Original subtitles

[soft drumming]

First day of the new job,

kind of like a first date with your new career.

Will it be love at first sight or

will it be thanks for dinner, maybe I'll call you sometime?

[soft lighthearted music]

♪ I'm falling away from a pillow and into the woods ♪

♪ I'm finding my way to your heart by the light of the moon ♪

♪ The force can tell I'm under your spell ♪

♪ You're taking me out of my shell ♪

Stakes are high, so no shortcuts are allowed.

Nothing less than perfection will do

because today could be the most important day of your life.

[creaking]

It could be the day when it falls into place.

Or when it all falls to pieces.

[rumbling]

Hey!

Erica.

Hi, wow, look at you all dressed up for school.

So, big day, huh, first day at work.

Mmm hmm, I'm really excited.

Just by the unintended skylight,

I have a good feeling about today.

Unintended skylight?

Don't ask, I have a good feeling because

I feel like I'm turning a page in my life,

which is weird because my new job is in publishing.

And oh my god, I forgot to tell you that my new boss,

Amrose, he asked to read my short stories,

which is like, ah, like it never happens.

So, I'm like, yeah, am I still talking?

Not anymore.

I talk a lot when I'm nervous.

Yeah, I know this about you.

Of course.

I'm not just nervous because it's my first day of work.

I'm nervous because of...

The thing.

The thing?

The thing that we did with our mouths.

It was nice, I thought.

Me, too.

So, what do we do?

I guess we talk like grownups.

Over dinner, I'll cook.

You don't cook, you heat.

I know this about you.

Well, listen, knock them dead today.

Thank you!

Good, see you.

Yeah.

Okay.

Oh, taxi, hi!

Taxi!

Taxi!

No, no, wait, wait!

-Thanks, buddy. -Wait!

Taxi!

Taxi, taxi!

No!

No!

Wow, loving the footwear.

Oh, I know, it's my first day of work and

my new heels snapped.

So, do I wait for a shoe store to open and

show up an hour late or do I hit the local pharmacy

and plug the old debit card and--

And hope that your boss thinks it's enterprising

and not desperate.

Yeah.

I'm Julianne, this is Brent.

Hey, nice to meet you.

I should probably go report to Ambrose.

About that, Ambrose has moved onto other opportunities.

Oh, I'm surprised.

So was Ambrose.

He got replaced by the woman who edited The Secret of Now.

The Secret of Now.

Isn't that just a knockoff of The Secret?

[laughing]

A knockoff of The Secret.

It's actually one of the best selling

self help titles of the year.

Of course, I should probably go find my new boss.

She's right here, Erica.

[light ringing]

Oh, I'm, I'm just really sorry, I thought that you were--

You thought, here's this young babe,

she just has to be somebody's assistant.

She couldn't possibly be the new

editorial director of non fiction.

But I am and I didn't get here because

I look good in a skirt, I earned it.

You want on my team, you better do the same.

And the flip flops, desperate.

["Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears]

[soft peaceful music]

♪ It's clearer inside of me

♪ Who I will always be

♪ Up in the [mumbles] to my heart ♪

♪ Feels like I'm singing to god ♪

♪ To do it all over again and again ♪

♪ Back to the end

♪ Some of my dreams never feel I wanted to be ♪

So, you were Julianne's assistant?

Yeah, for 16 months, three weeks, two days.

Not that I was counting.

When they promoted Julianne to Editorial Director,

she made me Junior Editor.

She fought for me, hard.

Congratulations.

Thanks but I know her agenda.

Julianne's mantra is keep your enemies close

and those that can get your job, even closer.

I'll see you at the department meeting

this afternoon, Frank.

And I am sure you will have a terrific slate

of projects to show us.

We're gonna do great things, Frank.

Was that Frank Galvin?

Yes, the Frank Galvin, owner and Editor and Chief.

Oh, I know him!

I mean, I know of his reputation, River Rock has published

some important pieces of literature.

Well, important pieces of literature don't move units,

not anymore.

You know what does, this.

We sold half a million copies last year, you know why?

This book helps people.

Well, I'll be sure to read it.

