Rise of Roxy Ch. 05

They had a lovely time in LA and visited some of the 'must see' attractions.

On the third morning a Robert Ludd, one of the unattached guys who'd attended the welcoming cocktail party for the two visitors on their first evening in LA, called and after chatting to Jolene, asked to speak to Roxy.

"Why me?" she whispered when Jolene handed her the phone and Jolene smiled and winked.

"Yes?"

"Hi I'm Robert Ludd, a blond guy with a thick mustache. We met two nights ago when my wife and I were invited for drinks. But Bev had accepted an earlier invitation so I came without her. I'd like to take you to lunch in an hour's time."

"What just me?"

"Yes."

"Why."

"I didn't have much time talking to you the other evening."

"Apart from exchanging greetings I don't believe we talked."

"Exactly, that's what I mean. I'll be there in fifty-eight minutes. Wait at the gates. I drive a red car."

The phone clinked.

Rude guy and he had a mustache, Roxy seethed.

"That guy wants to take me to lunch to talk."

Jolene teased, "It would be considered rude, even in LA, to invite someone to lunch and then not talk to them."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter dear. He's interested in you technically."

"What?"

"Just go looking your best dear."

"God it's difficult having a meaningful conversation around here. He said he'd call at the gate and will be in a red car. One-tenth of LA people will drive a red car. How will I know if it's him?"

Jolene said dryly, "I'm not sure about the validity of your statistic dear but you'll notice the car; Robert drives the latest Ferrari California."

"Oh yummy. What does Robert do?"

"He'll tell you I guess."

Roxy sighed, aware now that her hostess was playing games.

The restaurant was lovely, the food was great and the conversation was strange and the mean dude didn't invite her to drive his car so perhaps he really was a sensible guy.

Jolene and Di arrived home from obviously their very wet lunch half an hour after Roxy had arrived home.

Jolene slurred, "Oh my you're home early. Did you get him off too quickly?"

Roxy frowned. "He took me to lunch, we talked, half the women in the room kept glancing at him, he paid and brought me straight home and left me at the gates, politely allowing me to open my own door and scramble out.

"Hmnm."

"What?"

"I have no idea."

Roxy scowled, "He also said he'll be in touch if he needs me. What damn cheek. Why do guys keep regarding me like a slut when I do my best to act like a lady?"

"It's called testosterone drive darling and only bubbles to the surface when the babe is really hot. Didn't you ask Robert what he did for a job?"

"No I forgot."

"Well I've news for you. He's a very successful independent filmmaker who works under contract for major movie studios."

Roxy looked stunned and the sisters, looking at her face, clung to each other and laughed helplessly.

When the babble ceased, Roxy said, "I blew it, didn't I?"

"I wouldn't think so. His wife once told me he's not particularly interested in sex, that he prefers cars and watching technically intriguing movies. He'll be in touch via me if he wants you darling. Studios expect him to front with a ready-to-rip proposal when he approaches them."

A courier guy arrived with flowers and a card for Roxy just on dusk.

The message read, 'I enjoyed our lunch, having all those women gazing at you and wondering who you were. I'll remember that and in doing so will remember you. Something might come up. Respectfully yours, Robert.'

"Well?"

Hand shaking, Roxy gave the card to Jolene who squinted to read the small writing.

She smiled and passed it to her husband Hank and Di to read.

When Di gasped, Jolene sipped her cocktail and then said, "Well darling your bid to bring Roxy to LA to become noticed has hit a possible jackpot."

Roxy, jaw dropped, stared at Di, who winked and then mouthed a kiss.

"It's only my way of saying sorry darling," Di said minutes later when they all were heading off to get ready to go out to dinner.

* * *

The marketing effort by Studio 8 also paid off. On the eve of the Saturday night launch of 'The Amazing Miss Young'. Di Roach's story on page 3 under an eye-catching photo of Roxy Reeves, dressed as a prim school teacher of the early 1960s announced the blockbuster had already sold to 72 independent TV stations or small networks, one of the major networks had taken up a three-month option to purchase and the series had sold to TV broadcasters in seven other countries.

Di reported:

Episode One screened at a media preview yesterday. I have to say everyone left the theatre appearing to have well entertained. I admit to be friendly with Roxy Reeves but I am a tough critic. I believe after unwisely attempting comedy, that Roxy has risen from the ashes to thoroughly establish herself as a top-notch drama actor who in Episode One of 'The Amazing Miss Young' has produced a quite amazing performance herself, injecting an air of sophisticated performance that is rarely seen away from the big screen.

