‘She’s adopted you?’
‘In a way.’ He pulled out a copy of his script, switching to a businesslike manner. ‘That was an interesting play you made with Stuart.’
‘About equal pay?’
‘Yep.’
‘You think I was wrong?’ Lena stuffed the rest of the cookie in her mouth. She really would suffer for this later.
‘No! Not at all! Your timing was perfect. You had him over a barrel.’
She leaned back on her hands. ‘He wasn’t happy.’
‘That’s to be expected. You’ve made some actresses very happy, though.’
‘I honestly didn’t think he’d agree,’ she said.
‘Then why did you push it?’
‘Because someone has to give these women a voice and I’m in a position to do just that.’
‘Most people in your position wouldn’t care.’
‘I do. Don’t you?’
‘Yes, yes. I would never have thought to leverage it the way you did, though. You looking out for others is a nice quality, Lena Lee.’
She shrugged, not sure how to react to the compliment.
‘So will you buy another house?’ he asked.
‘Pardon?’
‘With the extra money you’re getting.’
‘I am, but I’m not living in it.’
Reeves furrowed his brows. ‘Nothing is ever straightforward with you.’
‘You say that like it’s a bad thing,’ she laughed. ‘That money Stuart gave me is not mine. Well, technically it is, but I’m not keeping it.’ She paused for dramatic effect. ‘I have a plan.’
‘Why am I not surprised?’
Lena couldn’t contain her smile. ‘The actresses I went in to fight for are getting more money but it’s not enough. I’ve bought a house that has plenty of space so I’m setting it aside to help women when they first arrive in Hollywood. One of the most depressing things when starting out in this business is the knock-backs and the time it takes to secure work. There’s the constant worry of when you’ll be able to afford the next meal or if you’ll have a roof over your head. I want to remove these worries and help educate them about how this industry works. I want these women to feel safe, to make wise decisions based on what is right for them, not say yes to things that are to their detriment. That way they can give their best performance and, hopefully, find decent work. This house will be a safe place to stay until they’re on their feet. It’s the perfect chance for them to make friends and keep their finger on the pulse about which studio is auditioning for what role. The strength of women helping and looking out for each other can be a true force.’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Reeves. ‘When my sister and her female cousins get together there is a definite change in the air. It feels more … powerful.’
‘Exactly!’ she said. ‘This town is hard enough and women are vulnerable, especially ones that don’t have enough money for food or a bed to sleep on.’
‘This is a great thing you are doing,’ said Reeves.
‘It’s not about me, it really isn’t. It’s about being in a position to help out others. Isn’t that what life should be about?’
‘Life is about many things and yes, looking out for others should be something we all do.’ Reeves studied the branches above, speckles of sunlight falling on his face. ‘Can I write you a cheque?’
‘You want to help?’
‘Of course. None of my female family members would ever dream about this lifestyle but if they did, I would hope they would have a safe house like yours to turn to. There are so many women out there, though, how can we possibly help them all?’
‘It feels like a tiny ripple in a very large pond but maybe we can get others on board.’ She stared at the blue sky peeking through the branches. ‘Is it wrong to dream this big?’
‘Dreams are what got us here.’
‘True,’ she said. ‘Although I never set out to be an actress.’
‘You didn’t?’ Reeves’s eagerness to hear more made her realise she could be swimming into dangerous territory right now. Though she wanted to get to know him better, to learn more about his life, and the only way to do that was to share a little about herself—she just had to make sure she didn’t give away too much.
‘I left my country town to go to the Big Smoke to become a swimsuit model.’
‘I can see why.’
‘Stop.’ She punched him playfully in the arm. ‘And I enjoyed the attention and money, but I quickly lost interest. When I was offered a part in a play in New York I jumped at the opportunity. I kept getting offered roles and people were paying me to act. It was incredible. Movies were what I really wanted to get into, so I came to LA. Then the opportunity for a part in a musical came along and even though it petrified me, I got up and sung my heart out.’
