CHAPTER 1–ONE LAST DITCH EFFORT–REBECCA

     

               Rebecca Jones sat quietly across from her agent, Ben Steins. “Rebecca, please. The producer and several studio board members have expressed their wishes. I can’t put this off. Our ratings are falling. We must reach out to Everett Stone; the show needs him. You’ve seen the trending comments. Our viewers want to see Dane return to Bella. They’ve waited five years for this love story to continue.”

            They’d eaten lunch during their meeting in the commissary of the Black Dawn Production Studios. The crowds in the commissary didn’t matter. They weren’t speaking about anything sensitive.

            Rebecca listened to Ben prattle on about Everett’s return and reprising his role as Dane Matthews, her character’s love interest. It’d been five years since she’d seen or spoken to him, not since the fateful night he’d left.

Thinking about that night was unbearable. Those thoughts always triggered a cascade of heartbreaking memories. Rebecca struggled with the memories daily still.

            “Are you saying I don’t have a choice?” This meeting was wearing on her, and Rebecca wanted it over. Her blonde hair rested in a bun at the back of her hair, but she felt it loosening and it was distracting. Her pale blue eyes watched Ben as she listened to his pitch for the coming changes. Shooting would start in a month. Four weeks of dread and worry. If she made it through another season, it would be a miracle. Rebecca didn’t have a choice. Her headache reminded her she couldn’t afford to walk away if she wanted to. Without the money, her headache would become a killer.

            “Rebecca, I’m sorry. I want to say no. But I can’t. They’ve made it clear if he agrees, then it will continue. Are you okay with that? I don’t understand your opposition. But this is your show, and everyone knows you for being extremely professional. Please, I want to see the show and you succeed. If the ratings keep dropping like this, I’m afraid the studio will cancel the show. Sadly, you’ll be working with him this time. I apologize. You knew I couldn’t maintain putting this off forever.” Rebecca could see Ben wasn’t giving her a pitch full of fluff and nonsense. They’d tap danced around this for three to four seasons now. If Everett agrees to return, it’s unavoidable. Rebecca knew a snowball’s survival at high noon on the hottest summer day was more likely than Everett agreeing to return.

            Rebecca stared at the coffee in front of her. She sighed heavily as her slim fingers brought the cup to her mouth. She took a sip and set it down before she responded to Ben. “Yes, Ben, I know you don’t understand. You weren’t there, and it’s in the past. It doesn’t mean I forgive him. No, I won’t speak of what happened or why I feel this way. But I have one stipulation if he agrees to come back. I don’t want to see any of his hangers on lurking on set. He will not bring up the past with me or anyone else. He knows what I’m talking about if it gets that far. I doubt he’ll want to return.” She pushed her half-eaten salad away. It left her with a hollow feeling in her stomach, a potential warning sign of lurking troubles. Rebecca struggled to accept what happened, but five years flew by, and the memories remained etched in her mind. That confrontation marked the end of her life.

Food and happiness were now a bane to her future and her existence. She wouldn’t tell anyone what she experienced. Her career lived and died on her skills to act, not her fans’ pity. They had sufficient time to marvel and pity her while she was gone. At least, then she wouldn’t need to bear listening to it.

            Ben’s sweet nature and honest disposition deterred Rebecca from telling him. She couldn’t bear his pity. How could she go on if everyone excused her failings out of pity? Rebecca’s pride wouldn’t allow that. Not then or now.

            Rebecca must keep Empire Nights and her acting career going. Gena D’Or still tried to slither her way into Rebecca’s career and hijack it for herself. Everyone in the business knew she used her family’s money to get where she was. In recent years, it benefitted Gena’s career. While Rebecca struggled on her acting skills alone. Gena never denied the rumours she used her family’s money and didn’t get her what she wanted. When money didn’t work, she’d use slash and burn techniques. Rebecca had seen a list of people whose personal lives became dumpster fires like her own. The number of relationships and marriages having fallen apart around her was too high to be coincidental. The woman was toxic, wrapped in a false shell of beauty. Everyone knew they were bitter rivals, not from Rebecca, but from Gena’s desperate attempts to ruin Rebecca’s career to pave the way for her to be the Crowning Rose of Black Dawn Productions’ list of actors.

