After the Dream

by Stan Mason

When she landed at LAX, there was a serious problem because she did not have the necessary visa to enter the country. It was extremely fortunate that Laura was there at the immigration barrier waiting to welcome her. She explained to the official that Diana was her sister who was having medical treatment in England and, after a great deal of discussion, they were taken into an interview room where they were able to explain the situation in detail. The fact that Laura, an American citizen, was her sister and that she was had asked her to live with them for only two weeks, and the fact that Diana’s husband was an eminent person in the House of Commons, swung it for her. However, the official interviewing them was less than pleased with the lack of documentation. After it was over, Laura directed her sister to her motor vehicle and drove to her home in South Burbank, north of Los Angeles. It was a large timber building with an outstanding façade, highlighted by a long balcony which ran the length of the house. The location was absolutely beautiful set in the foreground of a wood which was outlined by hills at the rear.

  ‘What a wonderful house!’ exclaimed Diana when the car stopped in the driveway.

  ‘It’s what Mum and Dad’s money bought. As you can see, we didn’t squander it.’ They climbed out of the car as Mac and the two children came on to the balcony. ‘Meet the family!’ she said proudly. ‘This is Mac and this is Rusty and Chuck.’ She looked towards them lovingly. ‘This is my sister Diana.’

  Diana hesitated then she climbed the steps to the balcony and held out her hand to Laura’s husband shaking hands with him vigorously.

  ‘Glad to meet you, Di!’ greeted Mac. ‘Glad you came over the pond.’ He had never met his sister-in-law before and he was surprised at her beauty. She had been a distant person who lived in another country, on another continent and because the two women fell out as a result of their parents’ Will, they hadn’t spoken to each other for over nine years. The truth was that he had never even seen a photograph of her. ‘Come inside!’

  They all entered the house and sat in a very large room filled with furniture. Everything had a material value in terms of comfort. There were two settees, three armchairs, a table, a dresser and lovely carpets. No paintings adorned the walls. Instead fixed there were spears, lances, the horns of a cow, a moosehead and the proverbial hunting rifle over a gigantic hearth. Drinks were poured for everyone, the boys being restricted to cola and orange juice, as Diana acquainted herself with the rest of her family asking Rusty and Chuck about their school, the subjects they studied and their plans regarding employment when they left school. Mac was employed as a motor mechanic but he was negotiating the purchase of his own garage not far away. He talked long and hard about it and it was clear he was extremely enthusiastic about the project.

  ’Mac’s fantastic with cars,’ boasted Laura, over the moon that her sister had come across the Atlantic Ocean to stay with her.

  ’I always knew that Laura had an elder sister from the Court case,’ subjected Mac calmly when the boys had left the room to play elsewhere. ’She just didn’t tell me how attractive you are.’

  ’Steady, Mac!’ warned Laura with mock irritation. ’This is my sister you’re talking about!’

  ‘I didn’t mean it that way,’ he chided. ‘I’m tellin’ the truth. She’s a beautiful woman.’ He turned his attention towards Diana. ‘Laura tells me you’ve separated from your husband. How’re you makin’ out without him?’

  ‘Not too badly actually,’ came the reply. ‘It’s a relief in a way not to have to face him. You have to understand that I didn’t recognise him after I lost my memory. In fact I didn’t like the look of him at all when I woke up in hospital.’

  ‘He’s a senior Civil Servant,’ explained Laura. ‘He’s a workaholic. Always busy with his work and no time for his family. It’s no wonder they separated.’

  ‘I was in hospital in Agadir for quite some time. He never came to visit me. Always too busy with his work in England,’ bleated Diana. ‘He employed a local lawyer to come in every few days to report to him on my progress.’

  ‘That was Ahmed, wasn’t it?’ intervened her sister.

  Diana regretted having been so bold as to criticise her husband but she could not stop herself from continuing. ‘I visited him when I went to see Dr. Mahmoud...the scientist who’s treating me.’

  ‘A scientist in Morocco!’ retorted Mac in surprise. The words seemed to stand out in the room as large as the moose’s head hanging on the wall.

