Chapter 43 KELSEY AND THE FOOL
Chapter 43
K ELSEY AND THE F OOL
Turns out, Desdemona was good on her never work in this town threats.
I called Arista, Jacobs, and Jenny Wolfgang first, knowing they hate the Demon the most, and might be sympathetic to my plight.
Nobody responded.
None of the companies I’ve interned with, volunteered for, even as a gopher, were interested. I think Desdemona went down my résumé to be sure.
But there are many ways to work in Hollywood. I try catering, delivery, even being a driver.
Nothing. Nobody will even accept my application.
The coffee shop I worked at was willing to take me back, but they had only ten hours a week available. That’s not enough for food and gas, much less my East LA apartment.
My choices are few. I can spend the rest of my savings in LA trying to break back in. I have two months or so I could fight this.
Or I can take that money and start again someplace else. Somewhere easier.
I’m not sure what to do.
For the first week, I try to stay up on industry gossip to help my predicament, looking for an in. I was too proud to text Zachery after he ignored my pleas. I checked for his name on social media and instantly regretted it. He’s tagged all over the place with that actress Desdemona told him to court. They went to Venice together for an entire week.
I can’t even think about that. It’s too much.
I search for any information being leaked about Limited Fate , but there’s nothing. I’m dying to know what happened.
Two weeks after I got fired, I spot a photo of Desdemona in London and know it’s safe to go see Jester.
When I come in the door, he stands up to pull me into his emerald arms. He looks like an extra in The Wizard of Oz , but I love it. I’ve missed it.
He pulls out a box of Peanuts mugs. “I got these in a few days ago. Zachery ordered them for the office before you two left. I want you to have them.”
Hearing Zachery’s name physically hurts, a pang in my chest. He never responded to my crisis messages, not ever. Whatever happened between us is clearly over, even the friendship. He ruined it. I ruined it. I don’t know. Our relationship became collateral damage.
I hug the box. “How is he?”
Jester shrugs. “He hasn’t officially quit, but he’s not here, either. Last I heard he was in Ibiza. We’re not talking.”
I drag my old chair next to Jester’s desk. “Why not?”
“He ditched us when we needed him most.”
“For the soccer shoot?”
Jester waves that thought away. “That was irrelevant in the end. I’m talking about when Desdemona learned you staged a coup on that movie.”
“Did you tell him I got fired?”
“I did.”
Is this why he stopped coming in? Or is he washing his hands of this entire part of his life?
I have to know. “How did he take it?”
“I don’t know. I hung up on him after I said the foul words.”
“Jester!”
The phone rings, but Jester simply punches the button to send it to voicemail.
“I don’t have time for anyone who treats my baby girl like dirt. He ran off to Venice like a skank and left me holding the bag when Desdemona showed up. Nobody told me you were handling Drake Underwood. When his assistant called, I assumed the meeting was with Her Highness.” His face crumples. “You should have told me it was you. I wouldn’t have peeped a word about it.”
I should have. I was so focused on driving home. I should have talked to Jester, then talked to Zachery. Maybe even told him how I felt. I could have taken my shot.
No, it was too soon after Randy.
It’s a mess. A pile of story pages on the floor. Nothing makes sense. There is no logical flow of events.
And definitely no happy ending anywhere.
“I was probably doomed anyway.” I open the mug box to peep at the collection. “Desdemona was going to find out what I did.”
“You were always so good at soothing her. Nobody’s lasted here two whole years. Nobody.”
“You have.”
Jester waves me off. “An eccentric old man isn’t a threat to nobody.”
“You think Desdemona drove off assistants because she was threatened?”
“You know, I think she mainly liked torturing them. You didn’t take the bait.”
“She’s like my dad.” As soon as I say the words, I realize it’s true. I chose Desdemona to punish myself for leaving the farm. I picked a boss who made demands, who couldn’t demonstrate kindness or care. Who felt only work proved loyalty. There was no love. They were both incapable of it.
I doomed myself.
“I see the resemblance,” Jester says. “We dumb people sure do torture ourselves.”
I pull out the new Charlie Brown. He’s so happy with his wide single-line smile. He was tortured, for sure. Lucy and her football. Rocks in his Halloween bag. A lack of Valentines and holiday cards. Snoopy’s demands.
