Secrets Of The Alpha: (BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) (His Secrets Series Book 1) (4 page)

Chapter 3

Over the next few weeks things had turned out better than I hoped. There were no late night alarms and shattering glass to wake up to. Everything was normal, thank goodness. And the more I stayed at the Muse mansion, the more I came to understand what Vincent Muse was all about. I should have known that he was one of those big shot Hollywood players the minute I first walked into his house. But it took a lot more than just being in his house. Over time, he invited me to his screening room a number of times. At first I wondered why he always called me for animation movie. I mean, the man had a screening room in his house. You would think that he would have called me for something more interesting, like
Kill Bill
or
The Godfather
, stuff that made me hold on to the edge of my seat but no, it was animation.

At first, I had wondered why he was always so bent on asking me about the likes of Nemo and Shrek. I wanted to ask why he was so obsessed with kids’ stuff, but I figured that it was not really my place to do so. I mean, some men liked sleeping with their maids and some liked watching kid shows with their maids. It was not my place. It took almost six weeks before I finally came to know and understand his ‘obsession.’ Animation was his business. It was people like him who were behind such great films as
Lion King
and
Finding Nemo
.

It was on a Thursday morning when Vincent walked into the laundry room, where I was doing the ironing. He flashed me a smile and I looked at him almost surprised.

“Did you remember my meeting today?” he asked. I nodded.

“Everything is set up in the dining room,” I said. He shook his head.

“Today, that’s a board room, Winnie,” he said before he walked away.

“I’ll bring more stuff in soon,” I called out.

“Looking forward to it,” he said as he made his way down the hall.

I smiled to myself as I went on busying myself in the laundry room. I wasn’t sure how long I had been in the laundry room before I heard my phone alarm went off. I reached into my pocket and pulled it out and sighed. It was time to play hostess to Vincent’s meeting. I quickly emptied the drier and set the laundry basket on the counter before I unplugged the iron. I then quickly made my way to the kitchen, where I had a pitcher of lemonade prepared. I also had made some snacks for Vincent’s meeting, which was now almost beginning. I had most of the snacks on the table where he was having the meeting, but the lemonade had to be cold. I carried the pitcher in one hand and a plate of samosas in the other.

I was a little skeptical of the samosas. I was not sure if Vincent’s people would like them, but I had chosen to go ahead and make them anyway since he was not specific on what kind of snacks he wanted. I thought that something foreign would be a great way to break the monotony of the biscuits and mini-sandwiches. I placed the plate right in the middle of the table. I was just about to walk out when I noticed Vincent looking at me, gesturing that they were ready for tea. I walked to one end of the table where I had placed the tea.

“Everyone, I’d like to introduce Nathan Hughes. He is a new intern at the production company,” Vincent said as I began placing cups in front of everyone seated around the table. “Nathan, this is Calvin Harris, Joel McHale, Riley Carson and of course, you know me,” Vincent said. Nathan smiled at him. “Nathan here was brought on board by Nick Dale. You guys all know Nick,” he added, gesturing to the quietest person at the table.

“Good morning, everyone,” Nathan said.

“That’s Winnie Campbell,” Vincent then said, catching me completely off guard. I looked up and he was smiling at me. I shyly smiled back.

“Aren’t you a little young to be in production? I mean, looking at you I would probably peg you as an assistant on a set somewhere,” Calvin said, completely ignoring my two seconds of glory.

“Yeah, Hughes. This is not your area of expertise,” Nick pointed out almost too rudely. “Maybe running around making copies and delivering scripts is more your area?” he asked. I would have expected for Nathan to lash out but he just smiled politely. I noticed Nick and Calvin share a quick smile.

“I know production is interesting but you are playing in the big leagues right now. Maybe you should stick to your sets right now,” Calvin said dismissively.

“Most people usually suggest for me to do so. I don’t blame you,” Nathan said lightly.

Kudos for making light of an almost impossibly uncomfortable situation,
I thought to myself. I noticed the look on Nick’s face. It was almost like he hated the very idea that Nathan was breathing the same air as he was.

“If it’s not too much to ask Mr. Muse, there is an idea I had in mind that would prove to be the next big thing,” Nathan said. Nick and Calvin looked at each other before they looked at him.

“Hughes, you do realize that you are literally in the Super Bowl of animation production, right?” Calvin asked.

“With all due respect, I do but…”

“Hughes, you haven’t even been drafted yet,” Nick said. I was getting fed up with all the football analogies.

“Gentlemen, all I need is a few minutes of your time.” Nathan was persistent.

“Nathan, this is not the time or place,” Nick pointed out. This time, the threat in his voice was imminent.

“But I believe that the idea I have will….” Nathan never got a chance to finish what he was saying.

“Hughes! You better shut up of you still want to keep your job!” Nick yelled.

“Hey, hold up, Dale. No one is getting fired today. At the very least not for speaking their mind,” Vincent said. I sighed and saw Nathan smile in gratitude. “Now, this is what I was thinking. A little cub lost in the wild…or a calf. Maybe an elephant or hyena.” Vincent began.

