Chapter 46

I had been able to successfully hide my identity from my fans, in the past, by wearing a dark wig and normal, loose-fitting clothes, so I donned my 'costume' and  joined Carol, Heather, and Sheri on their trip to the Mall. I called Debbie at home just before we left the house and she met us inside the Mall's East entrance. We had been right about the Mall being the place to be today. Not only was the Mall packed with Christmas shoppers, but we couldn't walk more than a hundred feet without running into old friends that were home from college for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

In between meeting various friends, we even managed to get in a little shopping. There were a lot of terrific pre-Christmas sales going on and we took advantage of the low prices to load up on bargains. The five of us spent several hours in Barrett's filling a shopping cart to overflowing with shoes, blouses, skirts, dresses, sweaters, and undies, and then had to separate everything when we got to the checkout. Heather, Sheri, and Debbie went through the checkout first, and Carol and I rang up our things together. After the total came up on the register I got my credit card out of my purse and handed it to the cashier. She looked at it, and then looked at me. I waited for her to slide the card through the reader but she started to press buttons on the cash register instead, as if she was checking something in the machine.

Suddenly there were three blue-jacketed security guards standing around us. The cashier looked at one of them and said, "Stolen credit card," and handed him my credit card.

The security guard that had taken my card said to me, "Would you come with us please?"

"Why?" I said in a bewildered way. I looked at the cashier and said, "What are you saying? That I'm using a stolen credit card? That's my card. It has my name on it."

The security guard got more insistent now, and scowled at me, "If you don't come with us voluntarily, I'll have to use force." If he was trying to intimidate me, it was working, and I also realized that we were attracting a lot of attention. People on the other checkout lines were all looking at us. Any moment now someone might pull out a camera and start taking pictures, and I could just visualize one of those pictures making its way into the tabloids. The last thing that I wanted was a major scene here in front of all the other holiday shoppers so I went with the guard that was now holding onto my arm. Carol followed along behind, and the other two guards brought up the rear. Sheri, Heather, and Debbie followed them.

I didn't say anything as we walked because I didn't want to draw any more attention to myself than necessary. The parade was attracting enough attention as it was. When we reached the door at the rear of the store that led to the security office, Sheri, Heather, and Debbie were refused admittance, and once inside the hallway I started to loudly protest our treatment.

"I'm very upset about this. You don't have any right to drag us back here. This is false arrest and you can be sued."

"You haven't been arrested. We only want to talk to you."

"I was brought here against my will. You said that you would use force if I didn't come along peacefully. If I'm not under arrest then I'm leaving right now. Take your hand off my arm." I stopped walking.

The guard stopped pulling me and removed his hand. "Where did you get this card?" he asked holding up my credit card.

"From the credit card company," I screamed. "I already told you that it was mine."

"Do you have any ID on you?"

"Of course." I opened up my purse, took out my driver's license, and handed it to him."

He looked at it, looked at me, and said, "What did you do, steal Miss Ramsey's entire purse?"

"Of course not. I'm Crystal Ramsey."

"The picture on the driver's license bears a slight resemblance but it isn't you," the guard said calmly. "Now either tell us the truth or we call the police."

"I've told you the truth and I've shown you my ID."

A pleasant voice from behind me said, "What's going on here?"

The security guard said, "Stolen credit card and ID, Sir."

I turned around and saw Mr. Greening coming up the hallway. "Hi, Mr. Greening."

He looked closely at me and said, "Hello. Miss Ramsey? It's nice to see you again. What have you done to your hair?"

I smiled. "It's just a wig. It lets me walk around in public without being mobbed by fans. It's the only way that I can shop in peace."

He smiled back. "I can understand that. I probably wouldn't have recognized you except that I spotted your sister here. Hello Carol."

"Hi, Mr. Greening," Carol said.

"So, you had your credit card and ID stolen? Did it happen while you were in the store?"

"No, my card wasn't stolen. Your security people have arrested me for trying to use it in Barrett's."

"WHAT? What's the meaning of this, Smith?"

