Crystal Read Online Free PDF Page B

you,” Crystal said.
    “You were good,” Frankie said. “He took extra pictures. He makes it such a big deal that his shots are so precious, but he took more pictures of you.”
    “Sure, she was good,” Susan said. “You headed for school today?”
    “Yes.”
    “The limo will take you later,” Susan said. “Loretta wants to have breakfast with you. You eat anything yet?”
    “Yes.”
    “So have coffee,” Susan said. They took the limo to the Regency-Carleton, where Loretta lived, and called her apartment. They waited in the lobby for nearly ten minutes before she came down and then went to breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant.
    “How’d it go?” Loretta asked.
    “Frankie said it went fine,” Susan said. “Croce took some extra shots.”
    “He made me feel awkward,” Crystal said. “I felt like a thing. ”
    “That’s what he wants,” Loretta said. “A lot of people in this business are like that. They all have their reasons, but what they want most is for the girls to be anything but people. That way it’s them that make the session work.You’ve got to be bigger than life to work your way through these people.”
    “How about just punching them out?” Susan said.
    Loretta smiled and signaled the waiter. She ordered coffee for herself and Crystal, and Susan ordered eggs and toast.
    “How did you like Jerry?” Loretta asked, after the waiter had left.
    “He seemed okay,” Crystal said.
    “He was telling me that Joe Sidney is doing another picture. He wants to start principal photography next August.”
    “Joe Sidney’s a director,” Susan said. “He does a lot of pictures for the young market. Coming-of-age things, mostly.”
    “Garbage, mostly,” Loretta said. “But he makes money for the studios. Anyway, he’s got a big budget this time around and he’s looking for a name male lead. I think he’s making a big mistake—just because you make money with a cheapie doesn’t mean you’re going to make more money with a bigger investment—”
    “That’s right,” Susan said. “Disney’s not kicking any butt recently.”
    “And their last few movies were pretty good,” Loretta said, nudging Crystal and pointing to two little old ladies at a corner table. “They’re both richer than Midas and act as if they’re dirt poor.”
    “They look nice,” Crystal said.
    “That’s their act,” Loretta said. “They’re meaner than Gila monsters. Anyway, getting back to Joe Sidney…I don’t think he can do anything for us, but I think we should be thinking about movies.”
    “I don’t know anything about acting,” Crystal said.
    “Most of the youth things they’re producing now are easy to act in,” Loretta answered. “All you have to do is wear something that shows off your figure and act as if you checked your head at the door.”
    “A lot of this,” Susan said. She put her hands under her chin and opened her eyes as wide as she could.
    “That I can do,” Crystal said, laughing. She imitated Susan just as the waiter came over.
    “Ah, you are an actress, madame?” the waiter asked.
    “Of course, she is,” Loretta said, smiling. “Don’t you see her talents?”
    Susan’s eggs were done so that they looked like white puffs of foam. Crystal saw Susan attack her breakfast as if she were really hungry while Loretta just played with her coffee.
    “You think I could get a part?” Crystal asked.
    “It’s possible,” Loretta said. “We could map out a campaign. Jerry had drinks with a secretary over at La Femme who promised to get him an interview with the publisher. Everybody shows up with pictures of good-looking girls, so he wants to show up with something different.”
    “Me?”
    “Could be,” Loretta said. “If the idea appeals to you, we can give it a try. Then, if you make La Femme , it’ll be the kind of push we can use for the film people.”
    “Isn’t La Femme sort of…?” Crystal looked at Loretta. “Isn’t that kind of a…you