The Movie (58 page)

God, I hope so too, loxana thought fearfully, her ey,

fLxed on one figure breaking away.from the crowd. Sam Kendrick.

He had arrived yesterday, and refused to see her, refuse to speak to her, and hung up on her when she’d called hotel room. She’d sent a note, asking for five minutes off time, and received no reply. Sam didn’t want to know, an he was making it painfully obvious.

-loxana felt her heart crashing against her ribcage. St was so nervous she half expected to look down and s herselfhathed in a cold sweat. But she had to do this; si had to speak to him.

Sam Kendrick was the only man who had ever been ab to reach ier, whose caresses had actually aroused her, only man whose touch she had ever truly desired. Oh, st might have kidded herself that she wanted Zach, but Zac Mason, to her, had only ever been another link in tt masterplan. She had set out Wanting to use Sam KendriC

to be revenged on him for some minor insult, and then. … and then she had fallen in love with him.

Sure, she’d tried to deny it to herselŁ. The more st thought about him, the more she told herself that s loathed the guy, the more ferociously she tried to bre him. As though she were proving something to herself.

And when that terrible phone call had woken her u Isabelle’s mocking voice bringirig her, ice fortress crashiJ down all around her, Sam had been the only one to corr and see her, the only one not to condemn her, the only oi who would stand by her side and tell her he loved her. A then, terrified by the feelings he was evokingin her, seei them as pure weakness, in her desperation she had turn, on him like a wounded beast, snarling, and hurt him desperately and as deeply as she knew how.

4-73

Only when Eleanor had arrived, later, offering her a second chance, had loxana managed to let everything go. Weeping in the older woman’s arms, too tired to fight the world any longer, she had discovered that at least one other person gave a damn about her. Then the cast had accepted her back amongst themselves, with complete forgiveness and acceptance, and working her butt offto finish See the Lights had provided her with her own small redemption; a chance to work with other people, and to be considered, for once,just as an actress,just as herself. Aer Florescu had yelled ‘Cut! - and print!’ to the cheers of the crew, he’d come across to loxana and told her he’d like to work with her again. Not such a big deal to most people, maybe, but at that moment it seemed better than the most flowery compliment she’d ever been paid.

And finishing the movie had given her a little space to confront her feelings about Sam Kendrick; to acknowledge that she’d fallen in love, to look at Megan Silver as she walked around the set hand in hand with Zach, and know that she wanted that for herself, that simple, profound affection, that bond, the love that Sam had offered her. He was angry, and he had every right to be. She knew that. But she also knew, as she stood there and watched Kendrick walking back towards the hotel, alone on the beach, that she had to try to reach him. At least try. Or he’d be out of her life forever. ,

This was her only chance. tkoxana moved out of the shadows, running across the beach, ‘down to the water’s edge, and touched Sam Kendrick on the shoulder.

He spun round, smiling, but the smile died and froze on his face when he saw who it was.

‘What the hell do you want?’ he demanded, his tone sharp. ‘Can’t you just leave it alone, tkoxana? What more do you want from me?’

474

‘Sam, please,’ she said. ‘Give me a chance. I just wan

tell you I’m sorry. I truly am.’ His eyes were cold.

loxana tried again. Tve changed, Sam. I truly hl Can’t we make a fresh start?’

Kendrick stood there, watching her for a second, slowly shook his head. ‘I don’t think so, Roxana. I’ll ac your apology, OK? Let’s leave it at that.’

She took a step backwards in the damp sand. The fin in his voice was terrible.

‘I know it’s too late,’ loxana whispered. ‘But for w it’s worth - I love you.’

For a moment she thought she saw a light flare in eyes, but then Kendrick looked away, and the morn passed.

‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘It is too late.’

And a loxana Felix stood there, watching him, S Kendrick turned his back on her and walked away.

The crew flew back home the next morning, toge with Sam Kendrick and most of the supporting cast. [ had arranged for Zach, Megan, Fred and loxana to t Howard Thorn’s private jet in the afternoon, along , himself and Eleanor.

‘Privilege of office,’ he explained as they soared into dizzy blue skies above the Indian Ocean. ‘And since th the last time we’re ever gonna get to enjoy them, we roA as well make the most of it.’

‘So do you think you guys will take up Sam’s of Florescu asked Eleanor, as she sat ‘on the comfort; leather sofa, curled up against Tom.

