Jessica Loves Danielle

By J.R. Airul

Danielle is a shy, sheltered, teenage girl from a conservative, middle American family. She’s fresh from high school, with dreams of maybe becoming an actor or model, rather than stocking shelves, working in a factory, or becoming a nursing assistant as her mom and dad dictate.

Jessica is a highly successful woman of the world who’s heading for the big four-oh. She’s college educated, owns homes, businesses, and buildings, traveling around the world doing work in the motion picture industry. She knows exactly who she is, and that includes being a girl who likes girls, not guys. At one point she had a girl in every port, but these days they’ve all run off to find their own place in the world or live with that “special someone” who Jessica has never desired or discovered.

Danielle was raised on fairy tales, with Prince Charming and the big, white wedding where she’s made a princess and lives happily ever after. That is until a few bad experiences with guys in high school show her the true nature of boys and that Prince Charming could easily turn out to be an ogre. Now she doesn’t know which end is up, but she still has her dreams of maybe acting or modeling, since being someone’s princess looks like something that is never going to happen.

When an opportunity to travel to Los Angeles to visit her Aunt and Uncle presents itself, Danielle jumps at it, as her Aunt works for all the studios in Hollywood. Since Danielle did well in drama in high school, she decides to see if she can turn some of her dreams into reality with this trip.

One fine summer day finds Danielle and Jessica standing on the same studio set. Jessica takes one look at Danielle and is instantly smitten, that is until she finds out how young this girl really is, and that she’s related to a woman she works with on a regular basis. Jessica does, however, offer to help Danielle get started.

Danielle decides to seek out Jessica’s assistance. Together they take on the world, making Danielle’s career actually take off. At the same time, Jessica’s feelings for this beautiful, sexy, young girl grows and grows, as they go forth in the world platonically working together, until things come crashing to a meeting of the minds...

Can Jessica win Danielle over without scaring her away, and is that the right thing to do? Will their differences break them apart or pull them together? Will each of them make their dreams and desires a reality, allowing them to live happily ever after?

• Language: English
• Publisher: erdprod Books
• Release date: Jul 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463527689

Book preview

JESSICA LOVES DANIELLE

By J. R. AIRUL

An older girl-younger girl romantic love story.

Copyright © 2018 by J. R. Airul. All Rights Reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and incidents are totally fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is unintentional and purely coincidental.

Some trade names and locations are used for authenticity. No endorsement is expressed or implied.

Made in the U.S.A.

EPUB Edition.

112119

Contents

ONCE UPON A TIME...

GOING FOR SECONDS

THE DATE THAT WASN'T A DATE

DANI'S FIRST MODELING JOB

AROUND THE TOWN TOGETHER

ALL THAT GLITTERS

ROOMIES

THE AWARDS SHOW

PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT

HOLIDAY TIME

THE THREE RING CIRCUS

WHAT COMES NEXT

TOGETHERNESS

WORKING GALS

WOMEN OF THE WORLD

ALL IN THE FAMILY

THE NEW YEAR BEGINS

FREE AT LAST

ANNIVERSARY TIME

TOO MUCH TIME ON OUR HANDS

DOING A DOUBLE

IN OUR LOVE NEST

MOVIE STAR DANI

THE MARRIAGE-GO-ROUND

ARM WRESTLING

OUR TRAVELS THROUGH TIME

LIVING THE DREAM

ONCE UPON A TIME...

There was a girl who roamed the world like a drunken sailor with a girl in every port.

My name is Jessica, and in my younger years, I was that girl.

These days the ports are still there, but the girls are long gone. Moved on to success in their own worlds or they paired up with that special someone.

I never had a particular girl in my life. No special girl, no soulmate, and no desire to have that special someone. I was like a hummingbird, fluttering from flower to flower sipping on the nectar.

Now I’m getting on in years. I’m no longer a girl, but a woman. A successful woman who is approaching the big four-oh, taking life as it comes and doing things one day at a time.

So, as the song goes, for me, it’s just Another Day.

