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Rise of Roxy Ch. 01

By: EgmontGrigor2011



Roxy (Roxanne) Reeves had prominent breasts and a great butt.

Guys would look at the curvature of her backside and they would think of only one thing. Females would look at it and only think of one thing too, and that was oh to have an ass that looked like that.

Everyone in the general office of Baxley Walton LLP, Attorneys at Law, had some kind of definitive title but all HR could come up with for Roxy was 'office assistant' without that being defined. 

It was discovered Roxy could type with only two fingers, was confused by computers, had asked for an easier question when invited to describe the difference between an invoice and a statement and she admitted possessing no skills at sorting mail because no one had ever written to her.

Roxy was employed because no one in HR had the courage to tell Tom Baxley his niece was a bimbo unsuitable for office employment.

The only spare desk was behind the three receptionists. Roxy sat there and, having no duties to perform, spent her time working on her nails, brushing her lush chestnut hair and adjusting her bra or reading play scripts or light romances. 

It became quite common for men approaching reception to notice Roxy adjusting her bra or stockings and their memory recall would fail when asked by a receptionist how could she assist.

Roxy liked her job. The money was good, she could handle everything she was asked to do such as making coffee and showing visitors to the toilets and after patient tutoring she learned to place invoices in piles the right way up and sorted according to date. She also learned to act as relief receptionist between 1:00 and 2:00 when all she had to say to callers was sorry the office was closed for lunch but she could show them where the toilets were.

Young women like Roxy dream of getting their big break. One would have thought that Roxy would never be in line for anything but then who knows what fate can bring.

The rude, foul-mouthed and generally detestable Gerry Truman, the most unpopular attorney in the office, could be heard yelling in the office of HR manager Thelma Whitlock why the fucking hell couldn't she supply him with a temporary PA while a suitable replacement was being head-hunted?

Mrs Whitlock could have yelled because no one wanted to work for such an asshole but instead she yelled, "Then go and pick one of the receptionists."

When hearing that comment the three receptionists raced off to the toilets. Jerry came out, saw that Roxy was alone in reception. He looked at her tits and grinned and said, "Follow me darling... grab your possessions."

Jerry held the elevator for Roxy who was racing as fast as she could on her high heels and carrying her handbag and a bag holding her office-issue items.

Eyeing the breast wobble, Jerry said, "Here we go Roxy. You are very attractive."

"Why thank you Mr Truman. You appear very nice. Why is it that people in the general office call you obnoxious?"

Jerry had to think about that one before saying, "A case of mistaken identity perhaps?"

When they reached his office five floors up, Roxy put down her bags and said, "Mr Truman, please turn around to me. Here let me fix your tie; it's crooked God you pong of cigars; don't you use clothing and breathe fresheners? I don't mind cigar smoke but not the stale smell of cigars."

"My wife was forever complaining," Jerry said. "We are presently separated."

"I wonder why?" Roxy muttered.

"I've heard it said you are not too bright," Jerry countered.

"I could say the same for you," Roxy said. "Would you rather I return to main reception?"

Jerry looked at her breasts and said hell no. He briefed her, saying he'd keep it simple. All Roxy had to do was make coffee for Jerry and whoever was in his office at the time and then clear away, to keep anyone from entering his office when he was with clients and to open Jerry's mail and take phone calls.

A stream of people came to see Jerry throughout the day and most left saying to Roxy, "Great coffee Miss."

The 26-year old went into Jerry's office at the end of the working day to find he wasn't there but she noticed the door to his toilet was slightly ajar. 

"Are you okay Mr Truman?"

"God is that you Roxy don't come in," he called with the edge of desperation a guy's voice sounds like when he's near to ejaculation.

Roxy was dumb enough to ignore the request and opened the door to find Jerry was on the John with one leg resting on the vanity.

He was jerking off.

"Here you have no need to do that when I'm around," Roxy said sweetly, ignoring Jerry's embarrassed and darkening look. 

Roxy dropped to her knees, pushed his hand aside and took Jerry's thick 7-inch overly-red erection into her mouth and reached down into her bra. She pulled out a boob and found Jerry's hand and placed it on the warm flesh with its stiffening nipple.

"Oh Jesus," bleated Jerry, sending stream after stream of warm semen down Roxy's gullet.

Semen arriving faster than she could swallow flowed down Roxy's chin and disappeared under the scooped neckline of her dress and she just smiled as her spluttering stopped.

"Oh Roxy, I am so sorry, so dreadfully sorry. I've had such trouble getting off lately because of marital pressure I had no idea the scraping effect of your buck-teeth could get me off so quickly."

"It's okay Mr Truman. Here allow me to towel you dry. You have a very impressive erection. I bet your wife is missing getting that missile up her."

"Er yes. Um are you sexually active?"

"I'd like to be but in coming to this city I've separated from my regular supply of horny guys and so am running on empty at the moment."

"Um Roxy..."

"Yes you are welcome to fuck me Mr Truman. Actually I'd really appreciate it. I find it disconcerting not having frequent sex."

He leered and said she was a real gem and invited her to call him Jerry. He asked would she like to move in with him, adding that he was rattling around it bored with his own company at the moment.

"That sounds lovely but be warned, I can't cook although I can do boiled eggs and heat up beans in tins."

"That's fine, we can eat out. Where do you live now?" asked the 48-year old, expecting her to say at a rooming house.

"I live with your business partner Tom Baxley and his wife who is my aunt."

Jerry looked stunned but then looked relieved when Roxy said it wasn't Uncle Tom's business to know who she lived with.

"Why don't you just lie when you shift in with me and say you'll be rooming with a couple of lovely young women you have met?"

"Oh that's a great idea. Trust an attorney to come up with something sly like that."

Jerry smiled, enjoying a woman who could speak to him candidly. 

His phone went and he pulled it off his belt of his pants that were still around his ankles.

"Oh hi Tom," he said guiltily and Roxy smiled and that gave him confidence.

She couldn't hear what her uncle was saying and all Jerry said was yes three times, oh really once and very well once and the conversation ended.

"Do you have a passport?"

"Yes, I go to Italy to visit my sister who lives there and is married to an Italian."

"Well be prepared to leave for a law conference in Sydney, Australia, in ten days. The management committee has voted that I should be the person to go and your uncle just told me I better take my PA because none of the paralegal staff wish to accompany me."

"Why have you been chosen to go to Australia if you are so unpopular?"

"The other partners will hang out to attend conferences in Europe and I'm not popular with the paralegals."

"What because you smell of sexy cigars and have wandering hands?"

Jerry smiled and said she was smarter than she looked and Roxy accepted that as a compliment.

Jerry drove Roxy home, stopping the Mercedes just beyond Tom's home so they didn't recognize his jade green metallic coupe and he then drove off. She told her aunt and uncle she was shifting out immediately as she'd found two reliable roommates to share with. Her aunt and uncle made noises about not wanting her to leave but she thought they looked relieved.

Her aunt said in surprise, "You mean you are going now?"

"Yes, the new month for rent starts today and is collected later tonight."

"Give your niece money towards her first month of living independently Tom. How much do you need darling?"

"Oh five hundred would be really appreciated," Roxy said, giving her pained looking uncle a dazzling smile.

Roxy went by cab to Jerry's apartment and thought her aunt and uncle were very remiss not asked her questions about her room mates and not asking for the address. Roxy had never been trained to think deeply, her natural approach was to take most things lightly and whenever there was a problem she preferred to cut and run. But riding in the cab she knew she was heading into unknown territory and gave it some thought.

She'd never lived with a guy but had thought one day that event would come. But was she committing to a big mistake? The guy was almost twice her age, married and big cheese in the law firm where she worked. There was potential, real potential, for everything to come unstuck for her. Jerry could quickly tired of her because she was not very good at proceeding past small talk, her supervisor at work could find out about her liaison and report it and she'd be fired and Uncle Tom could be disgusted with her and would tell her to fuck off or whatever term he'd chose to use but it would mean the same thing.

She sighed but decided to press on. She'd already decided to take the chance because she was keen to have a guy show sexual interest in her. Anyway people were always saying sometimes it paid to take a big chance because chances were few and far between. Yeah that was right. She had to take her chances as they came.

The doorman asked Roxy for her name and she said Roxy.

He smiled and said yes Mr Truman had said she would call herself Roxy rather than Miss Reeves. Roxy didn't blink because she was used to people implying she was dumb but then the doorman said something that made her smile.

"You know Roxy, if you stay in this dull tomb your influence will be like a bright light. The elevators are over there. Press 321 on the pad when the elevator stops and that will alert Mr Truman."

She picked up her two bags and said, "What's your name."

"Morrison."

"No your first name silly."

He smiled and said Arnold but his buddies call him Arnie.

"Well you have a nice night and get home to your family in a good mood Arnie."

"Oh thanks Roxy. Here please allow me to carry your bags to the elevator."

Roxy pressed 123 on the pad and nothing happened. She mumbled "Silly me" and pressed 321 and after a 10-second delay a voice from the speaker said, "Welcome to our little love nest Roxy. Turn left and take the third door on your right. The door will be ajar."

She hurried to the first open door she saw, not wishing to be seen and have the neighbors thinking that perhaps Mr Truman had called in a hooker.

Roxy entered, closed the door and looked at Jerry, scarcely recognized him. He was wearing a black polo and slim-cut brown trousers and a pair of ancient loafers instead of a dark suit, striped shirt and clashing striped tie. She really must do something about his clothing if she were to live with him.

"Hi," she said. "It's good to see you looking homely."

"I er Roxy."

"Yes?"

"Um I've been thinking..."

He stopped and she took over.

"You now think this might be a bad idea?"

He smiled gratefully and said yes.

"Well let's fuck and then I'll go."

He licked his lips but then frowned and said he really didn't think..."

"Shut up Jerry. Be a man. When hot pussy presents, go for it."

Jerry looked dazed.

Roxy dropped her bags and went forward and began pulling up his polo to remove it but he resisted.

She reached down and cupped his cock and balls.

He froze.

"Come on Jerry, get it up hard for me. This is why I'm here isn't it?"

"Is it?"

She sighed and said lightly, "Come of Jerry, forget about your whore of a wife and enjoy a good fuck."

"Whore?"

"That's what I heard in the Ladies. Two office seniors were discussing your marital separation and one said you caught your wife and your best buddy fucking on the lounge carpet."

"She said that? But no one else but me, my wife and her slime ball were there when I caught them at it."

"Well obviously one of you talked about it."

As Roxy dropped to her knees and unzipped him and dug out his limp cock, Jerry wailed, "Jesus is nothing sacrosanct?"

"I have no idea," Roxy said, licking the fat head and assuming he was talking about his marital privacy becoming public knowledge. She knew if she wished to understand what he was talking about she'd have to look up that word sackra-something but she didn't know how to spell it.

Stymied.

No. 

Jerry's dick thickened in her hand and he brushed her chestnut fringe away from her eyes.

"Hmmm."

He looked back down and saw her pale green eyes staring up at him and then she deliberately scraped her buckteeth along half the length of his growing erection. When the teeth collided with the rim of the helmet he jerked and groaned and his cock went rigid as if reinforced with titanium rods.

"Omigod Roxy," he panted. "Scrape my dick like that again."

"Omigod Jerry," Roxy said in awe, pulling away and eyeing his er manhood. "This cock is a real honey."

Poor Jerry. He whimpered a warning that was too late and blew, all over Roxy's face.

He looked devastated but Roxy just smiled, wiped semen out of one of her eyes with the hem of his polo shirt and squeezing his balls lightly, resumed giving the best fellatio Jerry could ever remember receiving.

She read the signs and stopped just short of triggering his ejaculation.

"To the bed," Jerry commanded, unbuckling and as he strode off.

"What the marital bed?" she asked, hurrying after him.

"Yes," he roared. "That's where that whore fucked my treacherous pal."

According to rumor that crime took place on the carpet.

"But other times they would have fucked on the bed. Oh good, what have I done by                                                        kicking her out and into the clutches of or despicable fornicator. 

Roxy cooed. "After I finish you on that bed this evening you will no longer have a hang-up over throwing out that whore."

"God you are tough," he said, almost tripping in his haste to remove his trousers.

"And you need to toughened up and not bully other people."

"What?"

"You heard. Now lick my pussy and go easy around my clit."

Later when Roxy returned from the shower feeling refreshed and sexually satisfied, she demanded, "Well?"

"I want you to stay. Please live with me darling Roxy."

"Oh of course. You are such a polite boy. I've left the shower running for you. Off you go and we'll go out for dinner. You can walk I assume?"

"Yeah... I've rested sufficiently. Gee you're a real goer in bed Roxy."

She smiled and said well wasn't that the purpose in life for women?

He went off chucking and she heard him singing in the shower, exhibiting quite a good voice. She reasoned it would have been a long time since he last sang because bad singers don't sing often.

In the elevator the adulterer said to his hooker, "You are a real tonic to me Roxy. I couldn't believe it when in the shower I began singing. It's a long, long time since I last sang in the shower. You know this is beginning to feel like my rebirth."

Delighted Roxy pulled out a tit for him.

"Roxy, security cameras," he choked, looking up near the top of the elevator car.

"So what? Suck my nipple and give the people who might look at the recording of what's going on in this elevator a good opportunity to masturbate."

"God Roxy, you're incorrigible," he said.

Roxy smiled, knowing what that word meant. Her mother used to whine using that word when attempting to censure Roxy for having Ruby, Roxy's best girlfriend, in the bedroom with the door locked and Roxy would argue what they did wasn't so wrong.

The doorman opened the main door for them, standing at attention.

"Thanks Morrison."

"Thanks Arnie. Take flowers home tonight and you might get lucky."

He grinned.

As they walked off Roxy sighed when Jerry asked, "Who's Arnie?"

* * *

Sophie Scott, director of HR for the practice of 48 attorneys and 31 support staff, many of them paralegals, went to the office of the partnership's co-founder Tom Baxley, chairman of the executive management team.

"I have a busy meeting Sophie, this better be important."

"You be the judge of that," she said softly. "Jerry Truman has requisitioned Admin for air travel and a hotel suite for two to attend a law conference in Sydney."

"Yes of course, the professional committee decided that and I approved it."

Sophie said flatly, "The name of his support person is Roxy Reeves."

Tom's head jerked up and he said, "What the hell? The only Roxy Reeves we have working here is my niece who is the lowest form of clerk in the main office."

"Yes Tom. Moreover I arrived at work half an hour ago to find an email from Jerry canceling his demand for us to find him a suitable replacement merit and he's requested that Roxy Reeves be appointed his PA."

"But Roxy is clueless. She probably doesn't know what a PA is?"

"I thought it imperative to pass on this information Tom."

Tom snorted, "Damn right Sophie, damn right. How the hell could this happen?"

"I gave that some thought Tom and the only thing I came up with was possible sexual attraction."

"But Jerry is almost old enough to be Roxy's father."

"In my experience, age is not a consideration for some men when it comes to sex."

Tom snapped he was not that so well-informed about in-the-trough liaisons.

"What the hell should I do about this?"

Sophie asked could she speak frankly and was told of course, she was the expert in human resources and work relationships.

"You'll be familiar with the phrase let sleeping dogs lie?"

"Oh Jesus Sophie, I expected something better than that from you."

"The absentee co-founder of this firm three marriages ago was Mrs Thelma Truman, Tom's mother, and if Tom complains to her he'd been unreasonably treated here, his mother will arrive breathing brimstone because of her huge guilt in dumping Jerry's father when the boy was an impressionable 12-year old and his test pilot father was his hero but then the hero jumped off a bridge and..."

"Yes yes, and the poor guy landed head-first on the deck of a tugboat. He was my pal as well you know. Fuck me, this is such a mess."

"Tom I know you are stressed but..."

"But what?"

"You just used the F-word."

Tom apologized and received a warm smile along with the thank you.

"We go back a long way Tom. I'd forgive you for anything."

Tom nodded and said, "Your best advice is for me to ignore this and just let it run and hope that not too many people realize Roxy is my niece and that I asked you to hire her."

"I'm not sure that anyone knows you asked me to do that. I certainly haven't mentioned it to anyone. Yes let sleeping dogs lie. Life can be such a bitch at times Tom and we both know it," Sophie said, leaving the office.

Tom sat, a hand on his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. He thought back long ago when Sophie was his PA and when away with him at meetings and conventions gave him the best sex of his life. His headache receded when he remembered the oft-quoted management advice, 'Never hire a relative'. Well he'd been thoroughly seduced by Roxy's over-sexed mother a few times many years ago.

A few minutes later Sophie called and suggested Tom check out the in-house electronic Noticeboard.

Tom sighed. Some smart-ass tart had uploaded a piece headed 'Jerry Truman's new PA. Way to go Jerry, you're not getting any younger'.


Rise of Roxy Ch. 01



Below that was a low-quality telephone photo of Roxy. 

Sighing, Tom resisted the temptation to get the IT manager to identify who accessed 'Noticeboard' to post such a bad-taste notice. He'd been advised to let sleep sleeping dogs lie. By now Jerry Truman's massive indiscretion would be common knowledge in every department. Little wonder no one liked Jerry. He had no taste.

Partner Ian Thomas called Tom.

"Good morning Ian."

That friendly greeting was ignored by the chairman of the appointments committee.

"Who the hell approved the appointment of that dumb blonde from reception as Jerry's PA?"

"It certainly wasn't me Ian and I think she'd a redhead."

"Well what am I to do about it?"

"Ask Jerry for an explanation."

"Christ Tom that guy could take a swing at me."

"Then apart from emailing Sophie your approval and request the girl be graded at the lowest level of PAs and she be given accelerated training, I suggest you forget this has ever happened. If Jerry complains to his mother you are picking on him, guess what?"

"Oh crap."

"Yeah in my view we should let sleeping dogs lie."

"Tom I'm sorry but that's far too sloppy. I can't allow this to proceed."

"I'll support you to the hilt for doing your job Ian but know you can easily handle Jerry. He'll probably telegraph his big ham fist as a right hook to the chin. Block that with your left or is it your right and sink one into Jerry's belly. Just jump out of the way as he falls because he's six inches taller than you are Jerry and at least fifty pounds heavier."

Tom heard Ian swallow and cut the call. Tom immediately sent an email to Ian: 'I support you 100% on whatever you decide'.

Someone knocked and entered.

"Oh hi Lucille. Is it coffee time all ready?"

"No Tom but I'll fetch coffee if you want it."

"No it's fine. I guess with you being senior PA you have concerns about Miss Reeve's elevation?"

"Yes and as you know there is quite a professional fellowship amongst the PAs and we are well aware of the competiveness of rankings and I have particular concerns about short-comings in the performance of duties of PAs."

"Yes I'm aware of that Lucille and I know other PA's acknowledge you as their senior. I must say although the appointments committee is responsible for making appointments, the fact is partners are free to appoint whosoever they wish as their PA."

"Oh I wasn't aware of that. I suppose in that case the committee just rubber-stamps such appointments."

"Yes it would appear that way. I was only reminded about that by Ian earlier this morning. Perhaps you could quietly notify other PAs about that and also you might mention Jerry is Mrs McLeod-Walton's son and only child to her first marriage."

"Omigod I'd quite forgotten that link. How many times has Mrs Walton married?"

"Three or four times and each time she appears to become wealthier although that piece of information is for your ears only."

"And so Tom are you happy about this promotion?"

"No and it's a bit of a problem for me really. The girl is, well to put it politely, a little empty-headed but I'm assured she is really quite smart and can set goals. My problem is to ensure she gets up to speed."

"Tom I'm sure I can get my team of PAs to rally around and help this poor girl Roxy. Jerry must have had a rush of blood to have hired her. What could his motivation be?"

"I would think sex. He and his wife have separated but don't quote me on that because I don't really know. Perhaps if you ask Jerry might tell you?"

"Oh god no, I don't go near him. Tom what can he see in her... he's almost twice her age."

"Pussy I should think."

"God just like you," Lucille said softly, cupping her left breast and eyeing Tom. "I'm so looking forward to Copenhagen."

"Me too," Tom said.

Lucille said thoughtfully, "Look I was told Roxy cannot even type. I suggest HR gives her direct access to an assistant."

"That's a great idea. I'll call Sophie about that right now. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

"No that's it. And thanks for being so understanding Tom."

Tom was relieved it was all over, that now he could return to far more pressing but less disruptive matters.

* * *

Jerry waited all morning for the shit to hit the fan. But nothing had happened apart from that catty posting on the internal password protected website.

At 11:30 he called in Roxy and said, "Would you like to fuck?"

"Yeah sure, over the desk?"

"Yeah great idea. I think you are correct, I look better wearing a plain shirt and highly colored tie with this dark suit and feel better."

"Feel like what?"

"I feel more sophisticated."

"Oh that was bound to happen with your association with me," Roxy said perkily, locking the door. "Do you want my tits out?"

"Oooh yes please."

She dropped her dress, kicked out her shoes and removed her bra and panties, leaving on her sexy thigh-high stockings.

Jerry gulped, said she looked so desirable and pulled out his dick.

"Remove your dark pants. You won't want them stained with semen and wet with pussy juice."

He gloated and removed his pants, saying, "You think of everything. Do I need a condom?"

"Yes until you have been tested and then promise if there's anyone else you'll wear a condom."

"Right get me an appointment."

She smiled and said she'd make that early evening with a clinic because he should not allow routine matters to interfere with his earning capacity.

"I like the way you think but as a senior partner I'm on a salary and bonus."

"Well Jerry I still think during work hours you ought to be switched entirely on to work apart from late morning sex when like this morning we awoke too late for pre-breakfast sex."

"Yes you are so right. Up on to the desk darling."

Someone knocked on the door.

"Fuck off, I'm busy," Jerry yelled and that earned him a short lecturer from his PA.

Jerry still couldn't believe how tight, pliant and, yes, how juicy Roxy's pussy was. In comparison, his wife Allyson's cunt appeared big enough to take a train.

He emptied into the condom and pulled it off and handed it to Roxy to dump.

Roxy thought he really was such a pig but she could change that. She had to be patient and careful because he represented her big opportunity. She used the bathroom first and then went out to her desk and found a woman sitting in Roxy's chair.

"Oh hi Roxy, I'm Lucille Hermann, senior PA. I was looking for you."

"Hi Mrs Hermann, I'd seen your name on the personal list. You are Mr Baxley's PA."

"Yes dear but please call me Lucille, you are a PA now," Lucille said, relieved that it appeared Roxy could read and could remember some things.

"Am I really?"

"Are you what?"

"A PA. I mean I've not been trained for the role."

"No dear but Mr Truman things you are suitable for the role."

Roxy whispered, "This is in confidence Lucille, but Jerry has another use for me."

"Yes I know," the much older woman said, already being charmed by the openness of Roxy, her great looks and winning smile. But I would suggest you keep the noise of your heavy panting and cries of 'harder, harder' down when you're having office sex."

"You heard although the door was shut?"

"Yes Roxy, you were so loud."

"Oh Mrs Hermann, I do apologize. It must have deeply embarrassed you hearing the sounds of sex at your...oh god."

"At my age? I suspect I might surprise you darling but enough of this. Just remember to keep a little quieter. I did try to door and noted you had the good sense to lock it. Always remember to do that. Now about your training... look shall we go to lunch?"  

* * *

The trip to Australia was a great experience for Roxy as she'd never met so many people in such a relaxed mood. She thought the delegates would be weighed down with work and attending seminars and training sessions but no, they sat around listening to people speak and having long lunches and short afternoon sessions to then either visit a bar or go to sleep to get up to something naughty (or so she heard). She involved herself in the 'accompanying persons program' and did a number of interesting things in groups, mostly females. 

Roxy had all the sex she could comfortably handle and returned home tired and wasn't at all surprised when Jerry told her on the cab ride from the airport that he was thinking of getting back with his wife, that by now Allyson would have learned her lesson and probably her lover was ready to dump her if he hadn't done that already.

Well Roxy had felt Jerry was losing interest in her. He now conformed that, bleating all the sex was becoming a bit much for him.

"Okay that's fine with me. Please find me a good position somewhere and I'll go quietly."

"Me find you someone to hire you?" he said indignantly.

"Surely that's not asking too much of you after me giving you my all including my butt?"

"Shhhh, lower you voice."

"I'll resign in the morning is you wish."

Jerry rubbed his chin and asked when Roxy would vacate the apartment.

"I'll find temporary accommodation tomorrow and will move out anytime soon."

"Providing I find you a job?"

"I wouldn't put it that way but believe we have great understanding," she said sweetly.

"God Roxy, even without brains you can cut a good deal."

"Jerry that's rude. You certainly sound tired of me."

He ignored that and yawned.

They slept separately that night and in the morning she resigned.

Sophie the director of HR called a few minutes later and, sounding very relieved, asked Roxy when she would like to leave.

"In an hour's time?"

"Yes I can arrange that for you. Is everything okay?"

"Yes Mrs Scott. I have tired Jerry out and now I believe he's tired of me. It's time I moved on."

"You are a very smart young woman Roxy. Use it well and you'll go far. Do you have other work in mind?"

"No but I've asked Jerry to find me something."

"Oh and does that mean your parting is amicable?"

"Yes and very much so. He's thinking of inviting his wife back home."

"My goodness, he told you that. Do you think Jerry will find you a job?"

"I don't have to answer that do I?"

Sophie laughed and said of course not. 

"You have great instinct Roxy. Listen if you wish I could call my father to see if he can place you somewhere?"

"Yes sure providing it's not a call-girl service."

""Roxy, he's my father."

"Oh sorry Mrs Scott."

"That's okay. He's president of the Chamber of Commerce."

"Oh could he give me the job of events manager?"

"Have you had training and experience as an events organizer?"

"No."

"Then should I try him for events assistant manager?"

"Yes that would be great but don't worry if he says no. I'm used to saying yes to men and hearing them say no when I want something."

"God Roxy you are a joy to listen to. I wish I had spent time with you."

"Well thanks for being so kind and enjoy your life Mrs Scott."

"Roxy, where will you go?"

"I have no idea. You know I have this optimism that something will pop up and you know what, usually it does."

"Roxy please come to my office in an hour."

That evening Roxy left a note for Jerry saying goodbye and she hoped he could get his life together again and to begin doing that he must train himself to be really nice to other people. She thanked him for having faith in her and responding to her in such a lovely way when he knew she was a bimbo.

"Oh god, I knew one day I'd call myself a bimbo, Roxy wept, looking around the apartment for the last time.

She went by cab to the home of Sophie and Robert Scott. Sophie had told Roxy said Chamber of Commerce administration only hired people with college degrees. Roxy smiled at hearing that but her sigh cut into Sophie who said impulsively Roxy must come and stay at her home for a while and her husband, once he got to know Roxy, might see potential in her and hire her.

There had been elements of roller-coaster in that conversation in Sophie's office. Sophie recalled it smiling.

Roxy had asked, "Do you really mean you want me to get to know your husband carnally?"

Sophie's mouth dropped open and Roxy said hastily, "No of course you didn't mean to that extent. You mean to charm him a little. Um I promise never to allow him to get his hands on me."

"Thanks darling," Sophie said, smiling at the woman thirty years her junior. "I'm not sure of what it is Roxy. A big part of my degree was in psychology and all I can say is you have it."

"Are you talking about natural appeal?"

"It's something more than that. I could add good timing, good instinct and you appear to invoke trust and support."

"I loved acting and was involved in it all through school. I've often thought I'd like to be the weather lady on TV."

Sophie looked at Roxy strangely. "I hadn't told you Robert is an executive in the company that runs Channel 8 had I?"

"No and you would have remembered if you had because you only mentioned your husband to me minutes ago."

Sophie asked as if she already knew that answer, "And who told you my Robert worked in TV?"

"No one. I've never heard anyone speak about your or your husband."

"Then there's no way you could have known. It's as if this is meant to happen. Listen dear, we'll talk about this later. I'm thinking on Sunday night if we are together watching the relief weather presenter on TV, I'll say to Robert gosh she is not very good, Roxy here could leave her for dead."

"And what would Mr Scott say?"

"I have no idea but there's a chance it could trigger him. Well here's my home address. I suggest you arrive soon after 6:00 when I'll be home and showered and ready to settle you in. Robert arrives home about 6:30. Our two kids live away from home."

The house was modern and no more than three miles from Downtown. Mrs Scott, looking unglamorous but homely with her hair down and wearing her old university sweater and wide-leg mottled pants was out on the front porch as Roxy began walking up with drive with the cabbie following with two of her bags.

"Gosh how did you get a cabbie in this city to carry bags?" Sophie asked.

"She just asked politely and then she smiled," the grumpy-looking cabbie said.

Sophie laughed. She took the bags from the cabbie and when inside said, "Dear please call me Sophie from now on. Call Robert whatever you wish. He often comes home in a mood."

"Do you think it would help him if you greeted him dressed like Wonder Woman? You have a lush body"

Sophie's mouth fell open.

"Oh I'm sorry Sophie; me and my big mouth."

"No darling," Sophie soothed and asked Roxy to repeat what she'd just said.

Roxy was in the kitchen preparing the salad and watched the garage door roll up and then a red Corvette enter the garage and the door closed. She thought of calling Sophie and then heard her run up the passage.

The door to the garage opened and Roxy heard a guy say in a smiley voice, "Oh yummy, just look at you" and then faintly heard the sound of a women being wet kissed.

Roxy grinned.

"Roxy this is Robert," Sophie said, leading the jowly guy with a bit of a beer pot into the kitchen.

"Jesus," Robert said. "You said Roxy was pretty. You forgot to add a real stunner."

"Hi Mr Scott."

"Oh baby you call me Robert," he said, and came forward and hugged her and said welcome to Scott Base.

"Scott Base?"

"Years ago I visited a place as a photo-journalist in Antarctica called Scott Base in memory of a distant relative, an English explorer also named Robert Scott. I was engaged to Sophie at the time and when I returned home and was showing my photographs I said to her when we bought our home I'd like to call it Scott Base. This is our fourth home since then and we always have taken the name Scott Base to our new home."

"Oh that's so cute. Not many people I know of, not that I know many, don't personalize their home to that extent. Dad just called our home 'the house' and we followed that tradition."

"That's interesting comment," Robert said, walking to the drinks cupboard and Sophie looked at Roxy thoughtfully and said, "Yes indeed."

"Did you tell Mr Scott I was a bimbo?"

The two women watched the bottle of Vodka drop from Robert's hand, deflect off a knee and he just managed to catch it.

Roxy giggled and Sophie sighed and said, "I won't lie to you darling."

"No because you've already been caught out," Roxy laughed.

Smiling Robert said, "That word wasn't used. All I was told was you were pretty with a lively personality but fell short on education and business skills but appear to be very savvy."

"Was that a good build-up Robert when you were being told I would be a house guest?"

He fumbled with the bottle again and said, "We all need a drink. God I'll never forget meeting you Roxy. Now you call me Robert. I'm only twice your age, not three times."

During dinner, Sophie looking really cute in her low-cut shorts and tight top and hair in a ponytail and looking ten years younger, told Roxy about their two adult children and Roxy learned that Robert was vice-president of entertainment production at the TV station.

"I've never been in a TV studio."

"I must get you two over and tour the whole outfit. Sophie you haven't been through the place in years."

"Well we might," Sophie said. "Perhaps you could lure us with the promise of a screen test."

Robert laughed and said that could be fun.

Later when he was watching TV and the women were clearing away after dinner, Roxy said, "You worked that screen test in very well. You are a very clever person."

"Thank you darling. It's all about self-confidence, responding to the situation sharply to get to the point where you wish to position and then saying the right things to provoke thought."

"You mean thinking like stage direction?"

"Yes exactly, have you knowledge of stage direction?"

"Yes in my senior year at high school I worked as an assistant to our head of drama who produced and directed our school productions."

"Have you thought about using any of the skills you picked up in stage direction in your daily life?"

"You mean to manipulate people?"

Sophie laughed and said yes and no, that manipulate was rather too strong a word for what she meant and said she promised to work on that with Roxy.

"Tell me Roxy, what occupations did your mother and father have when you were at school?"

"Dad worked on rail track maintenance for much of his life and then got a job as a clerk in signaling control. Mom left school to work on the farm when she was fifteen and after teaming up with dad, worked as a waitress.

"Ah I see. So there was no money to send you to college?"

"No except mom's mother said she would pay but she and mom never got on and mom said no and anyway I would have had a problem finding a college to accept me because my marks were so low."

"But what about in drama?"

"Oh I got good marks for drama and English studies apart from language. I knew it was important to learn to speak properly."

Sophie had the feeling she was on to something.

"I find this very interesting. Why did you have such an interest in drama?"

"Because of grandma."

"Your father's mother?"

"No mom's mother. She demanded I visit her twice a year and dad ordered mom to allow me and my older sister to visit her because he said children learned from their grandmas and that gran as we called her wouldn't harm us by what she taught us."

"What did he mean by that?"

"Clara my older sister heard mom and dad shouting about it and dad said just become gran had had more lovers then they had friends didn't mean she was evil."

"I see. So gran was unpopular with her family because of her sexual excesses and your mom didn't like her because of gran's popularity."

"Exactly. See I had told you how smart I thought you were."

"This gran, what did she do before she married?"




Rise of Roxy Ch. 01



"Oh she never married and that's why my mom came to hate her because mom was illegitimate."

Sophie thought she'd gone too far.

"Oh darling," she said, hugging Roxy, 'You must think I'm horrible prying like this."

"No you are interested in my background. Actually I think it's an exciting story."

"What your mother being an illegitimate baby?"

"Oh that too. No that the extended family was so much against gran but they were so ignorant they couldn't see for what she was, a very beautiful lady with heaps of talent... Gran was a star. She was even very attractive to the time of her death."

"You still haven't told me what this gran did?"

"She was an actress and took to the stage professionally when she was just sixteen."

"Oh and what was gran's stage name?"

"She always used her real name, Kitty McCleary. I have two books about her and some old movie clips of her on stage when she was about your age prior to retirement when she was hospitalized following a road accident that left her crippled."

Already tense, Sophie excused herself but instead of going to the toilet went to her bedroom and booted her laptop. A quick search of the name 'Kitty McCleary' produced what she wanted. The photos showed a vague family likeness with Roxy, she was beautiful, there was a reference to an illegitimate daughter when she was thirty-two and she'd being the main lead in several well-known theatrical touring companies from the late 1930s to the mid-1950s when her career ended after she was left crippled as one of three survivors of a horrific bus crash into a ravine during a rain storm.

Sophie returned to the kitchen and calmly began telling her life story to Roxy.

Later in bed, Sophie enjoyed being banged twice.

"God what's got into you tonight?" she asked, thinking the sight of Roxy must have aroused him.

"You in dressing like that this evening instead of looking as if you had just come in from gardening. When I arrived home and saw the new sexy you I would have carted you off to the bedroom except you had reminded me our house guest had arrived."

"Oh darling, I can still please you?"

Sophie please take a look at most woman your age. In comparison with the majority, you are a star. Of course you do have the best mix of American-Italian in you."

"Oh darling, would you like to go again?"

"Er I'll take a rain check on that."

When Sophie returned from the bathroom she found the light still on and Robert was sitting up in bed.

She looked at him in surprise and he said he had the feeling she was bursting to tell him something.

"Yes," she said, snuggling up to him. "I knew very little about Roxy before inviting her here but I sensed I was someone who could help her."

"You always have had that instinct and it's not what people call the mothering instinct."

"Thank you darling and we know you have been a beneficiary because it was I who steered you into TV."

"So what's up with Roxy?"

"This is really about what she told me tonight. I'm just bursting to tell you."

"Oh-oh."

"Please Robert, hear me out before you think of closing the shutters."

Sophie began by sketching in Roxy's arrival at the law firm and how in just days she rose from bottom-placed office assistant to one of the partner's PA simply because she appealed to him sexually.

"Jerry Truman?"

"Yes," Sophie said in surprise.

"I've picked him out at your office parties I've attended as the only lecher amongst the senior guys."

"So it takes one to recognized one?" Sophie said, and yelped as Robert squeezed the nipple of the breast he was cupping. 

She continued and he listened quietly until she finished and then said, "Jesus what a story. So now you want the screen test?"

"Yes as soon as you can arrange it. I'll take time off work. Look people will have to be manipulated to get Roxy into TV work with no academic qualification but if we can get her toe in, people at the studio will be conditioned to recognizing talent when they see it."

"If Roxy has the talent, you think she'll deliver?"

"Absolutely."

"So what do you suggest my darling who loves to fuck?"

"Test her for a possible relief weather presenter. Roxy can read and she speaks beautifully when she tries."

"Are you kidding? I thought you would be pushing for a role in a stage production... or a guest in a running production?"

"Let's be clever darling and think a toehold. If she gets to read the weather and viewers phone or email in wanting more of Roxy then guess what?"

"Darling you won't like me saying this but I must. It does happen and in every TV station with even a half-decent production department a star is born that way, but I have to say that occurs roughly once in a decade."

"What for all TV stations collectively our just for Channel 8?"

"Um I have no idea because it's so rare but let's say just for Channel 8."

"Okay when was Channel 8's last star born?"

"Six years ago, Lisa Kelly who's now a big shot on TV in Toronto, Canada, running a prime time show."

"Well then, let it rip and say so-what to mathematical theory."

Robert yawned and said Sophie licked his ear and whispered, "Okay and to show my appreciation, if Roxy becomes the regular relief weather reader for four weeks you and I can celebrate with butt sex."

Robert grinned and asked could she remember how to butt fuck and she countered by saying could he?

"Jump on me baby and ride me hard."

Sophie finally rolled off him, stuffed a towel between her legs and was practically wheezing. Sex three times in one night? Omigod, they were turning back the clock in a really big way 

More To Come



Rise of Roxy Ch. 02



Unkindly tagged a bimbo, Roxy Reeves awoke on the first morning of what she already believed was a big change in her life. She knew she'd done the right thing by resigning from the law firm were she'd been employed to break her adulterous link with Jerry Truman, and to avoid the looming possibility of being fired.

Emotionally she felt secure because of the kindness she'd received from Sophie Scott who had invited Roxy into her home as a temporary refuge. Roxy yawned, had a quick shower, dressed carefully to ensure she looked attractive to create a good impression and went down for breakfast with Sophie and husband Robert.

Roxy had no idea what the time was. She was alone in the kitchen and the wall clock indicated 9:30. She sighed, realizing her hosts would be at work. She found a note from Sophie on the kitchen table and called her.

"Hi darling, I'm glad you slept in."

"Thanks for saying that. I was embarrassed I didn't join my hosts for breakfast."

"You can do that at the weekend darling. Breakfast for us during the week is pretty much a pick-up and run affair. I told my mother about you staying with us and she insists on bringing over lunch today and getting to know you. Mom is difficult to stop when she gets going so I hope this unscheduled arrangement is okay?"

"Sure I have no plans for today."

"Oh that's the other thing. Your screen test is at 4:30 today. I'll collect you at 4:00."

"My screen test?"

"Yes and I'm sorry to drop it on you but it only developed during the night. It's Plan C but taking a slice of Plan A as well. I pitched to Robert last night after softening him up with sex. To humor us he's arranged a test for you as a possible replacement for the relief weather girl. Darling it won't be a fun test like I had planned; people who need to be there will be there. Um Robert says stay off alcohol and coffee and be perfectly relaxed, ah as well as you can."

"I know what you are saying. Why are you pushing me like this Sophie?"

"Because I'm treating you like my adopted daughter. Is that so bad?"

Roxy laughed delightedly and said no, not at all. In fact she was delighted.

"Um Roxy please listen, this is so important. My mother is a highly social animal and is very talkative and will be out to fill you with red wine, overly rich food and very strong coffee. Please resist avoiding over-indulging before your big test."

"I will and will do so charmingly because I'm your pretend daughter but never fear, I'll not tell her our secret."

"God no please not a word because I haven't mentioned that to her. Oh my mom is from Italy and despite all the years since she left Italy she still struggles with English and ..."

"No problem Sophie. Just relax and enjoy your day and think carefully before having office sex."

"Go wash your mouth out wicked girl," Sophie laughed and cut the call.

Sophie arrived just before 4:00 to pick up Roxy and to her horror found her mother Maria was still there and half drunk.

"This house guest of yours, she is very good. She says I'm beautiful but left me to drink all the wine. And she talks to me in Italian when you struggle so with my native language."

"Roxy speaks Italian?"

"That's what I said. Why don't you listen?"

"I can't believe this."

"So you call me a liar eh, your own mother?"

"No of course not. But I just wasn't aware that..."

"You must talk to Roxy more. Be polite. She's your house guest. What do you want from Roxy, sex?"

"Mother!"

"What's so wrong talking to your mother about your sexual desires? Roxy's sister Clara married an Italian boy, not like you. When they were young girls Clara and Roxy lived one month each summer in the house of their English grandmother near Lucca, in Tuscany. Oh here comes my Roxy now. Doesn't she look so beautiful?"

Sophie turned and gaped. Roxy wore the type of tight dress weather presenters appear to favor that outlines breast and belly curve and her hair was up on Countessa style that Maria used to do with Sophie's hair when she went on dates in her late teens. Roxy with her olive skin and glorious chestnut hair looked absolutely stunning.

Maria and Roxy talked rapidly in Italian and Sophie struggled to keep up.

"Maria says I made her drink too much home and she stayed for you to drop her off and the way to the studio."

"But mom lives in the opposite direction."

"We have plenty of time. That's why I let Maria do my hair."

"My mother allows you to call her Maria?"

"Roxy is a good girl. She may call my anything she wishes but she should change her name."

"Mom, Roxy's name is part of her identify."

