Page 24 of Second Act
He and Violet cherished their time together now, knowing they would be going to London soon, where they would lose their anonymity and their privacy. With Andy’s rented house going up for auction while they worked on the film, he wouldn’t have it to come back to when filming was over, which made it seem more special now, despite Violet’s unhappy history in it. Even she would be sad to leave, and her cottage was too small for the two of them. They would have to figure out a new location for their life together after the movie. Although they enjoyed visiting London, neither of them wanted to live there.
Andy’s enormous, spectacular house in Bel-Air was standingempty while his life was seemingly on hold. The people he knew in Hollywood had no idea where he’d gone, and they easily imagined him too embarrassed to show his face, which had been true when he left, but was less so now. He was no longer ashamed. He had just removed himself, and had no desire to go back yet. He wasn’t sure if he ever would. The future remained uncertain, but the present, with Violet, had many virtues. He was happy staying out of sight, away from the Hollywood gossip mill, and he wanted to protect her from it now too. He didn’t miss anything about it.
—
Their trip to Italy in August was idyllic, staying in a quaint hotel he had stayed in years before. Capri was fun and crowded. Violet and Andy wandered in and out of the shops, lay by the pool, avoided as best they could the hordes of tourists who poured off the cruise ships that stopped there. They liked getting lost in the crowd, and Andy rented a boat they spent the day on. It was so far removed from their normal lives that it was like being on another planet.
He had always loved the mysteries of Venice. Much to his surprise, Violet had never been there. They visited countless churches, saw the glass factory in Murano, went to all the tourist places, ate gelato in Saint Mark’s Square, and stayed in a fabulous suite at the Cipriani across the lagoon from Venice. They rode in a gondola under the Bridge of Sighs, and he bought her a simple gold bracelet that she loved. She was the easiest woman to please that he had ever met, and had few material desires. Those she did have she didn’t expect him to satisfy. She just enjoyed being with him, and loved him as he was, which was a new experience for him. Thematerial excesses she had had with Gabriel had no appeal for her. On the contrary, they repelled her, and reminded her of him.
They were sorry to leave Venice after four days, and their last stop on their Italian trip was Portofino, a charming port town, with a medieval castle lit up at night, a beautiful church, a wonderful hotel where they stayed, the Splendido, appealing shops, a harbor full of boats of all sizes, and beaches nearby. Violet hadn’t been there either and loved it. Yachts came and went all summer, and it was a favorite holiday spot to visit for Italians and Europeans.
Andy had his arm around Violet as they came out of one of the small luxurious shops on the port, when he bumped into a tall, statuesque blond woman with a striking figure and found himself face-to-face with Alana. He was so startled that he didn’t react for a minute, and she looked shocked to see him, and instantly uncomfortable. She was with a rival studio head, and he was sure they had come off one of the yachts in the port, or anchored just outside the harbor. He had been there himself on yachts that he had chartered. Alana looked better than ever, and the man she was with was unattractive, and in his late seventies, but he was unquestionably one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, especially with Andy no longer on the scene. He might have been a step in the power game she played so well, but not in the scheme of life, and Andy felt sorry for her. She took ambition to dizzying heights, and was the exact opposite of Violet, to whom that game meant nothing.
“Hello, Alana,” he said calmly, once he regained his composure. “How are you? You’re looking well.” He thought he saw her nearly blush, and she looked extremely uncomfortable. She was wearing a Chanel jogging suit with an oversized beige alligator Hermès Birkinhandbag, which he realized must have been a recent acquisition, and cost someone a fortune. It was hard to believe that he had only been gone for four months. It felt like four centuries. He introduced Violet, who knew instantly who Alana was in the movie world and how she had abandoned Andy the day he was fired. Alana ignored Violet as though she weren’t standing next to them, and her escort wandered away, not interested in who she was talking to. He hadn’t noticed Andy, but probably wouldn’t have stuck around anyway.
“Wherehave you been?” she asked him, as though she’d been expecting him home for dinner every night for the last four months and he hadn’t shown up. He’d had no texts, emails, or messages from her since the fateful day.
