by Sasha Combs
That line still got a smile, whenever he thought about it. He’d been smart to agree with the casting director because since the debut episode, and the last time he’d received a recent update. Amelia Precious Sinclair was a fan favorite and the most popular cast member on his payroll.
When Artie turned, he spotted Hamilton standing in the rear. The producer rocked his head, gesturing for the director to join him. Artie lay down his headset, then he weaved through the tables, heading where Hamilton stood in the distance. Hamilton lifted up his sunglasses when he said...
“Are you sure you want to end it here? Sounded to me like Faye was getting ready to announce her engagement.”
The director smiled widely when he said...
“So you know about that.”
Artie chuckled because nothing got pass Hamilton Gantry. He was one of the most successful producers in the business and his shows were always in the top ten. Hamilton said...
“I know Faye Gunther. She loves the spotlight. I also know her fiancé. I’ve met him more than a few times. The last time I was in New York I spotted them at the Four Seasons. They looked like two lovebirds, ready to tie the knot.”
Artie smiled like a Cheshire cat, when he said...
“Yeah well... I’ve got something better than Faye telling her fans that she’s marrying her dreamboat.”
“Are you sure Artie? This entire season, Faye never let on that she was even seriously dating.”
Conspiratorially, Artie leaned in to prevent anyone from hearing his conversation.
“I know why Precious was late meeting her friends here at the restaurant.”
Hamilton lifted his eyes, peering over at the women. The cameraman was talking to Faye and Pamela; telling them to hold their places until Artie returned. But Faye was shaking her hair, trying to persuade him to film her news without Artie. As this minor battle of words went on, Precious turned in her seat and her eyes met Hamilton’s. With his glasses off, Precious was struck by his unflinching stare and when he returned her gaze with one of his own. Hamilton noticed that she didn’t shy away. Usually, most women would have lowered their head or pretended to look in another direction. Hamilton is an extremely wealthy and powerful man. He possesses a compelling attractiveness that few can ignore but strangely on the surface, Precious always seems to be immune to him. Unlike the other women. Bewitched or not, Hamilton refused to be the first to break his gaze. He waited her out, until her eyes softened with the turn of her head. He’d hoped it had been his blazing glare that forced her to blink but Precious had felt a light tap on her shoulder. Regina was capturing her attention. In his head Hamilton muttered a curse. He’d enjoyed looking at her from this angle. He liked the idea that for more than an instant, she’d regarded him. But now, her friend held her attention.
Hamilton centered his thoughts, because he’d allowed himself to be thrown off base. Shifting back into working mode, he lowered his gaze when he addressed Artie. Actually, he had too because his director was half a foot shorter than him.
“So...what do you know?”
Hamilton didn’t doubt that the scoop would be good because Artie was the best director in the reality TV show business. But he needed to be sure.
“Well,...I stopped by the club this morning to talk to Faye’s fiancé. He’s in town because her parent’s plan to host a small engagement party to celebrate their announcement. It was a fluke that I ran into him. I only went there to get a few more shots of the club. The old ones that we have were never that great. Anyway... Wilson was there playing squash with Stone Norris. You know.... The guy everyone thinks is the perfect man for Precious.”
Hamilton knew about the man but he wasn’t so sure that he agreed with everyone else's assessment.
“Yeah... I know about Stone Norris. He started a new building project right... In Fiji.”
“Yeah. His family owns a slew of resorts and luxury hotels.”
“When did he get back? I thought he was overseeing the construction.”
“Yeah... Well, that’s what I thought too. But he got back in town a few days ago and when he arrived, he didn’t even check in with his folks. His first stop was at the Sinclair house to talk to Precious’ father.”
“About what? Business?”
“I guess this could fall under the business category. Stone went to tell her father that he wants to ask Precious to marry him.”
Hamilton raised one eyebrow when he said...
“Why would he go to her father to discuss something like that? Has he already asked Precious to marry him?”
