Leading Lady

CHAPTER 21

MONTHS LATER

After finally getting engaged to Jackson, it seemed like everything started to quickly fall into place for Lucille. It felt as if all these changes came out of nowhere all of a sudden. Life was finally going the way it was supposed to and Lucille couldn't be any happier. With Clarice out of the house, Jackson wasted no time asking Lucille to move in – much to the disdain of the staff – including head maid Matilda, who was livid.

"Happy to see me?" Lucille asked her coyly one day when she ran into her in the hallway.

"Ma'am," Matilda said dryly and averted her eyes to continue on her way to the kitchen. Lucille's first gut instinct was to fire her, but she realized that would only make her look bad in Jackson's eyes. In the end, there was an odd sense of satisfaction knowing this woman, who clearly disliked Lucille from the very beginning, now had to answer to her. Lucille grinned at the thought.

Every day she woke up, the first thing Lucille would do was thank the universe for bringing her to this very moment. Production on her new movie, To Love Again, finally began after some trouble with the script and Lucille couldn't wait to start filming. When Stanley finally arrived at Los Angeles, they both squealed in delight when they saw each other at the studio and immediately threw their arms around each other.

"Look how far you've come you little vixen!" he quipped, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How did you do it? How on earth did you get that man to leave his wife for you?"

"Don't sound so surprised," Lucille scoffed playfully before checking her nails coyly. "I didn't do anything. She did it herself. She chose a bottle of liquor over her husband."

Stanley crossed his arms, knowing Lucille better than that. "And you had nothing to do with that? Sure, of course Miss Let-Me-Spike-Her-Drink-With-A-Little-Vodka. I remember what you did at that party!"

"Shush!" Lucille slapped his arm and looked towards the door of her trailer.

"I just can't believe it," Stanley shook his head with a laugh, "I mean ... I can but I can't – you get me? You're the star of a period movie. Who would've thought?"

"I did," Lucille said defensively, "I've always believed in myself. I told you I would make it. And now that I'm succeeding and having all my dreams come true, you're going to reap some of those rewards, my dear Stanley."

"Am I?"

"I asked that you be the designer for this movie, didn't I?" Lucille grinned, "Isn't this so much better than designing silly costumes for some dumb play?"

"There is nothing dumb about the theater, dear," Stanley retorted, completely appalled. "BUT – I am very excited."

"Good!" Lucille giggled, "Because not only are you going to be designing the wardrobe for this production, but I want you to design my wedding gown too."

Stanley gasped, "Are you serious? Me?"

"Serious as a heart attack," Lucille said, "Stanley, moving forward there is no way but the top for the both of us."

"But, why? Why me?" Stanley asked, dumbfounded and touched at the same time. Lucille put her arm around his and laid her head against his shoulder.

"Because you know me, Stanley," she said to him. "From the very first day you saw me and knew exactly what I'm like – and you still believed in me and always were there by my side."

"Yes, I was," Stanley nodded, "for those two seconds you were at Rosebud Theater."

Lucille looked up at him and kissed him on the cheek. "Now we begin! You're going to be a very busy bee the next few months, so I hope you're ready!"