Idolized (Hollywood Stardust Book 3) (36 page)

(Stands up straight, goes to ROXY and takes her bag.)

Are you ready to go home?

ROXY

I’m ready to get back on set.  That’s what you really wanted to know.

STEVEN

While I want you back on set, I wanted to know if you’re ready to go home.

ROXY

What are you ready for?

STEVEN lifts his chin.

ROXY

(Takes her bag back)

I’m ready to get back on set.

(She gives STEVEN’S GRANDMOTHER a kiss then walks away.)

STEVEN’S GRANDMOTHER

Don’t be afraid of losing.

STEVEN

Maybe I lost it already.

(He follows ROXY.)

Chapter Seventeen

BACK IN THE DAY, when Cora did her own coding and could sit for hours plunking away at a computer, everyone called her boring.

However, nothing, absolutely nothing, and when she said nothing, she meant nothing, was more horribly boring than being on a movie set.

All the clichés were spot on. Watching grass grow or paint dry or her write code, would be much more interesting than watching a film being made. A strange little plot twist since they were creating something meant to be watched.

Basically, everyone stood around, talked on radios, and complained while they were getting ready to film. When at last they filmed, everyone held their breath for fear of a mistake. If, on the off chance, by some mere stroke of lightning, the actors, the environment, the props, the extras and every other detail passed muster, then they filmed it again. A million takes from different angles, close ups, not close ups, and every other variation one could think of, and then they did some more. She had algorithms that didn’t do that much analyzing.

All this netted them to maybe, possibly but maybe not filming one page of a script per day, and they were thrilled about it.

Cora wanted to put her head through a wall.

The only good thing that happened on the film side of things was the whole monstrosity of people moved into a soundstage, which for some reason, seemed easier than filming outside only because they didn’t have the weather to deal with. In her entire life she never heard so much talk about the weather. They were in Southern California, they didn’t have weather, hadn’t anyone received that memo? Lord knew they had enough paperwork for everything else.

On the other hand, Ryder was spot on when he told her several days ago to watch the story about the director and Alan Smithee unfold. The report morphed from troubles on the set to an epic tale of their love affair, and then suddenly the issue about the directors turned into what she did for her man, and how the movie would reflect the love that all the actors and one producer had for the story.

Dane Ellis even called and said she was doing a great job.

Poor Alan Smithee never had a chance.

Aside from the boredom, there was only one small minor little glitch that needed to be addressed. “Rodger, I need to ask you to do something for me.” With all this time on her hands, she clicked around an auction site. Some more items from
Kiss Me Softly
were up on the auction block, these from the original Broadway cast.

“That’s why I’m here.” Her secretary walked across Ryder’s trailer and sat on the couch next to her.

“This could be classified as a personal question.” Not wanting to make eye contact, she stared at her computer and entered her bids. With the boredom on set, aside from the auctions, she also managed to watch each of the first movies again twice, and read her script of
Hollywood Stardom
. Now there was something missing. Something of vital importance.

“I know the brand of condom you and Ryder use. I’ve purchased stock in the company. I think I can handle anything else.” As he spoke Rodger straightened out her desk.

“Have you read the end of the
Hollywood Stardom
script?” She attempted keep her tone light and casual.

He faced her. “Just ask.”

“Rodger.” She grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. “I need you to use your vast experience and find out what the end of the movie is.”

“I thought you told me that each character was making a case for their own ending.” Rodger’s expression remained completely blank. He would have made an amazing poker player.

“You and I both know Madeline knows the end.” Actually, she didn’t know that, she only prayed Madeline did because Cora was about ready to explode. “You have never failed me, get me the end.”

“I shall bring it to you on a silver platter.” Rodger stood. “Right after I get your afternoon iced coffee. Come on, Spike time for your afternoon ablutions.”

Spike stretched and without question trotted to Rodger.

As he walked away, Rodger typed something on his phone. A peek at his screen showed he already had Madeline’s picture up. The man was magic.

