“Hey, don’t fall asleep on me,” Mark called to her from the living room.
“I’m good.” Jesse waved him off. She reached into one of her cabinets, took down two wine glasses and the wine opener from a drawer, then moved into the living room with Mark.
“Do you have the movie?” Mark asked.
“Oh,” Jesse blinked. “Yeah, I’ll go grab it; you pour the wine.”
Mark nodded, took the items from her and set to work as she moved back across the room to get into her bag. She took out the small sleeve, returned to her television and slid the disk into the DVD player before being greeted by a menu screen.
“Here, come sit down!” Mark said excitedly from behind her. He had obviously been busy, as all the food they had bought was already neatly arranged on the coffee table in front of them.
“I’ll go make the popcorn real quick,” he said.
As Mark went about his task in the kitchen, Jesse went ahead and sat down in the living room, grabbing the blanket she kept thrown over the back of the couch. She wrapped it about herself and snuggled into the couch, waiting patiently for Mark to return.
He did so in short order, returning with a bowl full of popcorn. The scent rose up through the air and filled Jesse’s nostrils. She sat up and immediately took a handful out of the bowl.
“Hey,” Mark scolded her, frowning. “Don’t eat it all before the movie even starts!”
“Well, start the movie then!” she countered, throwing a piece of the popcorn at him. Mark swatted at her playfully, but then picked up the remote and pressed the play button.
Chapter 4
Jesse watched every minute of the movie with the utmost attention. Of course, she sipped at the wine and at the various snacks they had bought, but for the most part, her eyes and ears were glued to the screen. Fortunately, it wasn’t hard to focus.
Just as the critics had claimed, the movie was an absolute masterpiece. The music was truly artful, and the cinematography was on a level that no film had ever even aspired to before.
The plot was absolutely heart-wrenching. It was extremely relatable, and it highlighted the various struggles that people with mental disorders face. It almost painfully illustrated the difficulties that occur in what would seem to anyone else to be just an ordinary day. There was minimal dialogue, and it allowed each individual viewer to essentially interpret the movie in their own way.
But the best part of the movie by far was Hal Roberts’ acting. Though he was known for his roles in action and drama movies, this role showed him in a completely new light. He was sensitive and raw, and each shot of him seemed to be dramatic and climactic all at once. It was hard to remember that in real life, he was a very successful, and very rich man.
The movie was an emotional rollercoaster, as the main character slowly succumbed to his disease, unable to find the help that he needed due to a lack of understanding support from those closest to him. The movie ended on an ambiguous note, with no real conclusion. It was as if the life of the character would continue. Watching the movie was like you had met an actual person and had to leave them before you got any real closure.
At the end of the film, the screen went black. There were not even any credits.
Mark and Jesse stared at the dark screen in silence for quite a while, at a loss for what to say. It was obvious that they had both been profoundly moved and changed by the film. Silently, Jesse moved across the room, turned off the television, and took the disk from the DVD player. She slid the DVD into its sleeve and returned it to her bag so she could give it back to Elaine the next day when she turned in her interview questions.
Jesse returned to the living room, began gathering up the remains and trash that had amassed on her coffee table, and Mark rose to help her. Together, they cleaned up the living room, and then poured themselves each another glass of wine, finishing up the bottle as they sat on the couch.
“I know they said it was good,” Mark said softly, still lost in thought. “But you really can’t understand it until you see it for yourself.”
“Yeah,” Jesse said quietly.
The friends sat beside one another for a little while longer. As Mark finished his glass of wine, he stood up from his place on the couch.
“I think I’m going to head home,” he said.
“Okay,” Jesse answered, rising and giving her friend a tight hug.
“Thanks for coming over,” she said as she walked him over to the door.
“Thanks for having me,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“See you,” Jesse gave him a small smile as he left, then closed the door behind him.
As soon as the door closed, Jesse let out a pent up breath and ran her hand over her face. She was still absolutely numb from the movie. The longer she dwelled on it, though, the more questions began to enter her mind. She took her small laptop out of her bag and moved back over to the couch.
She immediately began typing up a document full of her questions. Not only did she have questions about the production of the movie—she had questions about Hal Roberts himself. Until this movie came out, nobody had any idea that he was capable of such depth, and even genius. This was arguably one of the greatest films in history, and he had yet to say a single word about it.
Jesse suddenly felt the pressure of her situation fully weigh on her. She would be giving voice to the mind of the creator of this enormous work. She somehow found herself very nervous at the idea of being in the same room as him. Even so, she knew that she had a job to do, and she would certainly do it.
Jesse finished writing up all her questions and printed them out. She put them in a file folder and made them ready to hand into Elaine when she went to her office early the next morning. She also sent them over email in an attachment. She was nervous to hear what Elaine would have to say about her choice of questions, and if she would think they were overly invasive or not invasive enough. Jesse had put all manner of questions on the paper, so Elaine certainly had a range of things that she could potentially complain about.
