} million dollar man

[Deleted]

SCREWED UP AND BRILLIANT

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Keani felt guilty. It wasn't a normal amount of shame that came from making someone upset or doing something slightly wrong. Out of desperation, she had called Jack's assistant to schedule an appointment with the famous director and producer. She had to go about this professionally; a personal call to Jack was too intimate, even if she had his number. Even after the assistant realized that it was Keani, Keani Beldivere, Jack's ex-girlfriend, she was promised a call back. She didn't know if she should have believed it, considering Jack's busy schedule and overblown ego, but Keani needed his help for a new production she was thinking about. There was only one producer she knew who was going to be helpful. He had the resources and the talent she required to achieve her goal with making her book into a movie.

Against her better judgment, she was asking Lucifer to aid her with his experience in the field. No matter what she wanted to believe, Jack truly did have a unique place in the industry, and Keani had her own connection with him. If she could just talk to him, she was sure he would have to consider helping her. It was Keani's responsibility to discuss this with him privately. Otherwise, she would have to find two producers of her own whom she didn't know or trust. Without a doubt, Jack would take each opportunity to torture her or taunt her, but she needed his resources and his knowledge. Now that she was toying with the big leagues of the entertainment industry, she needed all the help she could get. If she dealt with his head-on, he couldn't say no.

It had been three days since the call, and she had been able to see Elijah in this span of time. It put her heart at ease, but whenever she talked about it, she wanted to crawl into a hole. As she cleaned the house on a Monday, she wondered if Jack was really just going to ignore her and let her project sink. Of course, she had other options. She had a feeling, though, that Jack was her best bet. Even though he was noncommittal in relationships, his ambition was his greatest strength. She needed someone with that drive. If she could just get him to listen, he would fund her and make sure things sailed smoothly. She had seen Jack's projects; those who worked with him weren't allowed to dilly-dally.

When she heard a knock at the door, she wondered who it could be. She stood in her kitchen for a few moments with a cup of tea in hand. No one had been invited to her house for the day; it was her day off. She had an interview to conduct in three hours, but until then, she was spending a solitary day in her apartment. She made her way to the door and looked into the seeing glass. Jack Bailey. She opened the door too eagerly and looked at him. "Bailey, don't you have better things to do than visit little old me?" she asked him sardonically, smiling at the same time. He was going to be her Godsend, if she played her cards right.

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CREDIT TO OH HAI JENNERS ?! OF CAUTION 2.0

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[Deleted]

he's the devil in disguise a snake with blue eyes

and he only comes out at night

TAG: LAMLAM ,KEANI <3 WORDS: IDK ONE LAST THING: i'll bring in the outfit later, k?

There was nothing unusual about Jack feeling absolutely great. Granted, there was a point recently that he felt like shit what with his divorce with someone he cared about, but he had returned to a point where it didn’t matter anymore when he realized there was nothing he could do about it. He put a smile on much better than he puts his grump face on, so that’s just what he did. Moreover, he had a reason to smile. Things were looking up again, work didn’t seem like work. He was doing what he loved and after getting that one call, he loved his work even more. Hearing someone who didn’t even like talking to him was actually calling to meet him. He should have wondered why she didn’t just call him directly considering he’s so easy to reach, especially for people who actually know him, but he didn’t care about that when he was just so full of himself after hearing Keani Beldivere wanted to see him. In fact, the movie star became over-confident about that fact.

He wasn’t told why an appointment to see him was scheduled. It seemed so formal, so Jack guessed it was about work, which should have made him a little downhearted because he would have liked it better if she wanted to see him just for the hell of it and not for work, but somehow, this was better for him because he was a man. And how does that explain anything? Well, men like feeling like they are needed. From where he stood, it seemed to Jack that he was needed. Granted, there was a chance Jack wasn’t her last resort, but something told him he might have been because getting in touch with Jack probably wasn’t something Keani Beldivere would have wanted if she had other options…right?