"That's exactly what she told me. So you do talk to Roxy?"

"Come on Maria, let's get you home," Roxy said, leading Maria to the door and calling, "Oh darling could you grab the picnic basket from the kitchen table. It's all packed."

"So you call my daughter darling? Are you ready to have sex with her?"

Sophie cringed until she heard Roxy's reply.

"You are drunk and naughty, in fact you are very wicked Maria. I think you need a new husband to kick you into shape."

"You cannot talk to me like that."

"Maria I'm not your daughter who you boss and I'll bite you unless you speak nicely."

"My lovely Roxy. What has happened to you? You were so nice to me."

"Well you behave and nice Roxy will return."

A few minutes later Sophie almost drove off the road when her mother said to Roxy, who was in the back seat with her, "So you think I need a man to keep me in order?"

"Yes I do."

"Well men my age are no longer interested in sex."

"Then marry a much younger guy, one around Sophie's age."

Sophie said after they'd gotten Maria safely inside her unit in the retirement village, "God does my mother love you. Having you two together is a real scream."

"Rarely have I met an older woman with so much character and liveliness as your mother."

"You have to be joking."

There was silence.

Sophie said, "Omigod, sorry. Obviously you were serious."

"Sophie my mother died of a\blockage of the lung artery when I was sixteen and I have no idea where my father is. You might like to think about truly appreciating your mother while you still have her."

"Oh but I do, we get along very well. Truly we do."

"But she wants to be teased and spoken to firmly at times and to FEEL that you love her."

Sophie drove along, feeling the tears coming and then a soft tissue was pressed against her hand on the wheel nearest Roxy.

"Thanks darling," Sophie sniffed, dabbing her eyes. "I don't know how but you've got it."

"Got what?"

"It's not something to worry your pretty head about."

"This something you mentioned, does it mean personality?"

"Look it means charm, personality, personal image projection and other things. Just cease thinking about it. It's not necessary to understand it. Just ride with it and accept you are destined to become a person of note because I believe you have your gran's genes and that's not the jeans you wear."

"I know," Roxy laughed and added, "And I know your mother wants you to talk to her like you do to me, on equal footing, not like a dutiful daughter. It's not in your mother's mind to have a dutiful daughter." 

Sophie drove on and pondered. How on earth could Roxy know that? But did it matter. And another thing, how the hell did Roxy know how to handle Maria?

At the imposing front to what really was a converted warehouse, Robert came out to greet them, looking worried because they were a little late. But then he looked closed at Roxy and smiled.

"You look great."

"Thanks."

"But you guys are late," he growled.

Sophie opened her mouth but too late, Roxy was already purring to Robert, "It's my fault. Sophie arrived on time. Enough said?"

"Yeah well that's okay I can't see make-up being able to do much more with you and that's saved heaps of time. Come I've arranged someone to coach you. I apologize in advance. I'm perhaps guilty of over-selling you because it's been decided to conduct a full screen test. All the execs who need to be here will be here and possible others because word will be out a full screen test will run."

"No worries and thanks for taking an interest in my welfare."

Robert looked more than pleased and said that was okay. Um Roxy was a bit like his protégé.

"Come with me girls," he said, and Sophie 'went with the flow' having realized Roxy had slipped into a different mode to handle Robert, who was almost as difficult to handle as his mother, but Roxy had managed the transition with ease and Robert wouldn't realize he was being treated with due deference according to his own concept of his self-importance. Omigod, Sophie thought, aware she'd taken some years to learn how to handle her temperamental husband. It was as if Roxy was on permanent all-wheel drive acting mode, fueled by instinct.

They went to make-up and just as Robert had indicated, there was little requiring attention. Augustine dusted both of Roxy's cheeks and retouched the lips.

"Whoever prepared you darling really knows what they're doing. Don 't even bother going to hair-dressing."

Sophie was astonished she'd never recognized her mother had make-up talent because her mom's own make-up appeared to be thrown at her face and neck and her hair was never precise.

Mrs Smith the coach, aged in her early sixties, took one look at Roxy and smiled, "I'm far from being rude to you darling but they are wasting time doing a screen test with you. Providing you possess the fundamental you are through. Well when you go on stage you'll see feet placement marks like this..."

"Face left stage, the far one is face right stage and the center one is face audience."

"Yes dear, substitute profile for stage and camera for audience and you have total understanding with that."

Mrs Smith took Roxy through a series of facial expression calls and then some calls on voice pitch and vocal expressions of joy, anger, sweetness, a snort, a haughty laugh, a cackle and her natural laugh.

As they walked over to Sophie and Robert who were drinking coffee, Mrs Smith said, "You have awesome telegenic image darling."

"Doesn't that require on camera evaluation?"

"So it's said darling but never believe everything you hear."

Mrs Smith said to Robert, "I thought you said Roxy was untrained."

"Yes I did and that's true."

"Ha," said Mrs Smith. "This screen test is not necessary."

As she left Robert said to Roxy, "What did you do to upset Mrs Smith?"

"Nothing."

"I don't believe you."

"Robert back off," Sophie said mildly. "Mrs Smith wasn't displaying annoyance. I believe she's made her own evaluation and decided a screen test is redundant."

"I very much doubt it," Robert said. ""No one person is that good against a full production team with all the necessary resources."

"I believe in Mrs Smith," Roxy said coolly.

"And so do I Robert and you told me she's virtually a legend."

"Yes and by that I mean in handling fully professional actors requiring help with accents, voice pitch and projection and adopting things like a stutter or lisp."

"And aren't her skills allowed to expend beyond that range you just mentioned?"

"Oh come on Sophie. You and Roxy are doing what all women tend to do in tight situations and that is to get overly emotional."

"Be nice to your wife please Robert. Your attitude is bordering on personal abuse."

Robert and Sophie looked at Roxy amazed.

Sophie asked, "Who taught you about interpersonal relations?" 

"I really don't know what you mean. I was just quoting some lines of a play I was in that seemed appropriate for this situation."

Robert grinned and said well done. "Well let's go into C-Studio. Roxy there will be bright lights, people all over the place and apparent confusion but..."

"I've acted on stage and have assisted to direct stage productions Robert. TV can't be so different. I feel I have won my spurs."

"Well you certainly are showing confidence at this stage," Robert said. "The test comes when you are placed under pressure."

At that point Roxy recalled something Mrs Smith had told her, that when she was on-stage for a screen test she must always remember that at least one camera would be running for the duration.

The director Alice Sands greeted Roxy and outlined what she required from Roxy.

"You have been briefed by Mrs Smith?"

"Yes quite thoroughly I believe. She's easy to work with."

"As easy as working with me?"

Aware she might already be on camera, Roxy said skillfully, "We'll have to find out about that."

"Okay, let's go. Take up your position for left profile filming."

The process went smoothly and Roxy didn't think she'd fouled up along the way.

"That's all from me Roxy."

"Thanks Mrs Sands. You were easy to follow."

"Miss Reeves," boomed a voice over the speakers. "I'm Mal Johns, head of drama. We have a monitor up here and our initial appraisal is you looked satisfactory."

"Only satisfactory?"

"Miss Reeves, who's running this test?"

"My guess it's been run on your behalf."

"Correct. Actually we decided you looked more than good."

"Thank you Mr Johns. I would hate to waste your time."

"You would save my time if you talked less."

"Oh Mr Johns, but I'm female."

The head of drama led the laughter.

"Miss Reeves, my information is you were not coached in drama at college because you never went on to college. You were involved in drama at lower school and at high school took lead roles and in your senior year under-studied in stage direction. Since then you have not worked in theatre and have worked in company offices. Is that correct?"

"Yes but I'm really here to demonstrate if I have natural ability and for you to assess if I can develop."

"Who's running this test Miss Reeves?"

"Please carry on Mr Johns."

"I'll read you an introduction and would like you to act and ad lib a few lines. Please consider this a real test Miss Reeves. Try to be dramatic and inventive and deliver to send minds soaring and appeal to your audience's emotions. Remember to keep it fairly short and focus on Camera B."

"Yes sir. Call me Roxy."

"Roxy you wake up on the floor of a bare room (Roxy dropped to the floor and ignored Camera B). Your head in reeling, you smell exotic perfumes and outside comes the sound of a carnival-like atmosphere but is it a marketplace? Off you go with your actions and dialogue Roxy."

Roxy remained motionless. Suddenly there was a slight twitch in the region of her posterior. Her butt then lifted about four inches and dropped and she sat up rubbing her eyes.

"Where am I?"

"God you stupid bitch. You popped too many pills last night and now you are in a police cell. Mother told you not to go to any night clubs in Soho when you were in London. Oh god, I'll be deported, sent home in disgrace, disowned by my family and will have to marry a mean old man whose ranch has turned to dust."

"Gee it's hot in here," Roxy said, pulling the top of her dress wide and fanning with it. "I thought I'd wet myself but it's a river of sweat. Omigod I've been captured as a white slave and transported by FedEx overnight courier to a harem in the Middle East. Oh what will my fiancé Bruno Castillo say? He won't like me being plundered by a Sheik and his sons and mother. Bruno regards my vagina as his temple."

"Omigod, I'll do myself in," she wailed horribly and then stopped. "Hey you stupid woman, some of those sons might be quite okay and I've yet to experience female on female sex. I must seize the day."

She screamed, "Come in you lot and have me." 

Roxy bowed to the darkened space where she could see some people illuminated softly by the screen of the monitor.

There was applause and Mr Johns said, "Well that certainly wasn't family time TV but then I didn't limit you. Why did you act looking at us instead of the TV camera as directed?"

"Because I assumed there would be a camera up behind you people and you'd position yourself centrally so I decided I should not play to a stage left camera."

"I admire intelligent people Roxy. We'll all meet in the screening room in an hour. That delay is to give our people time to do some editing. Then we'll embarrass you talking about your brilliance."

"Oh I'll be more interested in hearing from experts about my acting inadequacies Mr Johns."

People laughed.

"God you were brilliant," gushed Sophie. "I have well-developed instinct too and that told me to believe in Mrs Smith."

"Thanks Sophie. I love the way in which you encourage me so positively. I must say it really works on me."

They walked over to Robert who was talking to a slim guy in a white Italian-cut suit.

"Sophie and Roxy, this is Mr Robbins, our company chairman. His father is the principal shareholder in the company that owns this TV station. Mr Robbins often drops in to talk to us and came here when told most of us were attending this full screen test. He decided to watch as he'd never seen one done."

"Oh hi Mr Robbins. I'm Robert's wife. Please call me Sophie and I congratulate you on your recent appointment as chairman of this company."

"Thank you Sophie. And is Roxy your daughter?"

"I wish. No she is presently staying with us while she attempts to find a new career direction."

"What are you aiming to do Roxy?"

"Initially I wish to become a weather reader on Channel 8."

"Well I can order that to happen right now."

"Oh Mr Robbins..."

"Please call me Nick."

"Nick please don't proceed with your kind offer. You must understand I'm up against it because I don't have a degree of any kind and not even a diploma in TV drama or anything like that."

"Well how do you expect to break through?"

"By the old fashion way Nick, relying on my ability to exhibit sheer talent."

"But don't you have to get a degree in acting before displaying your talent?"

"No that process is to enhance and develop raw talent. I believe this test you have just seen demonstrates I have already enhanced and developed my talent through embracing it ever since I turned twelve. Please Nick, don't influence anyone at this stage." 

"Then will you date me?"

Roxy didn't hesitate although aware Sophie and Robert were listening. "Yes of course when you really are between dates but please don't dump anyone just to get at me?"

"Roxy!"

Nick held up a hand and smiled. "It's okay Sophie. It's so refreshing to meet someone around my age who's willing to speak to me frankly and to exhibit she possesses some values. Women gather around me like bees around a honey pot because my family is very wealthy. I'll not intervene in this matter Roxy and I'll date you when I am between dates and I'll know where to find you, here at Channel 8."

"But you said you wouldn't intervene?"

"And I won't. I'm confident the people we employ here won't allow you to slip through their fingers and go to a rival TV station. Do you agree with that Robert?"

"Absolutely Nick. I hired Mal Johns and without exerting any influence expect that shortly he'll offer Roxy a contract. Mal is the consummate professional and I trust his judgment."

"And if he flunks will you intervene and give Roxy the start to her TV career?"

"I would talk to Mal about his decision, yes, remembering it really is his call. Will you join us at the bar from a drink Nick?"

"I'd like to but must decline because Roxy might see that as me exercising covert influence on her career to decision-makers who see us together. But shall we dine later tonight? My current girlfriend Sally Brookes is expecting to be taken to dinner tonight and it would help to have you guys with us because she enjoys company."

"You mean Professor Sally Brookes?"

"Yes Sophie, she'd the daughter of one of my mother's friends. "For some years I've been working through... oh I mean dating... the daughters of my mother's friends as well as the daughters of other women I manage to attract by my own efforts."




Rise of Roxy Ch. 02



"Yes we'd love to have dinner with you and Sally," Sophie said. "And you Roxy?"

"Yes I'd love to. I read in a magazine recently that Sally has an apartment in Florence, Italy."

"Well it's actually her parent's apartment," Nick said. "Sally is an assistant professor specializing in the Italian Renaissance and loves everything Italian."

"And what about you Nick?" Sophie asked slyly.

"It's okay for a vacation providing one gets out into open country most of the time. I've been carted off to Tuscany since I was a babe. Well I'll be off and arrange a bigger table for tonight. I'll give you the time and other details Robert after the screening discussion. I like it that your guys work the hours to suit the job."

As he left, Sophie said, "Omigod Robert, dining out with Nick is so good for your career."

"I can't see how that should be. I've lunch out with him once or twice a month for the past year after he was appointed to the board. He's done that with several of us to learn about the day to day running of the company. Nick is very astute and wouldn't advance your career just because he eats with you."

"Roxy you'll tell Nick you are fluent in Italian won't you?"

"No unless there is reason for him to know that."

"You are fluent in Italian?" Robert said, looking impressed.

"Sophie means I can speak it a bit. Sophie I suggest you relax around Nick and treat him just as any other guy."

"Any other guy?"

"Yes because he'll be sick of people fawning over him."

"Yes that's right Sophie," Robert said. "Just be friendly with him and leave it at that. If you scare him off that could be bad for my career. Just believe if it's going to happen it will happen."

"What will happen," Roxy asked.

"Oh one of the wives mentioned to Sophie I'm in line to be the company's next CEO. The deputy is near retiring age and the younger incumbent Bette Hill is seeking a new challenge and intends stepping down within a year."

"Yes let it happen Sophie."

"God with you two teaming up against me, one of you must be right."

They all laughed and entered the bar.

The big screen presentation was about to start when Mrs Smith arrived and sat beside Roxy who was sitting with the Scotts.

After the short viewing ended, Mal Johns said, "Well what can I say? I've been involved in a number of full screen tests in my time. We can always point on flaws but the purpose of such a test is for us to consider the big picture. Roxy you have presented superbly and we want you to work here and not with our rivals and so I will be offering you a contract. Have you any idea what position you'd like with us?"

"Yes," Roxy said. "In coming into this environment with no TV experience and professional qualifications, I believe it's reasonable for everyone to expect me to prove myself. So I'll wait to be appointed relief weather presenter and you can wait to see if there's any feedback from the public about me. If it's significant then you guys decide where to place me. My preference for advancement would be as a presenter initially and then progressing into drama. I've had limited training in drama. My confidence stands up and I've been told my diction is good and so that's how I see my progression."

"You'll need other employment until you move into a fulltime position here."

"Yes Mr Johns. I suggest..."

"An appointment as an assistant to a senior in our programming department would get Roxy quickly into learning about the operation of a TV station."

"Ah hi Mr Chairman. I hadn't spotted you in that dark corner. I accept that as an excellent idea. I'll...."

"Hold on, I believe Roxy would benefit hugely by working alongside me."

"Ah Mrs Smith, already Roxy is sitting at your side I see. I think the chairman's suggestion is...'

"An inferior suggestion to what our legendary Mrs Smith is offering Mal," Nick interrupted. "I shouldn't be interfering in day-to-day management decisions and so I'll leave now. It's been very informative to me as the new chairman seeing you guys in action like this. Good evening everyone."

Nick left and Mal said, "My decision, if acceptable to you Roxy, is that you spend time with Mrs Smith and then spend say a month in Production and then a month in PR and Publicity and by then, in three months' time, it should become clear whether or not you career in TV is on a roll. What do you think about that Roxy? We will discuss this in more detail tomorrow."

"I think it's great to find there is this confidence in giving me a fair trial and I seize the opportunity with both arms. Let's do it Mal, oh I mean Mr Johns."

"Mal is fine Roxy. Please come to my office for lunch at 1:00 tomorrow. Is that convenient?"

"Yes."

"Good and while eating we will discuss terms and conditions for your contract. Personally I'm still astonished you wish to begin at such a low level but something tells me you wish to get your platform established before you launch and that's an excellent idea. Only I suggest you prepare for a quick launch because everything I've seen about you so far tells me you'll win quick flash endorsement from a number of our regular viewers and the initial feedback will soon explode into huge approval. Well this meeting is over."

Mrs Smith hugged Roxy and congratulated her but almost everyone else just drifted away.

Roxy walked down the tiered seating with Mrs Smith where Mal was waiting.

"Roxy I waited back to tell you this. You have just been given a cold shoulder by almost everyone who was here. But like Mrs Smith I can see you have it. Be patient and your light will switch on."

"Um now we are alone, would it harm my career if the chairman dates me?"

"Believe me Roxy," Mal grinned, "If dating the chairman sticks, you would be regarded as being untouchable. If he does wish to date you, then I suggest you hold him off until some of the public feedback rolls in to switch on your light."

"I agree Roxy," Mrs Smith said. "Crawl before you walk. You'll know what I mean."

"I do Mrs Smith and thanks guys. Your support and professionalism is most useful to me."

Roxy believed what those two people were saying because they wouldn't waste their time with a no-hoper. She found Sophie and Robert waiting for her outside the theatre and Nick walking away from them.

"Is it dinner with Nick or do we do our own thing?" Roxy asked.

Sophie smiled, "Yes Rhapsody's at 9:00. This will be my night of the year."

Roxy asked wouldn't be that the night that she danced with her husband outdoors in the moonlight?

"Way to go Roxy. My darling often losses focus of the simple things in life when her attention is consumed by something big."

"Oh thanks guys for bringing me back to earth," Sophie simpered and Roxy and Robert grinned at Sophie as if they understood Sophie was often imagining herself to be someone she wasn't. Roxy however thought it might be Sophie's way of relaxing from the stress she was under in such a big office in such a responsible role. It could be important for Sophie's well-being to wind down with a bit of fantasizing. 

They took a cab to the restaurant expecting that being a top establishment the champagne corks would pop, making it an unsafe occasion for any drinking driver and that proved correct. The wine did flow.

Nick welcomed them warmly and immediately said he would pick up the tab for the evening.

"This is my friend Sally Brookes," Nick smiled, introducing her to Sophie, Roxy and Robert, without offering any explanation just how deep that friendship went but then who could blame him?

Sally appeared not overly friendly and the conversation was somewhat labored even after the party began sipping their first glass of Krug Brut.

Robert whispered nice drop but he really would have preferred a beer and his cheeks reddened when Roxy replied, "Peasant."

"Sally has recently returned from Italy," Nick said, attempting to kick things along.

But that was greeted in silence until Roxy said, "Sophie's mother comes from Italy." 

"Oh," said Sally, showing some interest. "Where in Italy did she live?"

Sophie said, "In the far north, the municipality is Inverigo um near Como."

"Yes but specifically, where in relation to Como?"

Sophie looked appealingly at Roxy who lied smoothly and said Sophie had told her that her mother's town was about 20 miles north of Milano and just half that distance southeast of Como in the Lombardy region.

"Oh I have the general picture. I have passed through Como to go to the lake or up to the ski fields many times. Roxy you pronounced Milan as people here call it, as Milano, like the Italians do. Why is that?"

Roxy said evasively she'd heard Sophie's mother call it Milano.

Sophie then blew it, saying, "Roxy speaks to my mother in fluent Italian. Sophie went to Italy many times for a month mid-summer since she was aged four to stay at her English grandmother's home near Lucca."

"Omigod," Sally said and spoke reasonably fluently to Roxy in Italian who replied rapidly and very fluently.

"Omigod, you speak like a native," Sally said excitedly. "Did you hear darling?"

"Yes, most impressive," Nick said. "I'm surprised you didn't mention your long connection with Italy and fluency in the language when I mentioned I had visited the Tuscany region."

Roxy froze momentarily and Sophie came to the rescue.

"I find Roxy is not one to boast Nick and she's aware many people speak more than one language."

"Ah yes, I can understand that."

Sally asked, "Roxy what do you know about the Italian Renaissance." 

"Not much, it was a little before my time."

"Oh god, spare me," Sally laughed.

"You will find Roxy is one who likes to tease," Sophie said, once again exhibiting her knack to come to the rescue.

"Roxy was your father a scholar of something like that?"

"No Sally," Roxy said firmly. ""My father was a railway worker."

"And your mother?"

"She was a café waitress."

"So you are not one of us the beneficiaries of wealth?" Nick said. "You arose from grassroots and that's why you are proud of your achievements, are unafraid about your future and you possess clear-cut goals."

"Something like that," Roxy said dismissively. "It's true I know who I am and who I wish to be."

"Roxy takes after her maternal grandmother who was a famous actress."

"Famous, how famous?" Sally demanded.

"Sophie meant well-known in her time rather than famous in terms of one of our greatest actresses. Her name was Kitty McCleary and she toured internationally with a theatrical troupe. My sister and I went every summer with her for thirteen years to her summer home near Lucca."

"Omigod," Sally said, looking at Nick. "Roxy would be perfect to be the presenter, I'd get sufficient credit for being program creator, project manager, scriptwriter and movie producer."

Nick shrugged and said, "It's your project. Do what is needed."

He looked at Robert and said, "Is it okay to talk about this now or to wait till we get Roxy alone?"

"No it's fine. Sophie and Roxy, what Sally and Nick are referring to is a project still under wraps awaiting board approval. Sally needs to complete a major project in her quest to become a tenured associate professor. She has come up with the idea of filming her version of the story, 'Tuscany, Birthplace of the Italian Renaissance'. It will be a 5-part TV series produced jointly by her university and Channel 8 and all rights to the 5-hour series will pass to Chesterfield University for marketing to other teaching and cultural institutions after Channel 8 screens it on a network link up. The budget is $2 million, with funding already secured, and Channel 8 will provide two camera crews and use Italian facilities and technicians."

"Yes that's correct," said Nick. "My family is donating half the cost."

"What do you think about the project Roxy?"

"It's a wonderful concept Sally."

"We film this summer and want you with us to be the presenter. We will be in Italy for about two months."

Roxy was silent.

"Roxy what is it that you don't understand?" Nick asked, looking concerned.

"I'm sorry but I have my priority set?"

"What to be a weather girl?"

"Yes and what's so wrong with that?"

"This project is bound to win huge acclaim. As presenter it would spread your name and interest in you internationally."

"It's not my responsibility to remind you many books, learned publications, movies and TV series have been made about the Italian Renaissance. But no doubt this project will present it differently. It is my decision to tell you I do not wish to become involved."

Sally practically spat, "Why because you have this dotty thing about being the TV prop for its weather presentation?"

"Roxy listen to Sally and Nick," Robert urged.

Sophie said, "I believe Roxy has given you a clear message. Her mind is set."

"Your salary would be significant," Nick said smoothly and then immediately when seeing the horrified faces of Roxy and the Scotts said he'd withdraw that comment.

"Roxy, it's now or never."

"I'm simply not available for your project Sally. May we leave it at that?"

"I'll get Nick to use his influence to have Channel 8 make you available."

"Hey hold on Sally, I'll not do that. I suggest you accept the fact you have learned you can't roll Roxy."

Roxy smiled and said, "Thank you Nick. Now if that ends the pressure may we talk about your project Sally in general terms? It's a great way for you to win academic recognition because I can see you are passionate about it. And it will serve your aim to raise public awareness here and elsewhere of the tremendous cultural heritage of Italy that was stimulated by the renaissance."

When the Scotts and Roxy went home to cab, Robert said Sally wasn't the only one to emerge from that dinner mentally bruised. 

"Yes and I'm afraid Nick will have his respect for you dented somewhat darling but he appears to have some integrity."

"And does that suggest Sally has none?"

"Well while screwing Nick she's used the opportunity to raise finance from him and his family," Roxy said, and they laughed. 

"She might also be working on Nick now to have him block me being hired by Channel 8."

"Hmmm," Robert said. "My thinking is even the people who presently don't want an academically unqualified person breaking into the system would be horrified if Nick became involved in you being dropped. I suggest he has the intelligence not to go down that path, even secretly. He ought to know that secrets within the media leak."

"Yes I would agree with that," Sophie hiccupped. "God, Sally looked a real scream when she realized you were turning down her offer because you want to be a weather girl."

"Roxy are you sure you made the right decision? Presenting that doco would have presented you with great experience and huge exposure?"

"Yes," chorused the women.

Roxy, sitting in the middle of the back seat of the cab, reached out and clutched Sophie's hand. They squeezed hands and laughed when Roxy said well at least she had one supporter.

"God you two are drunk," Robert muttered and then he laughed. "Yes it will be some time before I forget that look on Sally's face."

They all laughed and the cabbie said nervously, "Are you folk all okay?"

Sophie replied politely, "Yes thank you."

For some reason that made the three passengers laugh.

Next day Roxy had the working lunch with Mal Johns and they worked on Roxy's terms of employment and Mal called in one of the company's internal attorneys and the contract was signed.

"I am expecting big things from you Roxy so don't let me down," Mal said, kissing Roxy and that raised an eyebrow of the female attorney.

"This is my big break Mal, I'd rather screw you than screw up."

"Oh god," said Mae the attorney, leaving the office in a rush.

"She's a good legal beaver but without humor," Mal apologize. "You may start tomorrow if you wish. Report in at HR at 9:00 on the day you start."

"May I look around now?"

"Sure I'll escort you and introduce you to people. Everyone has had access to your screen test so don't be surprised if people appear to know you as the woman who likes multiple sex, particularly from Arabs."

"Oh god, what a way to get a reputation."

"You know, you really are okay Roxy. Do you have a guy at the moment?"

"No."

"Do you want me to fix you up with my son?"

"How old is he?"

'Nineteen."

"Um someone aged midway between your son and you would be lovely."

Mal grinned and said he'd see what he could do.

During the tour they called in on Mrs Smith and she said, "You won't fill my day with questions will you?"

"Of course not Mrs Smith. I'll just be your silent shadow."

"You lie beautifully."

"And I like you too Mrs Smith. Observing is a good way of learning but I would appreciate listening to tips."

"Good. When do you start?"

"In the morning."

"Good you'll watch some presentations by weather girls with me and I'll comment. Then take them home and study them, over and over again. Then return here on Thursday and I'll test you and Mal if she's okay you can run Roxy on Sunday with Alice who will introduce Roxy who will then take over at the following weekend or during midweek emergencies and Alice can begin training to become the understudy for Veronica on the Cooking Show."

"That soon, are you sure Mrs Smith?"

"Mal if you don't have confidence in me then have me fired."

"I have absolute confidence in you Mrs Smith. I probably lack confidence in myself."

"Thank you Mal. Now run along you two."

As they walked off Roxy said, "Mrs Smith really is awesome. I can understand why she is revered around here."

"Roxy in TV if you are the best in your field you can say anything you wish without fear. We regard the best as gods."

Roxy returned to Mrs Smith on Wednesday morning.

"You're a day early and should be at home rehearsing."

"There's nothing to rehearse and it became so tedious. I always try to never be bored."

Mrs Smith picked up the video of last Sunday's weather report delivered during the news at 6:00.

"Right Miss Smarty, I'll demonstrate what you don't know by standing in front of the monitor displaying the script. Let's see how far you can get before you lose confidence, lose you rhythm and screw up totally."

Roxy had no problem. She'd totally memorized the script and had the timing off pat.

Mrs Smith was impressed.

"I knew you had it young woman. That was performed perfectly, like a parrot, but perfectly. Most trainees memorizing the script would still get out with their timing. I'd call Mal now and tell him you are ready but he's at an urgent management meeting.  There's a big flap out about one of their confidential projects that's turning to custard."

"Does that happen often?"

"It's almost unheard of because of our meticulous planning. But this one has something to be with a university..."

"The crap has hit the fan you say?"

"Did I say that?"

"Call Mal and tell him I'm here if he wants me."

Mrs Smith said asked why would Mal want her and anyway phone calls during board meetings were not allowed.

"Text messages are permitted but I don't..."

"Please hand me your phone."

Roxy found Mal's speed dial number, wrote the message that she was in Mrs Smith's office if wanted and sent the message. 

* * *

The management team plus the board chairman and his deputy were at the table discussing the crisis. The liaison team, influenced by the university, had agreed that Sally was adequate to be the presenter but that would be taking on too much and would mean adding a director to the team anyway and it would be best to appoint an Italian/English speaking presenter who looked better on-screen that Sally.

Nick explained Sally had actually offered the role of presenter to a new person on the company's payroll but she had declined because she wanted to begin her TV career as a weathergirl.




Rise of Roxy Ch. 02



"This is preposterous," yelled the CEO Bette Hill. "Mal get this prima donna in here and we'll rip into her."

"I've tried contacting her without success. She is meant to be working from home today and no one knows where she is."

"Well team," said Bette, "let's start going through our list of presenters. God this will mess up schedules and summer vacations. I can't believe how we could get into this mess."

"I accept responsibly," Mal said, and pulled out his vibrating phone that told him he had a new message. "But remember in this project we have outside partners of influence in the university and a big financial contributor."

Everyone eyed him impatiently as he read the message.

"Roxy is in the building," he said. "I'll go and grab her myself. We want her in here now!"

When Mal left Nick said, "Right guys, let's take this carefully. I'm aware from brief contact that this Roxy Reeves is no pushover."

Everyone listened but looked ready for blood.

"Well let's back-off, at least initially," Bette said, looking ready to blow steam.

"Guys if you are thinking of telling here to name her price to fill the gap, you might blow your chance of winning her over," Nick warned.

"Nick she's that new employee we saw having that screen test," said the head of the company's legal department. "Within reason new employees, in fact all employees are obliged to do what they're told." 

"Is it reasonable to ask an eager new recruit to lay aside her career path ambitions, already covered by contract approved by your department, and send her to Italy for two months to work her butt off on a project not related to what she has been contracted to do?"

The director of marketing said she'd be willing to take her butt to Italy for two months or even six months and others joined in jocularly to add their irrelevant comments.

"That's enough," Bette said. "Remember we appear up to our necks in this and have no way of recovering current outlay if the university withdraws from the project."

The chief attorney asked, "Well let's slowly build pressure on this ungrateful recruit. God in bygone days she could have been fired instantly for refusing to cooperate."

"Lionel that comment is not helpful," Nick said and Bette agreed but she believed any other new trainee would have swapped being trained as a weather presenter to go to Italy for two months in summer.

"Yeah and probably would be prepared to do the job without pay," someone muttered.

Most of the assembly laughed.

Mal almost ran into Mrs Smith's office.

"Thank god you're here. Did Mrs Smith tell you what the crisis about?"

"She only knew there was a crisis involving Chesterfield University and some project we have under the wraps. I guessed Sally has issued threats and thought you might want to know I was in the building and could explain my position to the meeting if required."

"Come quickly and please excuse us Mrs Smith."

"Yes off you go and watch your backs with that lot. They will be attempting to impress the new chairman."

They jogged to the elevator and Mal briefed Roxy. They entered the boardroom and were generally greeted with hostile looks.

"Hi everyone," Roxy said brightly.

That was greeted in silence.

"Oh-oh," she smiled.

"Miss Reeves, this is a hugely serious matter. I take it Mal has briefed you?"

"Yes Mrs Hill."

"And you position is?"

"It's unchanged. I guess Mr Robbins has briefed you."

"We want you to go to Italy and be the presenter in this movie project."

"No."

"And why not?"

"Because the job is too big for me, I've had no training for it Mrs Hill."

"That's a risk we are prepared to take. All of us here who have seen your film test are aware that it's not a risk."

"But I need to work to establish a platform from which I can launch to advance as a presenter."

Jill Kennedy, head of training, said that was commendable but this was a crisis. "The university has issued an ultimatum that if you are not the presenter then they will withdraw."

"But that's just Professor Brookes being vindictive because I said no to her."

"That's rubbish Miss Reeves," the CEO bristled. "You should get your facts before you speak out like that. The university has advised me they consider Professor Brookes has enough on her plate without being presenter as well and besides her screen test didn't produce the pleasing result that was expected."

"Well I still..."

"Roxy would you do this for me, please?"

Everyone looked at the company chairman who sat unfazed.

"Come on Roxy, what would it take?"

"I would need a confidant and I thinking about that I know the person who'd support me."

"Mrs Smith?"

"Well possibly if this other person is not available."

"Agreed," Nick said. "Do we know this person?"

"Yes and you met her with me very recently. She's Mr Scott's wife Sophie."

There were murmurs and Nick said, "Yes I can understand your thinking. You all need to know Sophie is acting almost a confidante role already to Roxy who is presently living with Robert and Sophie as their house guest. Roxy met Sophie who is director of HR as the law firm where Roxy last worked."

"Yes you have good recall."

"Thanks'," Nick said. "We would pay Mrs Scotts travel, accommodation and general expenses incurred as your... well as your chaperone."

Robert said, "I really can't speak for Sophie but imagine she would seize this opportunity and she gets a month's leave during summer anyway and as a long-serving senior employee is probably due for a sabbatical."

"Well if she can only be at my side for the first month that would be the worst of it over." 

"This is an excellent compromise," Nick said. "What about salary?"

"If I'm to act as a senior presenter I would expect to be paid at that rate."

Nick looked at Better who said, "Agreed. Is there anything else?"

"Just one more thing. Mr Johns mentioned on the way up here when briefing me that the team leaves for Italy in nine weeks. I would like to receive two weeks intensive training on presenting and then be given work as a presenter during late morning or early afternoon TV."

"No problem. Please arrange that Mal. So you are with us on this project Miss Reeves."

"Yes 101% Mrs Hill."

"Roxy please call me Bette. Oh can you speak Italian?"

"A little."

"She's absolutely fluent," Nick said.

Better raised an eyebrow and said, "Great and welcome to our team that's going to Italy Roxy."

Everyone applauded and Bette said to Lionel the chief attorney she wanted him to work on Roxy's contract personally.

He said, "We should pay Sophie to cover insurance considerations and also to establish a contract with her. There's a lot at stake in this project Bette."

"Then please attend to that Lionel, we have the budget for contingencies. Roxy you may leave now. I suggest you call a cab and visit Sophie to break the news."

"That's an excellent idea. Well bye everyone."

"Goodbye Roxy," they chorused, most of them smiling.

When the door closed behind Roxy, Bette said, "Mal I suspect you attempted to twist Roxy's arm on the way up here?"

"Correct and isn't she a good actress? For a time in here I was sure she was rejecting going to Italy. I had told her if she didn't accept I might have to resign and she said then she would go. I then said if she made a success of being the presenter she'd never look back. She laughed and said then no way would she be responsible for my resignation because when she returned she'd want to become regarded as a senior presenter."

Everyone laughed and Bette said, "Well that's it everyone. Thanks for your attendance. Our crisis is over and I'll call the university now and then continue my regular meeting with the chairman and deputy chairman." 

* * *

Roxy called Sophie and said she was on the way over.

Sophie said, "You sound excited."

"Yes I am. Can you be across at the coffee shop opposite your office in five minutes? It's important."

"Yes of course. You know I only swan around here."

They chatted while sipping coffee and Roxy said, "Have you ever been to Florence, Italy?"

"No, I had a two-day stay over in Rome. That's the total of my Italian experience."

"Would you like to live with me, mostly in an RV, for two months this summer, based in Florence?"

"Omigod, are you serious?"

"Yes absolutely. The trip would cost you nothing in terms of travel and accommodation and all you have to be is to be nice to me."

Sophie smiled broadly. "You me and sex?"

"Yes that too if you are that desperate," Roxy giggled. "Seriously, I am to be the presenter for Sally's project. It's just been decided and I said I'd go if you would be my chaperone even if that's only for the first month. But you'd be a fool if you couldn't stay for the two months. You'd find it glorious and Robert could get over there for some of that time I guess." 

"Omigod," Sophie said, sounding breathless. "It's very tempting but why don't you share living with a guy, rather than me?"

"Because I'll be under pressure to perform and will need support from someone I trust. I expect Sally will become over-bearing at times when pressure gets to here. You know from the other night what this is about and the over-all budget is two million bucks so no way do I wish to be the under-performer."

"Then why do it? You turned down Sally, remember I was there."

"The university thinks Sally's workload on the project is heavy enough without her also doing the presenting and she didn't perform well on the screen test, so I've heard. She must have told her colleagues about me because the university told Channel 8 unless I went as presenter they would pull the plug on the project."

"Oh god, you poor thing. Are you okay?"

Roxy grinned. "There you go Sophie and that's why I want you with me in Italy."

Roxy handed Sophie the dates.

"Leave this with me. Half of that time comes within my vacation time and I'll apply for sabbatical leave earned through long service. I have the feeling I can pull this off and fortunately my deputy is taking her vacation in mid-winter to go to Austria to ski."

When Sophie returned to the office she went up and waited for Tom Baxley, chairman of the executive management team to become free.

"Hi Sophie, a problem?" Tom said, closing the door and then sitting opposite her with a coffee table between them.

"I hope not."

"I haven't mentioned this before but Roxy has been living with me and my husband as our house guest until she gets re-established."

"Oh thank Christ for that. We hadn't heard from her and thought she must have failed at her new job and had left the city."

"No she's fine and in fact is blooming. Roxy has found a position with Channel 8 and was to begin training as a presenter, beginning the role after some training as the relief weathergirl."

"She'll be good at that. She looks good and speaks well," said Roxy's uncle.

"I spoke in the past tense Tom. Something has come up. Roxy has been chosen to work in Tuscany, based in Florence, for two months with two camera crews and will present under direction five hours of edited filming of a documentary on Tuscany being the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Actual interviews will be filmed with Roxy presenting in both English and then Italian and she'll also do the voice-overs in both languages."

"Well knock me down with a feather. Our Roxy doing that? Although she speaks Italian and has immersed in Italian culture she'll know fuck-all about the renaissance."

"She'll work from a prepared script Tom. Roxy is not expected to do the research and write the script."

"Ah no, of course not. Sophie I'm so pleased you have come up with this wonderful news. My wife and I feel we are responsible for that poor young woman with such trying times behind her and my wife will be overjoyed that Roxy now appears to have her head above water."

"It's a major doco Tom, with a budget of two million bucks and our Roxy will have a key role to play."

"Jesus."

"Roxy has pleaded with me to go with her to Italy for the two months of filming, to be her confidante."

"I see, but can we spare you aware from the office that long?"

"That's for you to decide. The crew set up for filming in the beginning of July and work through to the end of August, catching the height of the tourist season. It will be hot and chaotic and so Roxy believes she will need my support to get through that along with the pressure of performing well in her role, and I think it's clever of her in anticipating that."

"Yes and I do too. Um can you take one of those months as your vacation and what about taking the second month as your sabbatical, you are a senior and have been here fourteen years and that's only a year short of the qualifying period for non-partners."

"Oh Tom are you willing to approve that arrangement, Roxy would be so grateful."

"Yes consider it done and accept the responsibility for ensuring Louisa is supported for the period she will be in charge. You know I can't wear the thought of Roxy being with a hard-ass camera crew and Italian males roaming around looking for your female targets. Roxy must be chaperoned."

"Thank you Tom, you can count on me and I expect to get wonderful experience out of it. Channel 8 will be paying my travel and accommodation and general living expenses."

"Ah good, I was wondering about that. Obviously Roxy made that demand when accepting the offer of the position."

"Yes they think she'll be a winner as does the woman who has devised this venture and raised the capital. A big advantage in taking Roxy is she speaks Italian fluently. I'm also finding she's a lot smarter than what many people think."

"Yes of course. Well off you go. Email me with the dates and I will get the formal approval back to you and advise heads of departments. I'm so grateful you are taking this motherly interest in Roxy. You're a lovely woman Sophie and I mean that. Please get Roxy to call us."

As soon as Sophie had told Roxy she had approval to take two months leave, Roxy called the head of Channel 8's legal department with that news and gave Lionel Sophie's cell phone number so he could call her to discuss details for her contract and to inform her about her role and weekly salary. 

* * *

Professor Sally Brookes called Roxy and thanked her profusely for saving the project.

"How can I reward you?"

"Just being with you while we are on this project will assist in my career education."

"Well I can do better than that by formerly teaching you how to write and rewrite script for TV and edit to time restraints and keep good rhythm and to write appropriate for the target audience. I can also teach you about art appreciation and built on what you already know about Italian culture. I'd like to cook dinner for you a few times before we go and speak only in Italian. Talking Italian to you could improve my fluency."

"Oh Sally I will love all of that and such close involvement with you ought to develop a closer relationship so that I work better under your direction."

"You are very sharp for a TV trainee Roxy. My feeling is we'll have fun as well as probably come to tears over some things, but that's what working intensely together can produce. Nick says you could be taking Sophie Scott as your minder?"

"My confidante and to support me in my role. Actually I found out less than an hour ago she has the approval of her law firm to be away for two months."

"Well that's great and she probably could help me as well, like kicking the butts of lazy camera crew who drink too much and wallow in sex with too many hot Italian women."

