Contents
Chapter 7
Overview
Bret skips lunch period to meet Terry Schaffer at Trumps after Steven arranges a secret weekday meeting and requests Bret wear his school uniform. While industry chatter flatters Bret, Steven warns him to be careful. Terry pointedly questions Bret’s sexuality and commitment to Debbie, hints at his own arrangement with Liz, and offers a script opportunity. Bret leaves uneasy as Terry insists on secrecy and future meetings.
Summary
On Monday, Steven Reinhardt calls to schedule a midweek lunch between Bret and Terry Schaffer, stressing it must be during school and that Bret should keep it secret from Debbie and wear his Buckley uniform. Bret agrees, flattered and curious despite sensing fetishistic overtones.
On Wednesday, Bret slips off campus, briefly observing his friends at the Pavilion—including Debbie searching for him and Robert Mallory quietly present—before driving to Trumps. Early and anxious, Bret orders a Greyhound as celebrities dot the room. Steven appears, reports Terry’s delay, and pointedly warns Bret to “be careful” because “everyone has an agenda,” implying concern for Debbie.
Terry arrives, warmly attentive and status-savvy, and seats Bret at Table One. Their conversation begins with movies and writing; Terry flatters Bret and floats connections, even suggesting a script “about young people.” When Terry asks about Bret’s novel, Bret stays guarded, feeling self-conscious in the uniform and out of his depth.
The tone shifts as Terry probes Bret’s seriousness with Debbie and then asks directly if Bret “goes both ways.” Bret answers cautiously that he’s not “limited.” Terry, amused, confirms his own preferences by implication, alludes to an “arrangement” with Liz, and toys with hypotheticals about Bret’s friends, pushing boundaries while maintaining a veneer of mentorship.
Uncomfortable and disappointed by the lunch’s underlying agenda, Bret decides to leave. Terry reiterates secrecy about Debbie, teases Bret for drinking at the bar, and briefly grabs Bret’s wrist while promising Steven will call to begin the script discussions. Bret exits unsettled, aware of the transactional undercurrent and the risks ahead.
Who Appears
- BretSkips school to lunch with Terry; flattered yet wary; questioned about sexuality and Debbie; leaves unsettled but tempted by a script offer.
- Terry SchafferPowerful producer; engineers secret lunch; probes Bret’s sexuality, hints at arrangement with Liz, and dangles a script; insists on secrecy.
- Steven ReinhardtTerry’s assistant; arranges lunch, notes Bret’s uniform and drink, and warns Bret to be careful, citing conflicting agendas and concern for Debbie.
- Debbie SchafferBriefly seen at Buckley looking for Bret; subject of Terry’s questions about Bret’s seriousness and secrecy.
- Robert MalloryQuietly present at the Buckley lunch table; his earlier cryptic remark echoes during Steven’s warning.
- Jerry BrownCalifornia governor; greets Terry at Trumps, underscoring Terry’s status.
- David HockneyNoted painter; notices Bret in uniform at Trumps; Terry offers an introduction Bret declines.
- Allan CarrFilm producer; greets Terry and praises Bret when introduced as a prospective screenwriter.