Gloria arrived back at the Mammoth building by mid-morning in her Porsche convertible, long before Lisa's press conference, and was only a little disappointed to find there was going to be absolutely no hoopla upon her becoming an agent. All Artie said to her was, "'Gratulations. Al wants to see you."
And all Al Rubin, the senior partner said was, "You're an agent now. Find Artie a new assistant and don't leave till he's trained. Then go ask the other agents what they need help with. We'll find you a little office somewhere. Now, I gotta take this call."
Gloria had already taken it upon herself to search for her own replacement. She had given several bottles of top brand French wines to the blue-collar supervisor of the mail room so he would recommend to her his best ivy league workers. She then took the three top candidates to lunch and utterly abused them. One came from Harvard, the other Princeton, and the third from Cornell. Only the Asian Cornell grad didn't cry or yell back, so Gloria knew he was the perfect assistant for Artie.
She returned to her desk where her rival in the cubicle next to her, who was also Artie's rival's assistant, who was also her best friend in the business, had heard the news.
"Congratulations!" the rival said with sincere happiness. The two of them, as well as certain others, had started out together. Gloria was merely the first of their group to make it. "All the assistants wanna take you for drinks tonight."
"Thanks," she said sincerely because she knew it was the most she would get. "Love to."
"Gloria!" screamed Artie from inside his office, and she went in.
"Don't think you're gonna leave me hanging," he said. "When I got my stripes, I had to sit in my fuckin' cubicle for four months before they emptied out a broom closet and gave it to me my as a shithole office. Don't think you're any better than me."
"I'll never hold a candle to you, Artie," she answered, keeping her proud smile inside her brain. "But I've already found the perfect guy for you."
"Big whoop," he said, purposely giving her nothing. "Got any clients yet?"
She knew better than to point out that she hadn't been allowed to sign anyone till now, so she relied on facts. "There's that Abugov guy. He's one of those TV-writer-producer-guys-turned-indie-director, and he's over at 'Other Agency,"' she said. "His film didn't do great business, but it got a huge cult following and everyone on the web is talking about it. The film's hysterical, and he could be the next mega-film comedy guy."
"Good," said Artie. "Sign him and get him back into TV. More money. Next?"
Gloria listed off all the various talents she had been trying to steal from other agencies over the past month, then mentioned the still unrepresented Savannah Jones and Cheyenne Ellis, even though she hadn't been particularly impressed with either of them -- she just needed names to say. Then she took a deep breath and went for the gold.
"And I want Robby," she added.
"Rockman?" Artie asked. "Robby's MY client. You can help out but--"
"With all due respect, Artie," Gloria said tentatively. "You weren't doing anything for him. I know you got him this job," she lied, "But I got him the money. I think he's still a star. Travolta before 'Pulp Fiction.'"
"Savannah Jones ain't no Tarantino," said Artie.
"Not yet," she said. "But Tarantino wasn't Tarantino when he was shooting 'Reservoir Dogs.' This film is Savannah's 'Reservoir Dogs,' and her 'Pulp Fiction' is just on the horizon. Now, I know you and Robby have a personal relationship, and I don't want to step on that. All I'm asking for is the chance to help him. If I succeed, I only want credit within the agency. You can have it with Robby and the community."
Artie was touched by the offer. Gloria was the only person who had ever freely given him credit for her work. Normally, he had to steal such prizes.
"Trudy would never go along with it," Artie said sympathetically because he loved the deal and, at that moment, loved Gloria. "And Robby wouldn't go against her. Maybe if you hadn't taken him home last night in front of everyone, maybe..."
"I'm having lunch with her today," she said. "I'll square it all out. By the way, what does she usually order?"
"Chinese chicken salad and iced tea. All the time. It's damn irritating."
"Thanks," said the new agent. "I think, by the end, it won't matter to her if I rep Robby or not. If I'm wrong, I'll shut up about it. But if I succeed, can I have him?"
"Okay," he said. "God knows I don't know what to do with him. If Robby agrees, okay. But he's got to tell me himself. Just don't piss off Trudy because she might want to break up with me now that our thing is public, and I don't want her to. I've been trying to nail this chick for almost twenty years, and it turns out that she was worth the wait. Do we understand each other?"
