Rise of Roxy Ch. 08

"Omigod."

"Do you know the story?"

"Kate Brunswick, aged sixteen, was visiting Niagara Falls with her mother when she just disappeared. Kevin Brunswick was some sort of Federal investigating officer and it was suspected this was a kidnapping, connected in some way with his work. A huge police hunt for the missing girl was launched, supplemented by Government investigators, but they came up empty-handed. Mrs Brunswick was dumped by her husband for not taking proper care of their daughter. Rene I think her name was came from a wealthy family and they offered her all the support she needed to find Kate. Mrs Brunswick had a friend since childhood, Melanie Graham, who by then was a hugely successful private detective hired by shippers to track down cargo thieves. According to the unsuccessful book because it was so poorly written, Mrs Brunswick said to Melanie, 'Find Kate for me and I'll pay you a million dollars.'

"Omigod, you know the story," said Lisa.

"Yes I read detective stories and thought Kate's kidnapping and retrieval was a magnificent story but ruined by a lousy writer."

"As you will be aware Roxy, Melanie Graham and her team found Kate seventeen months after the snatch and she refused to accept that million bucks, as she'd known Kate since the night Kate was born. Luckily for us, Melanie has agreed to be paid to be technical to the two scriptwriters who wrote the screenplay. Will you consider playing Melanie in the movie? It would mean having to have your hair colored honey-blonde."

"Yes please. Where do I sign?"

Everyone laughed and there was discussion and Roxy signed a contract, approved by Pauline, holding her to commit to the role pending a full contract being drawn up.

"Right with that out of the way and we thank you for accepting our offer Roxy, my senior executives and I are interested in you signing a 10-year contract committing you to this studio."

"Okay Mr Ross but why?"

"We have a stable of five female actors on loyalty contracts binding them to us. It works quite well for both sides, I believe. In return for that commitment to join us on that basis Roxy we would invest in you, to make you a star in every sense of the word. So what do you think about that?

Axel Zawadzki, vice-president of post-production, said, "The Blanche Monroe composite print we viewed this morning Roxy had you projecting star quality in every scene you appear. You demonstrate you have innate understanding of how you are meant to act in front of cameras and I feel your obvious love of what you were doing really shone through."

Claire Fogerty, identifying herself as vice-president of marketing and distribution, said, "I totally agree with Axel Roxy. I'm so excited about the marketing of this movie although there's some ways to go yet."

"Well thanks for such glowing comments. Here was me thinking all that you guys focused on was kicking butt, not kissing it," Roxy said drolly, and everyone cracked up.

"Mr Ross I would be prepared to sign a long term contract and subject myself to intense promotion providing such a contract allows me to marry and take time off to have a baby or two."

"Oh no problem Roxy," he smiled. "All we ask is you time any pregnancy to fit in with work schedules. Being in demand for major movies and involved in personal appearances and other promo work doesn't mean you can't have a private life."

Roxy wondered how true that was.

"Oh Roxy just a point that we must be consider carefully," Axel said, stroking his beard. Is your name short for Roxanne?"

"I would think you would have already confirmed that from studio records."

"Yes indeed and we believe as potentially a top earning actor with this studio, it could be desirable for you to call yourself Roxanne and be known as Roxanne."

Roxy was aware the casual look of the executives was too casual, that this could become an issue.

"Have you sought extensive advice on this?"

"My people have, yes. It came up when we were profiling you to possibly take the part of Private Detective Melanie Graham."

"Well I must say my choice is to stay with Roxy. My father so-named me that within a couple of months of my birth. I have no wish..."

"Relax Roxy, we can live with the shorted form of your name," Don Ross smiled. "Well that concludes this meeting and a draft of your long-term contract will reach your within a day of two. Welcome into our senior fold Roxy."

They then got down to bargaining on the level of annual retainer. Roxy was tough going head to head with them until finally her attorney whispered yield now and Roxy said, "Thanks guys we feel that's an acceptable offer."

As Roxy was leaving the vice-president of publicity relations and promotion, Lucy Chew asked Roxy if she could come to her department in the morning to be interviewed at length and to arrange for photographs to be taken.

"This could take several days and we'll need you dressed authentically as Blanche Monroe."