“He asked again, and she refused him...again. But this time, he’s using a different strategy. He went to her father to drum up some help. You know... He needs an ally. Apparently Stone Norris has had a thing for Precious for the past few years. He’s done everything that he knows to do but nothing seems to work. He went to her father because he’s heartsick. Actually, to be blunt; Stone wants her parents to persuade Precious to marry him.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Hamilton couldn’t resist lifting his eyes to stare at Precious.
“Nope... I’m not kidding you boss, and I got the entire conversation on tape.”
“What...?” Hamilton said shocked. “What part Artie?”
“I got Stone and Wilson talking in the lounge at the club. They’d both had one too many drinks, and they said more than I think they meant to say. Long story short... I have Stone on film, saying that he wants to marry Precious. She said no but her father and mother have agreed to help persuade their daughter to marry him.”
Hamilton looked over at the table again. Now, the cameraman was talking solely to Faye. He knew what that conversation was about. Faye was trying to persuade the man to turn the camera back on; giving her center-stage. He also watched as the camera slowly lifted, then the light turned on. Faye wouldn’t be happy until she flashed her gum-ball size engagement ring for adoring fans to see. He ignored her for a moment, allowing his eyes to trail over to Precious. Again, he sensed nothing out of the norm about her. Precious didn’t look like a woman who’d recently turned down the prospect of marriage. On the other hand, Hamilton felt a sense of glee knowing that she had.
Lowering his eyes to his director, Hamilton said...
“Artie, are you sure about this? She doesn’t look at all upset.”
“Look Hamilton... I don’t know what happened at her father’s office today; however that’s a scene I would have killed to film.”
Artie’s brows furrowed due to the missed opportunity. Even though Hamilton produced several reality shows, he still didn’t understand the fascination and he didn’t thrilled over the idea of peeking into the lives of others. Voyeurism wasn’t his kind of entertainment. On the other hand, the shows were cheap to produce and they each grossed him enormous amounts of money.
Artie continued.
“Like I said... I don’t know what went on between Precious and her father but according to Stone; her father and mother are willing to help him.”
Hamilton had an immediate reaction hearing this; causing a worried indent between his brow, and Artie noticed this, so he asked...
“You did know that her parents want to see her married and settled down, didn’t you?”
“Sure... I knew that.” Hamilton said but during this past year he’d gotten to know her and in his estimation; Amelia Precious Sinclair wasn’t the marrying kind. He didn’t have to think it. Hamilton had a seasons worth of shows as his proof. During more than one taping, she’d been filmed saying that she wasn’t interested in marriage. She talked about dating and traveling. She even toyed with the idea of moving to California but when she talked about this move, she’d said that she would go alone. Hamilton wondered if Stone Norris had watched any of those episodes; had he, then he would have known that Precious would say no when he proposed to her.
Hamilton inhaled just before saying...
“Artie, you might want to end the show with something else. I don’t think thi
s is going to be much of a cliffhanger unless you can get some footage with Precious talking to her parents. Or maybe even Stone.”
“That’s the beauty of this Hamilton. We don’t need any footage. Let’s face it. People watch this show because of Precious. If we end this season with her fans hearing that Stone Norris is trying to persuade her to marry him. Can you imagine how great that will be? The shock value of it alone is worth more than a few ratings point. Can you imagine how many people will tune in next season to learn if over the summer Stone’s plan had worked?”
Yes, Artie Weinstein was indeed a brilliant director, Hamilton thought and he had to agree. In spite of that; with this last show airing in a few weeks, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to blindside one of his cast members. The voices at the table where the women still sat were beginning to get a little loud. Pamela had just told the women a hilarious joke. The director said...
“Hamilton, trust me on this. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
“Talk to Precious before you do anything Artie. It’s the least you can do.”
“Will do boss.” Artie said, then he walked back over to the table, but he didn’t end the filming. He gave Faye her shinning moment. He let her tell the girls about her engagement. For the cameras, Faye raised her hand, then up went a ring so large, even from where he stood across the room; Hamilton could clearly see the glittering diamond. Yep, this show was his highest grossing reality program to date. Even more so than his Honolulu project. He was certain that the next season would be even greater. Mainly due to Amelia Precious Sinclair. For her, even Hamilton had tuned in to watch.
