Playing House Away From Home

Chapter 13

Elvis sent Priscilla back to Memphis following the scene she had made on set. It was a night he would like to erase from his memory for all eternity. There had been tears and harsh words and a broken television set. But Priscilla packed her bags that night and spend a few hours wallowing in self pity while Elvis wallowed in anger. She left the next day and Elvis never spoke of it.

A week went by and Priscilla didn't call once, and neither did he. Elvis tried not to think of it at all but sometimes, when Loretta called her husband, the mafia their families or the kids their parents, Priscilla once again entered his mind. As for Lisa Marie, she was in his thoughts at all times, but that was the way it had been ever since she had been born. It was nothing new by any means.

They would be having a production meeting today at lunch time, and the dread he felt over it couldn't be explained.

"E!" Red hollered from outside the bathroom at the LA house. "You ready?"

"Hold on," Elvis screamed back, running a comb through the mess of his hair.

"Your daddy called. He wants you to call him back."

"I will when I find the time." Elvis abandoned his comb, straightened his collar and then made his way out of the room to eat breakfast. He was half expecting Priscilla to sit there with that icy expression on her face. Elvis ate a big breakfast, took his medication and ended up feeling not half as bad when he arrived on set.

At least until a harried looking Arthur Hillbrook joined them and declared, "We have until the production meeting to finish that scene. I won't have anyone not knowing their lines or getting distracted by spouses or management-" He glared toward Tom Parker, who was puffing away on his cigar. "You just buckle down and do your work today. Rehearse without the camera to start with." He let himself fall down in his chair, his eyes on his actors.

"Alright." Elvis gave Maybelle, who was situated on his lap, a little push. "You work real hard and be good today you can come to my house to swim on the weekend." The words flew out of his mouth on their own accord; he made no conscious decision to say them. Yet he did not wish to take them back when Maybelle screeched "Really?" and Clayton's beaming face turned toward him.

"You bet," Elvis said.

"Is Loretta gonna come too?" Clayton asked innocently.

"Sure," Loretta said.

Elvis' gaze snapped toward her. "What about your kids?"

"Doo says that I rile them up whenever I come home for practically a day. I-"

Hillbrook cleared his throat. "That's what I mean. Less of that and- Keith, where the hell are you?"

Loretta narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't gotta cuss in front of the kids."

The Colonel pointed a fat finger in Loretta's direction. "No need to tell anyone to watch out for her, is there?"

Elvis rubbed a hand over his forehead as annoyance set in. The hostile environment they were forced to film this movie under was too much to bear most days. But there was nothing they could do but soldier through. He understood, as did Loretta but it was a nearly impossible concept to grasp for two children of eight and six.

Somehow they made it through not just that scene but also an additional one. The production meeting was fast approaching and Elvis' stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten in hours. He wasted no time digging into the selection of foods the moment he arrived, despite the disapproval of several people present.

Elvis stuffed a peanut butter and bacon tea sandwich into his mouth, letting it melt on his tongue. When he grabbed another, Loretta's voice sounded behind him. "I'm pretty sure there's shrimp on that."