‘And become an agent? No way,’ Goldman said.

‘Speak for yourselŁ I might give it a try,’ Eleanor repl digging Tom in the ribs.

He caught her hand and kissed it. ‘Eleanor Man Goldman. What do you think?’

47:5 “

‘Sounds terrific. Apart from the “Goldman” part,’

Eleanor told him, laughing.

‘You guys too?’ Florescu asked in mock horror,

glancing at Zach and Megan. ‘Jesus. I hope it isn’t catching.’

Zach laughed. ‘Fred, you’re too macho to be infected.’ ‘You got that right,’ the director told him, winking at P,.oxana. ‘So where are you going to be when the movie opens?’

‘At the Bel-Air. We’re renting a suite while we look for

a new house,’ Eleanor told him. ‘In fact, everybody should give me a contact number, so I can let you all know how we’re doing.’

‘Roxana, Paramount want me to do a remake of

Breakfast at Tiffany’s,’ Florescu told her. ‘You interested?’ She nodded, delighted. ‘Are you serious?’ ‘Absolutely..You’re a great actress,’ Florescu said, adding mischievously, ‘not to mention a world-class babe, which never hurts.’

She threw a cushion at him.

Obsequious stewardesses busded round them, handing

out crystal glasses of champagne.

‘I think we should toast the movie,’ Florescu said, raising

his glass. ‘Because after this, nothing is ever gonna seem

difficult again.’

The plane was fdled with laughter as they raised their

glasses.

On Saturday afternoon, Zach Mason and Megan Silver

were lying in bed together, wrapped in each other’s arms. ‘Stop looking at the phone,’ Zach teased her. ‘I am not looking at the phone.’

‘Yes you are. You’ve been waiting for the phone to ring

all day. When Yolanda called this morning, you jumped

three feet in the air.’

476

‘I did not,’ Megan said indignantly, then gave hir. sheepish smile. ‘It was only two feet.’

Mason laughed, cupping her breasts in his hands a kissing the tips of her nipples.

‘You have a one-track mind. Will you cut it out? We

done nothing but make love all day.’

‘You have a better idea?’

‘Maybe not,’ she said, reaching down between his le They kissed softly.

‘Declan was totally blown away when you calle Megan said. ‘He thinks I’m Cinderella, running off fairyland and winding up with the handsome Prince.’

‘Well, you are,’ Zach told her, stroking the back off neck.

‘Are you kidding? I wound up with the frog,’: giggled, squirming away from him. ‘I can’t believe ] going to-spend the rest of my life in a tour bus.’

‘Writing novels. Your choice, babe,’ Zach remin

her.

‘Stop changing the subject,’ Megan teased.

The phone rang. They both jumped out of their ski

‘You get it,’ Megan said breathlessly. ‘It’s probably you.’

He shook his head. ‘No way, sugar. You wrote

fucking movie. You get it.’ ‘Get the phone.’ ‘You get it.’

‘Get the goddamn .phone, Zach!’ Megan squealed. He snatched the receiver offits cradle.

‘Zach Mason. Oh, hi, Tom. Yeah’, she’s here too..

Roxana Felix sat alone in her chic Century City ap; ment, curled up on her favourite easy chair, read Florescu’s latest script and trying not to think about movie. Since she’d given her press conference on l return to the States, life had gotten a whole lot easier.

477

had forgotten nothing, but she’d also discovered one fundamental truth: that demons turn to stone when exposed to the light. The cosmetics people had all come crawling back to her, even pathetic little Bob Alton had tried to reingratiate himself, but she just didn’t want to know. There was more to being a woman than physical beauty, a lucky combination of genes and something that had a sell-by date imprinted in every atom of her DNA. Eleanor Marshall and Fred Florescu had shown her that she had something worth nurturing; real talent that would grow with her, that would blossom with her age and experience, instead of fading away. That was something she could truly be proud of. And she was trying to concentrate on that, and not keep obsessing over See the Lights and a phone that obstinately sat there, not ringing.

She was more mature than that. The phone rang. loxana leapt out of her armchair and pounced on it

before it had a chance to ring twice. ‘Eleanor?’ she asked.

‘I’m afraid not,’ came a low voice at the other end.

‘Her heart stopped.

‘This is Sam Kendrick.’

‘Hi,’ l:koxana managed.

‘I’m sorry, I forgot. You’n be getting the opening figures for the movie today. I should have thought.’