“Elephants would be a great idea because of the obvious ivory trade, but a hyena?” Joel asked.

“Why not? It’s an animal that no one ever thinks to talk about. I mean seriously, is there an animation movie ever made with a hyena as a character?” Vincent asked. I shrugged.

Animations are not my thing but maybe he has a point,
I thought as I went round pouring tea into the cups I had set.

“Something new is what we really need, Vincent, and what you are suggesting is merely a remake of Finding Nemo and honestly…” one of the people around the table started as he shook his head. “Nemo was already found,” he concluded, laughing cynically.

I looked at him and almost flung a cup at him. He was trying to make it sound like what Vincent had suggested wasn’t worth anything and, speaking from a point of view of someone who had sat down to watch one of the shows produced by the great Vincent Muse, I thought the world could most definitely use another animation of a lost animal.

“But Calvin, this wouldn’t be another
Finding Nemo.
There are a number of lost puppy films out there. And they are all great. I am merely suggesting another perspective. Taking an animal that is greatly looked down upon and painting a different picture,” Vincent explained.

“I’m all for the idea of getting a different animal, but why for God’s sake would you choose a hyena? There are so many cuter animals out there,” the same Calvin said.

At this point, I was getting worked up with this Calvin character. It’s like he didn’t have anything good to say about anything Vincent suggested. By the time I finished serving, they were all in some kind of heated argument about what animal should have been the subject of Vincent’s new project. As I walked around the table serving the biscuits, I had to restrain myself from dropping the trays on Calvin and Joel’s heads. They kept shooting down every idea Vincent had.

Some business partners these guys are,
I thought as I looked at them. I had just finished passing round the biscuits when Riley looked up at me.

“I think I want to try that right there,” he said pointing to the plate of samosas. I smiled and passed the plate to him. He took one and looked up at me as If he was not sure what he was in for. “Spicy or…” he asked shaking his head.

“Just mildly,” I said as I looked at him. Riley bit into it and from his expression, I was suddenly not so skeptical.

“Damn,” he said as he bit into it again.

“I think I’ll have that too,” Calvin said.

Now I really wish I had spiced them up,
I thought as I walked round to where he was. I ended up passing the plate round the table.
Maybe I should have made more,
I thought as I began walking away.

“You know this shit will never work right?” Calvin whispered to Joel. I almost stopped to look at them.

“Yeah, but what are we supposed to do? He
is
the big boss here,” Joel whispered back

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes as I walked away. I got more sandwiches and walked back to the table to replenish the almost empty sandwich plate.

“May I say something?” Nathan suddenly said as he got up. Everyone’s attention turned to him “Hughes, you are skating on very thin ice right now.”

Nick had a look in his eyes that would have defrosted an ice cube. I looked at Vincent, as was everyone around the table.

“Maybe what we really need is a fresh take on things and possibly Nathan Hughes here is exactly what we need,” Vincent said as he looked at Nathan.

“I think what Mr. Muse here is suggesting is a very good idea. It’s kind of like Disney cornering the African American demographic with Princess Tiana. Maybe we can create a niche with a movie set somewhere else other than the US. ”

“You do realize that Disney already beat us to that with The Lion King? African lions and all?” Nick asked. There was a condescending tone in his voice.

But it was like Vincent had taken a liking to Nathan because even with the patronizing comments from Nick and Calvin, Vincent had a smile on his face. I could tell that he was impressed. The new guy was not only stepping up but he was also living proof that he didn’t have to be in the industry for so long to having an equally creative mind.

“I like how you think,” Vincent said with a smile.

I like how you think too,
I thought as I put more sandwiches on the plate on the table.

“It’s all about tapping into a new market. A new and ready market,” Nathan went on. “Because the truth is that there is a whole new division of the industry yet to be explored. The greatest names out there…James Cameron, Quentin Tarrantino, they all became great by doing the unthinkable and maybe that is what we really need right now.” Nathan looked around the table. Everyone was quiet. Everyone was waiting to hear what the big boss would say.

“But that would be like reinventing the wheel. Which – by the way – is totally unnecessary,” Calvin pointed out.

“Not reinventing: Improving,” Nathan said. “And if someone had not thought of improving the wheel, we probably wouldn’t have the rubber tires that we pride ourselves so much on,” he added. Vincent smiled.

“And we wouldn’t have the biggest brand names in the industry. Mercedes, Buick, Ferrari.” He said nodding knowingly.

“Vehicles run on engines though,” Joel said matter-of-factly.

“Yes, but without the tires on which they sit on, vehicles would be idly sitting in garages, now wouldn’t they?” Vincent pointed out.

I smiled as I walked away.
Good guys, two; bad guy,s nil.
The meeting took another two hours before it was concluded. I had been busying myself in the kitchen, so I didn’t really know how everything ended. I was just putting in the dinner I had prepared in the oven when I saw the men walking out. I walked to the table they were in and began clearing it. Nathan had stayed back with Vincent and the two seemed to be engrossed in a rather long conversation.

“Why don’t you join me for dinner?” I heard Vincent ask Nathan when I walked in to clear the table. “I would love to hear more ideas you have.”