Frankenstein In Love Read online

  Chapter 23

  THE next morning, one whole section of the newspaper was dedicated to pictures of Kirk throwing chairs, turning over tables, and breaking furniture. These pictures, along with lengthy columns, were plastered all across newspapers from Maine to California. Magazines everywhere had Tiffany’s picture on the front along with a picture of a book with burning pages to indicate how hot her latest novel was. Up in one corner a small, unassuming picture of the outside of the café, sitting all alone and small against the ocean, was pinpointed as the place where it all happened. The name on the front of the cafe appeared prominently in the picture.

  Newspaper columns—

  It seems the little coastal town of Mystic Island, New Jersey, can’t get a break. A few weeks back, Hurricane Carla hit the sleepy little village causing massive destruction far and wide. Now it seems this little dot on the map has been hit again…

  Radio announcers—

  At precisely 7:38 a.m. on Thursday morning, Tiffany Lovelace and the hero of her new novel were seen in Mystic Island, New Jersey, at the High Coast Café having anything but a quiet meal. It seems the husky Mystery Man lost his temper and…

  TV News Anchors—

  Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that erotica writer, Tiffany Lovelace, has a tornado by the tail, and his name is Kirk Kessler…

  In view of the publicity, Luster Publishing wasted no time in getting Tiffany’s book published, and as soon as it was on the shelves, the whole world began grabbing and clawing for it. When it began receiving reviews, words like Bestseller, Hottest Novel of the Century, was on everyone’s lips.

  George Schaeffer walked in Serena Rush’s office with two cups of steaming hot coffee, and saw her on the phone excitedly scribbling something down on a pad. In spite of wanting to jump up and down with glee, Serena was struggling to maintain some kind of professional demeanor. When she finally hung up, she gloated at George, and yelled as loud as she could, “Yeeeee-haaaaa!”

  “Serena, my God, what’s wrong? Are you all right?”

  Serena grabbed the pad she had been writing on, waved it in his face, and said. “There’s nothing wrong with me that five million dollars won’t fix.”

  A smile lit up George’s face as he put her coffee in front of her, and sat down in the chair facing her desk. “What gives? Did a rich uncle die or something?”

  Serena spoke softly and reached for her coffee while continuing to stare at George. “Better than that, kiddo. Do you realize I’ve been on the phone all morning talking with every movie studio on the coast? I’ve had everyone but the devil himself calling and wanting to buy the movie rights to Tiffany Lovelace’s new book.” She gazed at him triumphantly. “It’s going to the screen, Schaeffer, it’s going to be a friggin’ movie!”

  “Hey, that’s great.”

  “But that’s only the tip of the iceberg, dear boy.”

  George leaned toward her. “Come on, spill it, Rush.”

  “No, no. Not now,” she said, leaning back and putting her feet up as she drank her coffee. “But rest assured that I have a plan that’ll blow this thing sky-high, and all I need is the author’s permission. First, whoever we sell it to will have to take advantage of the interest of the public and get this movie done lickety-split. And, George, if it’s as big as I think it will be…” She hesitated, gazing at her colleague with a gleam in her eyes. “George, do you realize that if this mystery man of hers has any looks at all he’ll be idolized? Women all over the world will fall at his feet.”

  “Oh, come on, Serena. Consider who they have to compare him with. What about Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt?”

  “What about them? My God, George, when this man…” She caught herself at the last moment. “Oh, no. I’m not giving away any secrets now. But when this thing goes down, who in hell will care anything about either of them? Who will even remember their names? Watch real close, Georgie boy, while Depp and Pitt fade into the background.”

  George was silent, apparently unmoved.

  Serena frowned at him. “Do you have any idea what I’m saying? By the time this is over this mystery man will be so big he could start his own friggin’ religion.”

  George snickered.

  “Monarch Studio says if it goes as well as they think, it’ll be the biggest thing since Gone With the Wind.”

  “And you’re giving it away for a paltry five mil? Good grief, Serena, they’ll make over a hundred mil the first week. Hell, you’re giving it away.”

  Serena shrugged. “We’ll negotiate. Five’s just the bottom line offer they gave me. They start low, I start high. You know how it works. We meet somewhere in the middle.” Her gaze narrowed. “But you can be sure this little gal is gonna get as much as she can for this hot little item. If one studio won’t take our terms, another one will. Besides, there’s always cable.”

  “Cable? Please! You won’t get that kind of money from cable.” George’s face took on a worried frown. “You need to be careful, Serena.”

  Serena got up, moved around in front of her desk, leaned back, and folded her arms across her chest. “George, how many movie deals have I worked?”

  “I don’t know. I know you’ve handled all we’ve had.”

  “And haven’t I always turned the screws in those bastards’ heads until the blood flowed?”

  “Yeah, all right.”

  “And not one of them was near as hot as this one, right?”

  “Okay, but I always get nervous when we’re dealing with that much money.”

  “Well, I guess that’s why you’re there and I’m here.”

  With an angry look he got up abruptly to leave. Turning around at the door, he yelled, “Bitch!”

  “Bastard!” she yelled back.

  “Bitch!”

  “Bastard!”