‘Had you ever had lessons?’
‘Not one. Where I come from it wasn’t possible to do singing lessons. It’s a farming community so the last thing they care about is music or acting.’
‘What’s the name of the town? I don’t think you’ve mentioned it.’
‘Just a small rural town, not even a dot on the map.’ She needed to guide the conversation away before he had a chance to ask more. ‘Apparently I’m a natural singer and it propelled me into larger roles. The problem was, the roles were insipid women falling at the feet of men. It drove me crazy, but I needed the money.’
‘Ah, so this is the reason you don’t want other actresses to have to take roles that don’t appeal.’
‘Actually, no. I am a strong believer in trying lots of different roles and hard work should be what gets you to the top. Acting in roles that aren’t your cup of tea is a good thing, because it makes us more motivated and determined to pursue the things we do want. This place I’m buying for actresses is not a free ride, it’s a safe haven. There are plenty of dubious characters out there in the guise of movie makers or agents who are more than happy to take advantage of a woman, especially one that has just arrived in Los Angeles and is greener than Montana.’
‘This is going to cause a stir amongst certain industry higher-ups.’
‘I don’t care.’ She crossed her arms then realised the defensiveness of her pose. ‘Someone has to look out for these women.’
‘So, it might as well be you.’
‘Might as well.’
‘You can count on me to help in any way I can,’ said Reeves.
‘Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.’
‘You have no idea how much I appreciate being able to help. My acting career has been a lot easier than most and I count that as a blessing every day. I have no idea what it’s like to have to turn up to cattle calls and put myself in front of others for criticism. I’ve been lucky, so it only makes sense that I show some of my gratitude by helping others. Although …’
‘Although?’
‘Although throwing money at the problem doesn’t sit right with me. I’ll donate, I’m happy to do so, but what else can I do? Could I get my agent to set up auditions for actresses to get on his books? That would at least be a foot in the door, right?’
Lena’s cheeks hurt from smiling. ‘Reeves Garrity, the actor with a beautiful sense of compassion.’
‘Lena Lee, the actress with a heart bigger than Texas.’
A bout of shyness overtook Lena and she picked up the script and stared at it. Even after this lovely conversation, there was still something that had to be said. If she didn’t say it now, she never would. ‘Are we going to be okay?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Things have been … interesting between us. And with all the drama unfolding with Pierre and Jeanne, I just want to make sure we’ll be fine.’
‘We’re professionals. We’ll do this well.’
‘But …’
‘But?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’ Maybe she had it all wrong. Perhaps Reeves didn’t feel the attraction she did. Although he’d kissed her—twice. And he cert
ainly didn’t seem like the kind of man who kissed women on a whim. Well, she hoped not, anyway.
‘Shall we start reading at the spot where they first meet?’ He pointed to his script.
‘Sure, sure.’ As she flicked the pages she was accosted by images of their very first meeting at Stuart Cooper’s party. She’d been so green and hopeful, he’d been so handsome and spoken for.
‘Remember when we met at Stuart’s party?’ asked Reeves.
A laugh escaped her lips. ‘I was just thinking about that. Could you ever have imagined we’d be here right now, working on the studio’s biggest movie of the year?’
‘Never. Although,’ he reached for her hand and squeezed it, ‘I am so very glad that we’re doing this together.’
‘What about Jeanne?’ She withdrew her hand.
‘According to her agent—and mine—she’s doing better. Though the road is going to be long. At this stage no one is allowed to see her so there’s no risk of Jeanne finding out about us doing this movie. And the staff are well-trained in what they can and can’t say. There’s no need to worry. And Jeanne will be fine.’
‘I hope so.’
He smiled slowly. ‘Why do you care so much about someone who treats you like she does?’
‘Honestly, I find it very hard to forgive Jeanne’s behaviour towards me and others, but I can’t see the point in holding on to negative feelings. They just eat away and make our own life intolerable.’ Dotty and Charlie came to mind and she wished Dotty could forgive her. Maybe one day …
‘Wow.’
