Chapter 59

Near the end of April, Mr. Daniels showed up in Vancouver.

"Hi sweetheart, how's the movie going?" Mr. Daniels said as we broke for lunch.

"Fine, Mr. Daniels, it's a surprise to see you up here. What's the occasion?"

"Business, of course. We have an offer on the table that I wanted to discuss with you. I arranged for lunch to be served in your dressing room. This is Mr. Drunning. He represents a movie company that wants to hire you for their picture."

"Hello, Mr. Drunning. It's nice to meet you."

"My pleasure, Miss Ramsey. I've been looking forward to meeting you for days. I was elated when Mr. Daniels said that I could accompany him here to meet with you."

"What movie are you casting, Mr. Drunning?"

"The title is 'Weep for the Lonely Hearts'. I believe that you've heard of it?"

"Yes, indeed. I was informed by a reporter five weeks ago that it was to be my next picture."

"I read about that. I'm terribly sorry. The reporter who broke the story misquoted Mr. Macmillan. Mac's statement was that the role would be perfect for someone like Crystal Ramsey. The reporter turned that around and implied that you had already been contacted. We didn't actually approach Mr. Daniels until three weeks ago. He said that you might be interested in the project."

I looked at Mr. Daniels and he nodded subtly. "I might, if the SP is well written. I enjoyed the book that Ms. Winslaw sent to me."

"I wasn't aware that Ms. Winslaw had sent you a copy. I don't really have any contact with her. The best writers that we could get are creating the screenplay. It should be ready in about a month. I understand that you have about eight more weeks of shooting here. That should be just about right. We want to begin shooting in mid-July, while the 'best seller' status is still in the minds of the public."

"I believe that I'm scheduled to shoot an episode of 'Station Break' after this picture is in the can. Mr. Daniels?"

"That's correct. I have that contract with me today, but that will only be for a week. You'll still be done in time to do the new picture, if you want to."

"Will the SP be faithful to the book?" I asked Mr. Drunning.

"Very faithful, is the report that I get."

"Then I'd be interested, but I'll reserve my final decision until I see the screenplay."

"I'm sure that you'll be happy with the SP so I'm going to plan on having you as our leading lady."

The lunch arrived and we talked about the book and the story during the rest of the meal. Afterwards, Mr. Daniels asked Mr. Drunning if he would excuse us for a few minutes so that we could close some other business.

I said good-bye to Mr. Drunning, and he left to wait outside. Mr. Daniels gave me the contract, for the television episode, to sign. I signed it and then said, "Is this movie company dependable? I don't know if I buy that story about the misquote."

"Yes, Macmillan's been around a long time. He might stretch the truth occasionally, but he wouldn't ever do anything that would destroy his ability to sign big names. He'll play it straight, and he's offering 12 million for you to star in his picture."

"Where are they shooting?"

"The studio work will be done in LA, and the outdoor scenes will be shot in Oregon."

"When? July through October?"

"More like July to December. They're estimating about five months, so it could go until Christmas. The director, Paul Banister, doesn't like to shoot on weekends, so his shooting schedules are always a little longer."

"Okay, I'll do it if they don't murder the screenplay. After that though, I don’t want any more work before February."

"Okay. There will still be interviews, premieres, and the like."

"That's okay. It'll keep me from getting too bored. But no movies, television shows, or even commercials."

"Okay, sweetheart. I'll get the contracts lined up for your signature. We'll put in a stipulation that you'll have script approval rights. It might be a hard sell but we'll see what they say."

"We can always wait until the screenplay is complete before signing, if that makes them feel better."

"Somehow I don't think that that would be to their liking either. They'll want to get things sewn up as soon as possible. Let's just wait to see what they say."

A knock at the door preceded a voice that said I was wanted back on the set, so we concluded our business and Mr. Daniels left. I washed up and returned to the set.

When I got back to the rented house after the day's shooting was done, I told Mom about the offer.

"They expected you sign up for a role without even seeing the script?"

