Jade laughed. “That sounds like complete bullshit, but at least he didn’t make you feel like an ass. There are plenty of guys out there who are straight-up assholes about blowing you off, so I am just glad that he doesn’t seem like one of them.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t. Anyway, I don’t know when we are going to see each other again and I won’t push the issue. But, if I can be honest, I like him. I think he is sweet and even though we had a few drinks last night, I still think that I would’ve had sex with him because our chemistry was amazing. By the end of the night, it felt like we’d known each other forever.”
“Awww, that is cute! Well, now that you have gotten that over with, I guess we will see where things go from here! Congratulations, Miss I Don’t Need a Man!”
I stood up from the couch. “Yeah, yeah, now we just have to find you someone, so you don’t have to obsess about my personal life!”
She threw a pillow at me as I left. When I got into my room, I crashed face down on the bed, anxious to catch up on the sleep I had missed the night before. Yet, every time I closed my eyes, I found myself thinking about Hudson, and I cursed quietly for letting myself get so caught up in something that hadn’t even technically happened yet.
I only spoke to Hudson over the phone the next day. He was tied up with his manager, making last minute changes and going over the script that he was supposed to have memorized by Monday. I hated the feeling I had about him. I couldn’t get him out of my mind, but I didn’t want to seem desperate, so I didn’t text him as much as I thought about him.
Each time my phone went off, I grabbed it quickly, hoping it was him, and the few times it was, my heart fluttered, and butterflies floated around in my stomach. I felt like I was in high school again, talking to the boy that I had a crush on during my freshman year.
Hudson: Hey. I will try to hook up with you next weekend. Hopefully, I will have some down time on set, but I’m not sure.
I was appreciative of his text because he didn’t have to explain anything to me. We weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. Hell, we weren’t even dating. As of right now, we were just friends with benefits and that was something that I had to accept.
Me: Totally understand. We will have to see what happens next week though, because I am starting my new job too.
Hudson: You’re totally right. But I don’t want you to think I am going to forget about you. I could never forget about you. We’ll just have to work the timing out as we go.
Me: No worries. I’ll talk to you later?”
Hudson: Absolutely.
I double-checked that my alarm was set, then set my phone on the nightstand, and tucked myself in bed. Even more than my scattered thoughts about Hudson, I was anxious about my first day at work tomorrow. Jade said that she would take me in and introduce me to the person that was able to get me the job as a director’s assistant, so I was looking forward to that as well. I just hoped that I didn’t get there and piss everyone off because I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing.
I woke up in a flash the next morning and got ready in a hurry, trying to plan my outfit so I looked as professional, but comfortable, as possible. By the time I was done, Jade was already at the door, waiting to take me to the set.
“You look good,” she said, glancing at my attire. “The jeans are smart, the shirt isn’t too loose-fitting, and the sneakers are smart for running errands. It shows that you are not afraid to work. Perfect. Are you ready?”
I took a deep breath. “Let’s do it.”
The ride to the set took longer than I expected because traffic was horrible. Jade said that without traffic it was thirty minutes tops, but in LA, “no traffic” wasn’t a thing, and we were looking at an hour or more to the studio. I was used to traffic though, because New York was no different. A short ride through the city could easily turn into two hours stuck behind a pile-up of fire trucks or screaming guys in moving vans.
When we showed up at the set, there were cameras everywhere. People walked around frantically as if they were searching for items that they couldn’t seem to find. They walked with purpose, barely noticing Jade and me, standing in the middle of the set, looking for someone in particular.
“There she is,” Jade said as she lifted her hand. “Hey, Margo!” She yelled out a few times before her friend finally noticed us standing in the middle of the set.
With a smile, she hurried towards us. “Hey, Jade!” she said, embracing her. Margo was a short and curvy woman with a look of focused professionalism about her. I immediately wanted to know everything about her and learn everything she could teach me. “And you must be Chloe?” she asked, unsure if she was right.
“Yes, that’s me,” I said, extending my hand towards her. “It’s nice to meet you and thank you so much for the opportunity to work on set.”
She held my hand firmly with a genuine smile. “Oh, no problem. I just hope that you can hit the ground running. We started filming a little ahead of schedule, so everything is chaos. If you can handle the job, then I am sure there will be more opportunities for you down the line.”
I thanked her again and promised I would do whatever she needed, and with that, she walked Jade and me around, introducing us to a few of the producers, casting director, makeup crew and everyone else associated with the behind the scenes production. I thought everything would be overwhelming, but surprisingly, I felt like I was born for the position.
“And finally, this is Simon, the director. This is who you will be assisting during the production. Anything he needs, it’s your job to get it. Within reason of course,” Margo said with a laugh.
