Fannie took a deep breath, her mind racing.
Fannie, grappling with her artistâs conflict with the crew, found herself stepping into the role of mediator. As she made her way out, Judie latched onto her arm, exclaiming, âIâm coming with you!â
âJust stay at the company.â
âAbsolutely not! If you leave me behind, Iâll tell Bobby!â
Fannie couldnât help but admire Judieâs knack for manipulation. Out of options, she steered the car toward the set, Judie in tow.
Her first priority was to gather the facts and assess whether the director had indeed crossed a line. She was determined not to overlook any misconduct, especially if it involved taking advantage of Selma. Upon arrival, they found Selma sobbing uncontrollably in her trailer.
Through her tears, she pleaded, âFannie, Iâve made a terrible mistake. I canât afford to offend the director. Could you possibly speak to him on my behalf? This role means everything to me.â
Judie wrapped her arms around herself and scoffed, âYou dug this hole; now lie in it. An agentâs job is to secure opportunities, not clean up your mess.â
Selma faltered, guilt washing over her as she dropped her gaze to the floor.
âI know I was wrong, Fannie. I promise it wonât happen again.â
Fannie let out a weary sigh.
âLetâs not get into that now. Just tell meâdid the director really harass you yesterday?â
Selma hesitated before shaking her head.
âNo. Maybe I overreacted after a few drinks and misunderstood the situation.â
This account contradicted what she had earlier claimed over the phone.
Fannie frowned. âYou keep twisting the story. How am I supposed to know which one is true?â
âExactly,â Judie remarked, standing resolutely beside Fannie. âYou stirred up this chaos, and now you expect Fannie to clean up your mess. How can you be so shameless?â
Previously, Selma had managed to restrain herself, but hearing Judieâs biting words repeated, her composure shattered.
âWhat would you know? Youâre just an outsider.â
âSometimes an outsider sees the truth more clearly.â Judie grabbed Fannieâs arm. âCome on, letâs leave her to make her own apologies to the director!â
Yet, Fannie remained rooted to the spot. She had been more than just Selmaâs agent; she had nurtured her career from its infancy, their bond deepening into something akin to best friends. Moreover, as Selmaâs agent, Fannie felt a profound sense of duty to handle any professional missteps on Selmaâs behalf. Apologizing was a trivial matter in the grand scheme of things.
Besides, with Selma and Judie slated to appear on the same variety show soon, it was critical not to let such a minor conflict escalate.
âItâs fine, Iâll speak with the director myself. If this is truly all just a big misunderstanding, Iâll apologize for Selma.â
âFannie!â Judie groaned, pressing her fingers to her forehead. âYouâre way too nice! This woman is completelyââ
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