‘Wow what?’
‘Wow, I have no idea how you’ve made it this far in this business and still manage to hold on to such strong empathy.’
‘My status doesn’t mean I should lose any sense of justice or compassion.’ She didn’t care that she sounded indignant.
Reeves held up his hand. ‘It’s not a criticism! I love that you are who you are.’
‘You do?’
‘Why so surprised? In case you hadn’t noticed—’
‘Yes, I’ve noticed but we’re keeping this professional. Come on.’ She waved the script under his nose, losing her nerve to start the talk they needed to have. ‘Let’s get on with this because I have a whole lot of catching up to do.’
* * *
Lena sat in a booth at the back of Roy’s Diner, facing the far wall. She sipped on the banana milkshake while she patiently waited for her best friends. The bell above the door tinkled and she resisted the urge to turn around. Until now she’d managed to avoid detection from the general public and she wanted to keep it that way.
‘Here you go.’ A handkerchief appeared in front of her face and she looked up to find George grinning. He sat opposite and raised his eyebrows. ‘Where’s the tears?’
‘Not funny,’ she whispered harshly.
‘Yeah, where’s the mounds of ice-cream?’ asked Yvonne as she slid in beside Lena.
‘Just let it be.’ She sipped on the milkshake.
‘That Frenchman is a dirty double crosser.’ Yvonne spoke to George across the table. ‘I always knew he couldn’t be trusted. I bet he’s not even French.’
Lena choked and tried not to spit the milkshake across the table. ‘Can we just leave this subject alone? All I want is a few precious minutes to hang out with my good friends and be normal.’
‘You’ve chosen the wrong friends if you want normal,’ said George with a wink.
‘Ha!’ Lena laughed for the first time in what felt like forever. ‘Mr Barrett, care to tell me where you were last Sunday?’
‘Oh.’ He concentrated on fiddling with the sugar. ‘Sorry about that.’
‘If you had to cancel, I wouldn’t have minded. I just wish you hadn’t left me waiting.’ Although if George had turned up she wouldn’t have spent that lovely time with Reeves or headed to the studio. Would things have played out differently?
‘I’m really sorry, Lena.’ George shifted on his seat. ‘Something came up.’
‘What’s his name?’ She laughed but stopped when she noticed his serious expression.
‘I’m still not over Oscar.’ Annoyance lined his voice. ‘Thanks to Jeanne Harris.’
‘She’s not in any state to …’ Lena drew her mouth into a tight line.
‘To what?’ asked George.
‘Doesn’t matter.’ Lena finished the milkshake and studied the menu even though it never changed.
‘If you must know,’ said George, ‘I had a last-minute meeting about a script I’ve written.’
Lena put the menu down. ‘Who with?’
‘I don’t want to jinx it. Just know it was someone who is very influential.’
‘Ooh!’ Lena reached for George’s hands and squeezed them. ‘You better invite me to the opening night then I’ll forgive you for standing me up.’
George laughed but didn’t sound like his usual self. ‘I should have called but the meeting happened quickly.’
‘It’s fine, really.’ She returned to the menu.
‘The usual, ladies and gentleman?’ Meryl arrived at the table, her smile as bright as her newly dyed hair.
‘Blonde looks great on you,’ said George.
‘Oh? This?’ Meryl patted her perfectly coiffured hairdo. ‘I needed a change.’
‘Sometimes that is the best thing we can do.’ Yvonne fixed her eyes on Lena.
‘I’ll have the cheeseburger,’ said Lena, concentrating on Meryl.
‘Pardon?’ Meryl and Yvonne said in unison.
‘What?’ said George. ‘No salad?’
‘I need a change.’ Lena deliberately echoed Meryl. ‘Anyone have a problem with that?’
‘No! Not at all!’ Yvonne looked at George with wide eyes.
