Johnny Stone（r）
Money for nothing…
“Johnny, my man!” Joel called out to Johnny. Johnny turned from the group of girls hovering around the VIP booth and grinned.
“Joel! How’s my number one boy?” Johnny slurred and patted Joel’s shoulder hard.
“Come meet these hotties!” Johnny spread his arms wide at the three twenty-somethings.
Johnny pulled Joel over to the girls. “Sexy ladies, this is my producer friend I told ya about, Joel Miller! He just landed me my role with my girl, Halo Raines! So you be nice to him and I will be nice to you!” Johnny flashed a toothy grin at the giggling, star-struck girls.
“Hello, ladies!” Joel grinned.
“Mr. Miller, your usual tonight?” a squeaky voice spoke from behind him.
“Oh, yeah.” He held up a finger at the short brunette cocktail waitress. He turned to the three girls. “Ladies, how do a few bottles of Cristal sound?” Joel grinned as they all looked at each other, wide-eyed, and in unison nodded back in delight. “Becky, add two bottles of Crissy for the ladies.”
“Two bottles of Cristal and a bottle of Hennessey. I’ll be right back!” the Minnie Mouse-voiced waitress said.
Johnny grabbed Joel’s elbow and smiled at the three girls, who slid into the booth. “Sexy ladies, Joel and I have to talk some business. We will be back.” With a wink and a Hollywood grin, Johnny led Joel down the hall next to the janitor’s closet. “So my friend, what’s the news of my Halo?”
“Damn, Johnny, you are wasted…”
“Baked and drunk, thank you. So?”
Joel stepped close to Johnny. “I beat her, Johnny! Everyone says Halo is the toughest negotiator in Hollywood. Like I told you, I made her cry! What’s wrong?”
“Nada, man. So gimme details already!”
“Two hundred and seventy-five thousand, no expenses, and Halo is NOT your girl! Shut up and listen. You need to get it through that head of yours that there will be no sharing of cars, no talking to her unless you are filming, no questions, and if you have questions, you take them to your director, Deacon. One hundred percent professional at all times. Halo will, I mean WILL, fire your ass. If you screw it up, it’s all on you.
All this will be in your contract. If you DO get fired, you get to keep your freight unless you break your morality clause.
You can kiss my ass for that one. Hell, you can kiss my ass for all of it. My debt to you is paid in full.”
Johnny grinned like a madman and embraced Joel, lifting him off his feet. “You da man! Don’t worry, Halo will cool down. Shit will be all chill. She’s my girl, no worries, man! Ha ha! Money for nothing! We are cool, Joel! Debt is paid in full. Hey?”
“Now what?” Joel eyed Johnny.
“Too bad we are gonna miss the Charity thing tomorrow night, with Halo and all…”
“I told you to stop it with that shit, ok?”
“Fine, fine!” Johnny laughed and pulled Joel over to their suite. Once in front of the girls, Johnny pulled Joel’s shocked face close and laid a sloppy, wet kiss on Joel’s cheek. The girls and Johnny laughed.
Joel took a moment as the shock wore off, then chuckled as all of them laughed at him. He patted Johnny’s shoulder. “Let’s get this party started!” Joel followed Johnny’s lead, slid in, and grinned at the tanned blonde next to him. “You got star quality looks, babe! You wanna be in a movie?”
“Simo, you look very handsome in your tuxedo.” Christina Asher beamed at her Godfather.
“I feel like I’m in a monkey suit.” Simo smiled happily at Christina.
“Oh, Simo, you are too funny. Just take a compliment and run with it.”
“Run where? Back out of here away from all these old rich people?”
Christina laughed. “Halo is not old. Rich, yes. I can’t wait to see her again. God, I wish I had her looks…”
“Stop,” Simo admonished. “When you get older, you will give Halo a run for her money in the looks department…”
Christina’s mouth fell open and she looked at her Godfather in shock. “Oh wow…” she muttered.
“What?”
“That is the same thing Xander said to me on the plane!”
“Oh. Well, it’s true. Xander? Tell me more of this, your dad mentioned him a while back.”
“Oh wow… I had a huge panic attack. I couldn’t even get my seatbelt on.
Since my flight on Virgo got canceled, Mom put me on the only flight down here, so I couldn’t take my valium.
He… he helped by talking to me as we took off and landed.
God, Simo, he was so good looking! And polite, too!
He has a daughter named Athena! Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything about you, just that I knew a few Greek people. ”
“Good… so he was nice?”
“Oh, yes! He caught me reading his script. I already read it last year. Anyway, he was auditioning for Johnny Stone’s part in Halo’s film. He would have looked so good with Halo, too. Not Johnny the Stoner… I’m sorry Xander didn’t get it.”
“Christina!”
“I’m sorry… Simo, Johnny just looks stoned all the time. Am I right?”
“Yes, but we don’t know what causes people their pain. Ok?”
“Yes, Simo.”
