Dear Diary, it's Marilyn

Chapter 15

Hi everyone! First off, I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the contest. The person who was first to get them all right was SuriRam, so congratulations to her!

Next order of business, I feel like I should recommend this girl's writing because she writes very well and her stories deserve recognition. Check out JustATeenyBitInsane's stories, especially Doppelganger. Don't forget to comment on her stories and tell her I sent you :P

Next, the picture on the left is by Katlyn_36. It's really cool, right? Anyway, I should have put it up earlier but here it is now!

The last chapter got 39 votes! Thank you so much! This chapter let's aim for...40? 40 is a nice number :)

Enjoy this chapter! Oh and I'll have another message at the end...Maybe you could do me a favor and read it, pretty please with a giant cherry on top? It's really long but it's really, really, really important.

Chapter 15

It was 2 years after Johnny’s death and I had starred in a few minor films for Fox. 3 of them were scheduled to be released this year.

 I had once again moved out of Ben’s home, but I often met Bebe for lunch and shopping excursions. I had made sure to rent an apartment close to them because I had realized they were my only real friends. I hadn’t kept in touch with Margaret or Sue and in Hollywood it was rare to have permanent friends, what with competition for roles. Bebe no longer acted though so that was no problem. She had taken an early retirement, relying on the money she had saved and Ben to support her.

I had a meeting with some Fox executives this afternoon to discuss new films for me to act in. These meetings weren’t very much fun. They normally consisted of a man in an expensive suit thrusting screenplays in my face, I’d reject them, he’d become frustrated and say a few harsh words, and eventually I’d find a script I liked and agree to be in it. My contract with Fox said I had to be in at least 2 films a year; this meeting just insured that I kept up my part of the bargain.

I always liked to make the executives uncomfortable by wearing revealing dresses, and today was no exception. I had chosen to wear a tight, low-cut, bronze dress that I was sure would make them sweat.

I suppose Bebe had rubbed off a little on me; her flirtatious ways were contagious. When I went out to lunch with her, we would always flirt with the waiters. It had been Bebe’s idea to tease the Fox executives; she justified it by saying it would give them something to think about the rest of the day.

I entered the 20th Century Fox Studio building and was lead to a room to wait. I felt like I was waiting to be interrogated by police; the room and all its furniture was all white, there were no windows, and the only furniture was a table and two chairs, one at either end. The room’s seriousness made me fidgety.

The door on the other side of the room swung open and a suited man walked in holding an enormous manila envelope. As usual, he was dressed expensively. I recognized him as the man who I had met with last time. I could even remember his name.

“Brent, darling!” I got up and kissed him on the cheek.“How lovely to see you again!”

“Miss Monroe, it’s a pleasure. Let’s hope this is a little less painful compared to our last encounter.” Brent grimaced, but I could tell he was teasing because a smile was tugging at his lips. “Let’s have a seat and get started then.” He pulled my seat out for me (what a gentleman!). “The sooner we start, the sooner we finish.”

I slapped his arm painfully. “You don’t mean that!”

“No, I don’t.” Brent sat down at the other end of the table. “You certainly are a card, Marilyn.” He chuckled as he opened the folder.