Laying Low in Hollywood (17 page)

                           
CHAPTER 18

   The rest of the week went by, essentially without incident.  I was pretty excited about our program, it was truly turning into something spectacular.  Ron and Elena had both thrown themselves into the music and were playing out the characters like a couple of professionals!

Our lift, side by side spins, and even our pairs spin were all coming along nicely and I was excited.  Before I knew it, it was Wednesday once again and we were back at the rink to tape, yet another episode. 
             

   My team was performing third in the line up tonight and the song they were skating to was “The Rain in Spain”, from the musical
My Fair Lady
.  Wardrobe had pulled all the stops out and made Ron a navy blue, crushed velvet smoking jacket, complete with an ascot.  Elena was dressed in a prim and proper high necked dress, with her hair piled elegantly on top of her head.

   The original song had been approximately two minutes and twenty six seconds, so it had been cut a bit to make it fit into the two minute routine, but the sound guy had done a fabulous job.  It still had exactly the drama I wanted.

   I watched the first two performances of the night from the edge of the ice.  The first two teams did a fine job, they made a few mistakes that were barely noticeable, but their programs were hardly memorable, they had no personality.  I was nearly bursting with excitement as the stage crew hauled the props for our number, out onto the darkened ice.

   True to the movie, Ron was going to begin the number seated in a high backed, leather desk chair, with his feet up on a big wooden desk.  Elena would start out perched in a smaller chair.  The furniture was placed at the far corner of the rink.  I had designed the routine to stay far from the furniture after the opening, to avoid any accidents.

   When the music started, the magic began.  Ron and Elena played out their characters like true professionals.  From the opening they went straight into my footwork sequence.  They gave a stunning performance, every element was executed cleanly, including my ambitious set of two side by side spins.  I was ecstatic!  At the end of the program they both skated over to me and I hugged them both excitedly.  Then we went to the “kiss and cry” area to wait for our scores.

   The comments from the judges were all positive, even Hal Luther, who was known for his nit picking, could barely find anything in their performance to pick apart.  Moments later, when the scores were revealed we’d received two nines and a ten!

   I could barely contain myself I was so excited!  I tried to calm myself and watch the rest of the performances, but I could barely sit still.  I can’t say I could remember any details of any of the performances that followed ours.             

   At the end of the show, the couples were all brought out to the ice for the announcement of who was going home.  Not only were we not going home, we were the top scoring team of the week once again!

   Elena and Ron were elated.  When they skated back to me Elena hugged me hard, then Ron picked me up and spun me around.  I was laughing joyfully, so I was almost caught off guard when Ron tried to plant a kiss on my mouth.  As much as I wanted to kiss him, I couldn’t let him ruin, what I had worked so hard to create.  We were top contenders now, I couldn’t let all that come crashing down.  I turned my head just in time and he ended up kissing me on the cheek, then I pulled myself out of his arms uncomfortably. 

   I sighed guiltily and looked away, whatever feelings I felt for Ron, had to wait, that’s just how it had to be.  No matter how much I wanted him to kiss me, I knew that the cameras were always watching, one small slip up, could be magnified to look like a torrid affair.  I just couldn’t let Ron do that to himself, he was married, even if that marriage was slowly falling apart.

   Ron was giving me a hurt look as I made the rounds on the now crowed ice, hugging everyone who wanted to congratulate me.  In moments, Jorge had pushed his way through the crowd to me and had his arm possessively around my shoulder.  It was a struggle to keep from rolling my eyes.  I wasn’t a complete idiot and I didn’t need a babysitter.

   I left on Jorge’s arm once again that night, and our little scam dragged on.  I wondered what Elena thought of all this.  Did she truly believe that Jorge and I were a couple?  Did she ever notice the barely disguised sexual tension between Ron and I?  Elena never said a word about any of it, so I wondered if she was completely oblivious, or if she just didn’t care.

   Later that night I was already busy working on our next week’s routine.  The problem with having a wonderful program like the one we’d done tonight meant that I always felt the need to top it with something even more spectacular.  It wasn’t going to be easy, my team had their limits, and I was afraid we would be reaching those limits soon. 

   Ron’s body was designed for football, not figure skating, and as the show progressed, the producers were adding more technical difficulty each week.  It was really only a matter of time before we were in over our head.

   I was frustrated in my search for music this week, but not because I was overwhelmed by choices as I had been last week, but rather because I felt limited to bad choices by the week’s awful theme.  This next week the teams were to skate to TV show theme music.  I was cringing when I heard that announcement.  How could I ever make a decent program out of TV theme music?

