Love is Love- Sample Chapter's 1 & 2

Love is Love by Donna Barnes Pictures of Booksigning and Other Events Previous Published Articles Sample Chapters 1 & 2 of Love is Love Biography of Author

Love is Love- Chapter 1 & 2

Chapter 1 The Beginning

A slender woman stood alone inside a dark alleyway, waiting for her prey to leave its shelter, the Blue Oyster Restaurant. Lorraine Savage had grown accustomed to pestering celebrities. She became the shadow that lurked behind every famous person. She took photos of each mishap in the late evening air. It did not matter that she hardly slept. She ambled in the recesses of the darkness. She acted like a vampire who stalked each victim. Some would even call her one because her behavior reflected her cold disposition. Her emotions had died over thirteen years ago, but that was before Juliana Rodgers, the popular TV actress, betrayed her. She knew her life would never be the same, and now her primary purpose was to seek revenge on those who had more than she did.

Lorraine’s primary target was leaving the restaurant across the street. She raised her camera up as if it were a high-powered rifle and took the shot at her arch-nemesis. The tiny redheaded actress hailed a taxicab from the curb, and within moments, she drove away. Lorraine dashed to her motorcycle and sped after the car. The race begins like always; the victim runs while the lioness chases its prey.

Tearing down the street, Lorraine shifted the engine. She gained speed and distance on the fleeing automobile. She whirled past several other vehicles to the left of her as the chase continued. It thrilled her. No one seemed to notice her reckless weave pattern, in and out of traffic.

Lorraine spotted the famous performer in the backseat of the cab on her cell phone. Juliana had no idea what was about to happen. The backseat window was wide open as Lorraine pulled next to the car at the red light. She arched her head to the left, and smirked at her target. She wanted to taunt the actress.

As the seconds faded, Juliana felt a stare upon her. Instinctively, she turned her head to the right. Just another adoring fan, she thought, until she saw the contorted grimace of the woman on the bike. The light turned green and the cab took off as if the flag for the Indie 500 race was waved.

“Oh, shit!” Juliana said.

With ease, Lorraine caught up to the taxicab as she shifted her backpack to the front of her chest. She unzipped the bag with her right hand and reached for its contents. She almost thought she heard Juliana shout to the driver to hurry up, and that a maniac was stalking her. Huh, she has no idea. She caught up to the yellow taxi as it turned right.

Lorraine inched nearer to the cab’s rear door. She wanted to get close enough to the window. She needed a clear shot inside. She wanted Juliana to be terrorized. Lorraine reached into the bag as Juliana bellowed something obscene at her. The actress slid over to the right side of the cab. She attempted to roll the window up, when the reporter pulled out the water balloon and thrust it into the cab. The balloon burst upon Juliana’s face. Red water seeped onto her white dress and spoiled everything in its path.

“You’re such an asshole!” Juliana screamed as the cabbie zigzagged across the street. He almost knocked Lorraine off of her bike, but nothing would stop her from getting what she wanted.

Speeding after the cab again, the camera was flapping through the air like a bird spreading its wings. Lorraine got close enough to the wet and angry actress and snapped off a series of close-ups of her prey. Feeling victorious, she broke off her attack and tore off down the next street.

From a distance, she heard Juliana roar, “You bitch, what’s wrong with you?”