The security guard had by now realized that he had made a grievous mistake. He meekly said, "Uh… well… you see, sir, we were dispatched to the front checkout area when the cashier on aisle 26 sent an emergency code via her terminal. When we arrived, she said that this young lady was using a stolen credit card. We brought her back here for questioning. She gave us her driver's license but the picture doesn't match."

In an aggravated voice, Mr. Greening said, "Let me see it."

The guard handed over my credit card and driver's license.

Mr. Greening looked at the photo and said, "The picture is an exact match except for the hair color. What's the matter with you Smith? You went through the training course. Didn't you learn anything? How could you treat a famous actress, and our store's advertising spokesperson, with such careless disregard? Go wait in the security room. I'll talk to you after I finish here."

The guard was clearly distressed now. In seconds he had gone from being supremely smug and self-assured to being in fear for his job. He looked at me and said contritely, "I'm sorry Miss Ramsey. I was only trying to protect your interests. I thought that someone had stolen your card. I never realized that you were wearing a wig to disguise yourself." He turned around and walked towards the security room.

I was still too hot to be forgiving so I didn't offer any statement of forgiveness as he walked away.

Mr. Greening handed me my card and driver's license. "Crystal, I'm terribly sorry for this mistake. The guard will be dismissed for his part in this." Looking at the other two guards, who were trying hard to melt into the wall, and pointing to the bags that they were carrying, he said, "Are those Miss Ramsey's purchases?"

"Yes, sir" one guard answered.

"Give me the sales receipt so that I can have the transaction voided."

"There isn't any receipt, sir. The transaction was rung up, but it wasn't completed."

"Very well. Crystal, please accept this merchandise with the store's compliments and please accept our most sincere apology for any embarrassment that this incident might have caused. Can you forgive us?"

"Yes, Mr. Greening, of course. Thank you for interceding before this got out of hand. And please don't discharge the guard based on this one incident. I guess that he was only doing his job."

"Okay, Crystal. I won't discharge him, and I'll make sure that he knows that you are responsible for his not losing his job." Looking at the other guards he said, "Escort Miss Ramsey and her sister to the front entrance and give them their packages after you're outside."

"Yes, sir" the two guards replied.

"Goodbye, Crystal. I apologize, and promise that it'll never happen again. Goodbye, Carol."

"Bye, Mr. Greening," we chorused.

Debbie and Sheri were still standing outside the employee entrance when we emerged. They ran up to us immediately.

"What happened? What's going on?" Debbie said excitedly.

"Yes, tell us. What's happened?" Sheri added.

"Calm down," I said. "It was just a mistake. The store manager cleared it up."

"Where's Heather?" Carol asked.

"She went to call your mother," Sheri said. "Her cell phone battery was dead so she went looking for a pay phone."

"Oh, no," Carol groaned. "Now Mom'll be worried for nothing. We have to get to a phone and call her right away. Sheri, you wait here for Heather. We'll meet you both out in the Mall concourse in front of Barrett's."

With the two security guards leading the way, we walked to the front of the store. When we reached the front they escorted us through the checkout area and out into the concourse where they handed us our packages. They apologized again for the mistake and walked back inside the store. Carol, Debbie, and I headed for the nearest bank of phones. Carol made the call and waited until the answering machine picked up and the message played before speaking.

"Hi, Mom. If Heather reached you, just forget what she said. It was all a mistake and everything's fine. We'll be home about 5 o'clock. See you later. Love ya."

Making the call was all we could do until we found Heather. We didn't know if she had reached Mom or not. Mom could be out shopping. We headed back to the entrance of Barrett's to wait until Heather and Sheri came out. We were only there for a few minutes before they showed up.

"Heather, did you talk to my mom?" Carol asked.

"No, like, I only got the answering machine. I left a message that Crystal had been arrested at Barrett's."

"I left a new message saying that it was a mistake. I hope that Mom listens to both messages when she comes home." Carol put her hand on her stomach and said, "I'm hungry. Anyone up for pizza?"

Five minutes later we were seated in a booth at The Pizza Tomb. I didn't care for the black and purple Goth decor that looked like a Halloween nightmare, but they did serve great pizza.