"I guess that they figured that my knowing the book was enough. It's been on the best seller list for months."

"Do you still have the copy that you got from the author?"

"Yes, of course, a copy of a best seller, with a personal message from the author, is something that I want to keep. Would you like to read it?"

"Yes. I'd like to see how close they remain to the original when the screenplay is written."

"Okay. It's in my bedroom. I'll get it for you after dinner. What are we having by the way?"

"Mrs. McGuire has made a nice stew, with dumplings."

"Umm, sounds good. I'm hungry. When do we eat?"

"It should be ready any minute."

As if on cue, Mrs. McGuire picked that minute to come into the dining room carrying a large bowl of stew.

"It smells delicious, Mrs. McGuire."

"Thank you, Miss. The way that Elwood and Des are eating it in the kitchen, I guess that it turned out okay. It's a good thing that I made an extra large amount today."

The stew was delicious, and Mrs. McGuire's dumplings were as light and delicious as ever. After dinner I retrieved the book for Mom and then spent some time getting ready for the next day's shooting before getting into bed.

*****

The weeks passed slowly on the set. Not because I was lonely, as I had been in Atlanta, but because I was uncomfortable with my breasts strapped down and I didn't appreciate having to wear the coarse clothes all day. I couldn't wait until we were done shooting each day so that I could change back into my female clothes. Mr. Charles, the director, was satisfied with my performances though. I worked very hard every evening so that I would be well prepared the next day, and tried to do every scene perfect the first time, hoping to get through each day as quickly as possible.

*****

Early in May I traveled to LA to sign the contract for the new movie. Both Mr. Daniels and Jennifer, my publicist, were waiting at the airport to take me to the signing ceremony. I was a lot less nervous about traveling now that I had my shadow with me. Desmond wasn't a great conversationalist, but his presence was always a comfort.

The movie company had reluctantly agreed to give me script approval rights since the screenplay was not yet completed.

The ceremony was held, following a luncheon, in a small conference room at a hotel not too far from the airport. The movie company executives were all there, along with a photographer and videographer, and about two-dozen members of the press. After the signing, we answered questions for about thirty minutes. Most questions asked of me were whether or not I had read the book, what I thought of the story, and how I felt about the character that I would play.

After the ceremony was over, Des and I were taken back to the airport so that we could return to Vancouver.

*****

The following weekend I traveled back to see Barbara and Marge. The real reason for the trip was to be fitted for my dress for the upcoming premiere of 'Morning Mist' that was going to be held in Atlanta in two weeks. I told Des that it was okay for him to go for a walk around town, since there wasn't much chance of anyone bothering me while I was inside the theatre. Still, he insisted on staying with me until I was in the makeup room with Marge and Barbara. After I had introduced him, and he was sure that there was little danger, he left for his walk.

"He's cute," Barbara said.

"Is he?"

"Don't tell me you didn't notice?"

"Barb, he's my bodyguard and that's all."

"So, he can't be cute if he's a bodyguard?"

"Okay, he's cute."

"So how long have you had a bodyguard?" Marge asked.

"For about two months now. There're two more at the estate."

"Are they cute also?"

"I don't know." And then in response to a look from Marge, added, "Well, I don't. I haven't even seen them yet. Mom hired all three after I started the new picture."

"Speaking of pictures, we read that you're going to make 'Weep for the Lonely Hearts'. That's wonderful. We both thought that the book is terrific. What's the screenplay like?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen it yet."

"You agreed to do it without seeing the script?" Barbara said.

"I was promised that it's going to be faithful to the book, which I have read also, and I have script approval rights. I'm sure that it's going to be okay. This is a big budget movie. I should be getting the script in the next couple of weeks because they expect to start shooting in late July."

"I'd better start working on a design for your gown. When do you expect the premiere?"

"Probably around March or April. I'll need one for 'Princess' before then, but that one should probably be a tux instead of a gown."

"That's a great idea," Barbara said.

