by G S Binkley
“What are we talking about?” Gage joined the group.
Julie pointed to the party going on. “The good work you and Lacy are doing here.”
“Her idea.” Gage nodded toward her partner. “It must run in the family. Hank, Lacy’s brother, and his partner have been working with Habitat for Humanity. As a matter of fact this spring, they are having a charity event to help with proceeds. You guys should come.”
“Sounds like fun.”
*********
Later in the darkness of night, Dani flipped on her computer. She inserted the flash drive and waited. Dani vacillated between slipping the flash drive back where she found it without opening it or forging ahead discovering what secrets it held. The young girl sucked in a deep breath as curiosity took hold. Dani read the title on the flash drive once again. The Woman I Love! Many things crossed her mind. Could there be pictures? Letters? Both? Who is this woman someone loves? Dani knew she was treading deeper into this mystery. One click and all was revealed. The young woman slowly sat back in her chair. Dani read through the night. By morning, all had been revealed. So enthralled by what she saw on the screen in front of her, tears misted in her happy blue eyes. I have to do something with this.
*********
Shortly after Halloween, Stella reminded Lacy and Gage about the parent/teacher conference scheduled. They had dinner with their children before getting ready to leave for the meeting.
“Mom, make sure you ask about the play. My teacher said I have been a good help.” Sammy took every opportunity to let his teacher know about his desire to help him direct the play.
Lacy glanced at her oldest son. “You want to say anything before we go see your teacher?”
“Nope.” Derek answered than turned to Gage. “When you get back, will you go over the speech I wrote?” The young man had a flair for writing when it came to what he was passionate about… animals mostly.
“Sure thing.” Gage winked. “Ready?” She asked her partner.
Lacy nodded. “Stella, please make sure…” Blue eyes glared at her youngest daughter. “…someone needs a bath.”
“Oh, mom.” Hayley smiled. “It’s just a little dirt.”
Stella assured Lacy that it would get done. It wasn’t that Hayley disliked baths, she did. A lot. But Hayley thought a swim in the pool would suffice. It was much bigger and to her mind it would clean her a lot better.
Lacy and Gage had just met with Derek’s teacher. All indications were that their oldest son was doing very well in school. The teacher reported that Derek was a leader in the class, doing well in all his subjects. She also was pleased that he had joined the debate club. It was the first year students could participate as eighth graders. They met with Sammy’s instructor who relayed that their youngest son was very organized, his grades were above average and volunteered to direct the fourth grade school play. That made Gage chuckle after having seen Sammy on the set of their show trying to do the very same thing.
“There’s only one other thing.” Sammy’s teacher pulled out a piece of paper. He handed the drawing of a purple tree to Lacy.
Lacy and Gage admired his drawing ability.
“I like it.” Gage nodded.
The teacher had to laugh. “I must tell you a story. When I asked the class to draw something in nature, as you can see Sammy did just that. He handed it in when he was finished. I saw that he used a purple marker to color the tree. So, I commented that I have never seen a purple tree.” The teacher smiled. “You know what he said…” Lacy and Gage waited on bated breath. “…he said ‘oh, that’s too bad’ and took the paper back to his seat. Kids! They surprise me all the time. I love their imagination. And the very next day, I saw a flowering purple tree.” The teacher looked directly at the couple. “You have a very special young boy there.”
“Thank you.”
A little while later, the couple walked into Hayley’s classroom. They were met by Mrs. Johnson. “Please sit down.”
Lacy studied the miniature first grade chairs. Gage tried to squeeze into one until Mrs. Johnson interrupted her.
“Over here.” She pointed to a round table where they all could sit. After Mrs. Johnson talked to them about their daughter’s overall progress, the teacher studied a piece paper for a long moment. “I wanted to talk to you about this one.” She handed the paper to Lacy.
Lacy held the paper so her partner could see as well. “That’s a pretty picture.”
Gage agreed. “She’s an artist just like her mother.” The blonde liked all the colors her daughter used in drawing the grasshopper.