Simon wasn’t as welcoming as Margo. He was short and thin with cropped, messy blonde hair and light brown eyes that looked to be on the verge of shifting towards hazel. I forced a smile. “Hello, Simon. It’s nice to meet you.”
Simon gave me a once-over, then looked down at his clipboard. “Likewise. We need a few things added to the cast trailers. The actors are already complaining. Shocker,” he said as he pulled the paper off his clipboard and handed it to me. “Make sure you get that done. The trailers are back there,” he said, pointing in no particular direction, “and you’ll find supplies in the warehouse on the back of the lot. So, please, get to work.” He handed me a cell phone. “Oh, and before I forget, take that and keep it on and charged at all times. Whenever I need you, I will text you and it is in your best interest to answer promptly. You are on a short leash here, so don’t disappoint.”
Simon walked away as the three of us looked at each other with awkward smiles. Margo shook her head. “I guess I could’ve warned you that he is kind of… high-maintenance. But he is an amazing director, one of the best honestly, so the studios put up with crap.”
I kept my eyes on him as he walked further away. “Well, I guess I have to start at the bottom, so here I am.”
“Don’t let it get to you. You’ll do fine if you learn how to ignore his blatant disrespect.”
“Thank you, Margo.”
With that, she left me to get to work. Jade let me know that she was about to leave and that I would have to get a ride home later because she would be tied up. Jade had snagged a producer’s assistant job on the studio lot. I gave her a hug, and after she left, I got to work. I looked forward to the task in front of me, and no matter what, I was going to give it all I had.
Chapter 10
Hudson
When I walked onto the set, Keith was standing in the parking lot, tapping his watch. “You’re killing us, man. Killing us! You were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago!”
“Traffic, Keith! This is LA. I couldn’t do anything about it!”
“The hell you couldn’t. Leave earlier, Hudson! I am telling you, you can’t fuck this shit up. I worked too hard to get you that audition and to get you in a position where you could succeed. I need you to come in here and impress, not show up late and throw the damn day away.”
I brushed past him because I knew I didn’t want to get int
o a dumb argument on my first day. He walked behind me, step-for-step, going over what I needed to do today.
“The first thing you need to do is talk with the director, Simon. But you already met him in the audition, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”
I thought back on Simon from the audition and went over what I already knew about him based on his reputation. He was going to be difficult to win over, but it was the only way I was going to make it on this set. If he didn’t like me, I was done, and I wasn’t going to screw up right off the bat. I would prove myself any way I had to.
“Secondly, you’ve got to meet your co-star. Now, listen…” We breezed by some of the camera crew. They were separated from the other workers by their uniformity. I smiled and waved as we crossed paths.
Keith continued, “I told you that this woman was a piece of work, and I mean that. She is a lot more seasoned than you and if anybody gets cut from the movie, between you and her? It would be you. So, make sure you understand that you are walking on egg shells with her. If she hates the way you shake her hand, then cut your fucking hand off. If she hates the smell of your cologne, you find out what her favorite scent is and buy a crate of it. If she…”
“Damn it, Keith, I get it! I get it. She can be a bitch. I’ve dealt with women like that before. Do I need to remind you of Monica?”
He shook his head. “Dear God, no. I completely forgot about that train wreck. Hell, you lasted a few years with her, so you should be able to at least last the length of this movie shoot with Mona. You’ve been primed for this moment.”
I looked around at everyone. Most people barely recognized me and the ones who did immediately referenced a cheesy line from one of the many commercials I’d shot in times past.
“Well, Mr. Andrews, I am glad you finally made it on set.”
I turned around and saw Simon standing with a notebook in his hand. He smiled like a snake as people moved around us, scurrying to their places.
“Yeah, I ran into a little bit of traffic on the way in.”
“Uh-huh,” he muttered, barely even looking at me. “I understand. But, please, for future reference, we need you here on time. We normally start right at 8 am, but today being the first day, we’ve had a few things that we needed to take care of. If promptness will be a problem moving forward, I can send a car for you though…”
“It won’t happen again,” Keith interjected.
We both turned our eyes to him, and a moment later, Simon continued as if Keith wasn’t even there.
“I told the my assistant to fill your trailer with everything that you needed. She should have that taken care of by the time you get there, and if she doesn’t, please let me know and I will handle it promptly. I trust that you have your lines memorized for the day?”
“Yes. I’ve been rehearsing them all weekend to make sure everything was crisp and tight.”
“Very well,” Simon said, waving over a producer. “I won’t hold you up. Go ahead and introduce yourself to the rest of the cast if you haven’t already. They should be gathered near the craft services table just down this pathway here.” He pointed to the side. The long corridor looked like a tunnel with lights on top of the ceiling, lining the middle like a pathway.