I woke up, went out to Denny’s for breakfast, took Ventura Boulevard to the 405 Freeway, went over the hill, got off at Beverly, and went into my office to make sure it was still there.

Morning Jessica, the girl at the front desk said to me.

I had a quick conversation with her, then with my Operations Manager, Bree, and now I’m off to the studio lot to get a look at what my decorator was doing with the set the carpenters finished building just last week from a design I completed more than a month ago.

There were three set decorators I liked working with and would suggest them to the production manager who hired the labor force. One of those decorators was Margie, who was in her forties, married with two kids. She was my favorite contemporary and historical set decorator, as she really made the place look lived-in, no matter what it was: a western saloon or hotel, a house on the prairie, a house in the Hamptons, or a castle in the Dark Ages.

On this particular day, Margie was working with what I thought was one of her set dressers. I lifted up my director’s finder and zoomed in on the two of them for a better look. Well, mostly to look at the young, slim girl, standing next to Marge. This gorgeous girl, who looked to be in her twenties, was taller than Marge, with long brown hair falling over her shoulders and going down to the small of her back. To say I was smitten beyond belief would be an understatement.

I walked over to say hello and that’s when I got my introduction to Danielle, who turned out to be Marge’s niece from back East.

I brought her along to get onto the lot. She was interested in seeing what a studio looked like and maybe trying out for a role or getting a part as atmosphere, Marge told me as Danielle closed her eyes, turned, looked at the floor and blushed bright red. Marge nudged the girl, who looked back up at me. Jessica works with all the studios and directors, she knows what's happening before I do. So, if anyone could tell you what films are casting actors, it would be her.

There was a long moment of silence before Marge grabbed Danielle’s wrist and shook it. Well, say something.

The next thing I took note of was Danielle’s dimples as she looked up, smiled and tried to speak. As her smile grew I could also see that she had a chipped front tooth. That was a negative. Oh, not for me, as she was a total doll, but for any chances she had of landing a role. That tooth would turn off those who did the casting.

(Don’t get me wrong, ‘the powers that be’ would love to bed her, with or without the tooth. But with that tooth, they’d only string her along.)

If you want to get cast in anything, you’re going to need a good picture in several sizes, I volunteered, as every actor I knew had headshots and my big-time agent’s office had them all over the place.

She then opened her clutch purse and pulled out one of those color school pictures.

That will work for some casting and extra services, but you need a real headshot, I told her. I can hook you up with a photographer.

She’s on a limited budget, Marge cautioned.

I can work something out if she wants. One of the photographers I know works out of my Glendale building. He does still work for the studios, shoots pictures of the productions for me... You know him, Marge. Andy!

Marge nodded. The guy who shot pictures of the western town, right?

I nodded. He took all the stills of my sets, your decorating, the actors, the town we built, I turned to Danielle and spoke: I’ll bet you didn’t know your aunt and I built towns together.

Well, we don’t build them, the carpenters do that! Margie said with a laugh.

I know, but I design them, they hammer them together, then you come in with a team and we make them look real instead of like plywood standees with the union trademark stenciled all over the backsides of everything!

I reached into my bag, pulled out my business card caddy, grabbed one of my personal cards, jotted down my cell phone number, then handed it over to the brunette beauty who was a little shorter than my five eleven height, and like me, was dressed simply in black leggings with a T-shirt. Here, that’s my cell number written down. If you want to see about getting a real picture, give me a call, hmm? With a raise of my brow, I smiled at Danielle, said my goodbyes to her and Marge, checked out the rest of the set, then headed back out.

I really didn’t want to leave, I wanted to stay around that young girl who was making the hair on the back of my head stand-up straight. I wanted to talk with her some more, maybe hear her talk, get to know her, all for the selfish reason of discovering what was behind the strange effect she had on me! I didn’t, however, want to seem too eager or offend Marge, as the girl was part of her family. So, hanging around them like a vulture circling above looking for supper was not the way I wanted to appear, as I figured Marge knew I favored girls, not guys. Her niece’s gorgeous figure, beautiful face, and huge breasts would seem enticing to most predators, male or female.