So yes, there was a busy schedule and yes, there was definitely an overblown ego, but Jack was modest. He made it clear he and everyone around him knew exactly who he was and what he was capable, but he never took advantage of his fame and fortune against others. He liked to help people where he could without them asking. In Keani’s case, he was being asked. No way in hell would he say no. Besides, he was fully confident he would be able to do exactly what Keani wanted and needed. Granted, ever since they broke up, they never really agreed with anything and although he was efficient when it came to his work, he wasn’t always the most agreeable guy. Getting him to listen really would be a chore.

Thirty minutes earlier than he should have been, Jack arrived at the coffee shop not far from where Keani lived. He was a punctual guy. He didn’t miss meetings. And this was definitely one he didn’t want to miss. Instead of sitting down like he was supposed to, Jack ordered two coffees and left the coffee shop that he was supposed to meet Keani in. He was just so excited to see this girl; he figured he should just surprise her instead of wait for her to get here. Now, it’s not what you think. There was nothing romantic about their relationship. It was far from that, actually. However, he can’t deny—at least not to himself—that he was still a little attracted to the gorgeous writer he was meeting today. Everything about her was just so intriguing; sometimes he did wonder what he could have done different to have made their relationship last longer back in college…when things were probably much easier. No, he didn’t want to get back together with her now, but getting away with a little flirting would be fantastic, he thought.

Seeing the smile on her face assured him there was no mistake that she wanted to see him today. Of course, he didn’t doubt that she did, but the smile made it seem just so realistic, despite her cynical question. ”Here I thought you’d appreciate that I saved you a trip to Starbucks,” Jack shot back without having to think too much about it. Without asking for permission or being even remotely shy, the celebrity shamelessly took one step inside, moved his face close enough for his lips to reach her face and quickly kissed her cheek before she could object. Having the nanosecond-long kiss, he straightened up and brushed himself past her, one cup of coffee in each hand. ”Three creams, two sugars…just the way you like it.” College wasn’t forever ago for this man. It shouldn’t be weird that he remembered how she liked her coffee…right? Right. Besides, they were pretty close to each other, it made sense. Her taste in coffee isn’t the only thing he remembered either. In fact, he remembered every outfit she wore to every date as if it all happened just yesterday. He remembered almost everything she ever told him about herself. But of course, he wouldn’t admit that. Just like he wouldn’t admit to anyone that he was still attracted to her, even though he knew he’d be able to get away with flirting shamelessly with her.

gives you feelings that you don't wanna fight

TEMPLATE BY: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY ! @ CAUTION.

[Deleted]

SCREWED UP AND BRILLIANT

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Without making one move, Jack made Keani feel oddly underdressed. It was something about his boyish charm that mixed with his seductive demeanor. The almost hateful attraction she felt for him made her sick to her stomach, but after a few years of coping, she learned to hold the gag reflex in her throat. The kiss on her cheek was sweet and short, but it still made her heart flutter and leap in the same moment -- anger of submission and surprise mingled in a messy amalgam of emotions. She wasn't college Keani anymore, and she certainly wasn't blinded to who Jack really was, but who was she kidding? If looks could kill, Jack was actually a murderer. That wouldn't surprise her. "I didn't realize you were such a gentleman, Mr. Bailey," she replied sharply as she took the drink into her own hand. She was aware that he would do something like this, but coffee and a public place would have been less... jarring for her. She wasn't used to this whole trusting Jack thing, and leaping right into it felt like a terrible idea.

"Make yourself comfortable," she told him. "You were probably going to anyway, but you know, courtesies of a good hostess..." She set her cooling tea and new cup of coffee on the table in the living room. "Let me get the script draft and I'll be right back." She disappeared into her room for a few minutes. When she found the script, she stood and stared at the object that was in her hand. It was a work of hers, a piece of art, and she was trusting Jack to make sure the project sailed smoothly. What am I thinking? she asked herself, biting her lip. She was silent as she pondered the options. Either she chose someone who wasn't as skilled or she chose someone who wasn't as trustful. Jack was that guy, the one who had immense talent with little moral code to back him up. She disagreed with his lifestyle, but she needed someone to help her make this next project the one that made an impression on the entire industry. Then, she could be sure that her future works could be more candid. It wasn't about money or even a reputation. She just wanted the freedom to write whatever she wanted without people thinking she was inexperienced or idiotic. She ran a single finger across her bottom lip, thinking. This was her only option.