‘Fuck the movie,’ P,.oxana said elegandy. She could

hardly breathe.

Sam laughed. ‘I was going to ask if you had a date for the European premiere.’

‘Oh, Sam,’ Koxana said.

‘I saw your press conference,’ he said, and paused. ‘I

nearly didn’t call, because I figured you’d hang up on me.

I’m sorry I was so blind, Roxana.’

‘That’s OK,’ she said, feeling her heart starting to pound against her ribcage. Oh God, was there another chance for her? Could there be?

478

She struggled to sound calm. ‘I know I gave you every reason to hate me.’

‘You know that Isabelle and I, we’re still getting divorced.’

‘Yes. I heard. I’m sorry,’ she lied politely.

‘I’m not,’ Kendrick said grirnly.

There was a long pause, loxana found she was literally holding her breath.

‘Uh, look. I was wondering if we could have coffee, get to know each other…’

‘Start again?’ loxana whispered.

‘Something like that,’ Sam admitted. She imagined his smile as he cradled the receiver. ‘We’ll take it slow, just see what happens.’

‘Good idea,’ she agreed coolly, then lost it and added in a rush,, ‘.Are you free now.} I have a great coffee cake in the oven.

‘I’m on my way,’ Sam said, and hung up.

R.oxana kissed the phone before she put it down on its cradle, and danced around the room, skipping like a ten year-old.

The phone rang again, and.she snatched it up.

‘I love you, I love you, I love you!’ tkoxana sang. ‘Ioxana? Are you OK?’ Eleanor Marshall asked her.

Tom Goldman had been sitting in his hotel suite reading a novel when the call came in from Artemis; Eleanor lay on the couch eating a bowl of strawberries. She sat bolt upright, watching him as hE nodded expressionlessly, scratching some figures on a piece of paper, saying ‘Yeah, OK,’ and then ‘I see.’

He put the phone back on its hook.

‘Well.} Jesus, Tom, don’t play poker-face games with me now,’ Eleanor said, twisting her fingers around. ‘Say something, for Christ’s sake! Or I’m going to have a major coronary!’

479

Goldman let her hang for a second longer, then gave her a slow smile. ‘Well,’ he said. ‘It looks like I owe that Florescu kid a hundred dollars.’

She sank back onto the couch, holding her breath. ‘There are queues around the block in every theatre that’s booked it,’ Tom said. ‘Box-office is totally sold out. There were riots in New York when the tickets sold out. They had to call the police.’

Eleanor Marshall stared at him, tears forming in her eyes. ‘The studio’s been inundated with requests to show this movie,’ Goldman went on, coming across to her. ‘They’re telling me some theatre owners are going to court to get another chance at it. CBS are going to run a news segment tonight on the kids in Seattle who’ve taken sleeping bags to camp out on the pavement so they get a chance to see it tomorrow… Howard Thorn is desperate to get hold of us, apparently. It would appear that they want to offer us

our jobs back.., the stock is going through the roof…’ ‘It’s our miracle,’ Eleanor whispered.

Tom Goldman shook his head. ‘What miracle? I knew thi would happen the second I read the script. I always had complete and total faith,’ he said.

‘Faith in me?’ Eleanor asked, kissing him.

‘In the movie,’ Tom replied, and they melted into each other’s arms, laughing.

480

available from

THE ORION PUBLISHING GROUP

[] Career Girls Ł5.99 [] Tall Poppies Ł5.99

Louise AGSHAWE LOUISE BAGSHAWE

o 75z8o r68 6 o 75z8o 875 3

[] A Kept Woman Ł5.99 [] Venus Envy Ł5.99

LOUISE BAGSHAWE LOUISE BAGSHAWE

O 73x84 337 O o 75.8I 73 7

[] The Movie Ł5.99

LOUIS BAGSHAWE

O 75z8o 36. X

All Orion/Phoenix titles are available at your local bookshop or from the following address:

Mail Order Department

Litdehampton Book Services

FREEPOS BR535

Worthing, West Sussex, BNI3 telephone oI9o3 8z85o3, facsimile o19o3 8z88oz e-mail [email protected]

(Please ensure that you include full postal address details/

Payment can be made either by credit/debit card (Visa, Mastercard, Access and Switch accepted) or by sending a Ł Sterling cheque or postal order made payable to Littlehampton Book Services.

DO NOT SEND CASH OR CURRENCY.