As we waited for our order, Carol said, "I wish that I had picked out more stuff in Barrett's."

"Why?" Sheri asked.

"Because of the price. You can't beat free."

"Free?" Sheri, Heather, and Debbie are chorused.

Carol giggled, "Yeah. Mr. Greening gave Crystal the packages for free because of their mistake. He was probably worried about a lawsuit. Crystal threatened to sue them for false arrest."

Sheri said, "Oh my God. Really?"

"Of course," I said. "I was in the right and I wasn't going to let that security guard get away with dragging me through the store. The only reason that I didn't make a fuss at the front of the store is because I can't afford bad publicity. It could hurt my career, even if it isn't true."

"Like, I can't believe that they gave you everything for free," Heather said. "You must have spent more than four hundred dollars between the two of you."

"Just over six hundred according to the cash register when I gave the cashier my card. This was the first time that I was going to use my card and I was breaking it in right." I smiled.

"The FIRST time?" Sheri said. " You've had it for four months."

"Yeah, but I don't go shopping very often, especially with all of you away at college. When I'm with Mom she uses her card so that nobody see my name."

"Maybe you could get a card that only shows your first initials," Debbie said. "That way your disguise would be better. Ramsey isn't an uncommon name."

"That's a good idea. I'll have to talk with Mom about contacting the credit card company."

We spent about three more hours shopping after we had had our pizza and left the restaurant. I didn't risk using the credit card again. Both Carol and I used cash for the small items that we bought.

Mom was home when we arrived and we learned that she had listened to the messages. Fortunately she had listened to all of the messages before doing anything, and so had learned that we were okay. We told her the whole story as we helped prepare dinner. After dinner we showed her the things that we had received for free after being pulled to the rear of the store. Mom agreed with me that no further action was necessary. She felt sure that the store would reprimand both the guard and the cashier who had started the problem.

*****

On Saturday, Mom and I went to the theatre to pick up my gown for the movie premiere in Los Angeles. As promised, Barbara had really outdone herself with this latest creation, and it was almost perfectly sized, but there were a couple of minor alterations to be done. Marge, Mom and I talked over tea in the makeup room as Barbara made the final changes in the wardrobe room.

"Have you seen Mr. Tucker, Crystal?" Marge asked.

"No," I said sadly, "not since February. That's what… nine months now? Yes, nine months. He's never been here when we've stopped in, and I've been away a lot."

"I know that he'd like to see you. I think that he was hoping that you might be available for another play."

"I'd love to work with him again but it seems that something always comes up. At least I'm not going to be in the school play this year. Mrs. Abbott kept after me but I held firm in my refusal to do it."

"What about our new play? We start casting in a few weeks."

"I'll talk to Mr. Tucker after we get back from California. We'll be gone for two weeks because we have both the premiere to attend, and some commercials to shoot for the auto company. I'm sure that Mr. Daniels will also have set up some interviews for me while I'm out there."

Barbara came in with the gown on a hanger. It was wrapped in plastic to protect it while we were traveling. We stayed for another hour after Barbara joined us, and talked about the upcoming premiere and the movie.

*****

We reached Los Angeles in the late afternoon on Sunday. Mom had reserved a rental car and we went to the condo to unpack before going back out for dinner. Mom and I dropped Carol off at her dorm around 8:30 and drove home to the condo.

*****

Over the next five days I went on six interviews. My work so far had served to help in getting to see people, but I wasn't spared the interview process. In each case I was told that they would get back to me. I wondered if things would change at all, once the new movie was released.

*****

I spent about four hours at the hair salon on Saturday getting ready for the premiere. Mom had touched up the gown to get rid of any wrinkles and I waited until just before Oliver was due to arrive, to finish getting dressed. I was just finishing my makeup when I heard the doorbell. I sprayed on some scent and gave myself one last glance in the full-length mirror before going to the living room.

Oliver was standing in the center of the room talking to Mom, Carol, and Carol's college roommate, Samantha, when I came in. His face lit up when he saw me and I returned his smile.

