Secrets of My Hollywood Life #2: On Location (19 page)

"What?" I'm instantly relieved. I trust Nadine and Liz with all my heart, but that article really hurt my feelings. I look at Nadine. She's flushed with excitement.

"Go on," Nadine demands, sounding almost like Laney "Tell her the rest."

"I'm also the one who planted all those items about you and Drew and how jealous you were of Sky"

"I knew it!" I shriek.

"That's not all," Madison wails. She uses the sleeve of her black thermal to wipe her nose. "I made up the stuff about Hutch hating you too."

"Why are you telling me all this?" I'm shaken by Madi son's confession, yet oddly comforted that Hutch might not dislike me as much as I'd assumed.

"Because she's been fired," Nadine offers smugly. "Liz and I made up this whole story about you sleeping with your ratty childhood teddy bear blanket, talked about it in front of Madison, and voila! Within days it showed up on
The In sider
!" Nadine looks extremely pleased.

"I was wondering where that story came from," I laugh.

"When Liz told Daniella what happened and how the same scenario occurs every time Madison is within earshot, Daniella told Carol, and she asked for Madison's immedi ate dismissal," Nadine reveals. "Liz got permission to bring Madison here to make her apologize to you before she's kicked off the premises. So you see, Liz and I are completely innocent."

"Kaitlin could sue you for all you are worth." Liz sounds like her father, my entertainment lawyer. "And I should too for defamation of character. You almost cost me my best friend!"

"Yeah, and you almost cost me my good friend
and
my paycheck," Nadine seconds, looking like she's enjoying the confrontation now that she's off the hook herself.

I smile at both of them. "You guys couldn't get rid of me that easily," I promise.

Madison hiccups. "I'm not an awful person, Kaitlin. It's just Sky said I'd lose my job if I didn't spy on you."

Why didn't I assume that Sky would stoop that low? "You care about pleasing Sky that much?" I ask. "From what I can tell, she doesn't treat you very well."

"She's my cousin!" Madison blurts out miserably.

Nadine, Liz, and I look at each other in shock. Sky and Madison look nothing alike. Well, except for their ex tremely small chests. Okay, that was mean, I know.

"Our mamas are sisters. Sky needed a new assistant, and it was either this or work at my parents' whole wheat pasta fac tory this summer," Madison groans. "Stuffing dough into the machines is
so
boring, which is why I took this job with Sky. Job. What am I saying?" Madison shakes her head. "Sky doesn't even pay me! She said family should work for free."

"Well that explains everything," Nadine says.

"It sounds like the plot to a bad Lifetime movie," Liz agrees.

"Oh God...sued," Madison sobs. "I don't think I even have enough money for a plane ticket home!"

I almost feel bad for the girl now.

"You better go now while we talk over our legal action." Liz winks at me. "I'm sure security is looking for you."

Sniffling, Madison picks up her slouchy purple leather bag and snatches my box of tissues. "I'm truly sorry Kaitlin," she says. Nadine escorts her firmly out the door.

When Nadine locks it behind her, she and Liz grab each other in a tight embrace.

"As you can see, Nadine and I completely made up," Liz says, reading my mind. "We decided to adopt your approach of handling things with Sky--we duked it out during a pri vate kickboxing session."

"What a rush!" Nadine exclaims. "I signed up for a regu lar class." They both laugh. "We're sorry if we stressed you out," Nadine adds. "We know you've had a lot to deal with this summer and we haven't made things any easier."

"You guys have kept things interesting, that's for sure," I joke. "But I think from now on, Liz, you should find your own summer jobs." She chuckles. "I think it's best if I keep my personal and professional lives separate and let Nadine fly solo on the assistant front." Nadine smiles at me gratefully.

"Agreed," Liz says. "And besides, I think I've found a great job--Daniella said I could work at their production office after school."

"That's awesome, Lizzie," I begin to congratulate, but I'm interrupted by Rodney bursting through our door. What's with the surprises today? Rodney is sweating and out of breath and Nadine rushes to our mini-fridge and breaks out a Vitamin Water. He takes it gratefully and swigs it.

"You're missing the fireworks," Rodney says between deep breaths. Rod's still in his climax scene costume: a black suit, black button-down shirt, and shiny black shoes with a fake bullet wound in his chest and blood painted down his face.

