Gravity (Hollywood Connections Book 1)

by Renee Porter

  “Maddie,” I groaned as I sat on her bed. “It’s way too much. Why did you do that?”

  Again she shrugged. “Ever since the presentation I’ve been thinking about what those kids are going through. I wanted to help.”

  “You helped enough just being there and talking. Even Bryan Donnelly hasn’t had an incident. He just keeps talking about how hot you are and how you’re only twelve years older than him and how that’s not illegal in a lot of states in the south.”

  Maddie burst out laughing. “Glad to see that I was able to change some minds. Even if it’s kind of gross.” She twitched her nose.

  “Well, all I’m saying is it is too much.”

  “I’m not taking it back.” She countered.

  I sighed heavily. “I know. You can’t anyway because Principal Williams was the one to tell me. He has a lot of plans for this.”

  “So what’s the problem then?” She moved over to face me and I caught her peach scent. Why couldn’t she have changed that since coming back?

  “It’s just a lot of money.”

  “B, it’s really nothing to me. You know that.” She waved her hand. “I don’t need it and I think the school can use it for a lot of good.”

  I eyed Maddie’s sincerity and finally relinquished my argument. “Well, thank you. I still think what you did was enough but if you’re so hell bent on doing this…”

  Maddie laughed as she pushed my shoulder, the momentum causing me to lay on my back on her bed. I lifted myself on my elbows as I smiled at her tease but the face she was giving me made my smile quickly fade. It wasn’t a look of humor or playfulness, rather a look of hunger and lust. I swallowed and willed myself to not think too much of that look. Maddie had a teasing personality, and she was an actor. Linking those two together could make anything see something that wasn’t truly there. It has been a decade, there is no way she still has feelings for me. Plus she has someone already. She told me so.

  It had to be an act.

  I closed my eyes and willed the moment to fade. When I opened them again she had turned from me, her back hunched over and gripping her desk as if it was a life line. I stood up from the bed and met her eyes in the vanity mirror. She was holding back and I knew it but I didn’t want to comment on that look.

  “Mom told me to invite you for dinner tonight.” I tried to cut through the tension and her normally easy smile was reserved.

  “Thanks, but I have something going on tonight. Rain check?” I nodded as a twinge of jealousy flushed through me. She had been skipping a lot of our nightly talks and I came to the realization that it was probably because her beau was in town.

  “Sure. I’ll let her know you had a hot date or something.” I tried to get more information out of her but she didn’t give me anything in return but a chuckle. Still reserved she walked me to the door and waved a goodbye. I took a trying glance over my shoulder to see if she had been watching me leave but the porch was empty and devoid of all life. I had to get a grip on myself. I had to come to the realization that Maddie was unavailable and uninterested. That time had passed and although I didn’t regret allowing Maddie to leave and live out her dream, a part of me still had wondered what it would have been like if I asked her to stay.

  ***

  May 2016

  “Would you like some coffee or tea?” I called out over my shoulder to the woman sitting on the couch. Elizabeth declined and I walked over with my own mug in hand, sitting down next to her and going over the proposal she had brought over.

  Elizabeth Tierney was the CEO at Green Tree publishing, the power house firm who allowed my story to become what it was today. Elizabeth had been an old friend of my mother’s and after reading my first draft knew that the book could be something amazing. She immediately spoke to her firm about the possibilities and nearly a decade later they had grown into one of the most sought after publishing agencies in California.

  “It’s good, B. Really good.” She said as she leafed through the pages. Elizabeth was one of three people that knew Randle Gooding was actually Beatrice Montgomery. She had wondered why I chose to write under a pen name but after knowing that I wished to remain anonymous if the book gained steamed she had understood fully. “Sony is already in talks. We want the book to be out for a couple of months before they start shooting the film. You’re making them a lot of money and if this one does as well as the last, then you’re going to be a very, very rich woman.”

  The comment slid off my shoulders. I already had more than enough money for my mother and me to live comfortably. I kept telling my mother that she didn’t have to work anymore but she waved me off. I think she enjoyed getting out of the house and I wasn’t about to take that away from her if it was what she truly wanted.

  “What about the book itself? Do you think it will get a lot of attention?”

  Elizabeth nodded her head. “It’s the best in the series by far. A lot of people wanted to know what happened between Blake and Holly and this doesn’t leave anything hanging. I was ecstatic when you called me to let me know you were doing one more.”

  “You don’t think it’s too much?” I asked still worried. I wanted to do right by the characters and if that meant not publishing the book than I was more than willing to keep it a secret.

  “Of course not. You know how many people are invested in these two. Think about if J.K. Rowling came out with another Harry Potter. Do you think people wouldn’t like that?”

  “Oh no, they’d like that a lot,” I chuckled. Elizabeth and I went over the plans for release. Of course there were many requests for interviews and book readings but Elizabeth knew that I would decline them all. I knew that eventually one day the true identity of Randle Gooding would come out but for the time being I was okay with just being a normal high school teacher.

