Starlet's Web - #1 {Exclusive Read}

Starlet's Web - March - TECHNICALITIES

~    TECHNICALITIES

School was tough on the first Monday after prom. Alan was angry with me that we didn’t go to his after prom party, kept interrogating us about if we bailed on the party to make love, and at the end of lunch gave Manuel photos he printed off from the internet of the Constantine’s Muse wrap party. By the time I saw Manuel in Japanese language class, he was tense. He still hugged me when he saw me before class, but then he became stern.

“Marie, we need to talk.” He tossed the pictures on the desk in front of me. One picture showed me riding on the back of Byron’s motorcycle. Another showed me kissing his cheek. Another showed Byron and me laughing together with Byron holding my hands. Another photo showed me kissing a crew member on the lips. “What the hell were you thinking? Did you forgive the bastard? Tell me you didn’t. Who’s the new guy you’re kissing?”

I hid my guilt behind exasperation. “Manuel, you have to get thick-skinned. This is what I do. I kiss a lot of people on the cheek or lips. It’s the Hollywood hello. The pictures are taken out of context. That’s what the tabloids do. It’s their job. We’ve talked about this so many times! Manuel, I love you. Please don’t react to this smut.”

“I thought you weren’t talking to him.”

“I wasn’t. He apologized on Friday before the wrap party. We talked it through. We’re friends.”

Manuel guffawed, “For now, you just opened the door for more surprise kisses, ya know. You can’t be friends with that guy! Marie, there is no gray area with him. None!”

Guilty and annoyed, I frowned at him as the teacher came into class. Manuel apologized immediately but I knew this relationship was going to be really tough on Manuel’s half-Latino ego.

I tried to ignore Manuel’s sensitivity to the photos for the rest of the day and focused on my meeting with the lawyers. Celia and I arrived in downtown Los Angeles when I finally decided to let go of my worries that Manuel would not be able to deal with the paparazzi. We parked in the garage and headed up the elevator.

“Michelle actually did a very good job negotiating your original contracts,” Celia explained. “I’m not an attorney, but it looks like you’ll be a free girl soon. You still have six more months on your cosmetic endorsement contract, you have one more ad campaign and several interviews thereafter. Your Muse contract wasn’t in the pile. Do I have your permission to request a copy from Martin?”

“Yeah, of course.”

She continued, “Are you absolutely certain this is what you want? I’m not sure if your actions today will burn bridges. I know in my field, I’d be nuked.”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Nuke them, I thought to myself.

We exited the elevator into Martin’s office. There sitting in the lobby was Mom.

“Mom,” I gasped. “Thank you for coming. How did you…?”

“I told them I had a family emergency and will fly back tonight. I need to speak with you, Marie.”

“They’re gonna think I tried to kill myself!” I blurted. “What did you tell them, Mom?”

“I don’t need to give explanations. Remember, dear, you’re never required to explain. You must guard your privacy.”

Mom didn’t miss work. She was the consummate professional. She never took a sick day or was late for work. She even worked on the set of A Single Rose up to the day I was born.

She was nine months pregnant, filming the final confrontation scene in which the cruel U.S. Cavalry colonel seeks forgiveness from Rose for killing her Arapaho Indian husband.  In the scene, Rose sits at the kitchen table in her one-bedroom cabin, obviously pregnant with her Caucasian-Native American baby. The town mayor, honorable sheriff, and despicable colonel sit at the table with her. Midwives are fussing in the kitchen behind them. Rose diplomatically accepts the colonel’s apology and stands up to pour him some coffee. Rose’s water breaks, fluid pools on the floor, and the midwives rush Rose to the bedroom. While hearing the labor pains from the closed door of the bedroom, the mayor and sheriff threaten the colonel and vow that they will not tolerate any harm coming to Rose or to her child and that the U.S. Cavalry has made a monstrous error in killing innocent American Indians and are criminal in their relocation of the Indians onto reservations.