  This wasn’t anything unusual, it was the way they ended all their conversations. The people in the office were so used to it, they didn’t even pay any attention to it.

  * * * *

  The next few months brought a flurry of trips to the coast for contract negotiations and interviews on TV and radio promoting Tiffany’s new book. She had turned into the hottest romance writer on the scene today, and Kirk had turned into Hollywood’s newest heartthrob. She couldn’t go anywhere without a crowd following her and a microphone being pushed in her face.

  “Ms. Lovelace, when is your next book coming out?”

  “Please, I don’t have time.”

  “Are there any plans to reveal your Mystery Man to the public?”

  “No comment.”

  “Ms. Lovelace, how did you find him? Was there an instant attraction?”

  She impatiently tried to push the microphone away, when she heard the question she had been waiting for.

  “Ms. Lovelace, what do you like best about your Mystery Man?”

  Tiffany stopped abruptly, turned to the reporter and spoke as if she was picturing him in her mind. “His eyes, his mouth—” She looked at the woman and winked. “And everything else.”

  Kirk turned red in the face while watching the TV in their bedroom. “My God, Tiffany, why in hell did you say that?”

  She came out of the bathroom. “Because it’s the truth.”

  “Did you have to tell the world?”

  “Kirk, you always have to leave them with a bang. You know, wanting more? The secret is to sensationalize.”

  “Why?”

  “Because. They don’t want to hear the same old pat answers all the time. Give them something to put down on those pads that’ll burn their itchy little fingers.” She gazed over at him. “It’s the only way to stay on top.”

  “But you said it would die down.”

  “It will, but until it does we might as well get as much out of this Mystery Man deal as possible. You have to remember, I write romance novels for a living. I have to feed ’em sex morning, noon, and night.”

  He gazed at her with surprise on his face. />
  “Sex sells, Kirk. That’s why this Mystery Man theme is so good. But when it’s over, it’s gone, and they’ll want something else. And babe, they know they can get it from me.”

  “You sound so damned cold, Tiffany. Almost callous. What’s gotten into you?”

  She sat down beside him. “I’m sorry, Kirk. I don’t mean to be. It’s just that I’ve been in this business a few years now, and I know the ropes. All I have to do is put myself in their place. If I were a reporter, I’d be searching for the headliners…the scoop…the sensation. Any sizzling topic that would get my readers’ attention. I know how they think, and what I don’t know, I can imagine. That’s all.”

  Kirk pulled her down on the bed, leaned over on top of her and asked suggestively, “All right, Ms. Lovelace. If you’re so good at imagining things, what am I thinking?”

  She pulled his perfect face down to hers, kissed his sensuous lips, and whispered something in his ear.

  He lifted his head, looked at her with mock amazement, and whispered seductively, “Mmm, you are good!”

  * * * *

  Monarch Studios were buzzing. They’d sent a crew of photographers to Mystic Island to take pictures of the little town from top to bottom. Everything from The High Coast Café, to the mysterious little winding road and twisted trees where all this began.

  The little town was becoming famous.

  The men in front of Cheney’s Market, and Cheney’s Market itself were all going to be characters in Tiffany Lovelace’s next novel. The townspeople gathered in groups, watching the Hollywood types do their work. They watched as they took day shots, night shots, shots from every angle, and some even took shots of the people themselves to grasp the rural flavor.

  The hardest part was taking shots of the mansion’s basement, the dark tunnel of concrete stairs, Cat’s Paw, and even the lighthouse. The wind growled, the surf broke, and cameras shook, but finally the pictures were done.

  When the crew got back to the studio, sets were erected overnight, duplicating the little town right down to the townspeople, and the kind of clothing they wore. Every tiny detail of the little town’s nautical décor was copied. Dialect coaches came in to rehearse their actors to act and talk like the local townspeople, and makeup created the look they needed.

  While the picture was in the making, they ran into a snag, and asked Tiffany to come on as Technical Advisor. Only she could give the film the authenticity it needed. She struggled with this for a while before she broke the news to Kirk. This meant she would have to be away from him for months if he didn’t agree to go out to Hollywood with her. She thought of refusing, but knew if she didn’t go, the film would suffer. It was the story of Kirk’s life. It deserved the best she could give it.

  It had to be perfect.

  “I’ve had enough of those people, Tiffany. They’ve invaded my world, exploited my life—”

  Tiffany put her hands up over his mouth. “Kirk, it’s their job, and the better they do that job, the better the film will be.”

  “I’m not ready. I can’t go into—”

  “It’s okay, I understand. I’ll just divide my time between here and there.”

  “That’s a hell of a lot of traveling. You sure you’re up to it?”

  She put her arms around him, and kissed his lips lightly. “I know I’ve said it before, but I promise that it won’t always be like this. Pretty soon no one will know who we are, and I’ll have to worry about you getting bored.”

  He smiled down at her. “You keep saying that, but I have a feeling life with you will be anything but boring.”

  Tiffany pursed her lips. “You know, you’re a very trusting man. I mean, what with sending me out to Hollywood alone—” She hesitated, cutting her gaze over at him. “You know, where all those Hollywood hunks are?”