I unhesitatingly give my mark of four out of five and wish our system had half-marks so I could add a little more. Producer Mal Johns, in announcing sales to date when we gathered at the bar for post-viewing questions, said the cast was excellent and Roxy was outstanding and he asked us to believe him when he said Roxy becomes even more compelling as the story unfolds. Miss Young gets into her stride in her uncompromising verbal confrontations with over-demanding parents, the badly-led school board and the district school authority combine to plunge her into high drama on behalf of the school's weak head teacher.

I'm picking Channel 8 will have a runaway success with this absorbing tale about a grade school heroine, based on real life school teacher Mabel Wright whose exploits and life were loosely portrayed in the late Arlene Wright's big-selling novel 'Top Grade Teacher' published five years ago by Arthur & Mallet Books. Arlene, who was Mabel Wright's niece, died eighteen months ago.

After reading that preview, body shaking, Roxy sat quietly and remembered her unfortunate childhood and of course the shining angel, her gracious aunt, who breathed a great awareness of the drama of life into Roxy during those Italian sojourns.

Family and friends joined the cast and production team along with senior executives of the series sponsors, K9 Dog Foods to view the premiere launch of 'The Amazing Miss Young' relayed on to the big screen of Channel 8's theatre.

At supper in Studio B after the screening, the chairman of Channel 8's board, Nick Robbins, congratulated the big team for bringing such an outstanding production to television and said it cumulated the end to a hugely successful career for the company's CEO Mrs Bette Hill who would be leaving at the end of the month to take up an as yet not announced senior position in the movie industry in Canada.

"We at Channel 8 are proud of your achievements for this company Bette (applause)."

"It is now my pleasure to announce, on behalf of our board, Mrs Hill's successor here at Channel 8. It will be the producer of 'The Amazing Miss Young' and our head of drama, Mal Johns (huge applause). And finally before we pop the champagne, I invite Roxy Reeves to conclude formalities with a few words."

"Thanks Mr Chairman. I stand before you tonight because of Mal Johns' belief in me who told me shortly after we first met that he saw a big acting future in me and here was I busily attempting to be a Weathergirl (laughter). Mal didn't ignore the fact that I was green to the gills and untrained. He simply threw me at the incredible Mrs Smith and said, 'Mary you coach her and I'll see she is pushed to achieve her potential'. Most of you Channel 8 people didn't know Mrs Smith had a first name, did you? (laughter)."

"It's true I lead the cast but what a cast, not a question mark over even one of them as you saw for yourselves watching Episode one. And we had huge support from the big team of production professionals. Thanks team and by that I mean a big thank you. Throughout Mrs Smith has been my in-house mentor while away from here the person pushing a rod into my back and urging me not to look back at the blips in my life has been the Herald's TV writer, Mrs Di Roach. Both women have mothered me unstintingly and I ask you to applaud them."

People clapped and cheered.

"Finally would the hero of the hour please raise his hand, Billy Jones."

"There he is folk standing attentively by his pretty wife Eva."

"Billy became convinced Mal Johns was right about me and when the lead hired for 'The Amazing Miss Young' was heavily hit by personal problems. Billy demanded that I must be the replacement. God what a fright that must have been for the cast, knowing I'd just bit the dust in my misguided entry into comedy. Well I suppose I shouldn't say this but I'm rarely shy. Well I was so frightened at being told about Billy's request I wet my panties. For a while I thought Billy must be smoking something and then he set about casting his spell, encouraging me to rise and shine."

"At that time of my entry I could feel hostility within the cast and I decided I must ignore that, to let results speak for themselves once filming was underway. Well we didn't have to wait long. Within a few days I'd memorized almost the entire scrip and I was alone with Billy and he tested me by nominating two very intense parts and while doing that some of the cast had arrived behind me and I didn't know they were there. I just gave it my best to prove myself to our director."

"The surprised director said well done and those members of the cast who'd arrived and hearing me in action for the first time, clapped. Then our leading man Dick Shore congratulated me warmly and all this left me with the feeling that perhaps this was the breakthrough we needed. Well it was and thank god it came early and although it was a grind working hard to meet Billy's high standards, we all feel we got there and the feedback from professional critics and viewers tomorrow after tonight's screening will test our self-belief. Well that's supposed to be a few words. On behalf of the cast and production team thank you everyone for being here tonight and especially to those of you who supported us from the beginning. Oh and thanks to our principal sponsors K9 Dog Foods. They won't be aware of this but Mrs Smith and I researched Mabel Wright in the town where she spent all her life. We were told the never-married Miss Wright had three pets successively during her adult life and all were dogs, Bruno, Madge and Mick. Thank you."

