More Bridgeport gossip–courtesy of Bassy

Hey sis,

I dunno how many people saw this coming.  I guess we all should have seen this coming.

I went to teach an acting class over at the school (yeah, me, teaching an acting class, haha) and I decided to go over to the park for a spell.

Sure enough, there’s Devin Ashton with Matthew’s ex-girlfriend, Kaydee Jansing.  The chick he dumped to be with Silvah.  Anyway, the writing was on the wall for ole Dev.  He’d been dating Aria Trill and now he’s dumped Aria to be with this gal.  I can’t say I know either of them that well, except I run into them at work sometimes.

I can’t say I understand the whole serial dating thing well, though dad says when he was with someone, he was with them for awhile before moving on.  He says he didn’t just go through girls like toilet paper like these guys seem to do.  I have to admit I find it a bit odd.  Get to know someone, play with her feelings, and then dump her like yesterday’s garbage.

On top of that, Ms. Jansing put out a statement through the media saying she and Devin were a couple.  Frankly, I think this sort of thing is pointless, unless you want to keep yourself in the public eye.  Me, I prefer handling my business on the down-low, but of course things with Lola got so out of hand, with the video leaking out and all that.  I’ve said time and again that we’re just friends. 

Hey, I have to go shoot a scene, I’ll write more later.

Love, Bassy

Holiday Party

 

Hey sis,

I got to the Prosper Room as soon as I got off work for the staff holiday party. 

The guests filed in to the downtown building with their vehicles.  That bright red sports car belongs, I think, to Silvah Spencer, Matthew Hamming’s girlfriend.

The guests tumbled in as soon as I did, at ten till eleven.  That’s Matthew Hamming in his tux and my boss, Kris Verhoeven, in hers.

They gathered in the party area of the Prosper Room, ordering drinks and shrimp cocktails. 

Meanwhile, Matt’s girlfriend, Silvah, and I shared a dance, where she talked about the dearth of strong female roles in cinema and wanting to win the biggest acting prize there was.  I got the impression she wanted to be known as more than “Matthew Hamming’s latest bit of eye candy.”  I just smiled. 

Meanwhile, I wasn’t expecting Jupiter to come and Lola not to come.  But Lola had a reason – she was out of town performing in Twinbrook.  Twinbrook, of all places. 

Jupiter surprised me by letting loose a few bars of ‘I Would if I Did.’  He looked shy and uncomfortable.  He was struggling with the chords as if he'd schooled himself. I would have loved to have shown him, but he had the whole 'don't you DARE come near me' aura about him. Besides, it's a pride thing, something I'm all too aware of. It would be nice to teach him, but I guess I'll just have to wait.

Talk soon.

Love, Bassy

Wake-up Call

I’m in China now, but I delivered a stern warning to my brother as soon as he got up the next morning.  It’s late at night in Shang Simla while he’s just waking up in Bridgeport so I picked the perfect time to give him a buzz. 

“You’ve got to come clean.”

Of course, what I was talking about was the persistent and insistent rumors of his relationship with pop star Lola Belle. 

“I can’t do this for you, Bassy.  You’ve got to do it.”

He sounded confused.  “What are you talking about?”

“The paparazzi chased me down in China.  During my first news conference every single question they asked was about whether or not you’re hooked up with Lola.”

“You’re in China?  Wha?”

“Yeah, I’m after Pangu’s Axe.”

“Does Andy know?”

“I told him weeks in advance.  He knew about my business trip.”

“Oh.  I see.”

“But I digress.  Bassy, they chased me down in China looking for anything about you and Lola.  You need to come clean about the nature of the relationship, whatever it is.  I really don’t care at this point, you’re a grown man and can do what you want.  If she makes you happy, then I’m happy.”

“We’re just friends.”

“Well, you need to tell that to the media.  Tell your agent to release something, anything about it.  Otherwise this thing is just going to continue to fester.  It’s got legs and the press is running with it.  I heard giggling girls asking about “Lola Belle” in Mandarin.  Her romances are front page news.”

He let out a deep breath.  I hope he does it. 

Love, Bassy #23

Hey sis,

My plants grew nice and tall.  I did what u told me, to fertilize them with either fresh or store-bought material.  Now I have enuf lettuce and tomatoes to make that autumn salad for Jupiter.

