The Hunt for the Hidden Alpha

Sidewalk Stars' Ken anchorman flashed his gleaming teeth. "The big news in the

entertainment industry today is Hollywood heart throb Robin Hawk filing for bankruptcy. Take it

away Barbara.

"Yes Ken," said Barbara flashing her gleaming teeth. She was sitting at a desk with a

picture of the Wall Street Bull and Bear statues behind her to establish her financial credentials.

"The star's financial affairs started unravelling the moment he split from Clarise Chalmers, the

siren of the shower, with Ms Chalmers complaining that the first she heard of the split, or of

another girl in Robin's life, was from an item on our web site. She admitted to tensions in the

relationship but said these were about money. Chalmers said that the last she saw of her lover was

when she refused to put two million dollars into one of a string of what her office describes as

'crazy investment schemes' favoured by the Hawk.

"The amount was large enough for the SEC and the IRS to start kicking over rocks as they

say in the investment game, with the help of material provided by Ms Chalmers' office. It turns out

Ken that even with the millions he was earning from acting, Robin Hawk could not stay away from

high-risk investment schemes. He lost so much on those schemes that in the end the only way he

could get some of this money out of those schemes was to get others to invest…"

The next call Will got, almost the moment he hung up from Meghan, was from Charlotte

who declared that she would be in Los Angeles in two days and what about getting together?

"Love to Char," he said, "but I'm in an obscure spot in the Sierra Nevadas in a workshop for

several days and just now I have to do something quickly for my office. There's a chance I may be

in New York in a week or two if you don't mind getting together then, otherwise, it'll have to be

next time around."

"New York may be hard, as I don't know where I'll be," she said, carefully. "But I've been

thinking about what you said about me not giving you my number, so I've decided to give it." She

then gave him a number which he noted down.

"That's great, Char," he said, "I'll finally be able to call you. But I gotta dash. I'll call in a

day or so."

He stayed at Hap's country retreat for another week and a half, fielding calls from reporters

about his boss's breakup. They wanted to talk to Meghan, but she had left strict instructions that she

would not comment further until she was ready to do so, whenever that might be. However, Will

was authorised to throw one or two information titbits to those who called, provided they attributed

the points to "sources familiar with the events". These included Meghan only becoming aware of

the other girl in her boyfriend's life at about the time he broke up with her via media leak. However,

they had not been speaking before that because of the star's demands that Meghan invest millions of

dollars in risky schemes. This was close enough to the truth to keep reporters happy. Will was also

able to say that he had been approached for investment and could send them the papers outlining the

various schemes.

The fuss over the breakup itself died down after a few days, to Meghan's relief, with the

gossip columnists shifting their attention to Robin Hawke's tangled financial affairs, and reporters

writing features on financial abuse in relationships.

By the time Will, Hap and Evan thought they had a viable story sequence in place the

breakup was old news, but Meghan still wanted Will to come to New York as Vogue had suggested

an interview to go along with the cover about the events in the star's life. Will could brief her on

what to say. In addition, Stella wanted Will to attend a meeting about what was now being called

the Bad Diva fashion brand with her in New York.

"Me, at a fashion meeting?" said Will when the agent told her about this. "Security might

not even let me into a building with fashion brands."

"Meghan says you're to wear something decent," said Stella, amused. "Her words were 'the

half-drowned pool look works in LA, but not New York'. Wear a good suit. That'll do."

"But what am I to do at this meeting, apart from not look half-drowned?"

"You're decorative enough and that's not a bad start for this kind of meeting especially as it

will be mainly women," said Stella. "Faking it also helps and that briefing note you wrote shows

you can fake it with the best of them. But mostly I need someone from the diva camp who's got my

back. These guys are a top fashion brand. I don't want to face them alone."

On the drive back to LA, the Party Town production team kicked around the next, important

step – that of trying to find actors who were a cut or two above the run of late night slasher features,

but still willing to work for the money Hap was prepared to offer. He had taken Will's advice about

films rarely earning back their cost of production to heart and he was watching expenses carefully.

"What about Violet, Will?" asked Evan. "Do you keep in contact with her?"

