Elvis & Della, Memphis.

Chapter 7

Before leaving for the airport on our last day in Hawaii I got the call from the studio saying E had lost the role of James Bond to Sean Connery but he was first pick for Owen Legate in This Property Is Condemned and that he would begin filming in July.

He was overjoyed when I told him he was finally being cast in serious role, and he was grateful that filming did not start for a few more months. I had enlisted Red to help find Jesse since we had returned home to Memphis and he was getting closer everyday as I was working to get Elvis back out on the concert stage.

After he had told me that what he wanted more than anything was to preform on concert stage again and I had been working ever since to get him back on the stage because that is my job and I knew he wanted badly to be back on the stage even though he still had a few more movies left to make in the contract.

"how much would it set us back to buy out my contract?" he asked as we sat in the office.

truthfully he was tired of Hollywood and more than likely would want to retire from acting after the filming of This Property Is Condemned, it wasn't really that he wanted to be an actor, he just wanted to try it and he wanted to prove to the world that he could play a serious role even if he didn't want to do it for a living. he had a career in music and that's what he wanted to do for a living.

"they want $200 grand per movie" I said working on the payroll for the guys and the housekeeper and grounds keeper along with gate security

"So I have how many left in my contract?" he asked looking through our wedding scrapbook

"you have 4 left in your contract. so all together it would cost us $800 grand to get you out of your contract. This Property Is Condemned, is part not of your contract so it does not count. but the good thing is, the remaining ones are like Viva Las Vegas meaning you can choose your costar" I said putting everyone's pay in their envelopes since we paid them in cash this week.

"call the studio and tell them I've picked my Costar for all of them" he said as he flipped the page he was looking at as I used the entercom to call everyone in to collect their pay so we could get out of here so Vernon and Joe could work in peace

"And just who do you pick?" I asked surprised, he never made up his mind that fast at least not when it came to work he did not.

"easy... You" he grinned

"i told you I'd do one movie than I was retiring. pick someone else" I shook my head laughing

"Della Juliette Presley, I want her or I am breaching the contract" he said without looking up.

"if you breach the contract they are going to sue you for more than 800 grand" I told him.

"your exact words were if you screwed up you were never doing another movie, and Dee you didn't screw up so!" Red, Joe and E ganged up on me

"why don't you two shut up" I playfully glared at them before turning back to look at E

"than i guess you better do it then" he said grinning. I knew he wasn't going to change his mind so I was stuck acting in 4 more movies. although I'm really honored that he always picks me over all the actresses he could pick.

That was the simple reason I never got jealous when he filmed Blue Hawaii because I knew that while he may hold Joan in his arms when they were filming, I was on his mind and in his heart. so he would always be coming home with me.

I never missed a day of filming for any of his movies by his request unless Gladys was sick and in the hospital than he would ask me to check on her rather than come and watch him goof off in a movie that he really did not want to do.