"Here it is!" she vocalized, holding the small portfolio in her hand. She held it in front of him to take and took a seat across from him, in the opposite seat that was not connected to his. The chemistry between then was undeniable, but she wasn't here to dilly-dally. Jack knew he could get away with flirting with her. After all, he was older by a long shot. He was still Keani's first love -- real or not -- and he knew what power he held over her heart. It wasn't about that today, though; Keani was trusting him with her career, not her emotions. She had someone to trust now, someone who was nonjudgmental and very loyal. Now that she considered it, she had come a long way since Jack Bailey. The victory brought a smirk to her face as she watched Jack look at the plot synopsis. "What do you think?" she asked, clearing her throat and straightening her spine.

Instead of straying from her typically dramatic genre, Keani chose to hold her place of influence. She knew she had a way of portraying honest love on the screen. This plot was about two childhood friends who grow up together. Keani's intention was to put a twist on the cliché story of childhood lovers. "In this story, the two main characters become each other's opponents. So it goes as the years go by; they attend college together and compete constantly. The man, Jeremy, becomes a politician in Virginia while the woman, Kira, takes up a position as a chemist for the CDC. When Kira has her first child, she is told that the father is not the engineer whom she married, but Jeremy instead. When the scandal becomes public, she knows that it is a hoax to take Jeremy's political career down. In fact, she never slept with him, not even when they were teenagers. So she has to work with Jeremy to hunt down whoever is paying off people around town to lie about their relationship. Her husband separates himself from her, leaving her with the child, and Jeremy's wife takes their two kids to her mother's house. So the whole situation is messy because neither of their spouses know the truth. Jeremy and Kira have to figure out how to deal with the issue together. It's not a conventional love story by any means and it becomes political, I suppose." Keani looked at Jack for a while, waiting for an opinion.

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[Deleted]

he's the devil in disguise a snake with blue eyes

and he only comes out at night

TAG: LAMLAM ,KEANI <3 WORDS: 950ish ONE LAST THING: oh man, i love keani.

While she spoke to him, Jack found himself in the living room and turned towards her. ”You didn’t? Oh, c’mon, how long did we date?” Her sharp tone stung enough for the comeback to be released so effortlessly. Jack’s sarcastic tone hopefully made it easier for her recall what an ass he really was back in college when they dated. There wasn’t a gentleman of a bone in his body back then, but he had matured just a little over the years. He was an ass on a different level and still managed to be called a gentleman once in a while. Seconds before she told him to get comfortable, Jack dropped himself on the couch of the living room and gently set his feet up on the coffee table with his ankles crossed. He watched her put down her coffee, ”I appreciate your courtesy, but it isn’t necessary. You don’t have to ask me twice to make myself comfortable,” Jack ended his remark with a teethy grin on his face.

Now, he didn’t know what all this was about but when Keani headed out, telling him she was going to grab the script, he would have guessed why she wanted to meet up with him. She would not be the first person who asked to meet up with him so they could pitch a story to him. He loved producing and he needed people like Keani with good ideas—he was certain this was one of them—to help him carry out his career, because it would be nothing without writers with good ideas. The whole leap of faith on Keani’s part may pay off in the end because if not soon, she will eventually come to terms with the fact that all along, Jack needed her just as much as she needed him, even though he may never—ever—give that impression while he’s working with her. But of course, he has no idea was he would be doing exactly.

