusement. “What’s up with those two?”

“Creative differences,” Rio said with a shrug. “So, what’s up?”

Maya shut her office door and walked over to her desk. “You owe me dinner.”

Rio raised her eyebrows. “I do?”

“That was my reward for finding that fucking film reel, remember? It’s time to pay up, Vidal.”

Oh. Right. That.

“Okay, where do you want to go?”

“Somewhere that’s really fancy but also fucking lit,” Maya answered. “I’m busy tonight and tomorrow, but the night after is all yours.”

“Fancy and lit,” Rio repeated. “Leave it with me.”

“Great, it’s a date,” Maya winked. “Pick me up at seven.”

Rio nodded dumbly and watched the woman of her dreams strut out of her office.

She couldn’t believe it.

She was going on a date with Maya. Okay, maybe not quite a date, but dinner! This was huge!

But what was she going to wear? Where were they going to go?

She instantly started doing her research and found a cool Michelin star roof-top restaurant that looked amazing. She pulled some strings and arranged a table for two for eight, giving them enough time to get there and perhaps have a drink at the bar beforehand. Oh, it was going to be perfect.

A knock at the door made her look up and she smiled when she saw Patty enter. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Patty shut the door and sat in the chair opposite her. “You seem in a good mood.”

“I am,” Rio confirmed with a grin. “Maya and I are going out for a friendly dinner.”

Patty smiled and clapped her hands. “Oh Rio, I’m so proud of you. But remember to be professional.”

“Always,” Rio assured. “I just need to work out what to wear.”

“What about that suit you wore to the charity gala. With the blue silk blouse and matching blazer lining. You looked good, and Maya hasn’t seen you in it yet.”

Rio recalled the outfit and grinned. “I’ll make sure its pressed and ready! Thanks, Patty.”

“No problem, now can we talk about our little…project?”

Rio grinned. “Yes, we can. So, how is this…collaboration going on your end?”

“Perfect. This Netflix arrangement is set to be a success…for us anyway. They’re already behind schedule and I saw Griffin down there arguing with the stage manager because it took him forever to get on the lot this morning. He’s not making us look good.”

“Which is why we have to be super helpful,” Rio added. “We need to look like the dream team, which of course we are.”

“Most definitely.”

“Then we get rid of him, and we can finally have this place as our own and put you back where you belong.”

Patty smiled. “You know, I do really like producing, but getting back will be all the sweeter knowing we got our revenge.”

“Your revenge,” Rio corrected. “Take it all. He deserves all that wrath for what he did to you.”

Patty nodded in agreement. “And you deserve to be happy, even if it is with Maya.”

Rio chuckled. “I know you’re not sure of her, but she’s…sometimes she’s different, you know. There’s more to her than most people see.”

“And I’m guessing you are part of the blessed minority?”

“Maybe.” Rio smiled shyly. “I-I don’t want to get my hopes up in case the dinner is a disaster, and really it’s not a date…”

“Rio, just go with the flow,” Patty advised. “You’re a wonderful person and if Maya doesn’t adore you, it’s her loss.”

“Thanks, Patty.” Rio gave her mentor a warm smile. Things were definitely looking up.

The day of the date soon arrived, and Rio was on cloud nine. Her outfit was dry cleaned and pressed and waiting in her office, her calendar was clear after five, and she had granted Maya’s request to have the day off to get ready. For their dinner. Their...not date that might actually be a date. She wasn’t sure. Still, she hadn’t been this excited in a long time.

Yet first, she had to work, and that included a work lunch with Chris Hemsworth.

She was just heading out when Sal ran at her, buzzing with excitement.

“You ready for a little meeting, buddy?”

Rio carried on walking. “I have a meeting. I have no idea what you’re doing.”

“I’m going to a meeting with you and Parker Finn right now,” Sal said as he chased her down the stairs.

“What? No, I’m not. I’m having lunch with Chris Hemsworth.”

“No, this was in your calendar,” Sal insisted.

“I’m sorry, Sal. Maybe Petra got her wires crossed or something. She’s still new, you know. It’s not an easy job. But I definitely have lunch plans with Chris Hemsworth.” Rio moved towards the exit, towards her car and the awaiting martinis and tapas with her third favourite Australian actor.

“We’re in the one-yard line with this movie,” Sal argued. “This guy needs five minutes of your time. Give me five minutes. You can still meet Hemsworth. We can get…”

“I’m sorry, Sal but I’m not falling behind today. I’m leaving at five. No later.”