Meryl took the rest of the orders and waltzed back to Roy who buzzed around the kitchen like a bee in a bottle.
‘There’s been lots of changes with you, eh?’ George cocked an eyebrow.
Lena threw her hands in the air. ‘It was never going to work with me and Pierre, all right? We’re very different people and we only stayed together because …’ She shut her mouth, wishing she hadn’t opened it.
‘Because?’ asked Yvonne.
‘Because it suited us for various reasons.’
‘I knew it!’ George slapped his knee. ‘It was a sham! People have been betting on this forever.’
‘What? No, not a sham,’ she said with haste. As much as she wanted to tell them the truth she couldn’t betray Stuart Cooper and Fortitude Studios. Too much of her career rode on this. She didn’t fear Pierre opening his mouth as it would reflect directly on him and the last thing he needed was more scandal—he’d caused a big enough one defecting to another studio. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, she actually missed having Pierre around. Lena sniffed.
‘I’m sorry for our flippancy.’ Yvonne’s eyes were earnest.
‘Yeah, sorry,’ said George. ‘What are you going to do now?’
‘There’re a few things happening but I can’t talk about them just yet.’
‘You mean the movie you’re doing with Reeves Garrity?’ asked Yvonne.
‘How did you … Never mind. That studio leaks secrets like a sieve.’ Which is why she’d been surprised she and Pierre had managed to keep their fake relationship under wraps—minus her way-too-suspicious best friends.
Meryl arrived with the order and Yvonne and Lena tucked into their meals. George pushed a fry around his plate, making a trail with ketchup.
Lena put her burger down. ‘Are you all right?’
George looked up and forced a smile. ‘Yes, yes, fine. Just have a lot on my mind.’
‘Your next big movie!’ Yvonne took a long sip from her water.
‘Yeah, that’s it.’ George’s tone didn’t hold much enthusiasm.
‘If you’d like to talk about it, we’re here,’ Lena said quietly.
‘Talking is not going to fix it!’ he yelled.
Lena pulled her mouth tight. The window to George�
��s soul was small and only occasionally did he allow anyone to peer inside. Today was not going to be one of those days.
George shoved a fry in his mouth and Yvonne concentrated on heartily eating her soup. Lena looked from one friend to the other. A lump formed in her throat. These two people had supported her from the moment she’d met them. They’d always been there to celebrate her triumphs and catch her in the moments when she’d fallen. She’d learned about their dreams, their lives past and present, yet the whole time she’d only given them enough snippets of her own life to make them think they truly knew her.
Guilt swirled in her belly.
What would they say if they knew the truth? That she’d cultivated a persona before she’d even arrived in Hollywood? That the small-town American girl wasn’t everything she purported to be? That there was a moment in her history that was darker than the desert night?
The only person who knew some of the truth was Dotty, but Lena hadn’t spotted her since her unexpected appearance in the crowd all that time ago. For weeks after seeing Dotty, Lena had prepared for a surprise visit, but Dotty had never materialised. Maybe her paranoia over Dotty was unjustified. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d misread her old friend.
She closed her eyes. No one could ever know the full story of Lena Lee.
CHAPTER 26
1994 – Starlight Creek, Queensland
Instead of the happy atmosphere that usually abounded at the end of a production, the cast and crew stood in the town hall, their faces solemn, their mouths closed, as the police updated them on the latest news. The fire in the cinema had been contained quickly, but the smoke damage was an issue. Everything stunk. The biggest problem, however, was the damage to Claire’s relationship with Hattie. Although the fire hadn’t been Claire’s fault, she had promised Hattie she would guard the cinema with her life.
As James and Claire had been the last to leave, they were questioned, and it had been long and arduous. They’d been interviewed separately and when James had turned up, he’d looked the worse for wear with his red eyes, dishevelled hair and shirt half-tucked.
Claire now sat in the shade on the back steps of the town hall, her head still spinning.
The Cinema at Starlight Creek Page 25