"Do you think the crew will really be like that when they know we'll be operating on a tight schedule?"

"Oh darling this project will be a big learning curve for you. Camera crews are fine when they are working, very conscientious in fact. The misbehavior and other problems arise from when they are not filming and it comes time for them to rise and shine next morning, if they can remember where they are and what they are supposed to be doing that day."

"We'll have night work as well I suppose?"

"Yes I will finish the filming schedule by Friday and I'll give you a copy to study to allow you to see the big picture. Oh don't expect the daily shoots to be in order from A to Z like the script. We shoot sequences out of order for a variety of reasons including to avoid running to and fro between locations like blue-ass flies."

Roxy giggled and Sally complimented her for having humor. 

"Look the other reason why I'm calling you is my project team here would like to meet you as you will be a key player in the presentation. Is that okay?"

"Sure and although I start intense training tomorrow it will be in half-hour or so bursts and no fixed schedule. Name a time and place and I'll be there."

"Um may I speak frankly?"

"Sure, always do that with me."

"A couple of my team think you are too young to be the presenter. I suggest you try to dress and look older."

"And perhaps add sexy to that list?"

"Yes and thanks Roxy, I was debating whether to ask for that."

Roxy told Sally not to worry, that she would display confidence to win over the doubters.

The meeting at the university went smoothly. The 34-year old Sally, an assistant professor with a doctorate in education, greeted Roxy warmly with a huge hug and a kiss to the cheek.

She whispered, "Gee darling you don't have to do much with yourself to look sexy."

Sally then introduced her to the associate professor who led the project admin of five consisting of two academics and three administrators.

They sat in the meeting room after collecting coffee and a sandwich and associate profession Morgan Wright explained, "This is just an informal meeting Roxy. My team just wanted to put a face to the person who'll be articulating our educational documentary to the world."

"To the world, oh my goodness," Roxy said, looking stunned, and everyone laughed.

"It's okay Morgan, I was putting on an act. Sally has briefed me well to date," Roxy lied, as Sally has provided little information to date. "Look I brought this movie clip along. I suggest this would be an appropriate time to run it Morgan."

"Sure, good idea as an ice breaker, movie clips of you as a child and no doubt performing in a classical tutu. We are set up for audio visual presentations in this room," he said, handing the DVD to the senior lecturer in Greek and Roman history who disappeared. When the screen slowly wound down from the ceiling, Roxy said they were about to see an edited version of her Channel 8 movie.

"It's quite short and you might not be interested but at least it does show you what the camera sees in me.

"What the camera sees in you. Oh very eloquently expressed," Morgan said, picking up his attaché case from the floor. 

"I hadn't intended doing this but since we have the projector going we may as well do this. "Here's a page of Sally's script. While we watch your clip you might like to go over to that corner table, switch on the lamp and read this page a couple of times to become a little familiar with it. After your clip we'll play the test opening scene of the planned documentary that Sally made to present to our partners in this venture. Are you comfortable to do that?"

"Yes of course. If I stumble over words you will accept I haven't been rehearsed."

"Yes of course. Before we start with our clip Sally will come over and check if you have questions."

The audience came alive when on her film test she acted out being a kidnapped white slave. They laughed and clapped and really clapped at the finished.

Sally came over and Roxy said no problems and Sally handed her another sheet.

This is a translation into Italian of what you have been reading. Read it first. Morgan is fluent in Italian and he's the one we need to impress. Then I'll replay the clip and you can read in English. Don't look at the big screen, just the use this small monitor that I'll switch on now. Just read at your normal voice with a 3-second gap between paragraphs and of course you may have to make minor adjustments to your pace."




Rise of Roxy Ch. 02



"Thanks and wish me luck."

"There's no need to say that. You'll be fine."

Sally's confidence assisted Roxy to relax. She told herself to avoid speeding up the commentary.

A wide camera shot showed the dawn of a new morning with no cloud over the city...

As she began the commentary in Italian, Roxy didn't look up to see whether Morgan had swung around in surprise to look at her and whether others were nonplussed.

The clip finished and Morgan clapped enthusiastically and others followed.

The projection was repeated and Roxy read this time in English"

The sun rises over Florence, Italy, that became a hugely important city in the Middle Ages and it's important to note here before the Middle Ages were the Dark Ages that brought strangulation to many elements of artistic culture until the Italian Renaissance produced the rebirth and a raft of new dimensions to artistic culture. This great transition will be illustrated and explained later as our story progresses.

In this five-part series, we'll journey through the province of Florence in Tuscany, a region known throughout the world as a great place of natural beauty and a historic treasure chest.

Generally a beautiful and very people-friendly city, in fact even today an unforgettable city for tourist who visit it, Florence is believed to be the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance or Rinascimento in Italian that means rebirth. 

And as we watch the sun illuminates this city and some of its natural and architectural features are picked out. We see in the foreground the River Armo. And here in this close up we see a bridge arching the Armo, the world famous Ponte Vecchio. Oh what a history that bridge has seen and has its own impressive history. When you walk over that bridge flanked in parts with shops you might feel a sense of something special but whenever one goes in Florence one's senses can be seduced.

Because of Florence's artistic and architectural significance, and because of its hugely significance in the development of modern culture, the city was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1982.

The powerful Medici family, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo and before him Donatello are some of the greatly influential names associated with Florence that we will concentrate on during this series. But it won't be all about Florence. We'll also visit other places in Tuscany including Lucca that I visited many times when living nearby when spending a month in Italy for twelve summers with my sister and grandmother until I was well into my teems. This ancient walled city has some wonderful examples of Roman, mediaeval and Renaissance architecture.

We'll sit on the grass under an olive tree sipping wine as the people of the renaissance period would have done and their descendants and tourists do to this day. This is a journey to inform you where modern culture as you enjoy today came from through an event you know as the Italian Renaissance.

Everyone clapped and after switching off the projector, Sally came running into the room and kissed Roxy and said smugly, "Well done Roxy."

"I loved that last piece in your editing of the script Sally. It gave some relevance to me being the on-camera presenter."

Sally just smiled.

"Well we are done here," Morgan grinned. "We know have a face to put to our presenter. You were great Roxy and listening to you delivering that in Italian was a real treat for me. Please come with me and Sally."

They went to a bar for senior tutors where they shared a bottle of Italian red wine.

Later, as they were leaving, Morgan said, "Thanks for your time Roxy and here's your DVD. May I say we have full confidence in you."

Roxy kissed him although not liking guys being bearded. 

Mrs Smith was too committed to give Roxy a training slot that day. Roxy went to the supermarket and selected items to cook a simple Italian-styled meal for her and the Scotts to enjoy.

Sophie arrived home and entering the living room shook Roxy awake and said, "Hi darling" and kissed her. "What are these delicious smells?"

"Your mother probably made you guys Carabaccia, also known as sweet onion soup, when you were young and so we have that tonight. Other mingle aromas will be from the Florentine roast pork. I thought we should begin changing our diet a little to prepare to be consumed by Italian fare."

"Oh an excellent idea. Tell me about your day." 

Next day a Steven Bahns called Roxy.

"Hi Steven, what can I do for you?"

"I'd like to talk about the Italian doco. I will be head cameraman. We start team meetings next week and Sally Brookes has suggested I talk to you about filming. When can we meet?"

"Then take me to lunch."

"When?"

"Today if you wish."

"Okay where will I find you?"

"In Mrs Smith's office. We are scheduled to finish at 12:30. Do you know her?"

"Are you kidding, who doesn't? Okay I'll collect you from there."

A well-built guy with an untidy mop of hair stood at the doorway and said, "Right are you ready to go Roxy."

"What do you want with Roxy?"

"Oh hi Mrs Smith. I'm head cameraman on the Italian doco."

"Oh then at least they have assigned one of our best cameramen. Off you go Roxy. Steven is more or less a gentleman."

He strode away and Roxy had to half-jog to keep up with him. Some gentleman, she thought.

"No one told me you were a good-looker."

"Well you better believe your eyes."

He laughed and asked what she knew about a field production.

"Nothing I'm afraid and I know nothing about filming. But by the time we are underway I'll know everything I need to know which is why I'm with Mrs Smith every morning."

"Jesus, you know nothing?"

"Tell me what you know about presenting."

Steven smiled and said, "You're all right Roxy. I'll hold your hand if we run into trouble."

"I bet."

He frowned as asked what she meant by that.

"Your first priority will be your precious cameras."

He grinned and said obvious she did know something about remote filming.

"I do know I have sharp instincts."

At the café Steven chose beer and Roxy ordered red wine.

"Sally said you have been to Italy."

"Yes I've been to Tuscany where our locations will be more than a dozen times. What about you?"

"I've flown over Italy twice."

"Oh never mind, I'll hold your hand."

And that established their close relationship.

"I'd really appreciate that Steven, being told what I need to know."

During lunch Roxy learned the movie team would consist of operators of the two cameras, a sound technician who would double as the grip responsible for all the equipment, a lighting guy who would also act as a cable puller and help with the setting up and breaking down after each shoot was completed and a production assistant who would assist Sally with admin and also keep and store the log sheets and release forms safely and each day or so get the tapes copied and the original sent home to Channel 8.

"That's seven of us; I thought we would be a team of eight? Oh I forgot my minder Mrs Scott."

"No her title is production assistant. She needs to be working to qualify for her inclusion in this tight team. We pick up another person over there, an Italian woman responsible for confirming locations and coordinating the interviews and helping us with stroppy officials. She has a high ranking in some Government cultural outfit and has offered to look after breakfast and when we are in remote locations to do lunch and snacks. Sally who speaks Italian says that woman will be a key to our success. Sally has been over there several times scouting locations and planning shoots and if you know any Italian that would help."

Roxy let rip with some Italian.

"Huh," is that Italian?

"Yes."

"What did you say?"

"You really won't want me to translate."

"Oh but I do, I saw your eyes light up and your hand gestures were awesome."

"I said, You mother-fucker, why didn't you get off your skinny butt when at high school and learn a second language. Yes asshole if you'd learned Italian you'd have no need for me to negotiate a price for you when you were struck dumb by an Italian prostitute asking, 'Oh hi tourist big boy, you'd like some nookie I think'."

Steven turned bright red and said, "Roxy I can't believe those foul words came out of your sweet mouth."

"We all learn something new every day providing we keep switched on Steven." 

* * *

Mrs Smith was home cooking dinner for herself and Mr Smith when her phone went.

"Mrs Smith, it's Cassandra Hawkins. We are in deep trouble. Presenter Anna Kingston is a no show after being assaulted in the elevator and is being taken off for medical assessment as we speak. I'm sorry to be calling at dinner time but..."

Mrs Smith cut in. "Tell me what you want Cassandra."

"We need someone to step in an interview super-model Jacki Mellows who's consented to come to the studio to be interviewed before she continues out to her parent's ranch. It's the first time she'd been home for seven years and her flight is due in about ten minutes. We have tried but can't get a senior presenter for love or money. It's Friday night..."

"You're a producer Cassandra. Didn't I train you not to panic?"

"I apologize Mrs Smith."

"When is Miss Mellows on?"

"She's the full program, from 7:30."

"Well yes, I'd be panicking too in your position. Roxy Reeves told me she was going on a date to Luigi's Restaurant this evening and that's quite near here. This is Roxy's phone number."

Cassandra took the number but complained, "Roxy's untried."

"Child, believe me, Roxy has twice the natural talent of most presenters we have here. Just call her and when she arrives keep her calm and brief her and don't you dare try to direct her and she'll take the bit between her teeth. Off you go."

"Oh god," Cassandra wailed and cut the call.

Roxy felt her phone vibrate and almost ignored it but then thought it could be Sally Brookes with a problem.

They had just been seated and Steven was attempting to search the menu to find steak and fries. 

"Steven, do you mind if I take this call, it could be urgent?"

"Go ahead."

Roxy identified and listened.

"Okay I'm on my way. It's Studio B isn't it? Thanks."

"I have to go, to interview someone on TV live in a few minutes. The usual presenter has been injured."

"Jesus Roxy, we haven't eaten and the restaurant will charge us because I booked the table."

"Come on," she said and spoke to the Italian maître d' in Italian. He smiled and bowed and Roxy slipped him twenty bucks.

"What did you say to him?"

"That you were impatient for sex and we'd be back within ninety minutes."

Steven was dumbstruck. 

As they ran from the cab he asked, "Who are you to interview?"

"Jacki Mellows. She's a model who's just come in from somewhere via a feeder flight."

"She's more than just a model; she's internationally famous and is based in France."

"A model is just a model just as a banker is a banker Steven, are you attempting to make me nervous?"

As they turned into Studio B he said, "Christ you'll be anchoring 'After the News' and the entire half-hour less one ad break will be devoted to your interview. What will you talk to her about?"

"I could ask her why she such a bitch is."

Steven stopped in shock while Roxy jogged on and a women in a faded university sweater and jeans that were too tight for her said, "Roxy, we have ten minutes. I'm Cassandra Hawkins the producer. Now listen as I brief you. We need to stop at this trolley where a woman from make-up will work on you. You sit and just listen."

The set up was no different from when Mrs Smith had taken Roxy through a coaching routine. Roxy had interviewed Mrs Smith in the rehearsal and in fact they'd used this studio.

Roxy faced the correct camera and looked at the autocue and, palms sweating, listened to the countdown.

As the autocue rolled she introduced herself as standing in for the regular presenter of the show. She identified who her famous guest was and read the background information and then she said to the small studio audience, "Please welcome international supermodel Jacki Meadows, visiting home turf for the first time in seven years."

Roxy stood and Miss Glamour swept up to her and they went through the motions of almost kissing and Roxy said, "Welcome home on behalf of citizens who are proud of your achievements."

"Why thank you. Actually my parents' ranch where I grew up is 33 miles out from city limits."

"But this is the nearest city to the ranch and you attended high school in this city."

"Well yes. How strange I had never thought of Ellenville as being my hometown. When people ask me where I come from I habitually say off a ranch in the middle of nowhere."

"Does it matter?"

"Actually it doesn't but I feel some attachment to Ellenville. You see around thirty-three years ago my father was here in the city visiting an old friend in hospital when he eyed this gorgeous nurse and she blushed. Two years later that nurse and my mother married."

"That's a lovely story Jacki. What is a normal breakfast for you?"

"Pardon me?"

"What do you usually eat for breakfast?"

"Miss Reeves aren't you aware your viewers will be more interested in my career than what I eat for breakfast."

"Are you quite sure about that and aren't you bored about people and particularly near-breathless media people asking you about your career?"

"That's two questions. The answer to both is no."

"Are you quite sure that you are not bored at repeatedly being asked about your career?"

"God you are persistent. Well very well, I lied but feel it's my duty to reply civilly to civil questions."

"Have you a question to ask me?"

"Yes Miss Reeves. Why did you address me as Jacki when it is customary for people including journalists to address top models formally?"

"I suppose that's because I'm ignorant and because to me you look warm and friendly and more like a Jacki than a Miss Mellows."

"I'm impressed by that answer Roxy. My preferred breakfast is a lightly fried egg on a hash brown."

"Wow. I guess it became your favorite breakfast as a girl?"

"Correct. I used to mess around with my breakfast until one day my mom said 'Jacki what would you eat if I don't give your cereal?' I said a fried egg on a hash brown. My two brothers who are younger than me decided they'd prefer my choice of breakfast and then within a couple of days mom and dad began eating fried eggs on hash browns."

"I guess you were an energetic youngster so that choice of food didn't end up around your waist?"

"Correct again Roxy. That food seems to suit my type of metabolism but not only that, it gives me an energy boost and that in turn switches on my focus and I'm off to a good start to my day."

"Do you enjoy sex or is that something a celebrity like yourself prefers not to talk about?"

"Roxy this is not late night television."

"I know but the question was not asking you to define preferences or to endorse any practice and so I'm relaxed about the question."

"Then my answer is very much and I ask may we move on?"

"Why has it been seven years since you were last home?"

"Because time marches on I guess."

Roxy giggled and said, "Perhaps you can interpret what I meant by my question?"

"Yes I can. You now know I can be flippant to fob off questions I don't really want to answer. Because I maintain a busy schedule in Europe I find it more convenient to pay for my parents to visit me in Paris once a year and I take a few days off."

"So what's changed this time?"

"Roxy this might sound silly to me but the last pony I had on the ranch before I left for college is ailing and dad says she needs to be put down. So I've come home to say goodbye and to be with her when the deed is being done."

"Oh I am so sorry, your pony was loyal to you and you are here... oh god, I won't go on. You will feel bad enough and..."

"No it's fine. You are on the right track. Sheba was a darn good pony and dad and mom were so proud of the ribbons I won riding her at our local pony club. She did everything I asked of her and I knew I'd never forgive myself if I didn't take this opportunity to be with her at the end."

"You are an amazing person Jacki and have completely given me new understanding of how top models might behave privately. I guess we only read about models that go off the rails a bit. When will you marry?"

"What?"

"When will you marry? The clock for you aged thirty-three is ticking if you wish to have children."

"That is a very personal question Roxy."

"Perhaps but my late grandmother use to say if you don't ask you don't get."

"Well lately I have been thinking seriously about it."

"Thanks, that answer satisfies my curiosity. We return after this break."

Resuming after the ad break, the interview covered the eating habits of top models, what became of them when they retire, how Jacki filled in her time between assignments, would she look up old friends while she was home and when she returned to Paris what would she do before her first scheduled assignment.

Roxy thanked Jacki for coming into the studio at Channel 8 and laughing thanked her for her patience and tolerance.

"Roxy, I've been interviewed hundreds of times and I must say this evening's interview was really enjoyable for me and so novel. I wasn't asked about the glitz and glamor around my career and we didn't discuss fashion. You concentrated on me and I can't believe I talked about my pony Sheba as I did. You are an amazing interviewer really amazing Roxy. As the credits rolled Roxy was being hugged by Jacki and so missed seeing her name as the presenter on the monitor.

Back at the restaurant, Steven said, "Jacki publicly acknowledge what a good interviewer you were. That should help advance your career?"

"Who knows? Mrs Smith says that on TV what you achieve today is forgotten by most viewers by next day but it's entirely different with viewer's memories if you screw up. Why don't you have a regular girlfriend with prospects of marriage Steven?"

"What? We are talking about you."

Roxy smiled sweetly. "I would appreciate an answer."

Steven sighed and confessed that the women he became involved with seemed to think he was interested in only one thing.

"You might think that Steven but you will be overlooking other things. While I'm associated with you on this Italian project I'll attempt to lift your appeal to women. Would you like to have sex after we leave here?"

Steven's jaw dropped and Roxy's phone vibrated.

Roxy listened to the caller and then said, "No I'm sorry I'm having dinner on a date that already has been interrupted."

"Yes you may speak to me here. We're at Luigi's on Maple Street."

Sliding her phone shut, Roxy said, "Sorry about this but some woman from The Morning Star newspaper wishes to speak to me."

"Roxy if they publish the story with your photograph you'll become a notable in this city."

"Well if she brings a photographer Steven could you borrow the camera and take a few shots of me. I have confidence in you."

"I'm a TV cameraman."

"Yes but you grew up using those smaller cameras didn't you?"

"Yes but asking a professional cameraman to hand over his camera is like asking him to allow you to borrow his car."

"Allow me to make the suggestion Steven."

It was after 11:00 by the time Steven was undressing Roxy in her tiny studio apartment.

"Slow down Steven and quite that heavy breathing. God your overly red face and panting would scare off women more nervous than me."

He slowed. "I can't imagine you being nervous."

"I'm only human Steven. Self-confidence can only take you so far. Please remember that. No don't be so rough with that fastener of this expensive bra. Feel the fastener with your forefinger to identify how to unclip it. Most bra fasteners are pretty much standard so slow you're breathing and try to imagine undoing those two clips and that focus should help. If your date has to unfasten your bra she will be thinking what else can't you do and that's not a good start."




Rise of Roxy Ch. 02



"I wish there was an easier way," he said.

"There is but the two methods are rather inelegant. But perhaps they might be best for you; you do appear to have large fingers."

He grinned and said a large nose and large fingers....

"Steven do you really think you should talk crudely to a new date if she's a nice girl like me? Now stop and listen to me. You have the choice of gently easing my bra down over my breasts and if I'm a girl thinking sex I'd ease out of the shoulder straps and might go into the act with the bra left around my waist. Alternatively you could ease the bra upwards without attempting to sheer off my nipples, leaving me to slip it off while we are messing around but those methods are best for females with no larger than medium breasts. For a woman with big tits it could pay you to move behind her to undo the three or four clasps."

"You call them tits?"

"I tend to when being worked up but other women could be revolted by the word tits. Careful how you go buddy"

Steven slobbered on the tits and Roxy put him right about that. 

"Keep the slobbering for pussy."

They reached the time for penetration.

Steven said, "I haven't been doing most things the best way have I?"

"My corrective instruction hasn't put you off has it, encouraging you to lose your desire to splatter thick semen to fill the tip of that condom you're just rolled on?"

Steven grinned and showed shark-like teeth. 

"Here we go baby. Use your fingers to open wide. That's it. Here it comes, big and throbbing. Now it's up to you to show what you can do with my dick."

"Oooh Steven. You make sex with me sound so exciting.

He rose to the occasion.

Next morning the Star carried a front page story about top international model coming home to be with her aged pony that would be put down humanely and she requested privacy during her ordeal. The Star left the impression it was 'breaking' the story.

On page three however there was a story under a heading, 'Roxy Rocks Sublimely' about Channel 8's 'new sensational interviewer' Roxy Reeves. Above it was a beautiful photo of Roxy leaning against the stonework surround of the fireplace looking very much like a model.

The interviewer, Sandra Court, wrote,

In the newsroom of the Star we watched rookie presenter conduct the 7:30 interview of world-class model Jacki Meadows formerly from Ellenville. We virtually rolled around laughing in disbelief as the rookie totally ignored the opportunity to reveal to viewers the exotic life of this Paris-based supermodel.

Even more journalists came to the screen when we screamed with laughter thinking we were watching a struggling rookie interviewer ask Miss Meadows what she ate for breakfast and the supermodel looked totally taken aback. But Roxy pressed on and we were astounded to learn that rather than pick at a piece of dry toast for breakfast, Miss Down picks away at a fried egg on a fried potato cake.

"Because that's what you have been eating since you were a girl?"

"Yes Roxy," said the astounded-looking supermodel that went on to explain how that came about, because nothing else her mom presented appealed to her. Within days the whole family was breakfasting on egg on hash browns.

"Jesus," said one of our hard-bitten sub-editors and we all realized we were watching unique television, a celebrity model being drawn back to her past by simple, relentless questioning. We might have been guilty of sneering when Roxy asked the almost banal question why had it taken Miss Dow seven years before returning home and Miss Dow explained she found it more convenient to send travel tickets once a year for her parents to visit her in Paris. I believe most journalists would have left that question there but not Roxy. She asked so what was so different on this occasion and that was when we learned the reason which is the story about Miss Meadows and her pony on page one of this issue.

There were about forty people in our newsroom at that moment and incredibly most were around that TV screen knowing they were witnessing a hugely dramatic moment in journalism. Roxy Reeves had brought us into a very private place within supermodel Miss Jacki Meadows and, I believe, because of Roxy's superb technique and the way her expression had become so sympathetic that Miss Meadows appeared almost relieved to have unburdened.

That was tremendous television journalism and it was so great that Miss Meadows revealed she still has a very human and humane side to her.

And now, what of Roxy, that novice interviewer? She told me she was in training and in a few weeks would be off overseas to be involved as a presenter in a big project Channel 8 has taken on, a project to be announced soon. I did my best but failed to get Roxy to drop even a small hint. She smiled at me, looking absolutely gorgeous, and said she was sorry but she was training to be a presenter, not training to reveal the confidential program planning of Channel 8.Well done Roxy.  

Next day at work people smiled and even came over to congratulate Roxy. She learned she would not be required to fill in on the After the News Show because the regular presenter, who'd been viciously kneed in the belly, would be back in the chair because her face had escaped injury when she fell.

Mrs Smith even showed some emotion and that was unusual for her.

"I watched you on TV last night and my husband and I found you quite riveting. Well done," she smiled. "But I can see we have some way to go with your coaching."



Rise of Roxy Ch. 03



Rebecca Scott called her mom Sophie two nights later.

"I'm coming home tomorrow to meet this Wonder Woman of yours who is taking you to Italy. Her interview was screened on our TV an hour ago."

Sophie said, "What 24-hours after the event?"

"It doesn't matter mom; programs like that don't date like news does. The continuity announcer said she believed it was likely the program would be sold overseas, in Europe where Jacki Meadows is a really big name. Your girl is really beautiful with a great personality."

"That is really discerning of you darling. God you really are growing up. And how's work?"

"I've been promoted to the treasury department at the council and given a salary jump."

"Oh congratulations. I knew you'd not stop at just being a clerk. You have the right degree for finance. Why don't you call Jon and suggest he comes home with you."

"Why don't you call him?"

"You relate better to him than I do."

"Mom he's your son..."

"I know darling but you know we'd knock heads and he'd say he was too busy. Being a holiday weekend he ought to get time off okay. Perhaps Roxy can sort your brother out."

"Mom you are the expert in relationships."

"Yes well it doesn't appear to work with family blips and Roxy really has it."

"Has what?"

"She had the ability to transcend."

Rebecca asked what on earth did that mean.

"Roxy has the power to surpass boundaries but really isn't aware of it and I believe it's best she not be told about it."

"Oooh, how interesting. Now that you mentioned that she did appear to really have Jacki Meadows under control."

"Perhaps dear but remember Roxy caught Miss Meadows who emotionally would be at low ebb. Call your brother and email me arrival time. I'll meet you at the airport."

"Bring Roxy with you."

"Well I'll invite her. She's under training by Mrs Smith."

"Oh god, Mrs Smith. She could be the ruination of Roxy."

"Darling it takes one to know one; your father had spoken to me about Mrs Smith's extraordinary focus and ability to get through to people."

"Omigod," Rebecca shrilled. "We are being infiltrated by Martians."

They laughed.

When heading for the airport on Thursday evening, Roxy told Sophie the planning meetings at Channel 8 and with the university team were increasing. 

"There will be a media conference at the university next Wednesday to announce the joint project and they want us all there. You are invited of course, well Sally insists you be there and suggests you accept the title of team coordinator."

"Paying me to go is enough. I don't need a title."

"The legal advice is that you do and Sally says with two camera crews the need for coordination increases and if the media ask who does that woman do, Sally wishes to avoid saying you are in the team to hold my hand."

"Oh right, I accept that could embarrass Sally. Very well then. At least it's better than camp mother."

Roxy raised an eyebrow and asked, "What does that mean?"

"I think it's used in England to describe the senior woman in charge of a camp of children or teenagers."

"I'll tell Sally you prefer the title of camp mother."

"Don't you dare. At least that will expand my interest in the project. I can't see you requiring much hand-holding."

Roxy ignored that.

"You must be excited to have your children home?"

"Yes I'm really delighted. But they are adult children, Rebecca is twenty-five and Jon twenty-seven."

"Really, then how old are you?"

"Forty-seven. God you are rude."

Fluttering her eyelids, Roxy looked across at her driver and said, "I wouldn't have thought you were a day over forty."

Sophie smiled, "Oh you are such a charming child Roxy."

While Jon was coping with his mother's hug and kisses, Rebecca said rather sharply, "Dad says my mother has practically adopted you."

"Well that's something you should discuss with your mother. Are you always this unfriendly?"

"Well I... ah god no, you must think I'm horrid. I just get a little up tight at times."

"At such times you should try visualizing lambs gamboling across lush spring pasture."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter."

Rebecca said anxiously, "Oh but it does. Tell me what you mean?"

"Oh it was just a thought. Perhaps I was thinking if you switch your mind off from the problem and then re-connect, you might have a stronger connection and be better able to cope."

"Have you been talking to mom about me?"

"No and why should she when you and I have never met?"

"Well I... I think what you've just said is rather profound and I think I ought to try it. Mom said you've got it."

"Got what?"

"Um I don't really know what mom means. You may call me Becky is you wish. My friends call me Becky. I talk to mom a lot on the phone and you'll know that. I have to say she's been so happy since you came to live in our house and it's awesome that you are taking her to Italy with the team."

Sophie came over to them. "Well you two, you are getting to know one another? Jon has gone to collect your checked-in bags."

"Mom although Becky hasn't been to college, she's just told me something to try when I get into tight situations and my mind runs awry. I think it might work for me. She denies you've told her I over-stress at times."

"That's true darling, we have not discussed you other than in a cursory manner."

Rebecca said excitedly, "Then she does have it?"

"Have what dear? Oh Jon is waving to us. He has the bags already."

Jon took the keys from his mother and asked Roxy to sit beside him.

As they drove from the airport he said, "Becky says our dad told her mom has practically adopted you."

"Well that's something for you to discuss with your mother."

The two females on the back seat who'd been chatting had stopped in mid-conversation and Rebecca said, "That's exactly the fob off I got to that question."

"Becky please, it's no fob off. I have no idea what's in your mother's mind unless she reveals it. She's taken me under her wing, that's all but if you are concerned about your father's take on the situation then do as I suggested, discuss it sometime with your mother, in private.

"Mom we want to hear the truth."

Roxy sighed.

"My dear children, Roxy was in a tight spot and I befriended her, that's all. I'm sure at her age she's not seeking adoption and she probably doesn't need me now she's building up some new friendships."

Jon asked, "Then why are you going with her to Italy for two months?"

"Because Roxy was pushed into this very important role of presenter in a $2 million filming project when she had yet to work up to become a presenter. The people involved wanted her because she is familiar with the region and Italian fluently, has had some acting experience and speaks well. The pressure was applied and she finally agreed to accept the role providing I went as part of the team as her confidante."

"Is that all, then what's the big deal?"

"I have no idea Rebecca; you appear to be the one who's concerned."

"Oh mom and Roxy, I'm sorry to have over-reacted on this."

"It's fine dear, Sophie chuckled. ""I guess you should have communicated your concern and we could have discussed it before you became so uptight about it."

"I didn't know about gamboling spring lambs then."

"Pardon me?"

"It's okay mom. I was just thinking aloud."

"Becky and Jon, why don't you come to Italy and visit your mother on location? We will be filming at the height of the vacation season. I'm sure by then I've have saved money on my higher pay scale and can contribute towards the cost of your travel."

Jon spluttered, "You are prepared to subsidize our travel?"

"Yes and why not? Your mother and father have been very good to me taking me into their home until just recently when I moved into my own small apartment. Kindness needs to be repaid with kindness and your mother would love having you over there with her for a few days and it's expected your father will visit us at some stage."

"Roxy that is an awesome offer but Jon and I are financially independent and if we take up the offer to join up with you and mom in Italy, we are confident about paying our own way. God I can now see why mom adores you Roxy, you are so lovely."

"Thank you Becky. What are you doing tonight?"

"I've arranged to hang out with a group of my friends."

"And what do you have planned Jon?"

"Nothing. May I hang out with you?"

"Oh that would be lovely. I have been invited to a small party and everyone else will be there as couples. It's at Sally Brookes' apartment. She's an assistant professor and leader of our team going to Italy."

"Oh great, I know Sally because she coached us in volley-ball. I graduated from Chesterfield with my master's in computer science. I bet this Italian venture has something to do with her pitching for promotion to an associate professorship and it will be hugely important to her. Is it about Italian culture?"

"Yes the project was announced at a news conference at the university on Wednesday. Your mother and I and everyone else connected with the project were there but only one person from the media turned up, a radio journalist, and a Channel 8 news team of course. Oh it was such an embarrassment and the university PR department would have had to deal with an enraged Sally. Fortunately I have become friendly with a senior reporter on the morning newspaper and she interviewed Sally at length yesterday for a feature that was published in this morning's newspaper. Sally is so relieved "

At 3:00 on Sunday morning Sophie called and said she was worried about Jon because he hadn't come home.

"He's here with me at home."

"Is he okay? When at university he used to drink himself legless."

"He's fine. He couldn't have banged me like he did and being that drunk."

"Oh darling, you have such a delicate way of putting things."

They laughed and Sophie said, "Bring him home for lunch darling. His father and I would like to spend more time with him. Um you could stay the night if you wish."

"What about the noise?"

"What noise? Oh no, don't answer that," Sophie giggled. "It will be okay. I'll put you two in the guest room." 

* * *

When the doco team left for Rome, the departure was covered by a Channel 8 news camera crew and some sixty family and friends of the eight team members waved them off. Becky, who'd become very friendly with Roxy, came home for the departure and hugged and kissed his mother and wished her well on her big adventure and when kissing Roxy goodbye whispered, "Please try to keep mom away from nasty old lecherous Italian men."

"But you're okay if she turns to sexy clean-looking young Italian men?"

Red-faced Becky nodded, giggling.

During the eight weeks away, Roxy and Sophie became even closer in their relationship and one evening as they watched the sun disappear behind distant hills, Sophie reached across from her deckchair to take Roxy's hand.

"This is as good as it gets. I'm so sad I don't have the depth of relationship with my own children I have with you."

"You'll know better than I do you can only go so far to improve relationships," Roxy sighed, and added, "It takes both sides to develop the quality of such bonding. You know your big chance will come if or I should say when either of them is responsible for making you a grandmother."

"That's true," Sophie nodded and said she looked forward to that event. "Well how do you think you are going?" 

"I suppose I have to say I've been very disappointed but that's most due to my own inexperience. I'd thought it will be full on for me and everything would go smoothly. I hadn't expected the long periods of inaction as we waited for equipment to be set-up or dismantled, as we waited for weather to clear or the natural lighting to be just right, the foul-ups of people not arriving for interviews despite being confirmed but I'm getting used to it."

"Why did you push Steven away? At the start you two were all over one another?"

"Well he wasn't only humping his camera around. One afternoon when it was raining and you'd gone off to get supplies I found him humping Sally."

"The randy wretch."

"Who do you mean?"

"Why Steven of course."

"Your comment fits both of them. That night I told him to stay away from me. He didn't like it but I have maintained cordial relations with them."

"Oh here come Steven and Sally now from reviewing today's footage," Sophie said. "They both look unhappy."

Sally snarled, "Forty percent of today's shooting is sub-standard. We'll have to remain here and re-shoot those two interviews. The sound is crap and the lighting failed to measure up consistently."

"That's fine," Roxy said and they watched Steven trudge off.

"He's apologized for taking the guys off to quaff wine last night," Sally said. "It turned out the venue was a night club and the entertainment was so good and women wanted to dance with them they found time just ran away on them."

"Men!" snorted Sophie sympathetically and received a warm smile from Sally.

"Why don't we three go out tonight together and keep away from men," Roxy suggested and Sally said great idea providing Sophie joined them. "We'll want one responsible person with us, eh Roxy?" 

The team of nine including the Italian liaison officer had four Campervans, three 24-feet long and a 28-foot one that the three senior camera crew, cameramen Steven n and Roy Schmitt and the sound tech/grip Rory Miles used as their base and it included a fire-proof safe to store video tapes, logs and releases, Sally's scrip and copies and storyboards. Every day or so Sophie took the tapes to a properly equipped city processor to be copied. She'd retain the copy and deposit the original with a forwarding company in a reputable international courier network for delivery to Channel 8 for professional editing and storage. Sophie usually did that either calling a cab or riding one of the team's four bicycles and carrying the precious tapes in a backpack and had an additional strap buckled around her waist.

Sophie only became lost once in making those drops by cycle whereas she'd expected to often get lost but she did carry a map. She was delighted to find her Italian was improving enormously. 

The practice was to group the vans in a line on location and always have a team member on watch. Throughout the time they were in Italy two of the guys had their wallets stolen when they were drunk and Sally had the bicycle she'd used to go shopping stolen and that was replaced. Even more important, all the consignments of video tapes got through to Channel 8.

After two weeks Sally offered to replace Sophie as the bicycle courier but the reply was, "No way, keep the guys doing their jobs. This is something important I can do and I feel I'm making a valuable contribution."

As it turned out the Italian liaison officer Camilla Rossini proved to be the anchor for the team and she'd been helped to gain ascendency in that role by Sophie and those two became good friends. The pressure of her heavy responsibilities kept Sally the team leader on edge and her behavior at times became very erratic. Fortunately she recognized the leadership qualities of the hawked-nosed but easy-going Camilla, a 48-year old mother of three adult children and could see that the men jumped when Camilla snorted at them. 

Throughout the time in Italy, none of the team became aware that the business-oriented professional Sophie called the shots and Camilla barked out orders or gentle admonishments as required to keep the group operating as a team. 

Steven found Sophie drew well and sketched faster than anyone else and he began using her to draw the sequence by sequence of next day's shoot as a storybook. At times Steven and Sophie would disappear and that raised eyebrows but of course nothing was said; all in the group were adults.

The arrival in Florence after that day's delay because of reshooting was not the majestic entry that Sally, Roxy and Camilla had spoken about and excited other members of the team.

The plan had been to enter the city at dawn but that entry was delayed six hours because an engine part for one of the vans failed to arrive the previous day but was delivered overnight.

The convoy sighted the city from elevation early afternoon. Being the height of the tourist season the roads were clogged. When the vehicles became separated the passengers in each vehicle heard by phone where the lead vehicle was waiting for them to regroup. It was a very hot day and the air was still and dust and smoke dulled expectations somewhat but that first view that charged up the team about the charm and magnificence of Florence when all eyes focused on the magnificent and famous reddish/orange dome of the Florence Cathedral. Despite the hazy atmosphere, the dome gave the impression of being pristine.

After late lunch then convoy went up into the Florentine hills to a campground park called Camping Michelangelo. A few minutes after they team began settling in Rory the sound technician called to everyone to follow him and then went to a clearing at the edge of the camp and saw the city spread out below them some 5 km away. Sally pointed out some of the great buildings of the city, some several hundred years old.

"We are looking at the cradle of the Renaissance," Sally said softly and the team, all immersed in their mission since their arrival in Italy, looked down at Florence in silence as if in awe until Steven said, "I think we should set-up for some night filming here this evening. The sky is clearing and the breeze will probably die by nightfall."

They quickly learned it was nightmarish maneuvering campervans in the crowded city and went to locations in one vehicle, Sophie remaining behind to be on guard around the other three vehicles until the others returned and then she got a break until it was time to take the tapes to be copied and dispatched. Quite often the camera crew was back by midday, filming early morning in the galleries before they opened to the public but then remaining to catch some crowd scenes looking at the treasures and as the guides spoke to Italian parties in their language, Roxy the presenter would translate on camera.

The team remained in Florence for three weeks and only had Sundays off. There was so much to do and as Sally knew from the outset, nothing could be rushed in Italy and so she'd planned for filming to be slow progress and it worked pretty well.

One evening in the second week they were in Florence, Roxy was playing cards with Larry Charles the lighting tech, Sophie and Camilla Rossini when she received a call.

"Hi it's Nick Robbins. I've arrived and am at the Montebello Splendid here in Florence."

"Omigod, Sally will be excited. Um why are you calling me instead of Sally?"

"Her phone is not on. She'd given me your phone number."

"Oh dear, Sally is out for the evening with a couple of the crew," Roxy lied, aware Sally had sloped off unabashed with Steven, announcing it probably would be very late before they returned. "If her phone's off I can't see how you can contact her. They will be bar hoping and dining and then probably going to a club or two."

"Then you come and have dinner with me somewhere."

"Why?"

"Because I have no wish to dine alone on my first night in Italy."

"Then come up here to our camping ground. We haven't eaten yet."

Nick said, "A camping ground, not thanks. Please Roxy, be a lovely darling."

She weakened.

"Just a minute."

Roxy took Sophie aside seeking advice and she groaned when Sophie smirked and said, "It's only dinner darling and just think accepting could be good for your career."

That was sufficient to totally collapse Roxy's resistance. She hadn't had a man touch her for neigh on three weeks, so perhaps just a kiss from Nick would be fine. Just a kiss? Roxy shivered in excitement and yawned and said to Sophie then she better go and meet Nick.




Rise of Roxy Ch. 03



"Go and really relax Roxy, He's quite a nice guy, I think."

Roxy called a cab and dressed in a red jacket and longish black skirt and sandals after doing her make-up and reach the camp office as her cab arrived. A couple wondered if they could share the cab and Roxy agreed and the German guy thanked her in excellent English and said he'd pay.

Roxy gave instructions to the cabbie where she wished to go and said curly she was Italian and he was to take her straight there and not to drive the cheat-the-tourist route. She recognized the foul words the driver muttered.

Nick must have been on the lookout because as soon as she alighted from the cab and said goodbye to the Germans he was racing to her and calling, "Roxy my Roxy" and that quite excited her and she didn't mind being heavily hugged and kissed and somehow he managed to get a thigh between hers and pushing it in firmly.

Oh god, she almost wheezed and weakly thought about suggesting having a drink in his room.

But Nick released her and said they should find a bar, preferably one not inhabited by Sally.

Eh?

She said they should walk for a bit as where they were was crowded. Where are we dining?"

"The Ristorante il Profeta on Borgognissanti."

"God you were lucky to get in there on Saturday night. Come, this way."

"A fistfull of dollars to the duty guy managing the concierge did the trick and within two minutes he gave me a print-out of the reservation."

"Oh very good. As we walk further up here we'll find bars inhabited by more locals than tourists."

"But not Sally?"

"I don't think so. They prefer to hang out at the watering holes favored by tourists."

"Oh excellent. If she saw me she'd want to manage my evening."

"Well she's your girlfriend isn't she?"

"Just one of the women I date but she acts as if she'd the only one."

Roxy smiled and said didn't they all and Nick smiled and called her very smart.

