Starbright

by Richland, Alexandra

  Nathan added that Connie’s doctor stitched her up in his office, and the press was unaware of what happened. Beth assumed Mr. Mertz was satisfied with the explanation, but now that he’d called this urgent meeting, she wasn’t so sure. The last thing she needed was to get into trouble. It had already been a hectic week because of the move and filming. She couldn’t take any more on her plate.

  Thankfully, the new house already felt like home, even after only living there for three days. Beth never returned to the apartment and neither did Olivia. Aidan and Nathan drove them directly to their new residence and then picked up the items from the apartment they wished to have transported personally instead of by the moving company.

  Aidan had been on edge ever since the incident, but his anxiety eased after the move. Their new house was in a frequently police-patrolled, upper class neighborhood. There was still the question of whether the man on the fire escape had targeted Beth specifically, but since she and Olivia no longer resided at the apartment, they felt confident they were safe. The police hadn’t called with any leads on the case, and Beth expected nothing more to come of it.

  While Beth stayed at Aidan’s house, he was a complete gentleman, serving her breakfast in bed and taking care of her every need. Part of his care involved ensuring she didn’t do anything strenuous. Unfortunately, this included intimate things as well. They had kissed but nothing more.

  Even so, Beth felt closer to him and thought about asking him if he wanted to start being more open with their relationship. She didn’t mean flaunt their love around town or make an announcement to the press, just perhaps stop being so covert about it.

  Not only was their relationship progressing beautifully, but their careers thrived, too. The second motion picture Beth made with Will Everett, Forever and a Day, was now in theaters and doing very well, though the critics pointed out what she already knew: It wasn’t as special as Sparkling Meadow. The filming of Venus Rising prevented her from doing an extensive promotional tour, but she was featured in newspapers and magazines across the country. She also participated in photo shoots during the brief breaks in her schedule.

  Although Aidan didn’t currently have a movie in theaters, he was more popular than ever. He wasn’t a Starlight Studios contract star, but because Spike Rollins was made for the studio, he received more fan mail there than any other actor. The press added to the hype by reprinting the photographs he had posed for when filming the motion picture and making up stories about what he was doing around town while waiting for Golden Gloves to begin production, since he refused to participate in any new interviews at this time.

  Beth’s uneasiness returned as the limousine stopped in front of Mr. Mertz’s building. Mr. Stern was required to be present at any meetings between her and her boss. She hoped she would have a chance to talk to him beforehand so they could plan their strategy.

  The reception room on the top floor was vacant except for Ethel and Caroline, who typed on their typewriters. Mr. Stern probably waited for her inside Mr. Mertz’s office, which meant she wouldn’t be able to converse with him privately.

  Beth smiled at Ethel upon her approach. “Good afternoon.”

  “Good afternoon, Miss Sutton.” Ethel stopped typing and picked up the telephone. “Mr. Mertz, your twelve fifteen is here.” She paused. “Yes, sir. Right away.” She placed the receiver back in its cradle and gave Beth a strained smile. “Mr. Mertz will see you now, Miss Sutton.”

  With an anxious glance at Nathan’s closed office doors, Beth entered Mr. Mertz’s office. Inside, her worst fear was confirmed: Her boss was alone.

  Mr. Mertz gestured to one of the vacant chairs in front of his desk. As usual, he offered no pleasantries, not even a hello. “Sit down, Miss Sutton.”

  Beth tried to remain calm as she took her seat. “Where is Mr. Stern?”

  Mr. Mertz glared at her. “He is not invited, nor is Mr. Taggart. In fact, they both have no idea this meeting is taking place. I didn’t want them speaking for you or coaching you beforehand on what to say.”

  Beth’s eyes widened. She considered running from the office, but the invisible chains of her contract kept her seated.

  Mr. Mertz’s gruff voice disturbed the tense silence. “Show me your stitches.”

  With trembling hands, Beth brushed her hair aside.

  Mr. Mertz didn’t say a word as he surveyed her injury. His scowl showcased his displeasure. “You may release your hair.”

