Someone I Used to Know - By Blakney Francis Page 0,104
hours to waste. Especially not when I had no idea what Madeline wanted to do with me once I arrived.
His foot didn’t even pretend to let off the gas pedal. “We’re going to Greensboro, and we’re already halfway there.”
He didn’t offer any more information, and I wasn’t stupid enough to think I could persuade him into sharing. True to his assertion, we arrived in Greensboro in less than half an hour. I took a second to take in our destination.
The hotel was beautiful, a square building with huge symmetrical windows adorning almost every inch of the exterior. It was, without a doubt, the finest the city had to offer.
I followed Alfred as we left the car to the valet and headed inside. Bypassing the elevators in the lobby, we entered a dimly lit restaurant. He dismissed the hostess, telling her we’d find a seat at the bar.
“What are we doing here?” I lowered my voice to match the relaxed mood. The dinner rush had passed, leaving the florid dining room sparse of patrons. “Where are the others?”
He ordered two waters, gesturing for me to take the tall bar seat next to him. He showed no burning need to answer my questions, and I was just starting to really regret any decision that had led me back into the presence of these people and their highhanded ways, when voices from a discreet table behind us caught my attention.
“What advice has he given you to prepare for your move Down Under?” a strong female voice asked. Her tone and volume didn’t fit in as typical in North Carolina.
“Declan’s been on a mission to help me learn all their slang since we started The Girl in the Yellow Dress, but now that I’m actually moving to Australia, I’ve taken my research to whole new levels.” I recognized Madeline’s voice instantly. It was hard to forget something that periodically haunted my nightmares. “I’m not putting too much stock in any of his advice. He likes to play pranks, and knowing him, he’ll have me showing up on set the first day in some ridiculous get-up.”
Alfred leaned in close to me, careful not to draw attention to us, and said, “Her interview is running late, but she’ll wrap it up soon.”
I nodded, missing the reply that went along with the reporters twinkling laugh. I easily latched back onto their conversation.
“The Girl in the Yellow Dress is becoming one of the most buzzed about movies of the year. In particular, the chemistry between you and your costar has been highly speculated over. Is there any truth to the rumor that Declan threatened to turn down Gone with the Wind if you weren’t cast as Scarlet?”
Only someone who knew Madeline would be able to note the strain in her chuckle. “As romantic as that sounds, I’m afraid I had to get the job the old fashioned way…by auditioning. Mr. Hoffman did site my close friendship with Declan, and the pleasing results of our previous work, as a factor for letting me read for the part. After that though, it was all on me. I had to prove to him that I could truly embody Scarlet and her plight.”
There was a pause, allowing a few noisy scratches in a notepad. “While filming The Girl in the Yellow Dress, it was widely publicized that you were working with the real person who inspired your character. Adley Adair has disappeared since the story’s leak, but her brief stint in the spotlight has piqued the public’s interest. What were your impressions of the mysterious Ms. Adair?”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss anything that may or may not have happened on the sets of any of my projects,” she deflected like a professional, and I let out a huge sigh of relief. “…But I will say that it was truly an honor to work with everyone associated with The Girl in the Yellow Dress. Playing that character has been the most difficult and enlightening experience of my career. You always hear veteran actors talking about how the characters they’ve played stick with them, becoming a part of them, but I’d never felt that until this film.”
The interview wrapped up after that, and Alfred discreetly told me to wait five minutes before following them up to the room. He looked a little apologetic as he gave me the room number and quickly followed Madeline out. I understood the purpose though. Cameras were everywhere, and I had no desire to have my face on