Page 1 of Something New

Chapter One

Anna Costado Publicly Berates Single Mom Waitress

In another instance of actresses behaving badly, Anna Costado, who plays nighttime bad girl, Bianca St. John, on Blazing Passions, was caught in a restaurant throwing a plate at a waitress and screaming about the waitress trying to kill her. See Video here. Costado and her current leading man, Derek Harper, were enjoying breakfast at the new trendy breakfast place, Eggcellent Morning, when she had her meltdown and stormed out without paying. Harper remained to pay and act the role of a true hero, but sources tell this reporter the waitress was still fired. This is not the first public meltdown for the fiery actress. In fact, Costado has been linked to several reports of erratic behavior both on and off the set, leading to rumors of diva behavior, poor attitude, and even worse, drug or alcohol use. Her contract is due for renewal. Could we be seeing the end of Bianca St. John on Blazing Passions?

Anna Maria Costado tossed her tablet to the other end of the sofa and made a sound of frustration. Drugs or alcohol. Why did it always have to be substance abuse when a star was caught behaving badly? Did it matter why she was upset or if it was justified? Of course not. It never mattered. The star was always wrong, especially when the gossipmongers could spin the story about a single mother working hard for her child and was abused unjustly by an actress in public. Of course, no one came to the waitress’ defense in the moment. Instead, the so-called concerned citizens recorded it on their phones and posted it online to make a buck instead of helping the situation or finding out the truth. And they hadn’t even gotten all the facts right. The reports were wrong. The waitress wasn’t fired, despite having put Anna’s life at risk.

It hadn’t been her fault, not completely. She hadn’t known the French toast ingredients contains nuts, something deadly to Anna, but she hadn’t checked either, despite Anna asking. So when Anna’s throat started to close after one bite, fear made her react badly. Anyone would have lashed out. Anna just had the bad luck to be in a public place and be a prominent figure that everyone loved to see fall. Anna regretted her actions and, despite reports, hadn’t demanded the waitress be fired. In fact, she had gone back and apologized privately and found out the owner had fired her for the bad publicity. Anna found the waitress a better job, something the poor woman could actually use to support her child.

So, who was the asshole in that situation?

Nope, still her.

Her cell phone rang, and the ring tone showed it was Caroline Masters, her college best friend—and a soon-to-be bride. Dammit. She had almost forgotten about the wedding next week. With this whole shitstorm, how could she even consider going to Whitby Island and bringing this whirling cesspool of crap with her? No, she hated to do it, hated disappointing Caroline, but Anna would never forgive herself if she ruined Caroline’s wedding, a wedding Caroline had waited five years for.

She clicked it on. “Hey, Caroline. Not a good time. Can I call you later?”

“When is it a good time?” Caroline countered. “I saw the headlines. How are you doing, honey?” Caroline’s soft tone disarmed Anna completely.

Anna’s shoulders slumped, and she sagged against the sofa cushions, resting her head against the back of it, closing her eyes, wishing she could make it all disappear. Her reputation was in tatters. She had reached too high, wanted too much, gone too far, and had fallen to the ground like Icarus in the Greek legends, burned by the bright lights of Hollywood and the paparazzi’s cameras, lying in wait for her to fuck up. Now, her career was in ruins, scattered in ashes around her. No one wanted to touch her. Her name, her identity, was a leper in the industry now. The best she could hope for was to slink off to the world of commercials and hope someone would forget and take a chance on her in the future. But, for now, Anna Costado might as well be dead.

Anna gritted her teeth and pasted on her best smile, even though Caroline couldn’t see her. “Of course, I’m fine. Are you ready for the wedding?”

“Anna.”

Her name was enough to break the walls that Anna had built, the walls that had already begun to crack with the publication of the article. She held up her hand, noting the shakiness. “Caroline, I can’t discuss it. Not now. Not ever. Please.”

