Captive Films: Season One (5 page)

I grab the magazine and my bag and stand up. Kyle gets up too and follows me to my car.
 

“He's still single,” I tell him.
 

“Who?”

I hold up the magazine. “Riley. I have to go.”

“Wait. Are we hooking up?”

“No, I have to go see the movie.”

“By yourself?”

“Yeah.”

“What are you seeing?”
 

“The Keatyn Chronicles Trilogy
.”

“Want some company?”
 

“Do you have six hours to spare?”
 

“Yeah, why not.” He grabs the magazine and sees Riley’s name on the cover. “You know
this
guy?”

“Yeah. That's why I need to see the movie.”

Kyle takes my hand. “There's a movie theater around the block. I’ll warn you. I’m not a cheap date. You have to buy me popcorn.”

I laugh. “I can do that.”

In the movie theater, Kyle happily munches on popcorn and nachos.
 

I send a text to my boss, telling her I need to cancel my appointment and asking her to reschedule it.

As the movie starts, I whisper to Kyle, “My name is Ariela.”

Part way into the movie, actor Riley is in his dorm room telling Keatyn and Dallas how pretty I am. I get to see him talk to Keatyn about how much he likes me. How nervous he is to even text me. I laugh when Keatyn takes his phone and does it for him.
 

And I start crying, later, when he throws me a football with rhinestones that spell out
Homecoming?.

Kyle leans over. “Are you
that
Ariela?”

“Yeah, I am.”

 
I remember getting a document from Captive, allowing them to use my name and likeness in the movie. I quickly signed and returned it, hoping no one would call me about it.

I cry during parts of the movie, but some six hours later when they show photos of the real Keatyn and Aiden, including one from the cast party from
A Day at The Lake 2,
I start bawling.
 

Kyle pats me on the back. “Tell me about all this.”

I spill my guts to this relative stranger who has held my hand through the entire movie.
 

I wipe my tears and say, “And that's it. I walked away and never looked back.”

“Your marriage isn’t happy, is it?”

“No. I'm miserable.”

“Then you need to go get Riley.”

“Go to L.A.?”

“Yeah. You started ugly crying when you saw that picture with you in it. Maybe he hoped you’d see it. Maybe it’s a sign.”
 

“But . . .” My brain is thinking of a million reasons why I shouldn’t go, but my heart can’t think of any.

“But what? You want to live the rest of your life unhappy? Is he married?”

“The article said he's single.”

“Then you definitely have to go.”

“I do have a couple sorority sisters who live out there. They always want me to come visit.”

“Call them.”

I take my phone out of my bag and see numerous texts from Collin. It's nearly seven, and I'm over two hours late for drinks.
 

“Shit. I was supposed to meet my husband and his clients for drinks at five. Not that I even wanted to go.”

“Go home and pack your bags while he's gone.”

“I don't have anywhere to stay.”

“You can crash at my place.”

“Are you still trying to get me into bed?”

“I know you think I'm young, but I'm smart enough to know true love when I see it. You chose the wrong path back then, you need to fix it or your world will never be in balance.”

“How'd you get so smart?”

He grins at me. “I’m taking Philosophy of Life this semester. Getting an A.”

His youth and enthusiasm feed my soul. I know he's right. I shake my head, loving the way my long hair feels as it slides across my shoulders. “Why are you helping me?”
 

He laughs. “I'm still kinda hoping to get laid.”

“It's not gonna happen.”

“Fine, tell you what. When you reconnect with Riley, maybe you can help me get a summer internship at Captive Films. That would be killer.”

I shake his hand. “You have a deal.”

He takes my phone and puts his number in, naming himself
Coffee Kyle
.
 

He walks me to my car and gives me a kiss on the cheek. “Good luck,” he says. “Go do it now, before you chicken out. And, if you start to chicken out, call me.”

I nod, thank him again, and drive home.
 

I pull into the driveway of our beautiful home. The house I thought would make us feel like a family. Instead, it seems cold and full of empty promises.
 

I pack a suitcase and an overnight bag. Then I go to the back of my closet and pull out an old shoebox. The shoebox filled with memories of a boy I could never forget but didn't have the guts to fight for.
 

I see a text from Collin flash on my phone saying he's heading home.
 

I scrawl a quick note for him, leave it on the kitchen island, and head for the airport.
 

Once I’m on the plane and the people around me are asleep, I pull the box out of my tote bag. I cry as the memories flood back. Memories I’ve tried so hard to keep buried.
 

Pressed flowers, prom tickets, photos, sweet love notes.
 

As I pull out a stack of photos, something falls into my lap.
 

I move the box, dig between my legs, and find it.
 

The jeweled Hello Kitty ring he put on my finger when he asked me to be his girlfriend.
 

I take off my jewelry from Collin and toss it into my handbag, replacing the emerald on my right hand with the ring that tells me I can do this.
 

That I have to do this.
 

