down-to-earth and easy proposition.
"Not so, Andrew," Eddie said softly. He had nodded in the giantess's direction and hadn't looked at her again. "I've come to know her and she is shy as hell. Probably a virgin, as I said, and definitely a lady."
"I never met a woman who hated the idea of big bucks," Andy argued, and forked steak into his mouth. "All I need t'do is make my pitch and be first to break her in." Suspicious, he glowered at the still handsome Burgess. "How the fuck did you meet Madam Amazon, anyways?"
"It happens Donna and I belong to a local amateur writers' club."
"You?" Andy nearly choked on his steak. "You and the female Lurch are budding Shakespeares?" He tried to regain his control. "Sorry, babe, I just can't picture you romancin' the muse. Fucking the bitch, absolutely, but not in your mind!"
"Listen." Eddie clamped a hand on Chalminski's forearm. He had the first serious expression Andy'd seen since Burgess began his career twelve, thirteen years ago and wondered if he could have sex with a stranger and a film crew watching. "I like Donna, but I haven't touched her."
"Bull hockey."
"Andrew, she's written the story of a girl as tall as her dad by the age of ten; she was through puberty before she was eleven. Other kids saw her as a freak, so she couldn't relate to anyone. She's all alone in the world."
Andy squinted his surprise. "She's doin' an autobio? I don't see how that—"
"A retired actor moves to town," Eddie went on relentlessly, "and listens to what the tall girl reads to the class." His fingers on Andy's arm tightened. "He tells her," Burgess whispered, "he knows a film producer who's interested in finding hot properties, and he himself might introduce her to the noted Andrew Chalminski."
Andy whistled low. "Whew, that's smart! But, Ed, I don't wanta buy no fuckin' disease-of-the-week story. I wanta buy the use of her body! So how am I gonna—"
"I said," Eddie went on, his grip bringing pain, "if the famous movie guy wants to film her story, he will have a tough time finding an actress tall enough for the leading role!"
"Brilliant!" Chalminski exulted. Could Eddie-the-Meat-Man actually have a brain? "It's a great setup. But what do you expect t'get out of this, old buddy?"
Eddie's forever-photogenic eyes opened widely. "After explaining that producers are quaint fellows who enjoy testing would-be actresses who double as screenwriters, I mentioned the possibility that I, her new confidant, might be willing to serve as her . . . costar." He smiled. "Being timid, she liked that idea very much."
"You want a comeback?" Chalminski demanded incredulously.
"She's waiting for us, Andrew," Eddie said quietly, "so I hope you'll listen to me very closely: I didn't become an addict or spend all my money, and I didn't get any nasty diseases that will kill me. I just got out of the sleaze biz before it devoured me. I find I like a normal life, writing, and Donna—even if she is as tall as the Chrysler Building." He sat straight across from Andy. "I want you to think seriously about decently producing her life story. You might begin a chapter in your life you'd really enjoy. Even people like you, and I, can go straight."
Andy was badly shocked by what had happened to Burgess. But he considered the request, lips pursed, and nodded. "I'll think it over. But as for usin' you as a real actor, with his pants on—"
"Let me finish," Eddie interrupted. "If and when you choose to pass on doing the right thing, Andrew— if you score with the lady and get her to sign a contract— that's when I intend to collect. That's when I want my comeback to take place."
"With her," Chalminski said slowly, getting it. "You— want this broad!"
"Just this one time, in one film," Burgess said with a nod, "that I can watch over and over when I otherwise can't get Herman up even for my own pleasure. Besides," he added a bit smugly, "I think we could make a classic with a good girl like Donna."
Andy stared at him as
"Not so, Andrew," Eddie said softly. He had nodded in the giantess's direction and hadn't looked at her again. "I've come to know her and she is shy as hell. Probably a virgin, as I said, and definitely a lady."
"I never met a woman who hated the idea of big bucks," Andy argued, and forked steak into his mouth. "All I need t'do is make my pitch and be first to break her in." Suspicious, he glowered at the still handsome Burgess. "How the fuck did you meet Madam Amazon, anyways?"
"It happens Donna and I belong to a local amateur writers' club."
"You?" Andy nearly choked on his steak. "You and the female Lurch are budding Shakespeares?" He tried to regain his control. "Sorry, babe, I just can't picture you romancin' the muse. Fucking the bitch, absolutely, but not in your mind!"
"Listen." Eddie clamped a hand on Chalminski's forearm. He had the first serious expression Andy'd seen since Burgess began his career twelve, thirteen years ago and wondered if he could have sex with a stranger and a film crew watching. "I like Donna, but I haven't touched her."
"Bull hockey."
"Andrew, she's written the story of a girl as tall as her dad by the age of ten; she was through puberty before she was eleven. Other kids saw her as a freak, so she couldn't relate to anyone. She's all alone in the world."
Andy squinted his surprise. "She's doin' an autobio? I don't see how that—"
"A retired actor moves to town," Eddie went on relentlessly, "and listens to what the tall girl reads to the class." His fingers on Andy's arm tightened. "He tells her," Burgess whispered, "he knows a film producer who's interested in finding hot properties, and he himself might introduce her to the noted Andrew Chalminski."
Andy whistled low. "Whew, that's smart! But, Ed, I don't wanta buy no fuckin' disease-of-the-week story. I wanta buy the use of her body! So how am I gonna—"
"I said," Eddie went on, his grip bringing pain, "if the famous movie guy wants to film her story, he will have a tough time finding an actress tall enough for the leading role!"
"Brilliant!" Chalminski exulted. Could Eddie-the-Meat-Man actually have a brain? "It's a great setup. But what do you expect t'get out of this, old buddy?"
Eddie's forever-photogenic eyes opened widely. "After explaining that producers are quaint fellows who enjoy testing would-be actresses who double as screenwriters, I mentioned the possibility that I, her new confidant, might be willing to serve as her . . . costar." He smiled. "Being timid, she liked that idea very much."
"You want a comeback?" Chalminski demanded incredulously.
"She's waiting for us, Andrew," Eddie said quietly, "so I hope you'll listen to me very closely: I didn't become an addict or spend all my money, and I didn't get any nasty diseases that will kill me. I just got out of the sleaze biz before it devoured me. I find I like a normal life, writing, and Donna—even if she is as tall as the Chrysler Building." He sat straight across from Andy. "I want you to think seriously about decently producing her life story. You might begin a chapter in your life you'd really enjoy. Even people like you, and I, can go straight."
Andy was badly shocked by what had happened to Burgess. But he considered the request, lips pursed, and nodded. "I'll think it over. But as for usin' you as a real actor, with his pants on—"
"Let me finish," Eddie interrupted. "If and when you choose to pass on doing the right thing, Andrew— if you score with the lady and get her to sign a contract— that's when I intend to collect. That's when I want my comeback to take place."
"With her," Chalminski said slowly, getting it. "You— want this broad!"
"Just this one time, in one film," Burgess said with a nod, "that I can watch over and over when I otherwise can't get Herman up even for my own pleasure. Besides," he added a bit smugly, "I think we could make a classic with a good girl like Donna."
Andy stared at him as
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