"Yes sir!" said Gloria as she returned to her desk like the good assistant she had always been, even though she was now offically an agent.
Trudy browsed through the Good Guys electronics store, which was right next door to the posh grill where she was supposed to meet Gloria. She wasn't particularly concerned that she was already late because she found the perfect little CD player-and-headset combo for Andy's birthday. Surrounded by almost forty TV sets of all shapes and sizes, she gave her gold card to the twenty-something salesgirl.
"Trudy ROCKMAN?" asked the clerk. "As in ROBBY Rockman's wife?"
"Yes," Trudy answered. "That's me."
"I love you two!" she said. "I have your 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' episode on tape, and I watch it at least once a week. Do you still live in that amazing house with the view and the horses?"
"No," answered the embarrassed wife. "We had to sell that several years ago."
"That sucks!"
"We got over it," Trudy smiled back politely.
"They're just out to get him, aren't they?" asked the girl. "Like with this rape thing. There's no way Mr. Bell could've ever done that."
"Thank you," admitted Trudy.
"I just want you to know his fans believe in him, no matter what that little slut says. And if he goes to jail for the rest of his life, we'll still believe in him."
"That's very encouraging," said Trudy.
"And you know what else?" the salesgirl went on.
"I'd love to hear it," answered Trudy politely. "But I'm meeting a friend at Juniper's and I'm already late." And she took her receipt and the CD player, then headed off to the lunch that she already wished was over.
Gloria was seated when Trudy arrived. Gloria waved dramatically with her good arm as if they were old school pals who hadn't seen each other in years. When Trudy got to the table, Gloria hugged her as best she could, given that her one arm was still in a sling.
"Thank you so much for coming," she said. "I'm so sorry for everything."
The two sat down as the waiter appeared far too promptly.
"Can I start you off with a beverage?" he asked before they were fully seated.
"I'm ready to order," said Trudy who wanted to keep the lunch short. "You?"
"Yes," said Gloria. "I'll have an iced tea and a Chinese chicken salad."
It was what Trudy had had her heart set on, what she always ordered at Juniper's. But to ask for it now would look like she was copying Gloria, and that was unacceptable. The only problem was that she wasn't quite sure what else they had on the menu.
"A b.l.t. and a coke?" she guessed.
"On the way," said the waiter as he took their menus and left.
"It's amazing you can keep your figure eating like that," Gloria told Trudy. "I have to be so careful or I would just blow up."
"Good genes, I guess," answered Trudy.
She was pretty sure Gloria was just sucking up to her to get on her good side, and had probably even found out her regular lunchtime order from Artie. Still, Gloria was putting effort into making amends, and Trudy was finding it difficult to hang onto her hatred for the girl. If her apology was truly sincere, Trudy would have to accept it.
Gloria asked about Trudy's head -- she was still wearing her bandage. Trudy reciprocated by asking about Gloria's arm. By the time their lunch arrived, the two women were actually laughing together at the pathetic sight they must have've made wrestling on the side of the canyon road.
It was about midway through the meal, that Gloria sprang into action.
"You're just great," Gloria said, laughing at Trudy's last joke. "I understand that it may be difficult for us to be friends -- I know how suspicious you are of me and if the shoe were on the other foot, I'd be equally suspicious of you. But I swear on my parents' lives that I will never accept one of Robby's advances."
"HIS advances?" asked Trudy, suspicious of the girl.
Gloria sighed as if she just made a huge blunder. "I'm sorry. No. He never came onto anyone. How's your sandwich?"
It was only Gloria's reluctance to speak that made Trudy believe she actually had something to say -- which was Gloria's plan all along.
"If you have something to say, just say it," Trudy demanded.
"Trudy, I just don't feel that this level of conversation will help us to become friends," she said, then added brightly. "How'd the shopping go?"
"If you want to be my friend," she insisted. "Tell me what you're hiding."
"I don't feel comfortable--"
"Do it!" Trudy snapped.
