Chapter 10

I was still writing, after all, it was what I did. My newest Issabella book was taking shape, and I was quite pleased with it. There were a lot more sex scenes this time, in keeping with what the reviewer had said. I was down to the end, and had three directions I wanted to take. Unable to decide, I wrote all three, then I called Leah in. She still didn't know what I did, just accepted I was one of the idle rich, like Eric. Once she told me I wrote well enough to consider it a career, and I just shrugged.

"I need your word, your absolute bond, that you will tell no one what I'm about to reveal. I'm doing it because I trust you, and need a professional opinion. Do you agree?"

Of course she agreed. Curiosity was consuming her, and after all, she was a woman. I opened the file. "I want you to read this. Here. In this room. It doesn't go out of here, understand? It should take about two hours, so if you can't do it now schedule a time you can. And Leah, you can't tell a soul, no one, not even Dorian. Do you agree?"

She looked from the screen and back at me several times, but in the end female curiosity got the better of her. "Now would be good for me. And I promise, not a word."

"Good. I need to see Dorian about a few things, and talk to our business manager. I think it looks like we might go over budget, and I want to make a few adjustments."

I left her, and went to my meetings. Two and a half hours later I walked into my suite, to see an almost empty box of tissues, the rest strew across the floor. She looked at me like I was from Mars or something. I just grinned at her and asked what she thought.

"You really wrote this?" I nodded, watching her face. "It's wonderful! I've already got half the screenplay written in my head. It'll make a killer movie. You should publish it. I'm sure somebody will be interested."

"I already have a publisher. I've even got the name I'm going to write under. It'll be a woman's name. Want to know what it is?" Of course she did.

"Issabella."

Her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Remember, you promised not to tell."

"Oh shit, oh wow! Now I know where your money comes from. I gotta tell you, I think the screenwriter on the last movie butchered the script. It could have been a lot better. Does anyone else know?"

"Just Eric, and believe it or not, he can keep a secret. And I agree with you about the last movie. If this one goes to the screen, well, I know more about moviemaking now, and I'll retain a lot more control. Know any good screenwriters or producers? Think about it. Now, which ending did you prefer?"

She was in her element here, and her response was immediate. "The middle ending. The first was too strong, the third was too wishy-washy, for lack of a better term. Actually, you should bring in some overtones of both the other endings, for balance."

I smiled. It was exactly how I felt, but it was nice to hear it from someone else. I pulled up a fouth file. "Something like this?"

It took her twenty minutes to read. She had tears in her eyes but a smile on her face. "Damn near perfect. Now I want you to listen to me. If you give anyone else the screenplay, I'll hunt you down, and when I'm done, you'll be a lot closer to a real Issabella, because I'll do some serious damage to your equipment. You hearing me?"

She said it with a smile, but the look in her eyes was enough to make me take her at her word. "Agreed. If I decide to let it go to the screen, you get first option, but only if Dorian is included in the deal." The big smile was back, then she frowned.

"How can I keep this from my husband? He can look me in the face and know something is up."

"All you need to tell him is that I confided a big secret in you, and you can't tell him just now. Then say no more. If he trusts you he'll let it go. When we decide to make the movie, you can tell him."

She left, after I promised her she could have a copy to use for work on the script.

All the sound stage work was done by now. It was late October. The snow had fallen, so it was time for the location shots. I grinned, thinking about Savanna in her shorts. We had hired her, because with her body shape she was perfect for the part. Jet black, she had a huge rack and a very plump bottom. Tory and Cathy had recommended her, so they let her read. I suspected she had a background in porn, but wasn't sure. I was amazed no one had made the connection, especially in the topless scenes.

We had found our leading man in Canandian television. He had the rugged good looks and the natural accent we were looking for. He was fine until we were almost done shooting. He was arrogant and demanding more of the focus than the film called for. It got so bad they called me in. Eric didn't like to handle the hard stuff.

"I hear we've got a problem."

He looked at me, arrogance on his face. "I think the focus needs to shift to me. After all, I am the leading man. The blonde and the redhead are just window dressing."

I sighed. The girls were actually better actors than he was. "Mr Fielding, you were hired to do a job. You read the script, knew the direction the film was taking. What makes you possibly think we're going to change directions two thirds of the way through? Now, I suggest you do your job, follow directions, and get this thing done. There will be no rewrites, and the script stands, unless I say otherwise. Understand?"

He sputtered and fumed, but when I threatened to fire him immediately and reshoot his scenes with another actor, he shut up. He glowered at me though, and I knew I'd have to watch him. His revenge caught me by surprise. He went after Cindy, and got her, making sure I knew.

I decided to follow his script, walking in on them. It didn't hurt me nearly as bad as they expected it to. I knew she was short term. I just sighed.

"You could have at least had the decency to have not used my bed. Now, your point has been proven, so I suggest you both leave." He smirked, enjoying the scene immensely.

"I don't think I'm done yet," he said, reaching for her. She had slid all the way across the bed, huddling under the covers.

"I think you are," I replied, grabbing him by the long hair he was so proud of and dragging him off the bed to his hands and knees. He moaned and cursed as I dragged him along, still on his hands and knees, until we got to the door, kicking him through it to sprawl naked on the floor. I then shut and locked the door. He'd have a bruise or two on his ass tomorrow, I hoped. His room was three floors down. It took him about fifteen minutes of pounding before he realized I wasn't going to open the door. A maid finally felt sorry for him and brought him a robe. A lot of people had seen him, and word spread all over the hotel. At dinner that night there were quite a few giggles and a couple of outright laughs when he walked in. He turned around and went back upstairs, ordering room service.

Cindy, well Cindy was sorry. She never meant to, he was just too persuasive, too handsome, she was a little buzzed, a whole host of platitudes and excuses until she ran down.

"I get it. Doesn't matter, we were probably going to split soon anyway. I just wish you'd have come to me, ended it on good terms. Don't worry, you still have your job, and I won't speak ill of you. But you're moving out of my suite, right now. Get dressed, get packed, and I'll have a room for you by the time you're done."

She started to protest but I shut her down. "Don't. Leave with a little dignity, don't force me to throw you out, because I will if you push it. What's done is done, and you can't change it. Oh, and it wasn't about you. He could give a shit less about you. This was about me and him, and revenge. I hope he dug two graves, because I'm about to bury him. My advice would be to stay as far away from him as possible in the near future."