After getting approval for time off, Simon changed clothes and emerged from the locker room with his backpack.
Courteney, holding a shopping bag, was chatting with Jonathan. Seeing Simon approach, she stepped forward with a smile but paused, greeting him shyly before following the two men out of Griffin Supermarket.
Jonathan Friedman's black Mercedes was parked curbside. The two got in, nodded to the girl on the sidewalk, and Jonathan started the car, heading east with Simon.
Smiling as she watched Jonathan's Mercedes turn the corner and vanish, Courteney let her expression fade into disappointment, regretting her rejection that night.
If she hadn't shut him down, he might have invited her along with Jonathan.
In the receding car, Jonathan glanced in the rearview at the girl still standing roadside and smiled at Simon. "Got a thing for Court?"
"Nah," Simon shook his head. "Just regular friends."
Jonathan's smile lingered. "Actually, if you like Court, I could make her your film's lead—give you a shot at pursuing her."
Simon thought for a moment. "Court does fit the lead pretty well, but we're really just friends."
Jonathan nodded, then added, "Yeah, Court's not quite right for you."
"So," Simon shifted topics, looking at his agent, "any results?"
"Mm," Jonathan lifted his chin. "There's a nice cafe up ahead."
The Mercedes drove a bit further before Jonathan parked, leading Simon into a roadside cafe.
They sat by the street-facing window. Once the waiter brought coffee, Jonathan outlined Fox's full new offer, finishing with, "So, Simon, what do you think?"
Base pay doubled, residuals intact—though with one extra script option—Simon knew this was quite generous for a newbie.
But after nodding, he asked, "Joe, what's the full package now? WMA's even less likely to drop it, right?"
Jonathan wasn't surprised Simon asked that, replying candidly, "Brian's directing and producing. And Matthew's out—company's having me recast the mains."
Noting Jonathan's amused glance after, Simon caught the hint about Courteney but asked instead, "When can we sign?"
"Full package details out in a few days; contracts probably next week," Jonathan said. "But Simon, you can quit your job now. If you're short on cash, I can front you some."
Simon shook his head, chuckling. "Nah, no need."
When hired, Simon had agreed with Roger Griffin to give notice if quitting, so he could rehire.
The middle-aged cheapskate was decent otherwise, and they'd gotten along fine. Plus, Simon needed Roger's store for Run Lola Run—no way he'd bail abruptly.
Jonathan didn't know Simon's thoughts and didn't push, shifting to, "One more thing, Simon—about the WGA. Want to join the guild?"
Simon looked puzzled, unsure why Jonathan brought it up.
Seeing the confusion, Jonathan explained, "Joining the WGA lets your contracts follow their Basic Agreement—better protects your rights. If you want, I'll rush it; should wrap before signing with Fox next week."
Joining the Writers Guild of America required thresholds: accumulate enough credits from film/TV work in the prior three years.
Of course, Simon didn't doubt Jonathan could bend WGA rules.
If Simon just wanted to be a pure writer, joining was fine.
But his aim was Hollywood's pinnacle.
Joining now might pit him against himself later.
The WGA struck most often in Hollywood. Once called, all members must comply—no work for production companies. If Simon owned a studio and was a WGA member, it'd be chaos—striking against himself?
Shaking his head, Simon told Jonathan, "Joe, no need. If any guild, it'd be the PGA."
Jonathan smiled. "Alright, then."
They chatted more; with Simon sorted, Jonathan Friedman hurried back to WMA headquarters.
The incident clarified much for Jonathan Friedman. With Lou Wasserman tasking him to recast The Butterfly Effect's mains, he had zero intent to share the project anymore.
Any fitting roles went straight to his clients; if none matched, he picked from allies' rosters.
After a busy afternoon, Jonathan submitted the revised cast list to Lou Wasserman by evening.
After further details with Fox, on Wednesday, WMA and Fox held a joint press conference announcing the package.
Simon didn't attend.
Actually, the The Butterfly Effect event featured only WMA and Fox execs—no creatives present.
But Simon soon learned the full new lineup.
Beyond him and Brian De Palma, Jonathan Friedman's picked leads were his clients: Matt Dillon and Elizabeth Shue, with most supports similar.
Simon wasn't familiar with Dillon or Shue.
Or rather, to most, they were those recurring Hollywood faces hard to pin down. But in 1986, the early-twenties duo were already promising newcomers with several films under their belts.