Chapter 57

A few months later, Marie was supposed to start another project that would keep her busy for a couple of months. She was not so happy about it, but she had it in her contract, and couldn't really avoid it. On the other hand, she was an actress, and she wanted to work. She was not too happy with the updated script, but those changes were made just after Peter's death, and there was not much she could do to them now.

I had not told her - nor anybody else - that they wanted to see me, too, since my current assignment was also about to end. Most probably I didn't want to work with those people, but I did want to check my own value, in case that I might want to do some consulting work for them, in the future. Besides, I wanted to trust Marie - but still. Trust just takes time to build.

Soon it occurred to me that they were fishing. They wanted me, yes. But more than they wanted me, they wanted the technical excellence my friends and I had. They wanted bigger and more shocking effects. They wanted to top everything that had been done before. My problem was that I had learned to value quality over quantity. Content over hypocrisy. Love over matter. Well, maybe the last one. It was not suitable, here.

I made sure that I looked interested, and they gave me permission to hang around for the rest of the day so that I could see them working. I decided to stop hiding and go to say hi to Marie. After all, we could say that we had met at an Awards party since our living arrangements were not commonly known, and we intended to keep it that way.

Since I had been talking to Marie I knew my way around the studio. When I got close I didn't have to ask for directions since I could hear her, and she didn't sound too happy. Something in her voice made me start the recorder in my phone when I got closer. Déjà vu all over again.

" ... look, Ms. Monte. You are under contract, and that includes some PR work. Adding an off screen romance will do wonders for that scene." "But I have no intention of having a romance with him."

Yes. Marie was definitely angry.

"Too bad, we have already started spreading rumors that you two spent a night together in a hotel near the shooting site. What is wrong with that? It is nearly half a year since your husband's death."

Then another male voice joined the conversation.

"Yes, and I promise that I'll not leave you disappointed. Who knows, maybe that would lead to something. You certainly are one of the hottest chicks in the field."

Damn, I knew that playboy. Or I knew his name and reputation. Reputation with the women. He never admitted to anything, but he had made it well known that he had shagged half the females of Hollywood. Or something.

"Oh, thank you. But still, I'm not interested." "But Marie, think about what kind of publicity boost this would be for the both of us. The hottest couple of Hollywood, definitely. I surely would not leave you hanging, I promise. Besides, if you don't want anyone else to know it would also be good for me. You just affect me that way."

He was good. I could imagine how that kind of talk connected with his appearance affected women, or I rather didn't want to imagine. Then I heard Marie laugh.

"Oh, you are smooth, really smooth - I'll give you that. But, no thank you. I'm very happy with my life, right now."

Then it was the first man again, and now he sounded angry.

"Ms. Monte, I guess you do not understand me right now. You have an agreement to make this film, and you will do it. You have agreement to do some PR work and you will do it. If the PR work would require you to sleep with some of the producers you will do it. We are now being nice to you with this simple off screen romance combined with some accidentally released mushy sex tape. You'll either do this or you'll be out of the business for good. We know that Peter didn't leave you much money, so you'll either do this or the next movies you'll be making will be the ones you make without clothes. So you two better be getting comfortable with each other!" "You'll never get me do that!" "Then you'll be breaking your contract, and you'll end up in jail for that as you don't have the money."