"We know about Madison," I tell him.

Rodney shakes his head vigorously. "This isn't about Madison," he pants, crushing the empty plastic water bottle. "It's about Carol Ingram. Hutch just found out that Carol is the one who put the script pages on the Internet."

"What?" Nadine screeches. "But I thought that was Carol calling to fire Madison," Liz says, looking confused. "Daniella said, 'Tell Kaitlin Madison is toast.'"

Rodney shrugs. "Maybe Daniella didn't feel comfortable discussing Carol with you. The two of them were furious. Hutch was screaming into the phone and throwing lights around the set and I asked Hank what was going on and he told me. Since the coffee scene is the one fans have been sali vating over, Carol's office thought it would be a great way to whet the public's appetite. She didn't ask for permission from anyone before she did it. Someone at Wagman got an anonymous tip about the leak. Apparently the Internet geek Carol gave the pages to ratted her out. Wagman just pulled her from the movie!" Rodney doesn't usually care much about gossip, but he's practically jumping up and down over this news. "I've got to get back to set to find out more."

"Could this day get any better?" Liz asks gleefully as Rod ney races out.

"Wait a minute." I bite my lip, tasting the sweet fake blood I forgot was painted on. "Carol's really gone?"

"Kates, do you know what this means?" Liz squeals. "You can take Austin to the awards!" She claps her hands.

I sink into the tan leather couch and close my eyes in pain. "It's too late," I whisper. "Austin and I broke up, remember?"

Neither Liz or Nadine says anything.

"I found the magazine you guys hid, by the way," I add.

"What are you talking about?" Liz says in the high voice she uses whenever she's lying.

I open my eyes. "The new issue of
Hollywood Nation.
I found it hidden under the kitchen sink when I was looking for Oreos. I know Mina Burrows and her boyfriend broke up too."

"I knew she'd look there!" Nadine nudges Liz. "She always binges on Double Stuff Oreos when she's depressed."

"I do not!" I protest. "And I'm not depressed either." My eyes brim with tears. "I'm just in mourning."

"If Austin means that much to you, you should fight for him," Liz states, flopping down next to me. Nadine rum mages through one of the cabinets and finds more hidden Oreos. She sits down on the other side of me and offers each of us a cookie.

"It's no use," I mumble between bites. "What am I going to say? 'You were right, Austin. My life
is
too complicated for a boyfriend? '" I take another bite. "Between my commitment to
FA,
movies, press, Fever, there's no time anyway. Look at Mina Burrows," I moan. "They broke up because they never saw each other. It's the curse of being in this business." I break another Oreo in two and lick the cream. "Maybe I had the Hollywood dating rules backwards. Maybe I
should
be dating other actors. At least they're used to seeing their girl friends once a month." I crunch angrily on my cookie.

"All couples have to work at their relationship," Liz offers. "Look at me and Josh--he decided to backpack through France this month with his brother. We're not seeing each other for four whole weeks so we've been texting and call ing every day. Nothing is ever easy, Kates. You have to try harder."

Nadine offers me the Oreo package. "Can I be honest?" she asks quietly. "I don't think Austin not being in the busi ness was the problem." Nadine pauses. "I think the problem is that you were afraid to let him in."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"You've always had to be careful with who you trusted, we know that," Nadine points out. "Look at what gets printed about you in the tabloids! But if you're not honest with the guys you date, then you're not going to make any relation ship work, including one with Austin. I know you probably think I'm the last one who should be giving relationship ad vice," adds Nadine with a grin.

Nadine is a casual dater. She doesn't want to settle down until she's at least forty because she hates the idea of a husband and kids slowing her down, like it has many of her friends from her hometown.

"But if a serious relationship is what you want, then you can't be so closed off," Nadine explains.

"I told Austin plenty of stuff," I protest.

"You didn't tell him about Drew's or Carol's demands," Liz reminds me gently. "I know those things are hard to talk about for you, but Austin's a good guy. He would have listened."

"I screwed up." I choke up. "When Austin and I started dating, he told me the one thing he needed from me was honesty" I can't cry. I have to be back on set soon to shoot. "And I couldn't give him that."

"Kates," Liz begins, but I stand up.

