Laguna Nights

by Kaira Rouda

  Back in the Laguna Nights days, for all the complaints Madison had about the show and how they manipulated the kids and the hordes of fans, everything had been fairly pure, she realized now. The cameras simply followed our lives, she thought, but didn’t hand us a script of uncomfortable situations. Whatever Roger was up to, it was pure manipulation. Reality TV had since evolved into the ridiculous and over the top, Madison saw it when she flipped through the channels at home. These series were scripted and the more drama, the better.

  It was all so much more simple back then. When Josh had talked Madison into the audition with the MTV crew all she’d had to do was sign up in the quad at break and she got a call. It was a cool thing to do, and Josh was in the cool crowd, so she’d reluctantly agreed. They didn’t put words in her mouth, Madison realized, smiling at her mother. It was what it was; what happened, happened. Especially with Josh and Laura. She just had to accept it. She was a part of pop culture now, an impact she never realized she’d have. What she could control now, though, was whatever was happening now.

  “I’ll let you ladies talk. Your call time is in twenty, Holly,” Tom said, closing the door behind him.

  “Mom, did they tell you what this show really is? I mean, it can’t be a travel show. Not with all this drama, right?” Madison said, she was asking a question she knew her mom probably couldn’t answer. “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

  “Oh Madison, always so serious,” Francine said. “Just do what you said you’d do, what I said you would do.” Her mom laughed and squeezed her hand. “I know I should have told you I talked to these people, but it would have made you say no right away. As it was, we had to rope your boss Bob in just to make this happen. There’s no harm in this at all. Only gain. For all of us. Now why don’t you wear that gorgeous pale blue dress over there? Your eyes will pop.”

  Madison rolled her eyes at Francine but stood up and pulled the dress from the rack. It was more feminine than her usual choice, with a delicate belted waist, a sleeveless top and a mid-thigh length. She held it up to her mom as someone knocked and said, “Five minutes.”

  “It’s perfect,” Francine said as Madison changed quickly, bending for her mom to finish zipping the back. “Gorgeous, honey.”

  “You’re a tricky woman, Francine,” Madison said, kissing her mother’s cheek. “Please have them take you home. You know what happens next. Josh and I talk, I tell him how hurt I was and we end as friends. The end.”

  Madison opened the trailer and a murmur shot through the crowd. Someone whistled and she blushed.

  “Looking good, Holly,” said another fan.

  Madison grabbed the arm of the security guard, one of the men who had escorted her mom inside the trailer. “Please make sure my mother is taken home now. She’s played her role.”

  “We will,” Roger said, appearing behind her. “Ready, dear?”

  Roger threaded his arm through Madison’s and walked with her to the front of the restaurant, their restaurant, although now emptied of other customers, basically now just a stage on the sidewalk of downtown Laguna Beach.

  A four-top table had been set with a crisp white linen tablecloth, sparkling water with lemon bobbing in glasses. Just beyond, the sidewalk, the entire street was filled with fans and gawkers. The entire main street of Laguna, Forest Avenue, was clogged, brought to a standstill by the filming.

  Roger pulled out a chair, the one closest to the edge of the patio, closest to the camera. Madison slid into the wooden chair. Marty rushed over to them from somewhere. “Don’t you look gorgeous,” he said, smiling and then, “We need you to intro this scene. Talk about the more than 90 restaurants of all kinds here in Laguna Beach, a mere eight-mile span along the sparkling coastline. Can you do that? Then we’ll have you bring it here, panning out, showing Alana, your old stomping ground. Good?”

  Madison licked her lips and crossed her legs to tamp down the nerves she was feeling. “Of course,” she said, smiling as the two men walked back to the crew.

  “Speed,” the DP said and Madison delivered her lines flawlessly. “And cut. Wrap.”

  The crowd applauded and then went crazy as Josh walked into the restaurant with Laura on his arm. Laura was wearing a bright red dress – the same color as the bikini she had worn in the hot tub scene with Josh all those years ago – huge diamond studs in her ears and an even bigger smile. Josh had changed into a black linen shirt, fitted black dress pants and he’d shaved, Madison noted. Everything was moving in slow motion as they approached her table. Their table, she realized. Team Laura was back in town, Madison thought, as she remained frozen in place.

