Limelight (Hollywood Stardust)

by Kim Carmichael

  At recognizing the word polyphenol, Erin silently cheered herself, but let Bambi go on.

  The woman barged over to her. “Isaac was never a two-bit actor in some overhyped movie.”

  “You do know that the overhyped movie of which you speak is considered to be genre changing?” Even with her jaw clenched, she managed to get the words out. “Also, I’m not quite sure you understand the talent that was lost when Drew decided to leave the industry. He was truly something special.”

  “What I do understand is that you’re going to hurt him, and he’s kind enough to let you, and I’m not going to sit here and watch you try to make him something he’s not and then leave when you’re through.” Bambi returned to her suitcase, pulled off her nightgown and put on a t-shirt with some chemical symbol on it.

  “How many relationships has he been in since you met him?” In an effort not to start screaming, she strolled to the edge of her bed and sat down.

  Rather than answering, Bambi struggled with the zipper of her suitcase.

  “How long did your relationship last? Did you end it or did he?”

  Fists clenched along with her jaw, Bambi turned to her. “That’s none of your business.”

  “You’re making it my business.”

  The woman narrowed her eyes.

  “I waited for twenty years for him. No one was ever him.” Though she didn’t need to justify her actions to this person, she would do it for Drew.

  “You miss Drew and that man doesn’t exist and once you figure that out, you are over and out. You miss the story you made up in your head, as simple as it may be.” Bambi spun back to her luggage and resumed her zipper fight.

  “Excuse me.” The bimbo called her stupid. She jumped up. “If you want to twist this story around, I’ll tell you that I think the man you know is merely a role he’s playing, but it doesn’t matter. Isaac, Drew, whoever he wants to be, that is who I want, and it’s much more than fictional. For your information, I may not have a Ph.D., but I know more than you think.”

  “I think that if you hurt him that true villain of your story will get her comeuppance, but until my boss uses his massive brain, I refuse to sit here while he pants after you and you see what you can get.” Bambi spat her threat out and gave her suitcase a tug. The bag fell to the floor with a loud thud and spilled its contents between the two beds.

  Feminine instinct caused her to lunge toward the mess. “Let me help you.”

  “Stay away from me.” Bambi swiped her hand out.

  She fell, hit the nightstand, and knocked over a lamp and the clock. Pain radiated up her side where she made impact when she landed on the floor.

  With her mouth wide open, Bambi stared at her.

  Before she got the chance to scream for help, the door opened and Drew ran in. “Is everyone all right?”

  Neither of them moved.

  “What’s going on?” Drew joined them, knelt down and looked between them, his focus settling on her, blaming her.

  If she learned nothing else in her career, it was she or he who spoke first lost. It worked in contract negotiations, it worked when fighting for a character or a line, and it was a universal truth.

  “Isaac, you know who you need to be on this trip with.” Bambi spoke and therefore lost. “I’d like to go back to Los Angeles and get to work. I already researched the flights, and I can be back before one.”

  Drew pursed his lips and glanced over at her.

  Erin ground her teeth together waiting for her turn.

  “Nothing happened. I dropped my suitcase and Erin tried to help and tripped.” She scooped up her belongings and once more struggled with the stupid zipper.

  Drew wrangled the zipper. “I completely understand. Make sure you use the company card and expense everything. What do I need to do?”

  Somehow, the same person Drew fawned over was the same person who called her stupid, and a fake and knocked her down.

  “Nothing, all you need to do is do great on your meetings and lecture.” Bambi stood, slipped on her shoes and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. “I already called a shuttle, so I’m just going to wait for them.”

  Well, wasn’t Bambi productive this morning? Erin inhaled and waited for Bambi’s grand exit. There were true celebrities who didn’t need such fanfare to leave.

  “Let me walk you down.” Drew took the suitcase and turned back to Erin. “I’ll be back. Do you need anything from Bambi?”

  “Not a thing.” Though she needed something from Drew.

  “I put the schedule on the desk for you, just in case your memory fails.” Her cheeks bright red, Bambi headed for the door with Drew in tow.

  He turned back to her.

  “I’m going to get ready.” She wiggled her fingers at him and stood, her side still aching, then watched him go without even asking her side. Drew would have heard her, he always heard her. Maybe Bambi was right, she didn’t know Isaac. Something told her that without speaking first or last, she lost.

  * * * *

  WITHOUT A WORD, Drew took Bambi’s suitcase and his chemist down the hallway and to the elevator. Once the doors parted, she stepped inside and held her hand out. “You don’t have to do this. I’m capable of waiting for a shuttle.”

  “You’re very capable, exceptionally capable, extremely capable.” His entire body tight, he made his way inside the elevator. “I’m still going to wait with you.”

  She pressed the button and they only glanced at each other until the elevator reached the bottom floor and let them free in the lobby.

  “Look, they’re early.” She motioned toward the green escape van and reached for her bag.

  “Wait a second.” He inhaled and rubbed his hand over his face. “I’m really praying I don’t come back to the office and find a resignation letter on my desk.”

