Awkward
Rome stared at him for a second, trying to determine how best to handle the question. He’d given enough thought to the topic to occupy a week’s worth of time and still hadn’t come up with the best way to answer. So… he decided to go with the same hint of amusement he saw on the host’s face. “I am,” he said, barely letting a grin show. “Let’s just say this is a sudden change of direction for me.”
“I should say so,” Cliff said, the smile no longer hiding. “From what we’re hearing, this new film, Cop with a Side of Robot, is so far from your last work, one would have to take an airplane or two to reach it, no?”
Keeping a smug smile on his face, Rome shrugged. “I think that’s one way you could put it,” he said with a soft chuckle. “But I had some personal reasons for making this particular film.”
“Oh? What would those be?” Cliff propped his head on his elbow, leaning on his desk, a look of genuine interest on his face.
Rome cleared his throat, what seemed like a correct answer coming to him unexpectedly. After all of the hours he’d spent trying to come up with a reason he could use to explain why he would make such an unusual professional choice. He dropped his eyes and concentrated for a moment on how he would feel if he had actually lost his wife the year before, and immediately, an overwhelming sadness overtook him. “The producer, Henry Caron,” he began, keeping his voice soft and just on the edge of control, “was a good friend of my late wife’s.” He took a deep breath, and a hush fell over the entire audience. “When Henry purchased the production company from my parents, I knew it was because he, like myself, hoped to make an amends between two warring families because Ella deserves to have something positive come of her death. While it has done nothing to bring the Sinders and Veronas together, Henry reaching out to me and asking me to make this movie with him has been an olive branch of sorts, one I can respect. Perhaps the script is a little odd, and while I will admit it would’ve been cool to work on one of his superhero flicks instead, I respect his efforts. If he asks me to make another movie, I will. It’s the least I can do to support someone who’s put forth so much effort in making sure my wife’s memory lives on.”
By the time he was finished speaking, Rome had tears in his eyes, and he almost believed the line of bullshit himself. Of course, he had given Henry far too much credit since none of what he’d said was actually true. But… it was the only way he could publicly acknowledge his own decision to make such an awful movie without making himself look foolish for not recognizing he had committed career suicide.
The scheme seemed to work. A hush had fallen over the crowd. Cliff was staring at him, his mouth slightly agape, his eyes also glistening with unshed tears. It took a moment after Rome had ended his confession for the professional host to speak. When he did, the admiration exuded from each word was evident. “That’s… unbelievable, Rome,” he began. “Never have I heard of such a thing. To think, you were willing to take on a project that’s gotten nothing but… questionable reviews in the media, to say the least… all for the sake of your late wife. Really, that’s to be commended. Surely, Mr. Caron will choose a better script for you, should the two of you collaborate on another project. I am sure there’s a lady or two in our audience who would love to see you in superhero spandex.”
With that remark, the audience exploded with clapping and a few catcalls. Rome felt his face turning bright red, false humility shining through to make him more relatable. “Playing a superhero would be a dream come true,” Rome said with an innocent shrug.
“I wish we had more time to chat,” Cliff said, wrapping up the segment. “It’s always a pleasure to speak to you, Rome.”
Even though this was his first appearance on the show, Rome didn’t point that out. “Likewise. Thanks so much for having me,” Rome said with a smile.
“Ladies and gentlemen, despite what you might hear from reviewers, go see Cop with a Side of Robot when it debuts in theaters in a few months. Let’s have another round of applause for Rome Verona!” Cliff leapt to his feet, clapping adamantly, as did the rest of the crowd.
The humility that washed over Rome now was not an act. He hadn’t been expecting that. He stood, giving the crowd a wave and then turned to shake Cliff’s hand. The interview hadn’t gone anything like what he’d imagined. It had gone even better. It would be nearly impossible for Henry to deny what Rome had just claimed to be his true reasoning for casting him in his current horrific movie, and he’d have to try harder to get Rome a better script for the next go around. Beyond that, whether Ella’s plan worked or not, Henry was in a precarious position from here on out because the world would expect Henry to know more about how to cast a star, a friend, the mourning husband of a lost friend, in a film that actually worked.
As Rome left the stage, he pictured Henry’s face the first time a reporter asked him about Rome’s confession, saw him seething just beneath the surface, trying to hide it. But Henry was no actor. He’d have to find a way to convince the world that what Rome said was true, or else Henry Caron would show everyone that he truly was the ass Rome and Ella knew him to be, and then no amount of star power could save his production company.
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