"Barb, I was only kidding."

"I know, but I think that you hit on something. It could be kind of a 'retro' look, with slacks under a full skirt. When you get to the premiere, you suddenly whip the skirt portion off as you step up to be interviewed."

"I'll have to give that some thought. I'm really tired right now of wearing boy's clothes. I have to strap my breasts down everyday, wear boy's underwear, and coarse shirts and jeans."

"I wasn't suggesting boy's pants. I'd make them out of black satin or something."

"I don't want to look like a boy for the premiere."

"You won't. I promise you that it'll look great. Did you ever see that famous Eleanor Powell tap dance scene, where she's wearing a white tuxedo?"

"I don't recall it."

"Well trust me, even though she was wearing a tux, there was nothing masculine about it. That is except that she was wearing pants back when women didn't generally wear pants."

"I'd rather not think about wearing pants to a premiere right now. Is the new gown ready for the final fitting?"

"Yup. Let's all go over to wardrobe. We can talk there while I work."

We spent the next two hours in the wardrobe department while Barbara put the finishing touches on her creation. When we were done, the gown fit me perfectly. Barbara covered it in plastic while I finishing dressing.

Des was waiting in the hallway when we left the wardrobe department. I hugged Marge and Barbara, promised to write soon, and we left. Des drove the rented car back to the airport and we took the first available commuter plane up to Chicago. We arrived back in Vancouver just after dinnertime and Mrs. McGuire fixed some food for us. Her leftovers were tastier than the first offerings from some cooks.

*****

The following Friday, Des and I traveled to Atlanta for the premiere. Mr. Daniels had arranged for a client named Chas Willot to be the designated male escort for the evening. Chas had recently been signed by the agency and this was an opportunity to get him some exposure.

Chas came to the hotel about 15 minutes early and sat in the living room with Des until I was ready. The three of us then left together, with Des sitting up front with the limo driver while Chas and I sat in the back. Despite being several years my senior, Chas was extremely nervous in my presence and almost afraid to touch me. Fame can do that to you when you're not used to it. Chas had not met any big 'names', before me. I did my best to put him at ease by asking him questions about his acting career. By the time that we reached the theater, he had calmed considerably.

Des jumped out and held the door as we stopped directly in front of the theater. Chas got out first and then held his hand out to help me climb out. As expected, the photographers started taking pictures as soon as I took hold of Chas' hand. I wondered how many useless photos were taken of the top of celebrity's heads, or other shots where you couldn't even tell who the subject was.

Once I was out of the limo, Des fell in behind Chas and me as we walked towards the theater. We stopped to talk with an announcer for several minutes before continuing on.

Mr. Fergus, the producer, and Mr. Wilkes, the director, were waiting just inside the main doors, to greet everyone. After being welcomed, I was introduced to their wives and traded greetings and pleasantries with them before moving on.

Many of the actors who had been in the movie were milling about in the lobby, along with selected guests and reporters, so Chas and I mingled until they called for us to take our seats in the theater. After we were all seated, the rest of the audience was allowed in and seated.

The audience seemed to enjoy the picture and they applauded loudly at the end. We left the theater to the congratulations of the attendees that lined the walkway. The driver knew the way to the restaurant where the party was being held and we drove directly there. Chas drank several mixed drinks while I nursed a single bottle of Perrier. When I began to feel tired I asked Chas if he wanted to stay or go. He wanted to stay, so I thanked him for escorting me to the premiere and wished him luck with his career. Des called for the limo and we went back to the hotel.

*****

I slept a little later than normal the next day, but I had to get up in time for the interviews. The press had been invited in for a marathon session of one on one interviews from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

After a late breakfast, Des and I walked to the suite that was being used for my interviews. The press agent for the movie had a number of people there to coordinate things. All I had to do was sit in a room as people were escorted in, allowed to spend a predetermined amount of time interviewing me, depending upon the importance of the media that they were representing, and then they were escorted out.