  “One more stipulation that Sony wants. They want to release the book early to the actors so they can start getting a head start on how they’ll be portraying the characters.” Elizabeth looked at me, waiting for my response. I tilted my head wondering if there was any reason why I shouldn’t allow it. I couldn’t think of anything so I just nodded my head.

  “That’s fine, just as long as they know not to release any information.”

  “I’ll make sure they sign a confidentiality contract.”

  “Okay then, where do I sign?”

  The front door opened and I heard my mother call out my name. “In here mom,” I responded as I started to sign the contract.

  “Oh, Beth, I didn’t know you were coming over today.” I felt the room still as the hairs on my arms stood up. I don’t know how I knew but I could tell that my mother wasn’t alone. I quickly glanced up to see my mother and Maddie standing in front of me and Elizabeth.

  “Yes, I came by to see if you had time for a drink. We haven’t seen each other and since I was in town I thought we could catch up.” Elizabeth smiled and I thanked her for the ruse which gave me enough time to gather the contracts and stow them under the table.

  “That sounds great. By the way, this is one of B’s good friends, Maddie. Maddie, this is my old friend Elizabeth…”

  “Tierney. Yes, I know. We’ve met before.” Maddie smiled, the ever gracious person she was, and held out her hand to Elizabeth in greeting. Elizabeth smiled back and something hard and disconcerting settled in the room. Maddie eyed me quickly and then looked away.

  “Well, that’s great. I was just telling Elizabeth that you’ve been meaning to call her mom to catch up.”

  “Perfect timing then.” The situation still felt awkward and I could feel Maddie’s gaze boring into me.

  “Well, I’m ready to go if you are, Beth.” My mother said. I looked between the three women, a sudden stand off to see who would move first. Finally Elizabeth moved and placed her arm in my mother’s. “Let’s take my car, I know a great place a few miles away.” Maddie and I bid our goodbyes and as we heard the front door shut Maddie turned her back to me and started to walk off as well.
/>   “Where are you going?” I called after her. She moved to open the door but quickly turned around.

  “You have a lot of explaining to do. I’m giving you a chance to come up with your story now, so you can explain it to me later.”

  I gulped as the realization set in. Of course Maddie would know who Elizabeth was. She was pivotal in getting Maddie the role for my book’s movies. I’m not sure if she put two and two together about who the real author was, but she knew that I had to do something with her getting at least the role.

  “Maddie…I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

  She held up a hand to silence me. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, B.” She opened the door, “Come over when you’re ready.” She shut the door and I was left staring at nothing. Shit.

  ***

  I knocked on Maddie’s door hesitating only for a few moments. I held the bottle of wine in my hand as I blew out a deep breath, readying myself for the inevitable.

  She opened the door and stood there, motioning me to come in. There was no ‘hello’ and the cool brush off she gave me told me she was still upset. I entered the kitchen as the smell of dinner wafted through the air. She couldn’t be so mad if she made me dinner right?

  “Sit down.” It was more of an order than an invitation and I quickly sat at the words.

  “Can I help?” My voice was nothing more but a squeak. She looked over her shoulder and nodded.

  “You can start by explaining to me how the hell you know Elizabeth Tierney and why she was so set on me playing the role in these movies.” She had turned around and held a wooden spoon, pointing at me with every syllable she muttered.

  “It’s really not what you think, Maddie.” I tried but I knew she wasn’t believing me.

  “You know what I think, B? I think that you had something to do with me getting this role. And honestly I don’t know whether to thank you or pummel you for it.”

  She returned to the table with two heaping bowls of pasta and salad. She placed one in front of me and motioned toward the wine. I nodded quickly, knowing I was going to need some liquid courage.

  “Why would you want to pummel me for helping out? That is, even if did.”

  She gave me my wine glass and eyed me warily. “Because, B. I wanted to do this on my own. It doesn’t help my confidence knowing that I got a part simply because you said something to someone.”

  “They wouldn’t have taken you if you didn’t fit it just right.”

  “They told me that the author requested me, and only me to do it, otherwise there would be no movie.”

  I took a deep sip and eyed Maddie over my glass. She knew.

  “I should have known.” She slapped the table in frustration. “I really should have known when I read those books. There were too many coincidences. The description of the stars? Come on, B…did you really think I didn’t assume that it was you?”

  “A lot of people could think that.” I stated.

  “A lot of people think that our loved ones are looking down at us as if we are their stars? You took the words straight from my damn mouth.”

  “Okay, I understand how you could be upset…”

  “I didn’t even want to believe it. I thought of contacting you so many times to ask you but I just figured I’d be bothering you. After we left things I was sure that you didn’t even want to hear from me again but then I read these amazing stories and so much of us was in them I couldn’t help but wonder. But then I would teeter back to the fact that these stories couldn’t be about us, right? Because you wrote a love story. So I thought it had to be just coincidence.”

  And then I saw Elizabeth today and it all just made sense.”

  She waited for me to respond. I thought about a million excuses, everything under the sun that would get me out of her heated glare but I couldn’t bring myself to lie to her so I told her everything, from the beginning.