  “Hey Holly, don’t you look gorgeous. Long time, no see,” Laura said wrapping her arms around Madison who had remained frozen in her seat. Josh pulled out the chair next to Madison and Laura settled into it. “How’ve you been?”

  Josh had seated himself across from Madison and quickly answered, “Holly is great. She’s a successful businesswoman, like you, and she has a full life. You guys have a lot in common,” he said, stumbling around with his words like an idiot. Madison shot him a look and he sat back.

  “I’ve been great,” Madison said. “Working hard. Just back from Europe actually, only a couple of years. I like your shoe line. I believe I’m wearing a pair right now.”

  “Thanks so much,” Laura said, and seemed genuinely pleased. She had picked up the menu and said, “Looks like this place has stayed the same. Josh and I came here all the time. Well, and you two did as well.”

  They both turned and looked at Josh, but he was looking out into the crowd. Madison followed his gaze and spotted Josh’s parents standing next to Roger and Marty. Madison kicked Josh under the table, and he turned back to them.

  “We all had great times here, am I right?” he said. “Ready to order? I’m starving. With over ninety restaurants in this little town, you’d think we’d be tired of this spot, but we’re not.”

  Josh had turned into a robot again, but Madison would not suffer through another take. She would make this work. “So, Laura, what are you doing in town? I know the travel show was trying to have a little reunion of sorts, I guess that’s why?” Madison smiled her best smile.

  A waiter appeared and took their order. Salads for Laura and Madison, spaghetti for Josh. And a bottle of Chianti.

  “Actually, I’m the producer and you’re on a double reality show,” Laura said. “Surprise!”

  Josh and Madison made eye contact and then both looked at Laura, speechless.

  “So it’s not a reality TV travel show with Josh, it’s a “Where are they now” reality TV show about reality TV characters,” Laura said. “It’s secret reality TV about former reality TV characters packaged into a reality TV show. A Reality TV Triple Play! The network loves it.”

  The waiter appeared and poured their wine. Laura raised her glass and knocked it into each of theirs.

  “I thought I’d start where it all began, right here with my Laguna Nights team. The viewers are going to eat this up. The next episode will secretly reunite past cast members from the Real Life. It’s all top secret, that’s why we made you sign such a significant contract. Why we made all of your friends and family sign non-disclosure agreements. What do you think?”

  Josh turned from Laura and looked out to where his parents had been standing next to Roger. They were gone. Madison reached under the table and grabbed Josh’s knee. The action, her touch, seemed to wake him up finally.

  “I think it’s a great idea, Laura,” Josh said, taking a sip of his wine and flashing his signature fake smile. “Use your friends to build your brand. You are a master at it. And, touché, you’ve played me again.”

  “Oh, whatever Josh. You’ve loved every minute of this. Acting like a big celebrity again, signing autographs, watching your star climb out of the gutter. Admit it, this, no matter what the show really is, is your only chance,” Laura said, a smirk on her face.

  The food arrived with a quick flurry, and then the
table was silent until Laura turned to Madison and said, “I know you’re a more reluctant participant Holly, but you were fabulous on the segments I’ve seen. You really are a natural. If you ever decide to get into the business again, I’d love your help on one of my shows. I have a weekly syndicated talk show now and it’s a lot of content to fill on my own. That’s aside from this new venture right here.”

  Madison smiled at her old nemesis and said, “I’m not crazy. I was torn apart back then for being fat, for being a basket case and a loser. And that was before Twitter and other social media. People are so mean, I watch how they slaughter the contestants on The Bachelor and the other shows like that and it makes my heart ache. We are real people, Laura, at least most of us are. It hurts, it all does.”

  “A few million can mitigate the hurt real fast,” Laura said. “But, it’s up to you. I know what you think of me but I just want you to know I’m impressed by who you’ve become.”