Lorraine won this round, and by the end of the week, her pictures would be on the cover of The National Globe. She loved to make celebrities appear like a fools, especially Juliana Rodgers. It was the only way Lorraine could get even for what happened between them. Chapter 2 Juliana Rodgers, the Starlet Sitting inside of her trailer, reading The Hollywood Reporter, Juliana Rodgers sighed in resignation. Her father, Charles Rodgers, the famous stage actor, made the front cover of the magazine once again. Of course he received great reviews on his performance in the new Broadway play that he starred in. That’s fucking great. I haven’t seen or heard from you in fifteen years and you’re still haunting me? She tossed the paper into the garbage next to her make-up mirror.Great, his show opens as mine closes. The Unexplained, a one hour TV drama, had been a great success, but after eight years, the show’s ratings naturally declined. It forced the network to cancel the show last week. The bad news propelled her life into total chaos, but to make matters worse, she had her thirty-fifth birthday two days ago. In Hollywood, that meant you were out to pasture, washed up, and done for. The only positive element out of all of this was that she would finally have the opportunity to pursue a career in film.Juliana felt a tear fall from her cornflower blue eye as she thought about the pain her family caused her, but brushed it away before it ruined her make-up. She was not used to crying anymore. She normally avoided dealing with painful issues by escaping into her work, but today, she could not control her emotions. Endings always bothered her. That was why she stayed detached from the people in her life—except for Tumoss, her best friend. He never let her down and was always there for her. She knew that in a few weeks her life would never be the same, and she would need him more than ever.“Okay, enough depressing thoughts for one day,” she told her reflection in the mirror. She heard the walkie-talkie chatter coming from the radio on her vanity and knew John, her assistant, must be on his way to collect her.“Ms. Rodgers, we’re ready for you,” John said through the trailer door.She smiled through her white teeth and answered, “I’ll be right there.” She checked her hair and make-up in the mirror—no black marks from her little crying jag. Everything looked fine, and she felt satisfied with her appearance.She stepped outside of the trailer and craved another cigarette, but she knew Karl would have a world-class hissy fit if he saw her light-up on the set. As she passed the lounge area, a copy of the National Globe lay abandoned on a chair. Juliana stopped and picked up the rag. Damn it, I’m on the cover again. God, I hate that woman. “We’re off to a great start today!” She threw the tabloid onto the floor and stormed onto the set. * * * Juliana could not recall the last few weeks; everyone—and that included her—worked day and night to finish the last episode of The Unexplained on schedule. Now, it was time to say goodbye. She headed for the studio to the wrap party, which was held by the producers as a “thank you” to the cast and crew for the last eight years of faithful service.She knew the writers concluded all the extraneous storylines, and left the fans satisfied with the end of the series. But Juliana could not decide if she was happy to be out of a job. It had taken a few weeks to adjust to the idea of being free. She had to admit that taking a long vacation and sleeping until nine sounded great to her. She would finally get to enjoy the money and the beach house. She was set for life, and not too many people could say that. Most Americans would never earn what she did from The Unexplained. Sometimes she felt bad about it, but Fate had been good to her. Plus, Juliana had a good agent who made great deals.She was fortunate enough to do what she loved—to act. She would continue as long as her fans still loved her and her looks held up. Plastic surgery lurked around the corner. Most actresses over forty had a hard time finding work in Hollywood. The competition for roles forced many in the business to resort to painful operations to enhance their fading beauty. Juliana hated the idea of surgery to keep her young.She was not afraid of aging. It might delay the casting director’s decisions a few more years, but to what end? What about the personal cost? She hoped to God she would never have to deal with that decision.Before entering the studio, she stopped and posed for the press. She smiled, nodded, and then made her way inside to the gathering crowd. Juliana came alone. She always did. To bring “dates” to these types of functions stopped a long time ago. Some of the crew brought their mates with them, but to her, it was still part of her work, and she did not like to mix work with pleasure. Besides, dates can be liabilities—a means for gossip—and she did not need any more negative publicity. Her name was always in the paper, thanks to her long-time nemesis, Lorraine Savage. What a waste of talent to work for The National Globe. She knew that Lorraine still hated her from years ago, and the red dye on her dress proved it.Aside from going stag, Juliana also made it a rule not to drink at parties anymore. She learned that lesson the hard way. Years earlier, she had drunk too much at a party and said some unkind