Things ran behind and we didn't actually get finished until after 5, but that still left us plenty of time to get some supper, and make our flight to Vancouver. We arrived about 11 p.m. local time.

*****

Carol came up to visit us right after school ended for the term, and stayed until the movie wrapped up in early July. It was great being together again. I had only seen her once since the movie had begun, when she had come up at Easter.

We were able to do a little sightseeing while we were in Vancouver, but mostly I worked. I had finally received the script for the new movie, plus the script for the episode that I would do for Oliver's television series.

We packed up the day after the wrap party and flew home. It was wonderful to be home again. I finally met the new security men that had been guarding the estate since Mom had left, and took a walk around the grounds. The outside pool had been completed, and looked extremely inviting. It was like something that you would see in a brochure for a Polynesian island. I also saw George, our farmhand, and he told me about the progress that he had made in clearing the bushes and trees, from what were formerly fields, and planting seed for hay. By planting and harvesting hay, the fields would be kept clear of other growth, and we would have feed if we decided to get horses.

*****

The next morning I went for my first swim in the outdoor pool. The water looked cool and inviting in the morning sun and I slipped into the pool and swam around the entire perimeter several times before stopping for a break on the rocks near the base of a fake waterfall. I was out of shape because I hadn't been swimming since I had left for Vancouver. Much of the new movie would be shot in LA, so I looked forward to getting back in shape, as I would be home for the next six months, except for the time that we would have to spend in Oregon.

Carol came out while I was taking my break. She had had the same idea about taking an early morning swim in the new 'lagoon'.

"Hi sis, how's the water?" she asked.

"It's great. Come on in."

"In a minute, I just want to do my stretching exercises first so that I don't cramp up."

As she stretched, she said, "I got a letter from Heather just before I left school. She said that she and Sheri would like to come visit us this summer. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course, I'd love to see them. When can they come?"

"I told them that I had to check with you first, since it’s your house. I guess that they'll come sometime in August."

"Great. I think that I'll be working mostly in LA for the next few months. And, by the way, this is your home too. You can invite friends over without checking with me. The house is so big that I can always find a quiet place if I need to work on something."

"Thanks, sis."

"I invited Barbara and Marge to come for a visit this fall, but I don't know if anything will get them away from the theatre. I hope that they come, though."

"Have you invited Debbie?"

"A number of times. She's always busy when I'm free, and vice-versa. She has a job for the summer, but maybe she'll make it after Christmas this year."

Carol had finished her stretching exercises and gotten into the pool as we talked. We swam around until we were tired and then climbed out to lie by the poolside to recover our strength. That's where we were when Mom came out.

"Breakfast is ready, girls."

"Okay, Mom," Carol said.

We put on our robes and went into the family dining room. Mrs. McGuire had made pancakes, eggs, and breakfast sausages. I poured a glass of OJ, and took an egg and a sausage, while Mom and Carol had pancakes. During breakfast we discussed how we were going to spend our day. Mom intended to go shopping, and Carol would either go with her, or call some friends over in Santa Barbara to see what they were up to. For my part, I planned to call Sharon, and just relax around the house.

After I had dressed, I took the phone out onto the patio and, after settling into a lounge-chair, I dialed Sharon's number. The phone was answered, but not by Sharon.

"Hello. Is Sharon there?"

"No, she isn't. This is Mrs. Bradley."

"Hi, Mrs. Bradley, I'm a close friend of Sharon's. Do you expect her back shortly?"

"If you're a close friend, you should already know the answer to that."

I was taken aback by the statement, but I responded politely with, "Well I probably would, except that I just got back from Vancouver where I was making a picture."

"Really? What's your name?"

"I'm Crystal Ramsey."

"Oh, Miss Ramsey," she said in a softened voice, "Sharon said that you might be calling. I'm sorry for my bad manners, but I don't give out information to strangers who might get Sharon's number. She took a job on a movie that's filming in Montana. She won't be back for several weeks. I'm taking care of the twins while she's away."