Well, this copy's signed.

You have to buy your own.

Oh, right.

So.

You have two degrees in English lit.

You've never been an Editorial Assistant before.

You've never even worked in publishing before,

you're how old?

I'm 32.

Huh, because I'm 27 and I took my first proofreading job

right out of high school.

Look, I understand you have qualms.

Because people who have two degrees in English lit

and use words like qualms are usually literature snobs

and I have no time for them.

I understand and, honestly, I'm not some ivory tower

English lit snob.

[laughing]

Mmm, yeah, I beg to differ.

See, I read your short collection of even shorter stories.

Mmm, Ambrose left it for me.

How nice of him.

They're very heavy.

I wrote them in university and

I haven't had time for rewrites.

You've had over 10 years.

[laughing]

Well, if you're done with them,

I'd love to have them back.

Uh uh, who said I was done?

Who knows, maybe I'll even share these to Frank.

[laughing]

Brent!

Can you show Erica to the coffee lounge?

It's time to send her to school.

Okay.

Brent, you've worked with Julianne for a long time.

How do you deal without--

Going insane?

Yeah.

A lot of meditation, yoga every morning,

plus I'm heavily medicated.

Oh.

Mmm, out of her favorite organic espresso beans.

What?

You can make her a latte with regular beans, your choice.

No, you point me to the nearest Starbucks.

I need to go buy organic espresso beans stat.

Ah, score one for the newbie.

You passed the test, good one.

No need for Starbucks, I keep a spare bag

of espresso beans in my emergency drawer.

Oh, thank god.

Julianne goes Hannibal if you make her latte with reg.

She gets this sexy little lip curl.

God, she can be so hot.

-[phone ringing] -Ooh, okay, speak of the devil.

Okay, she needs me, I'll be right back, don't move.

[simple rhythmic music]

Good morning.

What are you doing here?

This is a private office, you can't just barge in here!

Well, I did not barge, I waltzed.

That security guard, Phil, he is a sweet guy.

You need to go!

I am feeling anxious enough to begin with,

this is [mumbles].

Ooh, feelings of anxiousness.

Could you not do that?

Taking notes is a part of my job.

Okay, speak to me.

How else are you feeling?

Frustrated, I'm finally in a place that I wanna be at

and my boss is a passive aggressive bitch face.

Bitch face.

I mean, god, I hate air quotes, who even does that?

You know that bumper sticker, question authority?

I think a better one for you right now might be

question your attitude towards authority.

And what is that supposed to mean?

Oh, you're a smart woman, you'll figure it out.

Oh, by the way, I made myself a doppio espresso

and I finished the beans, I hope that's okay.

Will you please leave?

Why don't you go say hi to your good buddy Phil, huh?

Tell him I said hi too.

Okay.

Who was that?

I think he's from accounting.

Those cheekbones, me no think so.

Teach me the ways of the latte, sensei.

Well said.

Thank you so much for coming in today.

Ambrose spoke so highly of you.

Well, Ambrose and I, we go way back.

I was very sad to hear about his departure

but I'm really hoping that you and I can

move forward with my book, Julianne.

Oh, so do I, Marcus.

Mark, please.

[soft rhythmic music]

Mmm.

Ooh, okay.

So, I've read your outline and I hate to be such

a debbie downer, but it really dwells in the past.

It's a memoir.

Mmm hmm, have you heard of a little bestseller

called The Secret of Now.

Well, you have a framed cover behind you.

Oh, right, there it is.

The author, Thomas Friedkin, friend of mine,

he says strive not to look behind but

always to the present moment, look to the now.

I wonder if you can bring any of that wisdom to your memoir.

I'm not really sure I follow you.

Perhaps, if I may, what Julianne is saying

is that we're looking for projects with a self help angle.

We need something for the millennials.

We need something that we can market on social networking

sites like Facebook or Myspace.

Are you familiar with those?

I've dropped in a few times.

Well, it was awesome to meet you, Marcus.

Mark, please.

So, we're gonna kick your outline around,

jam on it, see what we can come up with, sound good?

Well, thank you for meeting with me.