I reflected on this girl who came looking to break into showbiz. This girl that I couldn’t get out of my head. The girl who, except for that tooth, was a total knockout without even trying, as she wore no makeup, nor had she done anything spectacular with her hair. I had to admit she left a big impression on me, as I was aware my points were poking out the front of my tee.

She, however, seemed quite shy and that’s not really a good trait if you wanted to break into acting or modeling, although her face was ideal for the camera. With that bustline of hers, she’d be a great lingerie model. Girlie magazine photo editors would also eat her up, literally and figuratively. I knew that for a fact because I was drooling over her looks!

I did my best to put her out of my mind, as she was very young, related to someone I worked with, and she was probably nothing like me at all!

I drove from there into Culver City to take a meeting with a director on what I hoped would be my next job. I had a few sketches to show about my take on the key sets that I did for free. I wouldn’t leave them with him, but I’d show them from my portfolio bag that I carried with me.

Then it was a quick stop back to my Beverly Hills office to get my messages and see what was up. From there to dinner at a nice place on Topanga Boulevard, and then home to my nice little cozy ranch house nestled up in the hills with all the deer, and coyotes. At least that’s what people said was up there among the rocks and brush. To me it was privacy.

I toked up, went off to bed and woke up late in the morning, checking my voicemail, no calls. I gave a call to Bree at my Beverly Hills office and nothing much was happening. I got up, cooked some breakfast and reclined on my big pillow watching midmorning TV shows when my cell phone rang. The text display said it was MARGIE. I pressed the answer button.

Marge, what’s up?

Uh, no, this is Dani, a girl’s voice that I didn’t recognize said, giving me an unfamiliar name, as the only Danny I knew worked at Jim’s place out in Glendale, and that Danny didn’t sound like a girl when he talked. We met yesterday, with my aunt Marge.

Oh, Danielle! I said, as my heart began to flutter. I sat up to give her my full attention.

Dani, everyone calls me Dani. I only get called Danielle when mom or dad is mad at me about something, she said. Anyway, my aunt said that on some days she could drive me to auditions and stuff. She also agreed I needed to get a picture and you said that you knew a photographer.

Sure, we can do it anytime Andrew is available.

Well, I’m not doing anything this week and it’s very boring staying around here with no one home all day.

Let me call him and see what he’s up to. If he’s got an opening today, I can come over and pick you up.

Dani said that was okay, then gave me the address and directions.

While I knew Marge for years and years, I never had her address and I only called her at home if there was a problem on the set. We were co-workers but never socialized as we traveled in different circles.

Andy, my photography guy, lived and worked at my Glendale facility. He wasn’t doing anything today, which is one of the reasons he ended up living there, as taking pictures was not an easy way to make a living.

I could have taken pictures of her, myself, as I had several cameras, tripods, and flash units. But Andy did this for a living and I just took expensive snapshots. Andy had backdrops, many lights, and flash units. He also used large format cameras, not semi-pro stuff like I had. Plus, I thought it might be weird for Marge and Dani if I took the pictures.

I drove over to Studio City, where Marge lived nestled in one of those inner streets you go to from either Laurel Canyon or Ventura Boulevard. Dani came out the moment I pulled up to the curb and walked up to the passenger window.

I wasn’t sure what I needed, she said.

A few changes of clothes, hairbrush, comb, and whatever makeup you have, I told her.

All right. Come in if you want, she said.

I closed the windows, turned off the engine, then followed her inside. It was a cozy little house that was very well decorated and adorned with some pictures of Marge’s sets and a couple of shots of her title card credits. Set decorators were always listed in the long credit title with costumers, prop master, key grip, best boy and such. One of her screen captures, in fact, had me listed on top as art director and Margie listed in the middle as one of two set decorators.

