From what I saw of the rushes, you were great." Ilene got to her feet and looked down at Jennie. "I think you could use a hot drink."
Jennie smiled when she saw Ilene take down the can of cocoa.
"Chocolate?"
"Why not?" Ilene said.
"It will give you more energy than tea.
Besides, you don't have to worry about your diet any more. The picture is finished."
"Thank God for that," Jennie said, standing up. "One more lunch of cottage cheese and I was ready to throw up."
She crossed the tiny room to the closet. "I might as well get out of this."
Ilene nodded. She watched as Jennie slipped out of the costume – the sheer, flowing silk harem pantaloons, the diaphanous gauze blouse and gold-beaded blue velvet jacket that had been her costume in the last scene.
She scanned the girl's figure appreciatively, her designer's eyes pleased with what she saw. She was glad now that Jonas had sent for her. She had not felt that way at first. She hadn't wanted to come back to Hollywood, back to the gossip, the jockeying for importance, the petty jealousies. But most of all, she hadn't wanted to come back to the memories. But as she'd studied the photograph, something about the girl had drawn her back. She could understand what Jonas had seen in her. There was something of Rina about her but she also had a quality that was peculiarly her own. It wasn't until she'd studied the photograph a long while that she realized what it was. It was the strangely ascetic translucence that shone from the photograph despite its purely sensuous appeal. The eyes in the picture looked out at you with the clear innocence of a child, behind their worldly knowledge.
It was the face of a girl who had kept her soul untouched, no matter what she had experienced.
Jennie fastened her brassiere and pulled the thick black sweater down until it met the top of her baggy slacks. She sat down and took the cup of steaming chocolate from Ilene.
"Suddenly, I'm empty," she said, sipping at it. "I'm all used up."
Ilene smiled and tasted her own cup of chocolate.
"Everyone feels like that when a picture is finished."
"I feel that I could never make another movie," Jennie continued thoughtfully. "That another part wouldn't make any sense to me at all.
Somehow, it's like all of me went into this picture and I've nothing left at all."
Ilene smiled again.
"That will disappear the moment they put the next script into your hands."
"Do you think so?" Jennie asked. "Is that what happens?" Ilene nodded.
"Every time."
A blast of noise came through the thin walls.
Jennie smiled. "They're having themselves a ball out there."
"Cord ordered a table of food sent down from the commissary. He's got two men tending bar." Ilene finished her chocolate and put the cup down. She got to her feet and looked down at the girl. "I really came in to say good-by." Jennie looked up at her questioningly.
"You're leaving?"
Ilene nodded.
"I'm going back East on the train tonight."
"Oh," Jennie said. She put down her cup and stood up. She held her hand out to Ilene. "Thank you for everything you've done. I've learned a great deal from you."
Ilene took her hand.
"I didn't want to come back but I'm glad now that I did."
They shook hands formally.
"I hope we'll work together again," Jennie said.
Ilene started for the door. She looked back at Jennie.
"I'm sure that we will," she said.
"If you want me, write. I'd be glad to come."
In a moment, the door opened again and Al Petrocelli, the publicity manager, stuck his head in.
A blast of music came from behind him.
"Come on," he said. "The party's going great guns. Cord sent over an orchestra."
She put down her cigarette. "Just a minute," she said, turning to the mirror and straightening her hair.
He stared at her.
"You're not coming like that?" he asked incredulously.
"Why not?
The picture's finished."
He came into the room and closed the door behind him.
"But, Jennie baby, try to understand.
Life magazine is covering the party.
How would it look to their readers if the star of the biggest picture we've made in ten years was wearing a loose black sweater and pants?
We've got to give 'em more to look at than that."
"I’m not getting into that costume again," Jennie said stubbornly.
"Please, baby. I promised them some cheesecake."