Okay, stall his outline, read it,

type up some notes, we better look like we

tried to come up with something.

Sure, sure.

And I'm sending you back to latte school.

This was repulsive.

Oh, this memoir is slow going.

Except for this one chapter that's riveting.

Well, you can't charge people 29.95 hardcover

for one chapter.

Unless you made more of it, like...

Whatever, I'm supposed to write [mumbles],

not reinvent the wheel.

Well, Erica, if there's one thing you do know, it's books.

Don't hold back all your good ideas, unleash them.

Trust me, I've been doing enough unleashing lately.

I kissed Ethan.

I mean, I really kissed him.

That is not the kind of bomb you drop

in the middle of a conversation.

I know, I'm sorry.

So, after all these years, you made out?

Mmm hmm.

Was it good?

Very, but I mean--

[Woman] Menus?

Thank you.

That's not what it's about.

Yeah, it is.

No, it isn't, I mean, dating Ethan, it would be weird.

And complicated, I mean, he just separated from his wife.

Just answer this one question,

is Ethan the kind of guy that you could see yourself with?

Yes.

No, maybe.

I don't know, I don't know!

THat's something you need to figure out.

The kiss, scale on one to 10?

10.

Thousand.

[laughing]

The board wants me to deliver a bigger, better

Secret of Now.

This is not it.

I think we have to kill it.

We all ready gave Stahl a healthy advance.

Ambrose did, not me.

Well, I'm open to suggestions.

I mean, if someone has a great idea on how to salvage

this project, I'm all ears.

Okay.

Communication.

ET phone home, don't see how that applies.

[laughing]

Just Stahl invented the banting 7204 satellite,

which launched a revolution in digital communications.

Yawn, where's the juice?

He was a crack addict.

Wife, kids, a titan of business, but there he was,

night after night, smoking crack with gang members.

Dark, I don't like it.

But he beat the addiction, won his family back,

returned to the top of the business world,

and I really feel like there's a lot of juice in that.

But I'm just the assistant, so.

Well, I don't know why they're paying me all the money.

She's the one with all the fab ideas.

[laughing]

Ah, that was, ooh.

[soft peaceful music]

♪ Every little thing I do trickles down ♪

What is your problem?

Excuse me?

What is your problem?

Um, I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?

You just made me look like an idiot

in front of my whole team.

I was trying to help.

And I was trying to bury a book that I don't want.

I, I, I--

Stuttering idiot, apparently.

If you don't get it together,

today is gonna be your first and your last day.

FYI, when I say make some notes, that means bury it, temp.

["Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears]

[lighthearted rhythmic music]

All right, well, let's hear it.

No, not again.

Yes, again, that's final.

Erica, why don't you take a break and join us?

Come, come, come.

Have a seat.

So, like I said, I know [mumbles] for a little reading.

Ah, good, I have a stunning work of staggering genius

straight from this fresh file.

This is a ritual we used to do at the other office.

Julianne reads from the worst submissions, it's hilarious.

Okay.

And a little cruel.

Relax, the author remains anonymous.

The house is an repertoire.

[laughing]

Smoke blows from the chimney and up,

breaking apart the night sky.

The trees sway in the wind,

like the scratches from a broken [mumbles].

[laughing]

Oh god, stop, we're all gonna go to hell.

I'm just getting started,

there's five short stories,

and now one for every day this week.

The December yard is gray,

the Morgan family sits inside while the tears flow.

[slow solemn music]

[sobbing]

I am older than her.

[exciting energetic music]

Julianne, we need to talk.

I need to prepare for a presentation,

you need to be somewhere else.

And you're still here.

I just need 60 seconds of your time.

You got 15.

What?

13.

Well--

Tick tock, tick tock.

Maybe we--

Use your words.

We could talk--

And times up, thanks for coming in.

[slow soft music]

Thirsty?

You don't miss your water until your well runs dry,

William Bell.

Not thirsty, not really.

When I get nervous, my mouth, it just,

it just dries up like the Gobi Desert.

Cotton mouth, the pasties.

Also known as doe mouth.

In medical terms, we refer to it as zero [mumbles],

a rapid depletion of moisture from the mouth.