words about her coworkers, and that followed her to this day. Pissing people off came easy to her. She couldn’t help it. Her true feelings bubbled to the surface, like freshly laid tar in the summer heat. Phoniness was not her style. That was why she did not have many friends, especially in show business.Once inside the party, Juliana worked the room like a true diva. The rest of the cast and crew were fanned out from one side of the studio to the other, almost like peanut butter spread too thin on two slices of white bread. Most people chatted in small groups under the protective disguise of alcohol and food. Juliana observed that the party was divided up by two types of people: drinkers and eaters. The drinkers stood at the bar, while the eaters hovered around the food table.Across the party, John, Juliana’s assistant, stood next to one of the assistant directors—her name was Barbara.“So, what’s next for you?” John asked.“I’m starting on a new show in the spring,” Barbara claimed.“What’s the name of the show?”“Global Mass,” Barbara said, feeling her face flush.“It sounds too deep and heavy for TV.”“The show focuses on how the environment affects people all over the world.”“Good luck with it.” John nodded, not sure what else to say to his coworker. The show sounded like a dud to him.Barbara became distracted as she watched Juliana go from person to person. What the hell is this? Is she running for office now? She shook and hugged everyone in her personal space. God, she’s such a phony.“Wow! She’s actually socializing with a few people. What’s gotten into her?” Barbara said, as John glanced toward the starlet.“I guess it’s safe to say I never did like her. She’s so fucking demanding.” John shifted into a vocal mimic of Juliana. “‘Oh, John, could you get me a nonfat, de-café, sugar free, vanilla latté?’ God! If I ever smell that disgusting drink again, I’ll throw up.”Barbara giggled at his sudden true confession; at least she was not the only one who did not care for Juliana Rodgers.“She thinks she’s too good for everybody,” Barbara said.Casey spotted her two acquaintances and decided to see what the fuss was all about. “Hey guys, who are you talking about?” Casey said, gazing at John and giving him a thin smile.“What makes you think we were talking about someone?”“Because you were both huddled together like football players, so dish.”Barbara inched closer to Casey so that no one else could hear their conversation. Gossip traveled quick on a TV set and even faster at a party where everyone drank too much. Barbara still needed to work in this town and she did not want anyone to catch her in the gossip huddle. Of course it was frowned upon by the producers, but ironically, they were the worst offenders.“Keep your voice down; we’re talking about Juliana,” Barbara said.“You mean the royal princess?” Casey said.“Yes,” John replied.“What is she doing now?” Casey asked.“Socializing with some of the crew; can you believe that?”Casey snorted her response. “Please, I can’t stand her. She never once said ‘hello’ to me.”Barbara shook her head in disgust at the star’s bad behavior. “I can’t believe how rude she is.”“Let’s face it, the star of any show can get away with just about anything,” Casey declared.The trio watched with intrigue as Juliana feigned another look of sorrow while she stretched out her arms to hug Gary, her co-star.“Did they have an affair?” Barbara asked, as she refocused her attention back to her coworkers.“Yeah, but I think he dumped her when she wanted more,” Casey said.“I don’t think that’s true. I think she’s a lesbo,” John said. Casey rolled her eyes at him for his sudden breach of etiquette.“That’s all men ever think about,” Casey said, with disgust, referring to the secret male fantasy of watching two women having sex with each other. The two coworkers stared at each with a certain amount comradeship and decided to walk away from John. They left him alone with his drink and his lesbian fantasy.“What did I say?” John asked. * * * As Juliana discussed the past and the future with Gary, she could feel the whole room gawking at them—but did she really care? She had heard all the rumors before: that they were once a couple, and he had dumped her for his current wife, but none of it was true. Neither one of them was ever interested in each other romantically. In fact, she suspected Gary was a homosexual and that he had an affair with another actor who worked on the show. Not really all that surprising. But being married never prevented anyone from having an affair in this town, and what made her laugh even more was that there were so many gays and lesbians in the entertainment industry, so why get married to cover it up? She could not understand what the fuss was all about with actresses today. At least Ellen, Rosie, and Lindsey came out of the proverbial closet. For crying out loud, why do Jodi Foster and Queen Latifah not come out? What was the big freaking deal? This was the 21st century, after all.Hollywood was such a small town, and most stars brought their lovers onto the set to show them off. If that actor or actress wanted to keep it a secret, he or she would just leave the lover at home.Gary glanced down at his former co-star, but he could tell that her mind was elsewhere, which royally pissed him off—but really, what did it matter? In less than an hour, he would not have to see this bitch again.