The Movie (29 page)

They were all old and weak and useless.

They could all learn from him. And if Sam Kendrick had to learn the hard way - so be it. That was the natural law of evolution; only the strong survive.

Well, he was surviving and thriving, but a lot of his power base was wrapped up in this movie, which was still only in preproduction. P, dght now, only Zach’s position was absolutely secure. Megan could easily be fired, that happened all the time. Writers were plentiful, anonymous and cheap. And loxana - well, she had more security, since her tests with Zach had practically set fire to the screen, but ultimately she was replacoable too. If Zach refused to work with her, for example, or if she tried playing the superstar with Fred Florescu. And it was important to David that neither of them be fired - he wanted as many fingerprints as possible on this picture.

That meant that all his little kid had to play nice together.

And something about this latest situation rang a lot of nasty bells.

Was it possible that Zach Mason actually wanted Megan Silver? His mousy, unassertive, bewildered little Megan?. As far as the movie industry went, Megan didn’t know

what the hell was going on, and she took everything David told her as gospel. Somewhat understandable, he guessed. Megan had come from the cool poverty of a slacker background in San Francisco, where she’d had a bunch of friends and been a clear part of a group, to Los Angeles where she knew nobody, got nowhere and had wound up in a nothing job - even worse than the one she’d left behind her. Then by a fortunate coincidence he’d decided to annoy Kevin Scott right at the moment when Megan was begging for a chance in his office, and her brilliant, pacy, commercial screenplay had dropped into his lap like a ripe plum.

David smiled smugly to himself. He didn’t believe in

luck. You made your own.

But Megan wouldn’t have seen it that way. Megan would only have seen a white knight in a red Lamborghini turning up at her chicken joint to rescue her. She had pulled his whole deal together, and she still thought he was doing her a favour. She’d had a very tough life, and she was still functioning in survival mode. It hadn’t registered with hdr that since she’d impressed Eleanor Marshall, there was bound to be other work for her. In Megan’s mind, See the Lights was her only hope and .David Tauber her only friend. And David liked that attitude.

He also liked the extraordinary power it gave him over

her. He had taken control of her finances. He had ordered her to change her eating habits. He’d even put her through a torturous training regime; it was amusing, the way she was putty in his hands. And let’s be honest, it was pretty erotic, too. Lately, he’d started fantasizing about Megan. She was attractive, in a soft, non-LA kind of way.

But what ifZach Mason had started to think so too? Impossible. Zach fucked models and pore stars and the best that the groupie sorority had to offer. His women had thirty-eight-inch breasts and matchsticks legs and long blonde hair. And loxana Felix, currently rated the most

attractive woman in the world - top supermodd, new forty-million-dollar deal - was throwing herself at him. David had seen the headline from yesterday, the gossip running wild on MTV, the reporters outside this stadium yelling at him, asking him if he’d introduced ‘the couple of the century’.

David lifted his champagne flute in the direction of the stage. He’d have to give it to the bitch, she was a smooth operator. Forget Charles and Diana or RAchard and Cindy, a Zach-l:koxana romance would mean banner headlines worldwide. It would guarantee huge box-office.

But if Zach decided he wanted Megan instead, and if Tauber had learned one thing in this business it Was that there was no accounting for taste, the whole thing could blow up in smoke, loxana would insist Megan be fired. Zach might intervene, have her fired. One way or another David wood lose out.

And what if the mouse suddenly developed claws? Megan was adrift in LA. Helpless. But Tauber was sure she hadn’t always been like that. Back home, she’d probably been tough and cynical.

He listened to the manic uproar rising from the crowd out front. Zach Mason’s voice was coming over the PA, but the kids were so loud they were almost drowning him out. And this insanity had been Megan’s world. She knew this. She knew Zach.

If they could just stop Squabbling, Zach Mason would really represent a dream come true for Megan. She might start to get ideas above her station.

David frowned to himself. This had to be stopped. Zach and loxana should be together, and Megan should…

Think, David ordered himself. There’s always a way. But you better find it. Fast.