"Okay," Gloria conceded. "It was nothing really. He came onto me a couple of times, but nothing ever happened. Yes, like everyone else my age, I grew up on his show and had a schoolgirl crush on him, and yes he's still an attractive man, but I don't go out with married men. Other girls may, but not me."
"So you're saying nothing happened last night because YOU didn't want it to?"
"Last night and all the other times," she answered.
"What other times!?"
"Shit, I did it again," said Gloria. "There were no other times."
"There is no way Robby ever came on to you," said Trudy, becoming annoyed. "Robby loves me."
"You have no idea how much he loves you," said Gloria. "He loves you so much words can't even describe it."
"And I love him more than words can describe," Trudy added.
"I know you do," and that's when Gloria took Trudy's hand and sympathetically moved in for the kill. "But that never stopped you from fucking Artie."
This hit Trudy where she lived. It was the one truth she never wanted to face, and there it was right in front of her.
"Robby's different," she said, unconvincingly.
"The guy turned forty," Gloria said sadly. "He hasn't worked in years -- he feels horrible about himself. Yet he has all these beautiful twenty-somethings fawning all over him because they fell in love with Mr. Bell during puberty. It doesn't mean he doesn't love you. It just means he's human. You can't blame him for succumbing to temptation because, well, let's face it -- you did."
Before Trudy could respond, the salesgirl from Good Guys showed up.
"Mrs. Rockman! You've got to come see this!" she said as she grabbed Trudy's arm and pulled her out of her seat. "That girl just admitted that she made it all up. It's all over our TVs!"
Trudy followed the girl back to her store as Gloria threw down her American Express and ran after them, promising to return later to sign for the meal.
By the time they arrived, thirty-one of the forty TVs were set on the local news brief. A crowd had gathered, and they all watched as Robby approached Lisa on the hospital steps.
"I -- I'm sorry I said you tried to rape me?" Lisa answered nervously.
"I know," Robby said with great sympathy as he put his arm around her.
Trudy would've breathed a sigh of relief at that point -- she truly wanted to -- but Robby was up to something and she couldn't figure out what it was. As she, Gloria and the salesgirl watched intently, none of them noticed the huge crowd that had gathered.
"The fact is," Robby concluded. "Lisa and I love each other more than anything, and we've been secretly seeing each other romantically for the past year."
"Oh my God," said Trudy.
Much of the crowd expressed their feelings of contempt, some were impressed, a few of the young women even seemed envious.
"She's so lucky," sighed the salesgirl.
Gloria saw Trudy's exasperated face and knew she had secured Robby as a client. She was as shocked as anyone, but she wasn't about to drop her game.
"You didn't know this?" asked Gloria. "I thought everyone knew this."
"Shhh," Trudy said to Gloria as she listened intently.
"Isn't that right, baby?" Robby asked Lisa for confirmation on forty screens.
Many of the stations hung on the two-shot of Lisa and Robby, while others slowly moved in on the young girl, as she seemed to weigh out the consequences of her answer. Finally, she threw her arms around Robby and pronounced her love for him.
"Yes! I love you, Robby! I've always loved you! Won't you at last marry me?" she asked.
Robby never expected this response, but being the consummate actor that he was, he simply went with it.
"Yes, baby," he replied. "As soon as my divorce comes through."
Trudy's jaw dropped down to her navel, and she was simply speechless.
Then Lisa kissed Robby, her underage tongue probing into his mouth, and Trudy just wanted to cry.
Cameron Docks quickly peeled Robby off his daughter and delivered a powerful right hook to Robby's eye that knocked Robby off his feet.
The next day, every newspaper had two pictures on its front page. One was Robby kissing Lisa, and the other was Robby on the ground after Cameron had decked him.
But for the moment, Robby, barely conscious, knew it couldn't have gone any better.
*** Up Next: "All The Pissed Off People" ***
The main characters in this e-novel are fictional and are not intended to portray or resemble any actual individuals, whether living or dead (except for Jeff Abugov who is a real screenwriter, director and producer.) Although certain real people and companies are mentioned in this e-novel, all of the events are fictional and are not intended to portray or resemble any actual events.
Copyright © 2015 Tinseltrash, Inc.