golden

seven: hollywood

Her only dream was to see her name in shining lights. Luminous, radiant, incandescent and endless until the world fell away into dust. Maybe even thereafter.

Her name would be the lasting piece of time, Elizabeth Dandridge.

She had been climbing her way to that precipice for years. Focusing all her willpower and determination into analyzing films and the accent, the movements and the stares. Moving to Hollywood from a small Texas island town with nothing but sheer conviction and all the money she'd saved up from half-assed sewing. Marching into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios every day for a month before Louis Mayer agreed to meet with her. Acing that meeting and convincing Mr. Mayer to sign her for a seven-year contract, a good bet considering he had just let go a handful of his best actresses. Elegance of First Contact had been her first claim to fame. The picture that shot her name into the sky among the brightest stars, but still it was overshadowed. Flight Star had been a slightly less successful film, but all the critics agreed that her skill was to be exalted and she would do greater things.

Twisted Mystic was going to do it for her. It would launch her so far beyond the other stars, she would outshine them. She could feel it deep in her bones. This was it.

"You look magnificent."

Gregory was walking towards her. Not totally out of place in his tan trench coat and matching fedora hat. They were, after all, doing a shoot for the advertisement posters.

Elizabeth glanced down at the costume she was given. A slinky black dress with a provocative deep neckline. The straps were thin, draped over her shoulders in a loose fashion. And though the poster print wouldn't show it, the whole dress was adorned with shimmering sparkles. It was to be matched by a black boa to wrap her shoulders with, but she hadn't seen hide or hair of it.

"Gracious," she feigned a delighted smile- no one's compliments made her feel quite like a certain singer's- "thank you. You don't think it's a bit much? I was rather shocked at the neckline." It was only her pure force of will that kept her breasts from making an appearance. God, what a scene that would be. Not even fit for the film.

"It's very Vivian Burbank." Gregory laughed quietly. "Speaking of, you were a revelation this week in filming. Not that you aren't always wonderful but-."

"Thank you." She cut off his rambling. "Something last week just felt off to me and I realized I was doing a poor job of executing Vivian's depth."

She would never admit to overhearing Freeman and Rush rake her over the coals last Friday or Paul's own warning. Just as she would never admit to the weekend help she received from Harry. She couldn't take complete credit for her turnaround, not like any other time. Some of it was owed to Harry. Surprisingly, she didn't mind sharing it with him.

You're a vicious beast.

What makes you feel good, Elizabeth Dandridge?

She spent the past five days out of his orbit. His gravity pulled her too hard, too fast and left her breathless and wanting more of his suffocating freedom. He never came by or called or asked after her. Either he gave up or-.

The first option was just too horrendous to think of, as much as she needed it to happen. And even if he relented, some sick, masochistic part of her knew she would crawl to him over broken glass. Painful as it was to admit, she needed him for some reason. The freedom he allowed her overshadowed the loneliness she had hidden her entire life. Masked it with strenuous activity and drive to achieving each of her goals, loneliness only ever appeared as fervent initiative. It was only in the catapult of Harry's existence into her life that she recognized it for what it was.