Ari Asher strode down the back corridor with a half-smile. “Christina…”
“Dad! It’s Tina now, ok?”
Ari rolled his eyes at his daughter and caught Simo’s grin. “Yes, my dear, Tina. Halo is coming by in a few minutes.” Christina Asher smiled and began peering up and down the service hallway. Impatiently standing next to her father, she rolled her hand at Simo.
“Tina, fidgeting is so unlady-like.”
“Yes, Dad.”
“Ari… should I wait someplace else?”
“I think it should be fine. It is about time you formally meet Ronson and Jillian’s daughter, yes?”
“Sure.”
“Speaking of Halo, here she comes.”
Simo watched the gorgeous starlet’s smile broaden as she recognized Christina Asher.
Halo was beyond beautiful in her red sparkling dress.
He remembered how sad she looked years ago at the restaurant in Amalfi.
Her heart was broken after being betrayed by her first love, Johnny Stone.
Her father had him ‘speak’ to Johnny privately.
Theo and he had put the fear of God into Johnny…
any word to anyone about Johnny’s brief relationship with Halo never would happen, on pain of death.
“Christina!” Halo called out and embraced Christina fully.
“HALO! Oh my God, you are so beautiful!” Christina gushed as she hugged Halo back. “It’s so good to see you again!”
Simo watched as Halo pulled back and gazed at Christina. “Me? Look at you! You are gorgeous! Your dad better have a shotgun at his door to chase all the boys away!”
Christina laughed. “My dad has Simo for that!”
Simo met Halo’s unbelievably deep blue eyes. Her smile was polite, but he could see sadness hiding behind them.
Ari spoke up. “Halo, this is Simo Petras, one of my best friends.”
“Miss Raines. It is good to meet you.” Simo smiled. Surprisingly, Halo stuck out her hand and he accepted it. Her hand felt so small in his as he very gently shook her hand.
“Mr. Petras, a pleasure… have we met before? I never forget a face… but it seems of late that I have been forgetting where.”
“Maybe we have crossed paths here in LA?” Simo smiled.
“Perhaps. Mr. Petras, may I ask you a question?”
Simo noticed Ari and Christina watching. Ari gave a small nod. “Sure, Miss Raines… oh, please, it is just Simo.”
“Of course, and please call me Halo.” With a big smile, she looked up at him. “Are you Greek?”
Simo smiled back. “Yes. Is my accent that bad?” Simo joked.
“No, no… it’s just that I seem to be meeting Greek men of late that I feel I’ve met before... but have no idea where. I know it’s silly… but do you know a Xander Kostinos from Oregon?”
Simo kept his face impassive as Ari, thankfully, interrupted.
“Halo, is this the same Xander we discussed on the telephone before his audition with you?”
“Yes…”
Christina tapped Halo’s arm. “I heard Xander didn’t get the part. He would have looked so good with you, he is such a nice guy, too! What happened?”
Simo watched Halo blush. “I so wanted him on this project… Joel Miller owed Johnny some big favor…”
“A favor?” Ari interrupted.
“Yes. I am not sure what it is, but I offered Joel a cut of my percentage to cast Xander Kostinos in Johnny’s role… my offer would have been over a million dollars. I found it quite odd, knowing Joel’s tightwad nature…” Halo saw Ari meet Simo’s eyes. “Ari, what is it?”
Ari smiled at Halo. “Nothing, my dear. Please keep in mind my warning concerning Joel Miller.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ve got Joel on a short leash… and Johnny Stone, too. I doubt Johnny will be able to follow the terms of his contract.”
Christina laughed. “Halo… you have a plan! And I bet Xander is involved!”
Simo again saw Halo blush, with her eyes brightening as she spoke. “Busted.” Halo laughed. “I think I have Xander on ‘backup’ for the role. The thought of Johnny touching me makes me ill…” Halo looked at Ari. “Do you know what the scene entails?”
“Yes…”
Christina interrupted. “Halo, I saw the rewrite!”
“Oh my!” Halo gasped.
“It’s ok, Halo. I’ve read way worse…”
Simo watched as Halo blushed and covered her full, sensual lips with her hand while Ari sighed heavily.
“They grow up too fast…” Ari muttered.
“Dad!”
The event planner peered out a door down the hall, calling Halo’s name. “Halo! JJ is looking for you!”
Halo called out. “Caroline, I am on my way!”
“It was so good to see you again!” Christina gushed.
Halo enveloped Christina again and hugged her hard. “How I missed you. Tell your mom I said hello and miss her, too.”
“I will!”
Halo turned to Simo and arched her perfect blonde eyebrow at him. “It was nice to meet you, Simo.”
“Likewise, Halo.”
Ari gestured down the hall. “Shall I accompany you to JJ?”
“Yes, thank you, Ari.”
Simo watched Halo kiss Christina’s cheek, then gave him a quick questioning look, smiled, and took Ari’s arm and left.
“God, she is so beautiful…” Christina mumbled.
“Yes, she is.”
