Hello, Hollywood! Read Online Free PDF

always. Not that I minded. Bob and Paul had taken to calling Monday Feed the Starving Writers Day. Bringing the food made for a lovely way to kick off the week, and it also gave my parents the opportunity to pass off unsold products to hungry souls in need. Not that Bob and Paul were in need, necessarily, but they did always seem to be hungry.
    I found the office door wide open. Stepping inside, I made my usual Monday morning proclamation: “I come bearing gifts!” Then I waved the bags so they could see just how much I loved them.
    I did love them, of course. They were crazy and had stinky-boy feet, and they drove me nuts at times, but we were family. And family events always focused on food. Well, at least my family events.
    “Mmm. Thought you’d never get here.” Bob rose from the sofa, placed his laptop on the coffee table, and headed my way. “What did you bring this time, Athena? Sandwiches? And more of those olives, I hope. They’re great.”
    “And that Greek salad I love?” Paul asked, reaching for the bags. “The one with the feta cheese and red onions? Hope you didn’t forget that.”
    “Yep. Got it all.” Passing off the bags, I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted. “We’ve got a busy week ahead of us, guys. I need you to be well fed and happy.”
    “Busier than usual?” Bob’s brow wrinkled as he placed a bag on the coffee table and began to dig inside. He came out with a jar of kalamatas, which he promptly opened. “What’s up?” He popped an olive in his mouth. Then a second. “Something happen we need to know about?” he said with a full mouth.
    “Have you heard something from the man upstairs?” Paul asked, the creases between his eyes deepening.
    “Man upstairs?” I had to wonder if Paul had finally had that religious experience I’d been praying for.
    He pointed up to the ceiling. “Rex just moved into the office above ours this morning, remember?”
    “Ah.” I wanted to laugh at the image that presented, but I found myself distracted. The funny stuff would have to wait until after I shared the latest news with the guys. I reached to close the door, in case any of the cast or crew happened by, then turned to face the guys head-on. “We have a lot to talk about. I spent Saturday with Kat.”
    “Oh?” Bob glanced my way and shrugged. “What’s up?”
    “Well, she shared a few things with me. Personal stuff. I asked if she minded if I told you guys and she said no.”
    “Spill the beans, Athena,” Paul said.
    “She said that Rex is going through a really anxious spell right now. So much so that she’s worried about his blood pressure.”
    “What’s he so anxious about?” Paul asked as he unloaded the bag with the large salad container. “The show?”
    “Yes. Ratings have slipped a little.”
    “Again?” Paul groaned.
    “Yes. He’s worked up about Lenora too. The doctor had to up her Alzheimer’s meds. So according to Kat, Rex is feeling pretty frazzled right now.” I released a slow breath, determined to make the most of this rough situation. “I think we need to give him the best possible script this week. He loved the variety show bit in the last script, but we’ve got to do better than that. Got to move the plot along. Maybe do something daring.”
    “Daring, huh?” Paul sank into a chair and opened the salad container. He reached for an onion and popped it in his mouth.
    “I thought of something that will help us get inspired,” I said. “We should watch some old Dick Van Dyke episodes.”
    “Great idea,” Bob said. “I know my favorite, but what’s yours?”
    I thought about that for a moment before answering. There were so many to choose from, after all.
    “I love that one where Rob finds out Laura lied to him about her age when they got married. Classic. By the end of it, you found yourself rooting for both of them. That’s the goal, really, to pull the viewers into the story and somehow get them to empathize with both the