Adventures of Hollywood Jim Ch. 78

"Jim's gonna drive me home." Laura said "You got my bag?"

I tried not to stammer my response.

"Your bag? Oh! I must've l-left it in the room."

Laura rolled her eyes and went off in a huff.

"Men! Cannot depend on them for anything!" she said as she went to her room.

Walter and I stood looking at one another. He then looked over my shoulder to make sure Laura was out of earshot.

"I assume I can count on your...discretion in this matter?" he said in a low voice.

"Y-yes...you can." I said hesitantly. I was just as nervous as he was.

He nodded, then reached into his pocket and produced a wad of bills held together by a gold money clip.

"Very good, I'll remember this." he said as he pulled a few bills off the top and folded them with one hand so their denomination could not be seen and slipping them in the pocket of my Hawaiian shirt. It felt like something out of a mob movie.

"Thank you, it might cause...some problems if this came out." he said in that same low voice.

Laura could be heard coming down the hallway towards us.

"Uh, this is an incredible house, sir." I quickly said "I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."

"Oh, yes!" Walter said, picking up on my tone "Yes, it was in 'Diamonds are Forever', the Bond film."

"Really?!"

Suddenly I went from surprised and fearful house guest to starry-eyed movie buff.

"Yes, there's a signature here somewhere..." Walter said as he led me to a piece of the rock wall and looked closely

"Ah! Here it is..." he said as he pointed to a crudely hammered "SC 007" on the wall.

"Connery did this, a token of his affection for the home. All the other mementos were taken by the previous owner when he left."

Behind us, I heard Laura clearing her throat.

"Uh, If you're finished with the house tour, I'd like to go home..." she said with raised eyebrows, telling us she wanted to leave, now.

"Yes! I'm sure Jim here will be a fine driver, I saw your car outside." Walter said with a smile

"Have a good trip." he said as he shook my hand and I felt more bills pressed into my hand.

As we drove away from the house, I saw a driver taking a suitcase out of Walter's huge Mercedes sedan.

"So, what'd you think of that house?" Laura said excitedly "Wild, huh? It was in a Bond film! You'll have to show me that film."

"Yes...it was some house, I'll say that." I said idly.

Laura looked at me, my eyes were straight ahead as we hit the freeway and I felt the rush of the SLK's power.

"Did you know that guy?" she asked.

"Who?"

"You know what I mean!"

"Oh, uh, no I-I don't think so...what makes you think I do?"

"Just a thought." she said as she slid her sunglasses down.

I realized I could only bluff so long with someone like her.

"OK, let's just say that discretion is part of my business too."

She adjusted her glasses and put the seat further back.

"Oh, yeah...you know him..." she said, looking straight ahead.

Just as I returned home, I got a message summoning me to Chuck's office first thing n the morning, for what I didn't know.

"Geez, what did I do now?" I wondered.

*****************************************

"Nice tan, Mr. Hollywood!" Natalie Hayden said as I entered the executive suite of offices at Artists Unlimited. It was where her boss, Chuck Tyler held court along with his second in command (and my boss), Jeff Murphy.

"Thank you, Palm Springs was very generous with me."

"When will it be generous to me?"

"Keep your grades up and maybe it will." I replied with my know-it-all smile.

"Go in, he's expecting you." she said with the same smile.

"There's my man!" Chuck said with his usual bravado. Jeff was with him along with the agency's lawyer Michael Baldwin, and mine, Roger Sullivan.

The "Gang of Four" as it were.

"Your Lucky day is here, my friend!" he said as he tossed a large document my way "Just arrived from New York this morning."

It was long and apparently extensive. It was the cover page though, that caught my eye.

It was a revised salary offer, generously upgraded with a new title;

"Executive Director".

"No rush in signing it, take it home share it with the family." Chuck said.

I looked at Roger, who nodded.

"It's all good, I looked it over." he said.

I was glad, but confused.

"Why now? I didn't think my contract was to be renewed for a few months, plus isn't there supposed to be some kind of period where I can view other offers?"

"Yes, but New York was very adamant we get this done." Jeff said "They know talent and they want to keep it."

"This comes from the big boss in New York. Never say no to the big boss, Jim. Remember that." Chuck added as he refilled his coffee.

"Right...I'll uh, look this over." I said.

"Never say no to the big boss."

The "big boss" I knew was Walter Murphy, based in New York and the CEO of Artists Unlimited. He was right when he said he'd remember my discretion in what I began to call "The Palm Springs Affair".