“What? You got a date or something?”

“I have plans,” Rio stated firmly. “Just make my excuses, okay?”

She left Sal to it, and enjoyed her lunch with Chris, before rushing back to the office for her afternoon meeting with Owen Kline. Quinn met her to go meet him, and they were halfway down the stairs when Sal came running after them.

“Are you guys meeting Owen Kline?”

“Yep,” Rio answered.

“I’m going to join,” Sal insisted.

“Well, it’s kind of a preliminary meeting,” Quinn explained. “Sort of a get-to-know-you so…”

“I can’t wait to get to know him,” Sal insisted, and Rio sighed. This was going to be a long meeting.

Owen Kline seemed pretty cool. A little awkward but it didn’t help that Quinn and Sal were acting really fucking weird. Neither she nor Kline could get a word in edgeways. She looked at her watch. A few more hours she would be picking Maya up for her date, and everything would be great.

For now, she had to deal with this mess. And unfortunately, Sal and Quinn managed to get the director to walk out.

“Really guys?” She questioned. “You can’t treat talent like that!”

“But we were just…” Quinn began but Rio held up her hand to stop her.

“Enough. Deal with your shit somewhere else. Not here, and don’t use talent to try get the one up. We’re here to make good fucking movies not to swing our proverbial dicks around.”

Once they left, she sat on the edge of her desk. Be the head of the studio, they said. It would be a good opportunity, they said. At least she still had dinner to look forward to.

Maya lived in a nice $1.5 million 2-bedroom house in Hollywood Hills. Rio had been to a party there once when she first moved in, and while it wasn’t as big as her own house in Silver Lake, it had one of the best views she had ever seen. It also helped that it was Maya’s space, and so she had wanted to stay wrapped up in it forever.

Rio pulled up outside five minutes early and was about to go knock when the front door flew open and Maya emerged. She was wearing Burberry pants with an orange sweater vest tucked in and a white collared shirt underneath, all topped off with a lime green coat and a pair of white Adidas Gazelles, a tiny Luis Vuitton purse in her hand. Her hair was perfectly straight with fresh tints, and she also had a new (noticeably shorter) set of nails.

Maya climbed into the passenger seat, the smell of sweet perfume tickling Rio’s senses. And if that didn’t already make her dizzy, her dazzling smile did the trick.

“Looking fire, Vidal,” Maya commented, and Rio couldn’t help but blush.

“If I look fire, you look like an inferno.”

Maya laughed. “Come on, let’s go get dinner.”

The restaurant was a good choice. Rio seriously had to pat herself on the back. The view across the city was amazing, and the food looked delicious. Maya ordered a bottle of wine and the lobster, while Rio chose a vegan option and a lime soda.

“You’re not drinking?” Maya asked as she poured herself a glass of chenin blanc, and Rio shook her head.

“I’m driving.”

“Leave your car. We’ll get a cab.”

“No, I need to be in the office early. Sal reorganised our meeting with Parker Finn for just after nine.”

Maya made a look of disgust. “I’m sick of this slasher movie shit.”

Rio chuckled. “You’ve heard then?”

“How could I not? The fucking bickering. I wouldn’t care if the idea was actually lit, but slasher movies are so dry. Wink would have dope advertising potential, but Parker Finn remaking his own movie makes it an instant L. As for that Owen Kline, no pull whatsoever. No one likes artsy horrors unless they’re made from a diverse director…wait, is he gay?”

“I don’t know. It’s not something you ask in a getting-to-know-you meeting.”

Maya rolled her eyes. “Please, I would have known if I was there.”

“What? Is your gaydar that good?”

“I clocked you the moment I met you. Right before you spilt coffee on my limited-edition Nikes.”

Rio blushed deeply. “I did apologize for that.”

“But you didn’t replace them.”

“I had no money.”

“You do now.”

“I do,” Rio confirmed. “Do you still want them?”

Maya thought for a moment, before shaking her head. “Guess you’ll have to take me for dinner again instead.”

Rio grinned. “I can do that.”

“Good.” Maya took a sip of her wine. “So, let’s not talk work. Tell me something no one at work knows about you.”

Rio frowned. “That’s a hard one. Sal and Patty pretty much know everything about me, and Quinn to some degree.”

“But not everything,” Maya prompted. “Give me the smoking hot tea.”

Rio thought deeply. “It’s not very interesting but I tore my ACL playing basketball in college.”

