Adventures of Hollywood Jim Ch. 100

I opened it and inside was a cashiers' check with more zeroes than I'd ever seen along with a letter.

"Read it."

"This letter entitles you, Hollywood Jim, to a lifetime complimentary suite at any one of the Whitney Group's hotels worldwide...you mean YOU are the Whitney Group?"

"Of course, it's my middle name...don't tell me you didn't know that?"

Suddenly I was stammering like a school boy.

"Y'know for someone with a name like Hollywood Jim, you STILL have a lot to learn!" she laughed.

In the month that followed, I moved out whatever items I wanted from the old studio. The jukebox in particular was moved to a place of honor in my apartment.

I didn't attend the day the wrecking ball and bulldozers arrived.

There was a big press event when Paris unveiled the final drawings for the site. It was suitably high tech and would change the area once and for all. I smiled a little as I watched the news reports of this at the Beverly Hills Hotel's Polo Lounge. My reason for being there wasn't for deal-making (I never did that after 5 anyway), Mark Stein had returned from a film shoot in France and he said he an interesting offer for me.

"Hollywood, have you ever heard of a book called "Candy"?"

"I think so, I know there was a pretty bad movie with that same name."

"Same book, same movie." He said "I'm looking to do a remake of it, and do it right this time."

"So where do I come in?"

"I seem to recall you telling me about a production deal that was in your contract with Morrison Group. You've never used it as far as I know, perhaps it's time you did."

"Geez, I forgot all about that. For a good reason."

"And that is...?"

"I'm no producer. I take pictures."

"Then it's time you became one." He said as he took out an envelope and casually tossed it onto the table "Look, read this proposal, there's a summary of the story there too."

I looked at the package carefully without actually touching it.

"Give it some thought, Jim." He said as he took a last sip of his gin & tonic, stood up and put on his jacket "I'll call you in a couple of days."

I walked back to the garage where my Mercedes was parked. Next to it was an unexpected sight, a maroon 1970's vintage Corvette Stingray convertible that could belong to only one person, Laura Austin.

But its license plate was different.

Whereas hers read "CIAO BELLA", expressing her proud Italian (by way of Texas) heritage, this one said "GDAY LUV".

"It's a beauty, isn't it?" Said a lovely, accented voice behind me "I just got it a few days ago."

I spun around to see a cute short-haired brunette wearing a dark, deeply plunging shirt and matching skirt.

"Uh, y-yes. I know someone with the same car. I-I thought it was hers at first, she usually parks it here, in this same spot."

"Oh! Then you're Jim!" she exclaimed "I was told I might meet you here! I was supposed to give you this to read." She said as she fished through her purse "Here! It's in this."

"Oh, uh, thanks." I replied as I took a small envelope from her and placed it inside my jacket "How do you know me?"

"She told me everything about you...and I'm very eager to get you know even better."

"And you are...?"

"I'm Leah, Leah Austin. I'm taking over for Laura...and you'll be seeing a lot of me, Luv."