THE PERILS OF PITCHING

She walks into the door, adrenalin pumping. Already, her sweaty hands are creating fingerprints on the sample prints that she made. She remembers his comments from weeks ago, that the poster for the movie was to be painted. Hand painted according to the film noir style. She had sent a phone message to him just yesterday, asking if he was open to options.

Yes, I am. The message had read.

She walks to the table where he was seated, piles of paper all around him as he worked the storyboards. A grunt greeted her.

I think that means "sit down", she told herself.

Nervously, with words tumbling over each other, she shows him the posters she had done.

"Great for a horror film, this one."
But not for this. That was my favourite, she gulped.

"Quite in the spirit of the occult. But this black one is closest to what I imagine."

Pause.

"Painted, definitely painted. Noir style. Try again."

She sees the top of his head, bent low, working on the storyboards again.

Damn storyboards!

"Yes sir." Her voice tiny.

She slinks out of the room to breathe the air of her defeat.