Monday, September 29th

Captive Films - Santa Monica

RILEY

I come out of my office after an early morning overseas call to find Keatyn sitting at the conference table, papers spread out in front of her, and my assistant, Tyler, looking over her shoulder.
 

“Casting sent these,” she says to me. “If we’re moving into television production, we have to do it just right. I need just the right actress for it.”

“I think we should bring them all in for screen tests,” Tyler suggests. That’s always his suggestion. Spend more money.
 

“We’ll bring
two
in for screen tests.”
 

“Then help me decide, Riley,” Keatyn says. “This role is so different. She’s got to be able to play both the preacher’s virgin daughter and the wild hellcat equally well.”

I walk behind her and look at the faces staring back at me.

“No, no, and no.” I immediately pull three casting sheets off the table and hand them to Tyler. Then I study a fourth. I can’t remember her name, but I do remember that she had her nipples pierced. “And, no.”

“Jeez, Riley, don’t tell me you’ve slept with four out of our six choices. At this rate, we’ll run out of actresses to choose from in the next year.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying stop fucking twenty year olds. Most of our films are about young people. Move up a decade or something. And, speaking of that, stop taking Knox out and getting him drunk. He was still hung over on set yesterday at three in the afternoon!”

“Why the hell were you filming on a Sunday?” I shrug. “Besides, it’s not my fault he can’t handle his liquor.”

“He can’t handle any of it. He’s not dealing with it very well.”

“She was cheating on him with the personal trainer he bought for her!”

“I know. I’m not saying it was right, I’m just saying he probably can’t keep up with you. Go a little easy on him. Take him bowling or golfing. Not to a club every night.”

“Fine, I’ll try to.”

“Did you see this mockup from the marketing department?” She slides a board out from underneath a bunch of papers. “It’s brilliant, very sexy.”

“We gonna have to sell this one to a cable network?” I ask, looking at the sexy ad with the words
Daddy’s Angel
across the top of a very scantily clad girl tossing her halo away.

“This one,” I say, picking up the face of the girl who looks like she could handle the role of hellcat.

“But I think this one,” she disagrees, going for the girl who looks more like a repressed daughter of a small town minister.

“Remind me of the storyline again.” I haven’t really been involved in this project much. It’s one of Keatyn’s babies.

“Basically the girl is screwing her way through her daddy’s congregation, while he’s online trying to find someone to come court her.”

“Court her?”

“Yeah, the old fashioned way. No sex before marriage. Hell, they can’t hold hands until they are engaged.”

“Seriously? People do that?”

“I guess so.”

“What’s gonna happen when Daddy finds out she’s not a virgin?”

“The script is hilarious and sexy. And he doesn’t. But the crazy thing is she actually falls in love with one of the suitors.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. And what’s funny is he isn’t the good guy Daddy thinks he is.”

“Bring them both in, then, and we’ll see,” I decide, handing Tyler the sheets. “And book me dinner tonight, somewhere kinda swanky.”

“How many, boss?”

“How many do you think?”

“Uh, two? But . . .”

“Shelby, again?” Keatyn interrupts, rolling her eyes.

“If I wasn’t fucking her, she could play this role. She’s a freak in bed.”

“I doubt she’d be very convincing as an angel,” Keatyn mutters as Dallas strides in and asks, “Who’s a freak in bed?”
 

“Shelby.” I glance at my watch. “Wow, seven o’clock. That’s really early for you, Dallas.”

“Shit,” Keatyn says. “I have to be on set soon. And, Tyler can’t book you reservations. You’re having dinner at my house, remember? With Dallas and RiAnne. We’re celebrating.”

“Shit, I forgot.”

“Is it bad if I ask you not to bring Shelby?”
 

Riley rolls his eyes. “Jeez, you think I’m stupid? I couldn’t bring her to your house. She’d think we’re serious.”

“Riley, trust me, she already thinks you’re serious.”

“No, she doesn’t.”

“Yeah, she does,” Dallas interjects. “You can’t take a girl to three premieres in three different cities and not have her think it’s serious.”

“Whatever. She knows it’s just for fun. I’ve been very clear about that. But you’re probably right. I shouldn’t see her again. So, Dallas, you wanna go grab some breakfast?”

“Can’t. I have an audit committee meeting I have to prepare for.”

Tyler shakes his head at me. “You don’t have time for breakfast either, boss. You have a meeting with the release team. They’re dying to impress you with the opening box office numbers.”

“I’m having Vanessa’s company do the publicity for
Daddy’s Angel
,” Keatyn interjects.

Tyler pulls a magazine out of a stack of papers in his hand. “She sure did a brilliant job with this.”

I glance at the popular women’s magazine and see one of the photos from the cover shoot Keatyn and I did together. Hell, they even talked me into being shirtless in a couple of the pictures.
 

“I look damn good, don’t I, Tyler?”

“Yeah, you do, boss. Must be all the sex, because you haven’t worked out for five days straight.”

“I’ve been traveling for the premieres. Give me a fucking break.”

Tyler walks off. “I’m just saying.”

Keatyn and Dallas are both snickering as they walk away.