Rewind (A Perfect Forever Novella) by Susan Ward Read Free Book Online

to do my job?”
    “No. I’m telling you how I do mine. If you don’t like the latest cut we can try to delay the meeting and start over this afternoon. We all have our talents, Kaley. You have vision. An eye. Determination. My talent is making the most of your vision.”
    I shake my head. I probably would have fired him yesterday for that, and yet, something in what he said, reminds me of where I messed up with Bobby, pricks at my conscience, and holds me at bay.
    “Let’s go look at the latest cut,” I announce and move quickly ahead of him out of the office.
    When we step back into the conference room, everyone looks at me as if they’ve speculated about the scene outside the room. I smile and sink into my chair. There is a printed list of the changes on the table in from of me. “Finding Fiona.”
    Fiona? Fiona? There is a photograph with the notes. I remember her. Great footage: young, still beautiful but bearing the marks of walking the streets, and poignant in her hope for something better that somehow still whispers from her eyes. She is fascinating and vulnerable. Much better title. So Justin changed the title. Did he change the focus to?
    I lift my gaze. “Great title. Good work, everyone.”
    Cool. In control. Professional. Now let’s see what they did to my film. I lean back in my chair as the lights go out and the first footage is of Fiona. I don’t even remember shooting this footage. When did we cut it? It’s excellent.
    I shift my gaze to Justin. He looks at me. I nod. He deserves something for this. He made the beginning better, so much better, than it had been.
    As I watch Justin’s creation, I can’t stop myself from recalling his words earlier in my office. You have vision. An eye. Determination. My talent is making the most of your vision.
    Without me,  Justin’s work is brilliant. Has my enthusiasm over the work stifled the team?  Am I helping them to be their best or preventing it? That’s something I’m going to need to spend some time analyzing.
    The documentary ends. The room is quiet. Allie turns on the lights and out of the corner of my eye I can see her watching, trying to assess my reaction to this.
    I smile. “Well done, everyone. Excellent work. We’re very ready for IGSB today, thanks to all of you. We can meet back here at two.”
    I nod at each team member as they leave the conference table. Allie closes the door behind her and leaves me alone with Justin.
    “It really is an extraordinary piece of work. You’ve done an excellent job. It’s like you could see what I was going for inside my head, but you made it happen.”
    Justin smiles and sinks back into his chair. “It’s your footage. I can’t do anything without your vision. There needs to be trust between us for both of us to excel at our work.”
    My cheeks color hotly and I don’t want them too. It is such a young woman thing to have allowed to happen, the chastised blush, but Justin’s comments bring Bobby’s back to hit in full force.
    I stare at my pen as I tap it on the desk and search for something to say. Trust issues. Why is that all I hear from people lately?
    “Can I give you some advice?” Justin asks politely.
    I don’t really want it and I realize that’s a petty thought. He just pulled a small miracle with this documentary and I know that under our tug-of-war he is, in his own way, trying to mentor me.
    I nod. “Sure. Go ahead.”
    Justin smiles. “You’re a very talented filmmaker and you’ve molded this dis-spirited group into a top notch team. We’re almost there, your vision for what you want us to be. All it takes now is you.   It will all fall into place if you learn to hold on less tightly. It will fall into place much faster by just trusting us enough to let go.”
    I stare at him, but it’s Bobby that flashes in my mind. I stand up. “Thanks. I’ll try to work on that.”
    I walk toward the door. I pause to look back at him. “That’s final cut, Justin. Do you think