Role of a Lifetime (8 page)

Chapter 19

"Cut," the director said.

Kelly looked past the director to the back corner where Carl was standing.  Fidgeting actually, if you wanted to be specific about it.  He looked back to the director who was deep in discussion with the director of photography.  Then he looked back at Carl and shrugged.

"Again," the director finally decided and Kelly got back into position.

It took three more takes before the director called a break and Carl waved Kelly over.  Kelly grabbed a water from the back table, then went over to Carl.

"What?" Kelly asked as he cracked the bottle open.

"They want you to take Zoe Portnoy to the premiere next week."

"Oh," Kelly said.

"Well, it's less than a week so what do you say?"

"Ummm," Kelly said, thinking.

He didn't have to ask who they were or why.  "They" were the studio heads and "why" was for the publicity. The production for "Mistakes" was scheduled and Kelly was excited, but at the same time pretty certain, and unhappy, that it was unlikely he'd be able to squeeze in another trip back east between that and the film he was currently working on.  Carl was practically dancing around, waiting for an answer and while Kelly was thinking the phone buzzed.  Carl looked at it and then held the phone out so Kelly could look at it.  Kelly recognized the name instantly.  It was someone at the studio.

"Well?" Carl asked, "They need to know, like right now."

"No, just tell them no," Kelly said.

Carl turned his back to Kelly and answered the call.  Then, glancing around, Carl left the sound stage.  Kelly heard Carl say no at least four times before the guy was out of earshot.

It wasn't an unreasonable or unusual request.  They did need to know right now because if Zoe was currently going with someone else, or un-escourted, they might want to change her whole outfit, right down to her shoes, and a week wasn't much time.  Depending on his specific circumstances, Kelly had complied with similar requests a couple of times during his career, but he wasn't going along with this one.  Not only was he still seeing Holly (well seeing was maybe the wrong word, as it had been over a month since he had laid eyes on her, not counting Skpe) but he was currently trying, very hard, to convince her to come out to LA to go the premiere with him.

Even Kelly wasn't a hundred percent sure it was a great idea.  He was worried what the press would say about her and how she would take it.  Most of the time, when they were together or just talking on the phone, she seemed fine.  But there were times when she seemed to get really nervous, scared almost.  But he was determined to get her out to LA.  The "Son of Cronos" movie was a big deal and he wanted her there with him to celebrate it.

It was several hours later, when the director finally called for a break for lunch and Kelly grabbed a sandwich off of the buffet table before running back to his trailer.  He took a big bite and chewed, trying to finish before Holly answered the phone.  He was sure it was going to go to voice mail, but then she answered.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hi," Kelly said, then swallowed and tried again, "Hi, Holly, it's me."

"Oh, Kelly, hi," she answered back and he could tell something was wrong.

"Something wrong?" he asked her.

"No, nothing, it's stupid."

"What is it?"

"How's the movie going?"

"Don't do that, don't change the subject, now I know something's wrong, so just tell me."

She didn't say anything but Kelly didn't either.  He had grown pretty wise to her tricks, although perhaps tricks wasn't the right word.  Defensive mechanisms maybe.  She still didn't trust him, not completely, Kelly thought.  He was adamant about getting her to change her mind.  So he waited until she finally spoke.

"It's really stupid, today was the first day of school and the school buses were out and Lia..."

Kelly understood immediately.  Holly had dropped Lia at college the week before.  And then she had bawled her eyes out to Kelly via Skype that night.  On his last trip back East Kelly had seen Lia, and it was easy to see how excited Lia was about college.  And even easier to see how upset Holly was over it.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't bug you with this stuff, hold on," Holly put the phone down and he could hear what sounded like her blowing her nose and he took another bite of his sandwich while he waited.

"Sorry, are you there?" she said when she returned.

"Yeah, you okay?"

"Yeah, I feel a little better actually."

"Good."

She asked him some questions about the movie and they talked for a while, Kelly relieved to hear her sounding more like herself, or her happy self.  He glanced at the clock and knew he'd have to be back on the set soon.

"Listen, I'm going to have to get back to work soon but can you please come to LA next week, for the premiere."

"Kelly..."

"I miss you and I want to see you and I really want you here for this.  It's going to be a huge party and," he stopped.  He was going to add something about her sitting home alone missing her daughter wasn't going to do her any good but he didn't.

