At
the end of a narrow, winding road nestled in the Hollywood Hills between
Coldwater Canyon Drive and Laurel Canyon Boulevard was Megan Woods' house. It
was not a mansion, but it had an incredible view of the San Fernando Valley
below. The house was built on the side of a hill in a woodsy, quiet and very
secluded area. There was a small circular drive leading to the upstairs front
door. There were very few windows on the front of the house. The back of the
house, which overlooked the Valley below, was almost entirely glass.
Megan
lived upstairs. Her home was comfortable and sensual decorated mostly in white
and accented with soft pastels. Sliding glass doors led from the living room to
a series of terraces winding down to the pool below.
Downstairs
was perfect for guests. It had a separate bedroom and bath, living area and
small kitchen. The sliding glass doors opened directly to the beautifully
landscaped pool.
Jeanie
gratefully accepted Megan's invitation to be her houseguest rather than make a
reservation at either the Hilton or Sheraton at Universal Studios. She knew
that's where the out of town award show performers and nominees would be
staying. Jeanie wasn't certain Kevin and the boys would be staying there, but
felt like it was a given.
She
and Lindsay flew to Los Angeles on Wednesday, the day before the show. Lindsay
was in heaven...literally star-struck. The three women enjoyed dinner at a
wonderful little hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant in Van Nuys before heading
back to Megan's.
Megan
had chilled a bottle of wine earlier. While the girls changed into their
pajamas, she put music on. She was determined to keep Jeanie as relaxed and
calm as possible. She knew her well enough to know she possessed a wallet full
of platinum credit cards and if she freaked out about seeing Kevin, she'd hop
the next plane to Dallas irregardless of the cost.
"Linds,
you want something to drink?" Megan held up a bottle of white zinfandel.
"Umm,
sure. That okay, Jeanie?" Lindsay leveled her dark eyes at her friend.
"As
long as you can make it downstairs under your own power, I don't care what you
drink," Jeanie laughed.
Megan
poured a glass and handed it to Lindsay. "Aw, now. Come on...Lindsay could
just sleep up here with me," she teased.
Jeanie
almost choked. "I don't THINK SO," she sputtered, wiping wine off the
front of her clothes. Lindsay had no idea what they were talking about. She
looked confused as she looked from Jeanie to Megan and back to Jeanie again.
"Then
again...YOU could stay up here," Megan glided up behind Jeanie and kissed
her on the back of her neck. Lindsay took a therapeutic gulp of wine. What the
hell was going on?
Jeanie
wriggled a bit and smiled. "Linds, sorry about this," she pretended
to scold Megan, now sitting close beside her. "Ms. Woods tends to swing
both ways...know what I mean?"
Megan
raised her eyebrows and grinned. "That's right...scary, huh?"
"Um..."
Lindsay took a huge gulp of wine. Her glass was almost empty.
"Lindsay,
slow down! You're going to get sick," Jeanie lifted the glass from her
hand. "Megan, quit scaring her!" she teased and tried to change the
subject. "Megs, did you know that my little Lindsay is an actress and a
singer?"
"Oh,
God...Jeanie!" Lindsay blushed.
"Shut
up, Lins..." Jeanie mumbled already beginning to slur her words. Megan
knew...in fact, all of Jeanie's friends knew that Jeanie was an easy drunk and
a cheap date. Three glasses of anything and she was bombed.
Lindsay
giggled and covered her face with her hands.
"Sing,
Lindsay!" Megan ordered, laughing. She wrapped her arm around Jeanie.
"Come on, Lindsay...your public is waiting..."
"No!"
Lindsay laughed and grabbed her glass back. She refilled everyone's drink.
"I'm not singing a cappella. I'm not that drunk...not yet."
"Oh,
come on you baby. I'll sing with you...come on..." Jeanie stumbled toward
Megan's piano. "Okay, okay..." she played a few chords. "It's
the Lindsay and Jeanie amateur talent hour. Any requests, Ms. Publicist?"
she giggled.
"Hell
yes. Something by Backstreet!" Megan laughed, knowing full well the
reaction she was going to get.
"No.
No and HELL NO!" Lindsay and Jeanie shrieked. Lindsay leaned down and
whispered into Jeanie's ear.
"God,
I don't know if I can play it, but I'll try..." Jeanie mumbled. She and
Lindsay slowly began singing the song that had brought them together in the
first place, "The Love I Never Had." They were a little shaky, a
little drunk, watching each other's every move and trying to desperately come
together in pitch and tempo. Halfway through the third verse, Jeanie stopped
singing and let Lindsay finish on her own. Megan watched and listened intently.
When
they were finished, Megan and Jeanie applauded and Lindsay took a well-deserved
bow and curtsey. When Lindsay excused herself to go to the bathroom, Megan sat
down on the piano bench next to her friend. She didn't want Lindsay to hear
what she had to say. If there was one thing Megan hated, it was the
stereotypical Hollywood big shots promising young hopefuls that they would
someday be stars. "She needs to cut a demo..." she said quietly.
"I
know..." Jeanie laid her head on Megan's shoulder. "Megs, I'm really
scared about tomorrow," her soft voice was almost heavy with resignation.
Megan
wrapped her arms around her, burying her face in Jeanie's hair. She smelled
like baby powder. She kissed her on the forehead and then pulled back a tiny
bit and searched Jeanie's eyes for a reaction or a signal. Her fingertip traced
Jeanie's tiny, rosebud mouth.
As
she gently kissed her on the lips, Megan couldn't help but think about the
incredible, lonely journey Jeanie had undertaken...all for a man she didn't
even know. An attractive, talented woman whose self-confidence back in 1997,
was almost nonexistent. Today, she was more successful than she had ever been
in her career, happier and breathtakingly beautiful.
Jeanie
had been flying on blind faith and now the hour was almost upon them. Megan
kissed her forehead again, "I know, babe...I know."
< Ain’t Nothing But A Heartache >