"Crystal, you look beautiful. And it's so wonderful to see you again. I've missed you." Oliver pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

When he finished kissing me and relaxed his grip a little I said, "It's wonderful to see you again, Oliver. You're looking very fit and handsome. How have you been?" I noticed, over Oliver's shoulder, that Samantha had a kind of dreamy look in her eyes.

"I'm doing fine. I haven't really worked since the series ended, except for a few commercials and a few charity benefits, but I put away enough from the series so that I'm still doing okay. Congratulations on your successes, by the way. I thought that you were wonderful in 'A Promise of Spring', and now you have another movie coming out. It's great that you're doing so well. I knew that you'd be okay after they cancelled the show."

"I've actually been feeling a little down lately because I haven't worked since this past summer," I said sadly.

"If you did as good in this new movie as the other, you'll have offers flooding in after this week. I can't wait to see it. Are you ready?"

"I have to repair my makeup first, but that will only take a few minutes. And I'm sure that Mom wants to take a few pictures before we leave."

After I came out of the bedroom again, Mom posed us and shot half a dozen pictures before we were allowed to leave. We said goodnight to Mom, Carol, and Sam, then hurried out. There was a stretch limo waiting at the front of the building and the driver held the door and offered his hand to help me get in. Oliver climbed in after me and sat down close.

"Now don't mess up my makeup again. I want to look my best when we arrive."

"Okay. Tell me about the movie that we're going to see tonight."

I gave Oliver a synopsis of the movie. I didn't want to ruin the picture for him so I limited my remarks to basic background stuff, and then related some stories about things that happened while shooting.

We were early, so we parked on a side street a few blocks from the theatre to wait. Because we had been good friends since doing the series pilot, there weren't any awkward moments. We spent the time talking about our projects since we had last worked together.

Someone called the driver to tell him to bring us to the theatre and he told us that we would be there in a few minutes. There was a large crowd outside the theatre when we arrived, and the driver stopped directly in front so that we could step out onto the red carpet. As soon as I was out of the car, we were blitzed with light from camera flashes. I smiled at the flashes because I knew that there were cameras there, even if I couldn't see anything beyond the blinding lights.

As we walked towards the entrance I hear an announcer say, "And here's one of the stars of the film, Crystal Ramsey. She's escorted by her co-star in last year's television series 'Oliver on Board', actor Oliver Addams. Crystal, can you say a few words to our viewers and listeners?"

I said, "Of course," as she pushed the microphone into my face. "Hello everyone. I'm very happy to be here tonight for the premiere of this wonderful movie, and I'm sure that everyone is simply going to love it..."

The announcer had pulled the microphone away before I was through, saying, "Thank you, Crystal. Enjoy the premiere. And now folks I see Alec Carsie arriving. Alec is the male star of tonight's show. Let's see if we can get a word from him."

The announcer had apparently dismissed our presence when she saw Alec arriving, so we continued on into the theatre. There were a number of reporters waiting inside the lobby and I slowed and answered questions for about ten minutes as we worked our way through the group. Most of the questions were about my gown, but I was also asked what other new projects I had in the future, if Oliver and I were a couple now, and if I enjoyed working with the stars of the movie. When we finally made it to the audience area we were escorted to our seats. A lot of people from the movie were standing in the aisles and in the area in front of the seating so, instead of sitting down, I roamed around greeting the people that I knew. It was nice to see the people that I had lived with for three months. When you live on a movie set for an extended time you start to develop close relationships with a number of people.

Oliver knew a few of the people, and I introduced him to the rest. That was his main reason for being here after all. After the show we would attend the party that was being given by the executive producer. Getting work was often a matter of 'making connections' or 'networking' at events like this where many of the movers and shakers were in attendance.

As the time neared for the movie to start, ushers began asking us to please take our seats. Once we were seated, the rest of the audience was allowed in and Mr. Marren walked up onto the stage to greet everyone and prepare them for the movie. He talked for about ten minutes about securing the motion picture rights to the story and the making of the movie. He praised the cast and crew, and said what a pleasure it had been to make the picture, and then signaled for the lights to be lowered as the audience applauded. The movie started a few minutes later as Mr. Marren reached his seat.