  Beth followed his instruction, bracing herself for his rage.

  Instead, he withdrew a magazine from the top drawer of his desk and slid it toward her. The publication was opened to a specific article, which he positioned so she could look at it right-side up.

  “Explain this photo of you and Aidan Evans in Santa Barbara.”

  The blood drained from Beth’s face. She gripped the armrests and rose from her chair, peering over the desk at the publication. It was an issue of Life magazine. The largest photograph was the group shot of her, Aidan, and their friends taken after the race. The other photographs were of Aidan and his Porsche. Surely the group photograph wasn’t the source of her boss’s anger?

  Mr. Mertz slapped his hand down on the magazine and dragged it toward him. “Why were you at Mr. Evans’ race? He is no good for your image, and a racetrack is not a place you should be visiting under any circumstances.”

  Beth sat back down in her chair. It was crucial to handle the situation calmly. Mr. Mertz had no proof that she and Aidan were in a relationship.

  She recited her reply carefully, as she had done at the racetrack when speaking to the press. “Olivia Weston is a good friend of mine as well as my roommate, and she is dating Nathan—uh, Mr. Taggart.” Her voice faltered as her insecurities resurfaced. “Mr. Taggart is friends with Mr. Evans, and Olivia and I accompanied him to the race. Mr. McKenna is also friends with Mr. Evans, which is why he and Constance came, too.”

  “Miss Murphy’s image is much different from yours, so I’m not concerned about her attendance. The public doesn’t know Miss Weston, so I don’t care what she does, either.” Mr. Mertz’s upper lip curled away from his teeth. “You, Miss Sutton, should’ve known better.”

  Beth’s cheeks burned. “I’m so sorry, sir. I didn’t think—”

  “That’s right, you didn’t think!” He banged his fist down on the desk. “Lucky for you, from now on, I’ll be telling you how to think when it comes to that boy, so we won’t have a similar problem in the future.”

  Mr. Mertz yanked the magazine off the desk and threw it into the top drawer. Tenting his hands under his chin, he gauged her with critical eyes. “You are not to be seen with Mr. Evans again, especially in front of the press. I don’t care if you’re one foot from him or one hundred feet from him. If the two of you are captured in another photograph together, you will be punished. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir.” Beth’s gaze dropped to her lap, weighed down by the pain her reply gave her.

  “You disobey me, Miss Sutton, and I’ll hear about it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m protecting not only your career, but also the substantial investment I’ve made into your future here at my studio.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Mr. Mertz glanced at his pocket watch. “You’re due back on set in fifteen minutes. Consider this meeting part of your lunch hour.”

  Beth scrambled from her seat. “Thank you for your time, sir.”

  “One more thing, Miss Sutton.”

  She gulped. “Yes, sir?”

  “You’re lucky your injury was so easily masked by your hair. If your clumsiness caused filming of Venus Rising to be delayed until after the holidays, the studio’s losses would’ve come out of your paycheck.”

  Mr. Mertz’s remark hit Beth like a blast of arctic air. She blinked back tears.

  “Yes, of course, sir.”

  Mr. Mertz rifled through papers on his desk.

  “Shut the door behind you,” he said without looking
up.

  Beth rushed out of the office and barely kept herself together in front of Ethel and Caroline as she waited for the elevator. On her ride down to the lobby, she recalled her boss’s comments. It was imperative she and Aidan weren’t photographed together in Las Vegas.

  She would also have to tell Nathan to ensure that word didn’t get out she was attending Matthew’s New Year’s show before she left L.A. Although the concert took place during her designated vacation time, she didn’t want to chance Mr. Mertz forbidding her to go. Now the only issue that remained was whether she should tell Aidan about the meeting.

  When Beth arrived back on set, she took a detour to the crew’s food table, where she picked up a tuna sandwich and poured a cup of water. She only had a few minutes left on her lunch break, so she ate and drank quickly, hoping to curb her appetite until dinner.

