“But it’s your day off,” said Cass. “Why would you want to work on your day off?”
“Because I do, Cass!”
“This is about that call from Nicki last night, isn’t it?”
Julia rolled her eyes. “I can honestly say it isn’t.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“It isn’t, Cass. Really.” Julia felt a rush of warmth at the thought of Rina.
“I’ll be there in half an hour.”
Chapter Twelve
Rina exited the interstate and hid behind her sunglasses at the drive-through where she bought coffee and a breakfast sandwich. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t steer her mind in the direction of the meeting she was about to have with A-list director Reese Collingworth.
Julia’s imprint remained—indelible from the moment her soft warm lips had met hers for the first time. She shivered from the sensation that had yet to fade.
Rina glanced into the mirror to confirm what she already knew. If you think you look old now, just look at yourself next to her.
She took one bite of her food, realized she wasn’t hungry, and tossed the remainder into the car’s trash bag, then drove the final half hour into Palm Springs. Like a drone, she followed the orders from her GPS, absentmindedly making one turn after the next until the voice said: “The destination is on your right.”
Did last night happen? Is that girl for real?
Rina pulled up to the gate and touched the button on the speaker. As the gate peeled back, she repeated her new mantra: “Breathe.” Then she updated it. “Focus!” She pasted on a smile, got out of the car, and rang the doorbell.
“Welcome, Ms. Verralta. I’m Mr. Collingworth’s assistant, Zee,” said the woman who answered the door. She led Rina into the sprawling desert estate. “May I bring you a beverage?”
“Coffee—medium light, one packet of stevia. And some water please.”
“Right away. Straight ahead through the double doors.”
Rina slowed in the hallway to peer into the atrium through the glass walls in the center of the home. Surrounding the large fountain sculpture, a micro forest displayed cactus and deciduous trees laced with billowing bougainvillea in splashes of purple, orange, and white, all landscaped with precision. The double doors just beyond it opened.
“Katarina.” Tall and square-jawed with thick gray hair, Reese Collingworth reached for her and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m so glad you could make it.”
“Reese, it’s good to see you,” she replied with a wide smile, returning his hug. “You look terrific.”
“Come in, make yourself comfortable.”
Beyond the sleek Natuzzi couch, an imposing wooden captain’s desk displayed Reese’s trophies and highest industry honors.
“I love your display.” She sauntered over to the Golden Globe statues, Critics Awards, and the highly coveted Oscar figurines—six of them, counting the new one for directing Allies of Night. She’d reserved a space in her display case for a matching one, but it had gone to Britney Cavell instead.
“Thank you. I was beginning to worry,” he said. “When I called the Ritz this morning, they said you’d never checked in. Are you okay?”
“It’s a long story. I didn’t make it all the way here last night because of the weather.”
“Where were you coming from?”
“I drove from Phoenix.”
His face contorted. “Why on earth were you in that cow town?”
“I was at a spa in Scottsdale. Last night, however, I wound up staying in a little town in the outer desert on the California side.”
Reese showed Rina to the sofa and sat opposite her. “One of those little dust bowl places?”
Rina endured a lightness of being so surreal, she thought she might float away. She conjured up her last vision of Julia, tangled in the blanket, on the floor by the fireplace—the long brown hair draping the pillow. In her mind, she again tasted the entirety before answering. “It wasn’t so bad really.”
“I’m glad you made it safely. Ah,” Reese said when his assistant entered. “Thank you, Zee.”
The woman placed the coffee and water on the coffee table between the sofas. Next to them sat a small juice glass filled with green liquid.
Rina smiled. “What is that?”
The man rolled his eyes. “Layla insists my staying power has increased since she started me on this designer drink.” He grimaced and then chugged the whole glass. “I figure if it makes her happy, I can deal with it.”
Rina laughed. “That’s adorable. Twenty years and it’s still the little things, huh?”
“Twenty-two years.”
Rina sighed. “I envy you. I’m happy for you, but I envy you.”
“When are you going to settle down, Miss Movie Star?”
“I think the challenge has been settling down without settling. In case you haven’t noticed, the women in LA aren’t exactly homespun. For that matter, neither am I.”
Reese nodded. “No one lassos you for long. Maybe coming out would increase your options. Surely there must be someone out there for you. I do believe there’s a lid for every pot.”
She inhaled Julia. “Maybe.”
“Then the timing for this role is good. It will get your head into something you can really concentrate on. This part is so you—a powerful and beautiful woman fighting the corporate machine in the world of horse racing. The lawyers have looked over the contract, and there isn’t anything Clay has asked for that we wouldn’t happily accommodate. It’s the role of a lifetime, Rina.”
“That’s exactly how Clay referred to it.”
“You’ve read the script. What do you think?”
“It’s a great script.” Rina took a sip of coffee followed by a long drink of water.
“Can you ride a horse?”
“By ride, do you mean sit on top of one?”
Reese laughed. “Don’t worry. We’ll set you up for some lessons before we begin shooting. The stunt double will be doing the hard things. Guess who I got to play opposite you?”