Still, at least Jesse had done what the woman had asked. Now, she found herself incredibly tired. She closed her laptop, left it on her coffee table to charge, and then went through the process of getting herself ready for bed. Jesse stripped out of her clothes and tossed them into the hamper in her bathroom, then turned on the water to heat it up.
Once the temperature of the water was to her liking, Jesse got in and went through the process of bathing. She shampooed and conditioned her hair, then washed her face and body. All the while, she let the hot water run over her body and soothe some of the tension that had built up over the day.
When she was rinsed off, she turned off the water and grabbed a towel from the rack just outside the shower curtain. She scrubbed at her hair with it, getting all the residual droplets out of the way before she toweled off her body. When she was largely dry, she wrapped up her hair in the towel and then applied lotion all over her skin.
She put on an oversized T-shirt and took the towel off her head, then combed through her hair and braided it so that it wouldn’t tangle in her sleep. She felt her eyes begin to droop as she pulled back the covers of her bed. She nestled herself onto her soft mattress and looked through a few things on her phone, being sure to set her alarm and plug it in to charge. Finally, content that she was finally finished with all she had to accomplish, she allowed herself to drift off into sleep.
Jesse’s alarm rang in the morning, and she hastily turned it off. She blinked several times and stretched, then rubbed a hand over her face. Finally, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up, wandering over to her drawers to pick out a set of clothes she could run in. Finally settling on a pair of shorts and a racer top, she dressed herself. She took up her phone and headphones, putting on a playlist of random songs she liked.
Jesse took the elevator down to the street level, and once outside, commenced her run. She enjoyed starting her day off with a good run, it allo
wed her mind to wander, and she went through a mental list of all the various things that needed to be accomplished within the day. She felt a layer of sweat form over her skin and reveled in the sensation of her blood pumping fast and hard through her body.
Her runs were certainly hard, but they energized her, and she felt like they gave her just the sort of boost that was needed to start her day. When she reached her half distance, Jesse turned and ran back to her apartment, finding her breathing was a bit labored as she took the elevator back up to her home. Once inside, she stripped and tossed her clothes into the hamper, then took a quick shower, keeping her hair up so that it would stay dry.
When she was clean, Jesse selected an outfit for the day, a pair of black slacks and a yellow blouse with some black flats. She dressed well, but not extravagantly like some of the women she worked with. She preferred to keep things simple and not worry about her appearance so much in favor of putting more thought into her job.
When she was dressed, Jesse brushed on a light layer of makeup and gathered up her laptop and some of the other things that were needed for her day at work. When she was ready, she stepped out of her apartment and locked the door behind her, stepping over to Mark’s door and knocking.
“Just a second!” Jesse heard Mark shout through the door, and she leaned against the frame while waiting for him.
It did not take him long to step out, and they headed down the hall together before riding the elevator to the street level. Then they began to trek over to the office. Along the way, they stopped at a small coffee shop to get their caffeine fix before starting their day.
“How was the rest of your night?” Mark asked as they got their drinks.
“Pretty full,” Jesse answered. “I typed out all the questions for the interview and sent them over to Elaine.”
“Oh good.” Mark nodded.
“How was yours?” Jesse asked.
“It was actually really good,” Mark said brightly. “Tony and I made up.”
“Oh, that’s great!” Jesse said. “How did that go?”
“Well, he came home after work and apologized, and then so did I, and we talked everything through,” Mark explained. “Pretty much just like it always goes.”
Jesse nodded and smiled. She had no idea what the fight was about but was surely glad that it had gotten resolved.
When the two friends finished their drinks, they proceeded down the street until they arrived at their office. The pair greeted their coworkers as they all began to filter in, each of them getting ready for their work for the day. Jesse and Mark were headed toward the elevator, along with another group of their coworkers.
“Jesse!” Jesse heard Elaine’s voice from behind her and immediately turned with wide eyes to see her boss coming toward her.
“Yes?” Jesse asked, feeling nerves creep over her body.
“I got your questions last night,” she said, her voice taking on its usually crisp and cheery quality. “Why don’t you come into my office with me right now, and we can have a small chat.”
“Of course,” Jesse said. She knew that it was a direction, not a request.
Jesse looked over at Mark, somewhat worried, and he gave her an encouraging smile. Jesse took a breath and then followed Elaine.
Chapter 5
The older woman led her once again into her office and gestured toward her desk. Jesse sat and waited for Elaine to get herself situated. When she was finally seated, Elaine looked over at Jesse and gave her a smile.
“I have to say,” Elaine said, “I was very impressed with your questions.”
“Thank you,” Jesse returned, her nerves escalating.
“I couldn’t think of anything I would add to them ...” Elaine sighed and shook her head. “Who knows? Maybe I’m just losing my touch.”
Jesse was not bold enough to make any comment on that statement.
“Anyway,” Elaine waved off the last words. “I wanted to go ahead with the interview as soon as possible, so I made a few calls, and managed, as usual, to strike oil. So, your interview with Mr. Roberts will be tomorrow at nine-thirty, over in one of our smaller conference rooms.”