These days I got one or two single card credits and sometimes my production company got listed on some of those long credit rolls at the end of a feature film. I was now credited as production designer on all my features and television shows. I was in the elite group of art directors. On occasion, I also managed to wrangle an associate producer credit. My agent would inflate my asking price, then we’d drop my rate down to what I normally got plus that extra credit line, usually at the end of the movie.

I turned my attention from Marge’s work wall to Dani, who was now pulling out what clothes she brought with her. She was bunking on the sofa, as this place had three bedrooms, but Marge had two boys in their teens who were now out with friends. That meant there was no spare bedroom for Dani.

I helped her select a few outfits and we took them out to my car. From there we went to my Glendale office where I’d given Andy a large room on the second floor to use as his studio. He also lived there, like several of us did now and then. (I didn’t sleep there much anymore unless I was working on a deadline and it got late, so I still had my office upstairs along with my old bed.)

Andy was a struggling photographer when I met him on the set. He didn’t work regularly, but he was in the union. He had been living in a house with several other guys, but one of them got married, another moved away, so Andy was on the verge of being homeless as he didn’t earn enough in studio work to afford his own apartment and selling or pawning his equipment was not a viable option.

I liked his work, so I offered him a live-in office at the Glendale place in exchange for free session work. Andy would take pictures of my drawings, finished sets and the costumes we designed as part of our portfolio to show producers. All I had to do was pay for the film, processing, and prints.

These days Andy was shooting models, actors, strippers, pole dancers, and doing commercial advertising work. Most of his pictures were black and white headshots or color photos of blonde pole dancers who were naked or nearly naked. That was his moneymaking end, along with the free space I provided. I also got him occasional union work on my film projects. Today I asked him to take pictures of Danielle as a favor to me and Marge.

We brought all her stuff up and Andy brought in one of the girls working on this floor to help with the makeup. They sat Dani on a chair and worked on her. All of us loved her long, straight, silky hair and agreed we didn’t need to do anything with that mane of hers.

Any of Dani’s clothes that weren’t picture perfect got steamed or pressed by the costumer I employed, as not only did we do costume designing for some projects, but we also had a costumer and sewing department. Not your illegal alien sweatshops, these were motion picture union girls making fifteen to twenty-two dollars an hour. We had a commercial double stitch sewing machine, a steam press, and a steamer to remove wrinkles.

We picked out the best outfits to use, then Andy went to work lighting her in front of a white backdrop. He shot Dani standing upright, then sitting on a stool, before switching to a chair with her arm over the back. After a costume change, he had her get on her knees, then sit on her backside with her legs outstretched. He shot a roll of black and white with his Nikon, a roll of 220 with his Hasselblad and a roll of color with his Mamiya. Finally, he shot her with his large format Calumet view camera.

She’s gorgeous! Andy told me, all excited. But she needs to do something about that tooth.

Just don’t have her smile so wide for the here and now, was my reply to him, knowing that Dani didn’t have a grand to spend on a cap.

That’ll work for now, but it’s a real turnoff when she speaks or smiles, which is a shame because she’s just delightful, so soft-spoken and easy to work with. She doesn’t say much, but she’s facially expressive. She’s a natural. If that tooth shows up I can Photoshop it as long as you can work with a digital file.

I gave him a nod of approval.

By one that afternoon, we came out to the parking lot of my Glendale place with her clothes. We walked to the car and as before I opened the door for her, so she could drape her clothes on the back seat, then climb into the passenger seat up front.

Hungry? I inquired, as I was starving.

She nodded, and I took her to this nice restaurant that just opened near the Galleria.

Can we sit outside? she whispered to me as we entered the place.

Two, out on the terrace, please, I told the hostess who looked down at her chart, made a note, grabbed two menus and led us outside where we sat under the shade of an awning held up by aluminum poles that had ivy growing up to the top.

Dani opened the menu and made a sound with her mouth. Are these the ages of the people working here? she uttered in total amazement.