"Oh, I see. Would it be okay if I stopped down to see the girls tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course, anytime you want. Sharon told me that you took care of them for a month, this past January. I could do with a little company."

"Okay, I'll come down tomorrow about ten o'clock, if that's okay."

"That'll be fine. I'll be watching for you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bradley. I'll see you tomorrow. Good-bye."

"Good-bye, dear."

After I hung up, I continued to relax in the warm morning sun until it had been an hour since breakfast, then I slid into the pool and swam around again until I tired. When I had climbed out, I relaxed in the lounge chair until I felt rested, and then went upstairs to shower and dress.

I spent the rest of the day listening to music while I read through and studied the two scripts that I had received. The television script was light comedy, and since I would be doing that first, I spent the most time with it. The movie was heavy drama, and would require lots more concentration, and work on subtler movements and facial expressions.

*****

I left for Sharon's house about 8:30 the next morning. Des wanted to drive but it would be easier for me to drive there instead of giving directions, so I insisted, and he sat quietly in the passenger seat.

When we arrived at Sharon's house, Mrs. Bradley opened the door cautiously until she recognized me. Then she swung it open fully and invited me in. She gave a wary eye to Des as he trailed me in.

"Mrs. Bradley, this is Desmond, my bodyguard. Don't let his size intimidate you. He's as gentle as puppy most of the time."

"How do you do, Desmond," she said.

"I'm pleased to meet you Mrs. Bradley. Please just pretend I'm not here. I'll just take a seat out of the way."

"Are the twins awake, Mrs. Bradley?" I asked.

"Yes, they're playing in the living room. Please, go on in."

I led the way to the living room and saw the girls playing on the floor. Both girls stopped what they were doing and looked at me as I approached. I bent over and picked up little Sharon.

"Hello sweetheart. Are you being a good girl for Mrs. Bradley?"

Sharon cooed and said, "Momma."

I laughed and hugged her gently.

"You do look an awful lot like Sharon," Mrs. Bradley said. "It's no wonder that she's confused."

"That's how we met. She was hired to stunt for me on a picture. We've been very close friends ever since. Sharon looks more like me than my real sister, and little Crystal is my namesake."

I put Sharon down and picked up Crystal. I kissed her and hugged her as I had Sharon and I was rewarded with a "Momma" from her also. The girls were almost seventeen months old now, but I didn't want to confuse them by correcting them. It didn't hurt anything to let them think that I was Sharon for this visit.

I carried Crystal over to the couch and sat down. Mrs. Bradley sat down in a chair across from me. No sooner had we sat down then Sharon was crawling over to me. When she reached my legs, I put Crystal on the seat next to me and picked up Sharon. Crystal immediately crawled back onto my lap so I wound up with both babies in my arms. I spent the next half-hour like that, talking to Mrs. Bradley. When Sharon started to fidget, I put her back down on the floor and she crawled over to a pile of toys. Crystal, seeing her sister go, also started fidgeting, so I put her down and she joined Sharon.

"It's a handful, taking care of two so young," Mrs. Bradley said. "I'm glad that Sharon is able to get away from time to time. I know that she loves the children, but she also needs to do her outdoor things. Do you have any children, Miss Ramsey?"

"No, I don't. How about you?"

"Yes, I have a son and a daughter, both grown up and moved away now, I'm afraid. One lives in Florida and the other lives in Rhode Island. A weekly phone call is my only connection, except for the bi-annual visits. It's been a real pleasure to sit for Sharon. The girls are both wonderful. I've never seen such happy babies. My own were a nightmare sometimes," she said smiling. "One always seemed to have a toy that the other wanted to play with. Sometimes I felt more like a referee than a mother."

"I'll bet that they're the best of friends now."

"They don't fight anymore, but I wouldn't say the best of friends. I would just say they have a nice, close, brother/sister relationship, but it's not like the relationship that two brothers or two sisters can develop."