Maya blinked. “Hold up, you played fucking basketball?”

“Yeah, didn’t you notice the hoop I had on the back of my office door for three years when I was an exec?”

“I just thought it was a stress thing. Please tell me you have pictures.”

Rio pulled out her phone. “Sure, I do.”

She pulled up some old match photos and swiped through them for Maya to see.

“Holy fucking shit.” Maya stared at the photos in awe. “You know, I’d have been all over that if we went to college together. I loved a sporty girl.”

“I wasn’t a sporty girl,” Rio insisted. “I was a loser, but I have long arms. The rest of the time, I was in my dorm watching movies.”

“So no wild parties then?”

“Okay, maybe a couple, but I wanted to graduate with high honours,” Rio admitted. “Then I moved out here with big dreams and ended up getting people coffee for years, until Patty finally saw something in me.”

“I’d have still liked you,” Maya insisted. “Turns out loser lesbians are my type.”

Rio blinked in surprise. “They are?”

Maya nodded. “My fatal floor. I could be married to a cool sapphic millionaire with a fucking yacht and a fleet of sports cars. But nope, I’m always gravitating to the awkward-looking loser.”

“Hey, I’m not that awkward anymore,” Rio insisted. “Or at least not all the time. And I don’t think a loser has the bank I have now.”

Maya just smiled. “To me, you’ll always be the loser that spilled Patty’s coffee.”

Before Rio could respond, EoO started playing from her pocket. With a sigh, she pulled her phone out of her blazer pocked. “It’s Sal. I better answer. It might be a work thing.”

Maya nodded in understanding, and Rio quickly picked up the call.

“Hey Sal. What’s up?”

“Hey dude. Just calling to see what your thoughts are on the direction of the slasher flick.”

“My thoughts on the slasher flick?” She looked to Maya who mimed for her to shut it down. “I have no thoughts until after the meeting tomorrow. Look, Sal. I gotta go, I…”

“I know you have a soft spot for Quinn and all but think about what’s best for the studio.”

“I don’t have a soft spot for Quinn.” Rio looked to Maya again, who mimed putting down the phone the old-school way. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, buddy. Okay?”

“Sure, but remember…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. 9:15. Parker Finn. I know. Okay, see you then Bye.” Rio ended the call and tossed her phone on the table. “It’s like my best friend and my former assistant have turned into arguing kids and I’m the responsible adult.”

“Welcome to management,” Maya raised her glass. “It fucking sucks.”

The rest of the date went smoothly. Rio told Maya all about her college basketball days, while Maya recounted her latest saga at SAKS. The food was amazing, too, and after sharing a dessert and ordering two rounds of drink after (Maya joined her in the club sodas), it was close to eleven, and they needed to head home.

Rio put on a driving playlist she had, and they drove back to Maya’s in a comfortable silence, watching the lights of the city fade away into the peaceful hillside neighbourhood, until eventually they pulled up in front of the house.

“Here we are,” Rio said with a smile. “Home sweet home.”

“Thanks.” Maya stole a glance at her front door before turning her attention back to Rio. “I had a pretty dope time tonight, Vidal.”

“Me too,” Rio agreed. “We should do it again.”

“We should.” Maya’s hand crept across the console and rested against Rio’s knee. “Do you fancy coming in for a nightcap?”

Rio swallowed sharply, her entire body suddenly on fire. “I, er, can’t drink. I’m driving.”

“You could crash here,” Maya offered, shifting closer. “I have a guest room. We can pick you out an outfit for work.”

Rio smirked. “You’ve thought this through, Ms Mason.”

Maya leaned over the centre console. “Why don’t we just not think?”

Rio did as she asked. She didn’t think about work, or life or even what would happen the next day. All she could think about was the way Maya was leaning in towards her, and how much she wanted to fucking kiss her.

Soon their lips were almost touching, the space between them getting smaller and smaller by the moment. They were almost there, almost meeting, when…

“Perreo, baby, sobeteo, baby. Tra-Tra, baby, hasta abajo, baby…”

Rio groaned and pulled back. “Shit, sorry.”

“Why is your ringtone Bad Bunny?” Maya asked in clear annoyance.

“My brother set it,” Rio explained as she reached for her phone. “He thinks it’s funny.”

When she looked at the ID, she saw it was Quinn. “Shit. Somethings happened. She never calls this late.”

“Put it on speaker,” Maya insisted, and Rio did as she was told.

