Letting Go

Nicholas was in his office playing 50's Boss with Ritchie.

RITCHIE: Are you sure I can't get you another cup of coffee, Mr. Bennington?

Ritchie leaned seductively over Nicholas' desk trying to call to mind a pin-up secretary a la Mad Men.

Nicholas looked at him and said--

NICHOLAS: Maybe I should let him know we can do slides.
RITCHIE: Nicholas--
NICHOLAS: A few slides would really add to the piece.
RITCHIE: You promised.
NICHOLAS: But--
RITCHIE: This is my one night off from rehearsal.
NICHOLAS: I know--
RITCHIE: And you promised you wouldn't talk about the show.
NICHOLAS: Yes, but--
RITCHIE: Because it's in Alex's hands, and he's very capable.
NICHOLAS: But if he screws up--

At that moment the door opened and Ethan walked in to hear Ritchie say--

RITCHIE: YOU ARE KILLING MY SEX BUZZ!

Ethan looked like he might faint. The thought of his boss having sex with anyone was disturbing on many levels. Nicholas was like an asexual math teacher to him.

Nicholas was thrilled that Ethan walked in. Maybe that meant Alex needed help. He jumped up knocking Ritchie off his desk.

NICHOLAS: I'm coming!
ETHAN: Nicholas, I didn't--

But he was already on his way into the theater.

Alex was blocking a scene from the Nicholas Bennington Group's second production of the year. Nicholas had managed to convince Alex to risk decapitation at the hands of Lisa in order to bring some legitimacy to the theater, but now Nicholas wasn't sure he was ready to loosen the reins just yet.

NICHOLAS: Hey Alex, need help?
ALEX: No.
NICHOLAS: Oh, because Ethan--
ALEX: We're all ordering out. He was supposed to see if you wanted anything.
NICHOLAS: Oh. I thought maybe you needed help.
ALEX: With what?
NICHOLAS: You know...directing type...things.
ALEX: We might need a five.

The stage manager called five, and Alex took Nicholas aside.

ALEX: You promised.
NICHOLAS: Everyone keeps saying that to me today.
ALEX: Aren't you supposed to be playing 9 to 5 upstairs with Ritchie?
NICHOLAS: I can't focus on anything. I'm nervous.
ALEX: That I'm going to fail miserably at this?
NICHOLAS: No.
ALEX: That I'm incompetent?
NICHOLAS: No.
ALEX: That the Tanzanian boar I hired will somehow get loose and run rampant in the theater?
NICHOLAS: There's a Tanzanian boar?
ALEX: I see you were lying when you answered the first two questions.
NICHOLAS: This theater means everything to me. It has my name on it. If anything happens--
ALEX: Nicholas, if you can't trust me, there's no point in me being here. I can't have you rushing into the theater at every moment making me look stupid in front of the cast. A cast you got to pick, I should mention.

Nicholas knew Alex was right, but it didn't change the fact that he was going to...

Wait a second.

NICHOLAS: I did pick the cast, didn't I?
ALEX: Yes, you did. Which brings me to my next point. Have you found me another leading man now that Terry's gone to New York?
NICHOLAS: You bet I have.
ALEX: Oh, Nicholas, no--
NICHOLAS: I'm making my return to acting.

All the other actors overheard this, and began to develop nervous tics.