  At the opposite end of the busy soundstage, Olivia scanned the crowd with knitted eyebrows. Beth tossed her used paper cup and plate into the nearest trash can and hurried toward her friend.

  “Liv, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong. Everything is right!” Olivia waved a white envelope in her face. “You’ll never guess what I have for you.”

  Beth eyed Olivia warily, given the result of her last telegram. “What is it?”

  “Nathan is in charge of sending these out through studio messengers today,” Olivia replied at a rapid-fire pace. “But after I discovered over our lunch date what the contents were, I asked if I could deliver it to you personally.”

  “Found what out, Liv?”

  Olivia handed over the envelope. “See for yourself.”

  Beth broke the fancy red seal and removed a letter.

  Miss Elizabeth Sutton,

  The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science is honored to confirm your nomination in the Best Actress category for your role as Claire Wilson in Sparkling Meadow and extend an invitation to you for the 26th Annual Academy Awards honoring the best in films of 1953.

  Date: March 25, 1954

  Time: Six o’clock

  Venue: RKO Pantages Theater, Los Angeles, California.

  Broadcasted on television by NBC and hosted by Donald O’Connor

  Beth read the letter two more times before accepting the truth. After less than a year at Starlight Studios, she was nominated for an Oscar.

  Tears sprung to her eyes. “Liv, I don’t know what to say. I’m shocked.”

  Olivia embraced her tightly. “You shouldn’t be shocked. Your performance is amazing.”

  “What’s going on?”

  Beth released Olivia. Ryan and Jack stared at them curiously.

  “Beth is nominated for an Academy Award.” Olivia threw a proud smile in her direction.

  Jack pulled Beth in for a hug. “That’s wonderful news.”

  Ryan hugged her, too. “Congratulations!”

  Olivia beamed. “And Nathan told me Will Everett is nominated for Best Actor, Sparkling Meadow for Best Motion Picture, and Alistair Graves for Best Director.”

  Beth wiped the tears from her eyes and looked over the letter again. “How lovely. I’ll call them tonight to congratulate them.”

  Mr. Bankson approached and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I overheard the news. I’m very happy for you, Miss Sutton.” His grin ceded to a frown. “I wish we could celebrate, but we still have the final scene to film. I want to make sure it’s completed on time.”

  Beth nodded. “Of course, Mr. Bankson.”

  “I have to head over to the seamstresses’ building anyway,” Olivia said as Jack, Ryan, and the director walked away.

  “Thank you for coming.” Beth embraced her friend again. “I’ll see you at home.”

  “I have some additional good news.” Olivia leaned into her ear. “Spike Rollins has the most nominations out of every film, including Aidan for Best Actor.”

  “That’s fabulous!” Beth lowered her voice so no one but Olivia could hear her. “I’ll congratulation him this evening when he comes over.”

  Olivia winked. “Catch you later, Miss Nominee.”

  The rest of the afternoon progressed somewhat smoothly. There were no dance routines left to film, only one final dialogue scene, but it took Beth a while to get back into character after her traumatic meeting with Mr. Mertz.

  Mr. Bankson, Ryan, and Jack were very accommodating—they assumed she was preoccupied by her nomination—but Lydia was annoyed and impatient as usual. This time, Beth didn’t blame Lydia. She was responsible for keeping her mind on her work and remaining professional on set at all times, in spite of what was going on in her personal life.

  Once the last scene was in the can, Beth said a heartfelt good-bye to the cast and crew, changed into her own clothes, and made her way to her chauffeured car. Since everyone was eager to start their vacation, the production decided against hosting a wrap party.

  As her car pulled away from the soundstage, Beth felt the stress seep from her body. Her departure from the set was bittersweet, but she found solace in the fact she would still see the people she enjoyed working with most on the film around the studio lot.

  “Larry,” she called to her driver. “Would you mind pulling over at the security hut for a moment before we exit the lot?”

  Larry smiled into the rearview mirror. “Not at all, Miss Sutton.”