"Tell me, how's the project going?"

"Slowly and it's a real slog but Sally tells us it's going to plan and she doesn't look troubled and so we believe here. I have loved been here and being immersed into Italian life again but I would not wish to be involved in such a grueling project like this again. The stifling heat -- it's been up to 85 degrees some days -- and the number of people who've obstructed us or people who arrive late or even fail to show make it so frustrating. By we all feel we are getting there. The one thing this has done for me is to open the door to see treasures and meet people I would never had accessed had I been a regular tourist."

"Well that's something. Here's a bar, shall we try it?"

"Yes, it doesn't appear too crowded."

Roxy sat contentedly at the bar sipping and aperitif and chatting while in part of her mind was wondering whether she should fuck Nick when he pressed her later in the evening because that would mean being disloyal to Sally. Sally was a bit of a cow but on this project she and Sophie was the two stable things in Sally's life in this foreign part of the world.

Later in the evening Nick pushed her to have sex with him and she said no, that she felt it necessary to be loyal to Sally. 

He smiled but Roxy could see he was seething and struggling to remain polite and pretending it didn't matter. She flagged down a cab and kissed him and whispered when kissing him, "It doesn't really matter Nick, it's only a fuck" and he appeared quite shaken. Perhaps it was trhe first time he'd even been turned down like this, except perhaps by his mother.

God she was becoming awful thinking like that, Sophie giggled as they cab drove along the crowded street. And why hadn't he pressed her to change her mind? Oh god, she'd lost her sex appeal. Roxy began to feel ready to weep but she thought she was better off with Nick not being in her life. Nick Robbins was addicted to fuck every female that captivated him. God what a dog.

A week later Robert Scott arrived in Florence without Rebecca and Jon and said both had decided to accept other offers back home for summer vacation.

Everyone in the camp thought it was wonderful about Robert and Sophie. They appeared to be having a second honeymoon. They couldn't leave each other alone and frequently just disappeared off to rest, only to arrive back looking tired but very satisfied.

Nick stayed away from the camp and Sally had to go to him to socialize. But he visited them on locations on three days and took everyone to a lovely outdoor dinner venue on each occasion and that made him very popular. He and Roxy remained reasonably friendly.

The day Nick returned home, Roxy said to Sally, "I think we are all beginning to think about getting back home."

"Yes I know but we still have twenty-two days left to run."

Roxy said, "Why don't we work four more hours extra each day to allow us to go home early and \catch the peak of summer with friends and family?"

"Well Sophie wouldn't be keen being longer away from her lover than necessary."

"Then tell her to take off with Robert and tour Italy. You give Sophie her ticket to change to the time to suit her to go home with Robert and we all can share the jobs she's been doing."

Sally chewed that over and then said it would mean modifying twenty-two days of scheduling. She initially had screwed up her face, horrified at the thought, but Roxy said she could assist and saw Sally's expression gradually relax but something told her Sally was unhappy about the suggestion and said, "Then don't do it."

Sally sighed deeply, "We've been averaging 7.5 hours a day the last three weeks from the time we leave camp until we return and another four would only make that ten but that would be pushing the crew too hard. No I cannot approve your proposal because the crew would become tired and tense and we'd cut corners and claim that reshoots were not necessary. Those twenty-two days include two spare days in case anything goes really wrong. No let's stick to schedule but that was a good idea Roxy and hey, let's take up on your suggestion to give Sophie a five-day break including our usual day off of Sunday so she and Robert can take off somewhere."

Roxy agreed that was a good idea and said she admired Sally for 'sticking to the script' to ensure the doco received full professional consideration and was given priority over everything else.

The days really dragged for Roxy while Sophie was away and a day after she and Robert returned he left for home and Roxy and Sophie were immediately as close as they'd ever been.

Sophie talked about her time away and obviously it was time well spent, but on that first evening after Robert had left for America, Sophie said something really amazing, well at least it amazed Roxy. She said, "I'm really surprised Roxy to find out during the last ten days just how much I really love my husband and having him near and dear to me."

"God you've fallen in love again."

Sophie thought about that and then said, "Yes I have, I really have."

They laughed and hugged and Roxy thought that was the most inspiring intimate moment she'd ever experienced, or more correctly the most inspiring one she could remember experiencing.

The days ticked over and then suddenly that was it, time to pack up and Sophie returned from sending off the last consignment of original film. Next morning while Steven's crew were packing up and returning hired equipment by courier, he phoned the dimensions of the tins of film to the dispatch firm and with Roxy interpreting, ordered the type of packaging including linings he required. They later went out to the airport freight depot and Steven packed the film himself into the crate, with Roxy checking off each spool.

It was quite straightforward as the company was used to shipping film but Steven was nervous to ensure he had everything right with this copy of everything and it would be sent to Sally's university for storage well away from the original film in case of any disaster.

Sally took all the crew and some of the support people in Florence to a restaurant dinner on the team's last night in Florence and they had a swell time. Although filming had turned into a relentless grind, so much of the work being repetitive, people having to stand a long time hanging about and all the other irritations that plague camera crews, everyone knew they had been up close and almost personal with some of the greatest artworks on the planet and some of the greatest scholars and custodians of such great art. 

They all made a little speech and Roxy spoke about the time they were filming early in the piece in Rome in perfect light and everything was ticking over nicely when woman two floors of an apartment building above them yelled they were making too much noise, that her baby was sleeping. They waved at her but otherwise ignored her and suddenly she doused the crew and one of the cameras with a baby's bath full of water. Fortunately the camera was idle at the time and had a protective cover over it.

A little drunk, tears rolling and hitherto having had little interest in art, chief cameraman Steven Bahns spoke almost eloquently about his first glimpse of the original statue of David. For a few moments as he sat others in the party thought privately of some of their treasured moments.

However there was no sadness next day when they packed to drive back to Rome to return the vehicles and to pack for their flight home. 

* * *

The movie team separated at their home airport. Robert had arrived to collect Sophie and Roxy who asked to be dropped off at her apartment because it was obvious the older couple were rarin' to rip off each other's clothes.

Roxy's apartment looked tiny and colorless and not at all suitable for a woman who now considered herself a rising star, although rising over what and when that would happen, she had no idea. Obviously it was time to negotiate a contract for a new job or move on. Roxy didn't think it was necessary to move on just because Nick Robbins held the helm of the company. She decided however that she would not be fodder for Nick who'd probably screw the leg off a table, given half a chance. She giggled and fell onto bed, not unpacking, not even showering. She was just so tired and so lonely.

She yawned.

There was a knock on the door.

Roxy found she had two callers, Miss Irene Sharpe, a librarian in her early forties and Mrs Robyn Tom who was estranged from her husband and two adult children for having had two tumultuous affairs that had broken up those two families.

"Hi Roxy welcome home. Irene and I have missed seeing your pretty face around here and missed your musical greetings. You'll be tired after your arduous assignment and then turning around and coming all that way back home."

"Yes we have brought you soup and a plate of meatballs," Irene said, as they put the food on the table.

"But I haven't known you two as friends," Roxy who are mentally and physically fatigued squawked, and weeping grabbed both women and hugged them.

"There, there, you have been working too hard, drinking too much and having too much sex," cooed Robyn. 

"Or you have been reading too many books," Irene suggested.

"Here sit darling and get some nourishment into you," Robyn said. "God girl you are all skin and bone. You'll lose those great breasts of yours until you keep on ingesting protein."

"Robyn you should talk so personally to Roxy like that. She could be offended."

"God Irene, where I grew up men grab your tits and hips to assess whether you're worth taking to bed."

"Omigod Roxy," tell me about that, Irene practically panted.

"Irene she is teasing. For every man the world over who likes a plump women like you and me there are at least two how like them to be just well covered and half a guy who likes to rattle against bones."

"Omigod Robyn, tell me more."

Roxy laughed and told Robyn to fetch a bottle of red wine from the pantry and three glasses.

Late next morning Roxy awoke to find everything had been cleared away and the studio apartment looked spotless. After she'd fallen asleep at the table the women must have put her to bed, stripped down to her underwear, and they then had cleaned everything. God what friends to have.

She rested the next two days, sleeping and window shopping and walking in the park. The thought, however, was unstoppable, but Roxy was happy to just allow it to wash over her at times as they thought of Robyn and Irene benevolently. When she was ready, but not for months or possible for a few years, she would begin working on a doco simply called, Lonely Women, whether they were married, separated, divorced or unmarried, living in palatial homes or doss houses, she'd find them and write their story. The ugly part was she'd probably have to go to Nick Robbins for finance for her year to research and write and then to pay for the filming.

No, there was an alternative. She'd write a novel based on fact because those women could tell their story better than any author could invent them. Then if successful she'd get her agent to find a proper filmmaker.

Oh yes! She could begin the research while working and write up chapters while still working and take off next summer to write the novel.

Yes!

At the end of that second day at home, Roxy dressed neatly and a cocktail time called on Uncle Tom and Aunt Anne Baxley.

They were at home and Tom was still in his suit, obviously just home, when he answered the door.

"Yes ma'am?" he said politely, stared and said, "Omigod it's Roxy. Good girl, you are all skin and bones. Um may I hug you?"

"Of course and kiss me and feel a breast and find not everything is skin and bones."

He hugged and kissed but didn't fondle and smiling said, "Well obviously your arduous sojourn in Italy has not robbed you or your humor. Come in."

"Anne," he yelled. "Guess who's coming to dinner."

She came bustling out smiling and that changed into a wondrous smile when she saw who it was.

"Oh darling Roxy," she said and immediately lost her smile and it was all tears as Roxy's late mother's only sister raced in to hug her niece. The Baxley's had a son and daughter, both with children, but Roxy was Anne's only remaining link with her side of the family apart from Roxy's father who'd abandoned her.

The Baxley's had been to a law conference in Florence several years earlier and over drinks were intensely interested to hear about Roxy's Italian experiences.

"Did you get opportunity to have sex?"

"Tom!"

Roxy giggled and added bits about her sexual adventures and some of the hilarious situations some of the men found themselves and her aunt and uncle really enjoyed that and to hear of Robert's arrival in Florence and how he and Sophie appeared to fall in love all over again.

Later when Roxy was assisting to serve dinner, Anne said, "You know of course that Sophie and Tom had a torrid affair when our children were small?"

Roxy gaped and Anne said, "But you must have? You are Sophie have become very close and you were the reason why she went to Italy to support you."

"Aunt Anne, Sophie has never so much as hinted at that. I never knew, honest."

"Call me Anne dear. Your twenty-seventh birthday is coming up soon. Well I always knew Sophie was discreet but I'm really am surprised she is that discreet."

"She's really a beautiful person and has been somewhat like a mother..."

"I know darling and just forget I mentioned it. Sophie has been my best youngest friends for a great number of years, practically since I confronted her over the liaison. She stood firm and made no attempt to lie, she just said she'd resign her position in the morning. But I said no, it wasn't necessary, all I wanted was for her to leave my husband alone. She said she promised and left me standing, and I could hear her sobbing as she left. I knew then she meant what she said."

"The next day I received a hugely expensive bouquet of flowers and all the note said was 'Sorry' but I knew it was from Sophie. Shortly after that she married Robert, on the rebound I suppose. We went to the wedding and I chose the moment to say to her quietly that the beautiful bride was forgiven and thereafter our friendship developed. Actually as strange as it might seem, my true friendship with Sophie makes her one of the few true friends I feel I really have. I've been rather a lonely person all my life."

"Omigod what a beautiful story. Will you allow me to incorporate it in my novel; nothing that could lead back to you of course... oh god, how callous of me."

"Now it's fine dear. Don't mention anything about me at the table but during dinner I'll ask have you any project in mind and perhaps you'll mention the book. I'd be most interested to hear about it."

During dinner when Anne asked what did Roxy plan to do apart from building a career at the TV station, Roxy told them how two women came to her door with soup and meatballs."

"Until then I hadn't realized there were women in that apartment building who were interested in becoming friendly with me. Most of the studio apartments are occupied by solo women. I was touched by their gesture although I was dead tired from travel and the wind-down of our expedition and as we talked I realized how lonely the three of us were. During the next couple of days I thought I might try to write a novel about lonely women and call it be that name unless that title has been protected."

"Good idea and I could be that title searched for you," said Tom.

"Thanks Tom. And feeling that loneliness with Sophie as my only real friend made me remember I have kin, that that's what drew me back here. I'm not unlike my father am I, I abandoned you guys?"

"Rubbish you became under stress after making a wrong choice of guy and you became consumed with re-establishing yourself," Anne said.

"Anne this might seem unacceptable to you but in retrospect I have to accept Gerry became a launch pad for me, although a rather tatty launch pad. He was looking for sex and I was looking for a way out of the general office doing practically nothing, and as a team I believe we both got something out of it, me particularly because I feel I was pushed back on track. Actually the sex was much better than other people might have realized."

"Really Roxy..."

"Oh come on Anne, be prepared to believe what I say about Jerry. He's probably the loneliness man I've ever met but he really knows how to please a woman in bed. Come on smile."

Anne attempted to smile and failed.

"Come on Anne, he even surprised me. He was good for something approaching six hours on that first encounter."

"Oh god," Anne laughed and Tom and Roxy joined in and Anne had to wipe her eyes after laughing so much.

"You come as a burst of light into our lives," Anne said and Tom agreed.

Later when Roxy prepared to leave Tom said, "Roxy Anne and I have a bit of a traditional for having Sunday roast at midday and invite other couples who are friends and acquaintances. We are wondering if you would join us regularly, either by yourself or with a female or male companion? We'd really like that and know that you'd be entertaining."

"Why yes, I'd really love that whenever I can managed it."

"Kiss Roxy and off you go Tom, I wish to speak to her intimately."

As Tom headed to the Entertainment Centre Anne said, "Darling you are to come to me if ever you are troubled, do you hear? I'm kin."

"Yes I will and thank you."

"And this book, if you wish to take time off from work to write or research it or to defray expenses I can come up with the money."

"Oh no, I couldn't expect..."

"It's your money darling. It is a trust established by my parents and when your mother, being older than me died, I took over as trustee and then both our parents died. You are a beneficiary of the trust. I have all the money I need and so don't withdraw anything from the trust. Your sister tuned thirty this year and when Clara was contacted about beginning to withdraw her annual share of the trust she legally renounced her rights to the trust. Your sister says her husband and family are wealthy and you will be in greatest need of the money."




Rise of Roxy Ch. 03



"Omigod, I must write and thank her. She is in Russia with Carlo and their two children at present as Carlo is in charge of a natural gas project and they will be there another six months. That's why we couldn't meet up when I was in Italy."

"Well you begin drawing from the trust in three years from now but I have the authority to make special grants to up to to $10,000 a month."

"Well I'll think about it and am extremely grateful for your generosity Anne. You are so kind."

"It's what your grandparent would have wanted me to do darling. You must remember you are only knocking at the door in regards to building a career in TV and many people who make a promising start never go the full distance."

"Well I'm not completely sold on TV as a career. It ties one down like most jobs."

"Then wait till you're thirty and then rethink your future. You could easily afford to pay off the loan on a smallish business from your annual income from the trust."

That all of this was news to Roxy. She hadn't been aware of the existence of the trust. She decided not to ask how much capital was in the trust just in case the thought of the money, if it was a great deal, could seduce her. Her aunt didn't volunteer that information and Roxy was pleased about that.

She decided to take an extra day off to return to the TV studio really refreshed. She'd already called Mal Johns to say she was back safe and well and he greeted her warmly and said to come in once she was rested, that it had been decided by management for Roxy to continue drama training under Mrs Smith's expertise in the meantime.

"Am I not to be offered a contract as a presenter?"

Mal hesitated and said could he say something very confidential.

"Yes of course."

"Okay and don't let this go to your head. The senior management team considered Mrs Smith's report and those of us who've had dealings with you added our buck's worth. Mrs Smith's advice that you'd be wasted as a presenter was adopted. When she has finished with you I'm to introduce to into support roles in drama and then we see where you go from there."

"But I have had no drama training to speak of. Oh this could be a disaster."

"Take it easy Roxy. According to Mrs Smith you take up direction faster and more thoroughly than anyone who's ever taken up an acting role in our studios and according to Mrs Smith you have huge instincts that guide you to do the right thing."

Roxy laughed. "Mal that's such a laugh and I'll tell you something confidential. I left the law firm I'd been working for before I ended up here because I'd had a heavy affair with a guy who was in a trial separation with his wife. He came close to ruining his own career because of messing with me."

He laughed and said, "We are only human."

More to Come



Rise of Roxy Ch. 04



Mrs Smith looked up as Roxy entered and said, "It's about time you showed up."

"Then if I'm not welcome I'll go."

The tutor shuffled papers and muttered, "And how would that rebellious comment look on my report?"

"Oh so you spy for your masters?"

"I've heard you referred to as a hot little bitch. Silly me I thought that referred to your acting ability."

Roxy grinned and said then Mrs Smith should do her job and ensure Roxy was steered in the right direction to earn accolades for her acting ability. "I put in the work, I listen and respond to you and I attempt to attain your high standards."

"That you do darling, and perhaps you are the only actor with ability I've ever had who puts in 101% efforts and laps up my guidance so diligently. I should be grateful to have you."

"So since when have you recognized I have ability?"

Mrs Smith sighed and scolded herself, "Oh Mary, sometimes you open your mouth once too often."

"Is your name Mary?"

"God girl, before you went to Italy you used to engage in interesting conversation. We should turn back the clock. Come on, we are going to have a look at production in Studio A. You take the part as guest actor next week as an imposter to claims to be Lionel Dearborn's illegitimate daughter conceived twenty-four years earlier when he was an art student roaming Italy the summer after her graduated from art school. I requested the walk-on role be written especially for you so that my masters, as you call them, can ascertain whether you have what it takes or whether you should be banished to become a weathergirl.

"Omigod, Mrs Smith, Mary, you are brilliant."

Roxy rushed into Mrs Smith and hugged and kissed her, with Mrs Smith saying not to pester her like that and to stop smudging her lipstick.

"That stuff you smear over your lips isn't lipstick; it's a coating to suggest you have blood in your veins."

Mrs Smith cackled and said Roxy was such an idiot.

"I've never known anyone to take liberties with me like you do and get away with it."

"Not even Mr Smith?"

"No, especially not Mr Smith. God there you go again encouraging me to talk about my husband when it's well known I don't talk about him here at work."

"Mrs Smith you really ought to relax more and not be dictated by behavioral rules. Now come with me before you forget what we were about to do. You'd said we were going to Studio A."

Mrs Smith cackled and said, "Come with me you delinquent."

The stage crew was changing a set so the actors were hanging about. As soon as Mrs Smith entered Bert Clew rushed over and said, "Hi Mrs Smith." 

"Good morning Lambert," she said and he winced. "How is your stage mother?"

"Well tempered today for a change," he grinned. "Hi Roxy, you are to play against me. Perhaps I should explain..."

"That you play the suave Lionel Dearborn, a hugely successful art dealer with a weakness for weak women. Your off-stage wife is Veronica who actually is an art dealer and your children are Mike who is fourteen and blonde bombshell Lilac is a four-year-old and your on-stage wife is Merrill Stone who is a philistine when it comes to art, her only interest being 'how much'. Your charismatic on-stage mother is veteran character actress Vivienne Hall is having a real ball playing this part because she loves verbal fighting and this script for The Dearborn Family was written for her and your character is a person who can't stand being told what to do. I think I should stop there."

Bert looked at Mrs Smith who shrugged

"So you are a regular viewer and read the women's gossip magazines."

"Not really on both counts. The TV drama drags too much for my taste and I glance at women's mags to keep up to date. No when I received a job at this TV station I researched all the regular productions just in case I was placed with any of them and I read up on all the regular actors, presenters and anchor people on news. That sort of stuff."

"That's unbelievable."

"Well in the case of your series Lambert, I only told Roxy about her walk-on role with you guys fifteen minutes ago and she has been with me all the time since, so couldn't have gone off to cram up about your show."

"Jesus you ought to relax Roxy. You'll blow an artery if you keep up that pressure."

Bert introduced Roxy to regular members of the cast and to the producer Tony Hopkins who smiled and said he looked forward to working with her.

"Oh thank you and it's so interesting in meeting you. I had the part of Caroline at high school in your play The School Delinquents. Your interweaving of characters kept us on our toes and was good experience for us."

"Goodness, I'd almost forgotten I'd written that. I guess you were the only high school to perform it."

"I think we were the fourteenth school to have taken it to the stage."

"Good heavens."

As Bert took Roxy back to Mrs Hall she said, "Is Tony gay?"

Bert laughed and said, "You are rather bright Roxy" and she took that to be approval.

Back at the office Mrs Smith unlocked a drawer and took out two copies of the script for Episode 111 of The Dearborn Family to be filmed Wednesday and Thursday of next week, with Friday set aside as a spare day in case of problems.

"Well with probably less than ten minutes before the cameras I can't see myself being any problem to production efficiency."

Mrs Smith said, "You might care to substitute 48 minutes for ten minutes. The entire episode is shot around you and involving all the regular characters as you move in to disrupt their lives."

Roxy turned a little pale.

"Darling be not afraid," Mrs Smith smiled. "I described your personality, some characteristics including your shortness of attention span and liking for humorous interaction with touches of tease and your tendency to sniff and your habit of scratching under your left armpit to the team of three scriptwriters. Further, Tony Hopkins style is to lightly direct and I've told him to allow you to get on with it. So, all in all, this should be a real breeze for you."

"I sniff, oh god. And scratch under my arm like a drain layer and I have a short attention span. Omigod. No I'm not afraid Mrs Smith. You have me terrified."

"Right that's enough bellyaching. The episode opens with you looking across the street at Dearborn Art Gallery. When filming the crew place a temporary sign over the sign on Robinson Art Gallery on Walton Street. You walk into the gallery and ask the only occupant is he your father. The guy smiles and says that's unlikely because until three years ago he'd lived in South Africa and anyway he thought he was no more than fifteen years older that Zoë, which is the name of the character you will play."

"Oh god. I'm to play a dumb blonde."

"You are under immense pressure to confront the person you suspect is your father and make a reasonable error in confronting the person before identifying who he is. You won't be wearing a blonde wig so forget about dumb blondes. You will be a 25- year old natural chestnut beauty with a masters in cosmetic science and you drive a battered yellow Porsche." 

"Oooh and do I end up seducing Lionel Dearborn?"

"Oh if you find that offensive I could get the script changed."

"No Mrs Smith, that will be quite in character for Zoë I guess."

Roxy called Anne Baxley that evening and told her she had a part in The Dearborn Family next week that would screen on Saturday at 8:00.

"Omigod, Tom and I watch that series. How big a part?"

"Quite big. I gather it is the TV station trying me out in drama."

"Oh darling, this opportunity is so wonderful for you. Now just keep calm and do your best. I'll make sure we are home next Saturday and you must come for dinner at 6:00. Do you promise?"

"Yes that would be lovely Anne and the alternative would be to watch by myself. I will of course have seen previews but it's not the same as watching it on TV at home."

"Watching by yourself. Oh god darling that's not..."

"I'm off guys at the moment Anne. My career is on a boil right now. I am making friends with females and they tend to be less disruptive." 

* * *

"Is it the house with the big party?" asked the cabbie and they turned into Tom and Anne's street.

Roxy went to say no but then said yes. Oh no, Anne was determined to place her niece in the limelight.

Hired students were pouring and serving drinks and females in cute bunny costumes were serving nibbles. There were perhaps sixty people in both rooms.

"Hold up everyone, here's my niece," Anne shouted excitedly as she spotted Roxy coming in through the kitchen door.

"Everyone this is my niece Roxanne," she said. "It is a great honor to have Roxanne here as our special guest this evening when she will later unleash her acting talents on to us."

"Hi everyone, please call me Roxy," Roxy interrupted. "Please don't over-expect when you see the show. I was just lucky to be given the chance to jump in front of the cameras with a formidable team of actors and the support team who've carved out a special niche with their show, The Dearborn Family. I learned today that the show is currently being screen in thirteen countries and that's pretty awesome for a TV station based in this city. Thank you everyone for coming. I know that my aunt can be pretty persuasive. Now where's a drink?"

Later when everyone sat watching one of the two big screens as the show ran, it didn't require next day's TV critics to announce that Channel 8 has developed yet another new outstanding actor.

Roxy played the part of a feisty young woman on a mission dynamically, mostly with impeccable timing and expressions and as the hour-long (including ads) show progressed she endeared herself to viewers as she recovered from her initial bad showing to the Dearborn family to gradually win their respect and admiration for gaining an education and the start of a promising career for herself after being abandoned by her solo mom when she was seven years old and her mom took up with an older man who didn't like kids. Against the family's wishes, Zoë talked Lionel Dearborn into having a DNA test and that proved that no way could he have been her father although he admitted having had an affair with Zoë's mother when they were at art school together. 

Finally after three days super bitch, Lionel's mother, gave Zoë an attaché case full of money and ordered her out of the house. Zoë left town and when Lionel arrived home that evening he was furious with his mother for ordering Zoë out of the house. He calmed when his mother yelled she'd Zoë $20,000 but that relief turned to dismay a few minutes later when a courier called with the attaché case. Lionel grabbed the key off his mother and unlocked the case and held it up and out spewed bundle after bundle of $100 notes.

"Mother you are corrupt and heartless," he sobbed. "You attempted to buy off the only woman I've ever really loved. You have your damn money and at least Zoë found that I wasn't her father. Because of you I have a broken heart and that agony is I know I'll never have Zoë in my arms again."

"Oh get over it Lionel. Would you like coffee?"

Anne and most of her female friends were crying or at least looking somewhat shaken while the men were either looking awkward or grinning.

"Gee looking at those women," Roxy said to the group of men she was sitting with. "You'd not believe they had just been watching fiction TV."

"Was that on-screen sex real or phony Roxy?" asked a guy and a lively discussion followed.

There was a studio photo on the front page of the newspaper next morning of Roxy under the heading, 'Last Night's Magnificent TV Weep' and the lead story of the Entertainment section was: TV8's Roxy Lifts 'The Dearborn Family' Even Higher.

It really pleased Roxy to read that.

The huge smiles and cheery greetings Roxy received as she arrived at work thrilled her and she almost swaggered into Mrs Smith's office. She was informed, "Mr Smith really liked your performance and on the train coming here this morning I heard several people talking about your performance. You must be good."

"Mrs Smith as you know one swallow..."

"The mayor's wife, who happens to be my sister, called me not ten minutes ago to ask me to get you to be guest speaker at her annual fund-raising dinner."

"Oh no thanks, tell her no. I'm really not interested."

Roxy saw the horrified look on Mrs Smith's face and she did and abrupt switch. "On the other hand, I suppose I owe you a favor or two. Yes if the mayor's wife really wants me to speak I'll do it."

Mrs Smith's face ceased being so red.

She shuffled papers and said Mal wanted to see her.

"He's never in this early."

Mrs Smith sighed and said it was interesting to find Roxy now thought she knew how the TV station ran.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"It's Budget Meeting Day, the day twice a year when departments fight for a greater share of funding."

"I know I'm a wind-up model rather than a fully featured intelligent woman like you Mrs Smith but I fail to see how Budget Day has any link with me."

"Well some people around here dream and scheme and that why Drama is dubbed a creative art through and through, unlike Entertainment or News or Shows. Ever since the unedited shoots of Chapter 111 were thrown together the rush was viewed by Mal and his handpicked team and they were put to work once it was agreed you had it."

"Had what?"

"If you find someone who knows, then tell me sweetheart. In the meantime it means undefined qualities."

Roxy asked suspiciously, "Why are you calling me sweetheart?"

"I suppose I've become emotional and you'll know that simply is not me. I've always been successful with new talent and understudies and this time with you I know you have taken me over the bar."

"What bar?"

"Darling you just continue being nice and looking pretty and when a director says act you just act your little heart out. Off you go. Mal will be on edge as he and his select team have been working long hours on this."

"I suppose it's useless asking working on what and what is 'this'?"

"Off you go means exactly that you upstart."

Well Mrs Smith had really fired her up. Roxy walked off holding great expectations.

Mal looked at her and yawned. He looked terrible and reached for his coffee mug.

"No you don't," she yelled, snatching the mug from him and called to his PA.

She came running.

"Linda take this and please fetch me a hot towel and then go to the café and get a long glass of warm milk with the yolks of two eggs with the whites discarded whizzed into the milk and a dash of sweet chili sauce added and grab a big pot of plain yoghurt. I've had guys look like this when they've over-stretched on sex but Mal is just plain exhausted."

"Mal?"

"Do what she says," he said to the mother of two teenagers. "I've not known Roxy here to not know what she's doing. How do guys manage to get that much sex?"

Mrs Rogers looked very embarrassed at that comment and hurried off with the coffee mug.

"Roxy..."

"Ah-ah. First you drink a big glass of water."

"Whisky might be better for me."

"God your wife married an idiot. Now drink all this before you speak to me."

"But I never drink water."

"Mal do you want me to fetch Mrs Smith in here?"

Roxy stood behind his chair massaging his neck muscles while he drank noisily.

"God you must have been a real devil when you were a boy."

Turning his head, Mal beamed at her.

"When you finish with my neck you may start on my dick."

"I'm sorry Mal I can't touch you sexually out of respect for your wife."

He scowled and said she didn't know his wife.

"Yes and that's why I have so much respect for her."

"Eh?"

Linda hurried in a put down the milk and yoghurt and said in surprise, "Goodness you are looking better already. How has Roxy managed that?"

"She reminded me that I must have been naughty when I was a boy and reminded me to respect my wife."

"I don't understand Mal."

"I don't either and I don't know if even Mrs Smith really understands Roxy. But what she has and dishes out seems to work, doesn't it?"

"Well be a good boy and drink your milk. Roxy is stimulating you with protein and I wish I'd thought of doing that. Good girl Roxy."

"You two are a scream." Roxy laughed. "The studio should build a 30-minute Theatre around you two."

Mal and Linda looked at Roxy unsmilingly.

"What?"

"Who told you?" Mal asked. "Mrs Smith wasn't briefed fully and the proposal has been under tight security."

"Well if you give me some details I would know what we are talking about?"

"Close the door Linda and return and hold Roxy by the shoulders."

Roxy complained that Mal shouldn't waste his energy playing silly games.

Linda returned to stand beside Roxy, but not touching her.

"Nick Robbins has demanded we push you into something immediately while you are running hot."

"Me running hot? Mal we ought to get you medically examined. The only thing was those couple of pieces in this morning's Herald and..."

"Your office is half full of flowers already and..."

"Mal you are ranting. I don't have an office. I hang out with Mrs Smith."

Linda smiled, "You have an office now on the Production floor. It has its own shower and toilet. Radio talkback is going crazy about you this morning. It's been all about you for more than an hour on Radio Limelight. And you are to be Lola Young's guest at 10:00 on Channel 8 this morning."

"You guys are crazy," Roxy snorted. "Nothing happens that fast apart from vomit."

Linda shifted away from Roxy but Mal grinned. 

"That's my girl, expect the unexpected from Roxy," he said. "Linda, see how good she is off camera chatting spontaneously?"

"Yes but talking about vomit..."

"Yeah, originally spontaneous eh? It's a natural reflex with Roxy. She didn't say I looked over-exhausted from too long at the office. She likened it to a guy who'd ground into his woman one time too many and..."

"Yes, yes Mal. I get the picture. There's no need to embarrass me." 

"Oh my apologies Linda. Roxy you've obvious heard the whisper that we are planning a comic series with you in the lead role called simply The PA?"

Roxy appeared momentarily shocked and then ran before Linda could move to hold her. She raced around the desk, pulled Mal on his chair out from his desk\, sat on his knee and kissed him, all of that accomplished in flash action.

"Omigod, how did you accomplish that? Seconds ago you were standing here beside me."

"It just happens Linda and I'm not meaning to embarrass you. Do you sit on Mal's knee often?"

Catching the change in Linda's appearance, Roxy jumped off Mal's knee and yelled she was just joking. 

"You must think I'm a real slut Linda?"

Grasping her throat Linda said, "Well no. You are just a little too wild for me but actually I think you are very attractive and basically a really nice person."

"Oh Linda, thank you. That declaration means so much to me. You are very sweet." "I believe we've had enough femininity for just now. Roxy before I take this proposal to this morning's haggle meeting..."

"Yes Mal, I'll do it providing I can be myself, you know, sexy, a little foul-mouthed, provocative, whimsical and warm. The sort of stuff viewers warm to."

Mal nodded and said, "But what about the guys?"

"Just ensure that I appear before camera dressed to have them all wishing they could fuck me."

"Omigod," Linda groaned.

"Acting is all about make-believe Linda. I don't mean I wish to be dressed like a slut, just provocatively. That will be sufficient to hold male attention. As you know when they relax they become so uncomplicated."

Linda smiled weakly, nodding.

"Right boss show me the story line."

"How did you know we've got that far?"

"Well I don't believe you have become exhausted driving you people to get this proposal to presentation stage by sitting in that chair sucking your thumb."




Rise of Roxy Ch. 04



"God we won't require a script for you," Mal grinned, pulling out the story boards for the opening shoot of scene one of Episode 1"

As usual there was bitter infighting with bids for budget at the meeting.

When Mal began disclosing what he had lined-up and there was immediate opposition to sinking so much money in a situation comedy that was notoriously difficult to win continuing viewer support, Mal sighed and held up his hands as if surrendering. But looking at the CEO he said apologetically, "The chairman called to direct that we slot Roxy into something and to make sure we make it big."

"Well then," CEO Bette Hill smiled. "Now who wants to oppose the chairman?"

There was nothing more than a few mutterings.

"Mal if we are to really push it as our premier new show, we'll expect you to be thoroughly convincing."

"No problems Bette, Mal said reaching for the story boards. "My development team and I have been burning the midnight oil and our star has accepted proving she can look sexy and be her natural self, and that includes being a little foul-mouth. I suggest 9:00 to 9:30 on Wednesday would be a good spot, leaving prime spots for you other guys. Oh and you can expect the city to virtually came to a standstill at 9:00 on Wednesdays."

"But that's suicidal spot for a new show because that time is in the middle of Channel 7's hour-long popular pioneering series The McBride's," called someone and someone else said, and it was Channel 4's spot for the popular Bring Me a Celebrity Show.

"Yeah well leave it to Roxy and Brett Silver to make that half-hour their very own."

"Brett Silver, he doesn't have a funny bone in his body," snorted the director of Light Entertainment.

"That's true Julie and therefore brilliant casting, don't you think? Oh and we'll require a live audience during filming, no canned laughter." 

* * *

A couple of days before Mrs Smith and Roxy went to the charity dinner, Channel 8 announced details of its new comedy show to be launched in a month. 

Usually the media either toss away such news releases but the package came with a very sex photo of Roxy and the text contained comments such as "TV comedy is rarely spontaneously funny, at least not since the reign of 'I Love Lucy' when that was funny because there was nothing much else going on, says Roxy" and something even more alarming to the Channel 8 bosses, "I'm no comic but I do see the funny side of things so perhaps I'll fall on to my ass with this attempt and at least a couple of viewers might see that as being funny. But seriously the concept is good, my leading man is so dumb he has to be funny and we have damn good scriptwriters. If only I could read. You know I think I'm already kind of redundant to this show. I'm sending out this promo for our new show without submitting it to our bosses because they'll only veto it. Very unfunny bosses are, don't you think?" 

"Now what should I wear for my first show without hanging out of it. I'd appreciate someone writing to me at TV 8 to confirm whether or not PA babes wear panties."

Perhaps predictably, almost 200 letters landed in Roxy's office with several correspondents claiming they really liked the new show (it was yet to screen).

Mal came in and saw the pile of mail and immediately called the Channel 8's newsroom and asked Muriel Blake to come up to Production for a news story.

Muriel said haughtily, "Why bother, you guys never put anything of value of our way."

"Well how about this young lady? In a media release sent out two evenings ago and you guys ignored it, Roxy Reeves wrote asked whether or not PAs were panties. We have almost 200 letters up here and I thought..."

"I'm on my way with a cameraman Mr Johns."

On the night of the dinner before leaving to pick up Mrs Smith, Roxy watched in delight Muriel Blake's piece at the end of the news bulletin about Roxy Reeves' 200 letters. 

Muriel read extracts from three of the letters.

Pixie wrote she always went without panties on bad hair days and felt all the better for it. 

Anna wrote that she always wore long pants because her boss was ultra-frisky.

Sally wrote she wore short skirts and no panties to work but then she and her boss had been married for less than a month.

Rolling around on the sofa in laughter, Roxy scribbled a card thanking Muriel for her most entertaining crowd-stopper and placed it in the internal mailbox on the way out.

When the cab stopped to collect Mrs Smith, Roxy's coach said, "God did you see yourself in that newspaper photo. You weren't wearing a bra."

"Yeah well Muriel suggested I remove it and I didn't realize a nipple was all but popping out and neither she nor the photographer warned me."

"No I bet they didn't." 

Mrs Smith's sister came out to greet them and escorted them into the auditorium where there was a sit down dinner for 600 people.

The din of cheers and screams and clapping was deafening when the MC announced Miss Roxy Reeves' arrival.

As the official party was being seated, some fool yelled, "Are you wearing them tonight Roxy?"

Roxy jumped on to her chair and yelled, "You better not blink because I'll only do this once and super-fast." 

She lifted her short frilly skirt up and down with lightning speed and a pair of red lace panties flashed momentarily into view.

"Omigod," wheezed Mrs Roe, wife of the mayor and the charity host 

But it was fine. People were in good humor and gave Roxy noisy approval.

"I'm sorry Mrs Roe. I tend to be a frivolous person."

"You're fine Roxy, just listen to that crowd. You have them with you apart from the usual old prudes of course but I don't see anyone leaving. Please call me Kate. Mary tells me you are a real sweetheart."

"Well I'm a current promising product of the genius of your sister's ability to thoroughly prepare would-be actors."

"Yes everyone says she's the best drama coach around," Kate said. "That's scarcely surprising because all she appeared interested in doing when she was young was playing with her dolls, talking to them severely and making them act out parts she'd created for them."

The fund-raiser was for a mother and children refuge center and Roxy spoke about her own upbringing or rather was she called her lack of real upbringing.

"There were no love and little money in our household when I grew up and they were always rented homes," she began, and continued on brightly although at times some of the situations she described had some of the women reaching for their hankies.

Many in the audience obviously liked hearing about the impressionable and fun-loving actress grandmother arriving into the lives of the Reeves sisters and taking the girls each year to the summer home she maintained in Tuscany. 

"It was my mother's outrageous unmarried mother, a professional touring actress named Kitty McCleary, who was to have a profound influence on me and shape my life," Roxy said. "My parents detested my unstoppable grandmother but Kitty had out-powered them mentally and captured us for a month each summer." 

"In Italy my sister and I ran wild with street kids and although initially I was only four apparently soon I was speaking enough Italian to make my older sister Clara and I understood by our Italian playmates." 

"I never really thought of my mother as my mother like Clara did. I just thought mom was someone who fed and clothed me whereas Clara became mom's pet because she was always running after mom to try to please her and unlike me did well at school. Mom gave me the impression I was just in the way and costing too much for feed and clothed. I never got my first new dress until after mom died and after Kitty our grandmother died my sister and I lived at various foster homes and sometimes stayed with our aunties. For a couple of years we still had dad around mainly for meals and to sleep and at times he'd take off for days, leaving my sister and I to fend for ourselves and to pretend to neighbors someone was looking after us."

"Then one day several years later a young guy from Italy came calling. Paulo became sweet on Clara during our later years I n Italy when we were all teenagers, always acting like best of friends, Several years after he'd entered the construction industry and was earning good money, his mom told Paulo it was time for her to find him a good looking girl to marry. Paul wasn't about to leave choice of wife to his mom. He took three weeks off work at came here looking for Clara at her last known address. This was a serious mission because he remained captivated with Clara's gentle manner, her obviously affection for him and above all her glorious blonde hair. She was almost twenty-two by then and returned to Italy with him where they were married." 

"His parents sent my return airfare and I attended the most beautiful wedding I'd been to. Well I'd only been to one before, but perhaps you can imagine me, a romantic 18-year old three weeks after graduating high school, believing my sister was having a Cinderella wedding because Italians really do weddings in style."

"No guy has ever thought of marrying me, as far as I know. But they continue to like me for sex. I recall the first time I went all the way but I won't tell you how old I was. I'd seen great sunrises and sunsets, including in Italy and one of my aunts once took me to see the Grand Canyon and I thought nothing could ever be better than that. Well this guy was older than me, a real smoothie. He did something to me and I appeared to burst inside and was drifting and I saw my mother through mist and she was smiling at me."

"Omigod, you are so naïve when young. I thought I was experiencing falling in love, rather than having my first orgasm but that's the situation you are in when you're practically on your own emotionally. Oh I was naïve, completely without protection and after he prepared to leave he said we shouldn't do that again because he was married." 

"Luck obviously favors someone like me because I escaped pregnancy while I bumbled around like this and finally when I was living with one of dad's cousins I called Aunt Phyllis. She was horrified that I couldn't remember ever having had sexual education and I was busily having unprotected sex. Aunt Phyllis sat with me and straightened me out and told me the amazing news that men only have sex for their own satisfaction. Jeepers, I'd had the mistaken belief they were sweating to please me."

The assembly roared in laughter.

Roxy said, "Now I have drama acting and that means everything to me. I believe it's in my jeans from my late maternal grandmother who was a very well-known actress in her day and she toured internationally with theatrical companies. Well it's a real pleasure being invited her to chat with you. People at work are telling me I'm on the cusp of becoming a TV drama queen. God some people get carried away and you are left wondering what pills they are popping." 