Seeing the edited movie, with the music added, was so much different than the taped scenes that I had seen already. Although I had seen almost all of the scenes performed and had read the full script, seeing it like this almost made it seem like a different movie. The editor(s) had done a masterful job and the movie contained, in my opinion, all of the required elements for a successful motion picture. The audience reacted as they were supposed to during key sequences and applauded loudly at the end.

The mood was festive as the audience emptied from the theatre. We again went through the interview process as we moved into the lobby. The questions had changed and pertained mostly to the movie. We stayed inside the front doors until we were told that our limo was number two in line and then we walked through the crowds standing outside. I stopped only briefly to write a couple of autographs because the limo was moving into position in front of the theatre.

Once inside the limo Oliver pulled me to him, and before I could protest, pulled me onto his lap and kissed me deeply. Rather than resist I remained pliant in his arms, returning the kiss until he was done and had released me.

"Wonderful job, Crys. Really, really wonderful. This movie should carry you all the way to the top now. The last one gave them a good taste of your talent and this one will show them that you're the real thing."

"Thank you, Oliver. I'll wait to hear the reviews from the critics before I celebrate too much, but I liked it too."

"Everyone liked it. Did you hear the applause?"

"Yes, but a lot of the people in the theatre were connected with the movie. We need to hear it from the critics and reviewers. We'll have the early reviews by tomorrow though. How far is it to this party?"

"The driver said about thirty minutes. By the way, who's this Barbara DeMilo that designed your gown. I've never heard of her."

I giggled. "She's a very close friend of mine from back home."

"Really? She's very good. I noticed some of the other women staring at your gown with envy."

"Are you sure that it was envy?"

"I know envy when I see it. How many asked where you got it?"

"I think about half that I spoke to."

"Yup. It's envy."

"I'll have to remember to tell Barbara. She'll be very pleased."

"She could set up a business out here if this wasn't a one time inspiration."

"She also did my gown for the premiere in New York. It got excellent write-ups in the papers."

"Then she's got talent. By the way, how much longer are you going to be around?"

"Just one more week. I have some auto commercials to shoot this coming week, then it's back home until something else comes up."

"Why don't you just move out here permanently? You'll get a lot more work."

"This is my last year in high school. I wanted to finish up there instead of going to a new school for just one year."

"You don't even have to go to school. You're old enough to drop out. With your talent you'll make a thousand times more than almost any college graduate."

I said in a slightly exasperated voice, "Oliver, getting into a good college was the only reason that I started all this. I'm not going to throw it all away now, and I'm certainly not going to quit high-school after spending 11 and a half school years getting to this point."

"Okay. Okay. Calm down. It was just a suggestion."

I calmed down and smiled. "I'm sorry. My education is important to me."

Oliver chuckled. "So I see. I finished high school but I didn't go on to college and I made over a million dollars last year. The college grads that I went to high school with are pulling down maybe fifty grand a year or less."

"How much have you earned this year?"

"Well… things have been a little slow this year, but that's the way that it is in this business. That's why we have to put it away when we get it. It holds us until the next big gig."

"I want something to fall back on in case there is no next big gig. You know how quickly an actor can fall out of favor with the public."

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I'll decide to go to college one of these days also. So where are you going to go?"

"My first choice is Carnegie-Mellon, and second choice is USC. My S.A.T.'s and grades are good enough to get into either one, but CMU has some special admissions criteria so I don't know what my chances are there."

"What kind of special admissions criteria?"

"Well… they only accept about six new students into their Directing program each year."

"Directing? Not acting?"

"I already know how to act. I was taught by one of the best, Adam Tucker. I know that there's a tremendous amount that I can still learn, but I think that I'd like to direct. And I'll learn more about acting anyway. The program requires two years of acting coursework."

"I wish you luck, but I'd still rather have a starring role in a popular television show. Ya know, I'm getting real tired of going on interviews and then never hearing back."

"I know how you feel, but you can't give up. Something will turn up eventually. At least you had the one good year to tide you over, so you're free to go on interviews without taking time off from work."