"I think I know what you mean," I said, thinking about how Carol and I had grown so much closer after my 'change'."

I stayed at the house until almost four in the afternoon. I helped Mrs. Bradley feed the twins at lunchtime and put them down to nap afterwards. It was a nice visit and Mrs. Bradley invited me back anytime I wanted to come. I let Des drive us back to the estate.

*****

The next morning I traveled back down to LA for my regular doctor's appointment. I was almost out of medicine and Dr. Roman always required me to have a complete examination before he'd issue a new prescription.

Dr. Roman greeted me when he entered the examination room and we got right down to business. I had already disrobed.

After the exam was complete he said, "When did you intend to complete your transition? You've been in this halfway state for quite a while. I think that it's time to proceed. You've been legal age for more than a year now."

"I've been content to stay as I am."

"But your present condition prevents you from having any kind of a normal sex life. Once you have the final operation, you'll be able to function as a young woman, and you'll finally be able to enjoy the pleasures of sex."

"I haven't really missed having a sex life. I've been too busy with my career. Also, I'm not sure if I should fully transition. For a long time I've thought of returning to my male gender."

A concerned look came over Doctor Roman's face. "Crystal, I told you once that you couldn't father children, and I was of the understanding that you intended to fully transition to female once you reached the proper age. It's good that you sort out your feelings before transitioning, but if I had thought that you might want to remain as a male, I wouldn't have performed the procedure."

"Why not, Doctor Roman?"

"Well… you've been this way for so long now that I don't think you could ever expect to have your male genitalia function properly again. Your testicles probably won't drop now. That's usually the case after they've been pushed back up into the body cavity for several months, and it's been a lot longer for you. Your penis was very small to begin with and I'm sure that it's shrunk considerably since the procedure."

"Then you're saying that I can't return to being a male?"

"No, not can't, exactly. We can construct a new penis for you, if necessary, but it will never be the same as a normal penis. I think that you should give serious thought to continuing with your original plan, and have the final surgery to make you fully female, but the decision is yours. In any case, you should decide before the new prescription runs out. That will give you a little more than six months. You can't remain as you are now, halfway between two worlds."

I thought about Dr. Roman's words all the way back to the estate. Since Des had driven me down, I was able to ignore the traffic and concentrate on my problem. I was still contractually obligated to do a third part of Open Spaces, and I had originally intended to change back to being a male once the three parts were done. Even with the cost of maintaining the estate, money shouldn't ever be a problem again, so I could end my career at that point. And with retirement, the threat from fanatic fans should slowly diminish until people didn't even remember who I was. I could even rejoin normal society again. As Cary, I would be further hidden from fans that wouldn't be able to make the association. I just had to wait until the third picture in the Open Spaces trilogy had been completed.

*****

I reported to the television studio on Monday morning and was escorted to my dressing room. Compared to the first dressing room that I had had on 'Oliver on Board', this one was palatial. A large fruit basket and a glass bowl filled with candy sat on the coffee table, and the small refrigerator was well stocked with bottled water, soda, and fruit drinks.

Des positioned himself outside my door as I made a cup of tea using the coffee maker to boil the water. Then I sat down and went through the script once again. I was interrupted in my reading by a knock at the door. I said, "Come in" as I stood up.

Oliver came bounding into the room as soon as the door opened. "Crystal, you're here! Welcome, I was beginning to think that you wouldn't be able to make it. I heard about your next movie."

"We don't start on that until next week. I told them before I signed that I was going to guest on your show before I started the new movie."

"I'm glad." Looking at his watch he said, "Hey, come on. The meeting to go over this week's script is almost ready to start."

I told Des that it was okay for him to either wait in my dressing room, or leave and come back later, since I wouldn't be leaving the studio for hours. Oliver and I walked to the conference room together, and I was introduced to the other regulars, the writers, and the director. The director spoke about the episode for a while, and then the head writer talked about it. When he finished, we started reading through it and discussing the various scenes.