"It's too late," I say as firmly as I can. "I've put him through the wringer and he doesn't deserve it. I'm not going after Austin. I've got to let him go."

"Kaitlin, you're crazy!" Nadine is clearly shocked. "At least talk to him. He may give you another chance."

I look at my face in the dresser mirror. It's puffy again, like it has been for days. I use my finger to remove the smudged mascara under my eyes. I'll have our makeup artist fix the rest. "Case closed, you guys," I say firmly. "It's over, okay? Can we please talk about something else?"

Nadine's phone rings. "It's Laney," she says, looking at the caller I.D. "I have to take this. I don't know if she's heard about Carol yet."

Saved. "I have to get back to the set anyway."

"Kaitlin," Liz tries again.

"I'll see you later," I promise, rushing out the door and banging right into Hank.

"Hold up, Kaitlin," Hank says. "We're delaying the next shot for another hour. Between the news Hutch just got and what's been going on with Sky..."

"You mean Madison being fired?" I ask. "She must be really mad."

"Mad isn't the word." Hank massages his right shoulder as he talks. "When Sky found out Madison was fired, she started screaming. We could hear things smashing against the walls in her dressing room." I nod. I can imagine the scene. "They had to call security to calm her down, only se curity was busy escorting Madison from the set. Hutch went in there to talk to her and the two had words. It wasn't pretty. Hutch said he regretted hiring Sky for this project."

I've heard that line before. Normally, hearing Sky's ego get taken down a notch would make me happy, but right now I'm too depressed to care.

"Hang here and I'll call you when we're ready to start," Hank adds over his shoulder as he hurries back to his idling golf cart.

I nod sadly. Suddenly I feel very tired. I can't handle talk ing to Nadine and Liz about Austin anymore. Instead, I slump down on the cold cement outside my dressing room and do what I've been doing best the past few days--cry my eyes out.

TUESDAY 8/7

NOTE TO SELF:

Last day of filming: 8/9

Buy Hutch, Daniella, presents 4 wrap party on 8/10

FA
start date: Aug. 21

**Ask Sethi when he's sending over the first script!

sevenTeen:
That's a Wrap

"If you two aren't downstairs in ten minutes, I'm leaving without you!" I yell in exasperation. There's no answer.

"I mean it!" I threaten. "Don't make me drag you down here!" My voice echoes in the two-story foyer of our house, where I'm parked with my Tod purse, keys in hand.

"Wow, you sound like your mom," Liz laughs. She and I are the only ones ready to leave for
The Untitled Hutch Adams Project
wrap party. It took Liz and me exactly twenty minutes to get dressed. We're wearing Earl jeans, borrowed from Mom's expanding collection (she'll never know they're missing--she and Dad are in Palm Springs for a little R&R), and similar black sparkly tanks. Liz has accessorized her en semble with a sequined black beret that covers most of her dark curly tresses. My hair is pulled back in a simple high ponytail.

"RODNEY! MATT! DO YOU HEAR ME?" I try again. This is the first time the two of them are attending a film wrap as actors--rather than bodyguards or a plus one--and they're acting like two tween girls before a Jesse Mc Cartney concert.

Instead of the boys, it's Nadine who comes running. "Oh, it's you," she says with surprise. "I thought your mom came home early" Liz chuckles again and I squint at her menac ingly.

"Are
you
ready to go?" I ask Nadine. She's been on an ur gent phone call with Laney for the last twenty minutes, but she looks party-ready in a vintage Beatles t-shirt and jeans. An ebony barrette is pinning back the bangs of her smooth red hair. "You can drive and Rodney and Matt will meet us there." I tap my spiky black leather heels impatiently. I put my hand on the doorknob, but Nadine stops me from turn ing the handle.

"Hold up, Oscar the Grouch," she says with a smile. "What's the rush? I would think you'd be the last person who'd want to celebrate with the cast."

"I want to get there so that I can stay ten minutes and run home to my box of Oreos and my
Notting Hill
DVD," I whine.

Liz groans. "You're watching that again? That's like the eighth time this week! Would you
please
call Austin and put us out of our misery?"

"Thanks a lot," I retort. "And no, I can't call him. I told you. He deserves to be happy"

"And we don't?" Liz mutters.

"RODNEY! MATT!" I holler again. "WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG?"