She returned to her computer and clicked on her work email, flinching when one of the new messages came from a sender named starwatcher. As if on automatic, she opened the email.

Beautiful picture. Mr. Scott is lucky to have someone like you. Maybe you should make stargazing your full time profession.

Even more creepy than the strange message was the picture attached of her and Ryder leaving the studio together a few days ago.

Until she went to type a command into her computer, she didn’t realize she was trembling. Ryder told her she needed to get used to the tabloids and the media, but this went beyond. The picture, the words, the feel of the message. What did stargazing mean? Lying on her back looking up at the sky, like dead?

The rush of adrenaline getting the best of her, she jumped up, and dashed toward the exit.

Right before she reached the door, it opened.

At the form in the door, she screamed and grabbed the first thing to meet her hand. She held up Spike’s tablet. “Get away from me!”

“Cora!” Viktor rushed in. “What’s wrong with you?”

Viktor. It was Viktor. The man who was basically her brother. Her heart beat so loud she could barely hear solid reasoning, and she doubled over and tried to breathe.

“What’s going on?” Viktor put his hand on her back and took the tablet away.

Once her trembling subsided enough for her stand up, she took his arm and took him to the computer. “Look.” She motioned toward the screen. “How did they get my email, and how did they get that picture? What does stargazing mean?”

“Let me see.” Viktor held up his hand. “I’ll forward this to me and see what we can find out, but in all likelihood it’s one of Ryder’s fans. Let’s show him, surely he’s dealt with this kind of thing before.”

“No!” she screamed. “Don’t tell him!”

Viktor turned to her. “What’s wrong with you? He’ll know what to do.”

“He doesn’t need to know this,” she shook her head, “he told me I had to get used to it. You know, some fans can get a little overzealous.” She went to the mirror and smoothed her hair down. “I don’t want him focused on this. I’ll sound like one of those women who can’t take care of herself.”

Viktor stood beside her. “Either you have it bad, or you don’t care.”

“What does that mean?” She lifted a bottle of Ryder’s cologne and put it to her nose. Spicy, earthy, musky, it smelled like…it smelled like Ryder.

“Between you preferring to work in Ryder’s trailer, rather than the one we had brought over for the business, and you smelling his cologne, I got my answer.” He plucked the bottle out of her hand.

The sudden need to see Ryder overwhelmed her. “I think I’m going to the set for a while.”

“All right.” Viktor patted her head. “I’m going back to the business trailer to get some things done and see what I can uncover about the email.”

As she walked to the soundstage, she passed Rodger, who presented her with her afternoon pick me up. She gave Spike a scratch and went to the sound stage. The production assistants let her pass, and she took her normal chair now positioned next to the matching one that said Scott.

Ever since her first day on set, she learned to simply sit in her spot and be quiet. Without making any sudden moves, she reached in her pocket and turned off the sound on her phone. She was pretty sure Logan still wasn’t talking to her for that one ring at the beginning of the week.

Since they were still shooting the part of the movie where William and Roxy’s romance took center stage, the set was decorated to look like their home where they brought everyone after the concert. If it weren’t for the equipment and all the people standing around, it would like any other home of two busy professionals.

Ryder and Erin stood in the middle of the room laughing and playing a game of thumb wrestling.

“All right, quiet on the set.” Logan called out.

Cora sat up. Her timing was perfect. They were actually going to do something.

One of the PAs rushed forward with a clapperboard. “William and Roxy kiss take nine.” Just like in any movie about making a movie, he snapped the little contraption.

Wait. Cora bit the inside of her mouth. William and Roxy kiss, not the quick peck in the concert, but a real kiss. Yes, she read it, but sort of forgot about the part that he would actually have to act it out, and apparently, this was the ninth take of it.

She watched as Ryder curled his arms around Erin, one hand went to the back of her head, the other to the small of her back, and he lowered his mouth to hers.

It took every bit of strength Cora possessed to not yell cut. Instead, she shifted in her seat and watched Ryder give Erin a kiss that he was supposed to be giving Cora.