Power Play by Deirdre Martin Page A

meet you. You’re a lucky man.”
    â€œDon’t I know it.”
    At Roddy’s command, Eric posed with Monica. He was starting to like posing with her. It was fun.
    â€œWhen is this going to run?” Monica asked Carolyn.
    â€œNext week, hopefully. We might want a longer feature at some point in the future— if you two manage to go the distance.”
    Eric and Monica chuckled in unison, as if Carolyn’s inference that their relationship might be a short-term thing was absurd. It did make Eric think back to their earlier conversation about who should eventually dump whom. He was of the mind now that it should be mutual. That way they’d both save face.
    â€œThanks for your time,” Carolyn sniffed.
    â€œAnytime,” said Monica.
    Eric and she watched her make her way up to the control booth, mild-mannered Roddy in tow.
    â€œWhat a bitch,” Eric murmured under his breath. He wasn’t surprised when Monica looked pleased that he said that.
    Â 
    Back in her dressing room with Eric after the shooting of her scenes were postponed by the delay of Wallace Mendelson, the actor who played Grayson’s father, Monica parsed the interview in her mind. The way Carolyn had commented on what a “good actor” Eric was—obviously she thought their whole relationship was bull. Perhaps she even suspected Monica of trying to counteract Carolyn’s obvious championing of Chesty. Monica decided she’d wait and see how Carolyn’s piece about her and Eric turned out. If it was snotty and full of insinuation that they weren’t the real thing, more drastic action might need to be taken.
    â€œHow did I do?” Eric asked, settling down on the couch.
    â€œOkay,” Monica said flatly.
    â€œJust okay?”
    â€œWhat was that ‘she’s teaching me a lot’ comment? It made me sound like Henry Higgins.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œHenry Higgins? Pygmalion ?”
    Eric shrugged. “Don’t know it.”
    â€œYou don’t know Pygmalion ?”
    Eric looked annoyed. “Should I?”
    Should he? Probably not. He was a jock, not a culture vulture. Though if Chim Chim had starred as Eliza Doolittle, it might be different. Even so, Monica again found herself admiring his lack of pretense. A lot of guys might have said, “Oh, yeah, right. Pygmalion , great play, Henry Higgins, ha-ha-ha.” Not Eric. He seemed perfectly comfortable with who he was.
    â€œI thought I did pretty well,” Eric continued.
    â€œNot to nitpick, but I also could have done without the comment you made about my costar’s acting, too. Carolyn probably thinks it’s a line I fed you.”
    â€œShe can think what she wants,” said Eric. “That new girl blows.”
    â€œI agree.” Monica sighed. “Sorry if I seem pissy. I just find Carolyn really, really annoying.”
    â€œShe doesn’t seem to like you very much.”
    â€œI know, and I don’t know why! I’ve never been anything but gracious to her!”
    â€œJealousy,” Eric declared.
    â€œThat’s very sweet of you.”
    A knock sounded at the door. Gloria, no doubt, come to feast her eyes on Eric. She’d been badgering Monica about him since the dinner at the Temple of Dendur. Had they made the “beast with two backs” yet? Was he wining her, dining her, letting her run her hands up and down his rippling six-pack abs? Monica told her it was a faux relationship, figuring that if anyone would understand, it was Gloria, who’d supposedly once staged her own kidnapping back in her glory days. Gloria didn’t seem to care. As long as Monica was getting some “satisfaction” from the Adonis on skates, that was all that mattered.
    â€œCome in,” Monica called.
    The door swung open. “Hiiiii.”
    Chesty, not Gloria. “Can I come in?” Chessy asked demurely.
    Monica wondered what would happen if she said