It's triggered by anxiety.

Common side effect of marijuana inhalation.

THere's an idea, maybe I should get high for work,

that might help.

I doubt it.

I think Julianne would seriously harsh your mellow.

Sit.

I should get back to work.

I insist.

I don't think I need to brood around in my past

to figure out why a psychotic boss makes me tongue tied.

Would you say that you are someone who is comfortable

with confrontation?

Who is?

Your new boss, a controlling, passive aggressive,

downright cruel.

I mean, she is so good at getting under your skin,

you actually lose the power of speech.

Does that sound like anyone you know?

My mother.

Lozar.

Tell me about him.

Antonin Lozar.

Low!

[Erica] Intense lecturer, esteem professor,

and the dread of every first year creative writing student.

[Lozar] Erica, are you paying attention?

I mean, for Ethan, it was a bird course.

But for me, it was life and death.

I love poetry, I was determined to impress him

and I thought I wrote the poem that was gonna

win his respect, Snowflakes.

It was about the uniqueness of every soul.

Have I been made into this snowflake?

Lozar never cared for anything that I wrote

but for Snowflakes, he dug down to a special place

in his heart where true evil lurked.

[screeching]

This--

[screaming]

Soon, I felt suffocated.

[Lozar] Come on, come on!

I mean, I did what anyone would do, right?

You ran.

Coward, you will never be a writer!

And I never came back, I failed the course.

Come to think of it,

I haven't written anything creative since.

If I could do it over, I would look Lozar in the eyes

and recite Snowflakes, every single word.

I'll see you on the other side.

No, no, wait, I need prep time,

I haven't read the poem in like 15 years.

We are postponing life speeds by Seneca 5BC.

No, seriously, stop with the cult.

No, no, just hit pause!

[Lozar] You were going to read to us.

Sorry, I think I had an allergic reaction

and I'm thinking about getting pollen filters [mumbles].

[Lozar] Erica.

Yes, Professor.

Shut up.

Okay.

Okay, Ethan, before we were so rudely disturbed.

You were going to read to us from your new work.

[Ethan] Okay, sure.

[Lozar] Come on, begin, please.

This is a poem I wrote called Your Love is a Drive By.

Your love is a drive by, your bullets go ping

off the body armor of my heart, ping, ping, ping.

Ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping!

-All right. -[laughing]

Ping, ping, ping!

Ping, ping, ping, ping!

I said that's enough!

Ethan, Ethan, Ethan.

Again, you take us down with you to the very sub

basement of self expression.

And for that, I thank you.

Um, you're welcome.

And you're shit.

Your poetry is shit, even your pen, shit!

Just sit down!

Erica Strange, you're next.

Um, professor, I just have a little problem.

So do I.

I have to endure another one of your poems.

You air quote too.

We are waiting, Erica.

[simple rhythmic music]

I call this piece Snowflakes.

Poetry is organic, it lives when you speak it,

not when you read it.

Here are your snowflakes, Erica.

Itty, bitty, tiny snowflakes.

Still we wait.

I am crouched on the axis of the sun,

on the edge of my cloud.

Give me something with passion!

Wombs pregnant with thought.

Oh god, I wish to die.

Has this, um.

Oh god.

Have I been made into this snowflake--

Slop!

Sentimental, juvenile slush!

You hate me right now, huh?

You feel like you're being attacked.

Show me what you feel.

Express your pain, express from within!

My loneliness is killing me.

Louder.

I must confess, I still believe--

Believe in what, tell me!

When I'm not with you, I lose my mind.

Give me a sign.

Hit me baby one more time.

Yes, speak the voice of the victim!

["Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears]

The reason I breathe is you.

You've got me blinded, there's nothing I wouldn't do.

It's not the way I planned it.

I must confess, my loneliness is killing me!

Don't you know, I still believe!

When I'm not with you, I lose my mind.

Give me a sign, hit me baby one more time!

Yeah, yeah!

♪ My loneliness is killing me

♪ And I, I must confess I still believe ♪

♪ Still believe, when I'm not with you ♪

♪ I lose my mind, give me a sign ♪

♪ Hit me baby one more time

Passion, drama, I love it,

and all just from the top of your head!