Roxy arranged to join Lucy for coffee at 10:00 next morning to begin her intensified exposure to the public via media releases generally and in her role as Blanche Monroe in pre-lease publicity build-up for that movie.

Still regarding herself as Roxy, although accepting that would pass, she smiled as she read one of the first articles given her for approval. It was simply headed: 'Who is Roxanne Reeves?'

She frowned on reading that and sighed, thinking her identity was under threat.

But she didn't demand she be called Roxy, feeling they wanted her to be called Roxanne and she was comfortable feeling she hadn't changed and he old friends and acquaintances could still call her Roxy.

* * *

The weeks rolled on and Roxanne became aware she was seeing less of her old friends including Jennifer and meeting a large number of people who seemed to be on some sort of A-list as invitees to social occasion, especially to industry-related events. It wasn't long before she realized she'd been placed on that list, if indeed it existed.

Two women representing an ad agency approach her about endorsing a liquid soap and were quite devastated when she said sorry no, she didn't use soap and had no desire to be associated with it.

Rather startled, the advertising lady asserted that everyone used soap but the woman executive from the manufacturing company didn't look as if she agreed with that emphatic statement.

Roxanne smiled and said, "In recent years I've exclusively used a perfumed fruit-based light oil wash with bacterial and a fungicide protection for maximum benefit for my skin. You must surely be aware your skin needs utmost care and is your body's largest organ?"

The ad executive apologized for wasting Miss Reeve's time.

At that time Roxanne's skin was being petted, scraped, licked and made to sweat by Axel Zawadzki, vice-president of post-production, an energetic and good-looking guy who'd pressed her to have an affair with him. He was married to a former movie star whom he claimed was more interested in her lady-friend than in him. Roxanne felt she was in need of sexual satisfaction from someone at her new level in the pecking order and had eased away from Clem Packer although she still associated with his parents William and Eva because Eva remained Roxanne's confidante. Another consideration was Axel could enhance her career if he so wished providing she did nothing to fall out favor.

She didn't like his name or his beard but accepted the positives outweighed the negatives with Axel. He'd been a child actor and continued in acting when at college completing a business degree and later because an assistant director and advanced on that route to his present position. That association with acting meant he wasn't exclusively a bean-counter in the performance of his duties.

Axel had invited Roxanne to a dinner hosted by close friends. His wife had been invited but she was away with her female pal and he needed a dinner partner.

As they left the function, Axel said to Roxanne, "Do you enjoy sex?"

"Yes."

"So do I."

Boosted by alcohol and having enjoyed being almost the center of attraction over dinner, Roxanne smiled at Axel driving his candy red Ford Mustang and said, "You may have sex with me tonight if you wish."

As they left the elevator and headed to Roxanne's new apartment, the 52-year-old grabbed a handful of her right butt and she purred, "You animal" and that set him alight.

Axel was unspectacular as a lover but didn't take half the night to get away and that suited Roxanne fine. Once the guy had gotten her off two or three times her interest in being banged waned. The other plus was he was a post-coitus conversationalist and she liked to talk.

The extending relationship suited Roxanne fine. Although she would have preferred a guy closer to her age they tended to pose complications for a gal who wasn't seeking a deeper relationship at this stage in her life, er her career.

* * *

Roxanne was on location in Chicago for the filming of 'The Brunswick Girl' when she was recalled to the studio to prepare for the 'world premiere' showing of 'The Legend of Dr Blanche Monroe.'

She was disappointed that the premiere would be held at Houston rather than Amarillo but was told politics, cultural reputation, ease of access and movie history were some of the reasons behind the choice but at least the premiere was being held in Texas. It would be screened at AMC Theatres Studio 30, home of the long-running and famous annual World Fest Film Festival.

On the evening of the premiere, when everyone was seated the lights dimmed and the crowded theater restricted to invited guests hushed, the MC introduced the president of Warm Heart Film Studios Don Ross. He spoke briefly about mounting the movie project and how it unfolded and when viewing the composite print how the expectations for it success by the studio executives at that viewing 'went through the roof'.