"Are you up for anything else?"

"No, not really. Well, maybe. I had a call-back for a supporting role in a movie about a month ago but nothing came of it."

"When do they start shooting?"

"I think that they said March."

"March is still almost three months away. You may hear something yet. They would have been smarter to get you before this picture came out. I'm sure that Mr. Daniels will up your asking price now."

"Which is another reason why I don't expect to hear from them. But if the critics chop me up into little pieces, my stock will drop."

"No way is that going to happen. I've seen the picture, remember? You were fabulous. You hardly seemed like the same wonderful girl that I worked with."

I giggled. "Well, I certainly hope so. I was portraying an entirely different type of person. I spent a lot of time in front of the mirror practicing my shifty eyed looks. It was kind of fun being a little bit shrewish in the movie. The television series made me seem so angelic, and the other movie made me seem to be afraid of my own shadow. It was fun to let myself go a little and pretend to be a manipulating little troublemaker with a smart mouth. But enough about me, what have you been doing with your spare time since the series ended?"

"When I'm not going on interviews, I mostly swim or work out. I need to stay in shape in case something turns up."

I spent the rest of the trip to the party drawing information out of Oliver. I was able to learn a lot more about what makes him tick.

The party was being held at a private home that I assumed belonged to Mr. Tinker, the executive producer of the film. There were half a dozen handsome young men, wannabe's hoping to be discovered by working in prominent places, parking cars for guests. I guessed that this was going to be a large party. As we were admitted to the house we found a few people talking in small groups but most of the people were outside around the pool. I saw a lot of the people that I had talked to at the premiere, but there were also a lot of people who hadn't been there, or at least whom I hadn't seen there. Most were well-known entertainment industry people that I recognized immediately.

I stayed with Oliver for a while as we made the rounds. I received a number of kudos for my part in the movie. The director and editors had made me look really good. I accepted the compliments graciously. Oliver used the party to let everyone know that he was available for work. I guess that I did also because I always answered that I wasn't working when anyone asked. A few said that that wouldn't last for long, and I would reply that I hoped that they were right. As at the only other big celebrity party that I had attended, there was lots of booze, and drugs were readily available, but I stuck to sparkling water, and so did Oliver, as far as I knew. Nothing will kill a career faster than addiction, as has been proven time and time again. The easiest way to stop is never to have started.

We stayed at the party until a large group of guests started to leave around 1 am. We quickly made the rounds, saying goodbye to everyone, especially our host. Oliver had called the limo to tell the driver that we were ready to leave and it was ready when we got out front.

It took about 25 minutes to get to the condo. Oliver walked me to the door and kissed me goodnight. We had swapped telephone numbers and I had promised to let him know the next time that I was going to be in town.

*****

Carol and Samantha were in the kitchen when I got up in the morning and I learned that they had slept over. During breakfast I gave everyone a complete description of everything that had happened. They had seen some of the activity outside the theatre during the local news hour.

Carol, Sam, and I spent much of the afternoon by the pool. Chet and Bud showed up around one and stayed with us until we went inside. We learned everything that they had been up to since we had seen them last, and I learned that Chet had indeed been on location during my last visit. Both congratulated me on my success with the picture. I told them that they should wait until they see it, and Bud said that they were speaking based on the review in their paper. When we said that we hadn't seen it Bud hurried inside and returned with the entertainment section. Because we were here only sporadically we didn't subscribe to the paper.

There was a large picture of me in the photo spread, and an entire paragraph devoted only to me. Carol read the entire review out loud. It was very complimentary. The reviewer had said about me, 'Crystal Ramsey, a relative newcomer to the big screen who moved up when her television series ended, turned in a wonderful performance as Wendy Stone. Miss Ramsey, whom I spoke of just a few months ago following the release of 'A Promise of Spring', came across like a dynamo charged vixen, hell-bent on causing ripples in the lives of the other characters in the story; an amazing portrayal when compared to her previous excellent performance as an introverted young beauty in her only other movie role, and even more remarkable when compared to her performance as a naïve young bride in her television series. Her screen presence rolled over me in waves every time she appeared in a scene, making it seem that she was the star of the movie, although she had less than half the number of scenes of Jennifer Lareda. Miss Ramsey has the ability to reach out and grab your heart, as soon as she comes on screen. I predict that we'll be seeing a great deal more of Miss Ramsey in the future. And I, for one, look forward to it'.