That’s Jupiter.  Lola Belle’s adopted son.  I’ve got work to do.

Anyway, Saturday was my day off and I had to go to the bookstore because Ms. Simms was there signing books.  I haven’t read it yet and I’m not going to.  I just basically showed my face there.

That’s the book cover. 

Anyway, that’s not the most interesting thing that happened there, even though the place was packed. 

The Hammster made his first public appearance there with his new girlfriend.

I had heard rumors that they were together but I guess they made their pairing official. 

 

She walked ahead of Matt and then she stood outside the bookstore waiting for me to come out. 

“Hey, Sebastian, what’s up?” Matt said.

“Oh, nothing much, just signing books,” I told him.

“That autobiography thing?  Yeah, that lady wrote one on me too.  I don’t know who her sources are.”

He then introduced me to his red-clad girlfriend, Silvah Spencer.  Personally, Vanna, just between you and me, I think she is scary. 

Gotta go get ready for the studio Christmas party.  Talk more later.

Love, Bassy

Back to Work

 

Hey sis,

I’m back in Bridgeport which means I’m back to the daily grind of work and rehearsals.

Oh yeah, and scripts.  Got another one yesterday, which means I’m up to five to choose from.  And they run the gamut – science fiction, drama, romantic comedy.

I learned how to make key lime pie, Vanna.  Dad used to love having these for breakfast.  I had a craving for one when I woke up so I got up and fixed one.

I got the Christmas tree put up in the house.  It’s not that big, since it’s just me in the house.

Apparently Matthew Hamming has yet another new female on his arm.  I don’t know who she is though, she’s not familiar to me. 

I know you might find it strange that I’m practicing piano in the bathroom, but the acoustics in here are much better than anywhere else in the house.  Plus there’s this amazing view from the window. 

Hey sis, whaddya think of me as a mad scientist?

Love, Bassy

That Time

That time of the year again.  Yep, it’s ho-ho-ho time.  Something a little different this year – a Christmas tree!  Yep, I put mine at the end of my entrance hallway.  Notice at the far left, the kids’ stockings. 

 

So Cheesebum and I were sitting down eating breakfast when he goes, “So you helped the kids with their homework last night.”

“Why wouldn’t I help the kids?” I asked him.  “Satis seems to have a math block.  It’s like she freaks out when she sees a number.  Sety has language issues.  He has trouble with multisyllabic Simlish.  He can do simple Simlish fine.”

 

After Andy left to go to practice, I found myself home, alone – with Sage.  Let’s just say, that didn’t go very well.

“Waaaaah!!!” went Sage, and I had no idea what she wanted.  “Waaaahhhh!”

Ok, Savannah, calm down, I told myself.  But I couldn’t stay calm.  This kid was crying and I didn’t know what to do.  Then suddenly I smelled a stench coming from her direction.

Oh no.  This didn’t mean what I thought it meant, huh?

It meant exactly what I thought it meant.  Sage had had an accident and I needed to change her. 

But, how to change a diaper?  The last time I did this AJ was a little boy.  Satis or Andy or Halima usually changed her.  But neither one of them were home at the moment.  So I put on a pair of gloves, rolled up my imaginary sleeves, and changed Sage’s diaper. 

Thanksgiving Surprise

Just when I thought my brother couldn’t pull anything else out of his hat, he surprised me (and my kids) with a visit on Thanksgiving.

“Hey sis.”  His voice was unmistakable.  When his eyes met with mine we met near the front door with an embrace that lasted a good ten minutes.

“You drove up here – for what?”

“Hey, you know I couldn’t spend Thanksgiving down there in Bridgeport while you guys were here,” he said.  “It wasn’t right.”

I was surprised by how strong he was.  He very nearly picked ME up.  “Been liftin’ weights, boy?”

“Unfortunately,” he teased.  “My agent said I had to keep in shape, so I try.”

Mom insisted on seasoning the turkey even while it was technically the butler’s job to cook the meal.  Truthfully, she hasn’t been, you know, herself, since Bassy left.  Bassy leaving was, IMO, the last straw for her. 