  “It wasn’t supposed to be anything. After you left it was hard for me to deal so I just started to write. Mom found the story on her laptop and read it. She and Elizabeth have been friends for a long time and I didn’t even know she sent it over to her, honestly. The next thing I know I’m signing with this publisher and then Sony is calling asking for rights. It was so fast and so soon. I had spoken to your grandmother and she said you were having trouble finding work and I knew how much it meant to you so I made the deal with Sony. You did all the rest. You’re the one that made the movie a success. No one could have played that role but you.”

  “I don’t believe that.” She shook her head.

  “No one could have played that role because that character is you, Maddie. Everything that I wrote was you, and that’s why you and only you could have played it.”

  She furrowed her brows with questions on her lips. “And you’re Blake?”

  I hesitated and tilted my head. “In a way I guess.”

  “But Blake wants Holly.”

  I was silent.

  “And Holly left anyways.” Maddie pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’ve got to explain this to me, B. Is this really about us? Everything in it? Because when I left…”

  “Can we just leave it at what it is? Just a story about two people who needed friendship and decided that it was best for them to part ways in the end?”

  “Who says it was best? You?”

  Maddie stood as she started pacing the kitchen. The puzzle pieces were falling into place quicker than I could actually make out the full picture.

  “You told me to go. Didn’t you? Did I miss something in all that? You said I shouldn’t stay for you. Why would you say that if there was something more?”

  “Maddie, please…let’s not go back there. It’s the past.”

  “The past has a hell of a way of kicking you in the ass, B.”

  “Why are you so upset with all of this? It was ten years ago. So much has happened between then and now. Can’t we just move on from it?”

  She stared into me and I saw it again. The same hurt from years ago. The pain that I placed there when I told her not to stay. But we were so young, so naïve. We didn’t know what love was at the time, did we?

  “What are you thinking about?” I asked her after a few moments of silence. Maddie held up her arms in defeat and let them fall heavily.

  “I’m thinking you’re right. You’re right that it was all in the past and how it’s nothing but memories now. And if I think about it, Blake was unable to truly love Holly anyways so you’re right, you wrote the perfect characters for this story.”

  Maddie removed herself from the kitchen and walked away. I sat there, staring out into the emptiness, our food long forgotten and a friendship teetering on the edge of being destroyed. I waited for a while to see if she was coming back down but I soon realized that she was gone. I removed myself from my seat and cleared the table, putting the remaining food in the fridge. I left Maddie’s home and walked to my own. When I returned to my room I took a quick glance over to Maddie’s window. The curtains closed, the lights off and our past still very much in the present.

  ***

  June 2016

  “What is this?” Maddie asked through her window. She held up a hard bound book with a blank cover and my heart rate sped up. She hadn’t spoken to me since that day in her kitchen. I had tried to contact her but she told me she needed time and even though I hadn’t wanted to, I gave her the distance she needed.

  I shrugged my shoulder as I sat on my window sill enjoying the cool night air. Her curtains had been drawn for a solid month and I knew that her silent treatment was ending once those curtains flew open and I saw her gaze through the window.

  “I thought the last one was the last one.” She said in confusion. “And then to my surprise I get a call from Sony today and have to sign a confidentiality agreement because we’re making another movie. And then an agent exec stops at my door step with this.” She holds up the book for me to see.

  “I decided that I didn’t like the end
ing too much and a lot was left unsaid. So I wrote another one to clear some things up.”

  “How long have you known about this?” She asked. She sat on the window sill mirroring my own posture.

  “I started to write it a few months before you got back.” I wanted her to know that her coming back into my life had no bearing on the story.

  “How does it end?” She looked over at me and I chuckled.

  “I’m not telling you that.”

  “You suck,” she said but at least it was with a smile. I rolled my eyes at her thankful that some of the tension we left with was no longer there.

  “What have you been up to?” I asked trying to keep the conversation going. I had missed her and even with all that happened I yearned for our easy friendship still.

  “Been going back and forth to New York. Trying to get things more settled here.” She gripped the book as if it was a lifeline. Her fingers picked at the cover and I could tell she wanted to read it but also didn’t want to at the same time.

  “How about you?” She threw me a lifeline and I took it with both hands.

  “Just working and wondering if my friend was ever going to talk to me again.”

  “You’re lucky you know,” she said without responding directly to my statement. I raised my eyebrows over to her and she shook her head at me. “I can’t cut you out of my life, you’re technically my boss.” She held up the book and waived it at me and I barked out a laugh. She laughed along with me until the moon was high and the crickets stopped singing their evening songs.

  Chapter 11

  July 2016

  “How come Oprah didn’t invite me to your birthday extravaganza?” I placed the tabloid on my kitchen table as I heard Maddie chuckle over the phone.

  “Is that what they are saying now? I haven’t even met Oprah.” I heard her shuffling pages over the line and a part of me wondered if she was reading the novel. We hadn’t spoken about it since that night but I figured if she had read it she would have let me know.