Patchouli, Pear Martinis, and a Picture Show

The two women slid onto stools at the end of the bar, ordered two pear martinis, and turned toward each other, speaking at the same time.

"Can you believe I'm gonna be in a movie with Brad Pitt?"

"Thank you for agreeing to this interview on short notice."

"Oh! Sorry, sweetie. You go first." Finny put a warm hand on Suzi's arm.

"No. No! You go first. It's amazing about the movie. I want to hear all about it." Suzi hesitated, and reached into her vintage silk-lined clutch for the teeny digital recorder she'd picked up on her way to the hotel. "It's okay if I record this, isn't it? On the record?"

Fiona frowned and waved a languid hand. "On the record, sh'mon the record. We're just two old college roommates catching up today, right?"

Suzi grimaced. She should have known this would get complicated. When had dealing with Finny ever been easy? Move-in day freshman year at UCLA, Fiona dumped clothes out of paper bags onto her bed, stripped down to her thong with the door wide open, pulled on a pair of destroyed jean shorts and a tee, and disappeared for all three days of orientation.

On the first day of classes, she showed up at 8:00 a.m. and demanded Suzi join her for breakfast in the cafeteria. Too astonished to argue, Suzi let herself be dragged off to sit at a table of theater majors. Fiona, it seemed, had found her tribe. She was already sleeping with a third-year film student, who, Fiona announced to the entire table, was producing underground porn out of his apartment and did anyone want to make some cash?

"I'm so happy for you, Fin," Suzi said now. "Really, I am." Suzi dropped her eyes to her drink, toyed with the stem, looked back up. "And that's why I'm so grateful you agreed to let me interview you. You are the only famous person I know, and I'm, well, I'm finally following my dream."

She attempted some flattery. "You were the first person to encourage me to write, remember?" She hurried on before she lost her nerve. "So, there I was, thinking about who I should write about at the very, very start of my freelance career, when I remembered hearing about you getting a part in the Brad Pitt movie, and it was like..." Suzi snapped her fingers. "...Serendipity!"

Fiona stared at her for a moment with a look that was cool, assessing, and hard. Suzi blinked and when she looked again, Fiona was smiling warmly again. "I did encourage you and even got you some work. Remember those scripts you wrote for Wilton Sterns? Phew!" Fiona fanned her face. "Hot stuff. Wilton produced the first film I ever got a part in. Did you know that?"

"Well, I remember the, uh, films in college..."

"No, silly. Not those pornos. God." She rolled her eyes, sucked down the rest of her drink, and flipped her hair, sending another waft of patchouli into the room. The bartender looked at her and smiled. "Can I get you another, Ms. Murphy?"

She winked at him. "Yes, please. And another for my friend."

"Oh, I shouldn't."

"Yes. You will." She rolled her hand in a come-along gesture. "Two more pear martinis and keep them coming. Important work is being done." She turned back to Suzi. "So. CELEB! Magazine, huh? My publicist is skeptical about an on-spec article. She'd rather I work with a staff writer, to be honest with you, Suz. But I told her you'd play nice and let her vet the piece before you send it in. I'm right, right?"

Suzi gulped, but nodded. "Sure. Yes." She pushed the little recorder closer to Fiona. "Are you ready? You had a chance to look over the questions I sent you?"

The bartender set the drinks in front of them. Fiona lifted hers. "To new endeavors and old roommates."

Suzi lifted her glass, feeling relieved. "New endeavors, old roommates, bright futures."