At lunchtime, I ate with Oliver in his dressing room. We talked about our lives and our careers and I invited him to come up to the estate sometime. He said that he'd love to see my new house.

After lunch, we continued working in the conference room.

*****

On Tuesday we began rehearsals on the set. We would spend two days rehearsing before starting to shoot the episode on Thursday.

*****

We spent all day Thursday and Friday shooting the weekly show. It was fun working with Oliver again and I felt welcome by the cast. I wasn't a threat to anyone since I would be gone in a few days, so everyone could be comfortable around me. On Friday afternoon we finished the shooting by doing several promos for the episode, and I went around and said goodbye to everyone, telling them how much I had enjoyed working with them. I told Oliver that I'd call him when I got back from the movie set so that he could come up for a visit. I kissed him goodbye before I left with Des.

*****

I had two days to relax before starting the new movie. I swam each morning and studied the script for the rest of each day, but it was still relaxing since I did most of it in the back yard.

*****

On Monday morning, Des drove me to the studio where the movie was to be filmed. It took almost two hours to get there in the early morning commuter traffic. I would have to make a decision as to whether I should continue commuting each day, or stay at the condo during the workweek. The condo was only 15 minutes from the studio.

A production assistant greeted me as soon as Des had parked the car in the assigned spot, and we had gotten out. She identified herself as Denise and escorted us to my dressing room. Des took up his customary position outside the door as I went inside to relax and wait to be called.

Denise came back to get me about 30 minutes later. I had made a pot of tea and was studying the script when she arrived. Des and I followed her to a conference room, where about a dozen people were already seated. I didn't know anyone in the group, but was spared any awkwardness by an older gentleman who got up and introduced himself.

"Miss Ramsey, welcome to our little group. I'm Stuart Carstairs, the Third. I'm to play the role of Julian, your father, in our upcoming endeavor. I must say that you're even prettier in person. I've been a fan of yours since I saw 'A Promise of Spring' and I'm delighted to be working with you."

"Thank you, Mr. Carstairs. I'm delighted to meet you and I shall look forward to working with you as well."

"Allow me to introduce you to our fellow cast members." Mr. Carstairs knew the real names, and movie names, of everyone, despite having just met most of them himself within the past half-hour. Each nodded to me as he called out their name.

I took a seat and got into a conversation with Mr. Carstairs and a couple of other cast members as everyone went back to the conversations that they were having when I entered. Two more cast members joined us and Mr. Carstairs again handled the introductions.

About twenty minutes later, four men and two women, who entered as a group, joined us. The man, who led the group into the room, immediately identified himself.

"Good morning everyone. You all know me, except for Miss Ramsey, who was filming 'Princess to the Mob' up in Canada while we were casting this movie. Miss Ramsey, I'm Paul Banister, the director for this production."

"How do you do, Mr. Banister. I know you by reputation, of course. I'm pleased to meet you."

"Thank you, and I'm very pleased to meet you and to welcome you to the set. These people with me are our screenwriters, my assistant directors, and my assistant." Mr. Banister introduced each one before continuing. "You all have a copy of the script and I'm sure that you all have your part down by now, so, just to keep you on your toes, we have a few pages of changes for you." He stopped to smile. "As your schedule says, we'll rehearse here for the next few weeks, then head up to Oregon to do some outdoor shooting while the weather is right. Only those involved in the scenes will have to travel with us. We'll return here after the outdoor work is done and continue shooting until all the studio work is finished. Then we'll go back to Oregon to shoot the exterior scenes that show the climate changes. We should have plenty of snow in the elevations by December. Now, lets get to work."

We started reading through the script. Mr. Bannister gave us his view of each scene. As we reached a place where changes had been made, we were given a colored page to replace the original. It took us until lunchtime just to get through the first 30 pages.

Denise was waiting in the hall as we left the room to go to lunch. She fell in beside me. "Miss Ramsey, can I get you something from the studio cafeteria?"