"I don't know."

"I know you don't but I do."

"Kelly,"

"I've flown out East to see you twice, it's your turn."

"Really, that's what you're going with?"

"Yes, so?"

"I don't know, I'll have to get a plane ticket and where will I stay?" 

Kelly was thrilled (and a little bit stunned) that she was actually considering it, finally.

"I'll take care of the plane ticket," he said, "and the hotel."

Truth was he had booked both when he had gotten back to LA after his last visit, just in case.

"Really?"

"Yes, just come, Holly, I miss you."

Again she took her time responding and Kelly glanced up at the clock nervously.  He really needed to be back on the set, now.

"Okay," she finally said.

He said he'd talk to her later and raced back to the sound stage.  The director led everyone in a sarcastic standing ovation for Kelly showing up and Kelly apologized for being late.  He didn't care.  Holly would come out to LA next week.  It was going to be great.

Chapter 20

"You ready?" Kelly asked her, as the limo door swung open.

"Yes, I guess so, I don't know," Holly said.

He gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Carl will take care of you," he said, then got out of the limo.

Holly could see Kelly waving and posing as he stood next to the car.  She looked at Carl and he smiled at her.

"It will be fine," Carl said, then got out of the limo.  He reached back and held out his hand to her.

Holly got out of the limo, and she and Carl made their way behind Kelly, who was standing next to the velvet rope talking to some of the press.  As Carl led her into the theater they passed the photo area, but were waved on.

"See, nothing to it," Carl said once they were inside.

"Well thanks for baby-sitting me, anyway," Holly said, "Do you go to all of the premieres?"

"Yeah, usually, I don't usually ride with him though.  But as perks go, it's pretty cool.  And the party later, well that is going to really be something."

"Oh, you're going to that too?"  Holly said.

She had flown in late the night before, and Kelly had met her at the airport.  They had dinner at her hotel, but with the lateness of the hour, coupled by the time change, she had started yawning as soon as they were seated and couldn't stop.  Kelly had seen her up to the door of her room and, after joking that he wanted to tuck her in but wouldn't, because then he wouldn't want to leave, he had gone home.

Today he had no less than four TV appearances, via satellite, on shows across the country to promote the movie.  In addition to paying for the airline ticket, and the hotel, which Holly still felt a little strange about, he had booked her a full day at the spa, ending with a professional hair and makeup session.

"Have fun with it," he had told her and for the most part she had.  The manicurist had been unable to contain the horror she felt when she initially examined Holly's nails, but once Holly had explained about the pottery the tech had understood.  Together they found a greek themed design on line and Holly now glanced down at her nails marveling at the work the woman had done.

Holly had found a toga inspired dress, albeit in blue.  The hair stylist had pinned and curled Holly's hair into what could only be described as a sophisticated, but somehow unfussy, tumbling mass of curls that were pulled off her face and cascaded down to her shoulders.  She loved how she looked, but was somewhat blown away by the time and manpower it had taken to achieve it.

"Wow," Kelly had said, when he picked her up, "You look amazing."

"As do you," she said, but it wasn't really that much of a surprise.  He looked amazing in a t-shirt and jeans.

He had leaned into kiss her but then stopped.

"What?" she said and the tiniest bit of doubt crept into her mind.

"Well I wanted to kiss you but I can't, the make-up, I'll mess it up."

"Seriously?" Holy asked, and then, not quite sure what had gotten into her, (too much time under the hair dryer maybe?) kissed him.

He was surprised but that didn't last more than a half a second and then he was kissing her back.  They stopped at the same time and broke apart.

"We better go," Kelly said.

The elevator was mirrored and as they walked in Holly could barely believe the reflection was really her.  Kelly squinted at her, then spun Holly around as the door closed, looking her up and down.

"What is it?" Holly said, looking down at her dress.

"Just wondering where the rabbit fur is," Kelly said, and her confidence shot back up again, thankfully.

"Oh Tanya, sent me a picture of them," Holly said.  Then, "Shoot, I left my phone in the room."

"Do you need it?  We can go back."

"It doesn't fit in my purse, Marie's purse, actually," Holly said, looking at the clutch she had borrowed from her friend.  "No, I think it is okay."

