Page 48 of Between Takes
Chapter Seventeen
I lost most, if not all, of the next day in the production office trying to source a replacement executive car service. One of the supporting actors had gotten a little too drunk and shown the driver his lunch and dinner. Funnily enough, I didn’t blame the company for refusing to drive them anymore.
By the time 4PM rolled around, I’d handed two car options to Alys, learnt how to pull and format sides and triple-checked all of the cast and crew call times for the next day. When the call came over the radio that they were ten minutes from wrapping Shaun, I started packing up.
A slightly less-frazzled Alys approached me before I could hot-foot it to his trailer. I didn’t want him to react like he had the last time I wasn’t there waiting for him.
“You’re a godsend, have I told you that yet?” Alys asked, her gratitude evidenced by the gleam in her eye and the smile on her face.
I chuckled. “About five times, I think. But I appreciate you saying it.”
She glanced around. There was no one but us, Heather and Cassie in the production office. Everyone else had fled to set, either for snacks or because they had a genuine need to be there.
As her eyes settled on me, she stepped closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Are you happy with Shaun?”
I frowned. What a weird question to ask.
“I’m asking because I think you’ve got a knack for this, and if you’d ever consider a change, we’d hire you in a heartbeat.” She gestured to Heather, but her attention remained focused on me.
A week ago, I might have jumped at that offer. Now? Not so much. The thought of leaving Shaun to fend for himself right now didn’t sit well with me. He needed someone on his side who knew what he was going through.
“Thank you, Alys. It means a lot that you’d offer. I’ve been thinking about my next move after I finish working for Shaun, so it’s nice to know you guys think I’m capable of doing the job full time.” I put some serious emphasis on the after.
Alys bit her lip as she nodded. “Of course. If you need any help, let me know. I’m sure between us we could find you some work.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Still, her words sounded genuine. “In fact, let me add you to the drama production chat. That’s where all the jobs get posted all over the country.”
She took my number, and within seconds I had a notification saying I’d been added to this group. Could it really be that easy to find a job?
With that done, she pocketed her phone and fixed me with a concerned look. “But seriously, if you decide for any reason that you need a change, come see me.”
I swallowed the denials that sprang to the tip of my tongue and just nodded. I couldn’t predict the future, and she was doing me a favour. No need to turn her down flat.
I’d just collapsed on my bed when my phone pinged next to me. Sighing, I picked it up, bracing myself for some wild request from Shaun. He’d been surprisingly upbeat lately and I had yet to figure out why.
The message came from my sister, and as soon as I read it, my phone rang. Her smiling face flashed across the screen.
“Hello, stranger. I was starting to worry I’d sent you to an axe murderer,” Isla joked, her voice opening a pang in my chest.
I hadn’t really had time to focus on the fact that I was away from home – well, the home I’d grown up with, anyway. I’d gotten over the distance from my parents and brother, but Isla had been a daily staple in my life, even though she lived over an hour away. I missed her.
“Funny. At the start I would have groaned at you predicting my future.”
A pause stretched between us as she digested my words. I shut my eyes tight. Why had I said that? Everything was fine now. I didn’t need to worry her with problems that had passed.
“Is he as much of a nightmare as I’ve heard?”
I sat bolt upright, staring at my phone with growing horror.
“You knew?”
Silence.
“Isla Mairi Baines. Answer me.”
She cleared her throat. “I might have heard some rumours.”
“Before you offered me up to Sherry?”
Her silence spoke volumes, and I fell back against the pillows, my incredulous gaze stuck on the ceiling.