"So why am I here? Well the mayor's wife Mrs Kate Roe is running this show and her sister Mary Smith is not only my drama coach but my mentor at Channel 8. I guess they put their heads together and decided I'll be entertaining enough to whip up some enthusiasm to get you to donate generously to the Mother and Child Refuge appeal. So I would be failing in my duty if I didn't offer to sing for you. Who's prepared to donate twenty-five bucks if I sing the Irish lullaby Toora Loora Loora? Kitty my Irish-born grandmother used to sing to me in Italy when I was about five years old and it was too hot to sleep. Her mom used to sing that to her in Kilkenny when she was a child."

Five people raised their hands.

"Okay, officials please collect their money. I'm afraid I'll have no accompaniment..."

"If everyone does their best to join in I'll donate one thousand dollars," called a woman with a strong Irish accent who stood to be identified.

A guy stood and said he was good for five hundred bucks and two more guys with him said they would match Michael's donation.

A thin, elegantly dressed elderly woman said, "I remember your grandmother Kitty well my dear. Between tours she used to visits homes for the aged and performed concerts just to see the happy smiles on the faces of the residents. I was only a girl then and my mother was matron at one of the homes Kitty visited periodically. She'd be accompanied by a guy on accordion and another playing a tin whistle. It was the first time I'd ever heard the song 'Maggie'. It struck me to the heart, Will you sing that as your second Irish song, providing you know it?"

"Yes ma'am, that song is one of my enduring favorites. I too have some Irish blood and am proud of it but I'll have to ask for a wee donation."

"I'll donate ten thousand dollars."

There was a huge gasp and Roxy said, "But ma'am you don't even know if I can sing?"

"Roxy, I'm sorry your mom didn't mother you and that touched my heart hearing you describe your unfortunate childhood but I believe in you Roxy and believe you are a rising star. My heart tells me you can sing."

"Ma'am ten thousand is a lot of money."

"Well Roxy, one day you'll accept the truth that you can't take it with you. I'm the matriarch of the Baxter Industries family."

Roxy raised her hands above her head and clapped and other people applauded. 

She said, "Your generosity is overwhelming ma'am. Well everyone I'll sing Toora Loora Loora through once and then I'll begin it again and anyone may join me."

Roxy sang with a young, clear and vibrant voice and soon had the audience swaying in rhythm in their chairs. She immediately called for everyone to join in and many people responded and the sound was quite impressive.

"Right everyone, it's now Maggie and time to shed a tear or two. I certainly will. As I said it endures as one of my favorite songs."

Roxy rendered it with deep feeling and tremendous clarity.

When finishing she called to Mrs Baxter to come to the rostrum and join her.

Mrs Baxter was helped to the rostrum and sang beside Roxy to the accompaniment of almost the full assembly.

Roxy kissed Mrs Baxter and thanked her profusely for her part in making the evening such a success.

The proud woman said, "A magic surrounds you Roxy, use it well."

The auction followed, raising a large amount of money and when closing the function, tears streaming, Mrs Roe thanked Roxy and thanked everyone for their generosity.

Kate Roe hugged her sister Mary as she was about to leave with Roxy and eyeing her guest speaker tearfully said, "Roxy you have exceeded all expectations and helped deliver a wonderful and financially a hugely successful evening. I anticipate we will end up with between $30,000 and $35,000 and that will be a record for my fund-raisers for charities. I am so grateful. Go in peace darling and use your God-given talents to enjoy your life to the full." 

* * *

TV critic Di Roach wrote in the lead story of the Entertainment section of the Herald published on Wednesday morning:

I'm a bit long in the tooth to become excited about any new series on TV, having learned that mostly they splutter and fail to live up to the PR blurb. But Channel 8 has remained unusually tight-lipped about its new half-hour comedy show that begins at 8:30 this evening simply called, The PA. That low-key approach interested me.

It's no secret The PA is the showpiece for its rising star, Roxy Reeves. I asked for an interview but was told Miss Reeves was not available.

Damn and all my efforts to contact the young beauty with a chestnut mane were blocked. But just after 9:00 tonight, when I was having supper before leaving for home, Roxy called me.

"I've been resting up today and have just heard you had been attempting to contact me. I can come to you right now if you wish. I can't believe the lack of publicity my new show has received."

"I'm right on deadline. Let's do this by phone. Roxy I accept you are young but darling when you speak frankly to the media it's all on record... you are liable to be quoted."

"Yes so you think I'm a bimbo?"

"Oh Roxy, no I don't but..."

"My bosses deserved to be shafted for not heavily promoting the new show in an exciting fashion. In future in my contracts I'll have clauses covering promo."

"Um are you sure I can quote you on that?"

"Yes Mrs Roach. Give those mongrels what they deserve. I suspect the director of drama Mal Johns is the only one who backs me to succeed. I gather I'm not very popular at Channel 8 because I waggle my butt, am prone to profanity and didn't go to college and do drama."

"Oh dear, those are black marks against you Roxy but just ignore them. You must focus on your craft and wow your viewing audience. Perhaps you should consider moving to a friendlier employer?"

"No it's fine. Channel 8 gave me a break by employing me and the head of drama Mal Johns and my drama coach known only as Mrs Smith are responsible for the push I've received with some intervention from up high. Tonight is my big chance to impress and all I could say after viewing the edited tape was, oh boy, do we have a little stunner."

"I don't quite understand. Do you mean it's good?"

"Well immodestly I'll say people will be fools if they don't check out The PA tonight at 9:00 but I expect a hard-nosed bitch of a critic like you won't allow me to get away with a plug of that magnitude."

"A hard-nosed bitch? Oh darling, you compliment me like that and you'll get away with anything. What do you really like about the show so far?"

"Three things: Playing against Brett Silver who's almost as thick as I am and he's a real darling to boot despite emitting the personality of a fence post. And the script oh the script, to flows like melted honey and spreads, that is honey spiked with sharp barbs. And thirdly the director. I'm in awe of Sue Phillip for taking the gamble of her career by advising I don't have to follow my script religiously."

"Omigod, that sounds like a recipe for on-screen disaster."

"Yeah well perhaps. But let's not forget Brett Silver is a veteran campaigner and I've never believed rules were made for me and my natural tendency is to shoot from the hip."

"Darling I must leave you and bash off my script. I'll think I'll just let this interview run unchanged. Oh I wish I'd had a daughter and she was like you."

"Well despite your age don't give up on sex Mrs Roach. It's the foundation for good skin tone and full body fitness."

"Oh you darling."

DI ROACH, HERALD TV CRITIC

Roxy saw Mrs Smith smiling at her and shaking her head as Roxy slunk in and headed for Mal's office to attempt to apologize.

Mal looked up and grinned.

"Busily hurling more crap for the fan to scatter I see. We ought to work you harder."

"Mal money has been pumped into The PA and..."

"You know what Roxy? The CEO called me this morning while I was in the shower and Bette was cackling like a hen. She asked had I read Di Roach's column in the Herald this morning and I said no and she said Di had a ball with you. When the call finished I leapt out of the shower and ran nude to the kitchen to grab the newspaper. My wife saw me and fled. I read the article and I thought I really must compliment you for being the most unusual person working at this TV station. Most other people attempt to get on with work colleagues but you, you are in a league of your own You don't care a fuck who you verbally shaft and make no effort to appear part of any team... well I admit you do when actually working."

"Mal I'm sorry, I'm such a callous bitch and..."

"Shut up Roxy and I advise you to change nothing. If you deliver you will be treated like a star and already you are acting like one. Nice people get eaten in this industry. You have just the right edge of contempt to be not seen as a fucking rude bitch so you might just win some grudging respect."




Rise of Roxy Ch. 04



Roxy hung her head.

Mal barked, "Look at me."

She sighed and looked up into to his grin.

"You handled Di Roach brilliantly and I reckon she really loves you because it takes a bitch to recognize one. If you ever want publicity from now on, then just call Di and say you were just calling to say hi. She'll know what to do."

Roxy looked as if she couldn't tell if Mal was bawling her out or praising her.

"And you know Roxy, I've been here in Production for twenty-three years and on day one of my first promotion I hoped that in my time he or she would rise from the ranks and Aloha, here you are, probably the hottest property this TV company has ever had, although most of them don't have a clue it's happening. You're the next big thing Roxy providing you win hearts and respect for your acting and you continue walking around as if you don't care a shit about anyone or anything, that if it's not acting then you're not interested."

"Mal..."

"Come away with me for a dirty weekend soon Roxy, before you become untouchable."

Roxy swallowed and looked at the 66-year old and quavered, "Mal don't you think you are a little too old for me?"

"Jesus Roxy, I wasn't expecting you to be that contemptuous so soon."

They laughed and she felt soft feelings for Mal and so she said, "Very well, just the one dirty weekend and providing you check that your medical insurance is up to date."

"Jesus Roxy," he protested. "I'm very fit for my age."

Roxy went down a floor to her office wondering what to wear for the first seduction. A guy as old as Mal might wear a nightgown and nightcap. Would he just fumble in the dark and wish to do it with them both dressed? Where guys his age no longer interested in pussy but rather just desired to crash against a girl's butt? Could a guy his age still come?"

She called her aunt and requested information. Anne giggled and said one of her friends had been on a cruise and drunkenly landed up in bed with a German guy of almost eighty. Apparently he pulled out when Glenys screamed not to come in her and he shot an arc over her and over her bedhead to mess the wall.

"Omigod," Roxy shrieked and the two women laughed like hyenas. 

"See you later," Roxy said, still shaking with the giggles. She'd invited Anne and Tom in for the studio's cocktail party at 7:30 to celebrate the new show. Roxy called Di Roach who called back an hour later when Roxy was re-reading the scripts for tomorrow's pre-filming of the next two episodes of The PA. The plan was to shoot four a week to build up stock but at present no one knew how long the show would run because it lacked a major sponsor.

"Hi darling, calling to abuse me for something in that article?"

"I thought it was impossible to abuse a bitch?"

Di, who was in her early forties, laughed wildly. "God I like you."

"Thanks and thanks for showing me up in a good light, er I think. I'm calling to invite you to the studio at 7:30 this evening for a cocktail to mark the launch of The PA and oh your husband too. I um I don't have many friends and..."

"Of course Sam and I will show darling. We like being seen in the best company. May I bring a photographer?"

"Oh yes of course but Mrs Roach I'm not after..."

"But you should be dear and call me Di. I can't be your friend if you insist on calling me Mrs Roach. The photographer will look after the work. Sam and I will be coming to get drunk."

"Oh an excellent idea. I'll have to stay sober in case someone in the media calls after they've seen the show."

"Would you like some media mongrels to call you Roxy?"

"Well that would be nice."

"Then leave it to me."

"What do you have contacts with other media people?"

Di laughed. "God you are so naïve that it's a real pleasure knowing you. I'll enjoy watching you blossom. Wear Irish green tonight darling." 

"I-I don't have a dress that color."

"Darling we are talking about your career. Go out right now and buy a short halter-neck iridescent green dress and book in to studio make-up to get your hair done. Oh and try to get matching shoes and don't wear a necklace, I noticed yesterday you have a stunning neck as well as great breasts. You're the girl baby and this is your night."

"Omigod, I'm..."

"Roxy stop it. Bitches never become nervous."

An hour later Mal found Roxy in Mrs Smith's office having coffee.

"You only met Di Roach recently, right?"

Roxy looked at Mrs Smith and Mal said he was talking to her.

"Yes."

"Well how the hell have you managed to convince her to call around and invite sixteen media people here tonight to watch the show and then interview you at a press conference?"

"Um my sheer personality?"

"Roxy!"

"I invited Di and her husband here as my guests tonight and she asked was I expecting media interest. I said I hoped someone would call and she said to leave it to her, that's all. What's so wrong with that?"

"Well she's invited sixteen boozy media people to our cocktail party and Jesus her husband Sam Roach is the enemy, he's general manager of Channel 7."

"Well he's coming to get drunk, not to headhunt your people or to steal production plans."

"He's the enemy Roxy. Enough said. You know what to do."

"I certainly won't be telling him not to come. I know you went running to Bette Hill with the news and she shrieked "Oh no, not the enemy" and that panicked you. God you two ought to grow up. I bet you guys get drunk together at media award evenings."

"Well yes, I admit that..."

"Roxy has you by the balls over this Mal," Mrs Smith sniggered. "Come on, admit it."

Mal shuffled and screwed a finger between his neck and shirt collar and mumbled well he guessed his was extra-sensitive and thinking Sam Roach might be after Bette's job when she leaves because Channel 8 was the city's premiere broadcaster.

"Mal either this stupid charade stops right now or I'm walking."

"I apologize Roxy. I'll personally welcome Sam when he arrives."

"Well thank you and don't forget Sam has a wife called Di Roach."

"No Roxy. There's no one you fear, is there?"

"Only God and Mrs Smith," Roxy smiled and Mrs Smith cackled.

Roxy had a light restaurant meal with her leading man, Brett Silver, and his French-born wife Bernadette.

"I almost didn't come," said the 55-year old. "But I was too curious."

"I'm delighted you chose to do that," Roxy smiled. "Brett mentioned this morning you were angry that I had described him to that reporter as being almost as thick as me and she published that in the Herald."

"Yes I was really to scratch you."

"I knew it wasn't true but I was simply type-casting. Have you read the script?"

"No Brett prefers me to see his work cold, so I see it as viewers see it, not being in the position to prejudge and he can then respect my opinion."

"Oh my, that's really clever. Well you'll see when the show screens we are meant to be a couple of a laugh-a-minute oddballs. I'm scatty as a dollar watch and he's as dour as a fence post."

"I don't see you as being scatty."

"And off-camera I don't see Brett as thick as a fencepost."

Bernadette laughed and said Roxy was very clever, that she now felt like kissing Roxy.

"Go on and make it sexy. Brett told me you lived in France until you were twenty. I've never had a sexy kiss from a woman."

"I'll kiss you but not sexily," Bernadette said, giggling. "You are incorrigible I think. Brett had told me you were really sweet. He's right."

"Can I be incorrigible and yet sweet?"

"Perhaps only you can," Bernadette laughed.

Roxy returned to the studio, had a shower and then had her hair done, pinned high. She then went to Wardrobe and was delighted to find Mrs Mead, a prim and proper motherly woman was there. The woman was a real artist.

"No no, your bra is wrong for this dress."

"Then might I borrow yours Mrs Meadows."

"Omigod, you can't borrow other people's underwear Roxy."

"Why's that?"

"Oh Roxy. Stay put will I break-out a suitable bra for you."

"Okay but I need to show uplift this evening. It's my big night."

"Yes and you are a big girl in terms of bra size. I would prefer to bandage them down but you are boss and I know what you mean by your big night."

The cocktail party venue had been changed from the bar to Studio C because of the influx of media people and Studio 8's own media people had demanded to be invited when discovering they were being left out.

Mal was darting around like a barroom fly holding a half-full paper cup of beer when he looked up, saw Roxy and gaping slammed into a waitress carrying a tray of dips and sent her flying.

He pulled the tearful young woman to her feet and he yelled at Roxy, "It's all your fault looking unbelievably sexy like that."

The waitress, dabbing her eyes, sobbed, "Oh Miss Reeves, you look like a movie star. It's such a privilege seeing you up so close."

Roxy kissed the boggling 20-year old and asked was she hurt.

"No that awful man charged into me. I thought he was after a grope."

Mal looked ready to sink through the floor.

"He's so old he will have forgotten how to grope dear," Roxy said and Mal, recovering from his second shock, apologized to the young woman and couldn't stop glancing at Roxy.

As the waitress gathered up her tray and a cleaner arrived to deal with the mess, Roxy whispered, stop staring at me like that Mal otherwise I'll throw a jug of iced water over you.

"Sorry."

"Thanks."

Brett and Bernadette arrived and they eyed Roxy hugely but made no immediate comment about her appearance.

The two women hugged and then Bernadette whispered that Roxy looked gorgeous.

"Well Brett has reason to feel proud of you," Roxy said and earned a return smile.

Mal brought Di and husband Sam over and introduced them to Brett and Bernadette. Di, looked lovely in a LBD although rather boney, then kissed Roxy and introduced Sam.

"Hi Sam, I know you're a big shot in the opposition but it would have been uncivil to have invited Di and not you."

"Well Roxy we all get a little too precious about our little empires at times. You have plenty of media people streaming in. We never attract them like this."

"Well I guess it's who you know who can crack the whip," Roxy said, smiling at his wife. "Please excuse me for a while. I'm supposed to be a greeter."

"Yes of course. I must say that color looks great on you."

"Why thanks Sam, the guys around her never appear to notice what I wear." 

The evening wore on well and it was time for everyone to move into the small theatre.

The show flowed well and was hilarious, opening with Bambi (Roxy) wheeling a trolley loaded with office equipment into a very untidy office and smiling nervously and asking, "Are you Chubby?"

"No my mother has always kept me this slim?"

"Eh, sorry I'm in the wrong office. Help me turn this trolley around will you. I've never been able to drive."

"Is that so," said the guy, spinning the trolley around. "Then what are you good at?"

"Nice try buster but if I said what I'm really good at you might claim sexual harassment. I've got big boobies you know."

"No I didn't know. Whose office are you looking for aimlessly?"

"Who's Aimlessly?"

"Oh god. Tell me the person you want and I'll guide you there."

"Chubby Allen."

"There's no one of that name working for this company but I'm Chuddley Allan."

"Oh then I was right the first time."

"If you can be right when being wrong then yes I suppose so," said Chuddley (Brett). "I suppose there will be an employment issue if I refuse you as my new PA."

"Yes definitely. Um what's an employment issue?"

"Oh God," Chuddley groaned.

"Might I have the large desk?"

"One, two, three, four, five. No you take that vacated desk."

"Okay."

"I say Bimbo."

"Try Bambi and I might answer."

"Bambi have you thought of working for another company?"

"No why. Are you resigning your job? Perhaps I could succeed you because you don't appear to do anything except stare at my boobs."

"I wouldn't do that Bambi. It would be classified as sexual harassment."

"Since when are boobs harassment?"

Chuddley sniggered and said, "When you are attempting to remove your tee shirt that is much too tight."

As the interplay continued, Roxy watched the journalists leaving in ones and twos and then a big bunch. She was dismayed and then glad her aunt and uncle were away at a law conference and so were not there to witness her humiliation.

And then Di whispered, "Sorry darling, neither or you are comedians. Stan and I must go."

"Bye," Roxy said listlessly and nodded back when Stan nodded at her.

Only a handful of people were left at the end and the bar reopened.

"It's a disaster," she said to Mal.

"Only to learned critics," he smiled. "We won't can it. We'll shoot the eight episodes as planned. Guys nursing beer bellies in bars, nurses, office girls and assorted non-critical people who like a good laugh will watch it, but the walk-out we just witnessed has delivered an unbiased message."

"Am I done for?"

"You will be under assessment. Come over and meet my wife."

"We have already chatted and she's very sweet. I won't be sleeping with you Mal." "Jesus I thought that might be your decision if you met her. I told her not to come but she insisted."

Roxy's phone went and Mal drifted off.

"Hi are you okay? I guess the knockers are telling you that was crap."

"No it's much worse Mrs Smith. The few people remaining are smiling politely and keeping their distance. All the journalists walked out."

"That's too bad. Do you want to come over?"

"No thanks but that was a lovely gesture. I'm off to cry myself asleep."

"That's fine but don't kick yourself stupid. You are an actress in need of a good script and good direction, and accept nothing less. You place is drama, keep right away from light entertainment and musicals. I mean that Roxy."

"I hear you Mary. Good night."

Two days later at the senior management meeting, CEO Bette Mill said, "I've accepted Mal's recommendation that we can The PA after Episode 8. We have to save our own faces and although media critics slated it as juvenile and mainly agreed that Roxy had slammed into a wall as a wannabe comedian, the ratings are climbing, although short of being spectacular. We probably will have to let the poor girl go."

"No she has enormous potential as an actress."

"Mal we admire your loyalty and know you have backed her since you auditioned her but we don't have the budget to have her sitting around and not earning her keep."

"Less than an hour ago Billy Jones asked if he could have Roxy for the role of Alicia Young in 'The Amazing Miss Young'. He says the actress we hired for the lead wants out because in rehearsals she's found the role is too demanding for her."

"Mal what the hell is going on here?" Bette demanded. "We are sinking a quarter of our total drama budget into our blockbuster."

"Yeah well we didn't know Cheryl's husband was about to break up her marriage when we hired her after exhaustive auditions, did we? She's losing weight and has failed to snap out of it despite undergoing counseling. I'd told you about this."

"Yes, yes. But you assured me she'd rise above this."

"She was making progress but then he mother had a coronary."

"Oh crap but I am sympathetic. You better suspend rehearsals and try to find a replacement from professional theatre."

"Why do that when we already have the right person on our payroll?"

There were murmurs around the table.

Bette said, "We know what you are thinking and I hear building resentment. We are in our jobs to make the right decisions Mal."

"Exactly and that's what I'm doing."

"And if I over-rule you Mal?"

"Bette we are all professionals here. I'll tell you what. I want you to ignore your desire to play safe and for you to make a professional decision. You moved into your position via Production. You've seen Roxy at her best and seen her latest hiccup. Are you prepared to back me professionally and go for Roxy, well knowing her place in front of the camera is in drama."

"Why are you attempting to force me over this Mal?"

"Because only you and I and Mrs Smith are aware in Roxy we possess the hottest actress Channel 8 has ever had on its payroll."

Bette and Mal looked at the expressions of disbelief on the faces of many of the other executives around the table.

Bette said grimly, "I agree with you Mal. Go for it and I'll take responsibility for the decision."

"Thanks for your belief in Roxy, Mrs Smith and me Bette. And believe me, you have nothing to fear and those of you others here who are disbelievers, prepare to eat humble pie. The hour-long 'The Amazing Miss Young' over 16 episodes will set a new benchmark for Channel 8 theatre."

"Please don't inflame the team any further Mal, they look ready to implode."

"Thank you Bette. May I leave now and get things rolling to minimize disruption?" 

"Yes of course."

Mal found Roxy in Mrs Smith's office reading her letter of resignation to her mentor.

Grinning, Mal grabbed the letter off Roxy and ripped it up.

"Come on Bimbo," he said kindly. "We are off to place you in work in real drama. You are the replacement for the struggling lead in our blockbuster this year, 'The Amazing Miss Young'. I have just fired the unfortunate woman and I guess this means a big pay increase for you."

"No. You are insane."

"Off you go Roxy, you are cluttering my office. The part of Alicia Young is close to being exactly right for you. Make the part yours."

"Hold me Mal," Roxy said. 

"Don't vomit," Mrs Smith cackled.

More to Come 



Rise of Roxy Ch. 05



Roxy left on a dirty weekend with Mal the next Saturday morning, her gratitude for Mal over-ruling her earlier decision not to do it because she'd found she'd liked his wife. She recanted because she felt beholden to him and Roxy said if he wanted her he better make it soon before she changed her mind.

"I'll take you somewhere this Saturday," he said hastily.

They entered the luxuriously appointed cabin at a mountain resort.

Mal put down their bags inside the door and stood in the middle of the room, hands on hips and looking awkward

Roxy thought Omigod, he's no more relaxed about this than she was.

"Get them off and let's do it Mal," she said, attempting to haul off her thick sweater and then calling to him to help her.

He trotted over, grinning like an ancient-looking schoolboy.

"God I can't wait to get my hands on your boobies."

"Please call them tits."

"Eh?"

Blood flowed into Mal's nether region and now his face was lit like a happy schoolboy being handed a very desirable cookie.

"I like you Roxy," he assured her.

Eh? What nonsense was this?

"Don't chat Mal, just do it."

Mal had Roxy stripped as fast as she could have removed her clothing but not unexpectedly he didn't fold the discarded garments and stack them neatly.

"God what a body," he gloated.

"Aw come on Mal, give me something to hang on to."

Roxy almost took a step backwards when she saw it. His cock was long but it was the bend, or hook, in it that almost alarmed her. Perhaps that was designed to go around corners?

"Standing up, bending over, on the floor or on the bed... oh or against the door?"

"Standing up," she said, unable to remember the other things he said because she'd been focused on 'the hook'. Anyway standing might neutralize him a bit in coping with her weight.

Al dropped his pants and lifted her almost effortlessly and already red-faced and beginning to sweat, he gloated just as she realized he was almost up to her cervix already.

Jesus.

She grunted and thought the sight of 'the hook' must have made her lube in panic.

"Great you groan. Make plenty of noise," he enthused. "That keeps me up hard."

"And right up," she gasped.

"Oh good, then you can feel it? Most women I fuck claim they don't feel much beyond the rim."

Other women? Mal you dirty old man.

As if reading Roxy's thoughts he puffed, "These days my wife finds I'm a bit big for her so I bought her a box of assorted toys."

"Oh you considerate man," Roxy said sarcastically.

Al beamed.

Roxy sighed and he asked was she coming already.

"No I'm not," she said feeling offended.

"Really bash in against me if you wish" he said. "I'm rather strong."

Oh yes, and the pole reaming her was strong.

When Al finally 'blew' he sounded like a whale coming up after a 30-minute dive. Roxy took him by the hand and led him to the bed where she worked on him. Twenty-minutes later he climaxed again and when regaining his breath announced, "I'll need food before I can go again."

To her surprise, Roxy had a fucking great weekend and her respect for Mal rocketed but she still had to tell him she had no intention of making this a regular thing.

"That's okay. Now that I've had you my interest will wane."

Fucking heartless men, Roxy muttered.

"But Roxy I really like you," smiled her department boss and that gave Roxy the warm feeling of being wanted. She liked that.

While they were away and Mal was asleep or out walking, Roxy completed for the second time the late Arlene Wright's big-selling novel 'Top Grade Teacher' on which the TV series, 'The Amazing Miss Young' would be based.

She remembered what Mrs Smith had said, "Make the part yours Roxy."

Roxy began reading the script for the third time but this time made notes of changes she required where she thought the characterization of Alicia Young was not as emphatic as in the novel that had been based on fact.

When they were driving back to the city after lunch on Sunday, Roxy said, "Mal I want you to send Mrs Smith and me to Silver Oaks."

"Isn't that where Mabel Wright lived and taught all her life?"

"Yes."

"Ah so you want to absorb atmosphere. It will be all changed now but yes you can go, without Mrs Smith."

"Then I'll pay for her air tickets and overnight accommodation."

"So you need her to hold your hand?"

"Yes in a manner of speaking. She'll know what I'm meant to be looking for."

"Oh I see," he grinned.

"Mal you heard Mrs Smith say to me, 'Make this part yours Roxy'. Well..."

"I understand now. Yes we'll send you and Mrs Smith to Silver Oaks. Don't forget to take protection."

"God you are disgusting."

Mal looked guilty and she giggled, sending him into a belly laugh.

"It was funny Mal but still disgusting. God Mal she'd older than you."

Mal drove along silently.

"Well you asked for that. You are aware I shoot from the hip."

"Well I found your comment offensive."

"Oh Mal, I'm sorry. Here allow me to pull out your dick..."

"Get away from me you nympho. God it feels like its falling off."

They laughed and the drive home continued peacefully. 

* * *

Roxy called into Mal's office to say hi next morning on her way to the last day of rehearsals.

"Thanks for letting me at you," he smiled. "You are the best fuck I've ever had, especially that lusty first session."

Roxy's faced burned and he grinned.

"God I caught you napping at last with that surprise comment and it shows you are human."

She scowled, "I bet you say that to most of your women."

"Well I never have but you believe what you wish."

Roxy smiled softly and said, "I always give it my best boss. Have a good recovery day."

He laughed and said Roxy and Mrs Smith would fly out Friday morning and return Sunday morning. 

"I thought you guys should not rush it, get some feeling for the place and meet some of people who had dealings with Mabel Wright. The dates suit Mrs Smith and she thinks this is a great idea."

"I thought she would, knowing it would be a great location to soak up atmosphere."

Mal said dryly, "Oh she was pleased about it being the first time the company had ever sent her anywhere."

"Oh."

Mal smiled and said Mrs Smith didn't feel the need to tell him what he already knew about the reason for the visit.

"You can also return with the director when he goes with a camera crew for a week to film local material."

"Omigod I bet Mabel Wright is buried there. We could run the opening credits over a shot of the grave. Oh Mal please."

"It could be considered but that's something for you to talk over with your director who'll then consult with the producer."

"Oh, I haven't told who the producer is."

"I'm it," he grinned. "This is our annual blockbuster."     

Roxy still worked at remaining off-hand with the director Billy Jones, a gaunt and hugely creative guy with a mustache. Roxy hated mustaches and so that helped her to remain off-hand instead of pushing to establish her place as the dominant female in the production. She assumed some other female in the cast was already fucking Billy, that is if he were a female-only guy. One never knew with directors.

As was becoming her habit, Roxy arrived early.

Billy waved and came over.

"I like my cast to show the keenness you display."

God was this a come-on? Careful he might be gay.

"It pays to be enthusiastic about one's job."

"That's true."

"Billy when we spoke at length initially, not mention was made of my very recent failure."

"And I want you to put that behind you. You were a stupid bitch taking that stupid role."

"Now you look here Mr Hairy fucking lip..."

"Whoa, whoa Roxy. I was warned you shoot from the hip. Please explain what I said was so wrong that it upset you?"

"I-I...Well Billy, nothing really. I was a stupid bitch and I'm sorry for that verbal beat-up."

"Just respect me and obey my direction although you are free to challenge it."

"What challenge my need to respect you?"

He just grinned and rubbed his fucking mustache.

"Have you done any extra reading to catch up?"

She said she'd completed reading the novel for the fourth time and their script for the third time.

"I've memorized most the script."

"Good one Roxy. I like people with humor."

"Yeah well test me," Roxy said, pulling her copy of the script from her handbag. "I'm not word perfect yet but pick out anyone saying something but you'd have to identify the scene."

"Anyone, are you dreaming?"

Roxy waited patiently.

"Okay, quote the Mayor at City Hall when he replies to Alicia when she confronts him over the tragic death of May-Ellen's 4-year old brother when the kid wandered into the council's vehicle depot along from their home and fell head-first into an inspection pit."

He noticed the change in Roxy's face and her body tensed.

"Miss Young, you are wearing my patience to breaking point. There is no need for the council to spend recklessly to fence its vehicle depot as all vehicles are left locked and we employ a night watchman. If parents cannot look after their small children responsibly you cannot shift the blame for the consequences of that on to the council. Now please, are we finished here because I've finished with you?"

Billy said, "Jesus that's word for word and it's not your part."

"Well I'm in at least 85% of scenes and if I know everything that's going on I don't have to worry about my own timing and wish to avoid wasting time on reshoots because of my mistiming. It's like what you do before you bite into an apple; you examine and consider the whole apple."

"Yes I know that's the theory but no one expects you to memorize the entire script."

"Well it's a standard I set myself."

Billy rubbed his fucking mustache and Roxy gritted.

"Okay, give me your own part when Miss Young replies to the mayor."

"Sir I'll take no more of your time. The life of a small child was lost directly because of the laxness of vehicle depot staff and practices over which you have the ultimate responsibility. Either you get that depot yard fenced immediately or I shall organize a parent's revolt against your lax administration and with council elections coming up in seven months I imagine you know what civil discord means to you and your cahoots in line for re-election. Mr Mayor, you have three young adult children and I taught each one of them and was responsible for their safely while they were in my care. Have you no heart? Good day to you sir or do you have something important to say to me?"

Members of the cast, who'd come in behind Roxy and were standing silently, clapped. Billy smiled at her and said well done. The depth of the director's smile delighted Roxy. The clapping also really pleased her because it suggested a break-through because since her arrival at rehearsals people had almost shunned her.

She turned and smiled and said good morning.

Most of the ten or so people smiled and Dick Shore, who'd play the long-serving chairman of the school board who'd be periodically hounded by Miss Young for the board to supply improved services and to not automatically take the side of complaining parents or students, called, "That was great Roxy. For a moment I thought I was listening to Mabel Wright herself."

Three weeks later Mal took some roughly edited shoots to the senior management meeting and the eleven people there viewed them and soon murmurs of approval flowed.

Bette said it for everyone. "If your people keep up with this standard Mal well have a winner on our hands, not only with viewers and advertisers but also in the regional annual media awards. Roxy is brilliant in the role, the standout performer as she's meant to be and we have you to thank for that by resolutely standing by Roxy because you saw what she possessed and believed in her." 

* * *

The day after Channel 8 put out a big media release about its upcoming blockbuster due to begin screening four days away, the morning newspaper's TV writer Di Roach called Roxy.

"Hi Roxy, I'm calling you and that should tell you I want something."

"That's fine Mrs Roach."

"Look I'm sorry I haven't been in contact..."

"There's no need for feel sorry for me. I'm the type of person who bounces back."

"Am I free to quote you on that?"

"Yes and I'd like you to view our new production positively until at least you have viewed it."

"Oh but I will. Lunch tomorrow so I can interview you?"

"Very well."

"Please call me Di."

"Very well Di."

"It will be just you and me but a photographer will drop in to take your photo with me."

"You'd be taking a career risk."

"Roxy don't be like that. I've heard on the grapevine that your top people are in raptures."

Roxy made no reply and coolly asked for the place and time for lunch.

Di arrived looking lovely in frilly yellow and beautifully made up and found Roxy at the bar.

"Excuse me for looking dressed up but I'll be in the photo too," she said, kissing Roxy who laughed and said, "You vain bitch."

"Omigod, you are your old self. You scared the crap out of me yesterday sounding so sour. I guess you were projecting your displeasure with me?"

"Yes and I made my point and I'm over that now and I realize we weren't meant to be friends."

"Oh dear, I dropped you right at the time you needed someone like me, right?"

"Yes but that need is gone. Just let's be fair-weather friends."

"Roxy we have a holiday weekend coming up and I'm taking a couple of extra days and will be visiting my sister in LA. Please come with me, at my expense."

"Thanks for the offer, it is so kind. But I won't be available."

"Roxy, I'm extending a real hand of friendship."

Roxy hesitated and then smiled and said, "Okay and thanks and I can pay my way."

"It's my choice for you to be my guest. Jolene is my older sister but she's real fun."

Roxy said, "Let's move down to that darker end of the bar. I've something to show you and in doing that I'm seriously breaching company rules."

"Omigod you'll give me an unauthorized preview."

"Yes and not a word about this. I just would like you to have confidence in me as an actress."

"But darling I do, you were terribly miscast in your last venture."

"This runs for almost five minutes," Roxy said, booting her laptop. "It's my favorite scene, the time when breathing brimstone Miss Young takes on the school board and a group of parents who were attempting to push out the ageing school head teacher for a much younger person, the daughter of the town's deputy-mayor. In my opinion we all captured the drama and wrung everything out of the occasion but without over-acting, or rather not completely over-acting. Mal Johns reckons it's the grade school showdown version of 'High Noon'. I'll never forget when our director Billy Jones called that's it at the end of the fourth reshoot of the finale. Most of us stumbled around, perspiring and close to physical and emotional exhaustion."

"Oooh, this sounds good."

"Here we go."

At the conclusion of the movie clip, Di disappointed Roxy by smiling and said, "Oh well done."

But she added, "Mabel Wright will be proud of your effort, and I know from my little research she was a formidable fighter. I received Channel 8's promo on the upcoming show yesterday morning and then called your PR department and they informed me the series was based on the life of a real person created as a novel and that the teacher was Mabel Wright of Silver Oaks. So I spent almost four hours searching links to the school and to Mabel Wright and feel I've come to know her a little. Darling I suggest most strongly that you get Mal to enter that excerpt into our regional medal awards competition. I really think it will win a gong and basing this on previous awards I've seen at the regional awards, I confident you'll waltz away with the best drama actress title."

Di looked at Roxy and said, "What? You'll swallow a fly leaving your mouth dropped open like that. Are you embarrassed at being complimented so grandly?"

Roxy clamped her mouth tight and made no reply. Di giggled and said oh god, Roxy was blushing like a schoolgirl.

"Right to lunch and to work," Di said. "I've been given the space to write a two-page spread on your 'The Amazing Miss Young' series for tomorrow's Saturday Magazine section in the Herald. Your PR department has supplied some shots from filming as well as shots of you guys sitting about and scratching their butts, that sort of thing. Glenda will be here soon to get the P1 pointer of you being interviewed by me and a glam shot of just you. I'll interview you to get color and immediacy, asking what you know about Mabel Wright and if you know nothing beyond what's in your script then that's fine."

At the end of the interview and after the photographer had left satisfied, Di said, "My god darling, I've never known an actress to so over-prepare for her part. I couldn't believe hearing that you and Mrs Smith tracked down and interviewed fourteen of Miss Wright's former students and two younger fellow teachers who remember her well and you even went to Paris, Texas, to talk to the woman whose young brother died when falling into that uncovered vehicle inspection pit. The groundwork you put in to get realism shows baby, my god it shows, crowned by your own ability of course."

Ten days after publication of the extremely riveting backgrounder to Channel 8's new blockbuster was published in the Herald, Di and Roxy went to LA. 

* * *

At LA airport, the glamorous Mrs Jolene Featherstone came towards Di and Roxy carefully on very high heels and dressed as if she was a fashion model for slim elderly women. 

"Di!" she waved and screeched.

"Jolene!" yelled Di, hitching her skirt up a little to run to her sister.

They hugged but didn't actually touch when they went through the motions of kissing. Well combined, they were probably wearing a couple of hundred bucks of professionally applied make-up.

Di introduced Mrs Fading Glamorous to Roxy.

"Omigod Di, you told me she was a TV actress but you didn't say Roxy was also beautiful."

Roxy smiled, "I think it's in Guinea the most beautiful women have the thickest lips and wear the biggest nose rings."

"Oh darling what are you saying to me, that beauty is a matter of perspective?" asked the older sister.

"Yes and obviously you are big into your perspective of beauty and I say well done. If you are indeed younger than Di, I say you look amazing."

"Roxy already you are my favorite house guest ever."

The women laughed and looked at one another happily.

"I hope you don't mind but I've invited a few friends over to meet you guys," Jolene said, as they settled into the chauffeured white limo. "Most of them were surprised I had kin, believing I'm such a brat I just had to be an only child. And you Roxy are suspected of being Di younger girlfriend."

"Oh but I am, Di and I get along well."

The sisters burst out laughing and Roxy turned red, realizing the innuendo of the girlfriend relationship. 

"Oh no, we've never..."

The sisters screamed with laughter at Roxy's feeble denial and her embarrassment. 

"Are your boobs one hundred percent natural darling?"

"Yes of course Mrs Featherstone."

"Well that was just a friendly enquiry, there's no need to be so defensive. Most of us in LA have had them enlarged with a tiny percentage having had them reduced. Where you live, you women might perhaps be judged on your intelligence whereas here the main appraisal is breast size."

"It's true Roxy," Di said. "Don't be surprised if you are asked your breast size tonight and whether you've had a breast job."

"But what about intellect?"

"It's considered more important by males in LA, and many women as well, to leave intellect to the academics and rather to talk about your breast size and ability to produce multiple orgasms."




Rise of Roxy Ch. 05



They had a lovely time in LA and visited some of the 'must see' attractions.

On the third morning a Robert Ludd, one of the unattached guys who'd attended the welcoming cocktail party for the two visitors on their first evening in LA, called and after chatting to Jolene, asked to speak to Roxy.

"Why me?" she whispered when Jolene handed her the phone and Jolene smiled and winked.

"Yes?"

"Hi I'm Robert Ludd, a blond guy with a thick mustache. We met two nights ago when my wife and I were invited for drinks. But Bev had accepted an earlier invitation so I came without her. I'd like to take you to lunch in an hour's time."

"What just me?"

"Yes."

"Why."

"I didn't have much time talking to you the other evening."

"Apart from exchanging greetings I don't believe we talked."

"Exactly, that's what I mean. I'll be there in fifty-eight minutes. Wait at the gates. I drive a red car."

The phone clinked.

Rude guy and he had a mustache, Roxy seethed.

"That guy wants to take me to lunch to talk."

Jolene teased, "It would be considered rude, even in LA, to invite someone to lunch and then not talk to them."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter dear. He's interested in you technically."

"What?"

"Just go looking your best dear."

"God it's difficult having a meaningful conversation around here. He said he'd call at the gate and will be in a red car. One-tenth of LA people will drive a red car. How will I know if it's him?"

Jolene said dryly, "I'm not sure about the validity of your statistic dear but you'll notice the car; Robert drives the latest Ferrari California."

"Oh yummy. What does Robert do?"

"He'll tell you I guess."

Roxy sighed, aware now that her hostess was playing games.

The restaurant was lovely, the food was great and the conversation was strange and the mean dude didn't invite her to drive his car so perhaps he really was a sensible guy.

Jolene and Di arrived home from obviously their very wet lunch half an hour after Roxy had arrived home.

Jolene slurred, "Oh my you're home early. Did you get him off too quickly?"

Roxy frowned. "He took me to lunch, we talked, half the women in the room kept glancing at him, he paid and brought me straight home and left me at the gates, politely allowing me to open my own door and scramble out.

"Hmnm."

"What?"

"I have no idea."

Roxy scowled, "He also said he'll be in touch if he needs me. What damn cheek. Why do guys keep regarding me like a slut when I do my best to act like a lady?"

"It's called testosterone drive darling and only bubbles to the surface when the babe is really hot. Didn't you ask Robert what he did for a job?"

"No I forgot."

"Well I've news for you. He's a very successful independent filmmaker who works under contract for major movie studios."

