The Principle Of Chance (4 page)

Eva was sixteen and she was
expecting a baby. There was no chance that she could marry the father of the
baby, Daniel Darvas, who was the son of the richest man in the village. She was
in trouble; bringing the baby up by herself would be hard. To live in the
village in shame was unheard of. Frank’s efforts to find out how she became
pregnant were wasted. Eva refused to say what had happened. Frank hoped it was
Eva’s choice and not Daniel’s ruthless character. He tried to convince Eva to
travel to America with him, but she didn’t want to leave. It came as a surprise
when Jani, Frank’s best friend, offered to marry Eva to save her reputation and
provide her with a future. Frank didn’t want Eva to be unhappy so he dismissed
the offer but shocking everyone, his sister agreed to the marriage. Jani had
land and a house. She will be looked after... Everything had quickly been
arranged and Frank left his homeland behind for the unknown.

Eva missed him greatly but Jani was
a good husband who provided everything she needed. Some months later she gave
birth to a baby boy called Louie.

They only heard from Frank once when
a postcard arrived from New York. He said he was fine living in New York and will
write. However the war made it difficult to get any correspondence and Jani and
Eva had to move around the country to stay safe.

His sister taken care of, Frank
began his journey. He had been travelling for weeks when he finally reached
England and boarded a ship heading for New York. When Frank had arrived in New
York and received the all clear from customs, he wasted no time in looking
around. There were thousands of men like him – looking for a job and a home. He
needed to be quicker if he wanted to get some work.

Frank found New York filled with
people, grey and cold. He took any job that came his way but it wasn’t enough.
He slept in passageways as many other men did. One cold night, shivering under
a thin blanket, he overheard a couple of his countrymen talking about
Hollywood. There were jobs in the movies, they said, and blue sky, sunshine and
the ocean.

The next day Frank was on his way to
Hollywood, but when he arrived on a sunny day, he discovered there weren’t many
jobs around but he couldn’t give up. Advertising posters of movies were
everywhere. When he asked why there were so many, he was told the movie
business was doing well. There must be jobs then, he thought.

He regularly stood in line for work
to get a job in the big studios and eventually he managed to get on one of the
movie sets. Frank was learning the language very quickly. The studio he worked
for provided English classes as there were many Europeans arriving in America
every day; the lovely chorus and dancing girls were the best teachers. Not many
resisted Frank’s piercing black eyes. He wasn’t interested much in women -
first, he wanted to make money. He worked as much as he could late into the
night. There wasn’t anything Frank wouldn’t do, he helped wherever he could. He
worked with the lighting people, carpenters, sound and catering. After a year,
he got a job in the production team where Frank met a talented director, Jim
Wellsenry, a kind, easy-going man. Jim was much liked on set. He was directing
a light-hearted comedy when he observed Frank’s eagerness to learn. The two men
formed a two-year friendship until Jim died suddenly of a heart attack.

Jim taught Frank everything about
movies. The two of them worked well together producing and directing movies.
When Jim died, Frank was surprised to discover that Jim had left him some money
with instructions to spend it on buying his own studio. Frank never questioned
his will, he set up Orban Studios in just a few months, he was only young but
he had plans!

Chapter Four

Jack was on his way to Nonna’s, one
of his favourite restaurants, where he loved the food. Nonna’s was a place to
be seen, even so it was an ordinary restaurant. It had been a family business
for generations and Jack of course, knew the whole family. He could arrive
anytime and he always had his table waiting for him. It was a traditional
Italian restaurant with an open kitchen and small, round tables covered with
checked tablecloths. The food was exceptional!

Jack arrived in style and as usual,
heads turned as he walked passed. A young waiter greeted him, rushing to get
his favourite drink.

Justin saw Jack from his corner
table.

‘Working?’ Jack pulled up a chair
next to him. ‘People come here to eat kid!’

‘I was but there’s too much movement
in here, it’s difficult to concentrate.’ Justin said as he noticed a one-time
actress making an embarrassing attempt to grab the attention of a happening
young director, but the guy didn’t seem interested.

‘You got that right! Way too much
going on.’ Jack received his whisky from a waiter.

Justin closed his laptop and placed
it into its case. ‘Do you want to wait or are you ready to order?’ Justin
asked.

‘Where is the menu?’ Jack was
looking around the place. He didn’t care about the menu, but he needed to check
out the girls.

‘No, I didn’t think you wanted to
wait.’ Justin offered the menu to Jack, fully aware of what Jack was up to.

‘Look here; I don’t have to watch my
waistline and I love to eat.’ Jack said, recognising a tall blonde.

‘Nothing can come between Jack Harvey
and his food!’ Justin waved to a waitress who appeared immediately by their
table.

While Jack discussed the menu with
the girl, and of course her family’s health, Justin searched the people in the
busy restaurant. He saw a young ‘just made it’ group of guys entering the
restaurant. What were they, sixteen? Justin had met the producer who had signed
them, who actually handpicked them for a band. The guys were good singers but
failed to impress singing on their own. Therefore, the producer created a group
– to make himself a load of money! The guys would sing what other people wrote
for them, would do what other people planned for them and would wear the image
others created for them. Just to be famous!

Justin was aware of the business inside
out and the dirty tricks of the trade, although, his company wasn’t
that
kind of a label. He also handpicked the people he wanted to sign, but he
selected his artists carefully for the sake of their music, not to make
megabucks for himself.

****

Justin Blakes was thirty eight years
old, tall, athletically built with sparkling blue eyes and midnight black hair.
A Hollywood kid, whose parents had split up when he was a teenager. They had
given him a large amount of money, to spend as he liked.

