The Cinema of Lost Dreams by Alli Sinclair

Author:Alli Sinclair
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Published: 2019-06-30T15:45:42+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

1952 – Hollywood

On the empty sound stage, Lena collapsed on a folding chair in a dark corner. Now that everyone had left, the time to reflect gave her a sense of closure for the day and helped her prepare for the next one. Today’s shoot had finally come together. Lena hadn’t messed up her lines or tripped over air while dancing, and she’d managed not to break into a sweat whenever Pierre touched her. Anna May and all of the chorus girls had done beautiful work, and it was a joy to hear the voices come together and accompany Lena and Pierre on their duet.

She kicked off the yellow heels and wished someone would come to her rescue and carry her back to the dressing room.

Lena slapped her forehead. She was becoming the helpless heroines she depicted on-screen.

“Do you always smack yourself in the face?” Pierre sat on the chair next to her.

“Do you always sit down uninvited?”

“Touché.” He put his hands behind his head. “Looks like we’re getting closer to being Hollywood’s hottest couple.”

Lena looked away. She needed quiet time, but apparently Pierre had other ideas.

“Jeanne Harris and Reeves Garrity are the hottest couple,” said Lena. “Anyway, it’s not a competition.”

“It is, according to the magazines and moviegoers. Why do you think Stuart Cooper keeps pushing our couple status?”

“I wish he wouldn’t.” Lena slid her feet back into the shoes. “It’s all stupid.”

“What?” Pierre looked incredulous.

“I seriously don’t think us being a couple off-screen gets more people interested in us or our movies.”

“My fans would say otherwise.”

“How can all this be healthy, though? Men—and women—can be very successful without being tied to someone else.”

Pierre let out a loud laugh and doubled over, clutching his side. “Oh, Lena. You do amuse me.”

Tension gripped her shoulders and raced up her neck. “I am not here to amuse. I am voicing my concern that a woman is not considered successful in this industry unless she is attached to a man off-screen. Why are women seen as threats if they don’t have a husband? Or, worse, people think there’s something wrong with them, so no one will marry them.”

Pierre snort-laughed then stopped. “You’re serious? Happily married couples on-screen, happily married couples off-screen; this is how they want it. Good little Americans living the dream. You don’t want to be responsible for tearing the fabric of our society, do you?”

Lena didn’t answer.

“Anyway,” he said, “I don’t see what you’re complaining about. You get paid plenty.”

“Nowhere near as much as you,” she grumbled.

Pierre shrugged and her annoyance grew. Turning to face him, she said, “I’d like to see how you’d feel if the shoe were on the other foot.”

“Men will always earn more, and women will always be the sexy attractions.”

“But why? Change can be good, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Pierre crossed one leg over the other. “Well, changes are afoot.”

“For women?”

“Ha! No.” He lowered his voice, his eyes not leaving hers. “Just wait and see.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Pierre tut-tutted. “Such terrible language coming from those luscious lips.

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