All My Tomorrows (9 page)

“Cut. Print. That’s a rap!” Buzz.

Thank God – it’s finally over
. The last
week on set had been miserable. Eileen had gone to New Orleans the week before,
and Alice missed her already. Giselle moped around the set every day, which did
not help the on-air chemistry between Sienna and Raife. Although she did miss
the attention and the fun of flirting, Alice figured cooling it with Rich made
the disappearance of Jack at least a little easier on Giselle. In fact,
off-screen Rich had offered a shoulder for Giselle to cry on much like Raife
did for Sienna.

Hmmm
. Giselle and Rich walked off the set
together, and she definitely smiled up at him.
Perhaps Rich has decided not
to wait for me after all. Oh, well
. She could hardly blame him. A beautiful
actress and a handsome actor naturally gravitate toward one another –
especially when they were playing lovers on screen.

Mr. Peacock broke her from her reverie. “Alice, we
need to talk.”

Ah, my second favorite five words.
“What is
it?”

He handed her a thick stack of legal-sized paper.
Perusing the top sheet, only the names of the network executives and Peter
Walsingham made any sense.

“What is this?” she asked.

“Peter’s attorneys have been at it with the execs.
Peter is suing us.”

“For what?”

“So he doesn’t have to come back to
All My
Tomorrows.
”

All the blood rushed out of her face, causing a
chill and a wave of nausea.  “I can’t believe it.” She handed him back the
papers.

“Believe it. At the very least, he will not be
back in September. The judge has granted his motion not to return until his
court date. The network attorneys said then he could request a continuance, and
this could drag out for months and he still wouldn’t come back.”

Her shock gave way to anger.  Her heart raced and
her eyes burned. “That son of a bitch.”

“I’m sorry, Alice. I must admit, you were right to
cut his romance with Sienna.”

“That son of a bitch!”

“I know you and your team have mapped out a story
arc for him.”

“I’ll kill him. I swear to God, if I ever lay eyes
on Peter Walsingham again, I’m going to kill him! And here he offers to host
this congratulatory party for saving the show when he is putting the final nail
in its coffin!”

“Well, we don’t know when this was decided. He
might have thought –”

“Oh, no. I have every reason to believe that, even
that night, he had no intention of seeing any of us again.”

She marched into her office and slammed the door
but with such force that it bounced back open, giving her the pleasure of
slamming it again. And then she roared at the top of her lungs.

Alice had calmed down, for the most part, as she
walked through the soundstage for the last time for a month. Rich’s presence
near the exit startled her.

“What are you still doing here?” she asked.

“Waiting for you.”

“I guess you’ve heard.”

“About Peter? Well, I can’t say I’m sorry – or
even surprised. He thinks he is too good for this.”

“This could be the end. It’s a good thing we have
the Olympics. Our ratings can’t decline if we’re not on the air.”

He smiled then and stepped forward. He lifted his
hand to her face and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Alice, I know we said we
would wait until September, but have dinner with me tonight, just once before
you leave.”

His words and his thumb rubbing her cheek confused
her. “I thought you and Giselle were getting close.”

“No, of course not. We’re just friends. She’s been
so upset over this break-up, I’ve been like a brother to her.”

“But –”

“I’ve been keeping my distance because you asked
me to, but I’ve hated it. C’mon. Dinner.”

Tempting. Very tempting
. Now she couldn’t
even remember why she had decided to go to New Orleans in the first place. She
closed her eyes and leaned against his hand.
Oh, this could be very nice.

“Urrg,” she groaned and opened her eyes. “I wish I
could. Believe me, I really do. Unfortunately, I have a six a.m. flight
tomorrow, which means I have to be at the airport by four, and I haven’t even
finished packing.”

He nodded and moved his hand to the back of her
head. “Then a kiss goodbye?”

She dropped her purse and book and wrapped her arms
around his neck and stepped into the kiss, willingly opening her mouth to him,
welcoming his tongue and pressing her lips tight against his. And it was…nice.

CHAPTER
8

The Edge
of Darkness

Chapter
17

I was extremely hesitant to read the reviews the morning
after opening night. Actually, because of the cast party the night before,
which lasted until dawn, I didn’t see the morning paper until two in the
afternoon. This was my first review, and, not being one to take criticism well,
I was reluctant to read it. I kept telling myself, even the best get bad
reviews in the preface of their careers.

The article read,
Last night I was treated – and I
use the term loosely – to what might be considered a mixture of vaudeville and
war protests.
I put the paper down. I picked it up. Curiosity might have
killed the cat, but satisfaction revived him.
This version of Gypsy, as seen
through the eyes of producer/director Melvin Patrick, makes one think Nixon
wasn’t that bad after all…The choreography was so bad, even the strippers were
off beat…The lines were delivered with such monotone, it made me wonder if Rose
were Camille.
I put the paper down and drown this cat in coffee.

The doorbell rang. Frank Wilson, a farmboy in the cast
who had been asking me out since the night of auditions, though I persistently
declined, rushed in. “Hey! Congratulations!”

“Have you no respect for the dead? How dare you be so
cheerful!”