“Do you have any projects lined up?” Gary said as Juliana shook her head.“I’m taking a break for awhile. I’ve turned down three projects already because the start date was too soon after the ending of this show. My body is screaming for some time off.”Gary’s interest waned. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I’m starting a film tomorrow in Quebec.”Juliana detected his politeness wear off. Let’s put an end to this bullshit now. “Good luck with the picture,” Juliana said.Gary felt dismissed, but he didn’t care. He was done with her indifferent attitude and total bitchiness. “See you around.”Gary left without waiting for her response, which was okay with her. It cleared the way for another member of the crew to come over and say goodbye; it was bad form not to.Back to the hugging and short goodbyes. Each person pretty much had the same speech, like, “Oh, it was great working together,” or “thank you so much for the opportunity to work together.” Blah, blah, blah. Juliana knew this was all a bunch of crap, but everyone did it. God forbid someone dare speak the truth to her, like, “I hate your guts” or “you’re such a bitch.” Now that she could respect. Juliana knew she was not well-liked by her peers. She was protective of her private life. Therefore, she never shared anything about her family or friends, which led many people to think she was cold as an ice cube. But people did not take the time to get to know her. Often, she felt isolated from her peers, except Karl Kinder—he was the show’s creator. She loved and respected him. Karl was a father figure to her. He treated her with love and kindness.Everyone else stayed away. It was probably her nonverbal behavior which screamed, “Stay the hell away from me!” She just could not help it. People in this town were not nice, and she learned that the hard way, too.Two hours into the party, she wanted to get the hell out of there and put it all behind her. Juliana hated goodbyes. They were always so final—at least in her life, but especially among the Hollywood crowd.Each actor created his or her farewell scene, hugging and kissing each other on the cheek or feigning a cry. Frankly, it was all absurd. People pretended to be your friend, but they were not.A true friend was hard to come by, and a monogamous lover was just unheard of in Hollywood. It was the world of the make-believe, the false, and the fakers.People in Los Angeles were physically alive; they breathed, shopped, and ate, but to her, they were all zombies from a bad horror movie. Most of this crowd only cared about having the right designer clothing or being seen in the hottest, trendiest restaurants. That was far from what she truly wanted in her life. She needed a tether to ground her, but where would she find that in Hollywood?Karl sauntered up to his protégé and hugged her. “I’m going to miss you,” Karl said as he let go of her with a smile.“Me, too.”“Anything in the works?” he asked with real interest.“No, I need a break to figure a few things out,” Juliana said.“Sweetheart, don’t wait too long. The public has a short memory.” He reached for her hand, and she grabbed it. He wanted to convey his parental love and concern for her.“I guess if the public forgets about me that easily, then I wasn’t worth remembering.”He smiled at his starlet. “Reading those spiritual books has given you some security, huh?” Karl said.“They’re certainly helping, and God knows I need all the help I can get.” * * * During the final phase of the cast party, the press came into the festivities for the last of the interviews and photographs. Juliana posed and smiled for the cameras along with her co-star and creator, Gary and Karl. Each of them signed autographs for anybody who wanted them, and after the frenzy died down, Juliana decided it was time to go—but not before she made her grand exit, like a modern-day Betty Davis.Afterwards, she would be bombarded with frenzied fans. They would be screaming her name. After all, they had been waiting for hours just to catch a glimpse of her. Just a few more minutes of this crap and I’ll be free.“Juliana, Juliana!” cried a familiar voice.Juliana responded by saying, “Yes?” She immediately frowned once she saw who it was. It was the forever-thorn-in-her-side. Didn’t my lawyers get a restraining order on her, yet?“What are your plans since your show has been canceled?” Lorraine emphasized the word canceled.Juliana grinned at her. “Take a vacation, I suppose. I do need a break after eight seasons.”Lorraine’s physical appearance matched her personality traits: long, black, stringy hair, with pale skin, plenty of wrinkles around her eyes, and she had a jagged nose for news. Once, she was an attractive woman, but revenge made her seem older. She believed Lorraine wasted her talent by working for a trashy rag instead of the LA Times.“So you’re unemployed with no other prospects in sight?” Lorraine asked as she scribbled some notes down on a pad.“Don’t worry. I won’t starve.” Some of the surrounding reporters were trying to edge their questions in, but Lorraine intentionally hammered Juliana.“Trust me, I’m not worried about you, but I am curious to see if you’ll ever work again. You really are a terrible actress.”“It always has to get nasty, huh Lorraine?” Juliana felt Lorraine crawl under her skin.