While Faye twisted her wrist, posing her hand in several angles. She leaned over to the director, telling him that she wanted to be certain that he got a good ring shot. Pamela was sending a text to her father’s dealership. She wanted to be certain that one of the new bikes would be prepped for her to test ride as soon as their filming was done. As they each tended to their own business, Regina whispered to Precious.
“What’s he doing here?” Her eyes darted in the direction where the shows producer stood. Precious hid her curiosity. She twisted in her seat to look at him over her shoulder. Then she turned back to whisper her response.
“Don’t know. This is a first. He’s never stayed this long before.”
“Do you think he’s here to tell us that he’s canceling our show?”
Regina looked panicked because she truly enjoyed taping the show and the added attention was an extra benefit. Precious reached for her water glass and said...
“I doubt it. We have too many viewers and just as many fans.”
“Then, why is he here?” she asked again, but Precious didn’t have an answer. She lifted her water glass to her mouth, at the same time Regina nudged her. Little droplets of water rolled down her hand. While she used her napkin to dry off the wetness, Regina poked Precious in her side, while saying...
“He’s leaving. He’s leaving and he didn’t say one word to us.”
Precious turned in her seat, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. But when she turned, she’d only seen his back, but even that was worth the ogle. Hamilton Gantry had the sweetest ass. She watched his easy gait while he left the restaurant. Her gawking drummed up memories in her brain. When she and Stone had still been an item; on more than one occasion she’d used Hamilton as her muse. When Stone would touch her during his foreplay; Precious would think about Hamilton Gantry. She would pretend that Stone’s caresses were Hamilton’s hands. Even now, she could feel a tingling sensation between her legs, just thinking about the man.
“Are you sure he isn’t here to cancel the show? I wonder why he didn’t come over here to talk to us.”
Precious turned back to look at Regina and her worried expression. She sat back in her chair, wondering why Regina was so concerned. Precious said...
“Apparently he only came to talk to Artie.”
Precious had not said the directors name loud enough to be heard by anyone other than Regina. But as if on cue, Artie finished his conversation with Faye, now he was ready to talk to his entire cast and crew.
“Ladies and gentlemen...” Artie mock bowed to the film crew, then he mocked tipped an imaginary hat to the ladies. “This has been a great first season and you all should be proud of the hard work and dedication that you’ve devoted to this show. For your magnanimous sacrifices and commitment, I’d like to invite you all to my hotel suite to share a celebratory glass of champagne. After tonight, we’ll all be going our separate ways for the summer. While you’re tanning on sandy beaches, sipping umbrella drinks and margaritas; I’ll be in the film studio, working with the editors, piecing together the season finale. I will think fondly of you, while I’m doing this.”
“Wah, wah, wah” One of the sound techs raised his hands, imitating the sound of a winning trumpet. Then he said... “Poor, poor Artie. He has to work for the next two weeks. Slaving over computers. Cutting and pasting, while thinking about all the money he’s making.”
They all laughed. Artie said...
“Yeah, yeah. That’s right. I make a lot of money but I didn’t get here alone. I lucked out big time when Hamilton hired me to direct this show. You people made my job easy, and I mean that. You guys are the best and I’m not just saying that either.”
The funny thing is that they all knew that Artie was being sincere. They were a good crew and that’s what troubled Precious the most. As they laughed and talked, the owner of the restaurant came to thank them for using his establishment to end their first season. After they packed up their personal belongings, Artie led the way to the front of the restaurant. When they were outside, they stood in a semicircle, deciding on a time to meet up at Artie’s hotel suite. While everyone jabbered and joked, Precious had been oddly silent.
“Precious... You’re awfully quiet. Did everything go well with your dad?” Regina asked.
Precious held her coat closed with one hand. Spring and summer were warring again. The calendar said one thing but the weather was doing the opposite. She felt a cool breeze coming off the lake, so she turned her back to it when she said...