Wait, no. He did have an idea. It wasn’t hard putting two and two together. She was a writer—and a talented one from what he remembers—and he was a producer. She was calling to meet up with him and he was waiting while she fetched the script. Jack should know exactly what was going on here. There was actually not even any reason to ask her when she returned with the portfolio in her hand. When it came close enough to him, he dropped his feet to the floor and put down his coffee cup before taking the script from her hand, opening it up with anticipation apparent on his features. His back straightened up, his ears opened up as well as his mind, ready to take in what was hopefully a fresh idea that would inspire him right away to seal the deal with her because not only did he want to work with her for his own sick amusement, but she was just so fantastic at what she does that she just might better his reputation as a producer if it could even go any higher. He flew through the synopsis and looked up to see an eager face. Jack smirked. Something told him she didn’t need an answer right away because she started on her about the story. But of course, he gave her a bit of an okay before she did. Sort of a nod and a look that said, “tell me more” and Keani thankfully didn’t disappoint when she did in fact tell him more. A lot more.

He was very intrigued at first and after a few sentences of her elongated summary, he was watching her as if he were actually picturing the film being made in front of his eyes, even more intrigued at the images already coming in of endless ideas. So much could be done with an idea like that. His mind started spewing one idea after another. He was listening up until “to her mother’s house”, because after that, he was just watching her face, his thoughts silenced for a moment as he just listened to the sound of her soft, yet enthusiastic voice. He wasn’t listening to a single word, but still smiling, adoring the way she was able to talk on while barely catching up with her breath at all. When she finally stopped, his little smirk turned into a grin as he leaned forward to pick up her cup of coffee and held it out in front of her hand before leaning back on the couch with the portfolio.

He was now scanning random pages as if to look for something, but he was just skimming through mindlessly, the summary still fresh in his mind. ”So a cliché love story with a sick twist to it…” He didn’t want to sound uninterested or leave her hanging because “sick” in this case was good. ”I love it.” Jack closed the little file in his hand and put it on the table in front of her. ”Goodness, you’re a genius, do you know how much we can do with a political scandal?” He heard stories about how fun it was filming Secret Safe and he only got as much as he could being on the outside, but getting an idea like this was really exciting for him. He realized any story with a touch of Keani in it was thrilling. If this woman impressed him before, there was no telling how he felt right now. ”I mean…assuming that’s why I’m here.”

gives you feelings that you don't wanna fight

TEMPLATE BY: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY ! @ CAUTION.

[Deleted]

SCREWED UP AND BRILLIANT

[style=width: 150px; height: 100px; background-color: 922e35; text-align: justify; padding: 8 8 8 8px; line-height: 100%; color: 000000; font-family: times new roman; center; padding: 10 10 10 10px; overflow: auto; border: 5px solid #ffffff;] TAGGED: sid as THE jack bailey </3 WORDS: 743 OUTFIT: here without the hat, shoes off! NOTES: Why is this so short?! LOCATION: Keani's place

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For some reason, Keani wanted his approval. Why was it still so important to her? ”I love it.” Her goal was real now, but this was only the beginning. Making something real of her idea was the actual obstacle, not just making Jack like the plotline. She had no idea who to cast -- if anyone would hear her out about it -- or who to choose as the director. She was honestly depending on Jack to help her establish this movie as the pinnacle of her success and her foot in the door to make something of her writing. She dreamed that, at some point, she would be able to write for a television show. She wanted something consistent that she could rely on, not just movies that switched actors and directors. She thoroughly enjoyed teaming up with Samson, but she could see the stress it brought into his life, and she was beginning to wonder if someone else could be better. Maybe Jack knew. That was his purpose, after all.

She took a sip of the coffee that he had gifted her and smiled back at his compliment. He had a way of flattering those whom he looked at as lesser beings, but she was going to take it anyway. Considering her younger age and little experience in a field he knew like the back of his hand, she could see why he was so arrogant. In a way, though, he was being generous with his words. "I'm glad you like it. And yes, I was meaning to ask you for more than your opinion." She set the cup back down and folded her hands. "We both know that you have quite... the influence over this industry. It's not exactly my place. But if you helped me, this could truly change the course of my career." Her tone switched as she looked at him seriously and softly. "I'm seriously depending on you, Jack. And you're not the first person I'd trust, if we're being rather blunt with each other." She wasn't going to lie to him. Dating a known cheater as a freshman at Princeton had been one of the chief emotional struggles of her romantic life.