“As my nemesis?”
“Yes. Britney Cavell!”
Rina choked on her water, coughing until her eyes teared.
“My god, woman! Are you okay?”
Rina composed herself. “Cavell?”
“She’s the only actress who’s strong enough to equal your screen presence. After this year’s Oscar win, she’s a hot property.”
“Yes, I recall the evening with clarity.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply you weren’t worthy of beating her for Best Actress. You got my vote.”
“It’s okay. I’m over it.”
Reese pointed his stare at her. “Are you?”
“Yes. Once I exhausted the entire imported chocolate supply of Southern California, everything was perfect.”
“I thought you gained a little weight, but you look refreshed compared to how you looked at the awards ceremony.”
Rina cringed. “Is this you wooing me, Reese?”
“No, all I meant was that you really do have a little glow about you.”
Rehab? Julia? “Thank you?”
“You can tell me, Rina. Did you have a little work done? Is that where you’ve been?”
Rina’s jaw dropped open when she laughed. “Here we go—just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water. No, I’m au naturel. Well, Hollywood au naturel.”
“Sorry, I don’t intend to be an ass. I’m trying to say you look really good. You know I love you and that’s why I want you to take this role. I think it’ll do wonders for your career. It’s a solid role for a strong older woman, and no one could play it better than you.”
“Ugh, that word seems to be everywhere these days.”
“What word?”
Rina wrinkled her nose at the stench: “Older.”
Reese’s tone bent toward conciliatory. “At least you’re not playing the manic grandmother—and there are no perky ingenues in this film.”
Reese chuckled. “That was funny. The two of you on-screen in a film like this? It’s a total win.”
“With Cavell.” On the spot, Rina invented Just Shoot Me Now Numero Uno—wide-eyed horror with a dash of You’ve Got To Be Fucking Kidding Me Number Eight.
“Yes. Don’t let that self-absorbed child get inside your head. She’s a terrific actress, and even though both roles are leads, you’ll be the star. I’m the director and that’s how I plan to shoot it.”
Rina stood and meandered over to the desk. She ran her fingers along the Oscar statues as she thought about it. Hmm. Freshly dusted. I didn’t win for Allies of Night, but that was my fault, not Reese’s. It would be foolish to pass up this opportunity. Or would it? “I don’t know. I need to think about this.”
“What is there to think about?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
She turned back toward him. “I’m concerned about waking up every day between now and the wrap party knowing I have to do scene after scene with that woman.”
“In her defense,” Reese began, “when she heard you might be coming on board, she was ecstatic.”
“I’ll bet.”
“Meaning?”
“The only reason that would excite her is because she’s plotting to steal my scenes. Or my life. Or anything that serves her latest scheme.”
“You two were over a while ago. I didn’t realize the after-relationship was so contentious. She never let on.”
“She didn’t point her little Oscar at you and make demands?”
“No. But if she ever does, I’ll see her her Oscar and raise her five.”
“Do you already have the locations locked down?”
“We’ve been negotiating. Right now it looks like Vancouver. And some of the French scenes we’ll film in Paris. I’m guessing six to eight weeks of rehearsal. I’m not sure of the shooting schedule yet. So what do you say, Rina?”
“I need to consider it carefully. If this is going to work with Cavell, we’re going to need to set some boundaries in stone. Signed and sealed.”
“Like what?”
“Let me think about it, Reese. I haven’t been home in over a month, so I need a few days to get settled and discuss it with Clay.”
“He’s worked hard on your behalf for this.”
Rina nodded. “Clay’s my ace.”
“Answer me honestly. If Britney Cavell wasn’t in the film, would you be less hesitant?”
“Yes, but I still need to think about what I can bring to this character. She needs life and passion. If I can’t give her that, I have no business accepting the part.”
“That’s what sets you apart from the rest.”
She smiled. “I love your integrity, Reese. I know you wouldn’t be offering me this if you didn’t believe in me.”
“Then come on board, Rina. We’ll reach for that Oscar. We’ve already gotten one together.”
“Yes, we certainly have.”
“Together, we could show the Academy that they got it wrong last time around and give them a chance to redeem themselves.”
She walked to where he stood. “Can you give me until next week?”
“Sure,” he said. “Come on, I’ll show you out. You can relax at the Ritz and Layla and I will see you later for dinner. We can talk more then.”
“As much as I would love to, I’ve been dreaming about sleeping in my own bed for weeks now.”
“Aww, poor baby.” The director slipped his arm around the actress’s shoulder.
She stopped in the hallway. “I love the renovations by the way. This atrium is magnificent.”
“Thank you. It’s very Zen. I love working out there, as long as it’s not a hundred-and-eleventy-thousand degrees.”
Rina laughed. “How hot the desert can get!” Julia. Updated mantra—focus!
They ambled toward the front door.
“But I think we’re going to start spending more time at the beach house.”
“It would be wonderful to have you and Layla in Malibu.”
Reese opened Rina’s car door and hugged her. “Give Clay my best. We’ll talk next week—and I’ll see you at the table read!”
