testing would-be actresses who double as screenwriters, I mentioned the possibility that I, her new confidant, might be willing to serve as her.
'You want a
'She's waiting for
Andy was badly shocked by what had happened to Burgess. But he considered the request, lips pursed, and nodded. 'I'll think it over. But as for usin' you as a real actor, with his
'Let me finish,' Eddie interrupted. 'If and when you choose to pass on doing the right thing, Andrew — if you score with the lady and get her to sign a contract —
'With her,' Chalminski said slowly, getting it. 'You —
'Just this one time, in one film,' Burgess said with a nod, 'that I can watch over and over when I otherwise can't get Herman up even for my own pleasure. Besides,' he added a bit smugly, 'I think we could make a classic with a good girl like Donna.'
Andy stared at him as he stood. Then, chuckling, he followed Eddie to Donna Callaghan's table. 'You got a deal,' he said under his breath, clapping the taller man's back. 'You actors!'
Donna raised her head, and till then, Chalminski had forgotten how different she would seem to him. But at first she didn't appear extraordinary except for how she blinked repeatedly. The nearsighted eyes behind massive glasses were an oddly innocent light blue, and Andy remembered how much Monroe's eyelashes batted due to vision problems. Donna's brown hair was as straight as he'd expected, but the girls he used frequently wore wigs, and contacts would take care of the blink. On the other hand, broads who looked innocent and blinked at the actors' erect members might have considerable appeal to some viewers.
Yet Donna Callaghan, looking up, had not looked
'Hi, nice to meet ya,' he said when Eddie'd introduced them. Speaking triggered his autonomic, charming smile and he sat down even as he shook her hand. Wishing he had worn a less showy sport jacket, he reminded himself Donna believed she was a writer. 'Eddie says he's pretty impressed with your book.'
She smiled, slouched back to minimize her height. 'You two must be very good friends for you to call him 'Eddie' instead of 'Edward.''
'Yeah, well, we go back.' He'd liked the feel of her hand even if her thumb had reached around his paw to her other fingers. They wouldn't exactly feel bad on a guy's cock. She had a generous mouth (a matter of some importance in Chalminski's line), and one chipped tooth could be capped. 'You're kind of young to have done an autobio.'
Donna answered carefully. 'It's not so much auto biography as, well, the story of any woman who learns she's going to be different. From other girls.'
Andy wished she'd sit up so he could get a clue about her build. The top of her huge sweat suit was so big, he couldn't make out her tits at all. 'I mentioned your youth just because I'd want ya to do a lot of TV. Interviews with Oprah and Geraldo; a ton of publicity.' That was a surefire come-on, and Andy was rewarded by a flush of color in her cheeks. 'I need a way, to. well, gauge whether we should shoot for feature flicks or the tube.'
'I must get back to work on my current story,' Eddie interjected before Donna could speak. He gave Chalminski a familiar, man-to-man studied stare they'd used before, one that meant he had done his part and now he was clearing out. 'I live right around the corner, so here.' He produced two car keys on a ring, dropped them in the producer's palm. 'You'll want to read some of Donna's writing, so bring my car back when you two are through talking and you can stay the night with me. I'll drive you to the airport in the morning.'
'You'll want to see my work,' Donna asked Andy, 'tonight?'
'A movie guy's work is never done,' Andy said, and shook Burgess's hand. 'Thanks for the wheels, 'Edward.''
'Sure thing.' Eddie paused, smiled down at Ms. Callaghan. 'I left a bottle of bubbly on the front seat in case the two of you close anything. It's for you.'
'Oh, Edward, you are so
Chalminski couldn't believe his eyes. Not even stretched out to her full height, this broad he'd come to Columbus to see was at least several inches taller than Burgess, and he was surely a good five eleven. More than that, Donna's head was larger than his, and she was able to reach the guy and begin the hug from a solid yard away! The arms in the blue sweatshirt were like the branches of a tree covered by some kind of fungus!
Andy bobbed up after Eddie was headed for the door and before the huge young woman could sit down again. The ex-actor had arranged things perfectly — maybe he could get it up for one more movie after resting up more than a year. But probably he'd get the broad who'd do Donna since the studs who screwed her would have t'be in fucking
'If ol' Eddie is as sharp a judge of talent as usual,' he told Donna, 'I'm really anxious to see what you got.
Absolutely nothing happened as he tried to propel her toward the door; she didn't budge an inch. 'Well, if you're
'Look,' he said, speaking straight ahead instead of craning his neck to see her face, 'I flew in from Jersey to check you out, so it's now or never.' They were already at the door, he couldn't recall when he'd walked so fast, and the sweat running into his collar told him he needed to exert his masculine sense of authority or he wouldn't be able to do anything with Lady Kong if he
He let her think about that while he tried to remember where Eddie'd parked the car. Finding it, he was glad it wasn't a compact job. Holding the door for her and watching her squeeze inside was like seeing the shadow of a skyscraper folding itself into the front seat of the full-sized Buick.
Donna realized she had to provide him with her address and, because he was an out-of-towner, directions for getting there. She told him as if passing along state secrets.
'Why would an important man like you be interested in my life?' she asked, crammed into the seat beside Andy. Her voice was unaccented, husky enough to make him wonder suddenly if she could be a transsexual with a bad case of self-delusion. But she added, exhibiting more emotion than he had heard up to then and sounding as bitter as a babe who found less in her paycheck than he had promised, 'I wouldn't mind genuine publicity, but I d- don't want to be anybody's freak-of-the-week!'
He turned right when she remembered to point, used the turn to stall. 'In case you didn't notice, Donna,' Andy said softly, 'I'm a little guy. A
'Around that corner, the third apartment on your left,' she said. Her face turned to him and he caught a glimpse of it thanks to a streetlight. Seen that way, without considering her height, she was definitely pretty — and feminine. 'I suppose you are, Mr. Chalminski. I don't understand the connection.'
He had it now, and her! 'We're two of a kind — and make it 'Andy,' awright? We're birds of a feather, Ms. Callaghan. Don't you get it?' He pulled into a space at the curb in front of her brown-brick building, switched off the ignition.
'Not wholly,' she confessed. She opened her door but made no move to get out.
'I'm the freak here,' he explained, ''cause the whole world wants guys who are six feet tall, six five — and showers goodies on them, honey; didn't you know that?' To his surprise, he heard emotion creeping into his voice — that, and a ring of honesty he hadn't heard in it for a long while. 'All my life I've had t'be smarter and quicker- thinking —