Part 9 (2/2)
I took a long slow breath. ”We did but she recently got offered The-”
”Legend Kills. I know,” Kiley said.
Of course she knew. She was a big star with eyes and ears everywhere.
”Steve loathes The Lady's Regret,” Kiley said. Glee trickled through her voice.
”We're not working together on the project,” I said, cutting her off. ”How can I help you, Kiley?”
”I want to play the lead in The Lady's Regret, and I'll do it for SAG scale plus ten percent and a producer's credit.”
My teeth clamped together. f.u.c.k! I broke into a sweat. This was one of the world's biggest stars offering to play the role in my film. I should be ecstatic. With Kiley in the lead all my problems were solved. As an A-List star, she would attract a great male co-star, we would get all our necessary foreign pre-sales, we could go into prep immediately, we would even have an excellent shot of recouping all the money we'd laid out. Kiley's motivation to do this film was transparent-it was due entirely to sheer meanness. Working with her would create a chasm between my father and me as big as the Grand Canyon. He hated the script and he'd just divorced Kiley. Plus what would I tell Amanda?
”Amanda is a producer on the film. I need to speak with her before I can give you an answer ...” I said. ”I also need to run it by Cami.”
”And don't forget Elizabeth Montgomery,” Kiley said. ”I hear she's the one bankrolling the entire production.”
”Right. Give me today. I'll get back to you quickly.”
”Talk to Amanda and Cami and let me know,” Kiley said. ”I've always loved the script and, to be honest, Sterling, I love the idea of making my ex-husband mad even more.” I could see her evil smile over the phone. I pressed the off b.u.t.ton. I wanted to be able to tell her no, to say go to h.e.l.l, but with the deadline approaching for the option there was little that I could do but say yes. Kiley Kepner, the woman every member of the family loathed, might be the only way to make The Lady's Regret.
I pulled into Amanda's driveway. I couldn't wait to tell her about Kiley.
Having a nearly married sister meant there was always a stocked refrigerator. Mine always had booze, but I wasn't so great at keeping food at my place. I pulled a beer from the refrigerator and walked toward the backyard. I heard female voices but couldn't make out the words. I looked through the sliding doors. Amanda drifted on a raft along the bright blue surface of her pool. Maeve sat on the second step in the shallow end and Rhiannon lay on a chaise in the shade by the pool. My eyes roamed over her bare skin. Her head turned toward me as though she'd felt my gaze.
”Sterling!” Amanda called. A near-empty pitcher of margaritas sat on the pool deck. Maeve waved to me. I hadn't known that she'd returned home. Amanda's wobbly grin indicated that they'd been there for quite a while.
”We were just talking about you,” Amanda said.
”Maeve!” I said and walked over to Rhiannon's sister. ”Is that you? All grown up!” I kissed both her cheeks. She looked like her sister except with a darker complexion and dark red hair. Plus, with Maeve, her rebellious spirit always shone through.
”Sterling! How the heck are you?” She wrapped an arm around my neck and leaned in next to my ear. Her words were a whisper for only me to hear. ”Would you two please stop torturing each other and just admit you're meant to be together?”
There was tequila on Maeve's breath and we both wore sungla.s.ses. I couldn't read her expression but she wore a smile on her lips.
”I've loved her my whole life,” I said.
”And she you.”
Maeve released her grasp around my neck and bent down to the pool where Amanda stood refilling margaritas.
I walked to Rhiannon and sat down on the end of her lounger. She seemed to be the most sober of the three. ”How long have you ladies been drinking and sunning?”
”Since ten a.m.,” Amanda called.
”We spent the night,” Maeve said. ”Lots to catch up on.”
”Gayle's housekeeper stayed at the ranch so I've got these two for a couple of days.” Amanda was beaming. Having her two best friends with her made her happy. ”Lane would have come but she already signed on to help at a charity event in San Francisco. She might be able to come by later this afternoon.”
”Wow, you've got a regular girls' weekend going on here.”
”The ma.s.seuse arrives this afternoon,” Amanda said.
”When does Ryan get home?” I asked.
”They're on set in New Mexico for a week,” she said and waved her hand. ”That's why I broke out the blender!” While Ryan didn't mind when others drank, I knew that Amanda often didn't imbibe when he was around as a show of solidarity for her sober husband. His fight to remain sober wasn't always easy. Her respect for the choice Ryan made each day to remain sober was deeply etched into their relations.h.i.+p.
”Shhh,” Amanda said and pressed her finger to her mouth, ”we won't tell him we got a little boozy by the pool.” Amanda held out a gla.s.s of margaritas to Rhiannon. I leaned forward, took it from Amanda and handed it to Rhiannon. Heat spiraled through me when her fingers touched mine. Cast back into the role of adolescent schoolboy, when Rhiannon was near my body tensed with her touch. I released the gla.s.s into Rhiannon's hand and turned back toward the pool.
Amanda hopped back onto her pool float without spilling a drop of her drink. ”Not that you need a reason, big brother, but why are you here? You seem too serious for just a drop-by.”
”I wanted to talk to you about the film,” I said.
”Jennifer Laredo?” Amanda asked with a hopeful smile on her face.
”Accepted The Legend Kills.”
”Dammit. Daddy!” Amanda said and splashed her hand into the pool. ”Why does he hate this project so much? Why doesn't he understand we need to make it for Mom?”
I glanced toward Maeve and wished those sungla.s.ses weren't on her face. Why did both Maeve and Rhiannon's father and my dad hate this project so much? Was there something that the Bliss sisters knew that Amanda and I didn't?
”Who's next?” Amanda asked. ”We're running out of time.”
”I got a call on the way over here,” I said. ”You won't like it, but it will get The Lady's Regret made.”
Amanda's jaw dropped open and she tilted her head to the side. ”You're kidding me, right?”
I didn't even have to say the name and already Amanda knew which female star I'd spoken to.
”Seriously? Seriously you want me to be a producer on a film and let Kiley-f.u.c.king-Kepner play a role that was written for our mother? Sterling? Come on! You seriously expect me to say yes to this?”
”Kiley playing the role gets The Lady's Regret made.” Amanda was tipsy. Now wasn't the best time to discuss Kiley with my sister. Amanda was good at the Legend facade until she got drunk. Drunk Amanda was much more emotional and verbal than sober Amanda. I knew this from experience.
”Sterling! It was written for our mother! How can you even consider that b.i.t.c.h for this role?”
”I'm not considering Kiley! She called me.” I stood from the chaise lounge and put my hands on my hips. ”Dad doesn't want this movie made and he is doing everything he can to sink the film. Tom informed us that if we're not in production when the option lapses he is sc.r.a.pping the entire script and shredding the whole d.a.m.n thing because he doesn't want to see The Lady's Regret made either. Dad took my foreign distribution, stole my lead, and tried to take my director. I've lost my job at Legend Films and the only way I can make this movie is if we say yes to Kiley Kepner. It's a complete load of s.h.i.+t. Believe me, I know.” My voice had grown louder with each word. My features were stern. A tightness clamped my chest. ”I don't want Kiley in the role that was written for Mom, but I don't know what else to do.”
”Maybe find another actress?” Amanda said.
”Cute,” I countered. ”As though I haven't reached out to every actress who has any value in the marketplace.” My lungs filled with air and I sat back down at the end of Rhiannon's chaise. ”Please believe me when I tell you, Kiley Kepner is our only hope.”
”Those words are terrifying,” Amanda said. ”You're pinning the film's success on that evil, calculating b.i.t.c.h. How do we know she doesn't totally screw us once we get into production?”
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