  Beth completed all of her holiday shopping just days earlier and brought some of the gifts to the studio today to distribute. She gave Matthew and Connie their gifts before they left for St. Louis yesterday. Olivia was easy to shop for, and she told Beth exactly what to get Nathan. It was Aidan’s gift that had been the toughest to buy. Ultimately, Beth came up with something that had a lot of sentiment behind it. She just hoped it wasn’t too forward of her.

  Beth rolled down her window as they approached the hut, eager to greet the elderly security guard who had been gracious to her ever since she first arrived at the studio. She hadn’t spoken with him over the last several months as much as she would have liked but still counted him as one of her dearest friends.

  “Merry Christmas, Charlie!”

  “Merry Christmas, Elizabeth!” Charlie’s grin offered its usual sincerity and kindness. “I heard about your nomination. Congratulations.”

  Beth blushed. “Thank you.”

  “My, you’ve certainly come a long way. No more bicycles for you.” He gestured to the car, still grinning. “So, what brings you to my hut?”

  “This is for you and Mrs. Whitman.” Beth stuck her hand out the window and presented him with a bottle of wine.

  “You didn’t have to do that.” He took the gift from her and read the label. “I sure do appreciate it, though.”

  “Please enjoy it, and say hello to your wife for me.”

  “Will do. See you next year, Elizabeth.” Charlie tipped his hat in farewell.

  “Are we all right to leave now, Miss Sutton?” Larry asked.

  She rolled up her window. “Yes, thank you.”

  As they pulled out onto Sunset, Beth admired the houses and storefronts decorated for the holidays, feeling a sense of disconnect that came from spending all Christmases, except last year’s, in a cooler climate. She hoped when she and Olivia decorated the tree tomorrow, the festive spirit would strike her.

  Beth held such fond memories of her day in New York City with Aidan in October. What would it be like there during Christmas time? She pictured glistening snow blanketing the city, and the decorations at Macy’s and in Rockefeller Square creating a jolly atmosphere to rival those depicted in Starlight Studios’ most elaborate holiday films.

  Upon her arrival home, Beth presented Larry with his Christmas gift: a gold-plated tie clip. He had been her driver throughout filming and was so kind to her. She couldn’t overlook him. He thanked her and wished her Happy Holidays before driving off.

  Nathan’s Cadillac sat in the driveway, which meant Olivia was already home, and Aidan’s motorcycle was parked at the side of the house. It could be hi
dden much easier than his Porsche, so he usually drove it when he visited her.

  As Beth approached the front door, her resentment built up toward Mr. Mertz. It was because of him that she and Aidan had to behave this way. She’d grown accustomed to the rules outlined in her contract and never complained, but now she saw things very differently.

  Regardless of her Academy Award nomination, she knew she would be put on suspension—if not fired—if Mr. Mertz ever found out she and Aidan were romantically involved. For the first time in her career, she wished she wasn’t signed under contract. It offered a lot of great opportunities and financial benefits, but she was under Mr. Mertz’s complete control—not only regarding film projects, but also with whom she could be seen, even under the most innocent of circumstances.

  It didn’t matter what Beth thought about her contract because it was valid for seven years and legally binding. Plus, she didn’t believe she was as talented as Aidan. She depended on the studio for roles and felt there was no way she could survive in the film industry on her own.

  Beth took a deep, calming breath before entering the house. She didn’t want to tip off anyone that something was wrong. As she placed her purse on the foyer table amongst merry voices coming from down the hall, she told herself to forget about the studio for now and enjoy her vacation.

  “I’m home,” she announced as she walked into the living room.

  Aidan, Olivia, and Nathan stood by the undecorated tree. Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” drifted from the new hi-fi in the corner.

  Aidan approached her first. A few days worth of stubble accented his features. He wore a black T-shirt, complemented by a pair of faded blue jeans and scuffed leather shoes.

  Excitement sparkled in Beth’s eyes as he took her into his arms. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, allowing the pleasure she felt to sweep her into a paradise where it was only the two of them. No rules and obligations. No secrecy. Just love.