The last notes of’Black lage’, Electric City’s biggest hit, faded into the darkness, lost against the waves of cheering

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beating up to the stage. Zach had only been doing backing vocals on this one, laying raw harmonies under Karl Olafson, the headliners’ lead singer, but that didn’t make any difference. No matter how far back he stood, Zach Mason was what the crowd wanted to see. And from the smiles they were flashing about onstage, Megan guessed, the baud weren’t too bothered. Their own street cred would soar, merely because Zach had chosen to jam with them. This was the first time he’d performed live since Dark Angel split up, and eighty thousand kids were treating it like it was the Second Coming.

Red and green Varilights swept across the stage. ‘You want some more?’ Karl yelled into the mike.

The affirmative roar was so loud even Megan took a step

I back. She was bathed in sweat from the heat of the spotlight and her own excitement. Zach had sung three songs, and each one had been a revelation.., and to be so close to him she could watch the veins standing out on his neck when he sang, see every slight shift of expression even waen the lights were on somebody else…

She knew one thing. When he was singing, Zach was thinking Only about his song and the crowd. He to’ok that intensity powering up from the mass and channelled it right bact out through his voice. He stared into the blackness as though sheer force of will could help him see every passionate face. And his voice! Roughened with sensuality, fired up frith rebei.‘on, soaring with melody…

Megan was lost in it. Drowning, like the crowd in front of her. There was no fear, no embarrassment, nothing except the music and the lights and Zach. She was wept along, lost in the power of the moment.

‘I guess we can do one more,’ Karl agreed, turning round theatrically to his bandmates.

Rick de Souza strummed the opening chords to

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‘Fighting Fire’, Dark Angel’s signature song. The crowd screamed fit to wake the dead.

‘We’d like to introduce you to the guy singing lead on this little cover - our good friend, Zach M -‘

The rest of the introduction was lost in the hysterical shrieks of the crowd. Zach walked forward to the front of the stage, bathed in three spotlights, arms extended to the audience. ‘I want to thank Electric City for letting me jam with them tonight. They were fucking great,’ he said, nodding at Karl.

Massive cheers. The band grinned.

‘This is the last number I’m gonna do; something Dark Angel used to play.’

He turned round and looked towards the concealed viewing booth. ‘This is for Megan.’

Electric City crashed into the classic, dark minor-key chords exploding around them. The lights flashed everywhere, the crowd began to chant, tens of thousands of voices taking up the chant.

Megan stood frozen to the spot, paralysed with shock and delight.

‘Were you pleased with that, honey?’ a voice asked in her ear.

She turned round to see Roxana Felix, wearing a gold lam mini-dress, smiling pleasantly at her. ‘Yeah,’ she said. At this moment, not even loxana could upset her. Zach Mason was singing ‘Fighting Fire’ for her.

loxana squeezed forward to the brass rail, so she was standing right next to Megan. She brushed her sweep of gorgeous, glossy black hair out of her eyes. ‘I thought you would be. It was my idea, you know. I suggested it to him last week; we thought maybe we’d been a little harsh on you. ‘

For the first time, Megan noticed the laminate swinging from tkoxana’s belt. She felt herself crashing back down to. earth, her stomach twisting in disappoinune.nt.

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Of course loxana had a laminate.

loxana was Zach Mason’s girlfriend.

How could she have let herself forget that? Did she really think a superstar like Zach would ever have anything more than a professional interest in her?

He’d said he was bringing her to this show for research and that was exactly what he’d meant. If he’d decided to be a little more friendly to her, that was great. It would be good for the movie. But she was an idiot to think it was anything more than that.

She was standing in this booth, right next to the world’s most celebrated supermodel, and she reckoned Zach Mason was gonna pick her? Yeah, right, Megan! Nice thinking!

‘Thank you,’ she managed. ‘It was really kind of you.’ Ioxana smiled again, perfect, cherry-red lips blossoming across her face. Close-up, Megan couldn’t help noticing that loxana’s skin was absolutely smooth, fight and unblemished, even without make-up. Like a searing knife, the recollection ofloxana’s huge deal, announced o the news yesterday, with all the journalists bugging her about Zach, stabbed into her memory.

‘And congratulations on your deal,’ she added bravely. The supermodel shrugged. ‘I should congratulate you, dear,’ she said patronizingly. ‘Writing your first screenplay! I guess we’re both career girls, huh?’

