9. Negotiations
2254 Words
After rehearsal, Lindsay and I run to Mikeys' office. Tre, Paul, Dipak, and Collin are there with him. We jump up and down.
"WE GOT THE PLAY SCHEDULE."
Lindsay throws hers at Tre. "WE'RE PLAYING IN PARIS, ROME, AND EGYPT."
"WE'RE FAMOUS AGAIN."
"LOOK" She points at it to Tre. He nods.
Collin takes mine. "You're going to be gone for 4 weeks?"
"NO WE MAKE DOORS TO COME BACK. I GET TO BE AN ACTRESS IN PARIS." I start crying.
Then Lindsay starts. "WE'RE REALLY FAMOUS."
Tre stands up. "Sit down. I know it's exciting, but we can't make anything out about what you're saying."
We plop down in chairs.
"Thank you. Now, no more yelling. You make it hard to understand."
"BUT."
"No. Quieter."
I take a deep breath. "Ok."
"Good job." He sits down. "4 weekends of show. They got you all over. How are your schedules not the same?"
"The understudies are doing some of the shows, so we're not doing a billion shows in 4 weeks. It gives everyone breaks."
Lindsay nods. "In Paris, the understudies are doing the first show on Saturday. Then the mains do the evening show."
"I understand. That was a good idea. This is a lot of shows."
"The inn is going to be in Rome and Paris for you to use. Ok I see. You have a night show Saturday night, then an early show on Sunday. It would be easier for some to stay there."
Lindsay nods. "We're staying there. On the boat." I nod too.
"Well, you need to reserve rooms with the brains for that. They could fill up. It says any of the theater group can reserve them."
"Oh that's right. Bayden said we need stage help too. He needs 5 more stage people per show. They're the ones who set up the stage and move it around. It's a paid job. But it's based on what we make. It's tiered. Most people hear that and run away. Do you know anyone who would help?"
"Not for 4 straight weekends no. That's a big commitment."
Lindsay shakes her head. "No, they can pick the shows they want to help with. Like if they can only help on Sundays or something, that's fine. The brains can put them on Sunday shows. They get paid for the shows they help with, it's not the total shows we do."
Tre nods and looks at the brain. "Give me a print out of every show."
The brain hands Tre a long paper. "26 shows. Damn. Highlight pink for the shows Whisp is in. Most of them turn pink. Show purple for Lindsay. You 2 are mostly on the same shows."
"We're both mains."
"Your Paris shows are Friday night and Saturday night. Saturday afternoon, you are not in that 1. The boat will be in Paris for you on Friday night only. OK, I understand this better now. You'll be able to stay in Paris on Friday night after your show. Then explore Paris on Saturday afternoon and return to the theater for the evening show."
"Right." I nod fast.
"I'll do stage help in Paris." We look at Collin.
"Really?"
"Yea, I'll get to go to Paris. I'll help with the Friday night and Saturday night shows. I'll take the afternoon off and roam around with you."
"Parental consent required."
Paul nods. "It's fine."
"Would you like a room on the floating inn for Friday night as well?"
"Yes."
"Parental consent required."
"It's fine too."
"I need a room for Friday too."
"AND ME."
Paul looks at Tre. "Do I need to be concerned about Friday night?"
"No. They will pass out hard. Whisp never even walks out of the theater. She will fall asleep there. Rome is 3 days of shows. The boat will be there on Friday and Saturday. You are in 2 shows. Saturday night and Sunday."
"Sunday in Rome is our final show."
"OK, do you want a room for Saturday night?"
"Friday and Saturday."
"You're not in the show Friday."
"I don't care."
Collin nods. "I'll do the Saturday night show and Sunday show in Rome too. Then the room for Friday and Saturday night."
"Parental consent required."
"I don't know about that 1."
"It's in Rome."
"Alright fine."
Mikey laughs. "Way to hold out."
Tre nods. "Then for Egypt the boat will not be there. It's somewhere else. But there are only 2 shows anyway. Friday night and Saturday afternoon. This gets weird. I already had the place booked for Saturday night, or I would have given it to you. But Friday night you are in the show in Egypt. Saturday night you are doing a show at Tye's village. I think you should come back here on Friday night. You're going to fall asleep anyway. You can get a good night's sleep and be in Tye's village on Saturday night."
"That's fine."
"Stage help is full for the Rome and Paris shows."
Tre laughs. "That went quick."
"Everyone wants to see them."
Collin checks the play lists. "I can help on this show. This show. This show. And the Sunday shows Whisp is in."
"Parental consent..."
"It's fine. You're giving up your Saturday night opening weekend?"
"I will watch the play Friday night. Then Saturday I can figure out what the job actually does. I don't want to go over to Paris with 5 people who have no idea what the hell's going on and try to figure it out."
"That's good thinking."
The brain hands Tre a bunch of stuff. "It's the room reservations for the floating inn. Paperwork where Collin is helping." He sorts it out between him and Collin.
Paul sits down. "Well, that's sorted. Let's contract the dance class."
We sit around the conference table.
"This is the contract for your class. Anything you want changed?"
"I get paid 100g a person. Maximum students are 20. 2 hours long. Saturday at 3. I want to help advertise."
"Anything you want to do to advertise, has to be approved by Collin. So you can make the advertisements and decide where to put them, but he has to approve it. Also, he will not pay for your advertisements. He is already paying to advertise the class in the paper."
"I want to put it on the board."
Collin nods. "That's fine."