Roxy looked stunned and the sisters, looking at her face, clung to each other and laughed helplessly.

When the babble ceased, Roxy said, "I blew it, didn't I?"

"I wouldn't think so. His wife once told me he's not particularly interested in sex, that he prefers cars and watching technically intriguing movies. He'll be in touch via me if he wants you darling. Studios expect him to front with a ready-to-rip proposal when he approaches them."

A courier guy arrived with flowers and a card for Roxy just on dusk.

The message read, 'I enjoyed our lunch, having all those women gazing at you and wondering who you were. I'll remember that and in doing so will remember you. Something might come up. Respectfully yours, Robert.'

"Well?"

Hand shaking, Roxy gave the card to Jolene who squinted to read the small writing.

She smiled and passed it to her husband Hank and Di to read.

When Di gasped, Jolene sipped her cocktail and then said, "Well darling your bid to bring Roxy to LA to become noticed has hit a possible jackpot."

Roxy, jaw dropped, stared at Di, who winked and then mouthed a kiss.

"It's only my way of saying sorry darling," Di said minutes later when they all were heading off to get ready to go out to dinner.

* * *

The marketing effort by Studio 8 also paid off. On the eve of the Saturday night launch of 'The Amazing Miss Young'. Di Roach's story on page 3 under an eye-catching photo of Roxy Reeves, dressed as a prim school teacher of the early 1960s announced the blockbuster had already sold to 72 independent TV stations or small networks, one of the major networks had taken up a three-month option to purchase and the series had sold to TV broadcasters in seven other countries. 

Di reported:

Episode One screened at a media preview yesterday. I have to say everyone left the theatre appearing to have well entertained. I admit to be friendly with Roxy Reeves but I am a tough critic. I believe after unwisely attempting comedy, that Roxy has risen from the ashes to thoroughly establish herself as a top-notch drama actor who in Episode One of 'The Amazing Miss Young' has produced a quite amazing performance herself, injecting an air of sophisticated performance that is rarely seen away from the big screen. 

I unhesitatingly give my mark of four out of five and wish our system had half-marks so I could add a little more. Producer Mal Johns, in announcing sales to date when we gathered at the bar for post-viewing questions, said the cast was excellent and Roxy was outstanding and he asked us to believe him when he said Roxy becomes even more compelling as the story unfolds. Miss Young gets into her stride in her uncompromising verbal confrontations with over-demanding parents, the badly-led school board and the district school authority combine to plunge her into high drama on behalf of the school's weak head teacher. 

I'm picking Channel 8 will have a runaway success with this absorbing tale about a grade school heroine, based on real life school teacher Mabel Wright whose exploits and life were loosely portrayed in the late Arlene Wright's big-selling novel 'Top Grade Teacher' published five years ago by Arthur & Mallet Books. Arlene, who was Mabel Wright's niece, died eighteen months ago. 

After reading that preview, body shaking, Roxy sat quietly and remembered her unfortunate childhood and of course the shining angel, her gracious aunt, who breathed a great awareness of the drama of life into Roxy during those Italian sojourns.

Family and friends joined the cast and production team along with senior executives of the series sponsors, K9 Dog Foods to view the premiere launch of 'The Amazing Miss Young' relayed on to the big screen of Channel 8's theatre.

At supper in Studio B after the screening, the chairman of Channel 8's board, Nick Robbins, congratulated the big team for bringing such an outstanding production to television and said it cumulated the end to a hugely successful career for the company's CEO Mrs Bette Hill who would be leaving at the end of the month to take up an as yet not announced senior position in the movie industry in Canada. 

"We at Channel 8 are proud of your achievements for this company Bette (applause)."

"It is now my pleasure to announce, on behalf of our board, Mrs Hill's successor here at Channel 8. It will be the producer of 'The Amazing Miss Young' and our head of drama, Mal Johns (huge applause). And finally before we pop the champagne, I invite Roxy Reeves to conclude formalities with a few words."

"Thanks Mr Chairman. I stand before you tonight because of Mal Johns' belief in me who told me shortly after we first met that he saw a big acting future in me and here was I busily attempting to be a Weathergirl (laughter). Mal didn't ignore the fact that I was green to the gills and untrained. He simply threw me at the incredible Mrs Smith and said, 'Mary you coach her and I'll see she is pushed to achieve her potential'. Most of you Channel 8 people didn't know Mrs Smith had a first name, did you? (laughter)."

"It's true I lead the cast but what a cast, not a question mark over even one of them as you saw for yourselves watching Episode one. And we had huge support from the big team of production professionals. Thanks team and by that I mean a big thank you. Throughout Mrs Smith has been my in-house mentor while away from here the person pushing a rod into my back and urging me not to look back at the blips in my life has been the Herald's TV writer, Mrs Di Roach. Both women have mothered me unstintingly and I ask you to applaud them."

People clapped and cheered.

"Finally would the hero of the hour please raise his hand, Billy Jones."

"There he is folk standing attentively by his pretty wife Eva."

"Billy became convinced Mal Johns was right about me and when the lead hired for 'The Amazing Miss Young' was heavily hit by personal problems. Billy demanded that I must be the replacement. God what a fright that must have been for the cast, knowing I'd just bit the dust in my misguided entry into comedy. Well I suppose I shouldn't say this but I'm rarely shy. Well I was so frightened at being told about Billy's request I wet my panties. For a while I thought Billy must be smoking something and then he set about casting his spell, encouraging me to rise and shine."

"At that time of my entry I could feel hostility within the cast and I decided I must ignore that, to let results speak for themselves once filming was underway. Well we didn't have to wait long. Within a few days I'd memorized almost the entire scrip and I was alone with Billy and he tested me by nominating two very intense parts and while doing that some of the cast had arrived behind me and I didn't know they were there. I just gave it my best to prove myself to our director."

"The surprised director said well done and those members of the cast who'd arrived and hearing me in action for the first time, clapped. Then our leading man Dick Shore congratulated me warmly and all this left me with the feeling that perhaps this was the breakthrough we needed. Well it was and thank god it came early and although it was a grind working hard to meet Billy's high standards, we all feel we got there and the feedback from professional critics and viewers tomorrow after tonight's screening will test our self-belief. Well that's supposed to be a few words. On behalf of the cast and production team thank you everyone for being here tonight and especially to those of you who supported us from the beginning. Oh and thanks to our principal sponsors K9 Dog Foods. They won't be aware of this but Mrs Smith and I researched Mabel Wright in the town where she spent all her life. We were told the never-married Miss Wright had three pets successively during her adult life and all were dogs, Bruno, Madge and Mick. Thank you."

The champagne corks popped and Roxy was practically mobbed. The CEO of K9 Dog Foods later got Roxy alone and said, "Was that true about Miss Wright's three dogs?"

"Yes absolutely. When I became aware you had signed up as principal sponsor, I decided not to rush forward with that information in case that information was \exploited by your marketing department in an unseemly manner. You see Mick was buried at the foot of Miss Wright's grave in Silver Oaks almost two years after her death, according to instructions in her will."

"Omigod. You know Roxy, I'll keep that information to myself. I don't believe it would be right to exploit it."

"Well not the burial bit. But dogs appear in four scenes with me, including a look-alike 'Mick' in Episode 16, the final episode, when Miss Young or in reality Miss Wright visits the school with Mick to open the new gymnasium named in her honor. I can give you a copy of the newspaper report of the event. The report noted that dogs were banned from the school grounds but who'd even contemplate telling Miss Wright her dog was not wanted at the school where she'd become an institution. Perhaps your PR people could come up with something about that? My suggestion is a special run of dog food in this region called Mick and a picture of Miss Wright on the pack stating who she was. I know Miss Wright/Miss Young is a bit of a twister but isn't it why you have PR people in a big company like yours to sort out the problem?"

The CEO eyed Roxy and grinned and said that was something to think about. 

At the end of the function, company chairman Nick Robbins and his now fairly regular girlfriend Professor Sally Brooks, entertained selected guests at supper in the boardroom. Guests included the company's deputy chairman and wife, CEO Bette Hill and husband, Mal Johns and wife, Di Roach (her husband was out of town) and Roxy, Robert and Sophie Scott, Mr and Mrs Smith, Billy Jones and wife and the CEO of K9 Foods and wife. 

Billy offered to drive Roxy home and dropped off his sleepy wife on the way.

"I'd like to thank you Billy," Roxy slurred.

"Um my wife would know what we've done if I arrive home late; she's a light sleeper."

"Well let's settle for this," she said, unzipping Billy.

He grinned and rested his far side against his car door and lifted his right leg over Roxy's knees and she went down and slobbered over his erecting dick and blew on it before really going to work.

Billy sighed hugely and said he knew Roxy would be good for something besides acting.

To prove his point, Roxy gave it her best and at the last second pulled away and he fired over the car's entertainment system and to the top of the dashboard.

"Oh fuck, I thought you'd swallow," he complained, panting.

When filming ended, Billy, Roxy and the leading man Dick Shore were the only ones from the production who'd continued on salary. All other actors were contract actors. Dick and Roxy had their income reduced to a retainer calculated to be sufficient to scratch out a living until they were given a role in a new production. Billy worked on advertising filming between other assignments while Dick supplemented his income acting in advertisements. Roxy had decided appearing in ads was not for her although the money could be very good.

Roxy had received a role in a daily afternoon soap that spanned four weeks until the enraged wife killed Roxy with and up close and personal shotgun blast to the belly. More slack time followed and she worked as narrator on a behind-the-news investigation about bullying in schools that was five weeks in the making.

Finally Roxy began musing it might be a good time to move on. Billy had declined her suggestion to begin an affair with her and she and Di had come to the brink of starting something, so far just the one session of hot kissing when saying good night after attending a touring ballet production together. Di continued to look at her intently and Roxy felt uncomfortable when thinking about it. God she hadn't been involved with another female like that since she was on the other side of twenty. She'd not heard from that filmmaker in LA and expected she never would.

So after a bit more procrastination, Roxy resigned and insisted she didn't want a party. Instead she made do by taking Mal and Mary Smith to dinner and they had a really great time.

The day after handing in her resignation she took her aunt, Anne Baxley, and friend and former mentor Sophie Scott whom she no longer met so often, to lunch and told them of her move.

"But what will you do?" Sophie asked in surprise.

"I have no idea. I've been drifting and had no thoughts about what to do so I thought the best was to shake myself out of lethargy was to resign."

"Oh bad move Roxy," said her aunt. "You should have found new work before resigning."

"Well anyone other than Roxy I would have agreed with you Anne, but Roxy has a habit of bouncing back and improving her position when that happens."

"Thanks Sophie, that's what I like hearing."

Roxy called Mal who was on a tour of Europe with his wife, taking leave before starting his new job.

"We'll be sorry to lose you after putting so much effort in you."

She snorted and said the blockbuster was creaming in the money with foreign sales in particular.

"Yeah well the truth is I like having you around. I regard you as the top professional reward I've ever had."

"Oh Mal," Roxy said and burst into tears.

His reaction was vintage Mal.

"Jesus Roxy, are you unwell?"

More to Come



Rise of Roxy Ch. 06



Roxy arrived in New York with nothing planned, deciding to relax and enjoy being in limbo. She speculated she could always become a hooker if she came up empty handed over movie, TV or theatre opportunities. She wondered if becoming a hooker required training or was wide-ranging experience sufficient to build such a business.

Instead of dwelling on such speculation, Roxy found a pleasant room in an affordable hotel and set about being a tourist because this was her first time in New York and it was true what they say: the city really buzzed.

A week later she began thinking about sex. God what a time to start feeling horny. She decided to register for work and went to a couple of theatrical agencies and was aghast neither was interesting in adding her to the books because she had no reputation.

"Get a job for me and I'll establish my reputation."

"Yes and that's what they all say. Off you go," said the rude bitch who had the job of weeding out cranks, no-hoppers and actors they'd never heard of and who weren't on their databases.

Roxy had told them she'd taken the lead in the very successful TV blockbuster, 'The Amazing Miss Young' and both interviewers said dismissively they'd never heard of it."

Roxy went off angrily both times, thinking the interviewer needed to be slapped around a bit to wake up to her responsibility to assess the applicant properly instead of adopting the attitude of 'You're not on our database and so you are scum, get out of my office'. 

She bought one of New York's famous hotdogs and sat on a street seat, opened the bag, looked at it and groaned oh god and tossed it in the trash can.

The overweight woman sitting at the other even of the seat and obviously resting her feet laughed and said, "Young lady you should eat Italian food."

Yeah well she looked Italian.

Roxy spoke rapidly in Italian, "You are correct ma'am and I often eat Italian food out of preference."

The woman looked quite stunned and said, "You speak Italian and yet you look very American-American."

"Oh is that how I look? I guessed by your noble nose and reference to Italian food you might be Italian."

"My noble nose," the woman laughed almost hysterically. "You are a very funny young lady."

They introduced themselves and chatted for a while.

"So you are new to New York,"" said Mrs Renata Ricci. "Well come on, I invite you to come with me to my sister's restaurant that's not far from here. Although I call it my sister's restaurant it is owned by her husband's family and she runs it during the day. We'll eat with her; she's expecting me today."

"Oh darling your noble nose looks very majestic today," Renata said to her look-alike sister Dona De Luca, who touched her nose and asked had Renata been drinking.

"I'm sorry for speaking Italian, Dona said, speaking in English and introduced herself.

"I'm not offended," Roxy said in Italian. "Italian is my preferred restaurant language when I'm with Italian people or people of Italian descent.

"You see, my new friend is not one of us and yet so is one of us."

Roxy's mind stretched to comprehend what Renata was saying but Dona obviously was used to her sister and said yes that was very true.

Dona kissed Roxy warmly and seated them and sped off and returned with a bottle of red wine and three glasses.

"We must celebrate my sister finding such an interesting person, yes?"

"Yes," cried Renata and Roxy almost in unison.

It was late and most of the lunch guests were drifting off. The three women drank, ate, chatted and laughed and for the first time Roxy felt at home in New York.

At one stage Dona made a phone call and twenty minutes a guy the sister's called Uncle Vincenzo arrived. He kissed his two nieces flamboyantly and then eyed Roxy and said, in Italian, "So this pretty young woman is the out-of-work actress."

"Pretty? She's so beautiful your knees should be knocking," said Dona.

"Well they would knock if they were to slip between her thighs."

"Careful Uncle Vincenzo, our friend is fluent in Italian."

"Renata to joke you have to be believable."

He looked at Roxy who said, "Non parlo italiano."

He said in Italian how did she know he was about to ask that question and she replied in Italian she wasn't stupid."

He laughed and slapped his thigh and said in impeccable English, "Dona, a bottle of wine please. This conversation is becoming very dry." 

An hour later, when Uncle Vincenzo was leaving, he gave Roxy his card and said, "You come and see me at 11:00 in the morning and well see what we can do with you Roxy. Please bring your CV and any DVDs you have showing you performing."

The three women kissed him and the portly guy left.

Roxy looked at the business card and blinked hard and read it again: Uncle Vincenzo was general manager of a theatrical management company that operated four theatres off-Broadway.

She burst into tears and Dona and Renata hugged her, delighted that Roxy was obviously pleased they had given her a good connection into movies or theatre in New York.

Uncle Vincenzo who Roxy addressed formerly as Mr Rossi, introduced Roxy to the two women he had with him and they chatted for a while and then one of the woman put on the CD and it was projected on a big screen. Roxy had chosen the fully edited scene of almost five minutes from 'The Amazing Miss Young' which showed the young child being lifted from the vehicle inspection pit and then pronounced dead and women crying, the bereaved mother collapsing and everyone looking mournful. It then switched to Miss Young (Roxy) marching resolutely into the Mayor's office and then launching into her relentless attack on the mayor and his council and her call to have the council vehicle depot to be securely fenced and the entry/exit to be guarded by an attendant during working hours when the gates were open.

"Oh you certainly can act," said Uncle Vincenzo.

"Yes and so can many other out-of-work actors," said one of the women dryly. 

"Lillian please take down and file Roxy's details," said Uncle Vincenzo. "Roxy we will be in touch."

Yeah right, thought Roxy. That's unlikely. But four days later Lillian called her and asked if she could come in as soon as possible.

"I'm on my way," said Roxy. "I'm only wasting my time shopping and amusing myself by attempting not to buy anything."

"That's the professional attitude producers and directors like," Lillian laughed.

The second female lead in a whodunit, "Who's Killing Our Female Cops' had been rushed to hospital an hour earlier and was confirmed to be suffering from appendicitis and was awaiting surgery.

The director of the Earl Larch Theatre greeted Roxy warmly.

"We don't expect a problem. The third female lead has gone into second lead and the second lead's understudy has gone into third lead and my assistant is rehearsing them now. Your CV we were given shows are have an enormous capacity to memorize an entire script. When I say we don't expect a problem I could be jumping the gun. The third lead appears nervous in making the switch. So to secure the ramparts I wish to recruit you to learn the second lead part. If Susan finds the switch too much I'll place her back in third lead and ask you to take second. This is asking a lot Roxy and please say..."

"Not a problem Jacki. Give me the script and give me a quiet room."

"Omigod, you're not over-confident are you?"

"What has to be done has to be done Jacki. If I'm needed I'll be ready but not ready in time for tonight's production."

"Right, go girl. This could be a panic over nothing but we have an audience who pay good money to see a good performance. You know my feeling Susan will have enough gas in the tank to scrape through the one performance with prompting and then her bubble will burst."

"Well let's hope it become no worse than that. I'll watch tonight's performance and make note. What's the stage name of the second lead?"

"Captain Nancy Willow."

"Oooh, sexy."

"Actually she's a hard-nose cop and saves Lieutenant's Kim Ryan's life and together they nail the murdering bastard."

"Ooooh, very dramatic. I like the sound of it."

"And I like the sound of you and your enthusiasm Roxy."

As it happened the temporary second lead proved to have enough gas in the tank to pull through. 

Three days later after becoming involved when Roxy was word-perfect in the under-study role, she had lunch with the director and producer and was told about the company's next production, a bitter-sweet love story and the producer said they were unhappy with the actress who was being trialed. She unfortunately was excellent at being bitter because that fitted her natural unhappy disposition but she played the part of the woman at last finding love 'like a teething baby teething'.

Oh dear. 

Roxy agreed to audition and won the part and became involved in rehearsals during the day and being on hand at night waiting in the wings of the show in case she was needed to go on. She reveled in her long working day as she found it so interesting. At night she talked to and watched the back-stage crew at work and increased her knowledge about theatre.

The play 'Uneasy about Love' by an obscure Canadian began in half-filled theatres and never drew crowds larger than that and the decision was made to terminate its run. An assistant director of another theatrical company spoke to Roxy at the second to last night of the show to congratulate her and to ask about her contract.

"Alas it ends this week."

"Hooray for that," Rosalind said, giving Roxy her phone number and asking her to   call next day. Roxy, who's not been called on stage for the murder of policewomen play, had been advised the company had no ongoing work in mind for her.

The director of the company Rosalind worked for after reading Roxy's CV said they were not hiring at the moment. He noted Roxy was fluent in Italian and joked, "You should call my sister Adeline. They are soon to do a play about a dysfunctional New York family of Italians.

The play opened with Roxy playing the third lead Christina who at twenty-four was the youngest in the family headed by the tongue-lashing matriarch Severina, aged seventy, who played the lead while her eldest son was second-lead and his wife Bianca was the only one who dared to stand up to Severina, that is until Christina returned home after completing college in Italy.

The dialogue was in English but when granddaughter and grandmother tore into each other with hilarious results, they lapsed into 'gutter Italian' and their expressions and gestures had even the non-Italian speakers in the audience screaming in laughter.

An Italian-language newspaper review of the show next morning claimed the great and robust performance of newcomer Roxy Reeves signaled a new star in theatre was emerging.

Roxy was knocked awake by Severina at 9:30 (who in fact was aged only 42), and yelling 'leave your phone switched on your stupid bitch'.

Bleary-eyed after the opening night party, Roxy kissed Caroline who said, "TV wants us at the theatre all made up to film the slanging match between you and me over my decision that the family hides Stephan from the cops after he stole a police car and took two of his girlfriends for a joyride and left it parked in front of the courthouse was lights flashing and siren wailing."

"Why?"

"Because our local community newspaper has raved about the show and its theatre critic described that scene as one of the funniest with the most disgusting language she'd ever witnessed in thirty-three years as a theatre critic."

"But why should that interest TV?"

"Its entertainment editor is married into a New York Italian family and I guess she wishes to please her mother."

The two women hugged and laughed until some guy across the hall yelled at them to shut up.

A clip of the haranguing, filmed with the two actors dressed for the stage, was shown on network TV news that evening, complete with lots of bleeps over segments of bad language. And then with the two actors dressed normally, they were interviewed by the entertainment editor in a light-hearted manner and the result produced very entertaining television. Two hours later the woman at a theatre agency hiring bureau who'd rejected Roxy almost four months early, but Roxy recalled the name, invited Roxy in to be placed on their books.

"Go bury your head. You rejected me four months ago you stupid cow," Roxy thundered and cut the call.

Offers for other work flowed in and Roxy decided to stay in New York and moved into a studio apartment.

The PA of prominent theatre producer Michael J. Bower called Roxy and invited her to lunch with Mr Bower. A date was arranged and when Roxy, devoid of makeup but looking tidy dressed in tight jeans and an even tighter sweater entered the restaurant she thought, perhaps this was it.

Two men stood to greet her, the brothers Bower. She recognized Michael by his photo that often was in newspapers and magazines. Until then she was unaware of the existence of his younger brother Paul.

The men were too polite to suggest she'd forgotten to make herself up.

"Is this about a part?"

"Yes," said Paul. "I'm an independent filmmaker for TV and Michael is helping me to become established in New York. I've been working in London and Rome gaining experience and now it's time to come home. Michael has purchased the rights for me of a movie script of the story of Sophia Giordano."

"Omigod."

Michael looked startled and said, "You know of her?"

"Yes she was a novice nun but left Italy in the 1930s during the persecutions and also left the church for a few years. She became a leading female in the Resistance Movement in a dangerous part of France during World War 2 and lived to die of old age. I spent many summers when I was young in Lucca, Tuscany and in that area there's a memorial to her that I've seen several times. It's in the village where she was born. Are you interested in me being in the movie?"

"I'm considering you as director. I heard you on TV recently say you'd been assistant director."

"Oh but that was only at high school. I would be unable to direct a movie."

"Oh how disappointing. I need a director with some Italian experience."

"I'll gladly play Sophia?"

Paul grinned and said sorry, but he already had someone in mind for that.

Michael said, "But that's because she's your girlfriend Paul. Look at Roxy's face. Imagine that with a big of dirt and sweat on it; she'd look ravishing."

"Ravishing?" said Paul and the two men stared at Roxy and slowly turned her face and neck bright red.

"Shall we order?" she asked helpfully.

"Show us your tits," Paul leered. 

Roxy was fairly certain that was a joke but pulled up her sweater. It was a no-bra day and the brothers Bower stared until she lowered her top.

"Jesus," breathed Michael.

Later outside the restaurant and a white limo drew up, Michael asked, "May we drop you off somewhere Roxy?"

"No thanks I wish to walk off my food and wine. I'm working this evening."

The guys kissed her and she walked off. Nothing was said about any further contact.

That night after the show a messenger arrived with flowers for Miss Reeves.

"Great show, you were great. Gloria and I enjoyed it. Paul B."

She was pleased with the flowers and pleased he'd seen her act. Roxy suddenly thought it might not be long before Gloria would be watching Roxy audition for a part that Gloria had believed would be hers.

However the call never came and Roxy went about her work thinking what a waste of time that had been fiddling around in vain waiting for Paul to come through for her. Finally, curious to know what had happened with the movie, she called Michael and left a message. He called her two days later and apologized for being too busy to return social calls until now.

"That's okay. I'm busy too and yet found time to call you."

He laughed and said cheeky bitch.

"I never heard back from Paul about an audition and was curious to know what happened?"

"Gloria has insisted on playing the lead role and then discovered she was required to speak Italian as part of her cover in working in the Underground in France. So the project is held up while she is taking intense tuition to learn to speak Italian but she's so dumb she'll quit soon and then will dump Paul and he'll contact you."

"Well he can go to hell."

"Oooh I bet..."

"Michael he's had this chance with me and that's it. For your information I researched records about Sophia Giordano and found she was only a two-bit player in the resistance but the Italians being Italian made out she was a heroine when she returned home over the war and groveled and was finally taken back in the convent she'd deserted. I also traced the guy who wrote her story into a script for a movie as part of his master's degree in filmmaking in Rome and he sold the movie script to an Italian film studio where it languished untouched because similar war stories were a dime a dozen. It was offered for resale three years ago when the studio archives were tidied up and was bought by a bookstore owner along with thirty other movie scripts as a bulk sale for the equivalent of US $85.00. That guy added those titles for sale on his website and in three years you were the only purchaser suckered in to buy one of those scripts."

"Suckered?"

The bookstore owner put a price of US$3800 on the sale of that movie script. How much did you pay for it Michael?"

"Um $2500."

"For a script that my inquiries found that according to university records the author's professors were suspicious that the story was heavily exaggerated and contained suspected instances of plagiarism."

"I sue the bastard."

"That former student would be in his eighties now if he's still alive."

"You are quite quick and also thorough for a woman Roxy."

"And I suppose that means you wish to date me?"

Michael said smoothly, "I'm old enough to be your father."

"Yes and you know I know that. You are a handsome man Michael and I know you are married."

He said he assumed Roxy was after his assistance to make it on Broadway.

"Yes and if you are willing to do that without the sex, I suppose I would accept that."

"Oh very cool Roxy. Very well I'll try to get your something and make no demand for sex."

"Well I probably wouldn't satisfy you anyway. I'm only comfortable with big dicks."

He laughed so much that he coughed. 

"Jesus Roxy you really are a cheeky bitch. I'm becoming quite fond of it. I'll be in touch. Bye."

She made no attempt to reply and heard the call cut.

Roxy waited a full month but he never called. She decided to never call him.

She continued to get work off Broadway but regarded that as living on scraps. Eventually she gave up being so stubborn and appointed a personal agent who had other clients who worked on Broadway.

Mrs Adams reminded Roxy a little of Mrs Smith, being about the same age and just as dedicated and just as distant but she was better looking and dressed very well.

"Roxy I'll land you work but not major parts, do you understand?"

"Yes Mrs Adams," Roxy said, "but you must accept I have big ambitions."

"Yes darling. You all do and therefore don't consider it an ailment."

Roxy muttered so she'd have to prove herself all over again.

"Yes, until my confidence in you grows I cannot have confidence in you. I would come to see you at work but at present you are in limbo. But keep the faith, you had kept good records and have a collection of good reviews or honorable mentions. I'm afraid what you regard as your big break in TV will pass unnoticed because it's never been screened in New York, or so you say. I've certainly never heard of the series."

Roxy sighed and said, "Do your best for me Mrs Adams."

"Well sign this contract and you may call me Rosemary."




Rise of Roxy Ch. 06



Roxy's next on-stage appearance at a better known off-Broadway theatre was notably unspectacular. Her stage time as the restaurant waitress totaled twelve minutes in all and she spoke three times: 'Yes ma'am'; 'the chef on this evening specializes in shoulder of lamb sir' and 'That's not a tip sir, it's virtually a pay packet'. The play dragged on for eight nights until it closed eleven weeks earlier. 

That producer said to Roxy, "Well that's increased your New York experience dear although perhaps not of the quality you expected. We found no fault with you. The play was written by my mother's latest boyfriend. I was mad to touch it. Would you be interested in working with us again?"

"Oh yes Marion."

Marion sighed and said she liked Roxy's enthusiasm. 

"We'll be in touch dear. Who was your agent?"

Roxy returned to visiting museums and galleries and called and arranged to lunch with her first friends in New York, Renata Ricci and Dona De Luca.

"Don't fret that Broadway appears hostile to you," Dona advised. "Just be positive and think you are getting a foot in the door."

Marion Elliot's newly appointed director called Roxy a week later.

After introducing herself, Wendy said, "We are doing a light play cum musical next. Marion says they are always popular and she needs to recover lost ground at the theatre to save her hide. I'd like you to audition for the part of the cheeky hairdresser." 

"Thank you."

"I'll have a copy of the script left at the front office."

An hour later Roxy picked up the package at the off-Broadway theatre addressed to her and worked all day and into the night memorizing the script.

She went in next afternoon as arranged and met Wendy for the reading.

Wendy smiled and said, "You're hired. It will be a good production don't you think? The script is lively and strong and the four original songs add just the right touch."

"I agree. Have you engaged the female lead yet?"

"We have two and Marion finds both acceptable. I'm mulling over which one to appoint."

"Oh excellent. That must really please you."

"Neither is brilliant."

"What do you have on now?"

"Nothing but coffee until the next audition in forty minutes," Wendy said, checking her watch.

"Humor me by allowing me to read some of the part of Gwendolyn."

Wendy smiled and said, "Very well. I'll get the script."

"No don't bother, use mine. I don't need to refer to the script. Might I suggest the first night club scene, page 43?"

"Okay and I'm prepared to prompt."

Wendy read the other parts and Roxy responded faultlessly.

Marion had knocked over her coffee in her office and was wiping up the mess when she heard an impressive voice start up and begin signing the finale song from the upcoming production, 'I'd Love to Sing Cabaret'. She dropped the cloth and walked quickly to the entrance of the theatre and saw Wendy and saw who was singing unaccompanied and murmured, "There we go, I knew it." 

When the number ended Wendy said enthusiastically, "That was brilliant". She and Roxy looked out into the theatre when they heard applause and saw Marion walking down the aisle towards them clapping. 

* * *

Only four of the invited show critics turned up at the Wilson Emerson Theater to preview the production at the final dress rehearsals and only one, prominent newspaper critic Zane London, bothered to approach Marion and Wendy before he left the theatre.

"How long is the planned run Marion?"

"Twenty weeks but extensions are available."

"Yes well some nights might be only two-thirds full but this should run for at least twenty-six weeks, well that's just my guest. It's fresh and lively, two of those four songs are great toe-tapping numbers and the plot sustains with a slow build. If you had built a first-rate cast around that Roxy Reeves your show might have become a very popular hit. That girl is really good and could go far."

Well even critics are not oracles. The show closed at the end of sixteen weeks. Roxy already knew Marion had two shows she was looking at but she had no other work prospects. After three weeks of sitting around and visiting some other theatres and found tour producers willing to talk to her but in each instance Roxy left with the promise to be called for an audition of anything suitable came up, she decided she'd come to the end of the line, that she was chasing her tail.



More to Come



Rise of Roxy Ch. 07



Depressed and feeling her only hope was to move and make a new start, Roxy relinquished her apartment, packed and caught a flight to Los Angeles. 

At LA airport she called Di Roach's sister she'd met when Di and Roxy had come to LA for a few days thirty months earlier. God how time flies, Roxy thought and almost cut the call when it was answered.

"Jolene Featherstone."

"Oh hi Jolene, it's Roxy Reeves. I'm..."

"Omigod, are you here in LA?"

"Yes just arrived. I'm fed-up trying to move my career in New York so thought I'd..."

"Are you at the airport?"

"Yes and it happens to be the same terminal."

"Oh please come and stay with me. Please."

"Well that would be lovely. I was hoping you could give me advice where to settle and..."

"Yes and we can discuss that later. Go to that same café where we had coffee that time Di and you left for your flight home and I'll come to there." 

Roxy saw Jolene approaching and stood. Jolene saw her and screamed a greeting and they fell into a big hug.

Jolene said her husband Dirk was in Hawaii on business for four weeks, with still two of those weeks to go, and she was lonely. Roxy's timing in arriving was perfect. The driver of the hire limo loaded the big bag and two smaller bags and Jolene said, "Is that all you have?"

"Yes I dumped all the rest of my stuff in a pre-owned personal effects warehouse and was ripped off, receiving only two hundred bucks but to me it had suddenly become junk. I aim to start all over again but there are just some things you can't bear to part with."

"Yes I think I understand. Um Robert Ludd is in China making a movie so won't be any use to you."

"I'll hire an agent. I have saved money."

Jolene obviously wanted to assist and said kindly, "One of my younger friend's mother is a personal agent based in Hollywood and has been doing it for years. She only represents the cream, actors who've made it, but I'll ask Bella to work on her mom to make an exception for you. I'll get Bella to bring her mom over for lunch this Saturday."

"Oh I couldn't..."

"God you are so uptight Roxy. Just relax and allow me to help you. It's what I want to do. Oh Di was out here about eight weeks ago. She asked me did I know if Robert had been in contact with you regarding movie work."

"No he hadn't. I must call Di and my aunt and uncle and catch up. It's over three months since I last called them. You must understand it was such a struggle for me in New York to make much headway and I was forced to become focus and self-centered. I secured work but except from the last role it was all crap. I finished playing the lead in a light musical with much more dialogue than singing that went very well, running off-Broadway for sixteen weeks and I got very good money for it. But the theatre had no new show in the wings to absorb any of us into so my time with that producer had come to an end. Further, and my agent couldn't produce anything so we agreed to part. I stewed and then decided I'd move to try to get something to happen."

"Oh dear, how depressing. But cheer up, you're with me now and so something will happen for you. I see my daughter rarely now that she's moved to Dallas with her family; they have no desire to visit LA so if I want to see her and my grandson I have to go to Texas. I'm just so glad to have you as my house guest. I really do need someone to care for. My husband is someone to fuss over, he hates it and growls and tells me to butt out."

It all sounded very comforting for Roxy and she yawned.

"Omigod you are exhausted with the long flight added to your emotional weariness. We won't go out for dinner tonight. I'll settle you and we'll eat when you wake. One of the things I can do in the kitchen is spicy meatballs. How does that sound."

"Heavenly."

Roxy yawned but felt refreshed after showering following a long sleep. It was late so she headed to the kitchen to make a sandwich and passing the TV room found Jolene watching TV.

"Oh hi, ready for dinner? I waited for you."

"B-but it's late? Oh I am so sorry."

"I prefer to eat with company so no apology is necessary. God look at you, all refreshed and looking beautiful. How old are you now?"

"I turn twenty-nine in two months."

They sat eating meatballs with a side salad and drinking a gusty Spanish red.

"So what's Dirk doing in Hawaii?"

"Fucking the ass off his PA I'd think. She went with him and he said he would spend a week on the working for his client – Dirk is an investigating accountant which is like an auditor but he specializes in tracing misappropriated money – and then he will take a week off work."

"Humping his PA? Oh god, Jolene, I'm sorry. How could I say something as stupid as that?"

"It's okay. He has the occasional break-out with her, only occasionally because she's married. You may as well know Robert Ludd fucks me when I allow that. He's rather pathetic in bed but does his best and I like men who try their best."

They giggled.

An hour after they went to bed, Roxy found she didn't really need sleep so thought she'd watch TV. She looked in on Jolene and found her reading.

"Hi."

"Oh hi darling," Jolene said, putting down her book and removing her reading glasses. "I guess you've had sufficient sleep for the time being."

"Yes. Um can I hop in beside you?"

"Don't feel sorry for me Roxy."

"Oh but I am and believe you need to be held."

"I sleep nude darling."

Roxy removed her long t-shirt and noticed Jolene's tongue tip slide out and wet her top lip.

Jolene rolled over and Roxy slid up against her and placed an arm over Jolene's belly.

"That's lovely and you feel so soft against me. Do you do this often Roxy?"

"Very infrequently."

"Have you done it with Di?"

Roxy hesitated and said, "Is this confidential?"

"Oh absolutely."

Roxy said they almost did it and Sam came home unexpectedly early. Although he hadn't caught them he appeared suspicious and the woman never became so intimate again."

"I'd like you to do things like that to me. I use a strap-on with Bella."

"Oooh, you naughty ladies. Yes okay because I fell you are yearning for this level of intimacy Jolene. It will be my pleasure."

"Ooooh," Jolene simpered.

To Roxy's surprise she experienced ten days of intensive sexual activity. She found Jolene was a gym bunny and that meant she was strong and fit in bed and she had a rather long tongue. Understandably the women became very close and as Roxy had anticipated she no longer felt deep loneliness.

On Saturday morning Roxy said, "Will Bella be jealous to find my staying here with you?"

"Bella and I are not lovers darling, only users, and believe me she's a rather nice and well-adjusted person. She loves her husband but developed a big of a taste for women when at college."

"Oh god, a bit of a taste!"

Roxy and Jolene fell about laughing.

Bella Boyd arrived for lunch with her mother an overweight Robyn Curtin who wore a fashion turban and had dark eyes, didn't smile a lot but maintained a friendly and engaging manner.

They sat beside the pool and when Bella and Jolene went off to prepare lunch, Robyn said, "Bella and Jolene are best of friends and Bella has been at me as a talent agent     to find you work as an actress. In a moment of weakness I said I'd consider that but now that I've sighted you and heard you speak and watched how naturally you interact I've decided to take you on as a client but at the standard rate. I never offer a discount. I've viewed Part 3 of the documentary you fronted on the Italian Renaissance and Jolene filled me in last Wednesday on your TV work and the hard grind you had in getting theater work in New York. All I can do is to get your interviews and hopefully auditions and if you enter paid work or even a retainer I take a cut."

"Well only take me on if you are comfortable about this."

Robyn smiled and said, "Young lady, if you keep on playing it cool like this you could go a long way. First I need to talk to you professionally and then steer you in the right direction to get a folio of photos and get an expert put your experience down on paper in the right style. Then we'll look at getting you some work in advertising..."

"No I've done the hard grind. I know it's wasn't done in California but enough is enough. Just introduced me to the right people for minor roles in movies and I'll do the rest. I'm patient, persuasive and can work really hard and I accept these people have heard it all before. Just give me eye to eye contact and, as I say, I'll do the rest."

Robyn said unsmilingly, very well, they would try it Roxy's way. 

The photographs had been taken and a woman was working on assembling Roxy's profile when Roxy received a call from one of Robyn's assistants.

"One of Mrs Curtin's friends, an independent filmmaker, has a crisis. He needs a softly spoken female who looks great in black to jump in as a welcoming hostess at a media preview due to start in one hour at 3:00. The hired woman has come down with a stomach upset."

"I'm sorry but..."

"Mrs Curtin said to tell you not to argue, just do it, that chances come in all shapes and sizes and rarely are what you expect."

"Right give me the address and who to ask for."

Jerry Hinckley looked at Roxy and said, "Christ you're one out of the box. Okay here's the script about how to welcome people and to point where they are to go. You don't look to be dumb so ought to be able to manage that. What will count is your openness and warmth of your smile and...er never mind."

"You want my tits looking pert?"

"Honey," he laughed, "You are amazing. That's why I asked Robyn for an actress."

He yelled Pauline, and an aide came running.

"This is Roxy, our greeter. Take her away and hurry with the briefing."

The job was routine and the media people smiled back and Roxy, many of them smiling at her breasts.

It was a 90-minute movie and to Roxy's surprise most of the critics stayed to the end and stayed on for nibbles and drinks.

When the last of them left Janet the aide handed Roxy cash and she had to sign for it. Even with 10% clipped off for her agent, it was still great money.

"Oh Jerry wants to see you. His office is over there."

Jerry had his jacket and shoes off, feet on his desk and was drinking whisky.

"I suppose you think this is where I ask you to close the door and remove your clothes?"

"The thought had crossed my mind and I was considering doing it or saying go to hell."  

He grinned and said his wife would be arriving any moment.

"Tell me about your acting experience baby?"

Roxy described it briefly.

"Well that's sounds like experience to me. Oh here's my wife Jennifer."

"Good afternoon ma'am. I was the fill in greeter. Your husband was quizzing me about my sexual preferences."

Jennifer appeared to have slumped into a daze. She murmured, "Omigod, our Wynona and she already has the chestnut hair."

"And the breasts."

Jennifer laughed and said, "And is under thirty."                                                                                    

Roxy said she took it she had the part in a movie if she auditioned well.

Jennifer said they'd been commissioned to make a 30-minute documentary to be shown one network television. The client was a super-rich chemical manufacturing tycoon who wanted to mark the centenary of his grandmother's birth. The actor to play Wynona from the age of thirty-five had been found but they wanted a younger actor to play Wynona from the time she entered law school, becoming the first woman to enter that law school and graduate, others before her not lasting out the first semester due to male persecution. Wynona went on to be a fighter for women's rights and fought and won many cases representing females charged of civil disobedience when pressing for recognition of women's rights."

"Oh I wish I were older and could have acted as that feisty attorney."

"Well sorry but you'll have to make do with the years when she ran amok sexually at a time when many citizens couldn't believe an educated woman could put it about," Jennifer said and laughed when Roxy said enthusiastically, "Oooh. Wonderful and I won't ever have to act doing that."           

Roxy was hired for the role and she and Jennifer just clicked as director and actor and Jennifer found Roxy a very suitable small apartment in the building opposite when she and Jerry lived. Their son Richard latched on to Roxy for several weeks and when he wandered off Jennifer introduced Roxy to an even more suitable male companion.

When filming finished, Roxy and one of her best friends Jolene went to Dallas to visit Jolene's daughter and family and Di took leave and met them there.

They had a great time and the little boy was a real darling and a sister for him was on the way.

Roxy was surprised that Di knew of Wynona Bryant (nee Rhodes). She'd read the book on which presumably the movie script was based. 

When Jolene and Roxy returned to LA Roxy received a call from Jennifer inviting her to lunch with a guy she refused to name until the meeting. He turned out to be and executive movie producer from one of the main studios in Hollywood. 