“Have you read what she wrote?” The teacher asked.
“Yes.” They said in unison.
“And?” Mrs. Johnson leaned back in her chair.
Both Lacy and Gage studied it a bit longer. “Look, Lacy, she added an extra ‘p’.” Gage pointed to the long word and smiled.
“Hmmm…mmm. She really does have nice penmanship.” Lacy looked up at the teacher. “Her sister gets credit for that… Dani taught Hayley her A, B, Cs.”
“She can even write her name in cursive…” Gage tapped the paper. “Right there… the ‘t’ has a little tail just like Dani taught her…helped her when she started using cursive.” Of course, Hayley was well versed thus far in a few words but her vocabulary and writing skills were well advanced for a first grader.
“I do love that little tail… she was so proud to show us that, remember?” Lacy asked and Gage nodded.
A frown rose on the teacher’s face. “Did you read it?”
Both Lacy and Gage were confused. “Yes, it’s the poem she wrote.”
Gage nodded. “I think it’s very well done. She even put commas where they belonged.”
“Except right there.” Lacy pointed to the empty spot on the paper.
While both Lacy and Gage were admiring their daughter’s handiwork, the teacher was getting frustrated. “Would please read it out loud?”
Gage prompted Lacy. “You’re the actor, you do it.”
Lacy inhaled a deep breath. “Okay… I saw a little grasshopper. Hop, Hop, Hop. I said to the little grasshopper, stop your hopping, stop your hopping. But he wouldn’t… so I squashed him.”
Gage nudged Lacy. “She is good, isn’t she?”
The proud mom concurred. “Yes, she is.”
Shaking her head in disbelief, the teacher confiscated the piece of paper. “You’re not concerned about what she wrote in this… poem?”
Lacy studied the teacher for a moment then turned to Gage.
“I’m afraid that’s my fault.” Gage admitted. She continued upon seeing the very scrutinizing eyes upon her. She directed her comment to her partner. “You remember when we… I put up that tent. We saw a little grasshopper hopping along when we were out there. I guess she got the idea from me.”
“Oh…okay.” Lacy turned back to the teacher, feeling there was more on the instructor’s mind than the grasshopper. “Was she supposed to write about something else?”
“I’m talking about the violence in the poem.”
Lacy sat back in the chair and crossed her arms. Her posture indicated the mother in her was at the ready. “What are you talking about?”
“The school’s policy does not condone this kind of language.” Mrs. Johnson was not going to back down.
Gage could tell that Lacy was about ready to squash the teacher. “Lacy, let me handled this.”
When the blonde leaned forward to address the issue, Lacy’s right arm stopped her abruptly. “No!” Then the miffed mother was let out of her cage. “From the very first day, you got on my bad side but I was willing to put that aside…”
Oh boy… this will not be pretty. The memory of that day popped into Gage’s mind. It was when the blonde was going to walk her daughter to her chair on the very first day and the teacher stopped her saying that Hayley should find her own seat. It was then Lacy grabbed her daughter’s hand and both of them found her place in the classroom.
; “…because Hayley really seems to like you and I don’t really want any further problems but…” Lacy leaned in within inches of the teacher. “…I know all about violence and I know the difference between what a little girl wrote and a teacher embellishing my daughter’s intent.”
“Lacy.” Gage cautioned her partner.
She glanced at the blonde. “I won’t do anything…”
Mrs. Johnson scooted her chair back.
“If you really think what my daughter wrote was out of line then…let’s take it to the principle right now.”
The alarmed teacher dropped her head. “No…that’s not necessary.”
However, Lacy was not ready to let the subject drop. Guessing at what might be the reason behind this situation, she proffered. “Does this have to do with my relationship with Gage? Two women?”
“No!” The teacher was adamant.