"Although we've kept tight wraps on this movie we know word has leaked because here at this premiere we have the largest turnout of movie writers and professional critics ever to view any of our movies, in fact it's just over twice the number we've recorded as having attended one of our pre-release screenings or a premiere like this one. Being an optimist I think that response is telling us something and I believe none of you will depart from this theater being disappointed. Now I introduce our brilliant new star, Miss Roxanne Reeves, around whom the whole movie revolves. Out you come Roxanne."

Roxanne wearing cowgirl boots and shirt, blue jeans and her hair down low practically skipped on stage, hugged her studio president and said, "Hi everyone, it's easy to love a guy who gives a gal a big build-up like that. I'm no cowgirl and the truth is I'd only been to Texas once before we rumbled in on to the Texas Panhandle on location. But I came on a mission wishing to do my best for Texas to give people in this great State the opportunity to get to know a hugely unknown heroine of Texas, the long dead and never-married Dr Blanche Monroe."

"Regrettably so little is known about Dr Blanche Monroe and her amazing feat and the tiny town where it all happened has long disintegrated into dust. But sufficient evidence exists, including old newspaper clippings and the record of the Judge's statement when sentencing the surviving two of the five killers to death by hanging. It is with regret we could find no evidence of what happened to the pregnant Dr Monroe following the hangings."

"My director Mrs Jennifer Hinckley repeatedly told me during filming that I had become Blanche and I accepted that accolade. You'll have the opportunity to meet Jennifer later along with senior members of crew and the seven other actors including male lead Shaun Mason. I shall always remember being pulled through the snow by that bastard sitting smugly on his horse, a scene filmed so magnificently I shall always remember it. But that's enough from me. The movie will tell you everything about the iron lady herself, Blanche Monroe, my heroine."

Roxanne stood, holding the hand of Don Ross as most of the audience stood and applauded.

"Way to go Roxy," a guy with a deep voice drawled and Roxanne felt Don flinch.

When the screening ended the applause was thunderous.

A leading newspaper critic stated in his report published next morning.

I really went to this premiere out of curiosity to find the reason for the intensity of underground buzz about this movie. Sure I'd read all the pre-launch publicity about the heroic (or was it stupid actions of Blanche Monroe that miraculously came off?) I couldn't fathom how 187-minutes of a movie mainly about one character could prevent me from joining everyone else in the theatre from falling asleep.

But oh boy at times my knuckles must have been showing white amid the on-screen tension and near the end I saw a truly amazing scene, the last of the five brothers yet to be captured or shot dead, riding head bowed against driving snow and the avenger Blanche Monroe, walking behind the horse with hands bound to a rope tied to the killer's saddle horn. She stared straight ahead at the guy in the saddle presumably plotting how to turn tables on him. Just off beyond them and moving at a faster rate was a herd of buffalo along the edge of a line of mesquite, with snow falling.

Then Blanche throws her weight backwards, still managing to stay upright. The horse checks slightly, the guy in the saddle sits upright, obviously having been dozing, and he pulls out his revolver and looks behind him wildly as if thinking his prisoner has bolted. But she's still there, eyeing him defiantly. The killer shows no expression, says not a word and turns back to look over the head of his horse.

I reveled in watching top cinematography and there are no ifs or buts. In this role Roxanne Reeves brings old Texas history alive in stunning fashion.

Will you be bored by this long movie? Hell no.' But if you like your movies to be as pleasing as a sweet vase of yellow roses then think twice about going. This movie is realism with a capital 'R'.

Coming on to the market when new movie releases were slowing down, 'The Legend of Blanche Monroe' took movie land by storm. It quickly entered the currently top 10 movie lists and then worked up to the fourth place in top earnings movies in the US before it began to slowly weaken in position.

But considering its genre, movie critics were forced to acknowledge that top listing success

Photos of Roxanne appearing in newspapers, trade publications and magazines were referring to her as 'critically acclaimed actor Roxanne Reeves'.

When Roxanne returned to location in Chicago, her assistant had a list of requests for interviews for her to consider. And so a new round of interviews began and at that point Roxanne was confident enough to be convinced she'd make it to the top, that her effort could now focus on staying at or near the top and perhaps finding a suitable guy to father her two children. She decided for the children's sake he'd have to marry her.

Roxanne smiled. Well although she was loose morally, she had to consider the future she would have to lay out for the children.

She felt very happy.

THE END