Rising Star

by Karen Webb

  “You mark my words, young lady,” he imitated Don Broward’s fatherly tone. “You’re going to be rich and famous.”

  Selena laughed, enjoying Matt’s antics, the embarrassing scene with the young couple all but forgotten.

  Selena stayed with Matt in his hotel in Albuquerque that night. They only had two days together before he had to be back in L.A. and she didn’t want to waste a minute of it. They made love slowly that night, professing their love for each other. She slept cradled in his strong arms, content and happy with his love.

  She cried again as Matt drove away two days later. It was getting harder to watch him go each time. But, she was flying out to New York the following day and she was hugely excited for a change, instead of the nervous knots of tension she had felt with acting and modeling. This is going to be my big break, I just know it. The sentence reverberated through her mind as she passed the time until her flight left.

  Her parents had been shocked and excited when she told them about her books.

  “Why didn’t you tell us you were writing books?” Her father asked.

  Her mother was unnaturally quiet as Selena blushed and mumbled an answer. She stared at Selena with a quiet look of joy and pride on her face. “I knew,” she finally said. “I was dusting your computer last year and the screen turned on. I guess you left your writing up on it. But, I didn’t read it,” she added quickly.

  “It’s okay, mom. I’m sorry I never told you guys. I guess I was just a little embarrassed to let anyone read my stories.”

  “But, won’t everyone be reading them now? Or is it another audition?”

  “No, they will be published.” The words sounded strange to Selena’s ears as she said them. She was still in shock herself. “Well, at least one of them,” she continued. “I don’t actually have a lot of details yet.”

  “Either way, we couldn’t be more proud of you, little girl,” her father said as he stepped forward and hugged her.

  Selena basked in their praise, the complete opposite of the modeling and acting. She hadn’t even felt proud when she’d watched herself on TV, but having even one of her books published, this was something to be proud of.

  Her planed touched down at JFK on a sultry afternoon and Selena took a taxi to the address Rose had given her. She was not used to humidity and she could feel her shirt sticking to her back as watched out the window of the cab. And the heat was worse between the tall buildings. Everywhere she looked was only concrete and store fronts. The heat seemed to bounce off the concrete jungle in waves. She had thought L.A. was a huge city, but New York was unbelievable. The buildings were so tall and the streets were so busy. The sound of car horns echoed off the tall buildings as she stared around her. She could not imagine living here and fighting her way through the streets every day. Even the sidewalks were packed with people in business attire, carrying leather briefcases. She suddenly missed L.A. as she looked at the overwhelming scene. The cab driver hardly seemed to understand enough English to find the address she’d given him. She tried Spanish, but he didn’t understand it either. Where is this guy from, Mars? She thought as she finally tapped his shoulder and pointed at the tall building with the address Rose had given her etched into the front of it.

  Rose met her there at one p.m. and they shook hands, then went inside together. Selena felt a little underdressed next to the expensive business suit Rose wore. She was an elegant older lady with a few extra pounds, but she dressed and carried herself with a grace and style that Selena envied. She walked through the tall building as if she owned the place, self-assurance evident in her purposeful stride.

  They took the elevator to the fifteenth floor and stepped out into a lush lobby. A receptionist took their names and ushered them into a meeting room with a long table down the center.

  A handsome, well-dressed man entered the room shortly and shook both their hands. “I’m Samuel Cage, but everyone calls me Sam,” he said. “And you are Selena Summers. I recognize you from the magazine ad. And several other pictures in the magazines lately.”

  “Rag Mags,” Selena said angrily, her face reddening.

  “Excuse me?”

  “That’s just what everyone calls those kinds of magazines, Rag Mags. There’s not much truth to them.”

  “What is the truth, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “The only thing they’ve reported correctly is that I’m dating Matthew Mason.”

  Sam smiled, as if he was happy to hear that. “And there’s also a rumor that you’re starring in a movie with Paul James?”