Caroline sighed, a gentle sound reminding Anna of their college days, sharing first a quad dorm room, then an apartment with Delaney Winters, society princess now fallen angel, and Brigid Anderson, another middle-class girl with a classic type-A personality, determined to be a lawyer. They had been the most incongruous of roommates, only Caroline and Delaney coming from the same levels of society, which was Houston high society, while Anna and Brigid had worked summer jobs and internships for everything they had. God knew who they had pissed off to be thrown together in a room, but there they were freshman year, staring at each other, wondering how the hell they’d survive. Caroline went into peacemaker mode, trying to help everyone get along. Brigid dove into her books, studying insanely until they dragged her out, kicking and screaming, to share a meal with them. Delaney remained aloof, staring down at all of them, especially Anna as if Delaney could smell the restaurant food odor that Anna never could quite get out of her hair or clothes after working in her family’s Mexican restaurant since she could stand on two legs.

Eventually, they had all come to be good friends, even Delaney and Anna, spending summers on Whitby Island, off the east coast of Texas, just south of Galveston, where Caroline’s family had a mansion of a cottage. The Masters' summer house had more bedrooms than the house Anna had grown up in, and they called it a cottage. Well, now Anna had a house with more bedrooms than she grew up in. Funny how she only had one person sleeping in it. Just her. Not even a cat or dog to occupy another room.

“It’s been five years, Anna. I miss my friends. I miss our closeness. I miss our bond.” Caroline’s voice broke into Anna’s memories.

“We all grew up, Caroline. We got jobs and careers and our lives, except for Delaney.” Anna couldn’t help the bitterness that crept into her voice.

She and Delaney had had the hardest time connecting. What Anna had taken as snobbishness by Delaney was more shyness and a cool reserve. Delaney was cautious about who she trusted and let in, not unlike Anna was now. Once Delaney let someone in, they were in. But then came that fateful day, senior year, when her father was publicly arrested for a Ponzi scheme. Delaney’s life was on the fast track to her own personal hell, and it also started the beginning of the end for the four friends. Anna still hadn’t forgiven Delaney for cutting them out of her life.

“Anna, I want all of my friends here for the week, for my wedding. That’s all I ask for. I know your show is going on hiatus, so you have no excuse.” Caroline’s voice grew firm.

A flicker from the television screen caught Anna's eye, and her image flashed on the screen. Another recap of her less than stellar performance at the breakfast restaurant. When would someone else fuck up in Hollywood and take the heat from her?

“Caroline, I really don’t think this is a good idea. I mean, right now, my life comes with some serious baggage, and you don’t need me bringing that to your wedding. Besides, we have some additional scenes to still film, and I might be needed in town.”

She didn’t want to tell her friend that she had just filmed a scene placing Bianca into a coma, a possible death for Anna's character and a symbolic death for her career, so she really had nowhere to be for filming. Caroline didn’t need to know that. What was one more sacrifice in the name of her career? She had already sacrificed everything else—her family, her friends…

The one man she would ever love.

“Are you worried about seeing Wyatt again?” Trust Caroline to get to the other reason Anna wanted to avoid the wedding.

Anna jumped up, pressing a hand to her stomach to quell the remaining nausea and pain from her bout with her food allergy, and paced by the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the valley below—the one reason she had bought this place three years ago when she was offered a full-time role onBlazing Passions. Despite the wide-open space, the glass was treated for privacy, and the house was perched on a cliff, guaranteeing a difficult time for any paparazzi to get an excellent shot into her house. It was surrounded by trees and solid fences, ensuring the quiet and isolation she craved after being on the set all day. The house itself wasn’t huge by Hollywood standards, but it was hers and she had her island after sharing a room for her whole life—from her three sisters, to college and three roommates, to grinding it out in Los Angeles until she made it. Now, she didn’t share any part of her house with anyone, not even a lover.

And she was lonely.

“Anna? Talk to me. Is this about Wyatt or something else?”

“Why would it be about Wyatt? I’m sure he’s moved on by now, found some cute cheerleader to hang on his arm or something.” Anna tried to sound flippant but failed miserably.

“No, I don’t think he’s seeing anyone. Besides, as your invitation clearly stated, you can’t bring anyone to the island until the wedding, or the rehearsal dinner.” Caroline’s voice turned tentative. “Are you bringing Derek Harper?”

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