  “Thank you.” She put her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t plan on quitting, but it’s nice to know you don’t want me to.”

  “Never.” He shook his head. “Are you okay? I mean with everything that happened in the room?” Of course she wasn’t okay.

  “Seriously, it was nothing.”

  With no choice but to believe her, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Listen, I didn’t sleep with her, well I did, but we didn’t…”

  “Isaac, it’s none of my business.” She patted him. “I learned something really important this whole time.”

  Maybe he could learn something. Right now he needed a Ph.D. in life. Hell, he needed the grammar school version. “What was that?”

  “One day I want someone to worry about me leaving the way you did with Erin.” She sighed.

  “You deserve that.” Not wanting to treat her any different than normal, he relinquished her suitcase handle and gave her a hug.

  “I want you to have that too, Isaac.” She hugged him back and looked up into his face. “You know I really don’t see it.”

  “What?”

  “Drew Fulton. I still see Isaac.” She shrugged and backed up. “I really should go.”

  “Please feel free to burn up the company’s expense report.” He waved.

  She gave him a thumbs-up and walked outside.

  He waited until she got inside the vehicle and then retraced his steps back upstairs. Wanting to give Erin time to get ready without distraction, he passed her room and returned to theirs, or his, whatever.

  His mind blank and reeling all at the same time, he jumped in the shower.

  What on earth really happened between the two women? At the moment, he could only hope Erin did the same and took the high road with Bambi, but the fire in her eyes when he left told him he hadn’t heard the end of it. What did he do now? Go back to his original plan with Erin and see if they could make it into more of a vacation or continue on with business?

  He put on his suit, staring at himself in the mirror as he tied his tie. No matter what, he had to remember he needed to get his work done. Now without Bambi there for the meeting, he really needed
to be on his game, but before anything, he had to make sure Erin knew certain rules like remembering to call him Isaac and not mentioning anything about Hollywood Glow to his accounts. Also, he didn’t really want her to speak too much. She would already be a distraction. He shook his head. Why bring her if she didn’t get to speak? He needed to finally admit he did want to show her off a little.

  Maybe a lot.

  A quick glance at the clock told him he better go hurry her along. They still needed to eat and get on the road. He finished packing and went right to her room.

  Before he had a chance to even knock, she opened the door.

  As every time he saw her, his breath quickened. She stood before him in a fitted white skirt suit with her hair and makeup done Hollywood style, her classic Erin Holland look. Something told him she did that all for him. “You look stunning.”

  “Thank you.” She stared at him.

  He glanced over her shoulder. Her multitude of bags was neatly lined up by the foot of the bed. “Are you ready?”

  “It would appear that way, yes.” She continued to stare.

  “Why don’t I see you to the car and then I’ll come back up for you bags?” The sweet Erin who held his hand and cuddled up to him the night before was replaced by an Erin of few words. He hated to admit he hated that Erin.

  “I appreciate the help. I can get a couple of them, and I don’t think I should go traipsing through the main lobby.” She gathered up her handbag and a shoulder bag.

  “Good point.” He retrieved her other bags and with her leading the way he found himself following yet another woman out of the hotel. Maybe it wasn’t Erin who shouldn’t make an appearance. He was the one creating the scandal.

  After settling her and her items in the car, he took off his jacket and got in the driver’s seat. Yes, he was at the wheel and Erin was by his side, the way this trip should have been. He turned and smiled at her. They could turn this thing around.

  Rather than a smile in return or even yelling at him, she stared straight ahead and put on a pair of oversized sunglasses.

  Yes, fine, she was upset. He needed to do a little groveling, all part of life with Erin. “Did I tell you how stunning you look?”

  “Yes, and I thanked you for the compliment.” She buckled her seat belt.

  “Would you like something to eat?” He tried again.

  “I had a bottle of water, the supplements you made me and a protein bar, but thank you for the offer.” She opened her purse and peered inside. “I do have something for you.”

  He practically rubbed his hands together. “All right.”

  She pulled another protein bar out of her purse and tossed it onto his lap. “According to the schedule we have quite a little trek.”

  “Yes, we should get going.” He started the car, set the navigation system and pulled away from Mesquite, Nevada.

  She nodded.

  Little did he know that was the last gesture of any kind he was going to get from her for ninety percent of the ride. After almost three hours on the road with only flat desert for scenery, no talk, no music, not even Erin’s filming or manipulating her phone, he was one hundred percent sure he contracted a virulent case of cabin fever, even though they were in an SUV. While Bambi kept quiet on the first part of the trip, it was more of a passive silence. Erin’s was definitely aggressive and rehearsed.

  In a strange twist, he ended up the bad guy when he did absolutely nothing wrong. “Would you like to pick some music?” Unable to take it any longer, and still needing to talk to her about his business, he broke the seal.

  “No, thank you.” She continued to gaze out the window.

  Okay. Now he had worse than silence, she returned to polite, translation pissed. He cleared his throat. “It always amazes me how you can remain so perfectly still for so many hours.” She did have the uncanny knack for following direction perfectly, down to not moving if that was what the director was after. Maybe that was why she was such a hellion when not playing a role.