"I've viewed some of the clips from Wynona," said William Packer. "You in your part returned a most compelling performance I must say."

"Thank you."

"We have engaged Jennifer to direct a light musical using the author's title of, 'Let's Produce Musicals."

"Good title, says it all doesn't it?"

Roxy watched William and Jennifer look at one another. Then William said they had a department that would test public reaction to that title and other suggested titles.

"Jennifer recalls you can sign although she hasn't heard you. I'd like to hear you sing."

"Okay then where shall we meet?"

"Sing here, now." 

"But this restaurant is full and humming. People won't..."

"This is Hollywood where anything goes. If you are no good you'll be booed. If you are good the hum will stop dead. Just a couple of verses will do."

"Oh god and I'm to do that without accompaniment?"

"You don't have to do it."

"No it's fine. I'll just step back from the table."

Roxy stood and noted Jennifer was smiling confidently. She stood between two nearby tables and looking at William began singing, 'I Love Paris'.

Within thirty seconds the room hushed and waiters stopped still.

She stopped after the second verse and headed back to her chair and observed that William was leading the applause that filled the restaurant.

He nodded and then poured her more red wine.

"We'll need you in for a full screen test," he smiled. "Jennifer will tell you what to wear."

"A loin cloth?"

He smiled and said he liked her attitude.

"Aren't musicals dead?"

"Well Roxy the answer will appear a mite confusing, yes and who knows?"

"Ah so you think in these sorrowful economic times a perky musical on the big screen made prove a timely revival?"

"Good thinking. We are not going overboard on this and when you get your hands on the screenplay you'll see the storyline is pretty simple but Rusty has a big heart."

"Rusty? So what's the female lead's name?"

"That's it, Rusty, actual name Sharon Hill in the novel. She has red hair and in prison organizes a signing group and writes them a small play with songs and the prison governor is astonished how the unruliness of the jail birds has calmed. The movie ends with Rusty years later taking the full cast of her musical...."

"A musical called 'I'd Like to Sing' back to the prison and the show is televised and it becomes a sensational hit and every city in the land wants Roxy to tour with her show."

"Well there's no mention of the show being televised Roxy but we'll sure talk to the author of the novel about that."

"Well what do you think Roxy?"

"It sounds good Jennifer. So it will be produced on a shoe-string and that's why you two are talking to me instead of a name female actor?"

"Well we're not going silly about this but our feeling it will become a cult movie for mainly the young. We have most of the budget of $65 million covered already."

"Sixty-five million?" Roxy croaked.

"Yes, I'm only ever associated with movies that distribute internationally," William sniffed. 

* * *

Roxy's dialogue coach was a fat woman and when he found her singing coach would be male Roxy expected he'd be a fat ex-bass. But no he was a slim ex-tenor and very charming. The notes Roxy had received stated his father was Polish father and his mother was Italian.

"Welcome my dear," said Rufus, and leaned forward to kiss her Continental style and she shivered and was kissed and the shivering increased.

Omigod, did Rufus go in for casual sex. Roxy thought she couldn't ask, well not at their first meeting.

"You are so beautiful," he said gravely.

"Oh thank you and do you like my breasts?" Roxy said brightly. 

His eyes slowly lowered and his olive skin slowly darkened.

"Oh I think you do," she chided and he cleared his throat and went to the keyboard and said he'd like to check her register.

The classes with Rufus were relentless, one hour each morning, one hour late afternoon each day, six days a week. Roxy was merciless in her gentle wooing, attempting to make sure he couldn't get her eyes off her and after she finished her lesson at 9:30 each morning she asked for coffee and him to join her and by the third day he just said he'd get coffee.

She asked straight out was he married. The reply he was divorced.

On Saturday afternoon Roxy invited him to dinner that night.

"I'd like to say yes by my mother is against me associating with American English girls. I married one and it didn't work out."

"Sometimes mothers are not always right."

He considered that and added she hadn't had sex for some weeks.

And so Rufus arrived for dinner.

He had a long, think cock that Roxy pushed to sample between entrée and meatballs and she just loved it.

Rufus must have loved slotting it because he didn't go home until 11:00 next morning.

He called an hour later and was very apologetic.

"My mother didn't like me staying all night with a woman she doesn't know. She is very angry and wishes to talk to you. I will refuse to allow her if you say no.

"You leave my son alone you slut. My Rufus has already been charmed by an American bitch, must to our regret. I want him to find a nice American-Italian girl."

Roxy let rip, speaking in Italian.

"You rude cow calling me a slut. Apologize or I'll cover over and slap you about and kicked you fat ass."

Needless to say Rufus' mom apologized profusely and invited the surprised Roxy to dinner that evening.

According to mother at the end of that evening, Rufus was free to bang Roxy whenever he wished. And Roxy found that very acceptable. He moved in with her two days later and their relationship lasted almost five months until Roxy went on location to a disused women's prison, er correctional facility, in New Mexico. After some filming there where Rusty was doing time for acting as a drug mule, filming shifted to her home town of San Antonio.

Rufus called Roxy to say he'd found an Italian women, a little older than himself and perhaps they might marry.

"If she's a good lady, marry her Rufus. You said she has two young children so settle down and become a family man."

The guy who managed the locations in San Antonio was a randy guy formerly from Ohio and Roxy make sure he found her and they banged away at least twice a week. She felt sexually replete and that maintained her in good humor and she thrived in the heat and only used her trailer to sleep. Her knowledge of Italian helped her to pick up the Mexican language quickly and she became very popular with the local crew enjoyed singing to the accompaniment of Mexican musicians and was invited to their functions to sing and for her ability to make them laugh. One of them landed her with the nickname of 'Hot Sweet Chili'.




Rise of Roxy Ch. 07



In the fourth week of filming in Texas, William the executive producer arrived. He banged Jennifer the first night and Roxy the next night. He had a thick cock, too thick for Roxy's preference and he treated her roughly and she didn't like that.

He left next day and Roxy complained to Jennifer about his rough treatment and she sympathized.

"He's like that with me darling but I bear it because it helps to consolidate our business relationship. Um have you ever been with a woman?"

"Yes a bit. Why, are you interested?"

"Oh darling," Jennifer cooed.

With that certainly strengthen their relationship; they were so good together.

When they returned to the disused correctional facility in New Mexico, Jennifer and Roxy decided to share a trailer rather than have their own one. Apart from the sex, they really enjoyed each other's company and Roxy found she was able to assist Jennifer with her after-filming work.

When filming ended and everyone went to Santa Fe for the wind-up dinner, Jennifer and Roxy shared a suite and that night enjoyed their best sex they'd had together. They were pleased to be going home at last, had slept on the drive to Santa Fe and after had taken it quietly at the dinner whereas some of the women and most of the guys were out to enjoy a big bash

Just before dinner William had called Jennifer for an update and thanked her for a job well done, confirming the entire raw movie viewed to date looked very good and the sound quality was good.

"Is Roxy with you?"

"Yes."

William said casually, "After looking at this footage we've decided to cast her as Blanche Monroe."

"Omigod."

"Well yes, there's a risk but my thinking is she produce what it takes. Let me tell her now."

"Hi William. I suspect you have an offer for me. My mentor when I started in TV drama told me one night when she'd have rather much to drink that it was usually advantageous to fuck the boss."

She had to wait till William finished his coughing fit.

"We've decided to once again try for a revival of a Western. You are being offered the lead, as Blanche Monroe."

"What a mother of four sons on a horse ranch."

"Actually she was a female doctor in the northernmost part of Texas known as the Panhandle. In 1904 she became very irate when three more cowboys were brought into her surgery in a small settlement about 75 miles out from Amarillo. They were callously shot up by five drifters known as the Wilson Gang. She tried without success to round up a posse to bring the five brothers in, dead or alive, but there were no takers. So she closed her practice, borrowed a wagon from the town's livery, had the blacksmith make her a steel cage with the door secured with a padlock." 

"She then loaded with provisions, and drove out on her mission to bring in the Wilson Gang who to her knowledge had killed two men and badly shot up some 15 men and two women. She said she would be gone a month but it was three months before she drove back in town, a rider meeting her on the way in and then riding on to town to yell, 'Dr Blanche Monroe is riding back into town with three preserved bodies and two Wilson's as prisoners.' She was half-starved and her clothes where in rags but she drove into town with a straight back and ignored the cheering crowd but everyone saw her triumphant smile."

"Omigod, how exciting. But do you think people these days want to see stuff like that?"

"The author, a descendant of Dr Monroe, researched and wrote the story and her family believe the story would be best be retold in a movie. They all contributed money and Mrs Kindle took the powerfully written novel to Walter Jason and he produced the screenplay."

"Omigod, Walter Jason."

"Yes and as you probably know he specializes in blockbusters. Jennifer will direct the story to be filmed mostly in Panhandle and Walter will be retained as script development adviser and Jennifer will have a western historian and an authority on early medical practices in Texas as technical advisers. My studio bean-counters are in agreement we throw $200 million at the project and we are awaiting approval from up high."

"William, that's so awesome. Are you sure you have that depth of confidence in me?"

"I've put the basic offer on the table to you to consider. Come and see me at 10:00 on Wednesday or phone me and say no way will you do it."

"Well you have confidence in me and I'm looking across at Jennifer who is grinning and nodding. I'll do it. I'll be in on Wednesday to talk money and contract. Please have your attorneys present."

"Yes Miss Reeves."

The two women were still highly excited when they returned from dinner.

"I got the feeling from William he was sold on you to be Blanche Monroe and if you turned him down he'd go off the boil on the project. He didn't say as much but I got that impression when he called to ask me to direct the epic."

The women undressed each other, wet-kissing.

"It's back to my husband Jerry tomorrow," Jennifer said sadly. "I really want you."

"God you over-sexed bitch."

They giggled and watched quietly as Roxy's hand draw gently over the rise of Jennifer's milk-white breast and circle the nipple like a great white shark closing in on a skinny fisherman on a bobbing thin plywood rowboat. As the finger drew closer and finally scraped the nipple momentarily that was sufficient; the nipple began to rise.

It was rising just like her career, Roxy thought, satisfied on both counts.

Jennifer said humbly, "It never ceases to amaze me how a near-redundant nipple can react so sensitively hanging on to a bulge of fat like a breast."

"Such is the wonder of the human body," murmured Roxy, continuing patiently with the slow arousal of her closest friend in filmmaking.

"I want you to fist me tonight."

Roxy sucked in breath. She'd always thought of that as an abusive practice and had steered clear of it. But she was aware her heart-beat had quickened.

"Okay providing you enter me from the back with the strap-on and use your small vibrator up my butt."

"Oooh, so Miss Conservative is really ready to let go sexually?" Jennifer cooed. "So my patience with you is finally paying off." 

Roxy heard that but pushed it aside to concentrate on her intense foreplay, now gently palming both of Jennifer's small but beautifully shaped breasts.

It was the most disgusting night of sex Roxy had experienced and three hours was easiest the longest session she'd ever had with a woman. Jennifer lay beside her on her back, mouth open and deeply asleep and looking exhausted, emitting raspy breathing.

What had Jennifer meant her patience with Roxy had finally paid off?

Omigod, she'd meant she'd finally found a close associate willing, well perhaps not so willing, to fist her. Jennifer's husband Jerry Hinckley had rather large hands. Omigod, the scheming slut, Roxy smiled and thought it had been quite frightening for her at first witnessing the intensities of Jennifer's multiple orgasms. The poor woman night have to be taken to the aircraft on a wheelchair.

But no, they slept till 9:00 when Roxy awoke Jennifer for breakfast. While Jennifer appeared to have just ridden a horse when walking, there was no other adverse sign and within a few minutes of waking she was her usual chirpy self.

They arrived back in LA late afternoon and when Roxy switched on her phone she found a message from William. She called him while she and Jennifer waited for their bags.

"Hi Roxy, it's bad news I'm afraid. The big bosses say we have other more important projects to spend that $200 million on right now. So that's it I'm afraid. Bye."

Roxy was stunned.

"Bad news?"

Roxy stammered, "D-do you have a message to call W-William?"

Jennifer didn't bother to check her phone. She hugged her now sad-faced friend and said. "The gnomes had given thumbs down to our murderous Dr Monroe proposal haven't they?"

Roxy nodded and sniffed and felt some satisfaction at hearing those ultimate decision makers being called gnomes.

"Well darling Roxy, I'll have to find us another movie. For obviously reasons I very much enjoy working in tandem with you."

Roxy held up her fist and Jennifer kissed it, grinning. Roxy was horrified she'd just invited Jennifer to do that and wondered if she had become depraved. Perhaps she should ask a senior Baptist minister?

Next morning Roxy called her talent agent Robyn Curtin with the news that the Dr Monroe proposed movie had been canned.

"Don't worry, these things happen darling. Have you finished working down New Mexico way?"

"Yes, Jennifer and I arrived back last night. It was tremendous experience and Jennifer keeps assuring me I've done well and actually I know I've done well but I realize it's what movie-goers think of the final cut is what counts."

"Aye and I guess you are looking for your next project?"

Roxy said yes and told Robyn why the Dr Monroe proposal had been cancelled. 

"I was to sign this Tuesday."

"Oh that close. Well I guess this might be news to you but people like William Packer are always looking to be associated with an unexpected success and allow their egos to get in front of their judgment."

"Oh?"

"So you now know to hold back a little?"

"Yes to hold back a little and to keep my ego behind my expectations."

"Good girl. Now let me tell you the hard facts about filmmaking and how many movies as a percentage of seemingly on-track proposals finally make it to the big screen."

Ten minutes later Roxy said, "I had no idea..." and stopped.

"Yes dear but remember you've not formally studied moviemaking."

"Roxy what is your attitude towards prophylactics?"

"They are an essential product and we should never leave home without some."

Robyn laughed and said she had a client looking for someone like Roxy."

"I hadn't thought of a career engaged in testing condoms."

Robyn explained that the condom industry of America was concerned about the market share being held by foreign manufacturers.

A group of patriotic condom-makers believe Americans should roll on American-made product and have funded an advertising campaign and the brief to its advertising agency is to use an unknown Hollywood actor under the circumstances I should use the sexist term actress. The advertising agency has invited three agents to submit profiles of starlets we believe could be right for this promotion. I'm thinking of forwarding your profile now that I find you have no work ahead of you."

"Me?"

"Darling my time is precious. Yes or no to the submission. You won't have to decide whether to accept the role if it's offered to you until you gain clear understanding of what's involved. Obviously it means promoting USA-made condoms and I can assure you the advertising standards authorities will require above the board promotion."

"Yes submit my profile. I'll confirm that instruction by email."

"Excellent. It has been really worth talking to you. I believe you could become the chosen one, but regard that comment as nonsense because I have no idea about the competition. Take up could be poor."

Roxy had a very serious thought. "Perhaps potential participates in such a campaign could feel being associated with condoms might spell the end to their career."

"Yes darling, or the exact opposite. There will be time to consider that."

Robyn called back two hours later.

"I was checking with William about the holding contract they have with you. He's advised they had nothing in view for you and he'd prepared to issue you with authority to understand advertising work in the meantime?"

"In the meantime?"

"He wishes to maintain you on contract pending the public reaction to your light musical. Apparently your comment that it could become a cult movie with the young has been confirmed by the studio's research department."

"Omigod."

"Don't get too excited about that possibility."

"No it means the movie will get to be distributed."

"Oh yes darling. Robert says it's gained support and is now being fast-tracked to catch the nation in a dull mood over the economic situation."

For a moment Roxy thought her heart would burst.

Roxy was chosen as one of three finalists and Robyn was free and offered to take her to the airport when finding Jolene had another engagement.

While waiting for the boarding call Robyn revealed her motherly side. "You are so unlike my other clients I can't get enough of you."

"Is... is that a compliment?" Roxy asked nervously and was told absolutely.

* * *

Roxy appeared before the selection panel at the advertising agency in Chicago along with two glamorous finalists. She was dismayed she'd accepted Robyn's advice and had dressed and made-up to look like the girl next door.

The account director heading the outlined the work involved and said it would require the selected person living in Chicago for two months and hotel accommodation would be provided. She and the male condom-industry representative and the creative director kept eyeing the three candidates very closely.

Roxy concentrated on maintaining calmness and avoiding smiling toothily, just as Mrs Smith had begun teaching her virtually from day one. She also kept her answers to questions brief, something else Mrs Smith had taught her.

At the end of that session, Carla Williams the panel convener then took everyone to lunch at a nearby restaurant.

Carla invited the candidates to name what wine they wanted. The two smarter looking candidates looked at one another and asked for mineral water and Roxy said champagne and the other two women said champagne and the condom man chose a whisky sour. The candidates looked sourly at their mineral water when it arrived, or at least that was Roxy's impression.

Play it cool, be yourself, she urged.

Roxy said to the condom man, Mr Rossi, "What type of condom did you favor Mr Rossi?"

Carla spluttered her champagne and Raymond Rossi laughed and said a lubed, ultra-thin and American made product."

"Oh yes, good choice," Roxy said. "It hasn't been stated but is this industry-conceived campaign to call for a rally around the flag to be aimed at women?"

Carla said, "Roxy I really don't..."

"It's okay Carla," Raymond smiled. "That was one question I didn't expect and for reasons of confidentiality it's one I should not answer right now."

"And yet you have answered it Raymond," Roxy smiled and he smiled.

Gloria then shocked the panel by attempting catch-up and asked, "What was the size of the biggest penis ever measured after being encased in a standard condom?"

"Shall we say that information is confidential to the industry," Raymond said smoothly and the two females on the panel slowly exhaled.

The other contender asked, "We weren't advised if the campaign is all about roll-ons for males or does it include pouches for females as well."

"Ah I can see our waiter coming with the menus," Carla said, waving frantically and looking at the people at two adjoining tables obviously finding the condom conversation very interesting.

Roxy caught her flight home that evening with a signed contract that had been approved by an attorney in Chicago recommended by Roxy's agent.

"How much will you receive for the campaign?" Robyn asked.

"They offered $150,000 but I got that cranked up to $300,000 to compensate for possible blips to my career. No one suggested like you did that it might enhance my career."

"You'll become known as the Condom Girl for a while but people have short recall about things that don't really matter. My advice is to prominently display that involvement on your website. People will assume you were chosen from all of America's classy young women models to front that campaign.

Jolene greeted Roxy at the airport and took her home because her husband was away that night.

Roxy came out after showering wearing only panties.

"Would you like to try fisting tonight Jolene?"

Jolene looked startled and then a smile began to build.

"Yes perhaps I should try that darling. I know some of my girlfriends are into it but I've always backed off. I'll fetch the lube."

"And don't forget the strap-on." Roxy called. "I feel really sexy this evening."

"We really must find you a good man," Jolene smiled, returning with requirements including a cover for the leather sofa.

* * *

The ten 90-second ads were set up and filmed as if the crew were making cinema movies. All the settings were different, some created in studios, others in romantic places within America.

Roxy really loved the work and one the first day of rehearsals said to the director, a sandy-headed guy not much older than herself, "I'm available for sex providing you wear a condom."

Stewart didn't have to reply. The married guy's face darkened with lust said it all.

The condom industry's rep Raymond Rossi also took Roxy away for three dirty weekends. He fucked like a machine, all emotion buried and that told Roxy why two former wives had dumped and divorced him. Still she had to think about the possibility of more work for the condom industry in the years ahead.

She'd been spot on about this campaign. It was focused on delivering the message that women had the power to demand an American-made condom or no sex, even to their husbands.

Roxy persuaded Raymond to arrange an extra ad to be made and the ad agency supported her when they read her script.

The eleventh ad showed Roxy addressing a women's group and the message was to practice safe sex, and every adult woman unless it conflicted with their personal beliefs, should carry condoms.

"I own fourteen hand-bags, seven coin purses and three clutch bags," said Roxy. "I'm not married and become subjected to propositions and so all my bags contain at least one condom pack because one never knows. Men can be so forgetful at times. Carry them to avoid missing out, is what I believe. I never do it without that additional protection."

For a time Ad #11 was one of the most popular TV ads running in America. Women liked the advice being given to other women to always carry one or more and even men admitted it was handy advice.

Some outrage was expressed that Americans were being dragged into the gutter by promiscuous advertising but it was all smoke with little fire.

Before too long the Condom Lady was receiving offers of work and she referred them all to Robyn. She took the first three offers to discuss with William. As a result of them he had a new and generous contract for Roxy drawn up and she signed.

Roxy went to dinner that evening with William and his wife.

"We have renamed the movie, 'Let's Make Music'.

"Okay but is that really better than the title Jennifer suggested, 'I Want to Sing'?"

"Our research feedback says so."

Roxy asked Eva what she thought.

"Sentimentally 'I Want to Sing' appeals to me but I agree with the research report that that title hangs weakly. I thought 'I Came Out of Jail Singing' says it all from the time Rusty's group began singing in that awful jail. But I scotched that thought when William pointed out Rusty had learned to sing as a young girl."

"Have you seen the movie?"

"Yes William bought a rough copy home and we had friends over."

"And?"

"Their reactions were very favorable and they all liked the bit of her returning to her former jail with her new musical and the place rocked, very much like in that movie about the life of Johnny Cash. They thought they'd be sitting through a wispy old-style musical but found that wasn't the case and thoroughly approved of the screenplay. Have you any thoughts about what you'd like to do next?"

Roxy looked at William.

He sighed and said, "Oh no!"

Eva asked Roxy, "Tell me about it."

She listened intently as they ate and even William began concentrating more, becoming caught up in Roxy's passion.





Rise of Roxy Ch. 07



Roxy ended by relating what had happened with the proposal.

"It would be a marvelous production," Eva said enthusiastically. "Go on William, make it as a Western but in modern movie-making style. I must not be dreary like 'The Searchers' although that perhaps was appropriate for its time."

"William I think about the Dr Monroe story every other night or so," Roxy said. "The script needs changing. I suggest the doctor lures each of the five brothers separately by offering sex and then when they approach her for it she apprehends them or shoots them dead in gunfights. In the opening credits we emphasis the movie is based on a true story. That word 'based' gets filmmakers off the hook."

William rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"In the true story she shoots those three brothers when they try to shoot her when she attempts to apprehend them."

"Yes but in our version we arrange it differently, three deaths at three different locations. That will add variety to the story. For example in one she can shoot the killer with a breast popped out of her nightdress which distracts him. Perhaps she ends up having sex with one of the surviving brothers and a few months later at the trial looks suspiciously pregnant?"

William shook his head. "There will be an outcry if we tamper with Texas history."

"Nobody now living was there and the court records were sketchy and the author has told me each record showed the doctor claimed she won the shoot-out with each guy who had a six-gun. The two brothers she brought in and were later hanged, both claimed separately in evidence she shot their bothers in the back. However they were caught out, not realizing the bodies had been preserved. The postmortems had revealed all three of them died from a shotgun blast at distances estimated to be around fifteen to twenty yards."

Now even more interested, William said, "Look, leave this with me. I'll get our people to talk to the doctor's biographer Mrs Kindle and Walter Jackson, the guy that she, on behalf of the financially contributing descendants, commissioned to produce the screenplay. I recall Walter being very disappointed when we dumped the project but we hold the movie rights. Then we'll determine where to go from there." 

When they were leaving the restaurant Eva said, "Roxy pardon me for being so personal but do you have a steady boyfriend?"

"No there's no one at the moment."

"Our son is a safety engineer involved in the inspection of design and construction of movie sets is adrift at the moment. I was wondering..."

"Yes," Roxy said, cutting in and smiling. "I'd like to meet him. If he's anything like you two I'd expect to find him okay."

"Then please come to lunch this Sunday. We'll have other people there including Clem and so our motives won't be obvious to anyone."

"Yes do that," William said. "A slightly conservative guy could be just right for you, um, to date."

Sunday was a hot and sunny and Roxy arrived looking dazzling in a sundress but half the women there looked dazzling in sun dresses. Well, she thought, at least she looked to be appropriately dressed.

She saw two studious guys with glasses who looked unattached and through oh no.

Eva, dressed in a white trouser suit admired Roxy's dress and super fashionable sunglasses and kissed her. 

"I'm sorry but Clem hasn't arrived. Perhaps something has come up, I'll call him."

"No don't do that. William described your son as slightly conservative. If he wasn't coming he would have called."

"Oh yes, old fusspot me. Of course he would have called. I'm nervous wondering about whether I've done the right thing. I realize you young people like mothers keeping right out of it."

"I'm a big girl Eva and will turn thirty soon. Please don't fret. This looks to have the basis for a swell afternoon."

"Thank you dear."

"Oh there's William working at the grill. I'll go over and say hi."

William kissed Roxy and whispered great tits.

"Hi dad, remember no blood showing in my steak."

"Hi Clem, good that you made it. Oh this is...."

"The star of that movie about the jailbird who made good and went back to her old prison where she'd learned to sing and wowed them."

"Yes Clement and I'm Roxy Reeves. I take it you found the movie okay?"

"Always Clem if you don't mind. Actually your performance rather wowed me. Dad remains a bit worried because the movie is a sort of crossover, neither a drama nor a musical. But my thinking is it will wow many people and be a success. God you want to see some of the crap being distributed at the moment."

"Oh but I do."

The two guys looked at Roxy keenly and laughed.

Clem grabbed a beer for himself and another Screwdriver for Roxy and began introducing her to people, mostly extended family.

Roxy joined the general exodus around 4:00 and Clem was nowhere to be seen. She was disappointed but he called her a couple of hours later and apologized for leaving her so abruptly but he'd received an urgent call out.

"How did you get my phone number?"

"From dad. I was surprised he had it?"

Roxy blushed but caught herself and said calmly, "I work indirectly with him and when he couldn't contact our director Jennifer Hinckley when we were filming in New Mexico and Texas he'd call me as the principal actor."

"Oh yes of course. I'll be frank, mom reckons I should date you."

Roxy thought his mom was smart and if her son was smart he'd do what she told him. So she laughed and said, "Okay then work it out yourself and when you decide what to do let me know."

"Gee well done Roxy. I've been put in my place. Would you please have dinner with me Tuesday? Mom and dad will be out so we could eat at their place. I do a bit of cooking but perhaps we should eat out and not be disturbed by their home coming?"

"No eat at my place and if I'm really enjoying your company you might be invited to stay. You can do a little bit of cooking in my kitchen if you wish but I'm happy to do the lot."

Clem turned out to be a patient and gentle lover, very much to Roxy's likening, and so she was in no hurry to let him go and in fact worked to keep him interested. He appeared very surprised to be having sex the first time they got together alone but then if the guy was okay Roxy's philosophy usually was why wait about?

* * *

Roxy was invited to a VIP preview of the final cut of 'Let's Produce Musicals'. She'd seen earlier edited versions and was rather pleased but Jennifer said the finished version would look even better and more tightly edited.

She and Clem were taken to the theater by his parents William and Eva to the 5 pm session to be followed by a buffet at a nearby Chinese restaurant. All the principals of the two crews had been invited and it was good to catch up. Other big guns were there including the head of the studio.

As executive producer, William ran the function. He called Jennifer to the stage and she spoke briefly about being on location and how scary she found the disused jail.

"From that moment of the first shivers I've worked hard at being a model citizen," she said and the audience of 120 who were being served drinks were ready to laugh.

"Will Roxy Reeves who plays the lead role of Rusty please join me up here."

"Everyone, this is Roxy who made our life easier on location by always being bright and organizing us into a singing group around the big camp fire and always being the one to have remembered to bring the insect repellant from her trailer. On the last day in New Mexico before we moved into Texas was had a surprise visit from the well-known Walter Jackson who produced the screenplay from the novel."

"Walter is quite a character and he wrote a camp fire song and Roxy took it away and learned the words and then got her guitar and improvised the words into a ballad."

"Roxy will sing it for you now."

"No I can't, I'm pleased to say," she grinned. "I haven't got my guitar."

"Oh but I have, it arrived back in one of the trucks and landed up at my home. I have it here."

Roxy groaned.

"If any of you are disgusted by foul language and disgusting behavior please leave the room for a few minutes. This was Mr Jackson's idea of the things we missed back home like fast cars, booze and drugs and how we compensated for the dreary nights of being on location by engaging in group sex."

"What no one is leaving? We do have an adult audience although some of you might be deaf. Here goes... actually we found it very funny."

She sang the nine versus and chorus. People were laughing and swinging in time with the tune and then joining in with each chorus.

Roxy received thunderous applause when she finished. William came to the microphone smiling and said, "Get your glass filled everyone and take it with you into the theater.

Roxy was amazed how really good the movie looked on the big screen and the amplified big sound was tremendous.

She blushed furiously when Clem whisper, "God you're a damn good actress, so expressive, so believable. You really think you are Rusty, don't you?"

She had to murmur yes.

The concert ended with Rusty's group finishing the last of their four best numbers and the boss of the facility, beaming, nodded to Rusty when the yelling but otherwise well-behaved 140 detainees to repeat the last number.

"No we won't do that but we'll do one that I wrote just after we received approval to come here to give you this concert that is being filmed for TV. Remember I once was incarcerated here. The title of my song is, 'I Came Out of Jail Singing'.

"Omigod," said Eva, who was sitting on the other side of Roxy. You used my title."

"It's just a coincidence Eva," Roxy smiled. I wrote that song and thought up the title and it was filmed almost five months before I first met you. Great minds think alike, I say."

Senior members of the cast and production stood with William at the exit of the theatre and then guests filed out congratulating them. The president of the studio ignored Jennifer and all the others but slapped William on the shoulder and said, "Well done. You've done it again William."

All those lined up with William looked pleased to hear William being congratulated.

During the short walk to the restaurant Roxy heard Eva say, "Make sure Jennifer directs the Dr Monroe story William. She and Roxy are a winning combination."

Clem obviously heard his mother, formerly a top theater critic, make that comment and squeezed Roxy's hand. She thought, crossing her fingers, that approval would eventuate.

At the restaurant while people were still eating, the studio president Don Ross stood and thanked everyone for coming and hoped they had enjoyed the occasion.

He was applauded and then he said, "William I'll sign the approval in the morning for you to proceed with the Dr Monroe story. Jennifer perhaps you'd be kind enough to come up to the rostrum and tell us about this project.

"Mr Ross, might I suggest you invite Roxy Reeves to present the résumé? Ever since the proposal emerged and it was suggested Roxy would be perfect to play the gritty doctor, she has been passionately consumed by Dr Monroe's deeds in North Texas in 1904. She thinks about how to improve the production to suit modern movie style and expectations of movie aficionados of today and has been reading widely about how feisty professional women like Dr Monroe thought and acted at that time."

"Why yes, that's an excellent idea. Up you come Roxy and we expect to be enthralled."

Perhaps not enthralled but the audience of movie-goers almost hung on to every word as soon as Roxy spoke about the stubborn, straight-backed slim doctor of German ancestry driving out alone on a bumpy wagon alone and determined to bring in five killers, dead or alive.

Some people leaned forward at their tables, leaning on their elbows, totaled focused on Roxy.

Clem watched on patiently as his father kissed Roxy on the mouth in front of Eva later as people were leaving.

"That was a magic 10-minute delivery Roxy," William said. "You put it across wonderfully and even before the complimentary comments came I knew they liked what they'd heard."

Eva pushed William aside and kissed Roxy on both cheeks and then stroking Roxy's cheek said, "Listen to me Roxy. Maintain you focus and your passion you'll pull this off and the movie critics will rave about you. My god, you had me believing in you absolutely when you were delivering that summary and your acting in the presentation was superb."

"But I wasn't acting," Roxy frowned. "God how much alcohol have you consumed?"

Eva just smiled.

"You were selling your movie darling and in the process you were acting out the role of the biographer of the legendary Blanche Monroe."

Roxy froze momentarily and then kissed Eva lightly on the tip of her nose.

"Oh you lovely woman," she said, and turning to Eva's husband said, "William that's it. I demand the working title of our gutsy movie be 'The Legend of Blanche Monroe'.

"Well okay, how much alcohol have you consumed?"

Roxy smiled and swept back her long chestnut hair.

"No more than half of my comfortable capacity. William I suggest you, Jennifer and I go soon on a scouting trip of the Panhandle out from Amarillo to get the feeling of the plains and we can visit the Amarillo Panhandle Plains Museum and make contact with Amarillo Film Commission officials as a courtesy before you send our researchers in. We need to have feeling for the Panhandle. Just two or three days would be sufficient. Basically we need a location on the high plains plateau because Blanche drives a wagon. But of course she could have packed a saddle and ridden out on one of the horses to travel through the canyon areas of wild beauty that I've read about."

Looking at Roxy closely, "William said, well okay, that sounds a good idea. You have been really bitten but the Blanche Monroe bug haven't you?"

"This story deserves to be created as a movie epic William, nothing less. I can recognize a great story. You'll need a couple of big name actors to play the part of the two brothers who Blanche brought back alive."

Eve asked, "Do you believe Blanche did all that is claimed?"

"Blanche is officially recorded as living on the Panhandle as a doctor in 1904 and there are old newspaper reports of her driving out alone and coming back with the bodies of three dead men and two live and starving men locked in a steel cage on her wagon. So yes, I believe."

"Good," Eva said. "And I believe once it's known this movie is being made, people will come out of the woodwork with information. Appoint a good publicist to the production team William."

In the weeks that the production of the movie was being prepared, Roxy accepted a part of a seductive casino hostess in a movie about a frustrated Law Commission Investigation into reports of correction in the gambling industry in Nevada. The investigation became ineffective because of the seductions of the female star of the movie and Roxy's dedication to sexually corrupt the three male and two female members of the investigation commission, all of whom were married and aged in their fifties and sixties.

Roxy had fun and loved it. She happily took on the job to seduce the two female commissioners and off-camera became more than friendly with the two youngest males acting as commissioners.

Arriving back in Hollywood for studio filming, Roxy learned that pre-production on the movie, now being referred to simply as Blanche, was well underway. She called Jennifer who said it had been decided to add a female to the cast, a character actor to play as Blanche's practice receptionist/nurse who'd receive some letters from Blanche brought in by riders she'd met during her pursuit of the brothers. The messages would arrive at least 10 days after they'd been handed to those riders.

"Good, that strengthens the female cast by 100%," Roxy laughed, adding apart from townswomen gossiping about their doctor's abrupt departure from the town.

"We've completed profiles on the five male actors and all have been hired. The male lead, one of the two Blanche brings in alive, is Shaun Mason and he wants to meet you."

"Oh good choice even if he has a mustache."

"All of the brothers have mustaches and three also have beards."

"I know, I've read the script. I don't like mustaches and dislike beards even more."

"Oh just like some guys don't like big breasts like yours?"

They laughed.

"Well what do I tell Shaun?"

"Yes I should meet him and with you, say over lunch Friday. We are not working Friday."

"Yes I could arrange that. He's not working at the moment."

Roxy was happy to resume her relationship with Clem Packer and was aware her relationship with his parents was deepening. The growing friendship developing between her and Eva make Roxy feel guilty about having had sex with William and the likelihood there would be more to come. But she accepted that being somewhat promiscuous produced the downside of hurting other people if they found out. Roxy was also aware that being without close family it appeared inevitable that some of her friends would be older women capable of being mentors. Clem actually relied on his mother in much the same way.

Before going off to work in Nevada, Roxy had suggested that Clem apply for the role of set construction coordinator for the movie, he was aghast, saying that was a contract job whereas he was engaged in a permanent job as an engineering inspector at a much higher salary. He went to his mother for assurance and she said the coordinating experience would be useful to his career so why not request a leave of absence if he succeeded in winning the set construction coordinator role?

Clem agreed with that and his father made sure he was granted leave of absence when Clem won the position from a movie producer, who'd been appointed by Clem's father. Roxy was happy because she could live with Clem when they were on location together at times. She'd become rather use to having Clem's dick handy and he was no bother to have around and in fact was excellent company. God she was a cynical bitch, she giggled.

Lunch of Friday was most enjoyable. Shaun and Jennifer were at the bar with drinks when Roxy arrived. She had mineral water because she was dieting. A 1902 photo of Blanche that someone in the studio's research department had dug up showed the reasonably attractive and long-haired Blanche was fairly gaunt and Roxy had decided to lose weight but slowly. So alcohol was out except for important celebrations.

Shaun eyed Roxy casually as she approach and she returned the appraisal of him slowly and not smiling and that sent his leer vanishing.

Jennifer eased the slight tension by saying, "Now I expect you two to be nice to one another throughout this project."

"Yes," Roxy and Shaun said together and grinned, glancing at each other.

Jennifer left first and Shaun said, "I'm about to go south a bit to a place where my folk have a basic beach house. I invite you to come with me. Um no one else will be staying with us."

Roxy took her time replying and then delivered fast: "Do you have a big dick?"

"Huh?" he mumbled and seized his mustache between two fingers, presumably for emotional support.

She waited.

"Um to be honest because I'm keen to start off on the right foot with you. No and possibly I could even come up short of the right side of average but who knows?"

"Excellent," she smiled. "Then I'll accept your invitation. I've decided to back off from guys who overly stretch me."

Shaun stopped playing with his upper lip and said, "Your frankness is surprising although I'd been warned about you."

"By whom, I'm not known?"

"Oh spare me. You provide good fodder for the gossip columnists. You kicked a Mexican guy's ass in San Antonio for trying you on with a triple-strength Tequila cocktail and sent the crowded bar of mostly locals into hysterical laughter when you ranted in Mexican the scumbag wouldn't rate as high as his mother's asshole."




Rise of Roxy Ch. 07



Shaun looked at her until the tight-lipped Roxy said, "Well the asshole asked for that abuse."

"Oh and it has been said on set you act as if you are the director. You learn changed script by reading it just twice, no matter how many pages you are handed and you always talk bluntly, making no attempt to cushion your scorn or criticism but that you are very supportive to anyone, even guys, who appearing to be drowning in their inadequacy and have enraged the director. So does that mean a spreading reputation or what?"

"I wouldn't know," Roxy said, tossing her head. "If you keep up with this shit I'll shut you down by asking you to show me your dick in full view of everyone in this restaurant."

Shaun grinned and smoothed his mustache.

To be Concluded



Rise of Roxy Ch. 08



Roxy waiting with her overnight bag packed for two nights away, imaging Shaun would arrive in a red Ford 1-ton truck and pulling on the brim of a black Stetson as he saw her.

Almost right. He arrived in a metallic blue truckie thing he called a regular cab 1500 Silverado. He wore black jeans, black embroidered shirt, black boots and black Stetson.

Oh god. Had he ever been on a ranch?

"God look at you," he said, frantically pushing at his mustache.

Perhaps the hair rose outwards when he was aroused, thought the young woman dressed in sandals and a blue and white show-almost-everything sundress with spaghetti straps.

"Does this thing have air conditioning?" she asked, as he undid the canvas lid thing at the back and carefully placed her bag before rearranging the tie-downs.

"This thing?" he said, sounding hurt. "Of course it has A/C plus many optional extras."

"Oh to make it go faster?"

"Faster? I go trucking and take pleasure in watching the hoons speed by into the next cop radar trap."

"Oh I thought you'd be a guy who'd drive fast to feel the wind through your hair because you have so much of it?"

Straightening to his full six-three, Shaun said stiffly, "Are you sure you wish to associate with me?"

She said sweetly, "Oh here come two cops in a cruiser and they are glaring at you stopped like this."

"Oh Jesus, jump in," Shaun shouted and revved the motor in panic.

"Sweet Jesus," Shaun said. "They are following us."

"Well they were coming down this side of the avenue. I'll give them the fingers to lighten up their day."

"No!" he yelled.

"Just teasing but Shaun, are you really rugged enough to be living out remotely in the wilds where all sorts of dangers lurk and when we go into the bad country full of ravines and peppered with rocks we'll be in prime rattlesnake country."

"Oh Jesus," he said slumping in his seat but lightened up a bit when Roxy said sympathetically it would be all right, she'd be there to protect him.

"Put your foot down and see if this grunty-looking truck can out-run the cops."

"Let's stop for coffee," Shaun said in a murderous-sounding voice.

Shaun had a nervous pee as well.

When they returned to the vehicle, Roxy asked if she could drive.

"I really don't think so."

"Oh thanks," Roxy said, giving him a stunning smile and beating him to the front of the vehicle to round it to the driver's side.

"This model has a powerful V8 and 4-wheel drive and ..."

"It's still in the mode you were driving isn't it?" she said, taking the key.

"Well then," she said, quickly checking out the dashboard and then started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot into the traffic flow.

"I was about to give you instruction," he protested.

"Oh how kind of you. Never mind."

Shaun directed her to make several turns and as they went on to the San Diego Freeway he said, "For a woman you are a good driver."

"Fuck you Shaun."

"What the hell is the matter now?" he cried.

"You just arrogantly suggested most women are not good drivers and said nothing about the standard of male drivers."

"Um, oh I suppose you took that as a discriminatory comment?"

"You are sure right about that buddy."

He frowned and said he had been out of order. 

"I apologize."

"Thank you Shaun, I might let you at my pussy after-all."

They drove quite some way in silence until Roxy judged he'd stewed long enough.

"This is quite a cool vehicle. I've never driven a pickup before and the ride is a lot better than what I expected and the steering feels good."

"Thanks. I can't believe you've never driven a truck before. What about a vehicle with a V8 engine?"

"No but does it matter? Once you can drive you possess the basics. I know this vehicle is much wider and more powerful than what I'm used to and accept the need to adjust me thinking and to take nothing casually."

"That's great thinking."

"Thanks. Have you ever taken this vehicle into real four-wheel drive terrain?"

"Ah no."

"Is that because of possible damage to the paintwork or even have the bodywork dented?"

He sucked in breath and she said she'd thought so.