In fact, seeing the face of the conniving young man whom she once loved was a flashback. Each time she saw him on TV or in the tabloids, she couldn't help but wonder how things could have changed so rapidly. Years passed like days in her mind and seeing an aged, matured Jack made her wonder how. His puny amount of humility seemed unchanged, for his maturity remained stagnant. Some things changed, however, like the fact that Jack was suddenly complimentary, and not just to sleep with her. It used to be his goal, but she was certain that he no longer saw the possibility of it. Most people didn't know it, but Keani was a virgin; she certainly wasn't ashamed of this fact, but rarely did her conversations lead to such a detail. Jack had consolidated her views on sexual purity, which, in turn, completely morphed the way her romantic views would be portrayed in her writing.

As a journalist, Keani was expected to make black-and-white nonfiction plots that would interest the intellectual elite. However, she had a different approach. The Keani of The New York Times was not the Keani in her movies. She chose to keep things genuine and realistic, but she refused to sacrifice her feelings in her writing. When she wanted to empathize with her characters, she did so through her scripts. She wasn't all about statistics and interviews. Sometimes, she wanted to get down to the raw emotions. Wasn't that what cinema was all about? She wanted to make people understand other perspectives. In that way, she mixed the awareness of journalism with the raw visual stimulation of movies. Now that doors were opening in her career as a screenwriter, she was undeniably excited to see where she could take her resources and what she could create of it. Secret Safe was unspeakably successful, even in its fledgling stages, as it attracted the attention of the greatest critics. Her next move was critical; she had to outshine what she had written with Blake Edison.

"Well," she continued, "I'm sacrificing my pride for your experience." She looked into his eyes, hoping he would give her a sincere answer. "Would you be willing to team up with me to make this real?"

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[Deleted]

he's the devil in disguise a snake with blue eyes

and he only comes out at night

TAG: LAMLAM ,KEANI <3 WORDS: 700something ONE LAST THING: ew. sorry. it's sucky.

There was a point in his life when Jack was completely pompous about people depending on him for certain things. With maturity came a certain need to make other people happy while he can still feel like a bighead about the fact that she was coming to him for help. He could no longer rub her face into that fact, but he would still feel over-confident about the fact that he was needed for something she couldn’t do. Of course, that’s what partnering up means, doesn’t it? All in all, however, Jack was happy to be there for her. It was nice to be wanted ever since he got divorced. No, he wasn’t feeling needy or anything since then, but it was still nice. Thanks to Keani here, he would be able to focus on something so much that his mind would leave the girl who he wasn’t over. But of course, no one but him needs to know that. He would forget it himself once he started bringing in a director, and crewmembers and nice fund. Keani may not have an idea about any of it, but Jack did. Not only that, but he was already brainstorming.

Jack’s eyes were back on the papers in his hand while she started talking again. Of course this girl wanted more than an opinion. She would not be calling him here if that was the case. Hahah, oh wait, she didn’t call him here. But that wasn’t the point. The point was that he was rarely shown writing in hopes of getting Jack’s opinion on it. No, this was about something bigger. Jack set the portfolio back down again and looked forward at Keani. ”Not only can you get your door in the industry, but you can go really far if you knew the right people, you’re really good. It seemed to Jack like she was talking to him so formally and for that reason, he almost stopped her in the middle of her sentence to remind her this was no interview, but then again, she always did talk so formally. Hell, she was like that even when he was dating her.

”I want your full trust first if you’re seriously depending on me for your career.” Yes, there’s the bigheaded side. The one that needed praises and compliments to get him to agree to it even though he was already convinced and just wanted to give this girl a hard time. But really, teaming up with this girl should be interesting. He wasn’t thinking that because of the fact that they were exes and awkwardness would surely shadow them throughout the production, but it was more of how he’d be able to continue working if old feelings return. Even sitting here, he was remembering exactly what he saw in her back in college. He was starting to wonder how things changed so much and so quickly. He was even wondering what could have been if he didn’t cheat on her. He wasn’t a cheater anymore, so he was feeling extra horrible for doing what he did to her.

