Chapter 13

The next day, my phone got a real workout.

The first call was from Carla, and it came in the middle of the morning. "Hi, Phil," she said when I answered the phone. "Hope I didn't wake you up."

"You didn't," I said. "How are you, Carla?" Something in her tone of voice had sounded a warning note in the back of my mind. She was not calling me with good news.

"I read the play, Phil," Carla said quickly, not bothering with the usual amenities of answering my question about how she was and then asking me how I was. She was getting right to the point.

"What'd you think of it?" I asked.

She didn't even pause. "No good, Phil."

"No good?" My stomach twisted suddenly. "I thought it was a damn good play, Carla."

"Oh, I didn't mean the play was bad," she said hastily. "It had definite possibilities. I mean it was no good for me. I just can't see myself in the part. Phil."

I waited a long moment before answering. "Not for you, huh?"

"I'm sorry, Phil."

"What's there to be sorry about?" T said sarcastically. "All you've done is cost me my job as director of the play."

"Phil! Please ... please don't say that"

"It's the truth, Carla."

"I don't understand you, Phil. What's happened to you? Why are you acting this way?"

"Forget it," I said abruptly.

"No ... I won't forget it. What's gotten into you? When we started this whole business-when I agreed to help you with your scheme and string Jason along there was no question then about my taking the part. Don't you remember, Phil? All you wanted me to do then was to play up to Jason and let him think that I wanted you as the director of the play. You said you'd take it from there. I've done all I can, Phil. I've gone about as far as I can go to help you with your scheme."

She was right, I realized. Our original agreement had not included the possibility that she would do a play for Jason. All I had wanted was enough time to work on Jason and get a contract out of him, and that was where Carla was to come in. She had agreed to string Jason along to give me the extra time I needed. Now, however, I had gotten so wrapped up in my own plans for the future that I had conveniently forgotten our original scheme. Maybe I had not really forgotten it, I thought suddenly. Maybe I had just subconsciously forced it to the back of my mind in the desperate hope that somehow, some way, Carla would be able to do the play.

I had been brought back to earth with a bang now, and the apparent hopelessness of the whole thing hit me so hard that I couldn't think straight.

"Phil?" Carla's worried voice came. "Are you still there?"

"Yes," I said.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes-just thinking."

"I'm sorry, Phil. I wish there was more I could do for you."

Suddenly, my mind cleared. "There is," I said abruptly.

"Tell me what I can do, Phil."

"String Jason along just a little while more."

"How can I do that?"

"You'll have to call him yourself," I said, talking fast. "He won't believe me if I tell it to him myself."

"What do you want me to say to him, Phil?"

"Tell him you like the play but you're undecided. Tell him I've been talking to you on the phone and trying to convince you to do the play. Tell him you'll probably take my advice but that you want some time to think it over and to talk to me some more about it. You know, sort of imply that I'm the only one who can get you to do the play and that you value my advice highly and that your confidence in me as a director is unbounded and-well you know what I mean."

"Yes, Phil. I know."

"Will you do it, Carla?"

The line was silent for a long while. Then she said simply, "Yes, Phil, I'll do it."

I broke into a grin. "I knew you wouldn't let me down, Carla."

"I'll call him this morning," she said.

"You do that, Carla, and that should give me all the leverage I need."

"I hope so," she answered. "I really hope so, Phil. You know, I honestly would like to do a legitimate play. It's something I think I could really put my heart into. I-I'm getting a little tired of Hollywood, Phil. Too much phony glamour and all that sort of thing."

"I know how you feel," I said. "Hollywood has lots of money but not much else to offer. How are things going with you now?"

There was a long pause. "Only fair, Phil. I'm having a bit of trouble."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Nothing I can't handle-I think."

"Care to talk about it?" I asked. "Might help, you know."

I could hear her draw in a deep breath. "Well, this may sound funny to you, but it's not. I've got man trouble."

"Man trouble?"

"Yes. You won't find it in the gossip columns not yet, anyhow-but you remember the producer I'm going around with?"

"I remember him ... and the director, too."

"Well, the producer is getting suspicious. He's a little harder to handle than I figured."

I held back a chuckle. As Carla had said, it sounded funny-but it was a very serious matter to her.

"Anything I can do to help?" I asked.

"Just sympathize with me, Phil. It's something I'll have to work out by myself."

I sighed. "You have to expect something like this when you play the angles like you do, Carla. I'm not trying to criticize you," I added hastily. "You just have to look at these things realistically. At least that's what I've found out myself lately."

"Guess you're right," she answered.

"You'll work it out," I said encouragingly. "Just don't give up."

"I won't, Phil. And thanks for letting me tell you about it. It really helped." She paused. "There's no one out here I can trust enough to tell something like this. You're the only one." She paused again, a little longer this time, then said, "I miss you, Phil. I wish you were here-or that I was there with you."

"When are you planning to come in again?" I asked.

"I don't know. Things are a little hectic with my studio right now."

"Well, you try and get away as soon as you can, will you?"

"You know I will, Phil."

We talked for a few minutes more, and T sensed that Carla was reluctant to hang up, but we soon ran out of things to say to each other. I tried my best to cheer her up, and she once again promised to call Jason and feed him the pitch we had agreed upon. We said good-bye, and I sat for a long while by the phone, thinking things over.

Carla wasn't going to do the play, that much was certain. But I knew she'd keep her word and call Jason, and if he fell for what she told him, then this would give me a little more time in which to land that contract with Jason. The contract was important. It would help me hang on to my job for a little longer at least, and it would serve as a selling point when I finally had to go elsewhere for work as a director.

