Betrayal

Chapter 21

TALLIE WAS FROWNING as she sat in the back of the long black stretch limo. She was wearing a red satin strapless dress Max had picked for her, and she looked like an angry four-year-old, while her daughter laughed at her. The dress was agonizingly tight, but Tallie looked spectacular in it, with her blond hair piled on her head, and red satin high-heeled sandals.

“I don’t see why we have to go in this ridiculous car. And I hate this stupid dress. We could have gone in an SUV. And my boobs are falling out. I’m not going to make a spectacle of myself,” Tallie said petulantly as Jim and Max exchanged a look. Max was glad he was there, and so was Tallie. She’d been sad all week realizing that her father wouldn’t be. But it was nice having Jim with them. Jim and Tallie had been spending a lot of time together for the past three months. She spent time on the weekends with him and Bobby. And Jim had come to New York with her to visit Max. She had lined up the investors for her next picture, and they were going to start shooting in September. And ironically, Brigitte was being sentenced in a week. It was almost over. And Tallie was glad Jim had come with her and Max.

“I should have worn black,” she muttered and Max laughed.

“You look great, Mom. And you’re a star. You can’t show up in an SUV when everyone else gets out of a limo.”

“Why not?” Tallie said while Jim smiled at her. He was crazy about her, and so proud to be with her.

“We’ll come in a truck next year,” Jim promised with a smile. “Or an FBI car. That’ll work.”

Tallie smiled then for a minute. She hated this kind of thing, with a wall of press in her face, shouting her name, showing off, all dressed up and wearing too much makeup. It felt so phony to her. She had the looks for it, but not the personality. She would rather have been at home, watching it on TV, but not if she won. She was sure she wouldn’t anyway, which made it even more embarrassing to be so done up. The Sand Man had won four Golden Globes, but an Oscar was much harder to win and she never had before. She was sure tonight would be no different, although she had been nominated for best director and the film had been nominated for five other awards.

The long black limo slowed in the lineup, and finally it was their turn, as Max looked her mother over for a last time. She had worn a white strapless dress herself with a little white fox jacket and looked like a starlet. But Tallie looked magnificient. She looked regal as she waited to get out of the car. She didn’t like playing this game.

“We’re up next, Mom. Look at me.” She checked her mother out for a last time before they got out of the car. “You look gorgeous. Don’t forget to smile.” Jim was watching the mother-daughter exchange, and he was touched. They were great together, and he was coming to love Max as much as her mother, and his boys were impressed that he was dating a Hollywood star, but she didn’t act like one-that was the best part, and what he had loved about her from the beginning. She was literally being dragged to the Oscars, kicking and complaining, against her will. He thought it was funny. Tallie didn’t.

“I’ll just shoot them if they annoy you,” Jim promised, and she laughed, a deep chuckle as she sat in the car in the sexy gown, with her hair perfectly arranged in the casual upsweep, the red satin sandals, and diamonds on her ears. He knew she would be the envy of every woman in the place or who saw her on TV. And he was wearing a brand-new tux he had bought for the occasion. He had never needed his own before, but he thought he might now, from time to time. And he had been very honored when she had asked him to escort them. He knew both his boys were watching on TV, he had warned them, and his sister-in-law, who was a fan. Jack Sprague was watching too. He was impressed that Jim was going to the Academy Awards.

And then they were out of the car. Tallie made a graceful exit, looking more like the actress she had once been than the director she was now. She was smiling, and the press started shouting her name as they started along the red carpet. Jim walked between them with Tallie and Max on either side of him. Tallie smiled at the photographers like the pro she was, answered a few questions, and laughed at something someone said. She posed for a picture with Max, another one with Jim, another with all three of them. Someone asked his name and he gave it. He felt dizzy as they made their way along, and he spotted major stars up ahead of them and behind them. He could see why she didn’t like this, it was terrifying. But nothing showed on Tallie. She was totally gracious as she glided along, and then they were finally in the building being escorted to their seats as cameras panned the audience for major stars.

“Oh my God, facing a suspect with an AK-47 is less scary than that,” he said under his breath to Tallie. She was right, he thought, it was the scariest thing he’d ever done. He’d never done anything like it before.

“I hate it,” she said through clenched teeth with a smile, but this was her world, and she had to be part of it once in a while, whether she liked it or not, especially on a night like tonight. She loved the work, but not the show-off part. And Max looked like she was having fun as they took their seats in the second row.

“You look gorgeous, Mom,” Max said as she checked her out again, to make sure she didn’t have lipstick on her teeth or her hair out of place. Tallie looked perfect, and Jim was proud. He had never expected to be part of this, and it was still mind-boggling to think of how he’d gotten there, and how natural it all seemed to be with her now that he was here.

Several people came over and spoke to Tallie, and a number of them wished her luck. There were producers and other directors, major stars, and her agent. Tallie introduced him to all of them. Jim couldn’t keep them all straight, but it was obvious how respected she was by her peers. It had to feel good, he thought to himself, even if she didn’t win, but he hoped she would. As the lights dimmed, he leaned over and wished her luck, and she smiled at him, as a camera zoomed in on them, and neither of them could see it, but his sister-in-law was screaming hysterically when she saw them on the TV screen in Pasadena. To his family, he was suddenly a star, along with Tallie, and not in a million years had he ever thought it or dreamed it, but neither had Tallie. She had never expected to wind up here. She had just been doing her job, which was what she loved best.

“I’ve already had my good luck,” she whispered back to him, and he squeezed her hand.

As always, the evening was interminable, as they hopped and skipped over categories, from best animated feature to best supporting actress to best song. It kept people watching throughout the evening, rather than giving them everything they were waiting for at the end. The first award The Sand Man won was best musical score. There were screams of delight as the composer went to get his Oscar and thanked the enormous cast, all the technicians, and everyone he’d ever known. Jim realized it was going to be a long night. Tallie looked serene as they held hands, and she and Max whispered exchanges from time to time. Jim thought Tallie seemed more relaxed as the evening wore on. And he was getting more anxious for her. She looked beautiful and calm.

They did best actress that night before best director, and everyone was excited as a Hollywood favorite hobbled up to the stage in an extremely tight dress that made her look like a mermaid, but she was a beautiful girl, and Jim was awestruck seeing her up close as she ran past them. She was so close he could smell her perfume, and Tallie smiled at him. She knew just how heady this all was. She had lived it for years. It didn’t impress her but it was new to Jim.

And then finally it came. Best director. They read off the names, showed clips of the films. The TV cameras zoomed in on each of them and showed them on giant monitors as they waited. Tallie looked totally calm, as she smiled at Max and Jim, and squeezed their hands. She had already decided she wouldn’t win and felt fine about it. Her life as it was now was enough. She didn’t need more. And when she went to work on a new picture, she’d be happy. She didn’t need an award for the last one.

Two of Hollywood’s best-known actors had made the introduction, and the female star stayed to read the winner’s name. They waited as she fumbled with the envelope in long white gloves and joked about it, and Tallie laughed and looked totally relaxed.

“Tallie Jones!” the young actress screamed with delight, as they played the theme from the movie, and Tallie didn’t seem to hear it. It didn’t register with her. Jim heard it first and Max was crying and clapping her hands as Jim was pushing Tallie out of her seat, and Tallie realized what had happened when she saw Max. She had won!

Tallie walked toward the stage with a dazed look on her face. She hadn’t expected to win. She turned back once to look at Jim, and he was almost crying with joy for her, and then she moved forward, and ran gracefully onto