"No it's not." Tre shakes his head. "You need to approve the advertisement as well. She will put a drawing of a naked girl up there." I start giggling. "See. Draw up your advertisement. Then show it to him. He'll let you know if it needs to change."
"Ok."
"But you can not advertise without his permission. Do not forget that. Your contract states no advertising is to be done by you, without permission."
"Ok."
"Keep going."
"I buy swimsuits. Not Collin. It's my class. I'm not leaving them there, then everyone will be taking them. I'll get sizes when they sign up."
Tre nods. "There are 2 ways to do that. 1, Collin buys all sizes of swimsuits and stores them there. 2nd, you buy them for your class and collect the sizes like you said. Both ways have drawbacks. What if someone shows up for your class at the last minute and never even signed up? They're not going to have a swimsuit. What if they got their size wrong? You're not going to have extra's. If Collin stocks them, there will be more here."
"I want to buy them. I can buy a couple of extra. There's no reason for him to stock a bunch. They'll end up getting used by other classes. Plus, it might not be that big of a hit. If people don't like it, he'll be stuck with a bunch of swimsuits. At least for the first 1, let me buy them. Who knows, maybe someday he'll have a full line of dancing clothes for sale. But for now, I'll deal with the outfits for my class. I feel better this way."
"Fair enough." Tre takes the contract. "Do you agree with that, Collin?"
"Yes."
He changes it and hands it back.
"What does no secondary selling mean?"
"You can't bring in stuff to sell. You are instructing a dance class. Not selling tickets to the theater."
"Ok, I want to sell the barrier cream though."
"That's secondary selling. You can't do that."
"But yea."
"No."
I look at Collin. "Yes."
"No."
"BUT."
"No. We are not going to have a fit. This is a contract meeting. You can not sell other things. People paid to be there to learn, not to have stuff sold to them."
Lindsay sits up. "BUT THE BARRIER CREAM IS FOR DANCING. HE CAN CARRY IT FOR SALE."
I nod fast.
Paul looks at us. "What is it?"
"It's a barrier on a dancer's skin. It prevents chaffing and redness. No more rashes or stickiness."
I nod. "And I wouldn't sell it to people. But if we see someone's skin getting red, we can explain what it does and how it helps. I have to use it on my legs."
"Last class a girl had to have it on her arms. It prevents rope burns too."
"Collin can buy a case, and we can sell it as needed. It's not for me to make money. He could probably make a little on it. But it's to help dancers. We're more little than boys. You take up a lot of room. We..." I curl up in a ball. "We're little and..."
Lindsay shakes her head. "This is going sideways. Yes, though, girls' bodies tend to be more chaffing prone. Think thighs rubbing. You guys don't have that problem. Sit right."
"How much is it?"
"I buy it for 25g a tube. I don't know how much it actually costs though. Like for you."
Tre looks at him. "We can get it for 10g a tube. A case is 200g and comes with 25. You could put it up there for them. The brain could even sell it from the desk."
"I'll get a case. That way they have it."
I smile. "Secondary selling."
She nods. "That's how you do it."
Tre shakes his head. "Not even close to what secondary selling is, but ok. If someone needs the cream. You are allowed to explain it and if they want to purchase a tube, they have to purchase it from the brain. You are not allowed to take in your own to sell."
"Ok."
I smile. "Perfect."
Tre looks at Collin. "That will also open up a shop inside your studio. I would suggest sticking with 1 item for at least a month. That way you can see how the paperwork for that is going to go relatively easily. Instead of opening a full store with 700 items and worrying about inventory. Go with 1 thing for now."
"Ok."
Tre looks at me. "The bottom part is common sense stuff, I would think. You will make your best attempt to leave the building as you found it. Any damage caused intentionally, you will pay for. You will use the building as it is intended and will teach the class as it states in the contract. Any building problems, you will report to Collin. You and your class will be granted access to the building 30 minutes early, and you will be expected to be out completely 30 minutes after the end. This gives everyone time to change."
"Thank you for that."
"Now for sign up. You wanted their sizes for swimwear. Name, address. Anything else?"
"No."
"Are you in agreement with everything stated here?"
"Yes."
"Sign on the line."
I take it and sign so fast. Then I jump up and down. "I CAN TEACH DANCE."
"Good. I'll take that. Now Collin. You sign it." Collin signs and hands it back. Tre signs by my name. "This is now a legal contract. Whisp, you will be instructing a dance class Saturday at 3."
I wiggle all over and smile. "Now Collin. This is your part. Normally she would leave but she's fine. You will take the contract and read it over a couple of times. The parts that were agreed. She's making 100g a person. They are getting a swimsuit. You are not purchasing those. There will be 2 instructors in the building. They teach burlesque. You have to decide what to charge."
"250g I think is good." He shrugs his shoulders.
Tre nods. "Yea, I got no idea either. We don't have anything like this in the village. 250g a person. Now you need to make a sign-up form. She allows 20 people. You'll probably want them to pay when they register, it's on Saturday. The registration form is basic..." He pulls out another paper. "Plus swimsuit size. Make sure you add that on there."
Collin takes it and changes it.
"Good you also have to add the requirements. Which are, females over 400, that are bonded. Nobody else is permitted to take the class. Also, make a note. There are no refunds. The class is in 5 days, it's too late to cancel. If you're planning a class for a month or 2, you could probably put in a cancel period, but not for Saturday."
"Yea I get that."
"Good. Now you make the advertisement with all the relevant information. The brain can help with that."
"Let's figure that out tomorrow." Collin motions for me. "We all need to eat."
- Writer