  “One day I will make an amazing corpse.”

  Fine, a step worse from polite was sarcastic, translation, really pissed. He would counter bitch with charming. “I would rather not think of that.”

  “I beg to differ.” She opened her handbag and pulled out a lipstick.

  “What does that mean?” He kept his eyes on the road, but peeked over at her out of the corner of his eye. If he kept prodding, she would break.

  “You like me quiet and docile, and are not at all interested in what I have to say. You only assume what you want about me.” With a nod, she pulled down the sun visor to look in the mirror.

  At least he didn’t have to prod too much. “Your conversation has always been a highlight for me, but unless there is a large check and studio set, I don’t think you have ever been quiet or docile in your life.”

  With her lipstick held up like a weapon, she turned toward him.

  In preparation for the onslaught, he held the wheel tighter.

  “You know, it doesn’t matter.” She returned her attention back to the mirror.

  Yes, she goaded him. Yes, he took the bait. “I would like you to tell me what’s the matter.”

  “Strange, it didn’t matter to you this morning. What mattered was that your precious scientist didn’t realize I was the one who spent the night with you.” She took her time to apply the lipstick to her already perfect lips. “Is it only because we’re nearing your client that you want to know, so I’ll be picture perfect for you?”

  “Bambi said nothing happened.” While he knew she lied, he didn’t want to make a huge deal about it.

  “Lord knows if she says it, it must be true.” She slammed the cap back on her makeup. “I mean, she’s a scientist and gave you an objective opinion of something that is completely subjective, right? No doubt I would be too emotional or stretch the truth.”

  “That’s a very well stated point.” The second the words left his mouth he wanted them back, though her word choice impressed him.

  “For the second time today, I’ve been called stupid. If I hit a third time do I win a prize or do I strike out?” She crossed her legs.

  “I only called you stupid once.” He winced and made the turn off the main highway toward the orchard and the spa. How did he return to the silent treatment? Meaning him being silent.

  “And your little cohort did it earlier, but I know where she learned it from.”

  “I did not call you stupid. I mean I didn’t mean it the way it sounded, and I cannot picture Bambi doing it either.” He was glad he stopped himself from telling her maybe she didn’t understand what Bambi meant.

  “Even though you never asked for the other side of the story, I’ll tell you that she told me that even my simple mind could realize that you’re no longer Drew and apparently I’m only here because of some grand conquest.” She threw the lipstick back in her bag and snapped it shut. “Of course, that was right around the same time she knocked me over when I tried to help with her suitcase, and called our film overrated.”

  After allowing for Erin’s statement to sink in, he nodded. “What happened to make her say such things?”

  She sat up. “Stop the car.”

  “What?” He glanced over to find her hand on the door handle.

  “I said to stop the car.” She opened the door.

  He slammed on his brakes. “Erin!”

  Without any pause, she got out of the car and shut the door.

  His whole body tensed and all he wanted to do was to get out and force her back inside. Instead, he rolled the window down. “Erin get in the car, we’re almost there. I don’t want to be late.”

  “You won’t be late.” She motioned for him to go forward.

  “You cannot leave.”

  “I’m not leaving, I’m walking.” To prove her point, she started walking. “I’ll meet you there.”

  “You’re going to walk two miles to the orchard?”

  “I’m aware of where we are. I’m
not that stupid.” She tapped her watch. “Better get a move on, don’t want to be late for your curtain call.”

  “You’re going to walk the two miles to the meeting?” He drove alongside her.

  “Do you think our film is overrated?” She continued her trek.

  “No, it’s been called genre changing.” The only thing he was thankful for was no one else was on the road to witness their exchange.

  “Do you think I have a simple mind?” She shot another question at him.

  “Absolutely not, and I apologize if I even inferred you were less than intelligent.” Right now she had him trailing next to her in an SUV, who was the smart one there?

  She stopped, turned toward the car, and put her hands on her hips.

  His reaction time off, he hit the brakes a few feet past her and he backed up the car. “Would you like me to open the door for you?”

  “Do you think that I’m only here as some conquest? Once I get what I want I’ll be gone?”

  He paused.

  Yes, he paused.

  Actually, he didn’t answer, because he knew the answer and she knew the answer. Deep down, they both knew.

  She pushed her sunglasses up. “You’re going to be late for your meeting.”

  “Please get in the car.”

  “I need to think. I’ll meet you there.” She pointed down the road. “I will not get in the car with you right now.”

  “I’m going to drive away. I won’t let you ruin this meeting.”

  “I agree, you should go to your meeting. According to you and Bambi, I won’t be around long enough to even know the final outcome.”

  “You’re probably right.” He called her bluff and hit the gas. She could ruin every other woman for him, ruin his love life, ruin everything else, but he wouldn’t allow her to ruin his business. They both knew how the story would end, yet they couldn’t stop writing the script.

  HOLLYWOOD STARBURST

  EXT. BROKEN ARROW, OK, ON HIGHWAY 44 - DAY.

  The Lincoln is pulled off the side of the road and Roxy is standing staring at the car with her hands on her hips.