  He gave her a reproving look, knowing she was trying to make him jealous.

  “It’s about time to start a new book. I wonder—”

  He grabbed her and threw her on the bed. “From now on your books are going to be about imaginary men. No going off into the wild to try and find Bigfoot, okay? And as far as those Hollywood hunks go, I’m pretty famous myself right now. I could find a few starlets—”

  She stopped his words with a delicate finger. “Don’t you dare.”

  “How’re you gonna stop me?” Kirk said, grinning.

  Tiffany began unbuttoning his shirt. “Like this,” she whispered, and began sensuously licking and kissing his chest.

  Tiffany made hot, passionate love to Kirk, knowing she had another bomb to drop before all this was over. The studio had also told her that if the movie was the blockbuster they thought it would be, their publicity department was toying with the idea of asking her and Kirk to appear at the premiere.

  Oh, well, she thought, melting in Kirk’s arms. One problem at a time.

  Chapter 24

  Hollywood, California

  THE night of the premiere had arrived. Tiffany had her long hair pulled up in a very sophisticated style with highlights curling in beautiful accents against the darker blonde of her hair. She wore a white sequined dress, and Kirk was more handsome than she had ever thought possible, and she couldn’t have been more proud. His dark hair was long and curly with the tousled top falling down along his forehead, giving him a roguish appearance. The newest thing that had been added was just the shadow of a mustache above his sensuous lips, making him even more handsome. He kept nervously pulling at his cuffs.

  “I don’t know why I let you talk me into this. You watch me. I’ll get out there and faint dead in my tracks.”

  “You mean you’re going to leave me to walk down the aisle alone next week?”

  He gathered her close to him. “Don’t get your hopes up, lady. You’re stuck with this Mystery Man for the rest of your life.”

  She smiled, lightly kissing the lips that she loved. “There you go, threatening me again.”

  When a knock sounded at the door Kirk reluctantly pulled away from Tiffany and crossed the room to open it up. Elaine and Dr. Wilder stood there grinning from ear to ear.

  Tiffany knew something was up when she saw Elaine’s face. “You two look like the cat that ate the canary. Come on in, and tell us what you’re grinning about.” She angled her gaze toward the doctor, and then back to Elaine, and added, “Or should I ask?”

  Elaine furtively looked at the doctor before she thrust her left hand out.

  Tiffany’s gaze widened when she got a glimpse at the large stone on her finger. “Oh, my God, I can’t believe it!”

  “We’re getting married,” she said, excited.

  “What’s happening? First Joni, now you—”

  “Joni, who’s Joni?”

  “Oh…a friend of mine. She’s marrying the mechanic that worked on her car. They’re both fascinated with old cars. After the premiere tonight, she and her new husband are off on a wild honeymoon.”

  “Wild?” Elaine laughed.

  Tiffany snickered. “Believe me, if you knew Joni, you’d know that ‘wild’ is just the right word for it. From what I hear, those two were made for each other.”

  *

  While the girls got together and chattered about Elaine’s upcoming marriage, the doctor turned to Kirk and squinted as he turned Kirk’s chin from side to side.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Kirk asked, pushing the doctor’s hand away.

  “Just admiring at my handiwork. Do you know you’re the best advertisement I’ve had for my work? Now that people know I was the one that reconstructed the face of the Mystery Man, my office has been running over with patients.” He nodded toward Elaine. “I figured with my business booming, the next step was to make Elaine the happiest girl in the world.”

  “Or an honest one, right?” Kirk said, giving the doctor an angled look.

  The doctor’s face flushed. “Well…I…we…how the hell did you know? Do I have a sign on my forehead?”

/>   Kirk snickered. “I’d have to be blind not to know. The two of you stand so close you’re almost melting into each other.” Kirk felt warm inside at Elaine’s happy face, and felt something deep inside him turn over. He shuddered to think where that smile would be if he was still stumbling around in that basement. Fighting back the tears, he extended his hand to the doctor. “Congratulations.”

  At that moment another knock sounded, and Kirk went to the door and opened it. The chauffeur stood there, straight and tall.

  “The car’s here, sir.”

  “We’ll be right down.”

  Kirk turned to Tiffany and smiled nervously. “Well…it’s showtime.”

  The doctor reached for Elaine and led her toward the door. “We’ll get out of here. See you at the theater.”

  Kirk picked up Tiffany’s sequined shawl, placed it over her shoulders, and escorted her out the door and to the elevator. They rode down gazing at each other, but when the elevator doors opened, their gazes ended with shouts and the crush of a mob. Crowds of people pulled on them, asked for autographs, and cameras flashed in their faces. They had to literally pull themselves away. When they finally got settled in the limousine, Kirk noticed his jacket had been ripped, and buttons were missing. “My God, it’s a good thing we got here when we did, I would have been naked.”

  “Souveniers,” Tiffany explained. “A button, a piece of cloth. We all have to go through it.”

  “I wish you’d warned me.”

  “Welcome to the pushing, pulling, shoving, and tearing world of Tiffany Lovelace, sweetheart.” She nestled in his arms. “Don’t worry, they’ll give you another jacket at the theater.”