As the thought crossed his mind, Jackson wondered if he should have had the doctor examine his head as well as his ankle. But if not for the accident, he most likely never would have met Serena. Instead of looking forward to Christmas, he would be looking for ways to avoid the holiday.
Just as promised, the next evening, Jackson’s crew showed up at the cabin to film the interview. Jackson wasn’t sure what to expect of Serena. He knew that she was professional, but he also knew how nervous she was about her new venture into script writing.
Instead of dressing in the latest fashion and wearing her signature eye makeup, she’d dressed modestly in a cream-colored sweater and matching pants. Her blond hair was twisted in back and pinned up. Wisps of hair surrounded her face, softening the style. And though she did wear makeup, it was light and just enough to accentuate her beauty. She looked perfect.
They’d previously agreed on a list of questions and Jackson followed the script, even though it was in his nature to venture into unknown territory. But out of respect to Serena, he stuck by their agreement. That was until the very end...
“Why have you decided to make this move from in front of the cameras to a place behind the scenes?”
Serena’s green eyes momentarily widened as she realized it wasn’t one of the preapproved questions. But he hadn’t been able to help himself. He found this question to be paramount.
Like a professional, she had taken the question in stride. “I wouldn’t say this is a permanent move. I’ve already signed on for an upcoming movie.”
“That’s great. I’m sure your fans will be relieved to hear the news. I know I am.” It was the truth. He loved her movies. They’d helped get him through some of the toughest days of his life after his wife died. “But what drove you to try something new?”
“Actually, writing isn’t new for me. The part that is new is sharing my words with the world. I think that writing is as close to magic as you can get—bringing life to a page. And I’ve found that I love putting words on the page.”
And now that the interview was over, it was time Jackson worked a little magic of his own. He sent the interview over to his agent. He wanted Fred to have the interview edited and polished just the way it would be done if it were to air on Hello America.
His agent immediately phoned. As they talked, Fred got him to admit that if Serena did go through with releasing the interview to the public that it would help not just her but him as well. His agent begged him to release it or let him do it. Fred swore that this was what they needed to rocket Jackson past the other applicants for the national evening news spot.
Jackson told his agent to calm down. This interview wasn’t for him—no matter how much his career could use the boost. He’d truly done the interview with altruistic intentions. And he’d made his agent promise to have the raw footage cut and cleaned up. Then he was to forward it back to Jackson so he could play it for Serena, who still hadn’t made her mind up about airing it.
“Phone me as soon as it’s finished,” Jackson said to his agent.
“Are you sure we can’t just use some of it? I mean, come on, she’s been missing for almost two weeks now. It’s all the media is talking about.”
“No. And don’t you dare leak her location or you’ll be fired.”
His agent laughed. “You’d never do that. We’ve been together since the beginning—”
“Fred, I’m serious. Don’t do anything that we’ll both regret.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”
“And you’ll get the footage back to me by tomorrow night?” Jackson really wanted to present it to Serena for Christmas. He was certain she would be so impressed by the results that she’d gladly release it.
“I’ll do my best,” Fred said. “But you have to realize that most people are already on Christmas holiday.”
“Surely you know someone you can trust to turn this around quickly.”
“Well...there is someone, but he’s not cheap, especially with this being the holiday.”
“Money isn’t an issue.”
“I’ll give him a call.”
“Thank you,” Jackson said. “I’ll owe you.”
“And I’ll collect.” His agent laughed.
As Jackson disconnected the call, he knew that Fred would in fact collect on that favor. Usually it was to get Jackson to make an appearance at some stuffy dinner that he wouldn’t want to attend. But Jackson would deal with the ramifications later.
Right now, he was feeling optimistic about the final cut of the interview. Serena was a natural in front of the camera. Her face had lit up when she was talking about her script. And he’d never had so much fun interviewing anyone.
“What has you smiling?” Serena stepped through the doorway after taking Gizmo for a short walk.
“I’m just happy, is all.” He stood next to the window, staring out at the snowy evening. “Do you think it always snows this much?”