   Of course, I didn’t have any TV theme music loaded on my computer, so I had to surf the internet for ideas.  As I sifted through the hundreds of titles I found, I sighed miserably.   This was going to be impossible!  I was out by the pool, completely stressing out as I tried, without success, to find a song that I thought I could actually work with.  Jorge ambled out on the patio with his glass of wine and sat down next to me.

   “How’s it going, love?” he asked, flashing me a bit of a smile.

   “I hope that TV theme night wasn’t your idea, because it’s a horrible idea.  There is absolutely not one TV theme song out there that I care to make into a skating program,” I told him, whining miserably.

   “Oh come on Lane, have fun with it.  You’re creative, you can think outside the box and make this work.  I think it’s going to be a blast!” said Jorge, flashing me a sly smile.

   “It’s going to be completely hideous,” I told him with a frown.  “What is the next week going to be, TV commercial jingles?”

   “A very amusing thought, though if anyone could pull it off, I trust it would be you,” said Jorge.

   “Please Jorge, save your bogus compliments for when we are in public,” I told him rolling my eyes.

   “Are you implying that my admiration of you is not genuine?  Lane, you cut me to the quick, I truly believe that you are my best choreographer by far.  If your team doesn’t win, it will be by no fault of yours,” he cried, giving me a hurt look.

   “Thank you for that sincere vote of confidence, and a completely hideous repertory of music to choose from,” I sighed.

   I paced restlessly back and forth across the pool deck.  A cool breeze was rippling the pool water, and the lights of Hollywood twinkled in the valley below me.  I was anxious and I couldn’t sit still, but I needed to focus and concentrate on finding music for our next program.  My team couldn’t very well start working on a new program tomorrow, if I hadn’t picked out the music yet.  I sighed miserably, I wanted something fun and upbeat, like my team.  None of the music I was finding online was doing anything for me.

   Suddenly I had an idea.  Jorge was right, I needed to think outside the box.  Originally, I had been thinking of the music from all the sit coms I remembered from my childhood, but I had forgotten.  There was a whole host of really cool westerns on TV, that aired before I could even remember.  I sat back down with my computer and started a new search. 

   I pulled up the theme song for the TV show “Bonanza” on You Tube, and listened to it.  I chewed on my lower lip as I considered it.  The song was kind of what I wanted, but that particular song had been overused. 

   Now that I had an idea, this was going to be easy.  I typed in “TV Western theme songs” in my search engine and scrolled down through the results, listening to a few clips here and there, soon I found what I had been searching for.  Next week Ron and Elena were going to skate to the theme song from the show “Wild, Wild West”.

   I was finally excited about TV theme show night!  Ron was going to make the cutest cowboy ever.  I could already see the entire program in my mind, including the costumes, this was actually going to be fun!

                             
CHAPTER 19

   I was back on the ice bright and early Thursday  morning.  Elena and Ron were excited to hear my ideas for the new program, for once, both members of my team seemed to be excited about the music and the theme.  I was happy, though they were still riding high from our victory last night.  I hoped that we could keep up the momentum and push through to the finals.

   Ron was a bit distant to me, I was sure he was not too thrilled by my thwarting his kiss last night.  I guess in the grand scheme of things, most people would have missed it, amongst all the other excitement, but I couldn’t help but be wary, it seemed as if there were always cameras recording our every move.

   My little run in with Maurice had set me on edge, to this day, I still worried that his “incriminating footage” would show up someplace it shouldn’t.  It would be particularly shameful to be kicked off the cast of the show mid season.  I had no doubts that Jorge would have me removed from the show, if he were angry enough.             

   That evening after the show aired, I relaxed on the sofa with a glass of wine.  I was tired, but I was much too keyed up to go to bed.  Jorge was relaxing in the hot tub, since he was not really my lover, I didn’t feel all that comfortable climbing in there with him.  I flipped through the channels on the huge flat screen TV, finally settling on the local evening news.  I hated to watch the news, but I was beginning to feel like a hermit.  I had been living in my own little world, as of late, and I felt totally out of touch with reality.  Hollywood was a bit like a world of it’s own, seeing the rest of the world would be a good idea, I thought.

   I was still a bit lost in my own thoughts, and I had mainly tuned it out, until my attention was grabbed by a familiar name.  I snapped to attention as the reporter announced that Jenae Brannon had officially announced today that she was divorcing her husband Ron.  I was staring at the television completely stunned.  The reporter went on to say that Jenae had admitted she was pretty serious about Roman Fleming and the two of them would probably marry once her divorce was final.