  “Yes, that’s also true.” Selena was confused. She thought she was here to talk about her book, not her unwanted movie career.

  “Anything else?” Sam asked. “Any other movies or modeling?”

  “There’s a movie coming out next week, but I only had a tiny part. Oh, and I was offered another modeling gig by Michael Sabatino, but I’m really not interested.”

  “Well, Selena. I’ve read your excerpt, but I haven’t had time to read the entire manuscript. What I did read was excellent work and you’ve already been making a name for yourself in Hollywood, which really helps.”

  “What does Hollywood have to do with my books?”

  Sam laughed gently. “Well Selena. We’re not just selling your books, we are selling you. And if people already know your name, you’re a lot easier to sell.”

  “Oh, I guess that makes sense.”

  “Now, tell me what else you’ve written.”

  Selena described several of her manuscripts, plus the one she was currently working on, where a young girl was lost in the desert.

  “Tell me more about the detective series,” Sam said with a smile. “And how many are there?”

  Selena described more of the detective series starring Trish. “And I have five of them finished,” she said.

  “Oh, excellent.” Sam clapped his hands excitedly. “We want to move fast on this,” he told Rose. “While Selena’s still a hot item in Hollywood. And we’ll want a full page picture of her for the back cover.” He went on to discuss details with Rose, and Selena tuned them out as she thought about Matt. After this, she would be free to meet him in L.A. and stay with him for a while. She wasn’t looking forward to being back in L.A., but she couldn’t wait to see Matt again.

  “Selena!” Sam clapped his hands together and Selena jumped as she came back to the present. “I was saying, do you have the manuscripts with you for the detective series?”

  Selena reached into the bag by her feet and began pulling out manuscripts. She had the first two of the detective series in her hand and was about to pull out more when Rose put a hand on her arm, stopping her. She looked up at Rose with a puzzled look and Rose gave a slight shake of her head. Selena dropped the remaining manuscripts back into her bag and handed the first two to Sam as she said, “I don’t think these are very good. They’ve been turned down by publishers and agents all over the country.”

  Sam laughed. “Don’t worry about that. It happens. A lot of bestsellers were first turned down by everyone in the country.” He smiled warmly at Selena, putting her at ease. “I’ll take a look at these today. Why don’t the two of you come back tomorrow, say…ten a.m.?”

  “Sure,” the two women said simultaneously.

  Sam stood up and gave each of them a warm handshake, smiling kindly at Selena as he took her hand. He reminded her a little of Don Broward with his gentle, friendly ways.

  “What happens tomorrow?” Selena asked Rose when they were on their way down in the elevator.

  “Sam will have an offer for you and a publishing contract. But…you don’t have to accept anything right away. Sometimes it can take a while. I can haggle with him by emails if need be, even after you are back home.”

  “Oh, okay.” Selena still wasn’t thinking about it as an income. She just really enjoyed writing and she wanted to see her books published. She had never considered writing as a business and making money from it.

  She ta
lked to Matt on the phone that night, describing the meeting to him. She described how Rose stopped her before she could pull out more manuscripts.

  “Sure. Because she knows there will be a whole new contract for those. Well, congratulations, my love,” he said softly. “Sounds like you just have to work out the details.”

  Selena couldn’t sleep that night; excitement over a publishing contract was just too raw. She tossed and turned as she tried to relax, but to no avail. What had been her secret dream for so many years, was actually happening. She had to keep reminding herself that it was actually real; she hadn’t dreamed it and it wasn’t just one of her fantasies.

  Selena returned with Rose to Sam’s office the next morning. They were ushered into the same meeting room from the day before and, when Sam entered, he had Selena’s manuscripts in his hand. Uh, oh, he must think they suck and he’s returning them to me, she thought dejectedly. Sam took each of their hands again with a warm handshake and a smile, then he pushed a packet of papers across to Rose, where she studied it, then passed it to Selena without a word or a smile. Selena was confused as she stared at the papers. It appeared to be a publishing contract, but Selena was confused by all the numbers and legal jargon.

