Typecast (6 page)

“Maybe it needed to be a scene. Those Ferris wheel scenes seem rather overdone.” He always knew he should have gone into screen writing, but alas he hated writing.

“I will have you know that both those scenes are two of the most beloved. Many, many other scenes from other movies have used the scenes from your movie for inspiration.”

“They should get their own material then.” He shot it right back to her. Sparring could be great foreplay.

She huffed. “I would like to continue where we left off yesterday. I have a whole set of interview questions for you.”

He needed to remember she had her job on the line. No wonder she was uptight. “Regarding that, I have something for you.” Rather than taking her hand, he walked ahead, leaving her to follow.

They returned to the pier. He found a bench, sat, and patted the space next to him.

Once she took her spot, he slipped a paper out of his shirt pocket and handed it to her. “This should solve all your troubles.”

She unfolded the paper, sucking in her cheeks as she read. “Why are you giving me this?”

“Here’s your first interview. You can do the voice-over and we’ll film each other doing Santa Monica Pier things and all your worries will be left behind. As a bonus, I will have Erin and Ryder work on theirs and I’ll get you whatever you need. You and I will be in charge of the b-roll.” It was simply easier to spoon-feed her whatever she needed and avoid all those messy questions.

“Only yesterday, you told me not to ask the same tired questions, and yet you have broken your rule.” Her face went blank, showing absolutely no emotion when she should be thanking him for having helped.

“How so?” He crossed his legs.

“All you gave me is everything I could look up on the Internet minus what you won’t talk about. Actually, I can get more on the Internet.”

He chose not to tell her he looked quite a few of those answers up on the Internet.

“Also, when you decide to copy and paste from fan websites, you should make sure you have the facts correct. Especially when they are about you.” She found a pen in her bag and circled two of his interesting facts. “You were not in
Galaxy Man Four
. You were in
Galaxy Man Three
.”

“That was a typo.”

“Also, the original name of Steven in
Hollywood Stardust
was Scott, not Sam. The producer’s son was named Scott, and he didn’t want that connection.” She folded the paper and held it out to him.

“Damn that auto correct.” He didn’t touch the paper. “I was only trying to make things more efficient.”

“Maybe it would have been better to let me interview you.” Her lower lip made an appearance as if she were hurt or wounded.

He didn’t need a guilt trip. The road trip to Hollywood Stardust was enough. “What grand questions were you going to ask?”

“Maybe I wanted to know what you are doing now? Maybe I wanted to know why you don’t act anymore? Maybe I wanted to know what truly happened to the sequel?” She crumpled the paper in her hand.

“I’m not answering any of those questions.” He lifted his chin. “Maybe you should answer them. You seem like you know everything else.”

“I did more than copy and paste. I need a break. I’ll be right back.” As she walked away, she tossed the paper into a wastebasket.

A smart and beautiful woman was one thing, but he wasn’t going to be put through the grill for all these weeks. He didn’t need her. He needed a distraction from exactly what she wanted to do to him.

He put a cigarette between his lips, lifted his phone, and pressed his hand to his temple. Six weeks in Miss Details school of cinema would only amplify his pain.

Much like the movie industry itself,
Hollywood Stardust
possessed its own double-edged issues, but neither of those edges needed to be shoved in his back or through his chest.

Contracts, obligations, and deals made him the only one allowed to handle any publicity with the movie. Though his pay was phenomenal, it came with an equal serving of stress. However, he refused to be tortured or have his time wasted.

He glanced down at his phone and dialed his own personal 911.

“I’m in the car. Speak up.” Brian Fleming, his agent, practically screamed into the phone.

“I’m done.” Logan rubbed his hand over his face.

“Good, are you going back to her place now?” Brian chuckled.

“I make the rules, and I’m finished with this project. Have the two quote unquote true stars of the movie do some of the grunt work.”

“Now, now, you and I both know they are only fit for a talk show appearance here and there. This little thing for the web got you out of a lot of other commitments. Be happy.”

“Maybe it’s time to get out of the whole thing.”

“You should have thought of that before you took action at the hotel, my friend.”

Logan tapped his cigarette on his knee. Twenty years ago, he’d manipulated everyone’s past, present, and future to get what he wanted and would forever pay the price.

“If you don’t want the gig, maybe we can call Drew? Maybe it’s time he stepped into the limelight?”

“And there we have it.” He threw the cigarette aside. “Don’t ever try to negotiate what you know you can’t win.”

“What’s wrong? Didn’t your princess live up to her crown?”

He ground his teeth together. Ivy was beyond the crown, almost too much to ask for, and he didn’t want to ask for anything. He wanted to have some fun. “The woman knows a lot about this movie. I feel like I’m in a class about myself.”

“Why don’t you learn from her and then you can teach her a thing or two?” Again, Brian laughed. “The execs like this in-depth look. Just be yourself and she’ll be out of your life soon enough. I have to run. Call me when you have a real issue. They own you and you know that.”

“I’m done!” Nothing but silence met his ear, and he knew Brian had hung up. He leaned back only to find Ivy standing a couple of feet away holding a bottle of water.

“I thought you might want something cool to drink.” She handed it to him.

With caution, he took the beverage, but held his breath waiting for the confrontation over the phone call. “Why don’t we call it a wrap for the day?”

“It’s probably for the best.”

Her issues couldn’t be his issues. Once he hauled himself into a standing position, he stood and they walked side by side with the ocean and the sunset at their backs.

“Look.” She stopped in front of a sign saying “Route 66.” “Interesting.”

After a quick glance at the sign, he scanned his memory for any movie trivia. “Did we drive on Route 66 for the movie or something?”

“No, the characters never took Route 66. They took the highways.”