Yeah, straight from there, top of my head.

Who'd even think of writing an old [mumbles].

Genius, I love you, you're my little poetist.

Hey, I think you should call your piece, Voice of Flame.

I was thinking of calling it Hit Me Baby One More Time.

No, Voice of Flame, much better.

Okay.

Hey, everybody, you must come to the Poetry Slam.

Erica will be reciting her new work!

Oh no, no, no, he's joking.

Professor, that's a one time only performance, really.

Nonsense, you must share this with an audience.

Hey, I will insist on it.

Look, I'm just gonna come right out and ask you,

you just recited this weird poem about this abusive guy,

do I have to kick somebody's ass?

No, no, no, no, I made that up, I am fine.

I just made it up.

Ethan.

Claire, hey.

Hey.

Thanks for coming.

So, you drinking in the afternoon,

that's so in Toronto of you.

It's a celebration, Erica has been reborn as

the poetist of fire.

I'm so sad that he snapped your lucky pen.

Yeah, I guess he didn't like my sound effects.

Well, I did, I thought the were vocative.

So did I.

Pa ping, ping.

Shit, I'm out of cigarettes.

Ethan, baby, do you think--

Yeah, I'm on it.

[soft lighthearted music]

So.

So.

[Claire] Erica.

Yeah?

[Claire] You looking good.

Thank you.

So, I hope you don't mind me asking like this

but do you have anyone special in your life?

You mean boyfriend?

Mmm hmm.

It's April of '95, right?

Yeah.

I mean, yeah, no, no one, just single.

Oh, [mumbles], huh?

Cute girl like you.

Mmm hmm.

Actually, Claire, there is one guy,

old, old friend but recently--

You felt the spark but you're still unsure.

It's complicated.

Oh, see when I saw Ethan, I just knew.

I mean, no hesitation, no second guessing.

And you see, now he's mine.

Mmm.

And as for your situation,

well, somethings were just not meant to be.

I guess you're right.

You'll find your Ethan one day.

One day.

-Walking. -[whistling]

Um.

I gotta jet but thank you for the chat.

Dr. Tom, hey, Dr. Tom, wait, wait, wait!

So, you're a dog walker this time.

Love the fanny pack.

Yes, it's convenient for carrying treats.

Isn't that right, beautiful?

Hey, what are your thoughts?

You know what I love about dogs,

they never pretend to be anything that they're not.

You know, I mean look at them,

you get what you pay for with a dog, no artifice.

So, you're upset that I improvised.

You think that it's appropriate to address

one of your life regrets through plagiary?

Look, I'm not proud of this but I know my Britney Spears

and Hit Me Baby One More Time isn't coming up for years.

Are you kidding me?

You came back here to do something specific, right?

I know, I know, I wanted to face off Lozar

and read Snowflakes but he tore up the page

that it was written on and I can't remember it.

Defeatism is the wretchedest of policies,

George Bernard Shaw.

I'm not being defeatist, I don't have a copy.

Why does it matter so much that I read Snowflakes?

Are you ever gonna answer a direct question when I ask it?

Maybe I will, maybe I won't.

Oops, I did it again, Britney Spears.

[whistling]

[fun playful music]

♪ This is why I drew

♪ To forget the things I've seen ♪

♪ Well, this is why I drew

♪ But you deny me this

♪ To forget the things I miss

♪ Just for a little bit

♪ And I know all too well

[Ethan] 11, 12.

Hey!

Hey.

[Erica] Where's Claire?

She went with some friends to see Chumbawamba

at The Phoenix.

-12. -[grunting]

Wow, you're hot.

From the exertion of the, you're sweaty.

Okay, better hit the shower.

Whoa, Ethan, what are you doing?

What I always do.

Okay, well will you put some clothes on?

Okay, mom.

Hey, beer me.

[sighing]

-[mumbles] -[soft fun music]

Can I ask you a question?

Of course, you can ask me anything.

Well, what's up with you today?

I mean, you seem different,

like you're carrying around this big secret.

