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a new place before meeting local promoters and hearing opinions on where scenes should be shot. Maybe that was a factor of her own, personal quest for a perfect location for herself. A home. Not all unit productions managers scouted locations, but Angela wanted her to. And it worked. She was getting a reputation as one super unit production manager for low-budget films. |
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That was why Angela hired her over and over for each new project at a sinfully high rate of pay. And Angela was the boss. Swallowing her irritation, Mariah had obediently booked an afternoon flight to Pittsburgh. |
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Crossing her legs as best she could in the cramped seat, she pulled down her short brown skirt and straightened her beige knit top. Then she took out the inner envelope from the package. It hadn't been opened. That was as strange as the rest of Angela's actions concerning this screenplay; Mariah had never before known her employer not to circulate copies among her staff and proposed crew of a script she likedand to keep one herself. The return address indicated that the script had been sent to Angela by that Pierce guy, the one who was to meet her at the airport. |
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She figured she'd better read it now to have something to say to the man. |
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But the flight attendant returned just then with dinner. Mariah usually skipped airline meals, but she'd left New Orleans in such a hurry that she'd not had time for lunch, and she'd had only her usual cup of coffee for breakfast. She accepted the standard boned chicken that was nearly as stiff as the plastic on which it was served. At least the roll was soft, and there was actually a serving of fresh fruit. |
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"Have you ever been to Pittsburgh?" her seatmate asked. |
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Knowing she couldn't concentrate on the screenplay while eating in such cramped quarters, Mariah gave in and chatted with the friendly woman. No, she hadn't been to Pittsburgh before. But she'd been nearly everywhere else. |
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"My name's Helen, by the way," the woman said, obviously fishing for Mariah's name. She gave it. Then Helen asked, "Do you mind a personal question, Mariah?" |
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"Go ahead and ask." She didn't have to answer. She |
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