Rina smiled. “Working with you again would be a dream, Reese.”
“So then, say yes right now.”
“And working with Cavell could be a damn nightmare—for everyone.”
As the actress pulled out onto Palm Canyon Drive, her insides twinged. She reached for her phone—then realized she didn’t have Julia’s number. Perhaps it’s better this way, she thought, even as she reminded herself she could try to get her at the Starlight Diner if she had to.
Rina swayed gently to the right and back again when her car hugged the bend in the desert road. She merged onto the I-10 under a patch of blue sky the color of Julia’s eyes, wishing she was heading back toward where she had started that morning. Instead, she pointed the Jag toward LA. The rolling hills in Riverside reminded her of the soft slope of Julia’s curves—of her breasts. An hour outside of LA, she did a double take when the woman in the car next to her had hair like Julia’s. To distract herself, she turned on the radio—only to immediately hear the song “Brave” by Sara Bareilles that had been playing when she left the ranch. She sighed.
“What have I done? I already have a song for her. I’m in trouble.” She repeated along with the Therapy Brittany in her head: “Breathe, Rina. Breathe.”
* * *
It wasn’t until she pulled into her garage two hours from Palm Springs that Rina realized her every thought during the drive had been about the girl from the night before. She shocked herself back into reality, plummeting back to earth in a parachute made of Gigi and Clay.
“There’s our girl!” said Gigi. Clay followed behind her as they came to greet Rina at the car.
“I really missed you,” said Clay before he hugged her. “Oh, and thanks for calling me after the meeting!”
“Oh shit,” said Rina, handing them each her belongings from the trunk. “I knew I forgot something. I’m sorry, Clay. I’m tired and I needed to concentrate on the road.”
“I figured,” he said with a smile. “Well, let’s get you inside and I’ll make you a Welcome Home concoction, and you can tell us all about it.”
“Yes,” Gigi said excited. “Where are we filming?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Rina followed them with her arms full.
“What are you talking about? You and Reese met,” said Clay.
They entered the house, left everything in the foyer, and stopped two flights up in the kitchen.
“You look different,” said Gigi, taking her seat.
“You just haven’t seen me in a month,” Rina replied from the chair opposite Clay.
“Nooo,” Clay chimed in. “There’s something very different going on here.” He swirled his hands in the air like some Bob Fosse-choreographed finger painting air-masterpiece. “It’s your energy.”
Gigi nodded. “Exactly. What did they do to you?”
Again, Rina flashed on the night before. “Whatever it was, I’d like to do it again right now.”
“Well then, while it’s fresh in your mind and before you crash, how did the meeting go with Reese?”
Rina hesitated. “You know Reese. He’s wonderful.”
Clay stared at her. “What’s that inscrutable expression I’m reading on your face?”
“I don’t know about doing this project, Clay.”
“Are you kidding me? You’d be out of your mind not to, Rina. You’ve read the script. It’s meaty—Oscar worthy. Reese knows how to win an Oscar—or six—and you’ve already won one together.”
“Did you know that Reese has already cast Britney Cavell in the role opposite me?”
“Not Bitchney Cavell!” said Gigi.
Clay stared at her slack-jawed. “He did not hire that woman. Why would he do that?”
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“He said she was a hot property coming off her win and that she was the only actress who was strong enough to play opposite me.”
Clay shook his head. “‘Opposite’ is the key word there.”
Rina stood and moved toward the stairs to her suite. “Maybe you need your concoction more than I do, Clay. Your face has suddenly turned a brilliant shade of red—and is that steam coming out of your ears?”
Chapter Thirteen
The three days since Rina’s departure had seemed more like three weeks to Julia. She had no idea that time could pass so slowly or that boredom and confusion were a family of co-conspirators.
“Lightning,” she said to her horse, “I can’t stand this funk I’ve been in and I need to do something about it! But what?” she added in a defeated tone.
While she’d managed to remove the traces of Rina from the great room, she couldn’t shake the images that flooded her mind—or the sensations that coursed through her body, breathing in her regardless of where she was or what she was doing.
Tossing and turning had become her nightly ritual. Julia headed into work earlier each day—came home later every night. On the third night, her heart pounded when she at last mustered enough courage to enter the casita to check for leaks from the storm.
Listless, she flipped on the light switch.
“No!”
Right there, out in the open, her work-in-progress lay uncovered. Hastily, she rushed to replace the tarp over the unfinished sculpture—the bust of Katarina Verralta. She stopped and stroked the long waves of clay-hair first. She didn’t notice the note lying on the table until it fell off the tarp and onto the floor by her foot. She sat and unfolded the paper.
Dearest Julia, the note began. And in Julia’s mind, she heard Rina call her Zhooliaah.
You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn’t have the heart to wake you. I had to leave early for a meeting in Palm Springs. It took all of my resolve to leave you. I won’t stop thinking of you, of us, for a second. My cell number is below. If you choose to not call, I’ll understand. After all, our age difference is more than just any obstacle. Know that in my heart, I’m grateful for you and I’m humbled by this magnificent sculpture.
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