I gave a laugh, as the menu was hilarious. The items were printed with details, but all the prices were handwritten on little white stick-on rectangles. Roast turkey plate 22. Rib eye steak 35. Rack of baby back ribs 27. Halibut steak 40.

I’m kinda on a budget, she said, making another face.

Don’t worry about it. Get what you want. Neither of us has eaten since breakfast, right?

She nodded.

And I could have taken us to McDonald’s over at the Galleria, but instead I chose this place.

When the waiter came over, pad open, pen in hand, I spoke first: I’ll have the filet mignon wrapped in bacon with the baked potato, broccoli and cauliflower medley in cheese sauce. Lots of sour cream for the potato, no chives.

And to drink?

Coffee. Do you have real half and half?

He nodded. And for you?

What she’s having sounds nice, but is fifty the price?

Don’t worry about it! I said a second time. She’ll have the filet, as well. Baked potato? I prompted.

She nodded. But with butter, please.

And to drink?

Iced tea, Dani said, closing the menu and handing it to him. Do you come here a lot? she asked of me after the waiter vanished back inside the main dining room.

First time here, actually. It’s new. I liked the outside tables. I try to check different places to eat as I travel about. So, I said, changing the direction of our conversation, what brings you to California?

Well, she started, I got all this money from my grandparents, uncles, aunts and the like. Then, I won a contest at school that gave a round trip to see a college in any city they serviced, so aunt Marge lived here, and she said I could come to visit and stay with her if I didn’t mind roughing it as all they had for me was the living room sofa. She told me there were lots of colleges to look at here. The airline serviced the local airport and she came, picked me up and took me to her place.

When are you supposed to leave?

I have one year to use the return ticket. I guess I’ll stay until I run out of money unless I can get some work acting or modeling, as I took drama in school.

How are your finances?

I have most of the hundred I collected for my graduation.

I smiled and said nothing. Our lunch would have used up her entire wad, as her concept of all this money was either a week of meals at McDonald’s, a day at Disneyland, or one night’s stay in a motel.

What made you want to break into showbiz and be an actor? I asked, skirting past the dismal financial aspect of her California adventure.

I don’t really want to stock shelves in a store or work in an office. I certainly don’t want to do factory work like my dad does. I took drama in school and got an A, so I figured since my aunt works in the studios I might be able to work there.

What drove you to get into drama at school?

I needed to take an art course, but I can’t carry a tune, draw, paint, or think of anything to write. I’m not good at making things out of plastics or metals, but I am good at remembering things and that’s what drama was about. Memorizing a script and remembering to say your lines. She shrugged and raised her brow.

I gave an understanding nod. What plays were you in at school?

"Our Town and The Taming of the Shrew. That’s about it. I only had a few lines. I was an incidental character. That’s what I’d like to do in movies, maybe. Like be a waitress and ask what you want. Or like the woman who greeted us when we came in and brought us to our table. Are jobs like that available?"

I nodded. That’s the kind of role you start out with as an actor. Bit player. But usually, you must be in the union for that kind of role. What Marge or I could steer you into would be filling these tables on shoots. Background. The waiter would have the speaking role, and you’d be one of the silent people having lunch in the background. That’s what we call them: background or atmosphere. Extras.

Is that job easy to get?

If you have transportation, a picture and hang around long enough for a slot to open, yes. They need extras all the time and a lot of it is nonunion.

How much would I make doing that?

Sixty to a hundred a day.

Really! Dani perked up. So, it might be possible for me to make enough to live here.

Well, if you get into a house with a bunch of other actors where you each pay a few hundred a month, yes. But apartments here in the Valley are going for eight hundred and up. This whole area is very expensive.

Oh, she said, with a sigh, as I obviously burst her bubble of joy.

(I’d have to watch my mouth, as I tend to speak my mind and that wasn’t conducive to my desires to keep this little angelfish on my hook.)

The waiter came and brought us our drinks. Minutes later our very tender, very tasty bacon wrapped steaks arrived.

I got her back to Marge’s by four thirty, then helped carry in her clothes and bag.

