Roxy arrived in New York with nothing planned, deciding to relax and enjoy being in limbo. She speculated she could always become a hooker if she came up empty handed over movie, TV or theatre opportunities. She wondered if becoming a hooker required training or was wide-ranging experience sufficient to build such a business.
Instead of dwelling on such speculation, Roxy found a pleasant room in an affordable hotel and set about being a tourist because this was her first time in New York and it was true what they say: the city really buzzed.
A week later she began thinking about sex. God what a time to start feeling horny. She decided to register for work and went to a couple of theatrical agencies and was aghast neither was interesting in adding her to the books because she had no reputation.
"Get a job for me and I'll establish my reputation."
"Yes and that's what they all say. Off you go," said the rude bitch who had the job of weeding out cranks, no-hoppers and actors they'd never heard of and who weren't on their databases.
Roxy had told them she'd taken the lead in the very successful TV blockbuster, 'The Amazing Miss Young' and both interviewers said dismissively they'd never heard of it."
Roxy went off angrily both times, thinking the interviewer needed to be slapped around a bit to wake up to her responsibility to assess the applicant properly instead of adopting the attitude of 'You're not on our database and so you are scum, get out of my office'.
She bought one of New York's famous hotdogs and sat on a street seat, opened the bag, looked at it and groaned oh god and tossed it in the trash can.
The overweight woman sitting at the other even of the seat and obviously resting her feet laughed and said, "Young lady you should eat Italian food."
Yeah well she looked Italian.
Roxy spoke rapidly in Italian, "You are correct ma'am and I often eat Italian food out of preference."
The woman looked quite stunned and said, "You speak Italian and yet you look very American-American."
"Oh is that how I look? I guessed by your noble nose and reference to Italian food you might be Italian."
"My noble nose," the woman laughed almost hysterically. "You are a very funny young lady."
They introduced themselves and chatted for a while.
"So you are new to New York,"" said Mrs Renata Ricci. "Well come on, I invite you to come with me to my sister's restaurant that's not far from here. Although I call it my sister's restaurant it is owned by her husband's family and she runs it during the day. We'll eat with her; she's expecting me today."
"Oh darling your noble nose looks very majestic today," Renata said to her look-alike sister Dona De Luca, who touched her nose and asked had Renata been drinking.
"I'm sorry for speaking Italian, Dona said, speaking in English and introduced herself.
"I'm not offended," Roxy said in Italian. "Italian is my preferred restaurant language when I'm with Italian people or people of Italian descent.
"You see, my new friend is not one of us and yet so is one of us."
Roxy's mind stretched to comprehend what Renata was saying but Dona obviously was used to her sister and said yes that was very true.
Dona kissed Roxy warmly and seated them and sped off and returned with a bottle of red wine and three glasses.
"We must celebrate my sister finding such an interesting person, yes?"
"Yes," cried Renata and Roxy almost in unison.
It was late and most of the lunch guests were drifting off. The three women drank, ate, chatted and laughed and for the first time Roxy felt at home in New York.
At one stage Dona made a phone call and twenty minutes a guy the sister's called Uncle Vincenzo arrived. He kissed his two nieces flamboyantly and then eyed Roxy and said, in Italian, "So this pretty young woman is the out-of-work actress."
"Pretty? She's so beautiful your knees should be knocking," said Dona.
"Well they would knock if they were to slip between her thighs."
"Careful Uncle Vincenzo, our friend is fluent in Italian."
"Renata to joke you have to be believable."
He looked at Roxy who said, "Non parlo italiano."
He said in Italian how did she know he was about to ask that question and she replied in Italian she wasn't stupid."
He laughed and slapped his thigh and said in impeccable English, "Dona, a bottle of wine please. This conversation is becoming very dry."
An hour later, when Uncle Vincenzo was leaving, he gave Roxy his card and said, "You come and see me at 11:00 in the morning and well see what we can do with you Roxy. Please bring your CV and any DVDs you have showing you performing."
The three women kissed him and the portly guy left.
Roxy looked at the business card and blinked hard and read it again: Uncle Vincenzo was general manager of a theatrical management company that operated four theatres off-Broadway.
She burst into tears and Dona and Renata hugged her, delighted that Roxy was obviously pleased they had given her a good connection into movies or theatre in New York.
Uncle Vincenzo who Roxy addressed formerly as Mr Rossi, introduced Roxy to the two women he had with him and they chatted for a while and then one of the woman put on the CD and it was projected on a big screen. Roxy had chosen the fully edited scene of almost five minutes from 'The Amazing Miss Young' which showed the young child being lifted from the vehicle inspection pit and then pronounced dead and women crying, the bereaved mother collapsing and everyone looking mournful. It then switched to Miss Young (Roxy) marching resolutely into the Mayor's office and then launching into her relentless attack on the mayor and his council and her call to have the council vehicle depot to be securely fenced and the entry/exit to be guarded by an attendant during working hours when the gates were open.
"Oh you certainly can act," said Uncle Vincenzo.
"Yes and so can many other out-of-work actors," said one of the women dryly.
"Lillian please take down and file Roxy's details," said Uncle Vincenzo. "Roxy we will be in touch."
Yeah right, thought Roxy. That's unlikely. But four days later Lillian called her and asked if she could come in as soon as possible.
"I'm on my way," said Roxy. "I'm only wasting my time shopping and amusing myself by attempting not to buy anything."
"That's the professional attitude producers and directors like," Lillian laughed.
The second female lead in a whodunit, "Who's Killing Our Female Cops' had been rushed to hospital an hour earlier and was confirmed to be suffering from appendicitis and was awaiting surgery.
The director of the Earl Larch Theatre greeted Roxy warmly.
