James B Brandt

A NIGHT OF LIGHTS

 

Genre: Romance

 

Tagline: No good deed goes unpunished.

 

Logline:  STEVE SCHÄFER, 28, is a mechanical genius. She leverages her position at TexaDrone into taking a TDY slot with the CIA to see Washington, DC. Just this Tomboy's luck that the CIA needs her in Paris... France.  Neither the Fireworks at the Eiffel Tower or the Terrorist plot were near as exciting as the rollercoaster ride her emotions take when  there she meets CNCIS Asst. Director BERNARD DUMAS, 35, and his daughter GABRIELLE, 9.

 

Synopsis: STEPHANIE EVE "STEVE" SCHÄFER, 28, has enough clout at TexaDrone to pretty much do what she wants. Right now, she wants to work at CIA Headquarters, temporarily filling in as TexaDrone's Tech Rep, while the company shuffles employees through the clearance nightmares. This gives her an excuse to see Washington, DC, on the CIA's nickel. It also puts her on the spot when the CIA needs a fill-in, right now, to assist the French CNCIS while that TexaDrone slot is vacant. So she is off, most reluctantly, to Paris, where the French put goat cheese on Pizza.

Things start of, well, typically French. CNCIS Assistant Director BERNARD DUMAS is dispatched to the airport to retrieve the new Tech Rep Steve Schäfer, who must, naturally, be a man. Things are not going well at CNCIS Drone Command and they want Steve there right away. Snubbed at the airport, Steve finds her own way to the Hotel and a cute restaurant near buy where she samples then French concept of "three cheese" pizza.

 

Steve's "I don't give a hoot" attitude goes down very poorly with the arrogant, sexist, and aristocratic French officials and Steve has had enough before she is in Paris 24 hours. She uses her unadvertised position as a TexaDrone Board Member to light a fire at the CIA: she wants out.

 

But her rapid completion of the repair work on the French Drone console and reprogramming the drones at the flight line has prompted Dumas to pull out a touch of his French chivalry - or a hunk of his French pride - and accept Steve's challenge to a culinary cook off - her tart recipe against the best Chef he knows. Against all expectations, this super mechanic is also a darn good cook. On the way back to the hotel, Steve is overwhelmed by the fireworks display, the night of lights, by the Eiffel Tower to celebrate the Festival of St. Denis. The time they spend watching the light show from a lonely bridge does its Paris magic and the Seed of Romance is planted. Dumas invites her to the opening round of concerts at the Basilica of St. Denis the following day.

 

The concerts create their own magic, but nothing as powerful as Dumas' daughter, Gabrielle, 9, who is crippled from an auto accident and wears a brace. Steve is totally captivated by Gabrielle and the young girl, yearning for companionship, is likewise captivated by this independent, beautiful American who believes her brace is not a handicap at all. Besides, she knows Indians, Cowboys, and horses. A perfect mom!

More problems at Drone Central create sparks when Steve argues the CNCIS Director out of sending a Hellfire missile into a suspected terrorist hide-out and OMAR, the leader, escapes capture. But the team sent to the location does free a French family held captive, the justification behind Steve's argument. Contrite for not doing more to stand up to her in front of his boss - and with more than a little prompting from Gabrielle - Dumas shows up at the flight line and invites Steve to go with the family to visit the biological gardens at a local park - a semi-regular event for the Dumas.

 

Steve agrees, but in a way the leaves Dumas whose idea it was in the first place.

A last minute emergency calls Dumas into work but fast talking by Gabrielle keeps the trip online with Steve - Gabrielle's chance for some one-on-one all about the West. Besides, Gabrielle is pretty certain that Steve is responsible for the new, sleek, hi-tech brace that arrived in the mail for her the previous day. They are sent off with a bodyguard, whose sullen attitude about stopping to buy Gabrielle a new, and more appropriate, go-to-park outfit, prompt Steve to dump him at the rent-a-rowboat stand. As Steve and Gabrielle work their way around the park's island,  YVES, keeps pace by jogging around the lake. Relenting, Steve pulls in to the island restaurant. Here, Omar has set a trap to capture Gabrielle - without counting in Steve's martial arts skills. Dumas arrives, and this fight is far less satisfactory. Steve leaves the part and heads right to the airport.

 

Can Gabrielle convince her father to overcome his French pride and stop Steve from leaving? Or will Dumas continue to be the "stuffed shit" that Steve accuses him of being?