"See what we mean?" Bud said.

"The article was very complimentary to everyone in the picture," I said.

"True, because the reviewer liked the picture. I've seen this guy rip actors apart when he doesn't enjoy the movie. But the fact remains that he seemed a lot more complimentary to you than anyone else."

"I agree Crys," Carol said. "Your write-up is better than the others even if he liked everyone."

"Ditto," Sam said. "Look at what he said about Jennifer Lareda. 'Miss Lareda's performance was a valorous portrayal of a woman obsessed with recovering the love that she had squandered through her own selfish actions.' That certainly doesn't compare to what he wrote about you."

"Thanks, everyone. This is just one person's view, but I appreciate your encouragement."

"It's beginning to look like you'll have to make the other two pictures," Carol said.

"What other two pictures?" Chet asked.

"Crys had to sign for a three picture deal to get this role. If the first was successful, she's committed to two sequels. This movie was only the first third of the book."

"Congratulations again, Crystal," Bud said. It looks like you have two more pictures lined up."

"Yeah, congrats," Chet added. "You're on your way. If this picture makes money like I expect, there's no way that they won't exercise the option."

"This is so exciting," Sam said. "To think, I was here at the beginning of your movie career."

"They have up to five years after the release of the first picture to exercise their option. I could be waiting a long time for my next picture," I said.

"Or it could happen in a few months," Bud said. "They'll know once the gross from the theatres begins to be reported. They could start writing the screenplay and planning the sequel in a couple of months time if the money starts rolling in."

"I think that that would be a bit quick," Chet said, "but it's possible. Most sequels are shot one to two years after the first picture is released but it could be sooner. If the initial picture is successful enough they might shoot the two sequels at the same time. In the meantime, your success should bring in other job offers. By the way, I heard that Sharon Oberson is back in town."

"Really? That's great. Thanks, Chet, I'll give her a call."

We continued to talk 'shop' for two more hours. Then Carol, Sam, and I said goodbye to the boys and went inside. Mom had already begun preparing dinner and we pitched in. Bud had given us the newspaper section so Mom was able to read the review also, as dinner cooked.

"This is an excellent review, dear. We'll have to wait and see what the others write about it but it looks very promising. If the others are only half as good, you're bound to get some more offers."

"Yes, it looks like my future is decided for the next five years." I knew that Sam wouldn't grasp the underlying reference but that Mom and Carol would.

*****

I spent the next three days shooting the auto commercials. In New York we had done three different commercials a variety of different ways. Out here we did over a dozen. They told me that the commercials would change every couple of weeks so they wanted to have enough for several months. The commercials were like little skits that advanced a general theme that began with the first one. I wondered if they had been planned like this all along or if they were trying to capitalize on the fact that I had just been in a motion picture. It didn't really matter if they were, I would be paid for doing the commercials and then paid a stipend each time that they were aired. With a national release, the amount would add up nicely.

I tried to reach Sharon Oberson on Wednesday but her service told me that she was away again.

*****

On Thursday I relaxed by the pool most of the day. I had been studying my textbooks every night and I had caught up on my schoolwork. In the afternoon Mr. Daniels called to say that the motion picture company doing 'Under the Scarlet Maple', wanted to see me again, on Friday. I had already been interviewed twice and couldn't see how a third would help since they had video taped the others, but I agreed to go once more.

*****

Mom drove me to the studio, on Friday, where the movie producer Mr. Silver, and the director Mr. Bacon, were waiting.

"Miss Ramsey, thank you so much for coming," Mr. Silver said. "You remember Trevor Bacon don't you?"

"Of course. Good morning, gentlemen."

