Idolized (Hollywood Stardust Book 3) (22 page)

She did as he asked. “Okay, now what?”

“Will you be a doll face and read me what’s on the page?”

“It says Insert Final Scene Here.” The words caused her to sit up straighter.

“Yes, about that, I find it is my method to know the end of the movie, so I have my character’s motivation straight from the beginning. It makes for a much more convincing performance.” At a stoplight, he turned and flashed her a smile. “How about you tell me who Roxy ends up with?”

She raised her eyebrows at him.

“Can I have a kiss.” Now he plied her with pursed lips.

“Not if you think that is the way to get the end of the story out of me.” The light turned green and she motioned forward.

He continued driving. “Can you give me a hint?”

“No.” Her voice fell as flat as their conversation.

“I know what you look like naked.”

“I don’t care if you post pictures of me on Chargge I’m not telling you the end.” She made sure to use her official voice.

“May I ask why?” Once more they stopped, and he faced her.

“Because I don’t know the end. No one knows it. It hasn’t been written.” Oh yes, she bested him, and she crossed her arms, and sat back with her toast.

“So we’ll get to know the end at the round table this week when they give us the final script pages right for the first day of shooting, right?” They drove into her office building.

She pointed to her spot. “What do you mean? This is the script except for the last scene?”

“That’s just so we basically know what’s going on, but changes are always made along the way so we will get new script pages every day.” He settled his car in her spot.

Before going into the office she slipped her phone out of her bag, but she had one more question. “What happens to this script then?”

“They’ll get destroyed.” He opened the door and got out of the car.

Rather than looking at her phone she looked at the script and hugged it to her chest. With the filming of
Hollywood Starburst
, she just made sure the money was there, but this film seemed more personal.

Ryder opened her door, and she came face to face with Ryder’s crotch. His well-endowed crotch. The one in perfectly fitting jeans that seemed to show off exactly what he had without being vulgar, and she knew exactly what he had.

Point proven, this movie was definitely more personal. Still, she decided her sentiment had to be because the man knew how to make a tasty slice of toast and braid hair.

He held out his hand. “You never answered my question.”

“Which was?” She slid the script under her arm and at last lifted her phone to her face.

“The ending and me, your live in lover, knowing it.”

“You won’t know it until they shoot it. You know this. By the way it was in your contract.”

They made their way to the elevator and stepped inside.

“I thought I had an in.” Ryder groaned.

Finally, she hit the button on her phone and her heart seized. Her phone was full of notifications, but the only words she saw was that Chargge was down. “Ryder.” Though she instantly began shaking, she tried to get on the website.

Nothing happened. Then again they were in an elevator and even she couldn’t control that.

“What’s wrong?” He bent down to her phone.

“Chargge is down. Oh my God.” This wasn’t happening. Not right after yesterday. Her heart threatened to explode.

“Can I do anything?” He wrapped his arm around her.

A weird dizzy feeling took over her, and she held on to him. “Can you make the elevator go faster!”

“Not in this movie.” Though he did the thing where he pressed the button multiple times and with increasing levels of force.

At last the door slid open, and she ran into her office to be met by Rodger.

“Chargge is back up.” Coffee in hand he dashed toward her. “It’s back up. It’s okay.”

Her entire body trembled and the ill feeling she had all morning only amplified. “It’s back up.” She should have been there.

“Come on.” Rodger corralled her toward the door. “Where were you?”

Ryder came up behind her.

“Never mind.” Rodger shook his head and they all went to her office.

“Where were you?” Upon her entering the room, Viktor stood then glanced at her new roommate. “Never mind.”

“I believe I’m taking offense at this.” Ryder remained by her side.

“Tell me.” She gulped down the not exactly icy cold coffee and waited.

“We had a denial of access hack,” Viktor reported. “Multiple IP addresses, all clones. It flooded the backup servers, and we went down for seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds. We are back on the main servers, all systems go.”

“This is really good stuff. I can use it in my movie.” Ryder nodded.

While her heartbeat slowly returned to normal, she sat at her desk and turned on her monitors. “I apologize. I should have been here.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.” Ryder went and sat in Viktor’s throne. “This is why you have a ton of minions. Let them do the minioning while you get your big fancy position.”

Without taking off her sunglasses or letting go of her purse or Ryder’s script, she refreshed the Chargge’s page and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her familiar purple electric plug logo make its way on the screen.

Viktor stomped over to Ryder. “You’re in my chair, but I do agree with you on one thing. This is why she has a staff. I’ve been telling her that for years.”

“Well, if we agree, allow me.” Ryder stood and brushed off the seat.

Viktor sat. “Everything is all right now.” He turned his attention back to her. “Your focus needs to be on getting this position.”

“Chargge doesn’t go down.” At long last, she got the chance to glance at the screen.

Viktor pointed to the screen. “Maybe you and Ryder sizzled all the cables.”

As she got the competition sites up on the other two monitors, Ryder came up behind her.

“Seems as if the savage CEO has been tamed by leading man.” Ryder read the story. “The two have been spotted all around town living it up as seen here at this famous LA hotspot.”

The picture was of them drinking champagne, looking at each other, and Cora hated the way her heart sped.

“We have to say we like this pairing. They seem to fit.” Ryder patted her shoulder. “Your competitors seem to concur. I like the way they are inadvertently giving Chargge more publicity by covering our story.”

At Ryder’s words, she froze. All this started the second they were spotted together. Was there a connection? What was going on? Had Ryder, the master of self-promotion, anything to do with it? She shuddered at the thought and brushed it away.

“Now, while you all do whatever it is you do with servers, I’ll go study until it’s my turn to take the savage CEO to lunch.” He plucked the script away from her.

She tapped Viktor and frowned at the loss of her little piece of Hollywood history. “Did you know those aren’t the scripts they use when filming?”

“Makes sense. They probably have to make changes.” Viktor shrugged. “I know it bursts your Hollywood bubble, but everything is a business.”

“Let her have her smoke and mirrors.” Ryder sat the table and opened the script. “She needs more fantasy, not more reality.”

Cora glanced around the room and then back to the computer screens. She needed to keep her eyes open. She failed Chargge and herself today. Too much fantasy might be fun to watch on the Internet, but it could also take her down in the end. Everything around her was an act. Maybe she should look at the auctions and surround herself with some more musical memories. Everything seemed much more simple when surrounded by music.

HOLLYWOOD STARDUST

FADE IN:

INT.HOLLYWOOD, CA – WILLIAM AND ROXY’S BEDROOM – NIGHT.

ROXY enters their bedroom in a long nightgown.

WILLIAM pulls back the blanket.  ROXY turns out the light and joins him in bed.

ROXY

(Moves up to his side and rests her head on his chest)

I’m not used to being the one who is home late.

WILLIAM

(Wraps his arms around her)

How was your day being the plaintiff?

(He chuckles.)

ROXY looks up at him.

WILLIAM

Ask me.

ROXY

The first time you took the stage, did you know that was what you wanted to do?

WILLIAM

It’s strange.  I joined the band when I thought I lost you.  I felt like I belonged there.  Then I got you back, and I knew that I had my life.

ROXY leans in and kisses him, then lies her head on his chest.

WILLIAM

The acting wasn’t what you expected?

ROXY

I’m glad I did it. I just don’t know what I wanted.

WILLIAM

Never settle until you know what you want.

(He kisses the top of her head.)