CHAPTER 31
Cameron
They’d ordered way too much food. There was no way they’d be able to eat it all.
Everything was delicious, but Cameron found herself sampling more than eating a full entrée.
They’d split their appetizers and shared the steak and chicken between them, too.
When it was time for dessert, Cameron regretted ordering two for there and one to-go.
“I cannot eat that,” Lacey said, pointing at the treasure chest, which was a pretty massive dessert.
“Yeah, I thought it would be smaller,” Cameron revealed. “Like, the size of a ring box.”
“You thought something the size of a ring box would cost that much money?”
“It’s a theme park, and I go to a lot of fancy places that have the smallest portions you’ve ever seen.”
“And you want to do fast food and a movie with me? Are you sure you’re on a date with the right person?” Lacey joked.
“Yes, I am,” Cameron stated seriously. “We can’t exactly have them wrap this up. I think the chocolate would break. Want to get through as much as we can and have him wrap up the cheesecake, too?”
“You better help me eat it, then.”
“I will,” she said with a smile and picked up her fork.
“So, you were talking about college,” Lacey reminded, picking up her own fork.
“I was? Oh, I guess I was.”
“Drama major?”
“Performing Arts was the technical term. Then, drama, yes. I’ve always loved acting.
My mom said I’ve been performing since I could walk.
I don’t remember all of that, obviously, but my dad built me this little stage outside with some extra wood he had lying around, and we painted it pink and blue together.
For the record, I wanted the blue. He wanted the pink. ”
Lacey laughed and took a bite.
“I always wanted to hit it big but never thought I would. I did well in school, but it’s a school made for people like me, so it was the best of the best, which can make you wonder where you fit in.
They don’t just do one play a year; they have several going on because we all need a chance to perform and get evaluated or scouted.
There’s a film department, so I took small roles in their student films, and that was when I really got into movies and realized that I wanted to move to LA. ”
“How did you get your big break?”
“You haven’t read about that online?” Cameron asked before she took a bite.
“Even if I had, I’d rather you tell me.”
“I’d been out here for a while, or at least, it had felt like a while to me, and I hadn’t gotten much of anything beyond auditions and a few commercials when I sent in an audition for Dark Wishes.
I heard back from them a few weeks later that they wanted me to come in and read, so I did.
Then, they called me back a few more times before I got a call from my first agent that I’d booked it.
It was a supporting part, but it was meaty enough, and I was able to make it my own.
I got nominated for the Globes, and I started getting more calls.
Not some romantic rags-to-riches story or fairy tale at all, really.
I put in the work. I paid my dues. I got an audition for something good that had studio backing, and I nailed the audition.
I worked hard every day to nail that part, and more came my way. ”
“Then, you met Kennedy?”
Cameron nodded and put her fork down.
“And you got her agent?”
“I did. It made sense. Zane is one of the best. He’d built her entire career, and I thought he could do the same for me. He did, and now, I’m here, sitting with you on our very first date, even though it doesn’t feel like that because we had a few dates that weekend, I think.”
“We can’t count those, Cam. We were with other people.”
“I know. And I know Ken and I are linked and always will be in one way or another, but, Lacey, tonight is about us. I don’t really want to talk about her or River. Is that okay?”
“Let’s talk about anything but them, then. What’s next for you?”
“Basically, getting a divorce without getting a divorce. I thought we weren’t talking about–”
“I meant work. I know you have to work out the agent thing or whatever, but what are you going to do about work? Do you have any parts coming up?”
“No.” Cameron shook her head. “I was really annoyed at first, because how is it that we have one fight in public in the whole five years of our–” She stopped herself. “And there I go again.”
Lacey set her fork down, too, and asked, “Cam, should we be here? Should we be doing this?”
“Lace, that fight is the reason I’m not on a set right now.
It’s not really about her or us. It’s just that I’m still pissed off that it somehow changed the trajectory of my career when men who have actually been physically abusive to their partners get movies the next week.
I’ll always be annoyed at that, but I’m not craving a set right now.
I feel like I have worked non-stop for years and, even though it wasn’t by choice, I’m glad that the break came.
I might not have taken one otherwise, and I don’t want to burn out or have people get tired of seeing me on the screen.
The problem is that I only have so long to get the kind of parts I like.
Then, there’s this, like, ten-to-twenty-year period for an actress where it’s harder to get the best roles because of your age, before you can have what people call a comeback, but it’s really just studios letting you back in the door with the old-women roles.
Old women.” She chuckled. “They mean women in their forties or fifties. It’s ridiculous. ”
“Agreed,” Lacey said.
“Anyway, I’m not going to go out for anything at least for the summer, I think.
I need the time to myself, and, well, maybe to have time with you.
If you want that, too, obviously. Taking something would mean me working fourteen to sixteen hours a day, and not necessarily in LA, so I think it’s good not to for the time being. Now, can we talk about you?”
“Me? What about me? I’m boring.”
“No, you’re not,” she argued. “Your favorite restaurant is inside a theme park, you love to boogie board, you kick ass at pool but can’t play air hockey worth a damn, and your favorite book is Running with Scissors.”
“You need to read it. It’s really good. I actually prefer Sellevision as a book by him, but Running with Scissors is just so out there, but poignant at the same time, and–”
“I read it this week,” Cameron admitted.
“Read what?”
“Running with Scissors. What’s the other one you just mentioned? I’ll read it, too. I liked Running with Scissors.”
“You read my favorite book this week?”
“You told me about it that weekend. I remembered. I wasn’t going to read it because I didn’t want to be reminded of you when we were… dealing with things, but I read it this week, and it was interesting.”
“Augusten Burroughs is great. If you like that one, you’d probably like the rest of his stuff.”
“Then, I’ll read it,” Cameron said. “I’ve got a lot of free time on my hands now. I’ll buy it all.”
Lacey laughed and asked, “What’s your favorite book? You didn’t tell me.”
“I don’t really have one favorite. I read a lot as a kid and kept reading as an adult.
It’s a good thing to do during downtime on the set.
I have categories and favorites in a category.
Like, my favorite classic is Pride someone who will put me first. I know work is important.
It’s how we make money to pay the rent and eat.
And I wasn’t perfect, either, but I also don’t want to be that way again.
I don’t want to feel like I’m forcing someone to spend time with me when they’d rather be somewhere else.
So, if we keep doing this, and that ever becomes a thing, I’m not going to do it this time. ”
“I like that.”
“Like what?”
“That you, I don’t know, learned something about yourself from your relationship, and that you won’t accept anything less than what you deserve.”
“Did you learn anything?”
“Lots, I’m sure. For one, I want to decorate my own damn house.”
Lacey laughed as the waiter approached their table.
“Can you box this up for us, too?” Cameron asked. “Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs.”
“No problem,” he replied. “Can I get you anything else?”
“Just the check,” she said. “Thank you.”
He walked off, and Cameron looked over at Lacey.
“I learned more than that, but even though that sounds like a joke, it’s not. I don’t want to give in how I did with her. I learned that. I want compromise and not to be walked over at times.”
“I think that’s a good lesson,” Lacey said.
“Want to ride this ride that’s been going on around us?” she asked, nodding to a boat that slowly moved by them.
“I’m sure the line is, like, two hours long.”
“Um…”
“Cam, we can’t really cut in front of people.”
“Yes, we can. Come on. I never get to use my superpowers for good. Let me have this tonight.”