Days in the Sun- AU series part 2/10

[guavejuice]

Banner:urugwajThank you SOOO much!!!

Author"guavejuice
Pairing:Brian/Justin
Other characters:Ted, Emmett
Alternate POV's (Brian/Justin)
Beta:Kim predec2 Can't thank you enough!!!
A/N:
This is NOT a WIP.
Click here to read previous episodes.
Disclaimer:I own nothing but this story.
Comments are love


Part 2

-Three years later-

First day back from summer hiatus, SchmidtCut offices, Hollywood, California.

Justin's POV

"Welcome back, everybody!" Emmett greets us enthusiastically we all shuffle inside his and Ted's spacious office, which has had quite a few renovations since I first arrived here three years ago. Fuck, I can't believe I've been a cast member here for that long.

We all smile at each other as we nibble on the canapés that are placed on the long, oval conference table and chat about what we've all been up to during our six weeks’ break.

It's great to be back, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping for a bit more character development for my character this season. Ted and Emmett have been really kind and generous to me the whole time I have been here, but I feel like they've been keeping me here mostly as the poster image of this young, rich kid who happens to be very pleasing on the eye. This guy I play – Max – seems to have a rather limited array of activities which consists mainly of lying shirtless by the pool at his rich parents’ mansion , doing pushups at the local gym with his former high school buddies, or flirting occasionally with girls at the local café which is owned by his family. One of those girls is Joslyn Fox, played by a lovely young actress named Rachel. Joslyn is this self-centered rich girl, pretty much a female version of Max, but Rachel is nothing like her in real life. In the script Joslyn makes a point to declare every two minutes that she has promised herself she won't go 'all the way' with any guy until her wedding day, which is a part of the plot in the storyline that I'm most grateful for, but it doesn't mean I'm perfectly at ease with what I know will inevitably happen in the script at some point.

As all these thoughts run through my head, I notice that the 'first day back brunch' SchmidtCutt has thrown for us is quickly devoured as people start to leave so they can get ready for their first day back on set the next day.

I smile and nod in goodbye as I, too, make my way out their office while chatting with Rachel about an all-male production of The Tempest she recently saw in a small, NYC, off-Broadway theatre while she was there during our hiatus. Just as I wink at her and urge her to tell me more about it, I can see our tall, bubbly producer, Emmett, crooking a 'come here' finger at me, silently asking me to accompany him into the office.

I shrug at Rachel and tell her we'll talk later on. As I walk back into Ted and Emmett’s office, I can’t help worrying that this impromptu meeting with the producers could only mean one thing: That I'm about to be told that due to lack of interesting storylines for my character, I'm no longer needed as a permanent cast member, and that Max (my character) might be transported to Scotland or France or some other remote place where all soap characters go whenever their storylines reach their course.

"Take a seat, Justin," Ted invites me with a smile as I follow Emmett into their office. I’m somewhat buoyed by his demeanor, but still wary about what they want to tell me. Maybe they’re just trying to let me down easy, I decide.
I take a seat facing the two of them as Emmett begins with the dreaded, "Look, Justin, Ted and I have been doing some thinking, and…"

Fuck! Well… this is it, then, I think to myself.

"We’ve been discussing your character," Emmett continues "You've been on the show for three seasons now, and we were more than pleased to offer you a regular contract last season..." He pauses as I hold my breath, waiting for the bomb to be dropped.

"We've been doing a lot of writing over the hiatus while you were… well, doing whatever it is you were doing…" Ted interjects as I nod, still wondering where this was all heading.

"…And we decided we need more from you, Justin. In fact we want more from you. It's time." Emmett says in his most formal voice, almost as if he were announcing the second coming.

"We're giving you a whole story arc this season, Justin," Ted explains as I sit there in stunned disbelief and he hands me a whole new script. "It might not be easy for you, but we know you of all people will be able to pull it off."

“You…You’re not axing me?”

Ted laughs. “Are you kidding? We love your dedication to your work, and you are quite popular with both the male and female fans, at least judging by the amount of fan mail you receive.” I blush at his praise, my heart doing somersaults of relieved joy inside. “But we feel we need to take your character in a whole new direction now, that’s all.”

I can’t help the beaming smile that flashes across my face as Emmett chirps, “So go home, read the first few scenes to get a feel for the ‘new and improved Max,’ and we'll see you here bright and early tomorrow, okay?”

I nod with excitement as I stand to go; that is, until Emmett adds with a wink, “And good luck, you'll need it!" Frowning slightly over that statement, I shake their hands and turn to leave the room, mouthing a quite thank you at them.


TBC…