I’ll call you when I hear from Andy about the pictures and then Marge or I can drive you down to Duplicate Photo to get a bunch made. All right?

She quickly nodded. Thank you for everything. The pictures, helping me, lunch.

You’re welcome. I remember what it was like coming to a new place and getting started. People helped me back then, so now I help those around me. I do it for Andy – the photographer. I help your aunt out by recommending her to production managers. So, let’s see if we can start you off in life.

I wasn’t lying or pretending. My mom lent me her car to go to and from college. My best friend from childhood helped me find schools for advanced studies, put me up, fed me, gave me a car to drive, and started my career in motion picture graphic arts. I was now helping those around me, although they had to be in my world, like my girl artists, Bree, who managed my operation, and Andy, the photographer.

I turned and headed out to my car, sitting there taking deep breaths before starting the engine, as I found myself totally enamored by this young girl. And young, she definitely was! Fresh out of high school. I have vague memories of those days, but as I recall my friends and I had solid ideas of what we were doing. I was going to study art. Sandy was going to film school. Beth from across the street was taking mass communications. Debbie was taking business classes. Joey from around the block went off on a football scholarship. Danielle had only a vague idea of being a model or actress. That was something every girl wants to do, but in reality, those are among the hardest professions to enter!

GOING FOR SECONDS

I may have found your girl a job, Andy said, leaving me a message and telling me to come see the proofs.

I called up Dani and we drove over to the Glendale offices. Andy had made a nice sixteen by twenty of Dani in black and white as well as one in eight by ten. He also had an eleven by fourteen of her in color.

Wow! I said, looking at the prints, as I realized the camera loved this girl’s face. I mean, I’m a photographer too. I’ve done face shots for girls I knew. I shot castles and old buildings on which to base my drawings. But Andy was a photographer, just like I was an artist. He knew how to light, pose, and communicate with the model, as well as when to take the shot. I just took snapshots with three thousand dollars’ worth of Canon cameras and lenses. (Some of Andy’s lenses were three thousand dollars or more – just for one lens!)

Yeah, Andy said. I brought my pictures over to this guy who’s starting a new cosmetics line and he’s looking to make packaging, ads and a catalog. He saw her picture and went nuts. I told him she was exclusive with me...us...the company.

Good going, Andy. She is. Aren’t you? I turned to Dani and she just blinked, blushed, and nodded.

Understand he’s got a limited budget, Andy warned.

That’s fine. She needs a portfolio. A real portfolio if we’re going to do anything with her, I told him, realizing I might now be expanding my operation further by offering Danielle’s services as a model. I mean, we had a studio, a photographer, I had a good agent and he could possibly get her work. She was well over five feet seven, slim, with thin legs and arms. She was built much like I was, except with longer hair, a prettier face, and bigger chest. If we could get her work, then this would help keep her around me, plus it would make more money for all of us! Win-win!

≈

You up for all this? I inquired in the car with Dani as we headed out for another lunch after picking up her photos from Andy.

I suppose, she said softly in her very shy manner. Is this something I would get paid for?

Yes. But I’m not sure how much.

Anything would help. I’d really like to stay here, and I worry that I’m putting my aunt and uncle out, with my sleeping on the couch and eating breakfast and dinner with them. I only eat lunch when I go out with Auntie Marge or you. And, I’d really like to go places and see things.

Well, I’m available to take you around a bit, if you want. Not every day, mind you. I must do work, now and then, I told her, as I baited my hook to try and keep her on the line for more of the day. You ready to see some of those places right now?

It was barely noontime. There were no clouds in the sky on this beautiful July day, and the sunshine would last till eight or so.

Sure, I guess. I don’t want to put you out, she said.

"I’m not doing anything special. No one has called me with a problem on the job I’m doing where Marge is working. I have a potential job coming up, but they haven’t finished the final draft of the script yet, nor have they finished negotiations with my agent. So, I’d be home watching General Hospital or Days of Our Lives instead of out here with you and Andy." I added Andy’s name intentionally to