G'Day USA Read Free Page A

right.’
    He punched the numbers from memory; the only number he’d been calling the past few months.
    ‘ Saul speaking.’
    ‘ I thought I said I wanted this place cleaned. You assured me this place was going to be cleaned when I got back.’
    ‘ I didn’t expect the judge to rule until tomorrow. God’s honest truth. Cleaner was supposed to be there first thing in the morning. Tomorrow morning.’
    Bart grunted. ‘Yeah, okay. Fine. Thanks for pulling this off. Didn’t think you could do it. Don’t cancel the cleaners for tomorrow. This place is a shit hole. Talk to you later.’
    ‘ Wait, don’t hang up.’
    ‘ What?’
    ‘ You looking for work?’
    ‘ Does the pope shit in the woods? Why?’
    ‘ I’m your guardian fucking angel.’
    Bart sat down, the telephone cord stretching across the room. ‘What ya got?’
    ‘ An indie operation is looking for a director experienced with putting together low-budget pictures. They heard you were out and approached me.’
    ‘ They asked for me specifically?’
    ‘ You bet. Your rep precedes you, buddy.’
    Bart rubbed his whiskered jaw. ‘I’m betting not much money, being an indie.’
    ‘ Hey, work is work. Get this done and the doors will open. Just keep your fucking nose clean.’
    ‘ Maybe I was being too subtle. How much money are we talking? I don’t work for free.’
    ‘ Hundred up front and take a piece of the backend.’
    ‘ Wow, that is small. How far along is this?’
    ‘ They’re ready to start shooting in about a week. They’ve got some old widow financiers, as far as I know the principals are in place and they were ready to start with a rookie director when they heard you were available.’
    ‘ What’s the story? No, stop. Never mind. I don’t want to know. Send me the information. Did you get the Internet hooked back up?’
    ‘ Yes. All the log in information is under the keyboard. I’ll email the details to you now. Give these guys a call.’
    Bart looked around his barren house. ‘Look, Saul, friend to friend, since you know I’m going to be getting $100,000 shortly, can you spot me a couple of grand to tide me over? I’m flat.’
    Saul chuckled on the other end of the phone line. ‘I’ll bring by two thou in the morning. You’ll owe me big time, buddy.’
    ‘ Tomorrow.’ Bart shrugged. ‘Okay. Tomorrow it is. I’ll live until then.’
    ‘ So you’re going for the Director’s thing then?’
    ‘ I thought it was implied. Of course. I’ll contact them as soon as you send me the info.’
    ‘ You gave me power of attorney; I can let them know on your behalf and set a meeting up for tomorrow morning.’
    ‘ Make it tomorrow afternoon. I need a haircut and some new clothes. I lost about twenty pounds behind bars.’
    ‘ Okay. 2:30 pm. Get a phone, too.’
    ‘ I will. Do me a favor, will you? See if you can track down Ellie Bourke’s number? I want to mend fences. Maybe I can get her a bit part in this indie thing.’
    ‘ She’s bigger than Ben Hur right now, buddy. Doubt she’ll go for this thing.’
    ‘ Still. I’d like to apologize, privately, without a horde of media.’
    ‘ Good luck. I’ll email you her contact details.
    There was a knock at the front door. ‘Thanks Saul. Someone’s at the door. Gotta go.’
    Bart hung up and peered out the living room window. Two faces he hadn’t seen in over four years were standing on his porch, one with a couple of pizza and the other with a case of beer. He yanked the door open. ‘Kent. Charlie. What the fuck, boys? A welcome home party? Someone shoulda told me.’
    ‘ So you do remember us.’ Charlie cocked an eyebrow. ‘Thought maybe we were ghosts to you.’
    ‘ What the fuck? Come in, boys. If you’re planning on sharing, that is. Excuse the mess. I’ve been, well, detained.’
    ‘ Yeah. We heard.’ Kent held up the case of beer. ‘Thought you could use a drink or three. It’s been what, fourteen months?’
    ‘ Close enough. Appreciate this. What you two