A few seconds later, a nebbish man entered the doorway.
“Yes, Mr. Richman,” the man said.
William addressed the man. “Steven, will you please take Mrs. Carlson to Ms. Hadley’s trailer? I want them to meet.”
“Yes, Sir,” Steven said.
Chapter Nine
Steven and I hopped into a golf cart. My head was on a swivel as Steven drove me through the studio lot. I couldn’t believe it. This was where Anything for Love was filmed. Same with A Love Like No Other. Not to mention, When Mary Met Steven—my favorite romantic comedy of all time. So many stars had worked at this studio that it would take me hours to name them all. It was a place so rich with film and television history that it was hard not to feel a sense of wonder being there.
“Wow. It must be pretty exciting, getting to work at a place like this,” I said.
“That’s one way of putting it,” Steven grumbled.
Apparently, I was the only one with the sense of wonder. While I was in awe of my surroundings, Steven looked completely jaded as he parked the golf cart in front of the soundstage where the TV show was being filmed.
The nebbish, bespectacled, twenty-six-year-old assistant had a burnt out expression on his face as he turned off the cart.
“How would you describe working here?” I said.
He replied dismissively, “You don’t want to hear about my problems.”
“I asked, didn’t I?” I said.
Steven ignored my question. He got out of the cart and trudged over to a trailer that was parked outside of one of the soundstages.
“Follow me,” he said.
When he reached the front door of the trailer, he knocked on it a few times.
“Ms. Hadley,” he said. “Sabrina Carlson is here to see you.”
A few seconds went by before I heard a female voice answer from inside the trailer.
“Send her in,” the female voice said.
Steven turned to me. “You heard her.”
Wow. This was it. The moment of truth. I was about to meet a celebrity.
Excitement filled my body. But it wasn’t alone. It was joined by a tinge of nervousness. Hope Hadley had come across as kind and intelligent in every interview I had seen her give, but what if that was all an act? After all, she was an actress. There was always the possibility that she might be different in person. I really didn’t want that to be the case, but there was only one way to find out the truth—by heading inside the trailer.
Unfortunately, at that moment, my feet felt like they were stuck in cement.
Steven grew tired of seeing me just stand there. “Well, go ahead.”
Steven’s impatience was enough to spur my feet to action.
I took a deep breath and went inside the trailer.
***
Surprisingly, Hope greeted me with a big smile and an outstretched hand.
The thirty-three-year-old had long blond hair, blue eyes, an oval face, and a toned body.
“Sabrina, it’s so nice to meet you,” she said.
My eyes widened. “Really?”
She nodded. “Of course. You’re a celebrity.”
“I think you have that backwards. You’re the actress.”
And a really good one, at that. She had first come across my radar when I saw her do a season-long guest spot on Hope Falls, Texas. The show followed the inner workings of a police station in a quirky small town.
She played Avery Blanton, a private investigator from a neighboring town who came to Hope Falls investigating a missing person’s case. After some initial clashes with the local police chief, Avery began a short romance with the handsome lawman, which was unfortunately cut short when the chief got back together with his estranged wife.
I loved the character of Avery. She managed to be both feisty and lovable at the same time. It was safe to say that I was heartbroken when her character did not return the following season of the show.
“Sabrina, what I do is an act. I get paid to play make believe. You’re a real-life celebrity. You solved all those cases. I’m in awe of what you did.”
“Thank you,” I said. “But I have to tell you, I really love your work. That guest spot you did on Hope Falls, Texas was incredible. I couldn’t believe it when they didn’t make you a regular.”
Hope let out a sigh. “The producer was going in a different direction.”
“The wrong direction,” I said.
Hope chuckled. “It’s a shame you weren’t in charge of that show.”
“I’ll say.”
“But that’s Hollywood for you.”
“That show hasn’t been the same without you.”
“Thanks for saying that. But look at it this way, if I was still on that show, I wouldn’t be able to play the character based on you in this show.”
“True. Speaking of, I can’t wait to see how this series turns out.”
Hope bit her lip. “I have to admit, I’m a little nervous.”
“Really?” I asked.
Hope nodded.
“Why?” I said.
“It’s a lot of pressure, playing a character who is based on a real person. I mean, after all the amazing things you’ve done, I want you to be happy with my performance.”
“I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”
“You say that, but after reading the script, I have to admit that I have a number of questions for you. Do you mind if I ask you a few things?”
“Of course not. Fire away.”
“Okay,” she said. “Why do you do it?”
My eyebrows rose. “Do what?”
“Put yourself out there—in harm’s way? Risk your life? You could have become a victim yourself.”
“I just wanted justice to be served. I couldn’t live with myself if I stood around and did nothing while a killer got away with murder.”
Hope nodded. “I know that feeling.”
“You do?”
“Yes. You see, my father is a police detective in Florida.”
