Читать книгу Passionate Premiere - Deborah Mello Fletcher - Страница 13

Chapter 5

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Stallion were seated around the family breakfast table when their sister, Phaedra, made her way into the family home. The four brothers greeted her warmly as she rounded the table, planting kisses on each of their cheeks. Phaedra still marveled at the emotion that bubbled within her each time she was in their presence. Just months earlier she hadn’t had a clue about their existence, and now she was celebrating the joy of having brothers who cared about her well-being and family that loved her unconditionally. Discovering her link to the Stallion lineage had been a whirlwind experience, but she now found herself forever a Stallion, and she loved everything that represented.

“Welcome home,” John, her oldest brother, said as he gestured for her to take a seat at the table beside him.

“Where’s that new husband of yours?” Mark asked casually, his gaze turned toward the doorway.

“He’s headed to the office. Something about the property in Geneva having problems with their front office upgrade,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

Luke, the youngest of the Stallion brothers, nodded knowingly. “Geneva’s been a problem from start to finish. I’m hoping Mason can work his magic for us,” he said as he rose to his feet. He tossed his cloth napkin on the table. “I need to meet with him so that we can see if we can get this thing going.” Luke excused himself and exited the room.

Matthew glanced down at the watch on his wrist. “I have to run, as well, but when you get a chance, Phaedra, I need you to stop by my office. Our petition for your name change has been approved by the courts, and we just need to file the final paperwork to insure that all your legal documents reflect your new moniker.”

Mark eyed her curiously, his gaze sweeping around the table. “You changed your name?”

Phaedra nodded. “Yep! I guess I am officially Phaedra Stallion-Boudreaux now.”

John nodded his approval, which made Phaedra smile. As the patriarch of their small family, he was very opinionated about everything his siblings did, and Phaedra was no exception. His endorsement meant the world to her, and she found herself seeking out his opinion on most of her decisions, even her recent marriage to Mason Boudreaux.

Matthew leaned in to kiss her forehead before he headed for the door, Mark following close on his heels. “Katrina is upstairs with Jack,” Matthew said, referring to his wife and newborn son. “She said for you not to leave without coming up to see her. Something about the christening,” he said as he saluted them goodbye.

The familial connection with her brother being married to her husband’s sister was a source of great joy to her, and every time she thought about it she found herself smiling.

“So what’s on your agenda today?” John asked, his booming voice pulling at her attention.

“I was hoping to get your opinion on an investment,” Phaedra said, passing a prospectus in his direction.

With eyebrows raised, John took a moment to review the documents inside, leaning forward as he spread everything out before him. As Phaedra waited, she reached for one of the toasted bagels that rested on a ceramic platter in the center of the table, then slathered it with jalapeño-flavored cream cheese. By her third bite John was tapping numbers into a calculator application on his iPad. His expression was blank, and Phaedra was unable to get a read on what her big brother was thinking. By the time John was done, Phaedra was working on her second bagel, a bowl of fresh fruit and a third cup of coffee.

“So what do you think?” she queried when he finally placed the documents inside their manila folder and sat back in his seat.

He hesitated for a brief moment before responding. “Tell me why this project?” he asked.

“The filmmaker is a dear friend and sorority sister of mine.”

“Dahlia Morrow?”

“Correct. Dahlia and I went to school together. We’ve been the best of friends since the first day we met. We pledged together, and I love her to pieces. Dahlia is good at what she does. This script is one that is near and dear to her heart, and if anyone can bring it to the big screen and turn it into a box office sensation, Dahlia can. She needs help to get there, though, and I really want to help her. But I want to be smart about it, too.”

“Didn’t she just win an Oscar or something?” John asked.

Phaedra nodded. “Her last film, Victory’s Daughter, was nominated for seven Oscars and took Best Picture. Dahlia is the youngest and the first black woman to win an Oscar for Best Director.”

“And she has high hopes for this film. What’s it called again?”

“Passionate, after the name of the lead female character.”

“Has she cast her leads yet?”

“Zahara Ginolfi has signed on to play the part of Passionate.”

“Wow,” John exclaimed. “She’s good, and she has a huge following,” he said of the Grammy-winning songstress turned award-winning actress. “I’m impressed. What about the leading man?”

Phaedra grinned. “She just signed Mason’s brother,” she said excitedly.

John laughed. “The Guy Boudreaux! The black Bond himself. Very nice.”

“So should I invest?” Phaedra asked again, her confidence boosted by her brother’s enthusiasm.

John hesitated a second time, resting his elbows against the table and his chin against his fists. His head waved ever so slightly. “This is a tough one,” he started, meeting Phaedra’s gaze. “If you didn’t have a personal connection to the film I would probably advise against it.

“When people invest in films, it’s the potential for a high return that’s the draw, but it is such a big risk with way too many ifs for a novice investor. Movies only do well if it’s a good script, if it has good acting, if it has good production value and if it strikes a chord with distributors. If you are able to get past a number of those issues, the film can do well, but you could still lose everything you put into it if the distribution deals fall short.”

Phaedra nodded as she reflected on John’s comments.

He continued, “I think that in this case, the key reason for you to invest has to be more important than the potential return. You obviously believe in the message of the film and in the filmmaker. You like and support the movie’s producer and cast. I also get the impression that you like the glamour of being involved, an opportunity to bring attention to your own photography perhaps,” he said as he gestured toward the requisite camera she always carried with her. “This is why I say go for it. Consider it a tax write-off like you would if you were giving to a charity. That way it can still benefit you if it doesn’t work out.”

“Thanks,” Phaedra said, her excitement gleaming in her eyes. She threw her arms around her big brother’s neck and kissed his cheek. “I really appreciate your opinion,” she added.

John nodded, giving her a slight wink of his eye. “And after you stop by Matthew’s office, swing by mine and pick up a check for Dahlia. We have to support our family,” he said, his smile warming his dark face.

“I love you,” she said as she hugged him a second time. “And I know that Dahlia will appreciate the support.”

John laughed with her. “I love you, too,” he said.

Phaedra tossed back the last of her coffee. “I need to go up and see those nieces and nephews of ours,” she said as she set her mug back down on the table. “I need to see Marah, too. Is your wife upstairs?”

John shook his head. “No, Marah flew to New York this morning,” he said. “She and her sisters are franchising their dating business, and she’s meeting with some potential investors. She’ll be back tomorrow.”

Phaedra rose to her feet as she gave him a quick wave of her hand. “I’ll catch her tomorrow, then,” she said as she headed for the door. “And I’ll catch up with you later!” She then headed for the second floor and the playroom, where the rest of the Stallion women and babies were gathered.