“Oh, you’re just hung-over. Wait ‘til you’ve read the
reviews.”

“I have. That’s why I’m in mourning.”

“Mourning? You should be celebrating!  This could be
the best thing ever to happen in your career.”

“Oh, yeah, bad reviews are like having one foot in the
door.”

“I thought you said you read it.” He took the paper
and opened it to the column.

“I did. We’re worse than Watergate.”

“You obviously didn’t finish the article.” He read,
“‘The lines were delivered with such monotone, it made me wonder if Rose were
Camille.’”

“I’ve already heard it. Why rub salt into open
wounds?”

“‘But,’” he continued, “‘in spite of Rose’s death,
Gypsy
was full of life and spirit.’”

I stood up. “What?”

“‘The young actress Alex Hollingsworth made the entire
play worthwhile just to see this new talent. And talented she is. Never before
have I seen an actress who made me believe she was actually portraying herself.
I hope we will see a lot more of Alex in the future, with or without clothes.’”
I just stared in disbelief with my mouth hanging open.

Despite my good reviews, the play closed after the
second performance drew an exceptionally small audience. So on I pursued my
dream of acting, having little experience and one good review. Although I
auditioned for Broadway shows, I would only be offered a part in the chorus,
and I preferred an actual role on a smaller stage.

I auditioned for
Hair
off Broadway and got the
part of Sheila – taking off even more clothes – receiving reviews similar to
those of
Gypsy
. This time, however, the play finished its full run.

Next I was cast as Janet in
The Rocky Horror Show
.
I had not had that much fun with a cast since I was in high school with
Godspell
. 
On closing night, as I sang “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me,” I spotted
the duke in the audience smiling at me. I winked at him without missing a note,
then ripped off my bra.

After the curtain call, I went to my dressing room and
found it filled with red roses, all from Robert, who was sitting in my room.

“I told you I would be back for you.”

“Has it been a year already?” I tried to play Miss
Cool – I knew exactly how long it had been – and sat at my dressing table
brushing my hair. Then I saw in the mirror I still only had on a corset, and I
was completely exposed on top. I went behind the screen and took off the corset
and put on a robe.

He walked up to me. “It has been the longest year of
my life.” He took me in his arms and held me close. “And I still love you.”

I tried to resist at first, but then I gave in to my
feelings and put my arms around him, too. I wasn’t in love with him, but I
loved the fact that he was so in love with me.

“Please come back with me.”

I stepped back out of the embrace. “I can’t. I’m going
to be in
Jesus Christ Superstar
. Rehearsals begin next week. I have the
role of Mary Magdalene.”

“You cannot mean to send me away again.”

I looked into his eyes and saw such pain, all the pain
I had put there, and remembered seeing that look in Tony’s eyes. “No. Never.
After this play, I will go back with you. It will only be three short months. I
promise.”

He ran his hand down my face and neck to the opening
of my robe and brought his mouth close to mine. “How long must I wait until I
can have you?”

I could feel the blood rushing to my face, and I
looked away.

He pulled my robe together and pulled me to him. “Are
you still my sweet, innocent Virginia girl?” I nodded. I could understand why he
might not believe it, considering how he had seen me on stage. “Then I will
wait for you.” He kissed me. As aggressive as he acted, I expected him to kiss
me hard, but he didn’t. Instead the kiss was full of love and longing.

As promised, after the run of the play, I went with
Robert to England. I hadn’t told Mother of my plans because I was afraid she
would try to keep me from going. Perhaps down deep, I still had some hope she
would hear from Tony, and if so, I didn’t want him thinking I was leaving him
to be with another man. If he had come back, I would have broken my promise to
Robert in a heartbeat and run back into Tony’s arms.

The day we got to London, I called Mother to let her
know where I was.

“My children certainly are full of surprises.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tony has crawled out of the woodwork. I just found
out he is running for state senate.”

I fainted. It was that simple. I was standing at the
payphone at Heathrow Airport, and when she made this announcement, I passed out
in Robert’s arms.

The doctor at the hospital said it was jetlag, but I
knew the truth, though I couldn’t tell anyone. After all this time waiting for
any word from him, two years after he disappeared, I leave the country to start
a new chapter in my life, and he resurfaces running for public office.

☼

“How are you?” Eileen squealed like a ninth-grader
when she opened her hotel door and found Alice on the other side.

“I’m HOT! How do you think I am? I went from the
air conditioned airport to the air conditioned cab to the air conditioned
hotel, and I am still drenched. I feel like I am swimming here – and look at my
hair!”

Alice’s hair had curled in the humidity, and
Eileen pulled down one ringlet and laughed as it bounced back. “I know women
who would kill for those curls. So you’ve been to your room?”

“Yeah, it’s on the next floor up. I like we’re so
close to Bourbon Street! I hope you have time to hit the bars and don’t need me
to be running lines with you all the time.”

“Hardly! I have several scenes but not many
lines.  They’ve changed the role now from ‘old hag’ to ‘voodoo woman.’”  They
laughed together, but then the smile fell from Eileen’s face.  “Alice, I need
to talk to you about something.”