Jesse had to work to keep from letting her jaw drop, feeling her stomach clench as nerves overwhelmed her. She had no idea that the interview would be so soon. A part of her wanted to protest and insist that she needed more time to prepare. Deep down, though, she knew such a request would be pointless and didn’t want to let Elaine think that she was not up for this task.
“Jesse?” Elaine said, and Jesse blinked, snapping back to attention.
“Yes?” Jesse asked, once more giving her boss her full attention.
“Does that interview time work for you?” Elaine asked, raising one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows.
“Yes, of course,” Jesse confirmed with a nod. “I’ll put it in my calendar as soon as I get to my desk.”
“Perfect.” Elaine smiled smoothly. “I’ll send you an email regarding which conference room you’ll be using probably within the hour so you can know where you’ll be holding the interview.”
“Alright, thank you.” Jesse nodded.
“I know you’ve conducted interviews before,” Elaine said, her tone slightly odd. “But I don’t think you’ve ever interviewed someone of this status, correct?”
“No, I haven’t,” Jesse admitted, a flare of nerves jolting through her again.
“Well,” Elaine sighed. “There’s a first time for everything. Just act like you’ve done this a million times. Fake it till you make it, right?”
“Right,” Jesse nodded, swallowing and trying to keep from shaking with the force of her nerves.
“Good girl.” Elaine smiled at her. “Well, I think that’s about everything I have for you. I’ll send you that email, of course. You can go ahead and go.”
“Thank you.” Jesse stood and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. Elaine turned away from her, and Jesse took that as her opportunity to leave.
No sooner had Jesse left the office than she picked up her phone and dialed Mark’s number.
“Hello?” she heard her friend’s eager voice after the first ring.
“I need to talk to you,” Jesse said, her voice strained with the force of her anxiety.
“Okay, come up to my office,” Mark immediately offered.
“Okay, be right there,” Jesse said and hastily hung up the phone. She moved through the building hurriedly until finally arriving at her friend’s door.
Mark looked up as soon as he saw her in the doorway.
“What happened?” he asked as soon as he saw her, standing up and moving to close the door behind her, securely locking it.
“The interview is tomorrow,” Jesse said, her face revealing the shock she was in.
“Tomorrow?” Mark repeated, every ounce as taken aback. Jesse could only nod numbly as silence stretched between the two of them.
“I don’t even know what to say.” Mark shook his head. “Are you ready for it?”
“Of course not,” Jesse let out a strained laugh. “I thought I would have at least a week to get ready for this!”
Jesse braced her hands on the edge of Mark’s desk and took in several deep breaths as she tried to collect herself. She felt Mark’s hand on her back rubbing slowly up and down. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing thoughts.
“Come on Jesse,” Mark said softly. “I know you can do this. You’ve done interviews before.”
“Sure,” Jesse scoffed. “But this is Hal Roberts.”
“So what?” Mark scoffed in return. “You’re Jesse Clarke.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.” Jesse shook her head and ran a hand over her face.
“Not yet,” Mark said firmly. “But this interview could be the very interview that starts off the rest of your career. People will know your name after this.”
Somehow, that knowledge didn’t make Jesse feel any better. If anything, it only made her feel even more nervous.
&nbs
p; “What if I mess it all up?” Jesse said, her voice soft and shaky.
“You have never messed up anything in your life,” Mark said with certainty.
Jesse could only swallow drily. She knew that Mark was being very logical, but somehow his rationality was not helping her in the least. Somehow, she could not get over her own fears and insecurities. She felt his hand on her shoulder, massaging her gently, and she once again tried to keep herself calm.
“Jesse,” Mark said firmly, turning her to face him. Jesse looked up into his eyes, hoping to finally find a measure of comfort.
“You can do this,” Mark said, a faint smile on his face. “I know it’s a big step, but it’s definitely one that you have to take. This is how people become successful—by doing things that make them nervous. And that’s why some people never make a name for themselves because they can’t get past their fears. Don’t let yourself be the inhibitor to your own success.”
Jesse heard all the sense in his words and felt herself calm exponentially. This was something she had wanted her whole life, and she knew that now, it was finally close at hand. A chance like this one was rare for anyone, and she had gotten it. She knew there were other people in this very office who would be madly jealous of the opportunity she had been given. She knew, also, that there was certainly someone just waiting for her to fail.
Jesse knew that eyes were on her, and she was going to really have to succeed. She knew that this was the time to gather up all her fortitude and push through to finish strong. Suddenly, she felt stronger and knew that she had to succeed in this area, for the sake of the rest of her career.
Besides, if there was anyone she knew that was capable of doing this, it was her. She was smart and competent. She knew how to spin words and also knew that she could write an article that would serve to push her own name into the spotlight, as well as grant insight to the most incredible film of their time.
“You know,” Jesse said, “you’re right.”
Bedroom Rodeo: A Billionaire Romance Page 37