“I bet you can name the highways.” For the life of him, he didn’t understand the interest, but it intrigued him nonetheless.

“I can.” She let out a sad sigh. “Not that it matters.”

“So, what’s with the sign? Would it have been better if we took Route 66?” He wondered if she had heard the conversation between him and Brian.

She turned to him. “I just thought it was interesting that Route 66 officially ends right there. It says ‘End of the Trail.’”

He took her all in. Sharp and sexy, and a definite curiosity. One he wanted to know, but he knew enough to stay away, contract or not. “Yep, end of the trail.”

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. Outside WILLIAM’S house INDIANAPOLIS – DAY

WILLIAM, CHARLES, and ROXY wait for STEVEN so they can get on the road.

CHARLES

At this rate, we will never stay on schedule.

CHARLES glances at his watch and shakes his head.

WILLIAM Slaps Charles on the back.

WILLIAM

Seriously, dude, take it down a notch. You don’t need to study every second of every day. We’re about to have an experience of a lifetime.

WILLIAM goes to ROXY and puts his arm around her.

WILLIAM

Wouldn’t you agree?

ROXY shrugs WILLIAM off her.

ROXY

We don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable on the trip.

WILLIAM

I thought we were past trying to hide.

ROXY turns her back to him.

WILLIAM

Fine then, sometime on the trip, all right?

ROXY

If Steven even shows up.

ROXY walks to the curb and looks up and down the street.

Chapter Four

“Here we are.” Ivy pressed her back to the small brick building in the heart of Culver City.

“I feel like we’re on a covert mission.” Her best friend, Giselle, mimicked her actions.

“One to save my job.” She bent down and took a long, slow inhale, one to try to wash away the horrible sinking and twisting sensation in her stomach, as if her middle had become a whirlpool of pent-up anxiety with no drain.

Thus far, she had waited for Logan for three days. Though they reached the end of the trail of sorts, after the Santa Monica Pier, she honestly thought he would contact her or at least formally quit. With her assignment supposedly in the field with Logan, she avoided everyone and no one was the wiser. Of course, the whole ignoring thing would only work until she needed to show up at work with the man who ditched her to do her next report.

“Maybe you need to give it up.” Giselle sighed.

Ivy’s cell phone vibrated. Maybe she received her long sought after text message from Mr. Alexander, or a call, anything. “I can’t. You know that.”

She lifted her phone to find two texts, neither from Logan. “Matt and Craig both texted me.”

“What does Matt want?” Giselle tried to peek at her phone.

“To help with the story and go out later. He says he misses me.” Along with stage fright, she was the only girl she knew who had commitment fright. She and Matt had dated for years, nothing serious and not by his choice. They ended up both working at Chargge.com, but he actually had a real title as a programmer. She put her hand to her forehead.

“Aww.” Giselle patted her. “He’s such a good guy.”

Of course he was a good guy, the best guy. He possessed the big three—stable, smart, and secure. What more could a girl want? She wished she could answer that question. “He wants to help and says I don’t need anyone from the movie.”

“But the story is about the movie.” Giselle reminded her in case she forgot.

“I know. He’s trying to help and will come over tomorrow. Craig told me he wants me and Logan in the studio Friday.” The whirlpool turned even faster. Somehow, she needed to produce something more elusive than a unicorn . . . a
Hollywood Stardust
star to take Logan’s place.

“That’s the end of the week, and you don’t even know where he is.” Giselle slid down the wall.

“That’s why we’re here.” Ivy adjusted her collar and pulled her big girl granny panties up to her neck.

“Then why are we hiding?”

“We’re not. We’re taking a breath before we walk inside and demand to see Brian Fleming.” The same man who handed her Logan in the first place.

“I wonder if I could get him to represent me.” Giselle pushed away from the wall and struck a pose. “When I was two, I did that commercial for Dainty Delights toddler couture. Maybe it’s time to revamp my career.”

Everyone around her had some sort of film or television credit to their name except her, but there was no denying Giselle was a beauty with the complete California wish list—tall, blonde, and thin. “Well, he represents Logan, Ryder, and Erin, and even Drew before he disappeared. Maybe he likes child stars.” For sure he didn’t like reporters who couldn’t get in front of a camera unless Logan Alexander was by their side, especially since she didn’t have Logan Alexander.

She pulled on a pair of gloves and tucked her pocketbook under her arm, glancing down at her 1940s black sheath dress with an oversize white collar. “Do I look okay?”

“You look like you’re about ready to take over a boardroom in the middle of an old-fashioned movie.” Giselle gave her a thumbs-up. “I bet Logan would know the designer.”

She pursed her lips.

“I think you should have just let him kiss you. Bet it would have been good.” Giselle nodded.

The small sampling she had was amazing. His lips barely touched her neck, and she practically went over the edge.

“Does Matt know the fantasy of your youth made a move on you?” Giselle’s tone teased her like they were in the school yard.

“It didn’t come up in conversation.” She straightened up. After reliving every second of her and Logan’s time together, she had finally given up on Logan. He wasn’t returning and was volatile at best, and the show must go on. Besides, there was no point in torturing the greatest guy in the world.

“Really? ’Cause it was the first thing you told me.” Her friend raised her eyebrows.

“It doesn’t matter. We are not an official couple. We’re more like friends with benefits without the benefits sometimes.” At least, not that often.

“Hence why you should have let Logan do what Logan does best. You need it.” Giselle nodded.

“I think I need to get someone from the movie to help me.” They had to get to the task at hand. She trudged forward. “Let’s go.”

“Okay.” Giselle followed. “Better than a kiss though, you should have slept with him. I bet it’s in his contract he has to create multiple orgasms.”