While dinner was being cooked, AJ thought he’d try out his angling skills.  This is where he IS like his dad.  I can’t begin to count how many fish and frogs I found in his knapsack, lol.  I tell him to put those in an aquarium or something but he insists on carrying them around. 

And, as usual, Satis was playing mommy to Sage.  I couldn’t ask for more with her or Sety, they’re great with AJ and Sage. 

While we were waiting for mom and the butler to finish the turkey, Bassy entertained me with gossip from Bridgeport.  “Did you know Matt Hamming has a new girlfriend?”

“New girlfriend?  Really?  He has a different one every week, right?”

“Seems like it.  But this one is different.  This girl Katie has moved in with him.”

I shook my head.  Bassy was dishing out dirt on his ex-boss like it was no one’s business.

He told me he’d started a small vegetable garden and has been knee deep in scripts.

“I did a reading as Buzz Light-Sim the other day,” he said with a chuckle.  “The suit I was wearing was heavy.  I couldn’t chance driving wearing that costume so I had my limo driver take me to the audition.”

Soon it was time to change into our finery (Mom’s idea, so we humored her) and eat.  And yes, that white haired gentleman at the head of the table is Noah. 

I’m stuffed, and headed to the mall tomorrow to start Christmas shopping for the kids.  Sety wants a scooter, Satis wants clothes and the new Lola Belle CD, AJ wants a bike… shhhhh….

Later,

Savannah

Love, Bassy #22

 

Hey sis,

Yes, it was me in the tape.  I don’t know who shot it, but I bet the gossips are having a field day over it.  Lola and I are just friends, that’s all.

 

When I was coming out of the theater after my cameo in “Sims and Monsters” I ran into Stanley, who was practicing a few bars of piano.  “I didn’t know you played,” I told him, with Terry Luna and Barry Tenderlove beside me. 

“Emmy hates music,” he said, “so I’m resigned to play when and where I can.”

Say what?

 

Anyway, Lola came by the house the other night.  I let her in thru the security gate.

“Sebastian?” she called from the other side of the kitchen. 

“Whatcha cookin?”

“A very special feast just for you.”

“Really?  You’d really cook a meal just for me?”

I shrugged.  Kai doesn’t cook?

Finally our meal was done.  “What is this, Sebastian?”

“Stuffed flounder with crab meat.”

“Sounds delish.  I’m starved!”

 

“Where’d you learn to cook?”

“I took it up as a teenager.”

Lola laughed.  “You know, most teenage boys aren’t learning to cook.  They’re learning, well, other things.”

“I picked up a cookbook while my parents were in Egypt with my sister.”

“Your sister?  You have a sister?”

“Yeah.”

“Does she live here?”

“No, Sunset Valley.”

“What does she do?”

“She’s an archaeologist.”

“An archy- what?”  Then Lola smiled.  But it wasn’t one of those big wide grins.  It was one of those knowing secretive smiles.  She’s one of those folks with whom you have to do an examination to figure out what they’re thinking.  “What?”

“I was just thinking – Sunset Valley – that – that explains you.”

“Huh?  What do you mean?  What’s wrong with Sunset Valley?”

“I performed at the stadium there, beginning of my career.  It’s very … how can I explain it … surreal, almost.  Almost too perfect.”

  

Lola changed the subject.  “Your father, Nathan Plumb, he was a composer, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Studied his stuff in school.  The advanced guitar textbooks here had at least twenty of his songs in it.”

“Really?” I asked, a little dumbfounded, especially considering they weren’t in our books.  “Which ones?”

“The ones I remember were ‘I Would if I Did’ and ‘Sunset Moon.’

“Sunset Moon’s in there?”

“Yeah.”

What’s funny is I actually remember when he composed that one.  And I’m sure you do, too, Vanna.

I listened to her talk for about three hours.  It was kind of like being at home with dad.  Music runs through her veins.

“For my senior recital, I did a medley of three of his songs.  I was scared as heck, standing in front of the whole school for fifteen minutes.  It was just me and my guitar.  And then – in an instant – it was like there was no one else there.”

I don’t even remember my senior recital.  And it wasn’t that long ago. 

I’m stuffed and sleepy.  Gonna have to work off all this food somehow.

Love, Bassy