  ‘It was just a visit, ‘ returned Diana constantly reminded of the bridge that separated her from her Arab friend.

  ‘Well to change the subject, you have a partner for dinner,’ announced Laura proudly. ‘Just a partner, mind you. Nothing more... especially when you find out more about him. His name’s Greg and he’s an old friend.’

  Diana shrugged her shoulders aimlessly. ‘You didn’t have to pair me up with someone.’

  ‘That’s just it,’ her sister went on. ‘We didn’t. It was a coincidence. We hadn’t see him for the best part of a year and then he turned up on the doorstep so I invited him to dinner. I knew that you were coming and that you wouldn’t mind. You’ll like him. He’s a movie producer.’

  ‘Interesting,’ echoed Diana who was always keen on watching films on television. ‘What has he made? Anything I might have heard of?’

  Laura rattled off the names of three film which her sister had seen in England. They were not masterpieces but it was evident that the coming guest was renowned in his profession. ‘I must warn you though. He’s very handsome and he likes pretty women.’

  ‘Hey!’ laughed Mac pausing after drinkin beer from a can. ‘Who’s steppin’ across the line now?’

  When Greg arrived for dinner, Diana stared at him with her eyes wide open. He was certainly handsome....as good as any male film star who wooed the crowds. He was six feet tall, with hair slightly greying long before its time, blue eyes, a masterful face, an athletic figure and he wore a light blue suit that fitted him perfectly. As he entered the room, his eyes fixed on Diana as he scanned her face and figure.

  ‘Who’s the good-lookin’ dame,’ he asked Laura excitedly clearly impressed with the new visitor.

  ‘Diana‘s my sister,’ declared Laura. ‘She‘s come from England to stay with us for a while. And she‘s not a dame....she‘s a lady.’

  Greg smiled briefly before approaching Diana, taking her hand gently and kissing her fingers tenderly. ‘Hi, Diana!’ His voice was smooth and in a low tone. ‘Nice to meet you, honey!’

  His hand moved to her chin which he turned slightly one way and then the other staring at her face with his eyes slightly narrowing. ‘I’d like you to take a screen test. I think you might be photogenic enough to be in my movie.’

  Diana froze on the spot, surprised that she hadn’t reacted to his actions. She would have been affronted had anyone else taken such a liberty.

  ‘Do you really think so,’ ventured Laura, excited at the prospect that her sister might be able to take on a role in a movie picture.

  ‘Look at those features,’ added the film producer. ‘You should have told me you had a younger sister.’

  Laura appeared to be insulted by the comment. ‘Just hold it there for a second, Greg,’ she snapped in mock anger. ‘She’s two years older than me I’ll have you know!’

  Greg raised his eyebrows. ‘She doesn’t look more than about twenty-eight,’ he said without taking his eyes off Diana’s face.

  ‘Then I’m twenty-six....I wish,’ laughed Laura teasing him.

  Diana was riveted by the man. He had amazing charm which surrounded him like an aura, He had a remarkably easy attitude that was refreshing....overwhelming. However her enthusiasm about the man was soon dented.

  ‘How’s your wife, Greg>‘ asked Mac, handing his friend a can of beer.

  ‘My first, second or third?’ enquired the guest.

/>   Diana’s mouth opened widely in astonishment at Greg’s reply.

  ‘You’ll need to watch him, I warn you,’ related Laura hurriedly. ‘He’s deadly where women are concerned. He meets them at parties, likes the look of them, charms them, marries them and then divorces them. He’s really a little devil.’

  ‘Don’t listen to anything she says,’ snorted Greg in mock annoyance, his blue eyes staring directly at Diana. ‘She hates me!

  She was extremely sad to learn of the film producer’s weakness with the female sex. He was the kind of man who excited her and she wouldn’t mind becoming involved with him romantically. However his track record with women removed him from the equation. She decided to admire him at arm’s length and take everything that he said with a pinch of salt. It was the best way....it was the only way! A serious romantic relationship with him would almost certainly leave her heartbroken in the end.