  “I’ll just give you two a little time,” Sam said. He left the room and closed the door behind him.

  Rose pulled the contract back to her side of the table and studied it closely. “No, this is unacceptable,” she said as she leafed through the papers quickly.

  “Could you explain it to me?”

  “He’s offering you an advance of two hundred and twenty-five thousand for three books and the promise of one more of the detective series, and only ten percent royalties. Unacceptable.”

  “That sounds great to me,” Selena said. It sounded like an enormous amount of money to her. Maybe not as much as she’d made from the movie she’d just finished, but this wasn’t Hollywood either.

  “Trust me Selena, it’s unacceptable.” Rose opened the door and called Sam back into the office. With a stern face, she pushed the contract toward him. “Three fifty on only these three books and fifteen percent,” she said, looking Sam squarely in the eye.

  Sam stared back at Rose, unmoving. They were locked in a silent death stare for what seemed like an eternity, then Sam finally broke the stare. “Alright,” he said with a sigh, “but I want a three city promotional tour right away. I want to expedite production of the first novel.”

  “Done,” Rose reached across the table and shook Sam’s hand firmly.

  “You always were a tough negotiator, Rose.” Sam’s face lit up as a smile creased his mouth. “You’re one of the best.”

  Selena watched as Rose smiled back, the tension in the room easing considerably as the two of them relaxed. Obviously they had battled each other before over contracts.

  As Sam took Selena’s hand in a firm grip, his face relaxing as he smiled at her, Selena asked quietly, “what cities?”

  “New York, Chicago and L.A., let’s start from here and work our way west.”

  “Okay,” Selena wasn’t positive of exactly what she was agreeing to, but she understood one thing; her books were going to be published! Her lifelong dream of becoming a published author was becoming a reality. And all that money. That was a benefit she had never even counted on. Would it be possible to make a living writing her stories? Something she would have done anyway, just for the sheer love of writing. She had never considered making a living at it.

  She waited with Rose in the meeting room while Sam drew up the new contract. When he returned, he had her sign her name over and over again, page after page, while Rose looked over her shoulder.

  Sam promised to be in touch with Rose for dates to be back in New York. “I want to do it soon,” he said. “We’ll do a pre-production tour and another tour after the release. Let’s get on the publicity while she’s still a hot item.”

  Rose agreed and Selena followed her back down in the elevator. “What do you think?” Rose asked.

  “I’m excited to finally get my books into print,” Selena said, her voice portraying none of the excitement she felt. She’d save that for Matt.

  “How about the amount? Are you satisfied with three hundred fifty thousand?”

  “Yeah, it’s unbelievable.” Selena figured between this amount and the movie she’d just finished, she was now close to being a millionaire. It was a staggering sum for an eighteen year old. In her wildest dreams she couldn’t have conjured up the turn of events her chance meeting with Don Broward had led her to. “What will I have to do on the tour?”

  “Give interviews, radio shows, that sort of thing. Then after the book comes out, more interviews, book signings.”

  Selena’s stomach tightened into knots at the thought. She wondered what she’d just signed herself into. She hadn’t thought publishing her books was going to involve her still being in the public eye. She’d thought she was finished with looking into a camera.

  Chapter 21

  Selena flew back home with mixed emotions. She was jubilant about the publishing contract. A dream she’d had for so many years had finally come true, but she was nervous about giving interviews on TV and radio stations. Matt had seemed so relaxed and charming when she’d watched him on TV, but she didn’t think she would ever be able to do what he did, nor did she really want to. She decided to ask Matt about it when she talked to him; he could probably coach her through it. She felt better after that and she watched as the Sandia Mountains and her beautiful desert came into view as the plane touched down in Albuquerque. She breathed a sigh of relief when she left the airport and picked up her small red car. Why couldn’t she just stay home and write her books and ride her horse? She felt as if she were being pulled further and further away from what she really wanted to do. She had no interest in the business end of writing and she’d had enough publicity already to last a lifetime.

