idea of an important series. He knew how valuable it was in terms of the numbers of viewers who would see him. It was a point Sabina had only recently acknowledged. But Zack had liked doing TV for years.
Mel handed Zack a script, just as he had Sabina two weeks before, and he felt certain that Zack would be as impressed as they all were. Impressed and excited and anxious to get going on the show.
I'll call you tomorrow, Mel. Zack never fooled around, never played games, never played Hollywood, and Mel had always liked that about him. I have nothing to do tonight, and I'll give it a good read and tell you what I think in the morning.
I appreciate it, Zack. I think you'll like it.
I can't see how I could do otherwise, after all you've said. The two men exchanged a smile and Mel wondered about him, as he had before. Zachary Taylor was a likable man, and someone he would have wanted to be friends with, yet there was always a discreet distance, an invisible wall. He never seemed to get close to anyone, and Mel wondered why. Perhaps he was shy, or just very reserved. It was difficult to believe, given his enormous success. But Mel had no idea who his friends were.
The two men parted company outside, and Zack climbed into a convertible dark blue Corniche that was waiting for him outside. It was a fabulous-looking car, and he looked even more so, in his blazer and open blue shirt driving off toward Bel Air, with a last wave at Mel, as two women pointed and screeched, having recognized him at the wheel. And just wait till next year, ladies, Mel thought to himself with a smile as he got into the 600 and went back to the office.
There was a message waiting for him from Sabina, and he smiled to himself as he looked at it. They had been together almost every night for two weeks and she had awoken a passion in him that he had never known before. They were dining together again that night. And he enjoyed showing her off, although they had decided to cool it. They were staying home for a while. He didn't think it was wise to let on publicly that they were having an affair. It was all right for the producer to take out his big star, but more than that would create problems for her with the rest of the cast when they started shooting.
And he was still at his desk that afternoon, when Sabina answered the intercom in her apartment. The doorman said there was a package for her and only she could sign for it, which she did, with a questioning air, as a man handed her a robin's-eggblue box tied with white satin ribbon. She signed the stub, and closed the door, wondering who it was from, and she saw the lettering TIFFANY as she took the ribbon off. And suddenly she wondered if it was from Mel. She opened the box, and gave a startled gasp as a heavy diamond bracelet emerged. She put it on and it fit perfectly, but it was a remarkable piece of work, and she was so startled she could barely read the card, which said only Welcome to Manhattan.
Chapter 9
Jane Adams felt as though life had ended for her with the last day on the set of Our Secret Sorrows. There seemed to be nothing left to live for anymore, and once the children were back in school, it was so depressing she could hardly stand it. She read novels, lay by the pool, let Jack push her around constantly and make all the unreasonable demands he chose, as he had for twenty years, and she didn't give a damn. About anything. And she refused to read any of the scripts or go to any of the auditions her agent mentioned to her. There was no point. There was nothing available on any current daytime soap, he had checked them all out, and she couldn't do prime time TV, even if she could get a part. There was no way she could keep it from Jack if she did that.
And she was furious when her agent mailed her the script to Manhattan. He sent it right to the house, and Jack could have opened it just as easily as she had.
Do you know what he'd do to me for that, Lou?
What? He really couldn't imagine
Mel handed Zack a script, just as he had Sabina two weeks before, and he felt certain that Zack would be as impressed as they all were. Impressed and excited and anxious to get going on the show.
I'll call you tomorrow, Mel. Zack never fooled around, never played games, never played Hollywood, and Mel had always liked that about him. I have nothing to do tonight, and I'll give it a good read and tell you what I think in the morning.
I appreciate it, Zack. I think you'll like it.
I can't see how I could do otherwise, after all you've said. The two men exchanged a smile and Mel wondered about him, as he had before. Zachary Taylor was a likable man, and someone he would have wanted to be friends with, yet there was always a discreet distance, an invisible wall. He never seemed to get close to anyone, and Mel wondered why. Perhaps he was shy, or just very reserved. It was difficult to believe, given his enormous success. But Mel had no idea who his friends were.
The two men parted company outside, and Zack climbed into a convertible dark blue Corniche that was waiting for him outside. It was a fabulous-looking car, and he looked even more so, in his blazer and open blue shirt driving off toward Bel Air, with a last wave at Mel, as two women pointed and screeched, having recognized him at the wheel. And just wait till next year, ladies, Mel thought to himself with a smile as he got into the 600 and went back to the office.
There was a message waiting for him from Sabina, and he smiled to himself as he looked at it. They had been together almost every night for two weeks and she had awoken a passion in him that he had never known before. They were dining together again that night. And he enjoyed showing her off, although they had decided to cool it. They were staying home for a while. He didn't think it was wise to let on publicly that they were having an affair. It was all right for the producer to take out his big star, but more than that would create problems for her with the rest of the cast when they started shooting.
And he was still at his desk that afternoon, when Sabina answered the intercom in her apartment. The doorman said there was a package for her and only she could sign for it, which she did, with a questioning air, as a man handed her a robin's-eggblue box tied with white satin ribbon. She signed the stub, and closed the door, wondering who it was from, and she saw the lettering TIFFANY as she took the ribbon off. And suddenly she wondered if it was from Mel. She opened the box, and gave a startled gasp as a heavy diamond bracelet emerged. She put it on and it fit perfectly, but it was a remarkable piece of work, and she was so startled she could barely read the card, which said only Welcome to Manhattan.
Chapter 9
Jane Adams felt as though life had ended for her with the last day on the set of Our Secret Sorrows. There seemed to be nothing left to live for anymore, and once the children were back in school, it was so depressing she could hardly stand it. She read novels, lay by the pool, let Jack push her around constantly and make all the unreasonable demands he chose, as he had for twenty years, and she didn't give a damn. About anything. And she refused to read any of the scripts or go to any of the auditions her agent mentioned to her. There was no point. There was nothing available on any current daytime soap, he had checked them all out, and she couldn't do prime time TV, even if she could get a part. There was no way she could keep it from Jack if she did that.
And she was furious when her agent mailed her the script to Manhattan. He sent it right to the house, and Jack could have opened it just as easily as she had.
Do you know what he'd do to me for that, Lou?
What? He really couldn't imagine
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