It all depended on Carla now.

I thought about what she had told me of her troubles with the director and the producer. I didn't like the sound of it. Things could really get rough for Carla if she didn't watch her step.

The phone rang, breaking into my thoughts.

I picked it up and said, "Hello?"

"Hello, Phil," came a low, husky woman's voice.

"Hi, Julie," I said. "I was hoping you'd call soon."

"How've you been, Phil?"

"All right. And yourself?"

"I've-been away for a while."

"I know. I tried to reach you."

"I needed some time to think, Phil."

"Everything okay now?" I asked.

"I guess so."

"Sorry about what happened that morning, Julie," I said quickly, anxious to get my apology over with. "I had the king of all hangovers. It made me say things I really didn't mean."

"Let's forget about it, Phil. I-I'm not mad at you any more. I guess I said some mean things, too."

"We're friends again?" I asked.

"Friends," she repeated.

I smiled to myself. "That's fine, Julie. Did you get the copy of the play?"

"Yes. I read your suggestions very carefully."

"And?"

"I agree with almost all of them, Phil."

"Well," I said cheerfully, "that gets us off to a good start."

I chuckled. "You wouldn't be a real playwright if you didn't. Don't worry about it, Julie. We'll work on the play together and iron everything out."

"I'm ready for work whenever you are, Phil."

"How about this afternoon?"

"That'll be fine," Julie said. "Come on over whenever you're ready-unless you'd rather work somewhere else."

"No, your place will do fine," I said. "I'll be waiting for you, Phil. 'Bye."

"'Bye, Julie."

I hung up the phone and got up and paced around the living room. Things looked a little brighter now that Julie and I had made up our differences. Working on the play was not going to be easy. There was plenty to be done, and there was no guarantee that our revision would be successful. But at least we did have a basically good play to work with.

I lit a cigarette and sat down with a copy of the play and started to read it through again, refreshing my memory of it and the changes I'd suggested.

My third phone call was from Jason.

"I've just spoken to Carla," he said after we had said hello.

"Oh?" I answered, not committing myself one way or the other.

"I gather she already spoke to you about the play," Jason said.

"Yes, she did."

"What'd she tell you?" Jason asked.

I smiled to myself. Jason was playing it cagey, lying to catch me in some sort of lie.

"Well," I said, "Carla's a little undecided about the play right now, but I wouldn't worry about it if I were you."

"You're not me," he said dryly. "You think she'll eventually do the play?"

"I'm very optimistic about that, Jason. This sort of hesitation is not at all unusual on the part of an actress. You see, actors and actresses who are good at their profession-as Carla is-are not necessarily also good as judges of a play's merits. Carla realizes this, and so naturally is not too sure of herself right now."

"I see," Jason said.

"But," I continued, "I'm sure her doubts will all be resolved after I talk to her some more. You know, Jason," I said expansively, "you can't rush an actress like Carla. She has a lot at stake in her career with this play, and so you can expect a snap decision from her."

"A lot is at stake for many people-especially you," Jason said in a flat voice.

"I'll be talking to Carla again soon," I promised him.

His only answer was a brief grunt. "Uh, Jason," I said, "while I have yo'i on the phone, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"It's about Iris."

There was a brief silence, and then he chuckled. "Did you ... audition her, Phil?"

"Yes. She's not a very good actress, Jason."

He chuckled again, and for a moment I couldn't figure it out. Then a growing suspicion began to take hold of me.

"I couldn't recommend that you hire her for the part, Jason," I said firmly, hoping for Iris's sake that my suspicion was unfounded.

It wasn't-as Jason made clear with his next words.

"I never had any intention of hiring her, Phil."

"You didn't?"

"No. I presented her to you as an incentive, a sort of preview of what I could do for you if you continue to work for me."

"I don't understand, Jason," I said. I understood damn well what he meant, but I wanted to hear him put it into words himself.

Once again he chuckled. "It's quite simple, Phil. Little Iris is quite willing to do anything she has to in order to land a part in a play. I found that out for myself, and I told her that if she made a good impression on you, there was a strong chance she'd get the part."

"I see," I said.

"I gather she did try to make an impression on you, huh, Phil?"

"So you're not going to hire her?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"Not at all, Phil."

"Will you tell her that, Jason?"

"Why, certainly, Phil." His voice was oily smooth. "I wouldn't think of asking you to do that. It's a little pleasure that I've reserved for myself. However," he continued in that same smooth voice, "I'm not going to tell her right now-and I don't want you to say anything either, Phil. I figure she's still good for a few more sessions, and I don't want anything to spoil that. You see what I mean?"

"Yes," I said, grating the word out between my teeth.

"I'll tell her when I'm ready, Phil. Meanwhile, who knows, maybe you'll even get another chance at her yourself."

I said nothing.

"I'll get in touch with you again," Jason said abruptly, and he hung up the phone.

I held the phone away from me and looked at it for several seconds, and then slammed it violently into its cradle.

Anger raced through me as I thought of Iris and how Jason was using her. It must have given him a real charge to lead Iris on and let her think that all she had to do was to offer herself to me and that would clinch the part in the play for her. That was how Jason got his kicks-taking advantage of people who needed him because of what he could do for them. Like me.

I was one of those people.

I needed Jason-and I was in too deep to back out now.

All I could do was to bang on and silently hate his guts.