I am, see, I'm from the future.

Erica, what are you talking about?

What's going on with you?

You wanna know what's going on with me,

I will tell you, I'm stuck, in a manner of speaking,

and I have to remember something that I wrote

and I have no idea why I have to remember it,

but apparently it's important.

Okay, well, what are you trying to remember?

Snowflakes, that poem I was supposed to read for Lozar.

I totally forgot the last few lines.

[soft peaceful music]

I hate these generous handfuls of snowflakes,

like pennies, they slip through my clenched hands

and are never enough.

How on earth did you remember that, oh my god?

You read me the finished [mumbles]

just like two nights ago.

I've read you tons of poems,

why did you remember that one?

Because this one, this one was special.

It's goofy!

No, it's not.

Look, I'm no expert, the kind of poetry I like

is usually about gangsters, but this one you wrote,

it was just you.

Well, no wonder Lozar hated it so much.

Screw him, this is who you are,

you don't need his approval.

If only life were that simple.

It is.

It is, isn't it?

[soft happy music]

Claire has no idea how lucky she is.

I, um, I should probably shower.

♪ Every little thing I do trickles down and lands on you ♪

[Erica] Thank you.

Claire's gonna be sad she missed this.

I told her there'd be lots of chances to see Chumbawamba.

Yeah, it's not like they're a one hit wonder or anything.

What's up, everybody?

We all ready to hear some poetry?

[applauding]

All right, right on.

First up, someone new for ya'll.

She's a student here studying with

our esteemable Professor Lozar,

who asked me, make that insisted, that I put her on tonight.

She will be performing a piece called Voice of Flame.

[applauding]

So, think, all semester long,

you were this boring little school girl

writing this pretentious vomit.

Now, you go up there and

you show them the real Erica Strange.

Thank you, that's exactly what I plan on doing.

Okay, put your hands together for Erica Strange.

[cheering]

Hi, everyone.

A slight change in plans.

This is called Snowflakes.

I am crouched on the axis of the sun,

seated on the edge of my cloud.

Womb pregnant with thought.

Have I been made into this snowflake,

or has it been made into me?

I hate these generous handfuls of snowflakes,

like pennies, they slip through my clenched hands

and are never enough.

Thank you.

[applauding]

[Announcer] All right.

I invited friends to hear Voice of Flame,

not this verbal diarrhea.

Why would you choose to do this original,

melancholy bullshit?

Because!

Yes, what, what, spit it out!

Because that's all I've got!

Okay, Snowflakes are my words, it is my poem

and I can say whatever I want.

I don't have to impress you or anyone here!

Calm down, Erica, my friends here,

they want to hear Voice of Flame.

Well, they will hear it soon enough in about four years.

[fun exciting music]

Let's go.

Erica, Erica!

[yelling]

I am so sorry.

Sorry.

Erica, just...

Embarrassing.

Ah, well, I'm not in the business of delivering

uplifting messages.

I leave that to my dear friend Thomas Friedkin.

But I do see great things ahead for us here

at River Rock Publishing.

And one of the projects I am the most stoked about

is a memoir from mogul Marcus Stahl.

Now, I have to admit, when this proposal first came

across my desk, I had my doubts.

It seemed blah, but then it suddenly came to me,

communications.

Stahl revolutionized the industry and

I know what you're thinking, Julianne, where's the juice.

Wait for it, he was smoking crack at the time

but he overcame the addiction.

Oh, it's really just an amazing, amazing story

and so, what we have here is a uniquely uplifting,

self help slash tell all.

And I think there's a lot of juice in that.

And I'll tell you what I think,

I think you've done it again!

[applauding]

You scared me for a minute.

Congratulations.

Oh good, oh yeah, this was a tough one.

This was a tough one.

Julianne, Vancouver office called.

I'll be right back, Frank, sorry.

I'll be waiting.

[simple rhythmic music]

Get Vancouver on the phone for me.

Yeah, I lied about that, we need to talk.

This is becoming a habit of yours, a really annoying one.

I don't like the way you treat me.

Ooh, do tell.

