Falling in Love with a King [Elvis]

Chapter 7 - Can't Help Falling In Love

"Do not sell yourself short. If you do, I didn't raise you right."

"You and Daddy raised me fine. I'm a reporter now, aren't I?"

"And you're going to be in a movie. When do you start it?"

"This Monday I have to be on the set at 7am for hair and makeup."

"Have you memorized your lines?"

"Yes, I have. It's all I've been doing in my spare time this past week with Alice. It would have been nice to rehearse them with someone from the cast, but I couldn't contact anyone."

"Like Mr. Presley?"

I read through the restaurant scene several times, and Daisy doesn't say anything to Deke in the scene, she just falls head over heels for him as she watches him dance and sing and beat up her boyfriend. "He's probably been very busy with other things. Plus, my character doesn't talk to him at all in the scene. They will do different takes if I get things wrong. Hopefully they'll be patient with me."

"They will be, sweetheart. Just be careful, like I said. If you already have feelings for this boy, don't do anything about them. Well, you can't do anything about that kissing scene. Just be professional."

I was beginning to hate the word professional. "I know, Momma." I knew that she was just looking out for me. She was there for my past relationship with a man who broke my heart in two. "I'll try, okay? Besides, Elvis is no Anthony. Definitely not. They're so different."

"Still, I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I won't get hurt. Now I should go. I want to read the script again before I go to bed."

"Alright, sweetheart. Good luck. And make sure to call me after your first day of filming."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye-bye."

She hung up, and I put the black telephone back on the receiver. I leaned back in the chair and thought about all this for a moment as Elvis's voice softly filled the room. I was really going to be acting in this movie, even if it was a minor part, and would I be writing articles as well? Paul wanted me to first write an article about what the sets look like, if they were filmed inside a building, outside one, in an actual location—like a restaurant they rent out for instance—and so on. I would write an article about that and one about my personal experience. It was called "The Daisy Column." People wanted to hear more of my personal story, so I was asked to start it. I had my work cut out for myself.

I blew air out of my mouth in exasperation. This would be quite the experience for sure. And...

I would try not to fall more in love with Elvis. Everything else I could do with ease—writing articles and trying my hand at acting—but that... it would be very, very difficult. A person can't help falling in love with someone.

~ ~ ~

My eyes moved up and down as I scanned the morning paper for her name, even though it was the evening, and I hadn't seen the paper yet. I sat in a chair backstage of the Ed Sullivan Show, or more a second set since it was based in New York. I would be singing Love Me Tender in front of the studio audience full of women, women who longed to be close to me.

But there was only one woman who I wanted to be close to. I would be seeing her in three days on the set, seeing that pretty porcelain face and bright blue-green eyes that reminded me of the rivers in Memphis. We had shot some scenes for the movie already, now I was looking forward to the ones she was in with me.