Tuesday for Tuesday, 7.1

In the conclusion of Chapter 6, Tuesday is shocked to see her island fling, Zack Meadows, at her agent's office. Read on for what happens immediately after...

Tenacious Tuesday

Tuesday's  Tornado: Chapter 7, Part 1

by Lindsey Michelle

     Tuesday couldn’t believe that she was staring at Zack. Had it really been only a week since she’d seen him? It felt as though years had passed. Here he was, dressed for a meeting, looking different than she’d ever seen him. She wondered if she looked different to him, too.

     Her question was answered as he said, “I don’t know if I’d recognize you.”

     Her agent looked up from the desk. “Old friends, the two of you?”

     “Yes,” Tuesday lied. “We go way back.”

     The phone rang, interrupting their conversation.

     “I’m going to take this in my colleague’s office. You two talk until I get back,” her agent said.

     As soon as he left the room, Tuesday plopped into the other chair. “What are you doing here? Who are you?”

     Zack laughed lightly.

     “Don’t sit there and laugh.”

      He stopped and grew serious. “No, it’s just… what question do you want answered first?”

     “The ‘who are you’ part. Why is my agent calling you Zack Meadows?”

      Zack put his hands up as if pleading innocent. “He’s not – I told him to give you that name, it’s the only one you’d recognize. I’m not trying to fool him.”

     “You’re only trying to fool me.”

     “Not fool,” he said softly.

     Tuesday took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. She steadied her gaze, forcing herself to look into his eyes. “Then why…”

     “Every time a woman hears my name – especially if they’re an actress – it’s not about me anymore. It’s about what I can do for them.” He paused. “Even the non-actresses suddenly acquire a deep desire to pursue acting. Or they’re shoving scripts at me.”

     Tuesday thought about his reasoning. Though reluctant to admit, she could relate. It was why she’d given Kenneth a false name when they’d first met. However, she would’ve never let it go on for so long, would she?

     She wanted to ask him whether there was a point where he trusted her a little – why had he not revealed the truth. But she didn’t ask these questions. It was as though she already knew the thin answers. She, too, had been playing a role during their vacation. Though she’d given her real name, she’d played the no-strings-attached Tuesday, spontaneous and worry-free.

     “You knew who I was the entire time,” Tuesday verified.

     Zack seemed to want to clarify. “Vaguely. The commercials and billboards confirmed it when I arrived home.”

     Already Tuesday felt better. He wasn’t here to blackmail her or expose their fling. Still, what was he here for?

     “So there’s still something I’m missing…” she trailed off.

     “Time for the big reveal, right?” He stuck out her hand, as if to shake hers. “I’m Tony Fields.”

     The producer? Tuesday wanted to exclaim, but refrained herself. She frequently read his name in the trades. He was gaining a reputation for putting together small films with staying power.

     Then, Tuesday almost laughed: Meadows… Fields… of course. If only she’d thought about it.

     “Clever,” she said. “Nice to meet you. Again.”

     Her agent reentered the room, remarking, “So, did Tony fill you in on why we’re here?”

     “We were just getting to that,” Tuesday said, glancing at Tony.

     “I thought you might be interested in a period piece…” Tony said.

      “You want to put me in a movie?”

     Tony smiled. “I think you give a great performance.”

     Tuesday couldn’t look at him. She tried not to blush. “Let’s discuss.”

     That night, after the meeting at her agent’s office, after the store opening gala, Tuesday lay in her hotel bed, thinking of the day’s events. She’d told Peter she would call him, but she felt emotionally exhausted. She hoped it wouldn’t put a damper on their friendship if she skipped a late-night chat.

     Turning off the lamp, she closed her eyes, ready to drift into sleep. It was only a minute before the telephone rang. She figured it was Peter; she’d let the hotel tell him she didn’t pick up. Then again, why was he calling the hotel phone? She opened her eyes and picked up the receiver.

     “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

     “Zack?” Tuesday sat up a bit, shaking her head. “I mean, Tony.”

     “I’m heading out for a few weeks to look at some locations in Europe,” he said. “I was wondering if we could have lunch tomorrow before I leave.”

     “Sure,” she agreed, without hesitation. “But it would have to be sort of early – eleven?”

     “Okay,” he agreed, and they chose a restaurant.

     Tuesday was about to wrap up the call when he added, “Or I could come by right now and we could revisit our Jacuzzi time.”

     She was glad they were on the telephone, so he couldn’t see her cheeks flush.

     “And put on a show for the hotel? You’ll have to buy yourself a private Jacuzzi before that happens,” she said.

     Tuesday hung up quickly, just in case he did, indeed, have a Jacuzzi of his own.

To Be Continued...