Dear Friends,
Let’s just bask in the Friday glow, shall we?
*****
Two days after the party in the Hills, Friday’s phone rang. It was Dirk. Matter of factly, he asked if Friday could be in Burbank the next morning to read for a part in Jimmy’s Brain. Friday tried to play it cool, but the idea of possibly working with Aidan Mann was too much for her. After she got all the details, she asked Dirk one final question: Would Mel be there, too?
“Yes, the delicious Mel will be there, too. Vince was quite taken with her,” replied Dirk.
Friday was happy for Mel and even though Vince and Bobby had given her the creeps a bit, she thought they were “safe.” There was something about them, though, that she just couldn’t put her finger on. Vince was always saying, “I bet,” and it had struck Friday as an odd affectation.
When Friday hung up with Vince, she called her mom and shared the good news.
“Maybe you should let me set you up with an agent, dear,” Friday’s mom, Janet, had said.
“I don’t need an agent yet, Mom.”
“You need someone looking out for you.”
“I’ve got you and Daddy and Dirk and Mel and, and, and…” she laughed at the end of this notion. She knew she was frustrating Janet and she kind of liked doing that to her mom.
“If they offer you a contract, don’t sign it without bringing it to me. Okay?”
“Yes, mother. I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you.”
“Love you, too, dear. Break a leg.”
Should she call Mel or just see her there, she wondered. Dirk said they were not up for the same part, so she didn’t see it turning into another jealousy situation. Besides, Friday was pretty sure that Melanie had spent the last couple of nights at Vince’s house. He was all she talked about on their way home after the party.
Friday decided to wait on calling Mel and picked up the TV Guide. Probably a good night to stay home and just relax. It wasn’t an early call, 9AM, but it was early for her.
The next morning, she got into her convertible VW Bug and headed towards Burbank. The car had been a graduation gift from her parents, and she had to admit that she really did love it. When she got to the studio gate, she gave the guard her name and was promptly waved through to soundstage 10.
A man named Bill Bender met her at the soundstage and gave her a few pages of the script to look over. She would be reading with him today, he said, and if all went well, she would read again with Aidan the next week. It was a small part, but an important one. Friday would be playing the nurse Aidan’s character, “Jimmy” would fall in love with during the middle of the film. There was even a funny, but “sexy” scene between them and thought of this made Friday a little weak in the knees.
Luckily, Bender was not the best-looking guy and she quickly put the idea of making out with Aidan Mann onscreen out of her mind as she prepped for her time to shine. Bender had led her to a small office on one end of the soundstage where she read, practiced, and waited.
About 20 minutes later, Bender came and got her.
“How ya feelin, Friday?” he asked.
“I feel great, Mr. Bender.”
“Call me Bill, please.”
“Okay, Bill. What’s your role on this film?”
“I’m assistant to the casting director, Meg Little, and I’m also work for Mr. Trantella, too.”
“What’s it like working for Vince?” Friday asked.
“Vince?” Bender said quickly and he sounded a little surprised.
“Oops. I mean Mr. Trantella. Sorry, Mr. Ben…, I mean, Bill.”
“I’m just joking with you, Friday. We like to joke around here a lot.”
Bender opened a door and led Friday into a room. Sitting behind the table opposite of one chair in the middle of the room was Trantella, Meg Little, and a man Friday didn’t recognize.
“Friday!” said Trantella. “So glad you could make it. I hope the notice wasn’t too short.”
“It’s fine, Mr. Trantella. Thank you so much for inviting me to read.”
“Vince, sweetheart,” said Trantella, twirling his pinky ring again. “Hey Bill, can you get us some coffee? Friday, do you want anything?”
“You got it, Boss,” replied Bender. “Friday? Do you want anything?”
“No thanks, Bill.”
Trantella introduced Friday to Meg Little and to Ron Harold, the director of the film. He explained that they knew it was a pretty cold read, but that Friday should just be herself.
“I met Friday at a party the other night and I knew right away she was our ‘Nurse Joannie,’” said Trantella to Little and Harold.
“Let’s see what you can do, Friday,” said Little. Harold remained still and silent, but his eyes were locked on Friday.
Friday read with Bender and knocked it out of the park. Even the stoic director had to smile and admit that Trantella had been right.
“Do you have an agent, Friday?” asked Little.
“No, I don’t. I just usually have my parents help me out.”
“Are they in the business?”
“Yes. I don’t use my family name. People get nervous when I do,” Friday shared.
At this point, Trantella spoke up.
“Her mom is Janet Ryan…”
Little’s face lit up.
“Your dad is….”
“Yep,” interrupted Trantella. “Freddy Adams is her dad.”
Friday’s face, on the other hand, fell. She didn’t want to ever get a part because of who her parents were. She had too many friends growing up who rode on their parents’ coattails and while the perks were nice, she wanted to make her own way.
“This isn’t why we’re going to offer you the part, sweetheart,” said Trantella. “I knew you were ‘Joannie’ the minute you walked into that party.”
Friday thought his mouth and his eyes were saying too separate things, though. She slowly nodded her head and looked at Harold again. His expression was back to being very difficult to read.
“I look forward to working with you, Mr. Harold,” Friday said, but it was Little who answered him.
“We’ll get the contract ready in the next hour or so, Friday. Do you mind hanging out for a bit longer today? Bill can show you around if you like.”
“I’d like that, Mrs. Little. Thank you.”
“Call me, Meg, please. We’re just a big happy family here. Just look at Ron. Doesn’t he look happy?”
Friday thought that Ron Harold looked like he was anything but happy.
*****
See you tomorrow.
This could happen again this weekend.
Comments