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ANNA LEE PICKFORD,whose real name was Elaine Richards, had been nominated for an Oscar the previous year for Best Supporting Actress. She’d been a complete unknown until she’d been cast in the role of a neurotic waitress who worked in a country diner and witnessed a murder. The film,A Killer’s Smile,had been a home run for Continental, and Anna Lee Pickford had become an overnight sensation.
The truth was, the role had been typecasting.
Anna Lee was a nervous, edgy, insecure young woman given to outbursts of foot-stamping rages. While she appeared to have turned in an astonishing performance, all she had to do was memorize the lines and be herself. The film had been nominated for several Academy Awards, and Zach had been asked to escort Anna Lee to the glamorous affair. It was when he’d arrived to pick her up their unique relationship began.
He’d knocked on the door, but receiving no response and becoming concerned, though wearing polished shoes and an expensive tuxedo, he’d made his way over some rocks to the beach. Walking across the sand and up the steps to her deck, he found the sliding glass door open and moved cautiously inside. He was shocked to find her in the kitchen, slamming cabinets and banging pots and pans.
“Anna, what’s the matter?” he’d asked, doing his best to keep his voice even and measured.
“I can’t go, I’ve got nothing to wear!” she’d exclaimed. “That designer has put me in a dress that makes me look like a chocolate eclair. I can’t go! I won’t go!”
He’d hurried across to her and tried to reassure her, but she’d been impossible. Already late, he’d decided he had only one option. Though he’d fleetingly wondered if putting her over his knee would make things worse, it occurred to him she’d already jumped off the cliff. Spanking her might just be the parachute to save her. Bustling her into the living room, he’d dropped down on the couch and yanked her across his lap.
“Get a grip,” he’d scolded. “I’m going to spank your ass until you settle down.”
She’d screeched and howled, but he’d kept his promise, continuing to slap her backside until she’d promised to behave.
“Anna, don’t you know you could wear a sack and look fabulous?” he’d murmured as he’d cradled her in his arms.
“But that dress isn’t a sack. It’s frumpy and brown and shaped all weird.”
“I highly doubt that. You’re just having a case of the jitters. You’re going to put on that insanely expensive designer gown and walk down the red carpet.”
“You’ll be embarrassed to be seen with me. You haven’t seen it.”
“Dimitri wouldn’t be the most sought after designer in the country if he created ugly gowns. I bet it’s fabulous. Put it on and let me see it. If you don’t look amazing, I promise I’ll tell you.”
“You swear?”
“I swear, and if it’s as stunning as I think it’s going to be, I’ll be honored to have the most beautiful, best-dressed girl of the night on my arm. I’ll be right beside you every step of the way, and trust me, you’ll wow everyone.”
“You think?”
“I don’t think, I know, and you’re going to behave yourself, because if you don’t I’ll put you over my knee and spank you in front of everyone. Got it?”
“No! Zach, you wouldn’t! You couldn’t.”
“Yes, I would, and yes I could.”
The gown was every bit as lovely as he knew it would be, and she’d behaved like an angel the entire evening. Though she hadn’t won the Oscar, her star had shone, and the gossip columnists had raved about her elegant appearance.
But the film’s success, and that fateful night, had launched more than her career. Whenever she felt she was about to fly into a rage, or was simply lonely, she called Zach.
He was genuinely fond of Anna Lee, mostly because he knew about her background, and admired her pluck. Born to a single, alcoholic mother in a small town in Central California, Anna’s early life as Elaine had been a rough road, but God had blessed her with exceptional looks and unflagging ambition.
As a young teen, her friends were sure she could be a model, or maybe even an actress. With nothing to lose, she’d decided fame and fortune waited for her in Hollywood. The week after she graduated high school, she’d taken the money she’d saved babysitting, and hopped on a bus bound for Los Angeles.
She’d found a list of modeling agents, and was picked up by the first office she’d entered. The owner was a friend of Jerry Goldman’s and arranged a meeting. Recognizing her unique qualities, Jerry enrolled her in acting classes and signed her to an exclusive, five year contract.
When Zach first met her, like everyone else, he’d been struck by her beauty, but after only a few minutes her quirky vulnerability reminded him of one of the greatest stars of all time. Marilyn Monroe. Jerry had asked him to watch out for her, but Zach would have anyway, and as the months slipped by they developed a close friendship.
Following the Oscars, she was cast in her first starring role. When he had time, he’d swing by the small projection room and watch the dailies. She stole every scene.
Now standing in her cozy Malibu cabana, he couldn’t blame her for being nervous about her upcoming love scene. She’d be with Jackson Wardlow, an actor infamous for being crass and vulgar. But he was also a huge star. It was important Anna Lee didn’t upset him.
“I wish there was some way I could make that asshole behave,” Zach muttered, picking up the phone to reschedule his afternoon appointments. “He’s just too damn powerful, and he knows it.”
