Clawing Back Professionally

When screened, the ad caused a minor sensation with people in all walks of life asking colleagues at mid-morning and lunch breaks, club meetings and at the gym, "Have you seen the new Colorado ski ad on TV?"

It's daring theme immediately prompted debate on talkback radio and an entertainment commentator on network TV asked the big question, "Is this the comeback of teen screen idol Gloria Truehart, now a beautifully matured woman?"

Old fans began agitating where to send mail to Gloria and her old agent at her request asked him to organize print ads that fan mail should be sent to her. It arrived by the truckload and she appeared on network TV surrounded by a mountain of mail calling for volunteers to help open and answer the letters and emails.

The interviewer asked Gloria's agent during an arts show chat, "What do you have in mind for Gloria?"

"It's everything or bust for Gloria, just as it was when she was a kid. She wants only to play the lead in a modern crime mystery that includes a developing love story between her and the chief detective in charge that culminates in a crime-solved-great marriage climax."

"Does such a scrip exist?" asked the interviewer who had been briefed by the agent.

"Yes, her lover has completed such a script."

"Lover?" the interviewer said, gasping. "The name please?"

"Sorry Maxine but Gloria insists on her privacy and that includes me keeping my mouth shut. It hurts me not being able to tell the world but that's how it has to be with Gloria. Things are done her way. I believe, with her maturity, she has the fire-power to emotionally rip out harts of women viewing her on the big screen and being awash in tears."

Gloria, bouncing up and down on Geo's erection as he lay back nude on a lounge chair while they watched the interview, said, "Dawn my agent, I owe you a million bucks in bonus if that gets me career going again."

They were well hidden, booked into a hotel in a small town in Louisiana as Mr and Mrs Blackwell-Smith.

"The media hunt to pin you down about me will now be underway," Geo crowed.

The interviewer said, "That long ad that features Ms Truehart will follow immediately this program."

The ad opened with Gloria in ski lift operating gear at the upper terminal of a ski lift. She was alone with a skinny bearded guy who leered, "It seems you and I are marooned here. I wonder how we can fill in the night?"

The camera lingered on Gloria's horrified face.

"No, we are here too," said a muscular ski instructor coming into view with two high-performance ski teens. "What's the problem?"

"Oh hi, Mitch," said Gloria. We got everyone else away and then struck trouble. My co-operator Philip has gone down checking the towers. He couldn't find any fault here."

"The system shut-down means no heating up here," said the instructor. "Mt Panorama Ski Field has high standards but there's a storm coming in. Resort control is unlikely to authorize a ground rescue party to set out to for us now because it will be dark soon. Ah, there's the phone so the com cable must be okay."

Gloria answered the phone and was told to stay put and get the party to huddle together for warmth. They had emergency supplies and an emergency gas cooker to heat food and boil water. She asked that a ground party come at least some of the way up and ensure Philip got down safely.

The greasy guy licked his lips and stared at Gloria who looked at him murderously.

She went to the window and looked out and then looking up spotted the problem. A retention bar on an incoming chair unit had come adrift and was caught in the sheaves (wheels) of the compression assembly.

She said dramatically, "I'm going up to squeeze through that hatch and will try to wrench that piece of metal free."

"Gloria I can't allow you..."

"Mitch you have no authority over me."

Mitch tried again. "The gap is too narrow for you to squeeze through in all that clothing."

"Sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do, Mitch. It's the tradition of Mt Panorama Ski Field to deliver top service to our casuals and regulars and to get them where they want to be safely and in a timely manner. If I should fall Mitch, get on the phone and say lovely things about me to my mom and dad."

"Don't go," leered the other guy. "I'm relying on you warming me up."

"Oh, back into your cave your creep," said the female teen. "God go with you Gloria."

The satire continued. The sound of stirring music for the next shot showed Gloria in a jazzy bra and matching briefs emerge from the hatch in driving snow and she began swinging on the aluminum bar caught in the compression assembly and managed to dislodge it.

She climbed back down, teeth chattering and Mitch placed her jacket round her shoulders and kissed her and said, "Our heroine. Go reset everything Gloria and get us out of here."

"You spoil my day," grumbled the other guy, attempting to kiss her.

Gloria kneed him and he dropped like a stone.

"Oops, I slipped on a bit of ice," she grinned.

She reset safety cutouts, restarted the generator and the tow began operating again.

"Dump gorgeous on to a chair and go down with him Mitch and keep an eye out for Philip. I'll close down here and ride down with Alan and Becky, ending another interesting day on Mt Panorama Ski Field, Colorado. The forecast for tomorrow promises great skiing you guys as soon as we've groomed tonight's dump."

After watching that ad, Gloria resumed bounding up and down on Geo who was beginning to tire.

"Excellent filming under excellent direction," she cooed. "You guys had me in all the right angles under exactly the best-positioned lighting so that in the near nude, I looked more of less like a thirty-year-old."

"Yeah more or less," Geo teased, only to be clamped and he yelled, "Sorry, sorry my dear princess. Ease off for fuck sake."

She did and bounced into a big release, such was her excitement.

Two hours later Gloria's agent, Dawn Browning called, waking them.

"The executive producer of an independent filmmaker is flying in from LA tomorrow and wishes to start a two-hour meeting with you and George tomorrow at 6:00 and then have dinner with them. I'll come by at 5:00 to pick up you two. Arnold wants the script released to him under the usual constraint conditions as well as 10 copies of a 10-page résumé of the script for perusal discussion at the meeting."

"Is that Arnold Stringer?"