“I’ve been in England, working on some projects.” He smiled at Violet as he said it, and he felt calmer and more sure of himself with her beside him. Seeing Alana didn’t warm his heart, and even chilled him a little. Her defection had been so complete and so immediate. She had been one of the first to get in the lifeboats and leave the sinking ship, and had made no pretense about it. She looked more affected to see him than he was to see her. He had nothing for which to reproach himself. She did.
“Are you coming back to LA?” she asked, as though she wasn’t sure if he’d be useful again and wanted to know how to categorize him.
“Eventually. You know how the industry is. It’s built on shifting sands, you never know who’ll be up or down or in or out. I’m enjoying life right now, waiting to see what comes.” He sounded relaxed about it, and surprisingly he was. He had dreaded seeing her again, and now face-to-face with her, he found it didn’t matter.
“Are you working on anything big in England? A series?” she asked pointedly. He remembered how badly she wanted a series to bolster her slowly deflating career, given her age.
“Some interesting projects,” was all he would say, with another smile at Violet. “Nice to see you,” he said, and with that he put his arm around Violet again, and made his way around Alana, like a rock in a stream, and walked away, while she stared after him. She frequently wondered if she had reacted too quickly. Andy was resourceful, and young enough, he might bounce back one day. She knew her reaction had been hasty. She didn’t like wasting time with people who weren’t useful to her. Andy had ceased to be the moment he left Global.
“She’s beautiful,” Violet said in hushed tones once they were out of earshot, and Andy noticed the enormous yacht that had pulled into port while they were shopping, and was sure she had come off that one.
“There’s not an inch of the original model on that chassis,” he said with a grin. “You’re a hundred times more beautiful, and you’re real. She’s glamorous, but there’s not much of a human being in there.”
“Her boyfriend looks a hundred and twelve years old,” she said with an evil giggle, and he laughed.
“I hope you don’t say that about me one day. He’s a very powerful studio head. That’s why she’s with him, not for his good looks.”
“I thought you handled it beautifully,” she complimented him. “I don’t think I could have done that.”
“Yes, you could. I had you standing next to me. You made me brave.” She was ten years younger than Alana, a thousand times thewoman, and he loved her. And he knew that she loved him. He and Alana had never been in love.
“You make me brave too,” she said, tucking a hand into his arm. “I think you made her nervous that you have some big deal cooking in England.” He laughed out loud.
“I did it on purpose. I couldn’t resist. I knew it would panic her that she had bet on the wrong horse. It serves her right. I’m glad you caught that. I hope she did too.”
“She looked panicked,” Violet confirmed, smiling.
“I doubt that,” he said with a satisfied smile. “Alana doesn’t do panicked.”
“Why not?” Violet asked.
“Too much Botox.” They both laughed and walked into a gelateria to buy ice cream cones, as Alana scurried up the passerelle of the yacht she came in on, feeling slightly sick to her stomach. She didn’t like making important enemies, and she wondered if she had one now. She didn’t. Andy didn’t care about her enough to hate her. It was worse than that. He was completely indifferent, as he and Violet ate their ice cream cones and continued shopping.
Chapter 12
Andy packed everything he’d brought with him to take to London. He still had the house in Winchelsea Beach until the seventh of October, but he didn’t know if he’d have time to come back while they were shooting the movie. It seemed simpler to take everything with him. He could use the house if they got a few days off and he wanted to get out of London. Violet took everything she thought she’d need for three months of shooting, and left the rest at her cottage. Andy rented a van with a driver to take them to London.
They were both excited to start work on the movie. They had readings with the actors for the next two days. Andy had a double role as screenwriter and coproducer, which would keep him busy. Violet was going to be an observer to make sure that they didn’t stray too far from her original story, and that the actors didn’t put a different spin on it. It was going to be her first time on a movie set.
Andy had said a warm goodbye to Mrs. MacInnes and had given her a large tip. She was very pleased.
