CHAPTER 4–THE RETURN OF THE GREAT DANE–EVERETT

            Everett Stone walked onto the set of Empire Nights as if he owned the place. He fulfilled his promise and dropped off a woman at the studio gates, within the paparazzi’s view. She was his latest fling to make Gena jealous. It appeared to be a common occurrence, and he was growing weary of it.

            His thoughts didn’t last long on Gena. In fact, they barely focused on her or the fluff and nonsense he left at the gates. Rebecca stood out in his mind lately after seeing her again. He’d avoided thinking about her for years and how they broke up. Now he’d seen her. His nerves jangled with anxiety. Why hadn’t anyone stepped in and made her clean up her act?

            Everett dreamt last night that he’d hunted down Rebecca’s latest boyfriend and strangled him for screwing up with her so much. He hadn’t seen a face in his dream, but he suspected his mind played tricks on him and that boyfriend was him.

            So, he’d gone through the early morning hours moody and wanting to be alone. His fluff, as his agent called her, could smell his unease and disinterest in her right now. She couldn’t leave fast enough when he said goodbye to her.

            Now with his script in his bag, he headed to the script reading meeting. Upon arrival, everything seemed unchanged. Even the craft table carried the same things he remembered. When he noticed a blueberry muffin, he instantly remembered how Rebecca loved eating them and snagged it and a coffee for her. In his opinion, she was too thin.

            Within the television world she was thin, but thin was always in. Everett had never liked the waif-like types. There wasn’t anything to play with.

            Everett remembered he’d loved Rebecca’s curves. He could spend hours touching her and tracing every curve. She enjoyed it too. As the show gained popularity, she became the star. People pushed her to lose weight. She struggled, and Everett regretted not weighing in on this back then.

            When he got to the reading table, they’d seated him across from Rebecca. She only had a disgusting-looking shake, nothing more.

            “Good morning, everyone. How is everyone today? Rebecca, I remembered how much you love these, so I picked it up for you and coffee as you like it.” He plunked the cup of coffee and the muffin down in front of Rebecca. Surprisingly, she remained silent, but gave her favourite food a terrified look.

            “Thanks, but I’ve eaten already. I can’t possibly eat it.” Rebecca’s words came out stiffly and the actress beside her stopped eating a slice of pineapple to look at her inquiringly.

            “Well, save it for when you’re hungry.” Rebecca looked at him as if he’d handed her a knife. She acted like he’d told her to stab herself when she was ready. He didn’t know how she could be so ungrateful or rude. Everett was here to build his fanbase and satisfy the one he had now.

            The playing field now was different between them, and he wouldn’t play second fiddle to her this time.

            “Yeah, maybe later. Is everyone here? When are we starting this run through?” Rebecca barely looked at Everett. He knew she used to cannot take her eyes off him. Even when her career took over. Other people ignored him, but Rebecca didn’t change in that respect. Now she couldn’t look him in the eye.

            “I agree. Can we get on with this? I’m excited to see if this reunion scene will succeed or fail. Everett feared their spark wouldn’t be there when they finally kissed in the scene. After everything, no one knew their spark wasn’t an act. It was real, and he worried one of them wouldn’t be able to fake that spark.

            It wasn’t something he wanted to admit would fade. He left for the sake of his career and ego. They were both disappointed with the results. He’d believed at one point that Gena and he would marry and live happily ever after. However, Gena’s personal life was just as dramatic as her acting career. She had other ideas, and he wasn’t privy to those ideas. Gena led him on a wild chase, leaving Everett unsure of his future. Again, Gena took the credit and Everett stayed in the shadows.

            Gena’s acting didn’t have any definable errors that anyone could point at and say that’s what she must fix. If only it were that simple. Everett wouldn’t suspect anything was wrong. But her acting felt stilted somehow, and he felt like his acting carried any scene they were in.

            It wasn’t like that with Rebecca if he remembered his time with her correctly. If he’d known the difference between the two women’s acting, he might have thought twice about leaving.

            Gena showered him with attention, compliments, gifts, and the whole shebang. At the time, Everett and Rebecca had a settled and comfortable relationship. But Everett knew now how bruised his ego was by the attention Rebecca and her career received. He felt left in her shadow and jealousy crept in.

            “Okay, everyone, take your seats and let’s get on with this. As everyone is worried about how we’ll deal with Dane’s return to the set. Let me recap this. Dane ventured into a South American jungle to find his brother, but he never returned, and they never found him. We’re using that and working from there. In a remote jungle, Dane survived a plane crash. Now, you survived. Severely injured, with no memory of who you were. The locals took care of you and let you stay with them as you recovered. Years later, a documentary crew came through the area and discovered you. Recognizing you from the media stories about the great search for you. They take you out of the jungle with them when they leave. Now in Rockdale, you struggle to remember your identity and readjust to the life you left behind in search of your brother. Nothing seems familiar to you until you meet Bella for the first time since you left. You become enchanted and fascinated by her. That’s the lead up. During the Christmas workplace party, you spot her from across the room. Everett pondered this for hours last night. He wanted to stay true to the character. With on demand services these days, fans could rewatch past episodes of anything and they’d know if someone diverted from their original character even a little. Since he wanted to make this change a success, he’d watched his past scenes like that himself before he looked at the script.

            “Here’s what I’m wondering. If I’m seeing her and having flashbacks of her. Do I really go to her? Or do I stop and stare at her? Entranced and confused by the disjointed memories I have of her.” Everett poured out his interest and excitement about working on something so meaningful. It hadn’t crossed his mind how much he needed something like this.

            When Everett acted like this. He would research the injuries and diseases so that he could give them a convincing portrayal. Nothing could break a career like following a script written by someone too lazy to do the proper research. One of the major ways to piss off your fans and have them turn away from you.

            “I see your point. So, do you have an idea on how they could meet successfully?”

            “Actually, I do. You have Bella with her date. That won’t sit well with Dane if he’s able to understand his disjointed memories. Bella should disagree with her date and as she storms off, she doesn’t see Dane until she bumps into him.”

What could I possibly argue with Blane about? He’s the perfect boyfriend. Blane is going along for the ride. He’s not cheating. Nor is he trying to force Bella into living with him or into a marriage with him. They are having a wonderful time together.” Rebecca had to pick apart at his ideas.

            “How about we have him feeling tied down? He wants to change the relationship dynamic. Or the other way around. You want to advance the relationship, but he hesitates.

            “I don’t know why she would. But fine. We’ll play it your way.”

            “Do you have a better idea, Becca?”

            “I have told you many times, don’t call me Becca.” She glared across the table as she sulked there. “I don’t see a reason for any changes. Including you returning. It’s crazy. What are we doing? Whipping a dead horse to end up with a different outcome? The horse is dead.”

            “Eat your muffin. You don’t sound like you lied and haven’t eaten at all. You’re hangry.”

I’m neither hangry nor in need of constant guidance like a child.

            “Okay, okay. Let’s get back to the script. I like the idea. It lets the scene end on a cliff hanger when Dane and Blane come face to face.” John, the producer, turned to Ellie Staples, the scriptwriter who was furiously typing away making notes so she and her team could make last-minute revisions.

“We’ll let Ellie look into the changes and how viable they are for possible future storylines.”

            “Becca, you have something to say. I can see it. Go ahead. Tell us what you have on your mind.” Everett’s intrigue peaked as he watched Rebecca fume. He couldn’t help it. He couldn’t stop using his pet-name for her. She came alive when he did it, and no longer looked flat. Others may see it as heartless, but she needed the challenge clearly.