Both careergirls.., yeah. I’m worth two hundred and fifty grand, less tax, less commission, less expenses, and you’ve just signed up to Jackson for forty million.

‘Did. you realize we’re the same age?’ R.oxana asked sweetly.

‘Are we?’ said Megan, wondering if she’d ever felt less adequate in her life.

Onstage, Zach Mason was still holding the crowd in the palm of his hand. Megan thought he looked breathtaking; a. hunter, a commander, young and beautifill but still very

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masculine, like the ancient sculptures of Alexander the Great. And oxana was slim and exquisite, a delicate, sensual Aphrodite. They were made for each other.

Zach turned round again and smiled at Megan. But this time she looked away.

As soon as the lights went down, a security guard arrived to take them into the hospitality area, where the post-gig party was in full swing.

‘I think I’ll skip it,’ Megan said. ‘I have a lot of work to do.’ She glanced up at loxana, every glossy black hair still in place. Maybe the bitch never sweated. ‘Zach, uh, Zach brought me along so I could get a better flavour of backstage life. I have a bunch of new ideas to -‘

‘Megan, no,’/oxana insisted, threading one toned arm through hers. ‘You must come along. I insist. And I know

Zach will be really disappointed if you’re not there.’ ‘Please, loxana-‘

‘I insist,’ loxana said, steel beneath the honey-satin of her voice.

‘OK,’ Megan agreed miserably. Like she had a choice. But she really, really didn’t want to see Zach entwined with l.oxana Felix, not right now. Last week, she hadn’t given a damn one way or the other. But to see Zach Mason play was to see him differently. And she was feeling like such a jerk…

The hospitality area was jam-packed; record company execs, loud-mouthed radio promo guys in Raiders shirts, bleached bimbos in dresses that looked like elongated T shim, and a few highly privileged reporters from Rolling Stone and other major magazines. The atmosphere crackled with excitement.

Still waiting for Zach, Megan thought, and wondered if he’d want to talk to these people. She hoped not. She wanted him to go to the backstage door and sign stufffor. the fans.

‘We probably won’t stay long ourselves,’ loxana confided, slipping her arm free from Megan’s as a small clutch of photographers caught sight of her and ran towards them. ‘I want to get home.’ She struck a pose for the cameras. ‘Just a few, guys, please - I’m supposed to be having the night o..’

Megan stepped out of the way.

‘lkoxana[ Great to see you, glad you could make it,’ David said, swooping down on them. ‘Gentlemen, that will be all for now, OK? Ms Felix is here to see Mr Mason. Can we give her some space?’

R, oxana shot Tauber the faintest hint of a smile as the media.giays scattered.

‘Congratulations on your Jackson contract,’ David added, hazel eyes sweeping across her glittering dress. ‘I think you were robbed.’

She laughed. ‘David, you haven’t said hi to Megan.’ ‘No, I haven’t,’ Tauber said, turning towards her. Megan tried not to let her jealousy show. Wasn’t Zach Mason enough? Now she had David falling down her unimpressive cleavage. ‘I didn’t see her there. Megan, honey, you look great.’

‘ThankS, David,’ Megan muttered.

She did not look great. She was wearing a T-shirt and

jeans and her face was red with sweat. You couldn’t jump up and down and slam against a railing for three hours and look great.

‘Let me getyou ladies some champagne,’ Tauber offered, turning towards a passing waiter.

A sudden hum of anticipation rippled through the glitzy crowd. Zach Mason, changed into an Electric City shirt and a new pair ofjeans, had emerged with the band from their dressing room. Seeing Megan and lkoxana, he immediately started to head towards them.

David waved. ‘loxana,’ he said, passing her a champagne flute. ‘And Megan. That’s for you.’

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Megan took the drink, grateful to have something to do. She didn’t want to have to stand there like a jerk when Zach and R.oxana started pawing each other. ‘Thanks, David.’ She smiled at him.

‘You know, when I said you looked great, I meant it,’ David told her, moving closer. Megan breathed in the light

scent of his aftershave. ‘You’ve lost so much weight.’ ‘Thanks to you.’

‘You’re a really pretty girl, do you know that?’ David asked. Ignoring her look of stunned surprise, he put a muscular arm around her.