At First Touch Read Free Page A

the cover of Us Weekly magazine six times. She didn’t count the Us Weekly cover that came out when she had been kicked off the show.
    â€œOh, yes, I remember now. Graham mentioned that you had been fired.”
    â€œI wasn’t fired. My contract was not renewed,” she corrected through clenched teeth. “Anyway, it’s been one year and…. this movie is my only shot.”
    â€œShot for what?”
    Quinn hesitated. She hadn’t even told her sisters about her fears of never working again, of being ordinary. But she had the sudden urge to tell Wyatt. It was something about how quiet both he and of the SUV were. She almost felt as if she could tell him anything, and he would just nod. No judgment.
    â€œI haven’t worked in a year. That’s a lifetime in the entertainment business. I’m 28 years old, in another couple of years, it’ll be too late for me to even make it. On top of the age and the forced semiretirement, I’m trying to switch from television, daytime television, to movies. Do you know how difficult that is?”
    â€œWhy do you want to switch from television to movies?”
    â€œI can’t stay a soap actress all of my life, Wyatt,” she said, attempting to sound patient. “The next logical step is movies. Movie stars are the cream of the A-List crop. All of the tabloid covers, the covers of magazines, the features. When you’re a movie star, you can pick your own projects. And possibly start a perfume line or a clothing line.”
    He didn’t respond but continued to stare down the dark road as he carefully drove the SUV within the speed limit.
    â€œHelmut was the first director to even consider me for a part that did not involve my breasts as the second and third characters on screen. But I had to sweeten the pot.”
    He actually took his eyes off the road to shoot her a look. He asked, carefully, “What does that mean?”
    â€œI don’t sleep with men for roles,” she snapped, annoyed, and then added with a shrug, “Not anymore.”
    â€œSo how exactly are you planning to sweeten the pot?”
    â€œHelmut is a brilliant director, but, as you probably noticed, he’s not a…a people person. He’s difficult. And so insistent on having total creative control of his projects that he can rarely get in the door at the big studios. So he has to make this film, On Livermore Road , on the lower end of the average Hollywood film budget.”
    â€œHow much on the lower end?”
    â€œEnough where Helmut is considering filming in this town.”
    Wyatt stared at her for a moment and then asked with a sigh, “So this guy is a jerk, no one in Hollywood likes him and he has no money to make his movie. Why do you want to be in this movie again?”
    â€œHelmut is also a star-maker. If you survive a movie with him, any director or agent in town will take your calls because everyone knows that Helmut does not work with talentless hacks. And this film has a great role for me. Do you know how hard it is to find a dramatic role as a black actress in this town? But, this role has my name written all over it. Every black actress in Hollywood wanted it, but I got it. Or, I will have it. I needed to get Helmut’s attention. And great locations that cost next to nothing are all you need to grab any independent director’s attention. Your house, this town. It’s perfect.”
    â€œUse your house,” Wyatt suggested.
    Quinn rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Helmut said my house looked like…what were his exact words…Oh, yes, a ‘gingerbread house on crack.’ Your house is bigger, more creepy…er, I mean, it has more character.”
    â€œHave you talked to Boyd?”
    Quinn inwardly shivered at the mention of the mayor’s name. The man was ex-military, mean and old. He also didn’t crack a smile for anyone but his wife, Alma. In other words, she had no