"No not at all," said Will. "She'd be into any acting job, I guess, although when she ran out

on me she was heading to an off-Broadway gig. Maybe she's still doing that."

"Sounds sordid," said Hap.

"Sordid and gruesome," said Will, "but she might spice up the movie. You're welcome to

the number I have for her, especially as you're the one who has to deal with her – I've done the

script bit."

"' Bout that," said Evan. "Hap and I have been talking and we want you to hang around on

set as assistant director/script writer."

"I couldn't turn down the chance," said Will. "But you guys saw that I had to break off a

couple of times during our workshop to put out fires for my boss. That'd still be a thing."

"Whatever," said Evan.

"I also get paid for my time, right?" asked Will.

"Yeah, there's pay," said Hap, not very enthusiastically.

"There's also the question of what you'd want me to do," said Will. "The film seems set to

me, and I dunno just what I can add to issues like camera angles, costumes and props. I never

trained in film."

"You've done alright so far," said Evan. "I've been an assistant director and it's a lot about

coordinating all the different teams involved. Coordinating AI backdrops with the action may be a

big part of this. The script will probably also need tweaks and we'll still need someone to blame for

things going wrong."

"Great someone who takes the blame," said Will. "My career is looking up."

A day later, Will emerged in the lobby of the Marlborough Hotel within spitting distance of

New York's Central Park, to see Meghan bearing down on him.

"You!" she said. Will had gotten in too late the previous night to visit the star and had been

given a separate room, so this was the first time the star had seen her consultant for more than two

weeks.

"It's not that bad, is it?" said Will. "Mia, how do you react knowing Will is here."

"Yea! Will is here!" said Mia, playing her part. "It's great to see you again Will!"

"There, see, Mia at least is pleased to see me.

"And what is that?" said Meghan, ignoring Mia and pointing at Will's tie.

"It's a tie," said Will.

"I can see that," snapped Meghan. "What is the ghastly design on it? I can see bottles but

what are the other outlines?"

"I think its baseball bats," said Mia, craning in to look.

"Thank heaven, I thought it might be something else," said Meghan. "You are not going

anywhere representing me wearing a baseball tie."

"But I..."

"Come." She grabbed Will by the forearm and dragged him to a menswear boutique in the

foyer of the hotel.

It was interesting, Will thought, to see the male attendant snap to when the famous Clarise

Chalmers appeared in his shop.

"Men's ties please," she said.

"Of course, madam," said the attendant who then produced several hangers full of ties.

"Conservative, madam, or more colourful?"

"Conservative with a dash of colour, I think." She inspected a couple of racks and chose one

in a soft, grey fabric with a yellow stripe. "Take off that tie and put on this."

"Does sir also want a pocket square, madam?" said the attendant. "Two peaks are

fashionable just now."

"Yes, what do you have."

This resulted in the production of another row of fabrics and, by the time Will had tied his

new tie, Meghan tucked a pocket square with two peaks in a yellow shade that more or less matched

the tie's colour stripe into the writer's breast pocket.

"There that's an improvement at least," she said, adjusting Will's tie with a click of her

tongue then stepping back. "Give me that other tie."

She held out her hand and Will, who had previously put the tie in his pocket, reluctantly

gave it to her. She dropped it on the counter.

"Take that away and put it out of its misery."

"Of course madam. Perhaps Madam may want to rethink sir's suit?" said the attendant

hopefully.

"There could be other improvements," agreed Meghan. "But I'll be late on set. Pay the man,

Mia and let's go."

"Never understood keeping a handkerchief in the breast pocket," said Will when they got

out into the foyer.

"William Moreland!" said the star rounding on him. "You use your pocket square as a

handkerchief and you'll be fired again."

"Yes, ma.. Meg. Are we all going to have dinner together? Stella said something about it."

"She did," said Meghan. "Mia see to the booking. Are you going to see your Junior Cougar

at some point? This is supposed to be her home turf."

"Doesn't seem like it. Instead, I'm meeting my sister for lunch."

"You have a sister living here?" said Meghan.

"Lilith is an associate in one of the major law firms, Huntington and Brown, on the fast

track to legal stardom."