Uh-oh. How many words was that?
“That
doesn’t sound good.” They sat down on the bed.

“It’s about Peter. He’s here.”

“What.” Definitely a statement of disbelief and
not a question.

“He told me not to say anything, but he’s the one
who helped me get this role.”

“What!” Alice jumped off the bed and gaped at
Eileen.

“I had been telling him how I wanted to be a character
actor, and he got me the audition. I couldn’t tell you it was on his film
without you figuring it out. I had no idea he was suing the network, and I
didn’t think he would be here the same time as you. Do you hate me?”

“Hate you?
Au contraire
. This is perfect!
I’m going to kill him!”

Eileen stood and took her friend’s arm. “No, no.
Please don’t. At least not until after production. I don’t want to lose this
part. There’s no reason for you to even see each other. He never goes out with
us, and he and I only have a few scenes together.”

Alice rubbed her eye and temple. “Oh, don’t worry.
I would never do anything to jeopardize your career. But if I’m still here when
the film wraps, you better believe he’s going to get it.”

Alice’s stay in New Orleans fell into an easy
routine of eating too much rich food, partying all night with the cast and
crew, drinking far too many cocktails, and being too hot and miserable during
the day to move any faster than a slug.  It was perfection. Plus, all of
Eileen’s scenes had been filmed in the French Quarter while Peter filmed at a
plantation house up river, so she had not even seen him.

She heard about him, though. Eileen had become
fast friends with Evan, the flamboyant costume designer on the film, and he
loved gossip. His latest scoop was the torrid love affair between Peter and
Cleo Crandell, the young lead actress in the film.

“There is no doubt,” he told them as he held
various dresses up to Eileen with Alice sitting near, watching. “They are
definitely doing the nasty. That’s why they never come out of that hotel.”

“Maybe they are trying to stay cool,” Alice said.

“Uh-uh. Two nights in a row, they have holed up in
his suite and had romantic dinners brought in.”

“Ha! Poor Winnie.”

“I do feel sorry for Winnie,” Eileen said. “You
know this is going to hit the tabloids. I wonder why she didn’t come down with
him.”

“I think
COD
is back in production. I don’t
feel sorry for her. She’s getting a taste of her own medicine after splitting
up Peter’s marriage.  My mother always said, ‘Once a cheater, always a
cheater.’”

“You know that’s right,” Evan said.

“Well, we have our first scene together tomorrow,”
Eileen said. “What’re you going to do? Would you rather he not know you’re
here?”

“Who? Peter?” asked Evan. “He already knows Alice
is here.”

“What?” Eileen and Alice asked together.

“Mmm-hmm. The others were talking about how you
have been going out every night, and he asked if they were talking about Alice
McGillicutty.”

Alice rolled her eyes. “Great. I can only imagine
what he had to say about me.”

“Actually, the only thing I heard him say was that
he hoped you were being careful. Waaait…Did you two…?”

“What? No. Oh no. Ours was a professional
relationship that did not end well.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem to have held a grudge.”

“He has no reason to! He is the offending party
here.”

“So what about it?” Eileen asked. “Are you coming
on the set with me tomorrow or not?”

“I have no reason to avoid him. If he feels
uncomfortable having me there with this lawsuit hanging over our heads, it
serves him right.”

Alice stood back at a discrete distance as the
actors rehearsed the scene. She couldn’t help but laugh to herself at the
travesty of a production. The leading lady’s inability to act did nothing to
aid the preposterous dialog.
And he had the audacity to ridicule our
scripts!
From Peter’s weary face and defeated posture, she suspected he
held the same opinion.
Or maybe he’s just hot.

Peter, Cleo, and the director were discussing the
blocking when Peter said, “What if, right after that, she turns around with her
back to me so we are both on camera. Then my reaction to her lines will be more
ominous as I come up behind her.”

Alice burst out laughing and, even covering her
mouth with her hands, could not control herself. Peter straightened and faced
her, his intense gaze squelching her laughter. He said something to the
director, who then called for lunch, then strode directly toward her as her
eyes widened at his approach.

“You find something amusing, Miss McGillicutty?”

“That’s soap opera blocking!” she said with an
incredulous grin.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What you just suggested to the director – you got
that from us!”

He didn’t refute it. “How…how have you been?”

The memory of their last meeting rushed through her,
and her face heated with the awareness of that encounter.

“I heard you were here,” he said when she didn’t
answer.

“I thought you were filming in Toronto.”

“We did for a month, then production moved here.”

“If I had known you were here…”

He finished her thought. “You wouldn’t have come.”

His eyes held her in place with the force of
gravity, and a curious lump formed in her throat. For a moment, one brief
moment, she forgot why she hated him – his arrogance, his vanity, his
concupiscence – but then Cleo’s voice rang out calling his name and popped the
bubble that had surrounded them.

“Just a minute,” Peter called out.

Alice shook her head to clear the dizziness.
“Peter, this movie.”

“I know.”

“The dialog.”

“I know.”

“And vampires in Louisiana? How original.”

“I signed on when, well, things were different. 
More as a favor for a friend.”