The champagne corks popped and Roxy was practically mobbed. The CEO of K9 Dog Foods later got Roxy alone and said, "Was that true about Miss Wright's three dogs?"

"Yes absolutely. When I became aware you had signed up as principal sponsor, I decided not to rush forward with that information in case that information was \exploited by your marketing department in an unseemly manner. You see Mick was buried at the foot of Miss Wright's grave in Silver Oaks almost two years after her death, according to instructions in her will."

"Omigod. You know Roxy, I'll keep that information to myself. I don't believe it would be right to exploit it."

"Well not the burial bit. But dogs appear in four scenes with me, including a look-alike 'Mick' in Episode 16, the final episode, when Miss Young or in reality Miss Wright visits the school with Mick to open the new gymnasium named in her honor. I can give you a copy of the newspaper report of the event. The report noted that dogs were banned from the school grounds but who'd even contemplate telling Miss Wright her dog was not wanted at the school where she'd become an institution. Perhaps your PR people could come up with something about that? My suggestion is a special run of dog food in this region called Mick and a picture of Miss Wright on the pack stating who she was. I know Miss Wright/Miss Young is a bit of a twister but isn't it why you have PR people in a big company like yours to sort out the problem?"

The CEO eyed Roxy and grinned and said that was something to think about.

At the end of the function, company chairman Nick Robbins and his now fairly regular girlfriend Professor Sally Brooks, entertained selected guests at supper in the boardroom. Guests included the company's deputy chairman and wife, CEO Bette Hill and husband, Mal Johns and wife, Di Roach (her husband was out of town) and Roxy, Robert and Sophie Scott, Mr and Mrs Smith, Billy Jones and wife and the CEO of K9 Foods and wife.

Billy offered to drive Roxy home and dropped off his sleepy wife on the way.

"I'd like to thank you Billy," Roxy slurred.

"Um my wife would know what we've done if I arrive home late; she's a light sleeper."

"Well let's settle for this," she said, unzipping Billy.

He grinned and rested his far side against his car door and lifted his right leg over Roxy's knees and she went down and slobbered over his erecting dick and blew on it before really going to work.

Billy sighed hugely and said he knew Roxy would be good for something besides acting.

To prove his point, Roxy gave it her best and at the last second pulled away and he fired over the car's entertainment system and to the top of the dashboard.

"Oh fuck, I thought you'd swallow," he complained, panting.

When filming ended, Billy, Roxy and the leading man Dick Shore were the only ones from the production who'd continued on salary. All other actors were contract actors. Dick and Roxy had their income reduced to a retainer calculated to be sufficient to scratch out a living until they were given a role in a new production. Billy worked on advertising filming between other assignments while Dick supplemented his income acting in advertisements. Roxy had decided appearing in ads was not for her although the money could be very good.

Roxy had received a role in a daily afternoon soap that spanned four weeks until the enraged wife killed Roxy with and up close and personal shotgun blast to the belly. More slack time followed and she worked as narrator on a behind-the-news investigation about bullying in schools that was five weeks in the making.

Finally Roxy began musing it might be a good time to move on. Billy had declined her suggestion to begin an affair with her and she and Di had come to the brink of starting something, so far just the one session of hot kissing when saying good night after attending a touring ballet production together. Di continued to look at her intently and Roxy felt uncomfortable when thinking about it. God she hadn't been involved with another female like that since she was on the other side of twenty. She'd not heard from that filmmaker in LA and expected she never would.

So after a bit more procrastination, Roxy resigned and insisted she didn't want a party. Instead she made do by taking Mal and Mary Smith to dinner and they had a really great time.

The day after handing in her resignation she took her aunt, Anne Baxley, and friend and former mentor Sophie Scott whom she no longer met so often, to lunch and told them of her move.

"But what will you do?" Sophie asked in surprise.

"I have no idea. I've been drifting and had no thoughts about what to do so I thought the best was to shake myself out of lethargy was to resign."

"Oh bad move Roxy," said her aunt. "You should have found new work before resigning."

"Well anyone other than Roxy I would have agreed with you Anne, but Roxy has a habit of bouncing back and improving her position when that happens."

"Thanks Sophie, that's what I like hearing."

Roxy called Mal who was on a tour of Europe with his wife, taking leave before starting his new job.

"We'll be sorry to lose you after putting so much effort in you."

She snorted and said the blockbuster was creaming in the money with foreign sales in particular.

"Yeah well the truth is I like having you around. I regard you as the top professional reward I've ever had."

"Oh Mal," Roxy said and burst into tears.

His reaction was vintage Mal.

"Jesus Roxy, are you unwell?"

More to Come