"Miss Ramsey, we want to congratulate you on your stirring performance in 'Open Spaces, Closed Hearts'. Trevor and I went to see it on Tuesday and very much enjoyed the movie, and especially your acting. We were all the more impressed after reviewing the clips of 'A Promise of Spring' again, and the tapes that we have shot. In each case you seem like a totally different person. Your range is what prompted us to ask you to come in again. The last time you were in you read for the part of Victoria. This time we'd like you to read for the part of Elizabeth, who is Victoria's sister."

"I haven't seen a script so this will be a cold read and may not be of very much use to you."

"We have several script excerpts here and will give you an hour to prepare. Trevor will explain the role so you'll understand the character's motivations as you read the scenes that we've marked. The actor that we've cast for the male lead will be here in an hour and then we can test you, if that's alright."

"Yes, that's fine with me."

So after Mr. Bacon gave me an in-depth description of each of the three scenes and his interpretation of the character and what motivated her, I was escorted to an empty dressing room where I could work on the script, and I was brought a cup of tea. I spent the entire hour trying to absorb the scripted scenes so that I wouldn't have to read from the script. I also worked at the dressing table practicing my facial expressions and hand movements. It was actually about an hour and fifteen minutes when someone came to inform me that Mr. Crowne had arrived and that I should return to the studio.

When I walked into the studio I was surprised to find about a dozen people there. Mr. Silver introduced me to Gregory Crowne who had been signed as the male lead in the picture. He also introduced me to a couple of other people who were involved with the picture as assistant producers. Most of the others remained nameless.

Mr. Bacon gave Gregory and me a quick synopsis of the scene and a detailed explanation of how it fit into the picture as a whole. Everything that he said agreed with what I had already been told, or what I had deduced from having read the script excerpts. While we were talking, a couple of props were moved onto the stage area, and then it was time to begin.

We rehearsed the scene several times under the close direction of Mr. Bacon before he moved out of the way so that the video camera could catch the action, and then we did three 'takes'.

It took over an hour to do the three scenes that they wanted to look at, and we had brief periods of inactivity where I could chat with Gregory. I had heard of him but hadn't seen any of the several pictures that he had been in. He wasn't familiar with my work either, having just come from Europe. He had the most delightful English accent and I enjoyed just listening to him describe his home and his work experience.

When we had completed the scenes, we adjourned to a conference room. Only Mr. Silver, Mr. Bacon, Gregory, and I were included in the conference. We talked about the movie for another half-hour. Mr. Silver asked if I had any other projects coming up. I didn't know if he was trying to determine how much they should offer me to be in the movie, or to find out if there would be a scheduling problem, so I told him that I had recently turned down an offer, but had another job that would start this month and end in February. I smiled to myself because I didn't bother to tell him that the part that I had turned down was in the school play, and that the one that I was considering was at the Community Theatre. It would be better if he thought that I was in high demand. He pointedly asked if I was available in March through June, and I responded that I didn't have any commitments for that period right now. I told them that I was signed to do two sequels to 'Open Spaces' but that I didn't expect them to start very soon.

As we ended the meeting, Mr. Silver told me that they were very interested in me and that the decision would be made shortly. There was only one other actress being considered for the role of Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth? Not Victoria?" I said in surprise.

"We've interviewed a lot of actresses but haven't signed anyone for Victoria yet because we wanted to find Elizabeth first. Victoria is Elizabeth's sister and the two have to mesh. We'll be in touch with your agent. Thanks for coming in."

I said goodbye to each of them and left, following an assistant who had been summoned to show me the way out. Mom was sitting in the waiting area reading a magazine.

"I'm sorry to be so long, Mom."

"Not a problem, dear. How did you make out? It seems that each interview with these people takes longer and longer."

As we walked to the car and then drove home, I filled Mom in on everything that had happened. It was still early enough when we arrived home to catch some sun after we had eaten lunch. We were leaving on Sunday and the cold December weather of the mid-west would make me long for sunny California weather so I intended to maximize my time in the sun.

 

(continued in Chapter 47)

I want to express my grateful appreciation to Lynn Jennings and Debbie Cybill for their very helpful suggestions and proofreading on this series.

 

 

 

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