“I don’t want to talk about my dad right now. We can talk about him later Regina. I don’t want to spoil the mood. Today isn’t a day for turned down mouths and sad faces. I’m ready to party. Let’s ride together.”
“But what about your car?” Regina asked.
“Don’t worry. I’ll call the chauffeurs pool at my father’s office. They can send someone here to pick up my car then drive it to my house. Not to worry...I use them all the time. Like I said, I’m in the mood to party. Hey... Let’s make it an all-nighter.”
The two women hooked their arms, while they strolled over to Regina’s Jaguar. When they were each seated and buckled in, Regina revved the engine. The tires screeched, making a sharp turn in the parking lot, heading toward the street. They drove down a bit, making a Michigan left, heading out of the city on Jefferson. Artie didn’t mind filming in Grosse Point, but he didn’t care to much for the quiet town. His hotel was located in Downtown Detroit, with a view of the Detroit River and Windsor, Ontario. The city had a bad rap but the people knew how to party hard and all night long. While they drove down the busy street; their cars formed a line. A Jaguar, 2 BMW’s, 1 Mercedes, an SUV, and two stretch limos’ darted in and out of traffic. Flashing headlights, and honking their horns. They were celebrities in this town and people took notice of them; aiming camera’s as they made their way into the heart of the city. To the left of them was the Detroit River and Canada was a stones toss away. What a way to end a season, Precious thought to herself but she noticed that Hamilton’s car was not a part of their caravan and she couldn’t stop herself from wondering where he’d gone. One minute, their eyes had lassoed the others; then in a blink the noose had loosened. The thought unnerved her and all that evening, Precious couldn’t get Hamilton Gantry out of her head. Worse still, she didn’t try to erase the memories.
***************************
*
One month later
Summer was in full swing and the temperature was steadily rising. Most of the crew from the show were either on vacation or moonlighting, working on other projects. Pamela had left town a week after their final shooting. She’d taken one of the motorcycles from her father’s dealership, and she was spending her summer biking across Europe. Faye and Wilson celebrated their engagement with her parents, as they’d planned. Then they left the state, heading for the Hamptons. Wilson’s parents invited Faye to spend the summer with them, while they planned the wedding. Regina had made a quick jaunt out west, to visit with her brother in LA. He managed the family chain of jewelry stores in that region of the country. Normally, she spent her summers someplace exotic but being the good friend that she was; Regina couldn’t bring herself to abandon Precious.
In a small diner located in Rochester Hills, Precious and Hamilton sat with their backs to a large front window. It was early enough; that lull that falls in between breakfast and noon. Precious had pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail. She wore a floppy stylish hat that partially shaded her face. Hamilton sat slightly to her left. He was well known in the film industry but when he traveled he rarely used disguises. Shades were enough for him, and even then; he questioned if even that was necessary. But on this day, he fully understood Precious’ disguise.
She was holding her coffee cup so tightly, he worried that her grip might break the mug. As he stared at her, he recalled his conversation with Artie. His parting words had been, that his director needed to talk to Precious first, before telling the world about Stone’s proposal scheme. When he approached his director on this topic; Artie had explained that he had talked to Precious and to use his words, the director had said...
“Yeah boss... I told her that I knew about Stone Norris.”
That had been the extent of their conversation. What a crock, Hamilton had thought because his director had not been straightforward. Artie never explained all that he knew. On the night that the final show had aired, Precious had not learned about Stone’s conversation with Faye’s fiancé. She didn’t know that Artie had filmed the two men. Hearing Stone on television, telling Wilson how he’d persuaded her father to help him; the revelation made Precious ill. Even more so than Faye and her engagement announcement. At the tail end of the show, while the credits rolled; a short clip had been added with Faye and her oversized ring. She should have felt a sense of happiness for her friend, but instead; Precious had been humiliated and she’d told Artie this. After the final taping, while they partied in his hotel suite; she’d considered remaining on the show. But after watching the season finale and Stone’s behavior. Precious wanted nothing more to do with him or the reality TV biz.