  Madison sat waiting for the other shoe to drop, for another surprise to come strolling into the restaurant. Laura was being kind to her, dismissive to Josh, and yet, there was still one more seat at the table. Their Reality TV Triple Play might not be over yet, she realized.

  “Are we expecting anyone else?” Madison asked as Josh continued to stare daggers at Laura.

  “We were. But I think he left. It was John Welsh. Josh’s dad. He came to tell you how proud he was that you were back on the air, where you belonged,” Laura said, but her eyes were cold.

  Josh’s mouth had fallen open. Madison remembered how he had watched his dad walk away.

  Finally Josh said, “You told him I had my own show. A show called Josh’s Journeys and he was proud of me.” Josh’s hands were balled in fists and he stood and leaned over the table his face inches from Laura’s face. “You are pure evil, a narcissistic bitch Laura Kinkaid. I don’t know what pulled me into your orbit but I never want to see you again, in this reality or one of your made up shows. I will fight the airing of this shit to court. You will not get away with humiliating me like this.”

  Josh threw his napkin at Laura’s face and turned and rushed onto the sidewalk. Marty had raced to his side and Madison watched in shock as Josh pushed his manager away. Roger joined in, trying to calm him down and then Tom, all three men working Josh to the trailer, the one where Madison had just been with her mom.

  The trailer with the camera hidden in it, Madison realized. She leaped up and ran to the trailer, banging on the door yelling for Josh. Tom yanked the door open, and she charged inside.

  Josh was sitting on the couch, anger coursing through him. Madison raced to his side and whispered in his ear, “Do not say a word. Cameras are everywhere. Do you understand me?” She knew she was speaking slowly, like you would if you were talking to a small child.

  Josh stared into her eyes and nodded.

  “Gentlemen, we need to go now. I’d like you to arrange for a car to drive us out of here. Immediately,” Madison said, her voice firm. “I assume you have plenty of footage for your Triple Play project?”

  She caught Marty’s green eyes flash and a quick smile from Roger.

  Tom was the one who responded, though. “I am not convinced we have enough of these two,” he said, pointing to Madison and Josh but speaking to Marty and Roger.

  “Well, you’re the date producer so you’d know,” Roger said. “Let’s leave them alone today and wrap with a date scene tomorrow. We had that one in the script. In the hot tub, remember Josh?”

  Now it was Madison’s turn to be stunned. Josh was reliving the hot tub scene? Did they actually think she’d participate? Was it supposed to be a three-way, a play on triple? She felt ill.

  Josh was white as a ghost next to her.

  “There won’t be another hot tub scene,” Madison said quietly.

  “There will be, at least for Josh. I’ll have to check your contract, dear, but I think we have you locked down through Wednesday night. Scenes are at the producers’ discretion,” Marty said. Madison imagined grabbing his tie and wrapping it tightly around and around his neck, pulling until he stopped talking. She’d grown to hate Mr. Flexible she realized and hate was a very strong word.

  “Car is here,” the security man said through the door.

  “Let’s go,” Madison said, grabbing Josh’s hand. She spotted an umbrella in a stand, an unnecessary accessory during the prolonged drought unless you needed to hide from the sun, or a crowd of fans. She pushed open the door and popped open the large black umbrella, sheltering them both in the small distance between the stairs and the town car. The driver held the door open and Madison pushed Josh in, piling in behind him. When the door closed, she finally took a deep breath.

  “What the hell just happened?” Josh said, pushing his hand through his hair, staring out the tinted windows at the huge crowd still clogging Forest Avenue.

  Madison looked out the front as a police escort on a motorcycle plowed through the crowd, paving a narrow path for their town car to reach Coast Highway.

  “Where to, ma’am?” the driver asked Madison. She had to think. They wouldn’t be heading back to the Mondrian, that’s where the rest of them would be congregating.