“You started it, Juliana, remember?” Lorraine replied by exposing her teeth and spitting out her words as she spoke, leaving Juliana to wonder if there was going to be a full moon tonight. The actress shook her head at this woman’s expatriating behavior and signaled for a security guard to escort her nemesis off the lot. “You’ll never let me forget that, will you?”“Maybe if you acted like a real human being, I could forget it, but your behavior made me realize you’ll never change.”Guilt plagued Juliana, but it did not stop her. “See you soon, Lorraine. Now, I can answer some questions from legitimate reporters.”Juliana stared at Lorraine as she threatened her some more. Flashbulbs continued to wink at the star as they blinded her. She was sure this scene would appear on Entertainment Tonight. When will this insanity end?A security guard quickly arrived and grabbed Lorraine by the arm; she yelped her way off the lot. “Guards can’t keep me away from you forever, Juliana. I’ll be everywhere—I promise.”Trust me—I know you won’t leave me alone. * * * A little blond girl came to her rescue, running under the wooden barricade, evading capture by the scurrying security force. Juliana raised her hand to cease the huffing security guards chasing the girl, as if her hand was a stop sign. She did not want the men to take any further action. A beefy security guard sighed in frustration because he failed to do his job. The little girl with curls got past him.“Sorry, Ms. Rodgers; she was just too fast for me,” Bill said.“That’s okay; some suspects do get the upper hand sometimes, Bill. You can’t always win.” Juliana smiled as the youngster handed her a picture to be signed.He stormed away with his head low. He felt defeated by an eight-year-old girl with blond curls.Dozens of flashbulbs went off as the reporters fired off questions like a machine gun, but she waved them off to talk to the kid. The actress had a soft spot for children, maybe because she was almost a mother, once upon a time.“Where’s your mommy?” Juliana squatted down to the child’s height and cupped her beautiful freckled face. Oh God, she’s adorable.“There!” The youngster pointed at her mother. The redheaded actress gently took the young lady by the hand and escorted her to the entrance of the barricade. The security guard moved the wooden horse as the mother entered the fortress.“Thank you. I’m sorry she slipped out of my grasp and took off before I could catch her. She was determined to meet you,” the mother said, a little out of breath.“She’s beautiful.” Juliana smiled at the small child.“You know she’s the best thing that ever happened to me. Do you have children of your own?” the mother asked.“No, but maybe someday I will.” She brushed the golden hair out the youngster’s face.“Don’t wait too long,” the mother said.“I have to meet the right guy first.” She internally mused, as if that would ever happen. Juliana knelt down again to shake the child’s hand. The minor reached over and embraced the actress. She squeezed the star with all of her might.Juliana hated the idea that the photographers were taking pictures of this tender scene, but that was show business. Finally, the little girl let go of her and waved goodbye. Juliana pivoted around to face the crowd and waved to them.The actress observed two trendy teenage girls standing next to the barricade line and waving their arms back and forth through the air, screaming for her attention. Next to them were several guys who had Sharpie pens raised above their heads like a sole beacon in a port. Each of the boys dreamed of the opportunity to meet and sweep the actress off of her feet with their magical flirting techniques. Still hundreds of other admirers were squashed together behind the iron gate to the studio. They waited for a chance to see their favorite star. Even after all these years, it still amazed Juliana to see all of her fans there in the crowd. Sometimes, she wondered what an admirer would do with her picture once he or she got it autographed: sell it on eBay, no doubt.“Juliana, don’t leave so soon,” a fan cried out as she walked toward the limo that waited for her at the end of the street.“Aren’t you going to say goodbye to us?” another fan said in protest.Juliana gathered her thoughts. “Thank you so much for all of the dedication you have shown me and to the show. Without your support, none of this would’ve been possible.”The audience collectively felt honored by the actress’s gracious words. Several well-wishers screamed, “We love you, Juliana!”“Thank you and the feelings are mutual,” Juliana said.“Are we going to see you again soon?” one teenage girl asked.“Yes, you will. Goodbye, everyone; be sure to look for me on the big screen. Thank you.”The mob waved goodbye to the star as she strolled with a flare of elegance in her stride. She reached the parked limousine and flashed her celebrity smile. But as soon as she entered the privacy of the limo, her sorrow came pouring out like a melting glacier. The final curtain call had drawn, and the driver started the engine and pulled away.“Ms. Rodgers, where would you like to go?” the driver asked through the rearview mirror. Juliana reached for her purse, trying to suppress her rising swell of emotions, and removed her pacifier—a cigarette. Her hands shook from fear, but she had no idea why.“Take me home, please.”

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