A look of confusion remained on my face. “If that’s the case then why did you ask why I would put myself in harm’s way?”
“You and my father are a little different. He’s professionally trained. He’s been on the force for decades,” Hope said. “What you do as an amateur sleuth, it’s very unique. Not to mention courageous.”
“I guess you’re right.” I scratched my chin. “Wow. What a coincidence that you’d have a detective for a father.”
“Not just that. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. He’s actually still pretty disappointed that I decided to pursue an acting career instead.”
“Well, you made a good choice. I mean, here you are, a famous celebrity.”
Hope’s nose scrunched. “I’m hardly famous.”
“You’re famous to me,” I said.
“Like I said before, you’re the real celebrity.” Hope’s eyebrows rose. “By the way, have you seen the set yet?”
“No,” I replied.
“Do you want a tour?”
Chapter Ten
She didn’t have to ask me twice. I couldn’t wait to see what the set looked like.
Hope walked me over to the soundstage where the filming of the pilot episode was going to take place.
The moment I spotted the set of my living room, I stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was staring at an exact replica of my actual living room, right down to the sofa.
“Welcome home,” Hope said.
Hope wasn’t kidding. If I didn’t know better, I would think that I was back home.
I stood still with my jaw hanging out.
Words completely escaped me.
A few seconds of silence went by before Hope spoke up.
“Are you being quiet because the set designer did a good job or a bad one?” she asked.
“The only way this could feel more like home is if I had a carton of ice cream in my hand,” I said.
Hope laughed.
I
turned my shocked eyes once more toward the set.
“This has to be an awfully surreal experience for you,” Hope said.
“I almost want to pinch myself to make sure I’m not just imagining this.”
“Oh, it’s real, all right,” Hope said. “Although, I can’t imagine what you’re going through, seeing your life recreated like this.”
“This isn’t just an ordinary Monday, that’s for sure,” I joked.
Just when I thought that things couldn’t get more bizarre, a corgi that looked exactly like Snickerdoodle ran into the living room and jumped up on the couch. The corgi stared me down and barked at me.
Was I having some weird delusion, or had I completely lost my mind?
I approached the dog. “Snickerdoodle?”
A mustached, middle-aged man came rushing into the living room.
“Barnaby. Come here,” the man said.
The dog barked at me again.
I gave it a pat and it calmed down. I then turned to the man. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. Barnaby knows better than to rush onto the set. He’s just a little rascal sometimes, though,” the man said.
I laughed. “It turns out I have some experience with corgis who live life by their own set of rules.”
“That might be so, but if Barnaby doesn’t learn to follow commands, he’ll be out of a job soon. The studio won’t stand for an ill-behaved pooch.” The man clapped his hands. “Barnaby, come.”
Barnaby jumped off the couch and moved over to the man.
“We’ll be out of your hair now,” the man said.
“Can I get one more pat first?” I asked.
The man nodded. “Sure.”
I walked over to Barnaby and gave him a pat.
The dog and his trainer then went on their way.
“Snickerdoodle would be so jealous if he saw that,” Hope said.
I chuckled. “You aren’t kidding. The little guy would have a heart attack if he saw me patting another dog who looked just like him.”
“On a set that looks just like your living room.”
“True,” I said. “His head would be spinning.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
“He wouldn’t be alone. My head is practically spinning right now.”
“In that case, you might not want to stick around when we’re filming. It might be too much for you to handle.”
“I’ll take that chance. There’s no way I’m going to miss seeing this episode being filmed,” I said.
Chapter Eleven
When filming began a few hours later, I started to wonder if maybe I had spoken too soon. If looking at the set was a shock to my system, seeing Hope in costume was enough to bowl me over. The wig and clothing the studio gave her to wear made her look almost identical to me. I say “almost” because there was one noticeable difference.
Hope looked like a prettier version of me. One with better hair and makeup. Who had a slimmer body. Gazing at Hope was like looking at an idealized version of myself.
But there was more. The scene they were filming was a dialogue-heavy interaction between my character and David’s character, with a brief cameo by Barnaby the corgi.
When Grant Jennings, the actor who was playing David’s character, walked onto the set, I was floored. My real-life husband was a very handsome man, but against all odds, the studio had managed to find an actor who was even better looking to play the character of David in the show.
I watched in absolute awe as Hope and Grant sat on the couch of the living room set and did take after take, acting out a romantic scene modeled after a real-life conversation that had taken place between David and I.
Over the last few years, I had seen a number of highly unusual things, but this took the cake. I felt like I had stepped into some strange alternate universe.
It took a few hours and over thirty takes for the director to get all of the camera angles and takes that he wanted. When production finally wrapped on that scene, Hope walked over to me.
“So, what did you think?” Hope asked.
Words did not usually escape me, but at that moment, I had trouble forming a complete sentence. “I, uh, I…”
Worry came to Hope’s face. “Did you not like it?”