  “The Surf and Sea Hotel,” Madison said, naming a small, exquisite hotel hugging the coast near town. She wasn’t certain they could hide effectively there, but she did know the manager and they could try. She reached into her purse and found the manager’s contact info and sent her a text. A moment later, her friend had replied. The oceanfront bungalow suite was available, and all hers, for as long as she needed it. And, she’d make sure they could enter via the service gate. “Please pull in the service gate. They’re expecting us,” Madison said to the driver.

  Where they would hide for now was settled, what they would do from here on out was not. Madison turned to look at Josh, but he was staring out the window, looking up at the hills of Laguna, toward his parents’ huge mansion, Madison assumed.

  He wasn’t exactly certain how Madison had pulled it off, but they were sitting in an ocean front suite, enjoying a bottle of champagne and a fruit and cheese plate in front of a roaring fire. If this is what the pit of failure looked like, he supposed it wasn’t as bad as he’d expected. Although he knew this moment couldn’t last.

  Madison sat beside him on the couch, staring at the fire. She hadn’t asked him a question, nor had she forced him to speak. She didn’t seem mad at him, either, which she should be for sucking her into this mess. God, he even got her mom sucked into this mess. All for his own vanity. For his need for fame and celebrity.

  A fool’s dream.

  He turned to look at her, and she must have felt his gaze because she shifted on the couch and was facing him. She was beautiful, dressed in light blue silk, framed by the open sliding doors and the bright blue sky. Her eyes completed the blue palette. His gaze dropped to her mouth, her lips full and perfect. He knew he needed to say something; to explain himself. He also knew he could not lose her again. The desire to lean over and press his lips to hers was overwhelming, an easier route than trying to explain the unexplainable.

  He imagined what it would be like to just hold her in his arms, taste her, carry her through the suite to the king-sized bed in the other room.

  “We need to talk,” Madison said, a soft smile on her face. “I know you’ve had a big shock today.”

  “We both have. I’m so sorry Madison. I don’t even know what to say. I guess I’m still in shock that Laura played me so well,” Josh said, leaning forward resting his head in his hands, elbows on his knees.

  “And that she pulled your dad into it, and my mom. And Annie, and well, it was very well planned. She’s good at getting what she wants,” Madison said, the irony of her statement coursing through both of them.

  And then, suddenly, Josh had the proof he needed to show Madison that it was her he’d wanted all along.

  He grabbed the controller and turned on the huge flat screen TV mounted on the wall above the fireplace.


  “I’m not in the mood for TV Josh,” Madison said.

  “Of course not. Just give me a minute,” he said. Josh clicked through to what he wanted and pulled up Laguna Nights, revealing a shot of all of the cast on the beach at sunset, Madison on Josh’s lap on the sand, Laura standing in the foreground, the queen bee. It was the poster for season two.

  “No, Josh, not now,” Madison said. Her voice was wavering and her hands were shaking, even after all of these years. “Please.”

  Josh reached for her and pulled her to his side on the couch, draping his arm around her shoulder. He could feel her shaking. “I don’t want to hurt you again, I just need to show you something you may not have seen before.”

  “I’ve seen it all, too many times,” Madison said.

  “Give me one last chance,” he said, clicking on season two, episode four. As the credits began to roll and the opening theme song came on, Josh fast-forwarded to the end. “It’s me and you now, just the two of us. Trust me.”

  Josh pushed play and it was night, the camera focusing on a bubbling pool of water illuminated and surrounded by a lush garden. It was Laura’s hot tub, perched on the edge of the mountain with an incredible view of Laguna Beach stretched out below. Laura came on screen, smiling at the camera, primping, putting her long hair up into a high ponytail and then Josh appeared in the shot, a shock to fans who were watching the show back then, and to his then girlfriend, Holly.

  “No,” Madison said next to him and tried to pull away.

  “Please, one more second,” Josh said. He knew he had to force her to watch the scene. On the screen, Laura sauntered into the hot tub and Josh began to follow. Before he walked down the second step, he had turned, looked at the camera and turned his back again, revealing his hand, fingers crossed. “Look,” Josh said, pointing to the screen where he’d frozen it. “That was for you. But you never saw it, did you?”