   I was suddenly panicking as I reached for my phone.  I knew that Ron would be upset, he knew their marriage was over, but of course, it would still hurt.  I wanted to call him, but I wasn’t sure if that was a good idea.

   I walked out to the patio and approached Jorge.  He gave me a smile and raised his glass to me, in a mock toast.

   “Hello darling, are you coming in?” he asked, flashing me a seductive smile.

   “You can cut the crap Jorge, there are no witnesses,” I told him shaking my head in amusement.

   “I’m finding this rather fun.  I can’t really remember the last time I had a girlfriend,” he said, giggling.

   “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you really don’t have a girlfriend now,” I told him, rolling my eyes.

   “Oh Lane, have you not realized how the mere illusion of a girlfriend has changed my entire life?  The network “Big Whigs” think I must be a total stud, to have a hot girlfriend like Lane Jensen,” said Jorge, flashing me a sly smile.

   “I’m glad my presence here is working out so well for you, because my entire life is totally screwed,” I snapped.

   “Don’t despair my dear.  The show will be over before you know it, and you and Ron can hump like a couple of rabbits. What’s going on? You seem upset.”

   “I need to call Ron, but I don’t want you to be angry with me,” I told him.

   “Will you be calling him as a coach, or as a lover?” asked Jorge, giving me a sly smile.  I frowned at him.  I was getting the impression he was a bit buzzed.

   “I want to call him as a friend.  It was just announced on the news that Jenae has filed for divorce.  No matter how evident it was, that this was coming, he’s going to be hurt,” I told him.

   “And you just want to be his shoulder to cry on,” said Jorge, his voice was laced with sarcasm.

   “He will be very upset, we can’t miss another day of practice.  We have a new element to learn this week, things are getting down to the wire,” I told him.

   “You can call him, but you can’t go to him,” said Jorge.

   I nodded.  I could only hope that Ron would be able to pull it together after this harsh announcement.  I was worried about his two little girls.  Custody battles were always nasty and he loved his girls so much and was so proud of them.  I couldn’t bare it, if he were cut out of their lives.

   I called Ron at his condo and on his cell, but I got no answer.  I was worried about him.  He took things personally, he could finally see how Jenae was using him, but he would still blame himself for the destruction of their marriage.

   “There’s no answer, what should we do?” I asked Jorge.             

  “I’ll take you over there, hopefully he hasn’t done anything stupid, like swallowed a handful of pills,” snapped Jorge, who’s patience was obviously wearing thin with the whole situation.  He hauled himself out of the hot tub and wrapped himself in a towel and walked away to the master bedroom to get dressed.

   We drove to Ron’s condo in Jorge’s car, but when we arrived the condo was dark and unoccupied, Ron’s shiny black Escalade was not in it’s spot.

   “Good lord, I hope he hasn’t run off somewhere to drink away his sorrows, we might never find him,” said Jorge.

   I tried his cell phone again, but still, there was no answer.  I was beginning to panic.  Ron had been riding an emotional roller coaster lately.  I worried about him, but where else could I look?  I didn’t have a clue.

   “We should just go home, if he doesn’t show up for practice, we’ll worry about it then,” said Jorge.

    I sighed, I didn’t know what else I could possibly do.  I had no idea where he might have gone.  We went back to the house and I went to bed, but I didn’t sleep well.  I woke up dozens of times until finally, it was time for me to get up and go to the rink.

   I was consumed with a feeling of impending doom as Jorge drove us to the rink.  I couldn’t help but worry about Ron and his already messed up emotional status.  This announcement would either hurt him badly, or be the closure that he needed.  I could only wait and see how he handled the news.

   I worried how this announcement would effect our team and our upcoming performance.  Ron was a very caring person and his heartless wife Jenae had publicly left him for another man.  It would be bad enough if he were not a celebrity, but unfortunately Ron’s divorce was about to become a very public ordeal.

   I was afraid that a lack of inspiration on Ron’s part would ruin us, we had a lot to accomplish this week, a new program and a new element.  Luckily, this week’s new element wasn’t really new to my team, it was the death spiral, an element Ron and Elena had mastered way back in week one.  Still, even missing one practice this late in the game would be bad.

   I was relieved when I arrived at the rink and realized that Ron was already there.  Elena was sitting on a bench near the ice, tightening her laces, Ron was standing near the ice talking on his cell phone.  I couldn’t tell from where I was standing, what Ron’s mood was like.

   I wasn’t sure if I should approach him to talk about it, or if I should just wait until he brought it up.  He had his cell phone, so obviously he would know that I had called him last night.  My chest was tight with indecision.