"Have you ever been on a ranch?"

"Um no."

"I noted you have made fifteen movies. Were any of those filmed outside the studio?"

"Um just two of them."

"And where were the locations?"

"Frisco and San Diego."

"Oh god."

Indignantly he snapped, "What?"

"You have no idea of what it will be like on the Texas Panhandle do you?"

"It will be like living and working in a park, all-day sun, birds twittering and..."

"Shaun if you're teasing me I'll..."

"No I'm serious. I can't be that wrong?"

"Have you packed a computer?"

"Yes a notebook with wireless."

Roxy said good, she'd give him the addresses of some websites to look at.

"We'll be on location in January and February because we require snow on the ground when Blanche returns to town with her trophies."

"What town?"

"Our location scouts are presently looking at that, whether we can shoot 1900 buildings in parts of different towns to make a composite town of the right look or we build one of frontages."

"That sounds good."

"Perhaps I should tell you the Texas Panhandle at that time of year is subjected to hail, thunderstorms and average day highs of no more than 50ºF, and lows in the low twenties at night with little rain, a few days of fog and I repeat, many days with the temperature below 32ºF when we will be out from dawn to dark filming or preparing to film or packing up from filming but fortunately there will be no dust storms, tornadoes or wildfires."

"Gee that's comforting to know. We'll need advice on what clothing to take." 

They arrived at the beachfront house at Solana Beach on Pacific Avenue that his parents co-owned with his mom's sister and husband.

It was a stylish house and very comfortably furnished.

"Can we fuck now?" Shaun asked.

"Thank you for asking. Yes I suppose so."

He proved to be very good and a comfortable size for Roxy. She thought it passed the time better than reading a magazine.

"Gee you fuck swell," he said, still panting.

She complimented him on his techniques.

"I didn't know I had any?"

"Well I certainly wasn't the one doing the leading," she smiled and he thought about that and grinned.

Jesus, who looked after him; his mom?"

"Do you live at home Shaun?"

"Yeah, top quality accommodation and great food and mom doesn't care with what I do with the women I take home and dad chats them up and I see him giving them his personal card."

"Oh very nice."

"Yes it is and mom accompanies me on set and looks after me, gets the information I need from the call sheets each evening when there's activity next day and she organizes me to go to the 'dailies' on time to review our day's work on film."

"Oh that must be very nice for you," Roxy said, meaning it gently sarcastically but he grinned at her and said yeah. Roxy decided this would be her first and final intimate association with mommy's boy. She was relieved when he said mommy wouldn't be going to Texas with him.

* * *



The production crew were holed out waiting for fog to lift at a small town called White Deer (named after a creek) in Carson Country, some thirty-six miles northeast of Amarillo when they crowded into a couple of bars to watch the news on TV when hearing the movie review near the end of the broadcast was to be their studio's latest release, 'Let's Produce Musicals'.

Locals in the bar Roxy and Jennifer was at hushed during the review, having been told Jennifer was the director of the movie and Roxy played the lead.

The female reviewer said, "I thought it was an easy-paced romp, tightly directed by Jennifer Hinckley and providing little that was taxing for rising star Roxy Reeves. Roxy surprised by providing she has a great singing voice and so that must be a plus for her. I was astonished to find my two teenage daughters I took with me to the review were anything but bored but instead they spent most of the time, mouths open, their eyes glued to the screen. I asked what had them hooked and in true teenager feedback they said nothing." 

"Well something is there; it's a feel good story and the main character Rusty came out of jail determined to change her life around and began writing and producing musicals and at the end of the movie she takes her full cast to her old prison and oh dear, they sent that place rocking, almost blowing the cement out of the slimy green concrete walls of confinement." 

"Yes I did leave that theater last night feeling I had been entertained and the message of redemption came through loud and clear. Roxy's vitality and yet relaxed style really got to me. I'm giving it four out of five, mainly because it thoroughly entertains, tells a great story and is beautifully acted. I believe Roxy Reeves was acting as if she really believed she was the novelist's main character, Sharon Hill also known as Rusty because of her chestnut hair. It's cute things like this that can made a small story big." 

"Omigod, Omigod," Roxy said, grabbing Jennifer and dancing her in small circles, the crowd cheering and clapping them on.

Jennifer, red-faced and looking very happy, broke free and called, "Mr Bar Manager, a round of drinks for everyone on me and, if you turn off the TV, Roxy will tell you more about this movie we are making in this locality. It's about time we opened up and gave you explicit details."

"God won't Publicity screw my neck by revealing so much so soon?" Roxy asked.

"No and I must say the authorities giving us planning permission and much other support have remained very tight lipped. The arrangement was I make the leak at an appropriate time and let the media come flocking to flesh out the story of a legendary woman that people on the Texas Panhandle apparently have forgotten about. The time is now."

The bar room was pretty silent as Roxy delivered most of the storyline about the legendary Dr Blanche Monroe but leaving out the fact that Blanche had killed three of the brothers and the techniques used to capture (or shoot) them. But when she finished a burly guy said, "That's all bullshit. My family traces our origins of arriving on the Panhandle in l863 and I've never heard of the story of this chick going out alone to round up five desperadoes to bring them back dead or alive. Your writer must have been in drugs."

"You see the problem is it happened way back in 1904," Jennifer said. "No one that old from around here is living. We're hoping this news of why we are here will encourage people in the numerous museums on the Texan Panhandle to look through their archives to find something even more valuable than the faded newspaper cuttings that described Dr Monroe arriving back with her wagon load of her captives, a report of the court Judge commending her for her heroism in doing all of this alone.. Unfortunately the town where this all happened no longer exists so we can't go to that town's archives and we were unsuccessful in our attempts to find the court records in storage in Amarillo."

"What about checking Austin for those old records?" called a thin elderly woman.

"One of our researchers did ma'am but came up empty-handed apart from a copy of the same court record."

"Where is the location of that ghost town?" called a guy in a business suit.

"It was a small settlement called Boswell, apparently named after an Army Scout who years later returned to settle there. Its location is southwest of Amarillo."

Someone called, "Then why aren't you filming there?"

"Well firstly because no one knows where the settlement was and our scouting suggested we could get more of the 1904 feeling by setting up here at White Deer. You must understand some 80% of our filming will be out in open country."

A younger woman called, "Why don't you consult Thomas Elder, a distance relative of mine? Mr Elder is ninety-eight and lives in a retirement place in Amarillo. When a boy he lived to the west of Amarillo and may recall seeing a decaying abandoned town to the southwest of Amarillo."

"The problem will be there will be a number of original small settlements around that were overtaken by time and circumstances," said the guy in a business suit. "What you really need is for someone to come forward with that doctor's diaries and remember, she may have been a quack rather than a qualified doctor, a medicine woman and possibly also a party-qualified vet. They were around in those early days, making a living out of possessing a bit of knowledge but if she had been a real doctor she would have kept diaries to protect her butt against possible claims of malpractice."

Jennifer said good thinking and whispered to Roxy to get details of where to find old Mr Thomas Elder. "It might not work out as a lead but we can't ignore it."

The word spread and next morning media people including two TV teams arrived from Amarillo.

They watched the filming and then, as arranged, Roxy repeated driving along just for the media in her wagon complete with steel cage that was drawn by two matching roan horses. Roxy was dressed for winter, her hair pinned up and topped by a bonnet tied under her chin, with her shoulders covered by a thick cape and she wore a thick long skirt to her ankles and held up by a thick brown leather belt, black boots and leather cowboy tan-colored gloves.

The media gathered and a women called, show us your shotgun Roxy?

Roxy obliged and pulled out the shotgun held in a scabbard on the outside of her seat to the right. She blasted off a shot into the air and two of the female journalists screamed in fright. The camera guys were having a ball.

"T-that was live ammunition," said one of the women who'd reacted adversely.

"Well yes, we are not playing around here. We are making this as realistic as we can."

Roxy agreed to do that all over again for the benefit of one of the TV crews who wanted the two journalists who'd screamed to stand beside the horses and jump and scream and for Roxy to yell "Whoa" and pulling back on both pair of reins in one hand."

But it was even better than that.

The shotgun blasted by the horses had become used to that and stood still but when the two females screamed right beside them, they took off with Roxy yelling. "Whoa, whoa you motherfuckers."

Everyone watching including about thirty curious onlookers fell about laughing and that interview was shown on network television that evening, with an editing 'bleep' over that disgusting profanity.

Roxy drove back and a young male reported asked, "What's the shotgun Roxy?" 

"It's a Winchester model 1897 solid frame 12-guage pump shotgun made in the year 1900 with a walnut butt. I just love it and the noise of it going off. Blanche probably using a similar gun fired each time she gunned down one of the brothers."

There was a gasp.

"Gunned down?" choked the reporter.

"Oh yes, three times Blanche had a shoot-out with one of the brothers. Each time she came through unscathed but it was adios each time for those brothers firing at her with a six-gun but she sidestepped before firing while they didn't."

"What happened to the other two guys?" said a senior reporter, sensing they were on to a big story.

"Oh they were later hanged according to newspaper clippings of the day. Perhaps I should give you the storyline for better-understanding?" she smiled cutely and the media chorused yes please. 

Jennifer smiled triumphantly, amazed that sweet Roxy had the guile to have the usually cynical media practically drooling to be told the story of what this movie was about.

William called Jennifer from the studio next afternoon to growl, "Hey are you guys down there to film or are you filling your day yarning to the media?"

"We are managing to do both quite nicely thank you William. I guess you have seen some publicity."

"Yeah and it's causing some reaction. We had a stupid bitch on midday TV on her Hollywood Report saying although you guys were working your butts off in the cold filming you were taking time out to shoot buffalo by the score and probably leaving them to decay."

"What?"

"Keep relaxed. The local media will swarm in behind Wildlife Rangers sent to investigate that report because it's fed live to a large number of independent TV stations."

"Are there buffalo in Texas?"

"There are bound to be Jennifer and bound to be larger than buffalo anywhere else but does it matter? All publicity is good publicity for us... er within reason. Last night Eva and I almost wet ourselves watching that TV clip that had a close-up as Roxy fired the shotgun and those two dumb media babes screaming. The horses look off with Roxy holding her shotgun in the air while trying to haul on the reins whiles cussing. That was easily a million bucks of free publicity for us because the name of the studio and the name of the movie being shot were mentioned. I've been told that clip went coast to coast and was being repeated on some news wrap-ups this morning." 

* * *

"A big posse is approaching from the east," called a sharp-eyed camera operator.

"Christ it will be Wildlife offices, the media and probably a couple of cops," Jennifer groaned. "John and Felix, walk out a bit and stop them and tell them to be quite while we finish this scene. We might have to reshoot it as well."

Those stopped were three cops, two wildlife officers and fifteen media people including six who'd just flown in from out-of-state.

The visitors left their vehicles, motors turned off, and crept in to watch, John warning no flashlights and no noisy camera shutters to be operated.

Roxy stood side-on to the cameras and to the visitors grouped behind them a bit.

Roxy playing Blanche, stood with her long dress pulled up beyond her knees and a breast nearest the camera was hanging out, bared.

"Oh LeRoy, don't be shy. I know you are behind that big rock. Come out and see what I'm offering you."

"Clear out or I'll put a slug into your belly. The only females we want around here are sluts and you sound too educated to be one of those."

"Oh please LeRoy. I need some manly satisfaction. I could pay you."

"What?"

"It would be worth five dollars to me to have a real man."

"Five dollars, then you must be loaded."

The thickly bearded desperado came from behind the rock with his six-gun pointing at her midriff. She was standing slightly side-on to him, concealing her shotgun from him.

"LeRoy Wilson, I'm taking you in for being involved in the cold-blooded shooting of unarmed Harry Ludbrook and unarmed Joseph Channing. Put down your gun and raise your hands."

"Go to hell your sly bitch. I've seen better udders on heifers. Say goodbye world," he laughed and raised his gun with the action to work a cartridge into the firing chamber and lowered the gun to shoot Blanche. 

She darted to one side and he fired wildly and missed. 

Blanche calmly raised the shotgun waist high and fired. The blast sent Leroy back half a pace and he looked down in surprise at the blood running through the wide hole in the middle and lower part of his vest made by the shot spread.

He coughed and again, this time coughing blood and, eyes wide open, fell on to his face without a sound.

"Goodbye rattlesnake," Blanche gritted. "Oh my breast is so cold."

"Cut," Jennifer called.

The visitors clapped and the dopey female journalist from yesterday said, "Was that a faked shooting?"

"Yes darling," smiled the director. "We are not permitted to shoot to kill our actors even when they are playing the baddies. Now what do you people want?"

The senior wildlife guy said, "We've received reports that you people are shooting buffalo for the sheer hell of it."

Jennifer said, "Well that's very interesting. For a start we have no shotgun ammunition in our possession, and never have and fire only blanks. We have no rifles. Between us all with have six self-defense handguns, all .32s I believe and not the sort of weapon to go near buffalo or should I say bison. Secondly are there free-roaming bison around here?"




Rise of Roxy Ch. 08



The official scratched his head and said, "Now that you mentioned it the answer is no. The only ones around here are penned on private land but I guess they could break out and wander."

"Well we haven't seen any and would be scared of them if we did because I know if they get mad and charge they can easily outrun a fit man. Now may we get on with filming? We need to reshoot that scene you just witnessed. As you can see the desperado is calmly sipping coffee."

"Eh yes. May we stay to observe just one more time?"

"Yes of course. Go over and all help yourself to coffee until it runs out. It will take us about forty-five minutes before I call action again."

"Ah then in that case we better go. We are sorry to have disturbed your work Miss...?"

"Mrs Jennifer Hinckley, production director. If you wish to talk to the senior person to make a statement you'll find our producer is in Amarillo along with our set construction manager buying material for construction of a temporary water tower for which we have construction approval. Blanche will hide in the derelict tank in a stakeout to confront another of the brothers when he returns from a robbery. He doesn't drink alcohol but his surviving three brothers stayed on after robbing a bank in another town to have a few whiskies. They wish to figure out what happened to their youngest brother LeRoy who's missing. One theory is perhaps he's gone off to locate a brothel." 

A week later Roxy and Clem banged away half the night, knowing they'd be parted for five or six weeks. Clem was returning to base to supervise construction of the last of the studio sets.

When Roxy and Jennifer waved him off in the morning, Jennifer ran a finger down Roxy's back and said huskily, "What will you do for sex now?"

They giggled and Roxy pushed back on to the hand now deep down on her butt.

One of the guys had been sent out to scout for an old barn and he returned and showed Jennifer the photos taken on his cellphone.

"Oh it looks like a 100 year-plus barn and is delightfully sagging at one side. Did you get the authority to film on that land and to use the barn?"

"Yes of course and the elderly couple said there would be no charge, they'd been reading all about the legendary Blanche Monroe. The downside is the barn is a two hours easy drive away."

"No problem Rick and well done. It's worth the effort to get to a great location. I like the look of those rugged hills in the background.

It was perfect. There was snow on the ground.

The elderly couple came out and met Jennifer and asked if they could watch.

"Um there is a problem. Part of the filming will be a sexually graphic scene."

"Oh that's okay," said Milly. "If Tom gets embarrassed I'll send him away."

They tethered a hired horse, a fine looking stallion, to the barn and filmed the approach scene of Blanche, shotgun at the ready, following the horse tracks up to the barn. She walked stealthily. 

The day warmed as the sun emerged and the thin cover of snow began to melt but fortunately a good shoot was called after the second reshoot.

The camera crew moved up with one camera outside the barn and the other inside.

Blanche opened the door gingerly and began to inch her way inside when suddenly she had a six-gun barrel pushed to her head and the bearded guy said gruffly, "And who the hell are you?"

"You're on my parent's ranch." she lied. "I came here to find if you have been stealing our chickens."

"Well honey howdy," said Tim Wilson (Shaun Mason). "I'm holing up here for the night and you are now my prisoner and I guess you know what I'm about to do with you."

"The alternative would be to let me go and I'll tell no-one you're here."

"Sorry but I can't take the risk. That skunk of a bounty hunter who's kidnapped three of my brothers could be on my trail. At first I thought you were him but then I smelt your woman's scent before I saw you."

"Woman's scent?"

"Yeah. When did you last have a bath?"

"Cut," giggled Jennifer. 

Shaun was sulking because he'd been banging Jennifer most sights since they'd arrived in Texas and now she'd dumped him for Roxy. He couldn't believe those two great fucks were also lesbians. He sulked because he felt rejected and because now those two women would have all the fun. 

He finally had a great thought and asked Jennifer if he could join her and Roxy.

"I'll asked her," Jennifer said and when off to find Roxy. She returned and shook her head. "We've decided to think about it and will let you know one way of the other. At present we are keen to present to each other freshly."

"Huh?"

"That's just girl's talk darling. Remember we have quite a number of sluts with us that you could hit on."

Shawn smiled weakly and she remembered there were times Shaun lacked confidence and dealing with women was one of them. She told him she'd stitch him up with someone.

"Um can I make a request?"

"Sure but I'm not promising anything. Who would you like?"

"Michelle."

"Hmmm I can do much better than that. Oh wait, why that Plain-Jane?"

"Because she has the biggest tits."

"Oh god," Jennifer sighed and said she'd see what she could arrange. 

Thirty-six days later the filming in Texas was over, or so they thought and next day was set down as a packing up day and they would break camp the following morning. But that night their camp outside White Deer was hit by howling winds just on dark and then in the morning Jennifer awoke to find it was freezing with the wind gone and around four inches of snow covered the ground.

She had a rush of blood to the head and yelled to Roxy to get out of bed and ran around assembling people she wanted to go filming after calling a rancher who'd visited them a week ago to ask for permission to go on to his land and film that morning.

He said that would be okay but he'd better be there.

"Jed tell me where to meet. We'd like to get some shots of a Blanche trudging through snow held captive by a rope held by one of the gang riding a horse. I'm hoping we can get some bison in the background."

"I told you we call them buffalo," Jed said. "You just arrive and me and the boys will bring in the buffalo and drive them on the route you nominate and we'll have to pick out a spot where me and the boys ride no farther so we stay out of camera shot."

"Okay and that's ready great Jed, amazing really. We'll give you a radio because I want the second film unit up on a high hill showing the hunched up leader of the Wilson gang riding slowly with Blanche walking unsteadily, almost exhausted."

"That sounds like Hollywood bullshit to me but fair enough. I know the best place to set that up for you. The buffalo will keep moving forward expecting to find hay put out for them up ahead. It will be pretty difficult turning them back."

"Right I'll brief my people that we get only one shot at this. We can splice in some reshoots of just the horseman and Blanche anyway."

"I can also take you to get some shots of rabbits playing in the snow and if we are lucky a fox on the hunt."

"Omigod Jed, how can we repay you?"

"It's no problems lovely lady. I'll be doing this for Texas and the Panhandle."

The day stayed dreary and it even snowed a bit at times during the filming that continued for most of the day. No one involved minded because they were aware they were gathering some of the best footage they'd shot on location in Texas.

Jennifer departed even more from the script and set up for Jed to approach Tim Wilson (Shaun) and confront him.

"Say stranger, why are you treating a woman like she's dirt? Free the woman or you'll answer to me."

Tim drew his revolver and a shot rang out and Jed fell from his horse that bolted. Jed lay on his back very still, blood seeping through the hole in his thick coat on the left side of his chest.

Blanche called, "You'll fry in Hell Tim Wilson."

"If you don't walk faster you'll get there first," Tim sneered. "Move your skinny backside bitch."

"Cut and that's a wrap," Jennifer. "That was good acting Jed. We might be able to sneak that into the final cut but anyway bring your family over to the Community Hall in White Deer this evening where the businesses we have used for supplies are putting on a farewell dinner for us. Please call their coordinator Iris Moore to confirm the numbers coming. I'll call her now. During the evening we'll play some clips from our hand-held camera of scenes we've shot since we've been here. It's raw footage but I don't think local folk out for a great night of fun will worry about that."

The production crew of forty-two were out-numbered by locals and it was a great night.

Everyone including the crew watched the clips with interest and the crew expressed satisfaction with their work.

"Right folk," Jennifer called. "Just one more clip that shows our two stars proceeding slowly through light snow on Jed and Diane Billing's ranch today. It was a spur of the moment shoot, born from the moment I awoke and saw the overnight snow. Jed had visited us recently so I called and asked him for a favor. He said okay, come across and we secured magnificent footage. As a way of saying thank you we made Jed an honorary support actor at the end of the shoot as you will see shortly."

Members of the crew who weren't required to go to the ranch looked at the screen as the horseman and his prisoner moved across the Christmas Card-like landscape and joined everyone to gasp when a herd of thirty-nine buffalo in a line of three and four abreast came into shot moving parallel and quite a bit faster than the horseman.

Several people clapped and the Grant the AD (assistant director) turned and gave Jennifer, sitting two rows behind him, a huge smile and the thumbs up.

The local folk cheered when Jed rode into view and accosted the horseman and was shot dead for daring to butt in. Many stood and clapped and a woman ran across to Jed and kissed him and said, "My hero."

* * *

Jennifer sat between Shaun and Roxy on the flight home to LA.

"I'm looking forward to my two days off after all the hard-work, some fun and rather a lot of deprivation," he said.

"Well your mother will comfort you and make you all better when she gets you home," Roxy said.

Shaun looked shocked and probably wasn't helped by Jennifer working hard to stifle giggles.

"Why do you say that!" Shaun said heatedly.

Roxy lied and said he'd told her twice he was missing his mother."

"I don't remember that?"

"Um you might have been under pressure rehearsing your lines and moves."

"Oh yeah, I was under pressure at times."

"It won't get any easier at the studio Shaun," Roxy continued. "Working under cover and with better lighting control we'll be pushed harder and work longer hours."

"I know that. Most of my experience has come from studio filming."

Shaun would you like to swap seats with Grant. I wish to discuss work with him."

"Why can't Roxy do the swap?"

"Because Roxy and I do most things together, that's why and she's great at visualizing when we are talking schedules and often picks up conflicts that have been missed."

"If you ask me you two do too much together."

"Run along Shaun," Jennifer said coldly.

"Gosh what a wet," she said. "It's a wonder he didn't bring mommy on location with him."

"Well don't suggest that because we might end up with him and mommy is some future movie."

Jennifer groaned and said she'd move to get him black-listed to avoid that happening.

"Bitch."

"Well yeah Roxy. I've learned how to be like that, but not be too obvious, from you."

Grant arrived.

"Couldn't Shaun perform to take you too into the Mile High Club and not it's my duty to do the loathsome deed?"

"Shut up Grant or I'll mention to your wife that you speak foully to ladies."

He laughed and slandered them: "Ladies?"

Roxy said, "Shut up Grant or I'll tell your wife you prefer young men."

His mouth clamped and then opened to say unsmilingly, "Jesus Roxy."

* * *

No new or confirming evidence relating to Blanche Monroe's manhunt had turned up since filming had commenced. Blanche's wagon had been trucked in from Texas and Jennifer and Roxy stood looking at it.

Roxy said, "It must have been stomach-turning for Tim and Gavin Wilson to have been chained in leg irons in the back section of that cage and their three brothers in their coffins just feet away from them and having Blanche, whom they must have really hated, taking them in to face justice."

"Yes and high risk for her to reach in to remove and empty the toilet pan used by the two survivors even if she was holding one of their revolvers in her shooting hand."

"Well a girl's got-to-do what a girl's got-to-do," Jennifer laughed. "Thanks for bringing that up. I think we need to dwell on more of the day to day detail on their journey back to Boswell. This is where we can enhance credibility and demonstrate what a really resolute woman she must have been to have done this."

"When does Blanche discover she's pregnant?"

"The book seems to suggest just before she arrives in town. Of course by the time the survivors go to trial she is showing. You decide when you come to the realization."

"Did women menstruate in those days?"

"Of course they did. You can't believe..."

Jennifer saw the grin and realized she'd been dropped into it.

"Bitch."

Roxy laughed and said well a day out from Boswell she'd be aware her period was so late that she must be pregnant. Learning that the day before arriving in town would increase tension.

"Agreed. We can shoot the arrival next week and then have the judge and jury inspect the wagon, and then it can be cleaned up and returned to the museum and the horses returned to the stables that hired them out. Then we can go back and film from later than day we worked with the buffalo in the snow. Blanche goes to sleep exhausted and wakes to find him screwing her and she is unable to resist participating and they stay beside the river for two days, screwing again after recovering from the last one. He's hungry and she says she has plenty of food in her wagon left hidden two days back before he jumped her in that barn. Of course he doesn't know his surviving brother hasn't eaten in days and is in leg irons in a cage with the bodies of their three brothers."

"You know the story as well as I do Roxy the you won't know this next bit. We have to produce a flashback centered around Blanche to show her musing of what they will see when they find when they arrive at the wagon and the horses tethered on long ropes to allow them to graze but they will be without water."

"Tim left Blanche tied up securely so he could ride off to steal a saddled horse so she can ride back with him to the wagon on the promise of food and as much sex as he wants. We finish on location by filming the lead up to where she gets the drop on him in a really dramatic scene reeking of tension, with Tim almost gaining the upper hand. Then back at the studio it's basically concentrating on courthouse drama and Tim and Gavin Wilson looking out of the jailhouse barred window and watching the gallows being erected. They watch stunned as Blanche passes the jailhouse and calmly waves to them, smiling."

"Oh yes, and that's one of my favorite parts in the entire movie," Roxy said. "We're making a super movie under your inspired directing darling."

"Oh pet, you are so sweet to me," said Jennifer, turning soft-eyed and pushing the tip of her tongue between her lips at Roxy.

* * *

The movie had moved into post-production and rumors were rife about the international box office receipts being down and filmmakers being under pressure to cut spending. The newspapers and entertainment publications, entertainment industry publications on the web and personal blogs began reporting of actor's contracts not being renewed or even cancelled with on the back of cost-cutting and projects being cancelled. 

Top management at the studio gathered to view the raw movie of Blanche's story that was assembled after editing but not color-corrected and with no music added and other enhancements applied. Roxy went into the studio and sat with Jennifer and others in the top team of filming and post-production. They waited nervously.

After the wait had gone long over time, William came out from the meeting beaming.

"Relax guys, they predict it will go really big. Jennifer there was comment you appeared to have almost generated a new historical cinema sub-genre. The big news is the promotional budget for the movie is to be trebled. Yes trebled. The president says money is no object when it comes to spending on a winner."

"Talk about this movie being top-shelf went on and on."

"Blanch I mean Roxy, I'm glad you are here. I'm so very happy for you. Some of us are to meet again at 5:00 for discussions with you. I suggest you bring your personal agent and bring a contract attorney."

"Omigod," Jennifer yelled and smothered Roxy in kisses.

"What, what are you on about?"

"Whoops, nothing darling. William hasn't said and I have no wish to spoil the moment for you."

"What are you talking about, you're not making sense."

"Please darling, think no more about it," Jennifer said. "Just go out and get your hair and make-up done and wear your best green dress and then don't be late, be sexy or should I say just be yourself. Just don't let them roll you, so you hear?"

"Will I receive a big job offer?"

"Something like that," William said. "Off you go and behave like Jennifer said. "I'll give you a clue. You may remember this day for the rest of your life."

"Omigod," gushed Roxy, aware that comment meant this must be an upward move in her acting career.

Jennifer phoned and asked, "Where are you?"

"I'm at home, attempting to keep calm. Everything is okay. My agent and attorney will be there with me. Please tell me."

"And spoil it for you? No way. Although I was only consulted and have no idea of the final outcome. Phone me after you know anything. I'm so bubbling about this?"

"About what?"

"God you are a cunning bitch. I'm saying nothing. Just call me later. Bye."

At 4:00 Roxy received a call from one of the aides of the studio's president seeking confirmation Roxy would be at the meeting on time.

"Yes I am ready now. Um what's on the agenda?"

"The agenda is you Miss Reeves. I must go. Bye."

Roxy stamped her right foot and grouched that the studio was lousy at communication.

She arrived and her agent Robyn Curtin was already waiting with Roxy's attorney

Pauline Anker.

"What is this darling," said Robyn. "You sounded so mysterious on the phone."

"Look I know nothing but suspect it's positive for my career."

Pauline said, "That was my thinking when it was suggested you have your attorney with you as well as your agent. To me that suggests a negotiable contract will be offered."

"You haven't received any enquiries about my availability since I last spoke to you have you Robyn?"

"No dear. Look keep relaxed and don't buckle if you are offered something big."

A door opened and an attractive and very neatly dressed woman of about thirty-five came out and eyed Roxy and said, "Miss Reeves, I spoke to you an hour ago. I'm Kim Walsh. Please would you and your party follow me.

Five people were seated on the far side of the table and the guy in the center stood and said, "Hi and welcome."

Roxy said to the studio president, "Hi Mr Ross, this is my agent Mrs Robyn Curtin and my attorney Miss Pauline Anker. It was suggested they should accompany me."

"Yes and good thinking. Nice to see you again Robyn. Please be seated opposite us and we'll get right down to it. You begin Lisa."

"Hi Roxy. My position is director of casting. We have committed to a yet another major movie because collectively we think people will choose to go to a movie during harder financial times that many countries have at present because it's escapism and they know they get excellent value for the price of a movie ticket. We've completed profiling and I've had the benefit of seeing your stunning performance as Dr Blanche Monroe. So without hesitation I say I want you for the lead in 'The Brunswick Girl.' We have held the movie rights for some time and with Kate recently turned twenty-one and no longer living in this country..."




Rise of Roxy Ch. 08



"Omigod."

"Do you know the story?"

"Kate Brunswick, aged sixteen, was visiting Niagara Falls with her mother when she just disappeared. Kevin Brunswick was some sort of Federal investigating officer and it was suspected this was a kidnapping, connected in some way with his work. A huge police hunt for the missing girl was launched, supplemented by Government investigators, but they came up empty-handed. Mrs Brunswick was dumped by her husband for not taking proper care of their daughter. Rene I think her name was came from a wealthy family and they offered her all the support she needed to find Kate. Mrs Brunswick had a friend since childhood, Melanie Graham, who by then was a hugely successful private detective hired by shippers to track down cargo thieves. According to the unsuccessful book because it was so poorly written, Mrs Brunswick said to Melanie, 'Find Kate for me and I'll pay you a million dollars.'

"Omigod, you know the story," said Lisa.

"Yes I read detective stories and thought Kate's kidnapping and retrieval was a magnificent story but ruined by a lousy writer."

"As you will be aware Roxy, Melanie Graham and her team found Kate seventeen months after the snatch and she refused to accept that million bucks, as she'd known Kate since the night Kate was born. Luckily for us, Melanie has agreed to be paid to be technical to the two scriptwriters who wrote the screenplay. Will you consider playing Melanie in the movie? It would mean having to have your hair colored honey-blonde."

"Yes please. Where do I sign?"

Everyone laughed and there was discussion and Roxy signed a contract, approved by Pauline, holding her to commit to the role pending a full contract being drawn up.

"Right with that out of the way and we thank you for accepting our offer Roxy, my senior executives and I are interested in you signing a 10-year contract committing you to this studio."

"Okay Mr Ross but why?"

"We have a stable of five female actors on loyalty contracts binding them to us. It works quite well for both sides, I believe. In return for that commitment to join us on that basis Roxy we would invest in you, to make you a star in every sense of the word. So what do you think about that?

Axel Zawadzki, vice-president of post-production, said, "The Blanche Monroe composite print we viewed this morning Roxy had you projecting star quality in every scene you appear. You demonstrate you have innate understanding of how you are meant to act in front of cameras and I feel your obvious love of what you were doing really shone through."

Claire Fogerty, identifying herself as vice-president of marketing and distribution, said, "I totally agree with Axel Roxy. I'm so excited about the marketing of this movie although there's some ways to go yet."

"Well thanks for such glowing comments. Here was me thinking all that you guys focused on was kicking butt, not kissing it," Roxy said drolly, and everyone cracked up.

"Mr Ross I would be prepared to sign a long term contract and subject myself to intense promotion providing such a contract allows me to marry and take time off to have a baby or two."

"Oh no problem Roxy," he smiled. "All we ask is you time any pregnancy to fit in with work schedules. Being in demand for major movies and involved in personal appearances and other promo work doesn't mean you can't have a private life."

Roxy wondered how true that was.

"Oh Roxy just a point that we must be consider carefully," Axel said, stroking his beard. Is your name short for Roxanne?"

"I would think you would have already confirmed that from studio records."

"Yes indeed and we believe as potentially a top earning actor with this studio, it could be desirable for you to call yourself Roxanne and be known as Roxanne."

Roxy was aware the casual look of the executives was too casual, that this could become an issue.

"Have you sought extensive advice on this?"

"My people have, yes. It came up when we were profiling you to possibly take the part of Private Detective Melanie Graham."

"Well I must say my choice is to stay with Roxy. My father so-named me that within a couple of months of my birth. I have no wish..."

"Relax Roxy, we can live with the shorted form of your name," Don Ross smiled. "Well that concludes this meeting and a draft of your long-term contract will reach your within a day of two. Welcome into our senior fold Roxy."

They then got down to bargaining on the level of annual retainer. Roxy was tough going head to head with them until finally her attorney whispered yield now and Roxy said, "Thanks guys we feel that's an acceptable offer."

As Roxy was leaving the vice-president of publicity relations and promotion, Lucy Chew asked Roxy if she could come to her department in the morning to be interviewed at length and to arrange for photographs to be taken.

"This could take several days and we'll need you dressed authentically as Blanche Monroe."

Roxy arranged to join Lucy for coffee at 10:00 next morning to begin her intensified exposure to the public via media releases generally and in her role as Blanche Monroe in pre-lease publicity build-up for that movie.

Still regarding herself as Roxy, although accepting that would pass, she smiled as she read one of the first articles given her for approval. It was simply headed: 'Who is Roxanne Reeves?'

She frowned on reading that and sighed, thinking her identity was under threat.

But she didn't demand she be called Roxy, feeling they wanted her to be called Roxanne and she was comfortable feeling she hadn't changed and he old friends and acquaintances could still call her Roxy.

* * *

The weeks rolled on and Roxanne became aware she was seeing less of her old friends including Jennifer and meeting a large number of people who seemed to be on some sort of A-list as invitees to social occasion, especially to industry-related events. It wasn't long before she realized she'd been placed on that list, if indeed it existed.

Two women representing an ad agency approach her about endorsing a liquid soap and were quite devastated when she said sorry no, she didn't use soap and had no desire to be associated with it.

Rather startled, the advertising lady asserted that everyone used soap but the woman executive from the manufacturing company didn't look as if she agreed with that emphatic statement.

Roxanne smiled and said, "In recent years I've exclusively used a perfumed fruit-based light oil wash with bacterial and a fungicide protection for maximum benefit for my skin. You must surely be aware your skin needs utmost care and is your body's largest organ?"

The ad executive apologized for wasting Miss Reeve's time.

At that time Roxanne's skin was being petted, scraped, licked and made to sweat by Axel Zawadzki, vice-president of post-production, an energetic and good-looking guy who'd pressed her to have an affair with him. He was married to a former movie star whom he claimed was more interested in her lady-friend than in him. Roxanne felt she was in need of sexual satisfaction from someone at her new level in the pecking order and had eased away from Clem Packer although she still associated with his parents William and Eva because Eva remained Roxanne's confidante. Another consideration was Axel could enhance her career if he so wished providing she did nothing to fall out favor.

She didn't like his name or his beard but accepted the positives outweighed the negatives with Axel. He'd been a child actor and continued in acting when at college completing a business degree and later because an assistant director and advanced on that route to his present position. That association with acting meant he wasn't exclusively a bean-counter in the performance of his duties.

Axel had invited Roxanne to a dinner hosted by close friends. His wife had been invited but she was away with her female pal and he needed a dinner partner.

As they left the function, Axel said to Roxanne, "Do you enjoy sex?"

"Yes."

"So do I."

Boosted by alcohol and having enjoyed being almost the center of attraction over dinner, Roxanne smiled at Axel driving his candy red Ford Mustang and said, "You may have sex with me tonight if you wish."

As they left the elevator and headed to Roxanne's new apartment, the 52-year-old grabbed a handful of her right butt and she purred, "You animal" and that set him alight.

Axel was unspectacular as a lover but didn't take half the night to get away and that suited Roxanne fine. Once the guy had gotten her off two or three times her interest in being banged waned. The other plus was he was a post-coitus conversationalist and she liked to talk.

The extending relationship suited Roxanne fine. Although she would have preferred a guy closer to her age they tended to pose complications for a gal who wasn't seeking a deeper relationship at this stage in her life, er her career.

* * *

Roxanne was on location in Chicago for the filming of 'The Brunswick Girl' when she was recalled to the studio to prepare for the 'world premiere' showing of 'The Legend of Dr Blanche Monroe.'

She was disappointed that the premiere would be held at Houston rather than Amarillo but was told politics, cultural reputation, ease of access and movie history were some of the reasons behind the choice but at least the premiere was being held in Texas. It would be screened at AMC Theatres Studio 30, home of the long-running and famous annual World Fest Film Festival.

On the evening of the premiere, when everyone was seated the lights dimmed and the crowded theater restricted to invited guests hushed, the MC introduced the president of Warm Heart Film Studios Don Ross. He spoke briefly about mounting the movie project and how it unfolded and when viewing the composite print how the expectations for it success by the studio executives at that viewing 'went through the roof'.

"Although we've kept tight wraps on this movie we know word has leaked because here at this premiere we have the largest turnout of movie writers and professional critics ever to view any of our movies, in fact it's just over twice the number we've recorded as having attended one of our pre-release screenings or a premiere like this one. Being an optimist I think that response is telling us something and I believe none of you will depart from this theater being disappointed. Now I introduce our brilliant new star, Miss Roxanne Reeves, around whom the whole movie revolves. Out you come Roxanne."

Roxanne wearing cowgirl boots and shirt, blue jeans and her hair down low practically skipped on stage, hugged her studio president and said, "Hi everyone, it's easy to love a guy who gives a gal a big build-up like that. I'm no cowgirl and the truth is I'd only been to Texas once before we rumbled in on to the Texas Panhandle on location. But I came on a mission wishing to do my best for Texas to give people in this great State the opportunity to get to know a hugely unknown heroine of Texas, the long dead and never-married Dr Blanche Monroe."

"Regrettably so little is known about Dr Blanche Monroe and her amazing feat and the tiny town where it all happened has long disintegrated into dust. But sufficient evidence exists, including old newspaper clippings and the record of the Judge's statement when sentencing the surviving two of the five killers to death by hanging. It is with regret we could find no evidence of what happened to the pregnant Dr Monroe following the hangings." 

"My director Mrs Jennifer Hinckley repeatedly told me during filming that I had become Blanche and I accepted that accolade. You'll have the opportunity to meet Jennifer later along with senior members of crew and the seven other actors including male lead Shaun Mason. I shall always remember being pulled through the snow by that bastard sitting smugly on his horse, a scene filmed so magnificently I shall always remember it. But that's enough from me. The movie will tell you everything about the iron lady herself, Blanche Monroe, my heroine."

Roxanne stood, holding the hand of Don Ross as most of the audience stood and applauded.

"Way to go Roxy," a guy with a deep voice drawled and Roxanne felt Don flinch.

When the screening ended the applause was thunderous.

A leading newspaper critic stated in his report published next morning.

I really went to this premiere out of curiosity to find the reason for the intensity of underground buzz about this movie. Sure I'd read all the pre-launch publicity about the heroic (or was it stupid actions of Blanche Monroe that miraculously came off?) I couldn't fathom how 187-minutes of a movie mainly about one character could prevent me from joining everyone else in the theatre from falling asleep. 

But oh boy at times my knuckles must have been showing white amid the on-screen tension and near the end I saw a truly amazing scene, the last of the five brothers yet to be captured or shot dead, riding head bowed against driving snow and the avenger Blanche Monroe, walking behind the horse with hands bound to a rope tied to the killer's saddle horn. She stared straight ahead at the guy in the saddle presumably plotting how to turn tables on him. Just off beyond them and moving at a faster rate was a herd of buffalo along the edge of a line of mesquite, with snow falling. 

Then Blanche throws her weight backwards, still managing to stay upright. The horse checks slightly, the guy in the saddle sits upright, obviously having been dozing, and he pulls out his revolver and looks behind him wildly as if thinking his prisoner has bolted. But she's still there, eyeing him defiantly. The killer shows no expression, says not a word and turns back to look over the head of his horse. 

I reveled in watching top cinematography and there are no ifs or buts. In this role Roxanne Reeves brings old Texas history alive in stunning fashion.

Will you be bored by this long movie? Hell no.' But if you like your movies to be as pleasing as a sweet vase of yellow roses then think twice about going. This movie is realism with a capital 'R'. 

Coming on to the market when new movie releases were slowing down, 'The Legend of Blanche Monroe' took movie land by storm. It quickly entered the currently top 10 movie lists and then worked up to the fourth place in top earnings movies in the US before it began to slowly weaken in position.

But considering its genre, movie critics were forced to acknowledge that top listing success

Photos of Roxanne appearing in newspapers, trade publications and magazines were referring to her as 'critically acclaimed actor Roxanne Reeves'.

When Roxanne returned to location in Chicago, her assistant had a list of requests for interviews for her to consider. And so a new round of interviews began and at that point Roxanne was confident enough to be convinced she'd make it to the top, that her effort could now focus on staying at or near the top and perhaps finding a suitable guy to father her two children. She decided for the children's sake he'd have to marry her.

Roxanne smiled. Well although she was loose morally, she had to consider the future she would have to lay out for the children.

She felt very happy.

THE END