Seeing him smile on a mug always inspires me to do the same. I can’t help but grin back at him.
Jester’s face relaxes. “I sure do miss you around here. You light up a room, Kelsey girl.”
“Well, I’m not going to light up anything when they turn off my electricity,” I say, snuggling Charlie Brown back into the box. “The Demon did her thing. I can’t get anyone to take my call.”
“You’re not going back to that man in Wyoming?”
“No. We couldn’t work it out.”
Jester’s jaw drops. “He let you go? How could he possibly let you out of his sight?”
I trace the characters on the outside of the mug box. “He learned I worked in Hollywood. He couldn’t get past it.”
“But you’re not working now.”
“But I want that option. He was looking for a more devoted wife than I could ever be. Barefoot and pregnant, I guess. Babies and Hollywood don’t mix in his mind.”
“It wasn’t true love, then.”
“Not even close.” My traitorous thoughts shift to Zachery. No, not him, either.
“I’m sorry, honeypot.”
I work up to the final hard question. “Did they recast Limited Fate ? I wanted those two to get their breakout roles.”
“Oh, baby girl, I’m so sorry. Desdemona told the director that Gayle was typecast and Jason wasn’t available. She insisted you were too green to understand how the biz works.”
So I lost my job for nothing. “Who did she bring in?”
“Nobody. We’re no longer casting that project.”
“But we had the contract.”
“Desdemona canceled it. Drake Underwood is artsy and low budget, so she felt it was no great loss.”
“But the Oscar buzz.”
“That and a buck will get you a dollar-store medal.”
He’s right. I got caught up in it. I lost my head. I could see that script on-screen, and Jason and Gayle playing the roles.
But that’s not how Hollywood works.
Now, Desdemona blackballing me, that’s how this town operates.
Zachery’s behavior, too, for that matter. Whatever gets things done.
“I think it’s time for me to go home,” I say.
“Where you currently have electricity, I hope,” Jester says.
“No, I mean to Alabama. This is no town for the banished, not when I’m borderline destitute. Maybe I’ll be like Dorothy and find out there’s no place like the farm.”
Jester frowns. “Don’t let that daddy of yours crush your dreams.”
“I won’t let him.”
“You’re tough. You can stand up to him.”
“I will.” I hope.
Jester taps the desk. “You could still do it, you know.”
“Do what?”
“The fortune teller plan. You’re heading home. Summer’s not over. Go get your meet-cute. Maybe something magical will happen.”
I shake my head. “I think that ship has sailed.”
His hand covers mine. “Just keep your options open. Eyes on the prize. Not that you need a man. Nobody needs a man. We’re pretty useless.”
My memory flashes to Zachery pressing me against the floral wallpaper. “You boys have your good points.”
One of his fuzzy white eyebrows lifts. “Oh, to know what flashed through Baby Girl’s head.”
This makes me smile. “If only.”
“If you go the south route, stop at Cara’s Caramel Coffee Shop outside of Fort Worth, Texas. It’s right off the interstate. They make an iced espresso with caramel drizzle that you’ll simply die for. That shop was made for you.”
“Send me the Google pin, and I’ll be sure to stop. Who knows. Maybe I’ll meet my caramel-drizzle counterpart, and we can waltz across Texas.” I don’t believe it for a minute, but I want to leave Jester happy.
“That’s the spirit.” He opens his drawer. “You should know you had an influence on this old man.” He pulls out a tin. Gummy Bear Tarot!
“You have a deck!”
“This old dog learned a new trick. It’s tons of fun. Shall we pull a card for your luck?”
“We should.”
Jester shuffles the deck and spreads it in a fan across his desk. “Should you take it or me?”
“Let’s both pull one. For our futures.”
“For our futures.”
I slide one out from the middle, and he takes one from the end.
“On three?” I ask.
He nods.
I give the countdown. “One, two, three .”
We both flip over our cards.
Jester gets the Fool. “Oh, that’s certainly my card,” he says.
“It means originality and spontaneity.”
“A better definition than I figured on!”
I have the Chariot.
“What’s yours mean?” Jester asks.
“It stands for a journey, one where I’ll overcome all obstacles.”
“That’s good, right?”
I nod.
It’s very, very good.
There’s my sign.
Time to leave the lights of Hollywood behind.