It's one thing to talk to me like I'm an idiot,

it's another to mock a short story that I wrote years ago,

but stealing my ideas, I won't accept it.

Ooh, well then, I will accept your resignation.

Pardon?

Do I really need to translate, you're fired.

[soft lighthearted music]

Julianne just told me what happened, what got into you?

Long story.

Well, the bad news is that I'm gonna miss you.

The good news is that now

I'm free to ask you out for a drink.

A drink?

Mmm.

A drink drink, a date?

Yeah.

Oh, do you have a boyfriend?

Um, I hope so, I mean, we're friends in transition to.

A drink, you and me?

This is, it's funny because I thought that you were--

In a relationship?

No, honey, I like to play the field.

Call me.

I just wanna say congratulations again

on this exciting new direction.

Thank you so much, Frank.

So, would you say that the theme is one of redemption

or would you say it's more like triumph over adversity?

Well, you know, I think either one of those is fine.

Either one?

[laughing]

What kind of framing device were you thinking about?

Life stories need organizing first and foremost.

Erica?

Mmm hmm?

You were in on that meeting, you took notes.

Now's your chance to speak up.

[soft rhythmic music]

Please.

Oh, the floor is yours.

Julianne feels that the memoir should start

on one particular night in '91.

Now, Stahl, with money all over town and

was bottoming out in cocaine.

Now, that's one way to grab the reader.

Go on.

[exciting hopeful music]

You wanted to see me.

Close the door.

Well, you did it, you earned your place.

What makes you so sure I still want it?

I bailed you out because I care about the book,

not because I care about you.

Whatever.

I'll see you tomorrow.

I never said I was coming back.

You stole my ideas, Julianne.

Wow, you really don't know how this works, do you?

Okay, let me break it down for you.

Your ideas are a ball, you pass me the ball,

I drive it to the net, we score, we win,

we share in the glory.

That's a neat rationalization.

It's a game, Erica.

Business is a game, publishing is a game.

You can either stand in the sidelines or you can play.

It's really your call.

Fine, one condition.

I'm not gonna be nice to you.

Just give me back my short stories.

See you tomorrow.

[lighthearted music]

[bell ringing]

Sit.

So, big plans tonight?

Not really, I'm just gonna hang with Ethan.

You have that look of nervous excitement.

Is it, perhaps, tonight is more than just a hang?

Hmm, well, I've been thinking and I think,

I think I should take a leap.

Who knows, it could be great.

It could be a total disaster,

but it could be amazing.

What?

Nothing.

It's quite a thing to behold, this new confident Erica,

reciting the poem in her heart,

standing up to her boss, taking a leap into love.

I am pretty amazing, aren't I?

Alice M Swaim said courage is not the towering oak

that sees storms come and go,

it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.

[lighthearted happy music]

Thanks, Dr. Tom.

Goodnight.

It seems most of the time,

we walk around with the world on mute.

But when you're in the cusp of something dramatic

and maybe life changing, it's like a filter comes off

and suddenly everything comes alive.

And even the smallest moment is in viewed

with the magic of possibility.

And you think, this is the night when you drop your mask

and reveal your true self.

This is the night when everything is rewritten.

-[light knocking] -Ethan?

You left the door open.

[Ethan] Hey, I'll be right out.

Okay.

Hey.

Hey.

Good to see you.

Good to see you too.

I bought us a nice bottle of wine.

Oh, oh, wow.

Spared no expense, huh?

We're celebrating.

Yeah, I guess, I'm feeling great

and I'm ready to have our talk.

[slow solemn music]

Are you okay?

What's wrong?

What is this?

Oh my god, you got served.

I knew it was coming.

I wanna get divorced, I do.

Claire and I are over, I know that.

But when I look at the papers, it just,

it just seems so final.

I don't know what to say.

You don't have to say anything, it's cool.

Just another thing to celebrate, right?

Ethan?

Fine, really.

Never been better actually.

Wish I could find a corkscrew in this god damn

dump of an apartment.

Hey, it's okay, I'm here.

I'm glad.

I really need a friend right now.

I know, you've got one, I'm not going anywhere.

It's okay.

It's okay.

[soft peaceful music]