"No thank you, Denise. I'll go over on my own. Would you like to join me?"

"I'd love to, but I have too much to do right now. Another day, perhaps?"

"Of, course."

Mr. Carstairs stepped next to me and said, "I would be honored to have lunch with you, Miss Ramsey, if I might?"

"Of course, Mr. Carstairs."

"Call me Stu, please."

"Okay, Stu. Call me Crystal."

Stuart knew the way to the cafeteria so we didn't have to stop for directions. Along the way I learned about his career. He had entered show business late, having spent a number of years working his way up to become the manager of a grocery store chain. "I needed a change," he said. "People are getting more demanding and less civil every year. When I reached a point where I begin to fantasize about throwing some of the customers through the plate glass windows at the front of the store, I knew that it was time to get out. I'm not really a violent person, and I was afraid of the feelings that I was having as old women screamed at me because the price of lettuce had gone up 5 cents. One day, when a woman returned an empty box of cookies, and loudly demanded a refund because they tasted 'funny', I knew that I had reached my breaking point. When I asked her why the box was empty, she said that she kept eating the cookies to see if any of them were okay. I took off my ID badge, tossed the store keys to the clerk at the refund counter, and left the store. I never went back."

"And are you happier now?"

"Unquestionably."

"I'm glad."

"Thank you. You've had an interesting career yourself, made so because of its brevity."

"I've been lucky."

"Luck is a very real part of our profession. Getting the right vehicle at the right time makes all the difference in the world, but it's the acting skill that enables you to take advantage of the opportunity. If you didn't have that ability, you wouldn't have received two Academy nominations, no matter how lucky you were."

"That's a very nice compliment, thank you."

"You're welcome. And may I offer you a small bit of advice?"

"Yes…" I said tentatively.

"Don't eat the meatloaf here."

We had reached the cafeteria, and I smiled and thanked him for the advice. A couple of the others, who had taken a different route, had arrived before us and they invited us to join them. We sat down and spent our lunch hour learning about each other.

The rest of the afternoon was spent working on the first read through. At the rate that we were going, it appeared that it would take several days, if not the entire week to get through the script this way.

We finished up a little after 5 o'clock and headed home. It took over an hour and a half to get there in the rush-hour commuter traffic.

*****

It did take almost the entire week to get through the first read, but by the time that we were finished, we understood Mr. Banister's vision of how the movie should look. Mr. Banister had taken up Mr. Landois' habit of calling me Princess. I didn't know if it was because that nickname had been following me around since my early days on 'Oliver on Board' or because of my recent role in 'Princess to the Mob'. I guess that it didn't make much difference, and I didn't mind the nickname.

The screenwriters had done a pretty good job of remaining faithful to the book. The book was a story about two lovers, kept apart by circumstances beyond their control. It was sort of a modern Romeo and Juliet epic, and I was playing the part of Juliet, or in this story, Cassie, short for Cassiopeia. Romeo, or in this instance, Roger, was being played by Alan Harrison. Unlike the story written by Mr. Shakespeare, the parts were not evenly divided. An overwhelming number of lines were devoted to my character. Also, the story didn't end in mutual suicides.

After three days of commuting four hours each day, I decided to move to the condo. Beginning next week, I would stay there from Sunday evening through Thursday evening, returning to the estate after shooting was done on Friday. Both Des and Mrs. McGuire would accompany me to the condo each week. It was fortunate that we had gotten one with three bedrooms.

 

(continued in Chapter 60)

This episode is dedicated to Debbie Cybill, who passed away while convalescing following surgery to correct a blood flow problem. Debbie was one of my regular editors for this series and is responsible for having made it a more enjoyable story for my readers.

I want to express my grateful appreciation to Lynn Jennings, Kim Em, and Pax Vobiscum for their very helpful suggestions, and proofreading services.

 

 

 

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© 1999 by Crystal Sprite. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.
Anyone wishing to make comments is welcome to e-mail me at crystal@storysite.org