“Hey Quinn, what’s up? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, sorry to ring you so late. I just want to confirm that the meeting tomorrow is at 9:15?”

Rio bit her lip as not to scream. Really?! Fucking really?!

“Yes, that’s right. Is that all?”

“No, can we talk more about Owen Kline? I think I…”

Maya leaned over and muted their side of the call, allowing Quinn to keep rambling.

“I’m going to leave you to it.” She pushed open the door and climbed out. “See you tomorrow, Vidal.”

“See you tomorrow,” Rio said sadly as the door shut between them. She watched her walk inside, her long hair glimmering in the streetlight. Hair she could have had her hands all up in if it wasn’t for these stupid fucking slasher films.

She really fucking hated her job sometimes.

“Rio?”

Rio sighed and unmuted the call. “Okay, Quinn, let’s talk this through.

Rio prepared herself for the Parker Finn meeting, trying her best to look like she’d gotten for that three hours sleep the night before.

She just kept playing the cat journey over and over in her head. Especially the moment. The almost kiss. Even then, as Parker Finn arrived and was shown into the conference room, it was all she could think about. Maya was all she could think about.

Fuck, she was down so bad.

She was so distracted that she didn’t pay much attention to the fact Sal was running late and simply said ‘see you later’ as Parker Finn decided he didn’t have time to stay. She couldn’t make him, after all, and if Sal didn’t care enough to show up for the meeting, why should any of them? She saw Quinn looking happy with herself as she walked to her office, already carrying a breakfast burrito that looked pretty damn good. Not as good as the food the night before though.

Perhaps it would have tasted even better on Maya’s lips.

Nope. Nope. She wasn’t thinking about that.

She was almost inside her office when she heard familiar voices arguing, looking down the stairs, she could see Sal, covered in what looked like chili, shouting with Quinn over something to do with a golfcart. Rio rolled her eyes and shut her office door behind her. She couldn’t deal with this shit.

She was walking to her desk when she saw Maya walking by, looking unreal as always. Their eyes met through the glass and Rio smiled, offering a little wave. Maya held her gaze for a moment before looking down and quickly making her way down the stairs.

Rio’s shoulders slumped. That wasn’t good.

She was about to go after her when Patty came rushing into the office.

“The Netflix production are two days behind schedule, and I’ve heard the board is pissed with Griffin,” she

Rio moved to sit at her desk. “So, what’s our next move?”

“We’re both going to be super helpful and make it known how much of an inconvenience it is for us. Makes us look great and him look even worse.”

“Good plan.” Rio checked her phone. Maya hadn’t contacted her all morning, not even over work email which was unusual as she normally had at least five by that time.

“Hey,” Patty sat in the chair opposite her. “What’s wrong?”

Of course Patty knew something wasn’t right.

“I don’t know,” Rio admitted. “I…Maya and I almost kissed last night, and now this morning she’s avoiding me.”

“Huh.” Patty thought for a moment. “She may just be shy…”

Rio raised her eyebrows. “Maya? Shy? Really?”

Patty sighed. “Alright, but…just don’t worry. You put yourself out there. If she’s decided to back off, don’t let it hold you back. Go on dates with other people.”

Rio put her head on her desk. “That’s the problem. It never works. Ever since I met her, no matter how hard I try or how awesome they are, no one even comes close. It’s like my brain has locked in and I can’t get out.”

“You’ve just got to keep trying,” Patty insisted. “I want you to be happy, Rio. Find someone, have a family. God knows the rest of us fucked it up, but your hearts too big to waste.”

“I’ll think about it,” Rio offered. “I just want to hold out a little longer.”

Patty gave her a sad smile. “Like I said the other day, if Maya doesn’t see how great you are, it’s her loss.”

Rio forced a smile and nodded, though really, it felt more like her loss.

Her phone rang and she sighed. “I need to change that fucking ringtone.”

“Who is it?”

Rio checked and frowned. “It’s one of the stage managers.” She picked up the call. “Hey, what’s up?….Wait, WHAT?!”

Two days later, Rio was stuck in a meeting with the legal team.

“Well, no one got seriously hurt, so that’s good.”

“That’s great,” Sal insisted with a big grin, but Rio wasn’t as chipper.

“Yeah, thank God for that.”

“But Netflix needs to investigate the accident to get insurance to cover the damages,” one of the lawyers stipulated.

“Well, who caused the accident?” Rio asked.

“We don’t know who caused it,” another answered. “But we do know what. A quesarito.”