"Yes, Gloria."

"Omigod, he directed me in my last two films. He's a major stockholder of Black-Eyed Susan Films."

"Correct and he wants you to impress him. If you do, he's almost certain to contract you for a film using this script or some another script he has that would be suitable for you."

"It's happened Dawn, it's happening."

"Perhaps Gloria. Good signs are there. Just don't you or lover boy screw up."

"Yes Dawn, of course."

* * *

Dawn met them on time, appearing a little flustered.

"They've arrived, a team of four. There's the vice-president of production, the executive producer and two attorneys," she said.

"Two attorneys?" Glories queried. "Why two?"

Dawn said she could only surmise they were bringing a preliminary contract with them. She had called the attorney she used for big contract and he was already on his way to the venue.

"That's tidy," Geo said. "Four of their side, four on our side."

Dawn glanced around at Geo who was sitting in the back behind Gloria. She never quite relaxed when Geo was around. "I would appreciate you saying as little as possible."

"Let me be the judge of that Dawn."

"Gloria!" Dawn called, sounding agitated.

"Let Geo be the judge of his involvement Dawn. He's had experienced in major negotiation."

"Yes, but not with me."

"Cool it Dawn. Where we are right now is the result of Geo's enterprise and artistry. I suggest you keep that in mind."

"I set up this meeting."

Gloria didn't appear about to dispute that and Geo said, "Did Arnold Stringer's office contact you or did you contact his office, Dawn?"

Dawn turned tight-lipped.

Gloria took command.

"Let's all turn down the heat guys and play the roles we have to play if we are to work effectively as a team at this meeting."

"Agreed," Geo said, impressed that Gloria was consolidating her position as team leader.

Dawn said, "Agreed. Sorry I became terse with you Geo. This could really be a huge deal for my client."

"I understand."

* * *

The contract was signed for Gloria's first major role in a film since her retirement as a young pregnant woman.

There was practically blood on the floor during brinkmanship on both sides during negotiations. But it was finally agreed, before Gloria would sign, that George Manners would direct the $123 million (estimated) production.

Gloria agreed with Geo they should not begin living together until the film entered the post-production stage, because the pressure in the relaunching Gloria's film career would place enormous pressure on all principals involved in the filmmaking through to the distribution of the film.

"But we'll still have sex in the meantime?" she said confidently.

"Oh yeah," Geo leered. "We'll have a test run tomorrow between the longest break between our first batch of news media interviews."

The next night, arriving back to their hotel after dinner, Geo proposed to Gloria.

She hugged him, without passion, and that warned him.

"Darling, I'm, sorry but three husbands and three weddings are enough for any women. The answer is no.

Geo took it bravely on the chin, smiled and said he understood.

She hugged him passionately and coming out of a long, wet kissed set, "Good man."

"Arnold Stinger called me today and we had a long chat, and you may agree it sounds all good.

"He cautioned me, saying even the experts sometimes get it wrong but his team have read the precis of your script and all eleven have given it the thumbs up. He's prepared to offer you the position of assistant screen writer as he wants your freshness in the screenplay to be largely retained. He predicts the film is likely to be a runner at the box office even if my starring role fails to not quite meet his expectations."

"Well, darling, what do you think of that?"

"Great, and Gloria you'll set audiences alight as I knew you would and, at the same time, you'll win a younger generation of fans because you have the spirit of being a gal on the move up and on. I'll need the experience of a veteran as my assistant director. Arnold has taken a big risk appointing me as director of the movie. I know there are far more talented and experienced directors out there but as he says, talent comes before experience and reputation."

Gloria was pleased with his comment.

"Geo, I'm so confident about my return to the screen success, that obvious won't fully occur overnight, that I have been thinking long term in other directions and indeed was pleased to find Arnold playing my tune. He suggested I contract you as my manager. Will you accept replacing Dawn when our work on this movie ends."

"But I've had no experience of that role."

"That's true, but let me say what you have done for me so far and hauling yourself back on to your feet have been quite inspirational and people say you are one hell of a negotiator."

"Okay, what about your contract with Dawn."

"There isn't one. She resumed contact with me on a retainer plus an hourly rate and I think she will be asking for a contract now that I'm signed up for this film. I'll tell her tomorrow that I want her to continue on existing conditions till the end of this movie and her responsibility centres entirely on this movie and you'll be responsible for everything else about my future management."

Next day, Gloria and Dawn clashed and Dawn screamed no-way when Gloria tabled an exit offer for Dawn. Gloria said quietly she was prepared to go to court to get settlement but as she had no current career track record to use as a basis for earnings into the future, and the fact that no contract existed between them a generous court settlement night not be forthcoming. She increased her momentary offer by 35% and that was accepted.

Two days later, Gloria and Geo took a flight to LA where Geo signed up as assistant screen-writer for Gloria Truehart's comeback movie.

Gloria and Arnold were to appear on TV at 7.00 in a heavily promoted 30-minute interview titled, 'Hi Gloria, Welcome Back.'

Geo was miffed at not been invited to the TV studios but Gloria explained at the comeback celebration dinner at the Casa Vega, Arnold would be seated on one side of her and Geo on the other.

She simpered, "So, get a decent haircut please and buy a decent dinner suit, modern cut. Here's the money..."

"Geo Manners buys his own clothes and pays for his own haircut," he smiled, thanking Gloria for her generosity. "May the major TV interview go well for you."

He smiled, thinking everything was falling into place to have them both firmly on successful comeback trails. He was confident that he and Gloria would remain lovers, long term.

The End