3: Pretty Lady (PART ONE)

The phone-lines were buzzing off the hook for Arden that night when she came home. All of her producers and agents were telling her that the Anakin / Frodo combo was a real hit with the viewers. She needed to keep this up for a few more days, for that was when ratings would come out.

Get more dirt on those two, was what her boss had told her. Alright, that should be easy enough. But how was one to do that? She had interviewed them, their best friends, and neither one had a living love interest… it was then that she got a fabulous idea.

THAT NIGHT…

She had made the phone calls and Arden was now dressed in her favorite lime-green dress suit. All she needed now was to get in her car and drive to Anakin's house at 7, book it to Frodo's at 9, and then take out the tape-recorder in her purse! She was set. Neither one of them had been suspecting at all… perhaps that was because of the blonde wig she now wore over her usually chestnut brown hair. Also, she had applied thick red lipstick and took off her glasses. Arden Ashwood was now Lilly Boedwen.

Once in her convertible, she scanned over her directions and began the trip. Alright… 666 Sith Street on the Dark Side of town… how hard would that be to find? As she pulled up to the tall, black cathedral she decided—not very.

Arden parked the car and walked down the cracked pavement that lead to Anakin's front door. From out of the saw grass, she could hear various creatures hissing and growling at her. Charming. When she finally reached the door, Arden was hesitant about knocking. Couldn't she just go straight to the midget's house? No, she told herself. She was a professional and she would do what it took.

"Coming!" a voice like velvet thunder declared once she had gently rapped on the door three times. The gate swung open and there he was, in all his hemlety glory.

"Lilly, what a pleasant surprise!" The cologne he was wearing hit her like a truck. Who needed the Force to strangle people when you had Eau de Garbage Can or whatever it was?

She held back a cough and extended her hand, which he shook. Arden adopted her higher-pitched voice. "Ready to go, Ani?"

"Oh yes," so they got into her car and Anakin drove them to what he assured her was a marvelous restaurant and movie. "Which would you like first? Dinner, or the theater?"

"Why not do the movies, first?" She said, praying to God it was a short film.

The couple arrived at the cinema and Anakin told her to wait for him, that he'd pay for the tickets. He came back and extended her ticket out to her.

STAR WARS III : REVENGE OF THE SITH

"….Uh, Ani?"

"Yes?"

"Aren't you in this movie?"

"Yes, what's your point?"

"Nothing, dear."