Gage put her hand on Lacy’s leg in reassurance. “Then what? I agree with Lacy there is nothing inappropriate about what Hayley wrote…” The blonde turned to the actor. “…I’m not sure Derek would like it… you know the squashing part of an animal but…”
Mrs. Johnson had regained some confidence. “I’ve seen your show, Mrs. Levine, and there is quite a bit of violence in it…it’s just not appropriate for your daughter…any child really… to watch it and, obviously, it has affected Hayley.”
Now Lacy was very livid and determined to get to the heart of the issue. “You seem to think you know what we allow our children to watch. And, what show are you referring to because…”
Gage interjected her thoughts on the matter. “Our show is more of a comedy…it has a few scenes that might…” Gage was cut off from saying anything further.
“Crackdown.” The teacher’s voice nearly dripped with venom.
Even as serious as the teacher was, Lacy let out a full laugh. “Hayley has never seen but maybe one episode of that show and only part of it because her sister wanted Hayley to see me wearing a red wig. Our older children were only allowed to view certain episodes.” The actor sucked in a very deep breath. “And you…are not my judge and jury on how I raise…”
“We.” Gage injected.
“…we raise our children.” Lacy finished. She stood up to her full height, looking down on the teacher below. “I’m through here.”
As Lacy turned abruptly and left the room, Gage rose. “She’s not one to cross. There’s another first grade class here and if you can’t see pass your own biases than we will put her in the other class.” The blonde turned to leave but hesitated. “It’s a shame really…what other people conjure up about things they have no idea about. Lacy is the most wonderful, caring and loving mother and she will look past your issues with her…” Gage finger quoted the next word. “fame… but don’t let that fool you. When it comes to the people she loves, she is definitely not one to tangle with.”
Chapter Nine
The roguish actor with blazing hazel eyes and a killer smile primped in front of the mirror. “St. Troy, here I come.” Koda Kannon smirked. “Doesn’t sound as good as Hollywood here I come.” He ran his hand through his sandy colored hair, ensuring every stand in place. “Honey, you ready? The limo will be here any minute.”
The airplane ride was long and bumpy. Koda used his time re-reading the script while his companion had a set of headphones attached to her ears. “Think maybe they need to beef up my role… can’t see myself saying some of this.” The actor’s star was fading and Koda knew it but refused to admit it. Re-uniting with Lacy Levine would be just the catalyst to jump start his career. He pondered about reprising their roles in the movie they starred together in. Maybe a sequel. Over the last few years, Koda was the crux of his own demise. Becoming more demanding and hard to work with was soon attached to his name.
“A sequel?” Lacy laughed. “Art, you have to be kidding?”
“Sorry, Lacy, just passing along his agent’s suggestion.” The actor’s ever loyal agent replied. Art paused a long moment. “And one more thing…”
“Okay, it can’t be any worse than what you just told me.” The idea of starring in a sequel to the movie she made with Koda was ridiculous.
“You got another letter.” Art scratched his balding head. “Bout the same as the last two.” He regretted passing on such ‘hate’ mail but felt obligated.
“Anything special about it, Art?” Upon hearing about the first two letters, Lacy pawned them off as every actor received negative mail. However, the particular two that her agent described earlier sent a shiver up her spine.
“This one was not as… descriptive but seems like it came from the same person. Though different post marks.” Art securitized the letter intensely. “Want me to check it out further?”
“Fax me a copy.” Lacy asked. “And the envelope please.” The actor wasn’t eager to see the copies of the hate mail. Gage and Mark were aware of the first two letters. Her partner took steps to ensure proper security on set of their television show. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happen that would have caused concern during their first three seasons. It was typically business as usual on the set.
While in St. Troy, David Levine had a suite at the Regent. It was the same place Mark stayed while in town. Mark Calico shared a suite with Ryan White when his wife was not in town. Since the production meeting was delayed, David poured over the New York Times and the Hollywood Reporter while having a late lunch.
Koda Kannon and his companion checked in to the Regent. When the clerk summoned a bellboy, Koda and friend entered the elevator. David straightened his tie as he walked out of the Regent’s café. Walking directly toward the Regent’s revolving front doors; David caught sight of someone very familiar as the elevator doors closed. He stopped in his tracks. “It couldn’t be.”