“I wish my eyes were that blue…”
“Tina…”
Tina rolled her eyes. “I know, Simo.”
“Why you not tell Halo you go by Tina now?”
“Are you kidding? And hear how beautiful the name ‘Christina’ is again? Ha, no.”
Simo laughed. “Ok… but is!”
“Simo!” Tina laughed.
“Come, let me take you to your table.”
“You aren’t going to sit with us?”
“Maybe later. I need to speak with Theo at the limo.”
“Ok…” Christina pouted.
“I just met Halo Raines.”
Theo laughed, bounced his dark eyebrows at Simo, and replied in Greek. “She next on your radar?”
“No. She is not my type. Much too beautiful… she asked if I knew Xander Kostinos…”
“Colonel Kominos’s son, from Oregon?”
“Yes.”
“What is wrong with that?”
“She blushes when she speaks of him.”
“He’s married. Is she that type of woman to steal a married man?”
“No. She seems like a good girl… but she is still very sad.”
“It seems to me that you are taking a big interest in Halo…”
“My nose was itching…”
“Oh fuck. You think Joel is going to do something to her?”
“I don’t know. Ari warned her and she is not some dumb blonde. She’s smart.”
“You like her…”
Simo shook his head. “Not that way! It’s like I want to protect her… it’s weird.”
“Like a little sister?”
“Yes! Like a sister.”
“I like her friend…”
Simo looked at Theo in shock. “What?”
“JJ… remember her from Amalfi? She is pretty.”
Simo eyed his best friend, and saw a small smile on his face he hadn’t seen in years. “You do?”
“Maybe we should talk to Ari…”
“No. I just think she is… nice.”
“Theo. You have not had that look on your face since before Erini passed away. We should talk to Ari and set up a…”
Theo patted Simo’s shoulder. “No.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. She has a boyfriend.”
“Ok… so, Halo said Joel owed Johnny a big favor.”
“The malaka Joel? What was it?”
“She didn’t know, but it was worth more than a million dollars.”
“WHAT? A million? You tell Chen yet?”
“That’s why I came out here…”
“Call him.”
Simo quickly dialed up Chen and described the conversation with Halo in detail.
“What did Chen say?”
“Joel and Johnny are on the way to Australia, then to American Samoa. Ari should have let me talk to them…”
“Yes. Those fucking malakas…”
“I am going to go inside and wait for Ari.” With a pat on Theo’s shoulder, Simo headed back inside the grand pink hotel. He found a place by the back wall and settled in, watching the hushed crowd.
He looked toward the dance floor and saw Halo.
She was pushing a wheelchair onto the dance floor.
In the chair was a little boy about eight years old.
He had a cast on one arm and was wearing a baseball cap with no hair underneath.
He looked extremely sick, as if he were undergoing intensive chemotherapy.
The little boy’s sad eyes were entranced and focused wholly on Halo Raines in her stunning red designer dress.
Holding the little boy’s good hand, Halo introduced the boy, saying his name was Chuck and he was her special guest. She said she wanted to sing Chuck his favorite song from one of her movies.
The little boy’s sad eyes widened and the crowd began to cheer and clap.
Halo laughed, embarrassed, and asked the crowd to bear with her, as she hasn’t sung the song in a long time.
The music began and Halo turned to the boy, putting her entire attention on him.
Then her angelic voice filled the one-thousand-person capacity banquet hall.
The boy’s face began to lighten. Then the little boy began to smile.
Simo glanced off the dance floor and saw a young couple who were intently watching and desperately trying to stop crying from apparent happiness.
Simo turned back to Halo, whose mascara was beginning to streak down her face as she finished singing her song to the now fully smiling boy.
As she ended the song, through the open mic, everyone heard him say very quietly, ‘I love you, Halo.’ She hugged the little boy and gushed, ‘I love you back, my little man.’
Simo wiped his eye and scanned the crowd. Not a dry eye was to be seen. He saw Tina Asher blowing her nose and handing Ari a tissue.
Everyone erupted in applause as Halo pushed Chuck’s wheelchair off to his waiting parents.
The mic was still hot, and they all heard Chuck’s mother exclaim that the only way Chuck could sleep at night was to fall asleep to the song Halo just sang; and it was the first time Chuck had smiled in months.
Suddenly, the room got all that much more blurry.
Simo decided he liked Jillian and Ronson Raines's daughter, Halo… like family, a little sister even. She was not the typical Hollywood starlet or a diva. She was a real person with a huge, albeit sad, heart. He suddenly felt vindicated for doing to Johnny what he did. Halo deserved so much better than Johnny Stone. Simo watched as Halo exited out the service entrance with several other children. He watched as JJ handed the microphone back to the band. JJ was tall and had somewhat of a lean physique. She had dishwater blonde hair and her looks were indeed very pretty, perhaps a bit boyish. She was the direct opposite of what Theo’s deceased wife, Erini, looked like.
Maybe he should ask Ari about JJ for Theo…