Justin was into music so he decided
to look around and see what he could do with some capital in the music
business. Everyone knew there were a lot of struggling singers and bands
around, desperate to make it big. Justin set up a music studio and employed a
couple of people. He spent his nights in shady nightclubs and bars searching
for gifted musicians - there was talent around and he could spot talent.

He began to offer contracts to
struggling bands and singers. It was a gamble but for Justin it paid off and
today he had big names on his label, The Room.

Justin’s name was known in the music
business and unwillingly he got involved with unhealthy competitors. He started
to see the nasty side of the business and he didn’t want to be associated with
it anymore. His company was doing well, making enough money; he paid his guys
well and kept away from pushy agents and talentless wannabe singers. Justin
signed people because he believed in their talent, not because he thought they
would make him money.

The big talent shows weren’t for him
and he could talk about offers he’d received to take part. ‘Imagine the money
you will make!’ - was the usual closing line. He didn’t want to make money; he
had as much as he needed.

Now, he wanted to sell up, to get
out of this nasty business that music was turning into. He had an offer already
and soon he will have nothing to do with it anymore.

‘What are you having Justin?’ He
heard Jack asking him.

‘I’ll have the same as you, whatever
it is.’ Justin said without thinking.

‘Steak?’

‘Sounds good!’

‘By the way, you heard from Frank?’
Jack asked eagerly.

‘He's on his way here.’

Jack got up. ‘Excuse me; I’ve
spotted a beautiful young girl ….’ With that he walked off.

There he goes, Justin thought. How
Jack managed to keep up with his love life, he had no idea.

****

Amy and Ed were seated in Nonna’s by
a window overlooking the busy street. Ed was ordering drinks, and the paparazzi
waited outside. Nonna’s was a restaurant usually sheltered from photographers. Nevertheless,
today the paparazzi were waiting outside for that famous face.

‘What a great place don’t you
think?’ Ed asked, obviously pleased with himself.

‘Yeah, very nice.’ Amy replied.

‘Very nice?’ Ed couldn’t believe Amy
wasn’t falling over herself to be here.

‘I am not into star spotting.’ She
announced.

‘It takes a lot to impress you Amy.’

‘It does!’ She was on the verge of
standing up to leave.

Ed started talking about his
business success. Amy
needed
to know how much money he had made so far.
He also proceeded to share with her his knowledge of famous people and
their
secrets.

‘You must be impressed babe? I tell
you, I see the things people don’t want anyone to know.’

What an idiot! Amy was about to give
him a full-on snappy answer, when Jack Harvey materialised out of nowhere.

Ed jumped up to greet him. ‘Jack,
great to see you.’ He was rushing to shake his hand.

Jack ignored him and his
outstretched hand. ‘Good evening.’ He directed his full attention at Amy.

Amy looked up with a smile on her
face. ‘Nice to meet you
in person,
Mr Harvey.’ She responded.

‘The pleasure is all mine, I can
assure you.’ Jack reached out for Amy’s hand. ‘Such loveliness ….’ He
whispered, holding her hand and staring directly into Amy’s eyes.

Justin, observing from his table,
recognised the signs; Jack wanted to make a move for that girl, but Justin also
knew Ed, who wasn’t a guy to get involved with.

Ed wasn’t taking any notice of the
fact that Jack had failed to acknowledge him.

‘Can I do anything for you Jack?’ Ed
asked readily.

‘Introduce me to this dazzling
girl.’ Jack responded.

‘This is Amy, my girlfriend.’ Ed was
desperately trying to sound authoritative.

‘Ed?’ Amy questioned, but he wasn’t
listening to her.

Before Jack could reply, he felt a
hand on his shoulder. There was Justin standing next to him.

‘Frank is here Jack.’ Justin
informed him.

Nothing fazed Jack when he was on a
hunt. ‘Justin, let me introduce you to Amy.’ Jack said.

‘My girlfriend Amy.’ Ed added
quickly. He wondered what was going on here. Jack Harvey and Justin Blakes were
falling over themselves to get an introduction.

Ed knew that Justin was looking for
a house but he’d been told that the offers he’d sent to his agent, were
unsuitable.

‘Have you found a house yet Justin?’
Ed asked.

Justin stared at him for a moment.
‘I have.’ He said sharply.

‘Anything I can do?’ Ed pushed on.

‘I don’t think so.’ He turned to
Amy. ‘Great to meet you Miss Ronay.’ He said softly, looking into her blue
eyes.

‘You know Amy?’ Jack was surprised.

Justin smiled at Amy. ‘No, I can’t
say I do, but I enjoyed the write up about you in Society magazine.’ She was
undeniably attractive and she had class. What was she doing with Ed; he
wondered.

‘I would love to return the
compliment but I don’t actually know you, Justin.’ Amy noticed that people were
watching them. ‘In fact, I can see many people here who know who you are.’

‘She’s very smart!’ Justin remarked.

Ed had no idea Amy’s name was Ronay,
he didn’t need to know that minor detail. His cell buzzed and he had to take a
call! Damn all phones! Just when it was getting interesting.

Ed excused himself. Nobody paid him
any attention.

Justin remembered his manners and
introduced himself to Amy. ‘I am Justin Blakes. There isn’t anything exciting
about me that you could compliment on.’ He said with a boyish grin.

Amy felt a twinge of excitement
running through her body. She looked up, into his tanned face, and then the
unthinkable happened! The butterflies arrived in full force, dancing in her
stomach.