Behind the elevator doors another voice echoed. “It couldn’t be.”
And so it began.
Michael Jessop did a wonderful job directing the Halloween show. When Ryan White informed Gage that he was going to be held up on another project, the blonde producer asked Michael to fill in. He accepted readily. It would be the young director’s greatest challenge to date.
The next day was set for the read through and blocking. Michael poured over the script as he worked with the crew ensuring every detail was perfect. He was happy to know that Shanti James would be back on the show as a regular. Michael had a crush on her for some time since he couldn’t catch the time of day with his first love, Kathy Griffen.
Lacy, Gage, Michael and Mark surrounded the oblong table. Each had a copy of that week’s show. Michael coughed. “Shanti was here earlier. I’ve already gone over some blocking with her.” The director looked around the room. “What about Koda?”
Mark shifted in his seat. “Got in late this morning. He’ll be here in the morning.”
“Our time or West coast time?” Gage grunted. She remembered a few times when Lacy had to wait on the arrival of her co-star on the set of their movie.
“Only time will tell.” Mark checked the door. “Any word from David?”
Just then the door swung open. “I’m here.” He sat down next to the director and grabbed his copy of the script.
“Alright then… other than Koda, I’ve talked with the actors on this week’s show. We’ll be using the three sets… Calley’s apartment, the producer’s office and the sound stage.”
Gage chimed in. “Did we get the rolling cameras for that set?”
“Yes.” Mark confirmed. “Not sure about the décor in the producer’s set. Did it come in?” The producers of the show wanted that set to be very luxurious which would require different furniture than they had on hand.
They all looked at David who was in charge of that set. He was fiddling with his pencil, tapping lightly on the script in front of him.
Lacy noticed that David seemed distracted ever since he arrived. “David?”
A long moment passed before he finally spoke. “Ah, oh yeah, sure.” It was as if the sound wave fina
lly travelled to his ears.
Gage leaned forward. “Oh yeah sure what?” The blonde also recognized his faraway look.
Finally coming out of his stupor. “Yes, today… I called before I left the hotel.”
Mark wanted to make sure that everything was set for tomorrow rehearsal. “Do we need anyone to stick around for the delivery?”
“Yeah, …I mean no. I’ll be here.” David insisted rather forcefully.
Michael let out the breath he had been holding. “So…it will be a full day tomorrow.” He turned to Lacy. “If you would, Janet wanted a last fitting for one of your costumes.”
Lacy nodded.
“Lacy, while you’re doing that, Stella asked me to run by the pharmacy and pick up her medicine.” Gage’s mother had a slight congestion. “You should be finished by then.”
Her partner agreed.
“See you tomorrow. I’ve got a teleconference in a half hour with Mitch.” Mark gathered his belongings. Mitch Stone was Mark’s right hand man at his New York businesses.
When Gage, Mark and Michael left the room, David sat silently at the table looking very lost.
“David?” Lacy sat down next to her ex-husband. She tapped him on the shoulder. “You okay?”
He sat there staring off to nowhere in particular. “I saw her… I think I saw her.”
“Saw who?”
“No, it couldn’t be.”
When Lacy finally got some of his attention, she asked again. “Who, David, who did you see?”
He let out a breath. “Koda Kannon.” That’s when David closed his eyes and tried to capture the scene in his mind again.
“We did get him a room at the Regent…rather a suite.’”
“It was her… pretty sure. I couldn’t be. Why would she be with him?” A thought popped in his head which brought some relief. “Maybe she wasn’t with him… maybe she came to see me.”
With that Lacy proffered her reasonable guess. “Hayston?”
He turned his body directly facing Lacy now. “Do you think she wants to get back together?” David’s shoulders slumped. He was tired of the yoyo game she had been playing. “I don’t know if I can take it again.” His gray eyes implored Lacy to make sense of the last few years he had spent with Hayston Rawlings.