  They sat down to dinner that evening and Mac carved a giant turkey.

  ‘I’m serious about that screen test,’ began Greg staring directly into Diana’s eye across the table. Despite her rejection to any advances he might make, she still felt her legs go weak as their eyes met. ‘Come with me to Universal Studios tomorrow. I could arrange for the take then.’

  ‘I’m not sure I want to be a film star,’ she laughed somewhat embarrassed by the offer. Although she was keen on watching films on television she was completely ignorant with regard to how they were made.

  ‘You English!’ he chided gently. ‘You’re so sensitive about showing yourselves in the public domain. I’m offering you something that most people would give their right arm for. Come with me tomorrow!’

  ‘Why not?’ intervened Laura encouragingly. ‘At worst it’s a trip around Universal Studios.’

  ‘Go for it!’ added Mac. ‘You’ll never get another chance like it.’

  The banter went on through the dinner and, afterwards, the four adults sat drinking in the lounge sitting in comfortable chairs.

  ‘I think I’ll take you up on that screen test, Greg,’ accepted Diana suddenly. It was an impulsive gesture but life was full of adventure if one let it happen and it compensated for her condition. ‘But,’ she added. ‘I don’t know if I could ever remember my lines.’

  ‘If the test is successful,’ returned Greg, ‘you’ll be a waitress in the movie which is called ‘Sweet Fountain of Youth’ and you’ll have only one line to say. It’s “Have you decided what you want to order?” That’s all. If you can do it in an American accent all the better. What do you think about that?’

  ‘Take a shot at it,’ urged Laura quickly. ‘As Mac said, you’ll never get another chance like this.’

  Diana nodded her head meaningfully. Yes....it would be a new adventure. Destiny was beckoning to her again. Her mind ventured into fantasy. Who knew where it all might end if she passed the screen test and took a role in the film. Hundreds of actors and actresses had made their mark that way, starting with a very small part. However at the back of her mind she didn’t expect it to go any further. She was forty-three years old. It was far too late for a woman to start an acting career!

  Greg left after a while. As he departed, he leaned towards Diana , put his arms around her and kissed her firmly on the lips long and hard. She felt a wave of emotion rush through her body and the warmth of sexual sensation as he did so, and adrenalin passed through her body causing her legs to start to wilt.

  ‘I’ll pick you up at ten in the morning,’ he informed her briefly after releasing her. He picked up his hat, waved an arm towards Laura and Mac and then left.

  ‘I told you to watch yourself,’ warned Laura as she closed the front door behind him. ‘He’s a ladies’ man, full of charm, and I don’t think he has a conscience.’

  Diana went to bed later that night staring at her new surroundings. Everything was strange to her....the wallpaper, the small chandelier, the paintings on the walls, the four-poster bed, the thick patterned carpets. At this point in time she challenged her decision to come to the United States. Everything was happening so fast, her mind could not keep up with it. The fact that she wasnted to meet the rest of her family had caused her to be caught up in the tentacles of fate. And then there was Greg. She thought about the kiss.....that warm, sensuous, emotional moment that had thrilled her so much. She hadn’t felt that way for a very long time. Regrettably there was no hope of continuing the relationship with a man who couldn’t keep his hands off women. It was always going to be a short-term intimacy to say the least. She snuggled into bed between the sheets, fatigued from the flight, and as soon as her head touched the pillow she fell fast asleep. Everything in her life was suddenly becoming important but, by necessity, it would all have to wait until the next day.

  * * *

  Greg arrived at ten o’clock the next day. He came in a white stretch limousine obviously intending to impress her. She was ready for him dressed appropriately in a short black outfit which came down just about her knees and she climbed rather nervously into the vehicle. The time had come for her to start on her new venture and she wasn’t sure that she was ready for it. Greg was a perfect gentleman, opening the door for her and closing it behind her. He then drove directly to Universal Studios where they avoided joining the tourists on the trolley cars. She stared at the lake with a dummy in a row boat with a shark’s fin moving towards it. The dummy fish demolished the vessel and went on to terrify the people in one of the trolley cars, stopping short before it could do any damage.