It was Friday night and in the weeks since Lia had left for school they had spoken almost every day, and occasionally texted, but never on a Friday or Saturday night.  Holly tried to leave Lia alone, even while she wondered incessantly where Lia was, and what she was doing.

"Lia won't call me tonight," she told Kelly, "It's Friday, you know, she has a social life, unlike me.  I think it's okay."

"Excuse me," he said, "You're on your way to a major Hollywood movie premiere, I think you win the prize for the more impressive social life today."

"Well, you do have a point there."

Kelly wrapped his arms around her and she was sure he was going to kiss her again, which made her very happy, but instead he pulled out his phone and held it out.

"Smile," he said, as he pressed his cheek close to hers, "Nice, that's going to be my new wallpaper."

Holly looked at the picture, still finding it hard to believe she could actually look like that.  She thought about kissing him again, but then the doors to the elevator opened, and she missed her chance.

In the limo Kelly explained the plan about Carl escorting her into the theater and she was fine with it.  Better than fine, if they had told her she was going to have to answer random questions, while being videoed, she probably wouldn't have been able to get out of the limo.  She was just wondering how long Kelly was going to be when he showed up.

"Hey," Kelly said, coming up to them.  He slid his arm around Holly's waist.

"So, you guys are good," Carl asked, "Cause I," he didn't finish but kind of motioned around the room.

"We're good," Kelly said and Carl took off like a shot.

"You're good?" Kelly asked her and Holly did take a second to evaluate it but that was silly.  She wasn't going to say anything other than that she was okay anyway, she never did.

"I am," she said, and she stepped into him a little closer, savoring all of it, the feel of him standing next to her, his arm around her waist, the smell of his aftershave. "How are you?" she said, "Do you get nervous at these things?  Or is it no big deal anymore?"

"I don't really get nervous," Kelly said, "But I'm going to be watching the audience's reaction to the movie as much as I'm actually watching it.  Can't help it."

Then they walked around the lobby of the theater, and Kelly introduced her to some of his friends in the business.  They didn't get much beyond basic introductions before the lights in the lobby flickered on and off, and everyone started filing into the theater.

Holly had never really ever understood the appeal of the epic Hollywood blockbuster.  She always preferred movies that made her laugh a lot, or romantic comedies that, though completely predictable, ended happily.  So she was surprised how touched she was by Kelly's performance, especially where he begged his "father" to consider the error of his ways, so that Kelly could ask his brothers and sisters to forgive him.

When Cronos refused, she was amazed how Kelly portrayed the next part.  Though his words, body language and facial expression all looked angry, the look in his eyes, just in his eyes, was different.  Zeus (Kelly) was hurt by Cronos rejection.  There was no doubt about it, she just couldn't figure out how he had done it.  It truly was a remarkable performance and she told him that when the lights came up but she wasn't sure if he even heard her, what with all the people around them reaching in to shake his hand and clap him on the back.

"Okay, you ready for the party?" Kelly asked her.

They were making the way down the aisle of the theater and he had his arm around her shoulder.

"Yes," she said, and when he looked at her, said, "Why, should I be worried?"

"No," he said, "It will be fun.  Same deal with Carl, okay?  I'll see you in the limo."

Then he let go of her and slipped through the crowd.  Holly started to panic and spun around, wondering how in the world she was ever going to find Carl, but he was right there.  She let out a sigh of relief which caused Carl to look at her strangely.

"You okay?" he asked her, then offered her his arm.

"Yes, I didn't know where you were, how did you?"

"It's my job," he replied, "Come on, we have to get out to the limo."

In the limo Carl busied himself with his phone and Holly remembered she didn't have hers.

"What time is it?"  she asked.

"Mmmm, eight thirty," he replied.  Then he glanced up at her, "Sorry, I have do this, work, Kelly will be here in a minute."

"It's fine," she said, doing the math in her head.

Eleven thirty back home.  Lia was probably back in her dorm room.  Sure, eleven thirty on a Friday night, all college kids were neatly tucked in and snoozing.  Holly's mind was just about to start churning out an endless parade of worst possible case scenarios, when Kelly got in the limo, wrapped his arm around her, and told the driver they were ready to go.

Lia's fine, she told herself firmly and made up her mind to give Kelly her undivided attention for the rest of the evening.