  Matt was the only bright spot in her unhappy thoughts and she looked forward to his call each day. At least she would be with him soon, when she did interviews in L.A.

  She grabbed for her cell phone when it rang that evening. She had been trying to concentrate on her new novel, the one she’d been working on in L.A., with the young girl lost in the desert. But too many thoughts were swirling through her mind, making it difficult to concentrate on writing. Usually she became so embroiled in the story, she forgot where she was for a while.

  “Hey,” she answered happily when she saw Matt’s name on the caller ID.

  “We need to talk,” Matt said. She had never heard the tone in his voice like she heard now. He sounded sad, maybe even angry.

  “What’s up?”

  “Have you read this week’s rag mags?”

  “Of course not, you know I don’t read that trash.”

  “There’s a nice picture of you and Michael Sabatino looking pretty cozy at a restaurant.”

  Selena paused for a second, trying to recall the name. “Oh, the modeling agency,” she said.

  “I was over at Paul’s house this evening and Megan showed it to me. She said you were flirting with Paul every day during filming and she hinted at other men. And this picture kind of backs up what she said. It sure doesn’t look like a business meeting, Selena. You two look awfully cozy in this picture.”

  “She’s lying,” Selena raised her voice. “She hates me because I took the lead role away from her. I told you about her.”

  Matt read the article to her, anger evident in his voice.

  Selena Summers strikes again.

  This time it appears her target is Michael Sabatino of the famed Chez Chic modeling agency. Sources reveal that she’s working her way through Hollywood, from Matt Mason to Paul James and now Mr. Sabatino, who everyone in the business knows is quite the Ladies Man. Who will be next? Lock up your husbands, ladies!

  Selena was crying by the time Matt finished reading. She was sure their ‘source’ was Megan herself. “You know none of that is true,” she said through her t
ears. She couldn’t believe how hurtful it was, hearing those things about yourself and knowing the entire country would be reading them. And how about her friends, her parents, kids she had gone to school with and barrel raced with. Would everyone perceive her now as a husband-chasing slut? It just wasn’t fair!

  Matt stared at the picture of her and Michael as he spoke, his anger barely controlled. He wasn’t sure what to believe, and Megan had sounded so convincing as she described Paul and Selena together. She had even told him how she had caught them in an embrace on the balcony at the wrap-up party and Megan’s friends had backed it up. They had all seen it too. “I’m sorry Selena. You were so pure when I met you; now it seems like you’re turning into another of these Hollywood girls. And these nasty stories reflect badly on me too, you know.”

  “What are you saying?” Selena cried into the phone. The injustice of it all was unbearable. He had to believe her.

  “I think we should take a break.”

  “As in, you’re breaking up with me?” Her voice trembled as she spoke.

  “I’m sorry Selena.”

  “Wait, Matt.” The phone was silent and she took it from her ear and stared at the screen. Matt had hung up. Selena dropped onto the bed as she sobbed. How could he believe those magazines? And that horrible little blond, Megan. Selena wanted to tear the blond hair from Megan’s head. She tried calling his number back, but it went straight to voicemail. Matt had turned his phone off. Selena curled into a ball on her bed as she cried. None of this had been worth it. She wished she’d never even seen Hollywood. She’d told Matt she was done with it. Why couldn’t he believe her? She would rather have Matt’s love than any of their movies or modeling gigs. She finally cried herself to sleep, still curled into a ball on her bed.

  She tried calling Matt every day. She left numerous voicemails, but to no avail. He wouldn’t take her calls, and he didn’t return her calls, either. Selena moped about the house, too upset to write or even to go for a ride on Rusty. She spent most every day in her room, thinking about Matt. Her mother sensed something was wrong and tried to draw her out, but Selena didn’t want to talk about it. It hurt too much to even say Matt’s name. She was barely eating or sleeping and by the time she left for New York, she looked worn out and haggard, with dark circles under her eyes.