            “Do you want me to scout a new project, Rebecca? In case Empire Nights ends.” Ben hesitated before he asked with great trepidation. He’d asked many times, and Rebecca always declined. Rebecca knew he worried for her career by declining everything else. Rebecca struggled she’d spread herself too thin. She feared declining the way would lose Ben as her agent. If she didn’t accept something or explain why she declined the offers, he brought to her.

            “Let me think on it. I’ll get back to you.”

It’s the first time she didn’t outright say no to Ben. Looking for a new project terrified her. She could see herself being stretched too thin before she failed. The walls felt suffocatingly close. Even closing in on her. Like it trapped her hand in a closing vise.

            “Just think about gaining some weight. Get your energy back. No one will hire you like this. It’ll be less of a hard sell on my part. That’s another thing John mentioned. He’s noticed how you’ve lost weight. He’s worried the viewers will notice.” Ben set the plate that once held his cheesecake dessert further onto the table, signalling the meal was over and he’d eaten his fill.

            “I couldn’t care less what the viewers think. I’ve been trying to deal with it.” Rebecca knew she’d said too much. When Ben looked up from finishing his coffee with his hazel eyes widening because her words were so uncharacteristically opposite to her usual demeanour. Rebecca only flinched apologetically, with a slight shrug of her shoulders. What she said was how she felt.

            “If it weren’t you saying this to me, I’d accuse them of lying. I know you’re working to fix whatever it is, and I’ve done everything I can to keep the media away as you’ve asked. But it would be easier to help you if I knew what’s wrong.” In every meeting, Ben attempted to get Rebecca to confide in him. She knew he looked at her and speculated about the issue. Rebecca knew there was no way he’d figure it out.

            Rebecca shook her head slowly before she spoke. “You know I don’t talk about my private life, and this is part of my private life. So, I’m sorry. No, I won’t explain my private business to you or make excuses for how I choose to live my life. The way I choose to spend my money and my personal time is my business. The public can judge me however, they like. I’ll accept whatever comes my way. Fighting it would end only in useless endeavours of frustration. They will believe whatever entertains them and remind them they aren’t so badly off.”

            “Alright. If public opinion gets too rough for you, please inform me and I’ll have someone deal with the issues. I’ll take this back to John. He can explain to the executives your terms. I’ll ensure he knows it’s not negotiable. But don’t let it surprise you when Everett comes back with his own conditions.” Ben could be so logical and cold. He cared about the wellbeing of his clients, which gave her a little warmth into Rebecca’s life. She had a cast meeting coming up where they’d review the storyline for the upcoming season and discuss the direction of their characters.

            “Thank you, Ben. Just make sure the producer understands I’ll work with Everett under these conditions. I won’t interact with him in any fashion when it doesn’t involve the production or advertising of the show itself. His girlfriends need to stay off the set. I won’t deal with their jealousy.” Rebecca looked flatly at Ben and spoke.

Rebecca didn’t want to tell Ben she didn’t have the energy to fight anymore. She wouldn’t deal with his latest tryst’s insecurities. Everett would understand immediately. Even if no one else did.

            “It’s all here, Rebecca. I’ll impress this upon John for you. He’ll relay everything to the board of executives. As you’ve said, nothing may result from this. He may decline the offer. Though I’m unsure how they’ll keep his girlfriends off the set. But when I’m done, John will understand it’s not optional.” Ben placed a document in before Rebecca with a pen. He pointed to where she must sign. Rebecca nodded and accepted the pen. With a quick flourish, she signed her name to the document, all while silently praying she didn’t need these demands. Rebecca didn’t know if she could deal with everything. Nor did she want to deal with Everett. Not after their last conversation.

            “Thank you. I’m sure the company’s security department can solve that. If that’s everything, I have another appointment.”

Rebecca set down the pen and slowly stood. Every joint felt like she’d done her own stunts, but she’d not practiced reading, let alone any stunts.

            “Of course, it’s nice as ever to spend time with you Rebecca and we’ll talk soon again.” Ben held out his hand, which dwarfed hers by a considerable amount. He didn’t look pleased by what he felt. Rebecca secretly agreed with Ben.

“Oh, and Rebecca, please keep in mind if you don’t gain some weight back, I may not represent you anymore. The market is changing, and heroin sheik is no longer a sought-after look. Please fix it. Just eat something. I don’t want to see the likes of Gena D’Or stealing the spotlight from someone as talented as you.”