Carol Higgins Clark by Popped

Author:Popped [Popped]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Scribner
Published: 0100-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

37

“W hat do you want to tell me?” Pilot Pete asked Bubbles. They were in the living room of her suite. He was sitting in the straight-backed chair that he’d pulled out from under the desk. Bubbles was pacing, but there wasn’t a lot of space for that.

“You and I both want the sitcom to work.” She tossed back her red hair and smiled flirtatiously. “We want Roscoe to choose our show.”

“You’re stating the obvious, Bubbles.”

“Don’t get smart with me,” Bubbles warned.

Pete laughed. “But we all have job security. That’s our problem.”

“James is forever,” Bubbles nodded in agreement. “For better or for worse.”

“Till death do us part.”

“Petey, I’ve got to tell you. When you say that, it makes me nervous.”

“You think I’m going to off James?” Pete challenged, his voice rising. “That offends me.”

“Well, when you mentioned it in the bar, I thought you were serious.”

“I’ll admit I often feel like killing him. But do you think I’d put my whole life on the line for this lousy sitcom?”

“Don’t call it a lousy sitcom.”

“I’m serious. I’ve done a ton of pilots that haven’t aired. And those were for the networks. You think I’d kill somebody to save a sitcom on Roscoe’s Balloon Channel? How many people are going to end up watching the show anyway? Everyone’s at the casinos.”

“You never know,” Bubbles retorted. “You know how many small cable shows have been picked up by the big boys? Huh?”

“You know how many haven’t? And the ones that are successful are usually made by teenage kids doing a show out of their basement. It appeals to their demographic, which is huge. All they talk about in Hollywood is the ‘demographics.’ Demographics this, demographics that. If I hear that word one more time, I’ll choke.”

Bubbles looked alarmed. “We don’t have any teenagers on our show!”

“If the show is a hit, we can always write in kids.”

“That doesn’t always work.”

“Bubbles,” Pete said, “we’re getting off the track here. What is your big plan?”

“I have a boyfriend,” Bubbles began.

“So. Did you think I was hitting on you?”

“No! I have a boyfriend who works on the reality show.”

“You do?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, my God.”

“I know.”

“What does he do there?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

“I think it’s better if I keep his identity a secret.”

“Why?”

“Petey, just listen for a minute. He is there as a spy for me. Right now he’s trying to get the goods on the contestants. He’s trying to find a reason to disqualify one of the couples so the show can’t go on. He set up a special website for people to report any gossip they have on the contestants.”

Pete stared at her. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I thought you’d want to know that there might be another way to win.”

“Is your friend doing anything else to cause trouble?”

Bubbles hesitated. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to confide in Petey. She thought he would be thrilled. She thought he would be comforted and cheered. But the look on his face was not cheerful. It was scary.

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