finally. “I’ve never met anyone so totally absorbed in what he was doing. He seemed to have this vision of what a scene should look like on screen, how it should be played. More important, he knew how to communicate thatvision to those around him. I think everyone on the picture was really psyched about working with him.”
“Had all of them worked with him before?”
“I think most of the crew had. I’m not so sure about the actors. I know this was the first time he’d worked with Duke Lane. Laura had insisted on casting him, and Greg respected her judgment when it came to box-office decisions.”
“Why was she so anxious to get this Lane in the picture? Isn’t he one of those hunk-of-the-month types?”
“Pretty much,” Molly agreed. “But unlike some of the others, he can act. That was critical to Greg. He would never have agreed otherwise, I’m sure.”
“Was this Laura more interested in his acting or his body?”
“Duke and Laura?” She tried to envision it and shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Okay, what about the others? Was Veronica someone Greg had used in other movies?”
“No, and that’s what was so odd about him choosing her for this role. No one, from Laura to Hank to the production assistant, thought he should take a chance on her.”
“Why? She has an incredible track record.”
“Had an incredible track record,” Molly corrected. “Her last couple of films were disasters, primarily because of her drinking. Supposedly she’s gotten herself straightened out, but until Greg came along no one wanted to risk another overbudget debacle. She delayed her last film by nearly a month while she sobered up enough to shoot the final scenes.”
Michael regarded her doubtfully. “Wasn’t that vodka she was swilling down like water last night?”
“It was.”
“Looks to me like she not only fell off the wagon, but is headed for a crash landing.”
“I know. I don’t think she was drinking when production started, though. In fact, I’d swear she was stone-cold sober every time I was on the set.”
“When did that start to change?”
Molly thought back to the first time she realized Veronica had started substituting vodka for her bottled mineral water. “A week ago, maybe less.”
“When did the fights with Kinsey start? About the same time?”
“Oh, no. She and Greg started battling on the first day of production. I’ve never seen two people go at it the way they have, especially two people with no past history.”
“You’re sure there’s no past history there?”
“Not according to anyone I’ve talked to, and that includes Greg and Veronica. The tension on the set was beginning to take its toll. Yesterday, between that and the heat, everyone was snapping.”
“What were the fights about?”
“The script and Duke Lane. Veronica wasn’t wild about either one of them, and she was not shy about expressing her opinion. The writer, a newcomer named Jonathan Fine, has hidden out in his hotel room since the first day of production. She humiliated him in front of everyone. Greg had to talk him into staying around to make any script changes he needed.”
“And Duke?”
“Duke steered clear of the set whenever he could. I have to give him credit. He never let her attitude get to him, at least not in public.” She looked up just then and caught sight of the actor waiting for a table. “Speak of the devil.”
Michael followed her gaze. With his eyes hidden by sunglasses, Molly couldn’t see his reaction, but his surprised tone said it all. “That’s Lane?”
“Yes.”
“I thought he’d be …” Apparently words failed him.
“Taller? Sexier?”
“More imposing,” Michael countered, which was a nice way of saying that Duke Lane wasn’t exactly ready to do health club ads. Molly had had the same initial reaction. On-screen he had a larger-than-life presence. In person, with his slight frame and five-feet-seven-inch height, he was unimpressive,
“Had all of them worked with him before?”
“I think most of the crew had. I’m not so sure about the actors. I know this was the first time he’d worked with Duke Lane. Laura had insisted on casting him, and Greg respected her judgment when it came to box-office decisions.”
“Why was she so anxious to get this Lane in the picture? Isn’t he one of those hunk-of-the-month types?”
“Pretty much,” Molly agreed. “But unlike some of the others, he can act. That was critical to Greg. He would never have agreed otherwise, I’m sure.”
“Was this Laura more interested in his acting or his body?”
“Duke and Laura?” She tried to envision it and shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Okay, what about the others? Was Veronica someone Greg had used in other movies?”
“No, and that’s what was so odd about him choosing her for this role. No one, from Laura to Hank to the production assistant, thought he should take a chance on her.”
“Why? She has an incredible track record.”
“Had an incredible track record,” Molly corrected. “Her last couple of films were disasters, primarily because of her drinking. Supposedly she’s gotten herself straightened out, but until Greg came along no one wanted to risk another overbudget debacle. She delayed her last film by nearly a month while she sobered up enough to shoot the final scenes.”
Michael regarded her doubtfully. “Wasn’t that vodka she was swilling down like water last night?”
“It was.”
“Looks to me like she not only fell off the wagon, but is headed for a crash landing.”
“I know. I don’t think she was drinking when production started, though. In fact, I’d swear she was stone-cold sober every time I was on the set.”
“When did that start to change?”
Molly thought back to the first time she realized Veronica had started substituting vodka for her bottled mineral water. “A week ago, maybe less.”
“When did the fights with Kinsey start? About the same time?”
“Oh, no. She and Greg started battling on the first day of production. I’ve never seen two people go at it the way they have, especially two people with no past history.”
“You’re sure there’s no past history there?”
“Not according to anyone I’ve talked to, and that includes Greg and Veronica. The tension on the set was beginning to take its toll. Yesterday, between that and the heat, everyone was snapping.”
“What were the fights about?”
“The script and Duke Lane. Veronica wasn’t wild about either one of them, and she was not shy about expressing her opinion. The writer, a newcomer named Jonathan Fine, has hidden out in his hotel room since the first day of production. She humiliated him in front of everyone. Greg had to talk him into staying around to make any script changes he needed.”
“And Duke?”
“Duke steered clear of the set whenever he could. I have to give him credit. He never let her attitude get to him, at least not in public.” She looked up just then and caught sight of the actor waiting for a table. “Speak of the devil.”
Michael followed her gaze. With his eyes hidden by sunglasses, Molly couldn’t see his reaction, but his surprised tone said it all. “That’s Lane?”
“Yes.”
“I thought he’d be …” Apparently words failed him.
“Taller? Sexier?”
“More imposing,” Michael countered, which was a nice way of saying that Duke Lane wasn’t exactly ready to do health club ads. Molly had had the same initial reaction. On-screen he had a larger-than-life presence. In person, with his slight frame and five-feet-seven-inch height, he was unimpressive,
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