Celluloid Memories Read Free Page B

tonight downtown. The dinner starts at eight.”
    Mac felt a soft light touch on his arm and turned to find Cherise regarding him with limpid eyes. “I know you’re very busy. Jeff told me you’re an attorney.”
    â€œBut I’m not an entertainment lawyer,” McCoy was quick to clarify. “I’m a commercial real estate attorney.”
    â€œBut you know a lot of people. He said you did.”
    â€œJeff was exaggerating,” he said dryly.
    â€œI don’t want to get in the way or anything. Maybe I should come by another day,” Cherise offered.
    Mac pursed his wide mouth, listening to her practiced apology and offer of sacrifice. He rose to the occasion. “You’re here now. Why don’t I take you to lunch? You can tell me a little about your professional experience, and what you hope to accomplish in L.A.”
    Cherise Kim Daly’s eyes lit up and, on cue, she tilted her head at McCoy and smiled.
    â€œI’m going to be a star, of course.”
    Of course.
    Â 
    Savannah didn’t even flinch when the young man with the stand-up wooly hair leaned over in front of her and planted his hands on her desk to get her attention. She also didn’t bother looking up from the treatment she was reading for a coming-of-age story.
    â€œHow come you never told nobody you’re Will Shelton’s daughter?”
    â€œWhat difference would it make?” Savannah asked, turning a page of the proposal.
    â€œI would have sucked up to you,” Tyrone James Sparks said bluntly. “I would have worshipped at your feet and asked for his autograph. I’d have asked to meet the man himself. Damn! Will Shelton’s little girl breathing the same air as me.”
    â€œTaj, give it a rest,” Savannah said, amused. “You know that stuff doesn’t work on me.”
    Taj chuckled at his own failed acting and sat on the edge of Savannah’s desk, not concerned that he was interrupting her work. “I didn’t even know he’d passed until I saw this little tiny notice in the back of Variety. In the back! I thought we’d gotten over that.”
    Savannah finally glanced at Taj, who sat shaking his head at the parallel he’d drawn between the civil rights movement and her father’s death.
    â€œI’m sorry I didn’t say anything,” Savannah said with false regret.
    â€œSo what was wrong with him?”
    For a moment, an entirely different list of shortcomings popped into her mind that had nothing to do with what he’d died of. She shook the thoughts off. “Prostate cancer.”
    â€œOoohh,” Taj winced, as if he was suddenly equally afflicted. “When was the service?”
    â€œWhat service?”
    Taj stared at Savannah in disbelief. “You mean to tell me there wasn’t a service for Will Shelton? Baby Girl, the man was a legend. You can’t just put someone like that in the ground and then forget about him.”
    Savannah sighed and clipped together the pages she’d already reviewed. “I can see I’m not going to get to finish this today.”
    â€œIt’s after six anyway. You’re off the clock,” Taj reminded her.
    â€œYeah, but I wanted to get this done before leaving tonight. You’ve interrupted my schedule.”
    â€œYou got plans? Maybe you and me can go for a drink or something.”
    â€œWe’ve worked together for more than a year, and this is the first time you’ve suggested anything social, Tyrone. I’m flattered. Or do you just want to pick my brains about my father?”
    â€œThat’s right,” Taj said boldly. “I heard Will Shelton talk to one of my classes at USC. I didn’t know anything about him at the time, but after that I tracked down every film he was ever in.”
    Savannah stared at Taj, at the memory that lit up his eyes with excitement. “I take it he impressed you.”
    â€œLook, it’s