”I’m sacrificing my pride for your experience.” In a way, Jack was amazed how highly she thought of him profession-wise. He was still a little down about how unimpressed she was with him as a person. But anyway, he wasn’t about to let that get to him. Keani didn’t have to ask him twice because she had him at “let me get the script.” ”You’ve got yourself a deal, Miss Beldivere.” Offering up his hand like he was doing now to seal the deal meant so much more than agreeing to work with Keani for the next several months. It meant putting his heart and soul into the production more than he had with anything else in the past year or so because this could in a way is considered his comeback. Not to mention, producing a movie where he’ll—hopefully—get along with the writer was a dream come true. Jack didn’t write films. He produced them. So obviously there was always a spat between him and the writer about who has more of a say. Working with Keani hopefully shouldn’t be that complicated.

gives you feelings that you don't wanna fight

TEMPLATE BY: THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY ! @ CAUTION.

[Deleted]

SCREWED UP AND BRILLIANT

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Once again, Jack was being generous. "You're really good," he told her nonchalantly. She couldn't conceal the blush that spread over her face. Each time she saw him, it was like going back to Princeton and being that shy, completely clueless young woman once again. He would always have that power over her, as much as she fought it. "Thank you. I hope that it does work out for me," she replied. Of course, it was in Keani's nature to be formal with all people, even Jack. Maybe it was a bit ludicrous; he had seen her in her pajamas and had kissed her to sleep. It wasn't like there was much to hide from a man who had been so intimate with her. It just made her more comfortable to keep him at a comfortable distance in every way possible. He was a flirtatious man. Striking a deal with him regarding cinema was like cutting open her hand and squishing it down for the devil's use. She wondered what Blake would say if he knew.

”I want your full trust first if you’re seriously depending on me for your career,” Jack demanded. She knew he would say it, and she wasn't surprised. Her eyes stayed glued to the couch beside his leg as she considered those words. Full trust? Jack was a terrible human being who never took trust seriously. He used others' trust frivolously. He was a cheater, philanderer, liar. He should have those words on his degree. Keani had trusted him before with her heart, which he had broken with ease. Well, to her, it seemed easy. It was like he was there with his lips on her forehead and gone the next day. How did that heartbreak mend without distraction? How did that heartbreak mend at all, in fact? If she had trusted him once before with the most vital organ in her body, could she do so with her valuable career? She stared back at him with bullet eyes. She finally blinked and nodded slowly. "Okay. I trust you," she told him, feeling once again as if the devil were stealing something dear to her. It was the ultimate surrender, and she didn't realize how much it was going to change the dynamic between her and her ex-boyfriend.

Forgiveness, to Keani, was detrimental to maintaining spiritual and mental health. That was why she resorted to forgiveness in all situations, including his. It had been years, so it should be easy to speak to him now, but she felt like she could slip up any moment and lose it. The anger was gone, but she was still tongue-tied at first sight. He was a messed up person, but that didn't make him much less attractive or powerful. The carnal part of her wanted to know what it would be like to be with him. The part that was foolish and barbaric wanted to treat him as he once treated her: like a toy or a silly pet. She pushed the temptation to the back of her mind as they discussed, though, and decided that she could be the angel if he was going to be the devil. Truly, she had no idea what she would do if he decided to mess this whole deal up, but she was prepared to play fair. She couldn't be like Jack, and she didn't want to be vindictive or suspicious before they even got their hands busy with the project.

She didn't need Jack. She just wanted him to help her. It seemed desperate, but she did have the option of following a different track. When she realized that she had a link to the upper levels of the industry, however, she knew it would be foolish not to take advantage of Jack's skills. She smiled humbly and shook his hand, elated in her own sense of the word. She had gone out on a limb. This was Jack surrendering his time to her. Maybe this wasn't a war; maybe they were actually a team for a moment. "Okay," she said aloud, unable to contain the wide smile that spread across her face. She nodded, giddy with excitement. "Oh, Jack, I truly can't thank you enough." Without thinking, she pulled the handshake into a hug. It lasted only a few seconds before she pulled away and put her hands in her lap. "And excuse me for not asking. How have you been since... well, the divorce?" Her eyes showed a sudden concern.

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