The woman held up the evidence, the food pretty smashed up but identifiable.

“I thought it was a burrito,” someone mumbled.

“A quesarito is a type of burrito.”

“Why wouldn’t you just say burrito?”

“I was being specific. Do you want to run this meeting, John?”

“Hey,” Rio interrupted. “I don’t give a fuck about any of that. Just tell me how this caused the accident, please.”

“So, this quesarito hit an AD driving a golf cart in the face, causing him to crash into the set.”

Rio frowned. “Why would someone throw a burrito in an assistant director’s face?”

“Great question.” The head of HR emerged from the shadows. “HR will be handling things from here on out. If it was an accident, it’ll slide. But if it wasn’t, well, that’s another story.”

“Well the important thing is no one got hurt,” Sal argued. “So it kind of doesn’t matter.”

“It matters,” Rio insisted. “Especially if I have to fire somebody over this. I have a zero-tolerance policy for violence, and burrito-throwing comes under that.”

“It feels like an accident though,” Sal quickly added as they both headed for the door.

“But if it’s not, we need to know who did it,” Rio insisted as they left HR and legal to do their thing.

“I need this to get sorted,” she told Sal as she walked towards her office. “And no more bullshit with Quinn. I mean it Sal.”

“No more bullshit,” Sal assured as she edged towards the stairs. “I’ll go talk to her now.”

Rio watched him rush off and shook her head. She’d be glad when things got back to normal.

“Petra,” she said on the way into her office. “Don’t add any more meetings to my calendar. I want an easy day.”

“Yes, but Rio you have a…”

“Just try push it,” Rio said dismissively. “I’m here but also not here.”

“Yes, but…”

“Thanks, Petra. You’re doing a great jo-”

She walked into her office and froze.

Maya was stood by her desk, wearing all camouflage print and, from the shoes up to the cap, her hair in a long plat over her shoulder.

“Hey,” Rio said as she shut the door behind her. “You okay?”

“Me? I’m great. Lit AF.”

“Right.” Rio moved to sit behind her desk. “So, what can I help you with?”

Maya didn’t sit, which told Rio all she needed to know. Still, she wanted to hear her say it. For closure.

“Look, I’ve been thinking, and I think maybe we shouldn’t go out for dinner again. We work together and I don’t want to fuck anything up that’ll affect our jobs. And I don’t want things to get awkward between us either, so I think we should just stop before it goes any further.”

Maya’s words weren’t as harsh as she had expected, but they still stung. They were understandable though. They’d both worked too hard to get where they were to potentially throw it away over an office romance. Especially when Rio had co-scheming to do on the side.

She leaned back in her chair and bit back a smirk. “You know, I think that’s the longest you’ve gone without using Gen Z slang.”

Rio saw Maya’s shoulders relax. “So, we’re cool, yeah?”

“We’re cool,” Rio assured. “I did enjoy our dinner though.”

“Me too,” Maya admitted. “So I heard I don’t have to worry about those fucking slasher flicks anymore?”

“As you would say, Sal and Quinn decided to take the L.”

That made Maya laugh. “Well, I count that as a W for me. Now, if you get me a good diverse horror…”

Rio chuckled and shook her head. “Next time I think about greenlighting a horror, I’ll let you know first.”

“Good.” Maya walked towards the door, only to turn and shoot her a peace sign. “See you later, Vidal.”

“See you, Mason.”

Once the door shut and Rio was alone again, she pulled out her phone. She guessed it was time for her to take Patty’s advice. She didn’t want to be alone forever, and if Maya wasn’t the one, she’d have to start searching.

There was a knock on the door and Quinn entered, a big grin on her face. “Hey, boss. Sal has given me his parking spot, so you don’t have to find me one now.”

“How did you convince him to do that?”

“Just being my charming self,” Quinn joked before clearing her throat. “I’m sorry about the whole slasher movie thing. Sal and I realise now we’re being super dicks about it.”

“Honestly, I’m just glad it’s over so we can move on,” Rio assured, before taking a moment of consideration. “Hey Quinn, can we talk woman to woman for a second?”

“Sure.” Quinn eyed her cautiously as she sat down. “What’s up?”

“I’m trying to get out there. You know, with dating. What apps are best to use?”

“Either Raya or Hinge, I’d say.” Quinn moved her chair around the desk. “I’ll help you set it up.”

Rio gave her a thankful smile and followed Quinn’s instructions.

Maybe this would be a good thing. A new beginning.