   I hadn’t realized I had been clinging to Jorge’s arm tightly as I obsessed over what to do.  Jorge kissed me on the cheek and told me he had some business to attend to.  Then he gave me a meaningful smile.  I gave him a weak smile as I realized what he was doing for me.   He was giving me space so that  I could talk to Ron alone.  I waved to him as he left the ice arena.  I sighed wondering what, exactly, I was going to say to Ron.

   “Good morning,” said Elena, slipping off her skate guards and stepping onto the ice to warm up.

    “Good morning,” I told her with a little nod.

   I stood there uncomfortably as Ron finished his conversation and slipped his phone into his skate bag.

     He stood up and assessed me carefully. “Hi,” he said, his voice was hesitant.  He was wondering what I knew.

    “Hi,” I said.  I was biting my lower lip.  I didn’t know what to say to him.  I wanted him to bring it up first.

   “I saw that you called, sorry I never returned your calls last night.  I guess you know,” said Ron, looking at me defeatedly.

  “I know,” I said, nodding my head grimly.  I was watching him carefully.  I couldn’t tell if he was sad or mad, he just seemed defeated.  I knew he was hurting, he had done everything he could, to please Jenae.

   “Well if you’re worried about this messing things up for you, don’t.  I’ll be okay,” said Ron, shaking his head miserably.

   “Ron I’m so sorry.  I wasn’t worried about this messing things up for me.  I was worried about this messing things up for you.  I know she hurt you, I was worried that she might try to keep your girls from you and I knew that would be very hard on you,” I told him, looking into his eyes earnestly.

   Ron was scanning the room nervously.  “Where’s your boyfriend?”

   “Jorge left, he is giving us some space, so I could talk to you,” I told him.

   “What’s there to talk about?  She wants out.  She wants a guy who’s not washed up, who makes millions.  I’m forty, I have a bad hip and I don’t make millions,” said Ron, shaking his head sadly.

   “If you truly love somebody, it shouldn’t make any difference,” I told him.

   “I loved her, I thought she loved me no matter what.  Now I see, it wasn’t the real me she loved.  She loved Ron Brannon the star quarterback,” said Ron, shaking his head miserably.

   “I’m sorry,” I said, taking his hand gently.  He snatched it away angrily.

   “Don’t you dare pretend you care about me!  You’re a fake too!  You show up at all these big Hollywood parties hanging on Jorge Broussard’s arm, kissing him, like the two of you are lovers.  Do you know how that feels for me?  When I want you so badly?” cried Ron.

   “Ron I’m sorry.  I was trying to protect you.  Jorge was trying to protect his show...”

   “You’re just as fake as Jenae,” snapped Ron.

   “I had no choice,” I seethed.

   “I thought you were different, I thought that you cared about me,” snapped Ron, looking away disgustedly.

  “Ron I’m sorry.  I do care about you.  Please understand, I had to do something, everyone could see what was going on!  Did you ever wonder what happened to Maurice?  He tried to blackmail me, he made the moves on me and tried to...” I couldn’t speak anymore, the tears were already falling down my cheeks, I turned away completely embarrassed.  I loved Ron and I was tired of playing these games.

   Ron grabbed my shoulders and turned me to look into his eyes.  “Are you trying to tell me that Maurice tried to rape you?” cried Ron, looking completely shocked.

   I was biting my lower lip, trying to stem the tears that seemed to be coursing down my cheeks without my permission.  “He tried to use his influence, he said he had incriminating video of us together,” I sniffed.

  “What incriminating video?” cried Ron, his anger seemed to be growing.

   “I don’t know, I never saw it.  I only knew it was impossible for me to hide my true feelings.  My guilt was overwhelming me and I didn’t want to ruin your marriage,” I cried.

   “Lane, my marriage was already ruined, I was just too proud to realize it.  Maybe it would have been better if Maurice would have just ratted us out, then I wouldn’t look like such a schmuck,” said Ron, ruefully.

   “I think Jenae is vengeful Ron, she would have kept the girls from you and ruined you financially, believe me.  It’s better this way,” I told him.

   “I’m sorry you were worried about me.  Jenae came to town to talk to me in person.  I was at her hotel most of the night, trying to work things out.  I thought I was going to have to fight her for partial custody of the girls.  The ironic part is that she doesn’t even want them.  She’s giving me full custody.  She wants them on Christmas and spring break.  That’s all.  I’m happy, but can you believe a mother can give up her daughters so easily, all so that she can start over with another man?” asked Ron, his face was a mask of disgust.