“No. That’s not it,” I said. “I loved it. I just wish I was as witty in real-life as my character is in this show.”
“Well, you don’t have the benefit of a writer pre-scripting your life.”
“I certainly don’t. Unfortunately, I have to make things up as I go along. When my tongue isn’t tied, that is.”
“That’s the beauty of acting. You already know what’s going to happen and you get as many takes as you need to get things just right.”
“If only life worked that way.”
“Tell me about it,” I said. “It would also be nice to know ahead of time that a happy ending is waiting for me.”
“Yeah. Those definitely aren’t guaranteed.”
“They sure aren’t.” Once again, I became distracted by Hope’s costume. I fell silent.
Hope saw me staring at her and became self-conscious.
A concerned look came to her face. “Is there something in my teeth?”
I shook my head.
“Then what is it?” she asked.
“Sorry. I’m still really thrown off by the fact that I’m talking to someone who is dressed like me.”
“Right. That must be so weird.”
“This is going to sound like a strange statement, but I feel like I’m somehow both in familiar and uncharted territory at the same time.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’d probably react the same way if I was in your position. On the bright side, I guess that means the wardrobe department did a great job.”
My eyes were as wide as saucers. “Maybe too good of a job. I wish I looked as good as you do.”
Hope blushed. “You’re just being kind now.”
“Have you looked in the mirror? You’re gorgeous,” I said.
Hope’s cheeks were completely red. “Thank you. But you’re very pretty also.”
“Not like you. I mean, there’s a night and day difference between us.”
Hope was clearly uncomfortable talking about her looks any further. She quickly changed the subject. “You know what? It’s been a long day. I don’t know about you, but I could really use a drink. What do you say?”
I nodded. “Absolutely.”
“How about some dinner too?”
“I guess some food wouldn’t hurt either,” I said. “Especially if dessert is involved.”
Chapter Twelve
Hope took me to a really swanky restaurant in Beverly Hills. It was a film and TV industry hangout. Where Hollywood heavy-hitters made deals over chopped salads and filet mignon. The minute I walked into the place, I was wide-eyed. Just being there was a real treat.
When Hope and I were seated at a corner table, I had to share my sense of appreciation with her.
“I didn’t know you were going to take me to such a nice restaurant. Thank you so much,” I said.
“Trust me. The pleasure is mine,” Hope said.
I looked around the room. Famous movie and TV stars were just a few tables away.
“Wait a minute. Is that Harry Sager? With Clarissa Watson?” I asked.
Hope nodded. “Uh-huh. And there’s Timothy Eggson over there. Oh, and Bridget Ayler is sitting there.”
The stars were aligning—at this restaurant, of all places. I was surrounded by A-listers. These were people I had watched for years. Whose work I admired greatly. It was amazing to think that I was in the same restaurant as them.
“Wait until everyone back home hears this. They’ll freak out,” I said.
“It’s not something you see every day in Treasure Cove, I’ll bet,” Hope said.
I chuckled. “Are you kidding? It’s not something you see any day back home. I don’t think most celebrities even know that Treasure Cove exists.”
“Speaking of your hometown, I have some questions for you.”
“Sure. Although, I can’t imagine they are more interesting than what I am seeing now.” My eyes lit up. “Wow. That’s Jake Trotter coming in.”
“From what I can tell, a number of interesting things happened in Treasure Cove. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. To get to know you better. To hear your stories. And to really get an essence of who you are in real life.”
“Absolutely,” I said as my head remained on a swivel.
“Tell me what it was like to be in that car chase,” Hope said.
My nose crinkled. “Car chase?”
“Yeah. During the Stewart investigation. You and the detective got into a car chase while in pursuit of the killer.”
I gave her a blank stare. “No we didn’t.”
Hope scratched her chin. “Really?”
“Trust me. I would have remembered that.”
Hope squinted and became pensive.
I spoke up. “Where did you get the idea that there was a car chase during that investigation?”
“It’s in the script,” she replied.
My eyebrows rose. “Are you serious?”
Hope grabbed her purse from the ground and placed it on the table. She then reached inside it and pulled out a TV script, opening it up to page forty-eight. “Yeah. Right here.”
I took the script from her and read the passage that she had pointed to.
Shock filled my face. “I can’t believe it.”
“I probably should have guessed that the writers added that for effect,” Hope said.
“But they are supposed to be telling my life story—as it actually happened. What are they doing just adding a car chase that didn’t actually take place?”
Hope wasn’t worked up in the least. “Stuff like this happens all the time.”
I flipped to another page in the script and began reading. My level of outrage intensified. “Wait a minute. A standoff at gunpoint? That didn’t happen either.”
“I can’t say that’s surprising.”
“I can. This is unbelievable. Not to mention, highly unsettling. I can’t help but wonder what other ways they messed around with my life story.”
Cupcakes with a Side of Murder Page 3