Chapter 45 - Life

Janice Rashbrook was in her office as usual at seven a.m., coffee in hand, paperwork piled and ready to begin going through before the real drama of the day would begin.

She caught up with clients, calling around and pushing them for work on particular shows and films she had been given an early heads-up on. She was even organizing one of her clients’ dating life. The long line of gorgeous women lined up to date the eligible but very closeted and very gay actor made it simple enough, but really Janice was getting a little bored of it.

At least, she thought, today she would finally get Shelly Hamlin back on track. Things were looking up for the actress, and as long as she was mentally well again, Janice had a lot of plans. Two film offers, one of which was definitely Oscar material, had been made, and Janice was keen to get Michelle to agree to it.

Now, as the clock ticked around towards 10 a.m., she closed the diary in front of her and waited. Sitting back into the luxurious chair she had splurged on, she took in a deep breath and let herself rest for a minute before the impending knock on the door.

When it came, dead on the hour, she smiled to herself. Michelle Hamilton, aka Shelly Hamlin, opened the door and walked in looking every inch the movie star she was.

“Morning,” she said brightly, almost skipping across the floor to take the equally luxurious chair opposite Janice. “How are you?”

“I could ask you the same. In fact, I will. You okay?”

Michelle smiled, all teeth and dimples. “Yeah, I’m good. Really good.”

Janice smiled back, and then sat forward in her all-business manner. “Great, because boy, have I got something for you.”

“Okay, but…” Her fingers fiddled nervously with her wedding ring. She’d been all confident and upbeat about this on the way here this morning, but now she was sitting in front of Janice, the bravado had slipped away from her.

Janice cut Michelle off. “Seriously, this is the job offer of the century. I’m talking Oscar potential.” She threw up her hands. “And I mean that, this film is going to be a hit, and it’s going to win awards, and I want you in it.”

“Well, the thing is…”

“Oh no, don’t you go giving me anything about why you can’t do it. This is it, Michelle, this is the one we’ve both been waiting for for you. This will be one of those films that people are still talking about 50 years from now.”

“Yeah, and I get that, it’s just that…I don’t want it.”

Slowly, Janice sat back in her chair and stared across the table incredulously. “You just don’t want it,” she said, each word its own tiny sentence as she punctuated between them. “The job offer of a lifetime, and you, just don’t want it?”

Michelle stood up and paced the room. Eventually stopping to the window, looking out over the parking lot, the huge HOLLYWOOD sign in the distance. Her entire life had been planned to lead to this moment, and here she was saying no to it.

“I just don’t have the hunger for it, Janice. Things have changed, my priorities have changed. I wanna raise my kids, and I don’t want to do it here.”

Janice considered this new information. “Alright, well what does that mean?”

Turning back around, Michelle looked her in the eye. “It means we’re moving to Lake Tahoe, to the cabin.”

Shrugging, Janice stood up and joined her at the window. “So, you commute. Listen, this offer, you can’t let it pass. Shelly, you’ll regret it, I promise you that. They’re filming here and in Oregon, it’s doable.” Janice reached out and wrapped a warm palm around Michelle’s bicep. “Just think about it, okay?”

Michelle nodded slowly, frowning. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”

Janice clapped her hands. “Great, look, take the script, call the director. The part is yours; you just have to say yes.”

Michelle walked towards the door. Before she could turn the handle, Janice added, “And you still need to fulfil your contract to…”

“Yes, I know.” Michelle sighed, shoulders sagging. “I’ll be back on set next week.”

* * *

The flight back was quick. Michelle had started to read through the script and had to admit, it was good. More than that, Janice was right; this was the kind of film that swept the board, and they wanted her for the role of Melanie, a woman who against all the odds, overcomes her situation and takes on an unfair system of corruption within her town. It was based loosely on a true story. It had everything an award-winning film needed.

She flopped down on the couch next to Cam, who was holding a sleeping Noah, while Darcy lay on her back in a bassinet, kicking her feet up at the mobile entertaining her.

“Good day?” Cam asked, moving an arm so that Michelle could snuggle in against her, kissing the top of her head as she did so.

“I guess.”

“That doesn’t sound like it was.”

Sitting up again, Michelle reached for her bag and pulled out the script. “This,” she said, holding it in the air, “is the film of the decade, and they want me to star in it.”

“And you said?”

“I promised Janice that I’d think about it,” she admitted. “And I read it on the flight home. It’s good, Cam. Like really good.”

“Do you want to do it? Have you changed your mind about moving?”

Michelle shook her head, her long mane whipping back and forth. “No, I want to live here, it’s just…my entire life, I’ve dreamt of this moment. This one defining role that would not just elevate me in terms of material things, but really put me on the map as an actress.”

“Okay, let’s say that you said yes, what would be the issues for you?” Cam kissed Noah’s cheek and gently placed him into his bassinet, alongside his sister, before turning to face Michelle, taking her hands in her own. “Let’s talk it through. What would it require of you?”

“I’d be away from you all, for days at a time. It’s being filmed in LA and Oregon.”

Cam pulled out her phone and Googled a few things. “Alright, flight time to both places is around one and half hours, you could commute some days, and we could come and stay for the others. You could be at home with us every night. And it’s going to take time for us to organize moving and getting the academy up and running. This could be a good move for you.”

“Okay, but I’m not sure that I’m up to it. Yesterday I was ready to walk away and forget all about acting.”

“And you can still do that, but what if you went out on a high? What if you did this film, your big swansong, get all those awards, and then retire from it, if you still want to.”

Michelle nodded; Cam made a lot of sense. “It’s asking a lot of you, baby. You’d have to look after these two, and organize the moving, the academy. Everything will be on you. That’s not fair.”

Cam leaned over and kissed her. “I married an actor. Not just any actor, but a fabulous one, and I am all good with dealing with whatever needs doing so that you can do what you love.”

“I don’t know that I do love it anymore, though.”

“Well, this might be a good way to find out, and if you fall back in love with it, and you want to up sticks and move us all again in a year’s time, so be it; that’s what we will do. If you want to commute, then that’s what we will do.”

“What if I decided to keep acting? What would happen with the academy? All the hard work, and money that we’re ploughing into it.”

“Baby, I can employ people. There are a ton of out-of-work performers and teachers looking for a gig like this. It will have your name, and you can pop in and do one-off workshops or something, when you have time. We can make anything work.” She lifted the script and tapped Michelle on the leg with it. “This is doable, if you want it?”

“Did you tell me today how much you love me?” Michelle grinned.

“I did not, how remiss of me. I love you.”

“I love you too.”