  ‘That’s for the tourists,’ informed the film producer. ‘As you know, that was a scene to represent the movie ‘Jaws’,’ He pointed to a house which was on fire. ’That’s been used in many movies. And over there are the pebbles where they filmed ’Spartacus’ starring Kirk Douglas. We go this way. ‘ He led her to one of the large nissen huts on the site and they entered.

  She saw that it was a film studio in itself splite into three parts. A small film crew stood at the far end of the hut working to establish a background. One of them waved to her and handed her a microphone.

  ‘Say something....anything,’ he ordered. ‘We need to test your voice and speech.’

  She hesitated for a moment and then recalled the dialogue Greg had mentioned the night before. With the best American accent that she could muster she uttered: “Have you decided what to order?”

  Greg was ecstatic. ‘You remembered the words I told you!’ he said gleefully. And the accent wasn’t too bad. We’ll have to work on it.’

  A make-up artist came forward to work on her face and then a white apron was placed around her waist and someone handed her a pen and pad.

  Greg examined the set and prepared to shoot the scene. ‘Remember you’e a waitress...not Greta Garbo. Just take it easy.’

  After the screen test, which seemed to please the film producer, Diana did not know whether to laugh or cry. The last thing she wanted to do was to portray herself in a film but she had put her head in a nosse and now it had been drawn tight. There was no way she would be able to refuse to take part...not after al the trouble Greg had taken to arrange the screen test. In addition, her sister wouldn’t allow her to return to England until she had acted in the film.

  She returned to the house and told Laura the good news. ‘Greg was very impressed. He wants me to take the part of the actress in the film he’s making.’

  ‘You’re going to be a film star!’ echoed Laura absolutely delighted at the news. ‘My sister....a film star.’

  ‘It’s only a tiny part,’ returned Diana quietly. She had enjoyed the morning, especially being with Greg but she knew that she had to keep her distance. Becoming embroiled with a ladies’ man was unnecessary even though the moment that she spent with him would be exceptional. In the long run, however, it simply wasn’t worth it.

  Greg returned two hours later with a disc of the screen test. ‘You c
an show it to whoever you want to,’ he said with a grin all over his face. ‘We continue filming that scene in two days’ time. You can do your part then’ He took her hand gently. ‘Now...how about having dinner with me tonight.’

  ‘What about your third wife?’ rattled Diana perniciously.

  ‘She’s dining with someone else,’ he replied casually as though it didn’t matter. ‘We’re getting a divorce soon so there’s no point in being together.’

  ‘Am I the target for your fourth wife?’ she challenged, closing her eyes momentarily for having uttered the words. What a stupid remark to have made. Why didn’t she think before she allowed her tongue to go into action?

  ‘Hey!’ he laughed loudly, ‘aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself? I only invited you to dinner.’

  ‘That’s good!’ she retorted blandly. ‘Only I’m not in love with you. You’re too much of a flibbertygibbet for my liking.’

  ‘What’s a fliberty....thing do?’ he asked jokingly. He was clearly teasing her, possibly lining her up as his next prey.

  ‘Never mind!’ she said with a tinge of mock anger in her voice. She had dug a hole for herself and was slowly sliding into it. ‘I’ll come to dinner with you but that’s it....no hankey-pankey! Is that understood?’

  He raised his arms as if in defeat. ‘I’m a very understanding fella,’ he conceded. ‘You’ll find that out eventually.’

  He took her to a fine restaurant on the outskirts of Los Angeles that evening and they faced each other across the table.

  ‘I’ve known Mac since my schooldays,’ he explained, running briefly through his life history. ‘He was always a motor mechanic ever since he was a kid. I had my eye on better things. I drifted into the movie industry when someone fell ill at Columbia Studios. Until then, I was a shirt and tie salesman. All that was a long time ago. You see, America’s a land of opportunity but, when the time comes, you’ve got to grasp it with both hands. Otherwise you’ll end up like Mac workin’ for someone else all your life. The movie industry’s alive and you’re young enough to may it pay for you.’