“Ok, Simon. Thank you,” I said quickly, trying to sound as amiable and helpful as possible.
Simon walked off without another word, leaving Keith and me alone.
Keith shook his head. “Well… at least he wasn’t a total jerk. He seemed to be a little more professional than I expected. I’ve heard stories about him treating the male actors like crap and favoring the cute female actors. Just… try and stay on his good side, okay?”
I watched Simon walk away and noticed that he stopped to talk to a group of women at the end of the hall. His demeanor was much friendlier; maybe Keith was right. After he disappeared around the corner, Keith and I went down the corridor to meet the other actors and actresses. As soon as we got to the end of it, I spotted Mona. She looked exactly the same as she did in her movies.
There was a small crowd of people around her as she entertained them. Some looked mesmerized by her while others stood by, fighting for her attention.
“There she is, the queen bee,” Keith said as we both peered at her from a distance. “Like I said, Hudson, keep your cool at all times. Ok?”
I glared at him for a few seconds and after that, I left him alone and darted straight for Mona. I wasn’t going to allow her to intimidate me. I earned my role and there was absolutely no way I was going to act like I didn’t deserve to be there too.
“Mona?” I said with a smile as I parted the small crowd and extended my hand towards her.
She peered at it like it was infectious and let it hang in the air while her top lip curled up.
“And you are?” she asked with one eyebrow raised.
“I am Hudson Andrews. I’ll be co-starring with you in this film.”
Her eyes perused my body as she looked at me as if I was lower than her. I pulled my hand down once I realized that she wasn’t going to shake it. “So, I haven’t seen you in any movies before. Do you have any filmography to speak of?”
“Um. I’ve done a few things. Well, mostly commercials, but there were a couple short films that I starred in. I was…”
“I’m sorry, did you say commercials? You’ve done commercials?”
“Yes...”
She looked at me like I was a cockroach. A literal cockroach that she couldn’t wait to crush under thousand-dollar shoes. She shook her head and exhaled, then put her hand on top of her forehead while she shoved a drink into the chest of one of the men who stood beside her.
“Dear Lord, they’ve given me a damned commercial actor? My goodness. Alex!” she shouted, looking at the man she shoved the coffee at.
He wiped his shirt as he responded, “Yes, Mona?”
“Why did you not tell me that my co-star was nothing more than a commercial actor?”
“Mona, I told you his name a few weeks ago. I mentioned that…”
“You mentioned? You did no such thing because I would’ve remembered at that moment to tell you that he needs to be forewarned that I will NOT be embarrassed by a co-star who has no idea what he is doing.” She faced me. “Anders?”
“Hudson.”
“It doesn’t matter. You better be on your A-game, do you understand? And the first time I get any hint that you can’t hold your own, I will call for your replacement. You are on thin ice, do you understand?”
I wanted to tell her exactly what I thought of her and was on the verge of doing so, but Keith put his hand on my shoulder and spoke up.
“He understands, Mona. He completely understands, and trust me, he is exceptional. After this project, you will become a believer.”
Her top lip curled like a dog about to strike. “And you are?”
“Keith. I am his manager.”
She rolled her eyes, then walked away, mumbling something incoherent. Alex quickly followed behind her as Keith spoke up again. “You see, what did I tell you? Absolute bitch, but you have to work her so that you don’t piss her off. Show up and kill the scenes every single time.” I glared at her as she walked away from us like we were plotting to attack her.
I looked at him silently for a few seconds before I left his side and headed for my trailer. I wasn’t going to let Mona ruin my first day.
As soon as I opened the door, my mouth dropped open. It looked like a miniature apartment and it was just for me. My name was on the front door. A small couch was against the wall and a proper bed was on the other side with a 30-inch television right in front of it.
A wet bar was near the back of the trailer, and when Keith walked in, he was clearly happy with what he saw.
“Geez, welcome to the big leagues,” he said as he wandered around. “This is much different from the piece of shit trailers that you had to share with other people during those shorts you shot.”
“Yeah. This is a major step up.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door. “Come in.”
The door slowly swung open and I couldn’t believe who I saw walking into my trailer. Chloe’s beautiful face lit up the room as she stepped inside, carrying a few items in her hand. Her eyes went wide. “Hudson? What are you doing here?”
“I am… this is my movie. This is the movie I’m starring in.”
Holy shit, is this really happening?
Chapter 11
Chloe
The glass slipped out of my hand and smashed onto the floor as I looked at Hudson. The crashing sound of glass snapped me back to reality and I knelt down quickly to clean up the mess.
“Jesus Christ, what the hell is wrong with you?” Hudson’s friend said, looking directly at me.
“Um, I am sorry. I just, umm…”
Hudson moved towards me and helped me pick the large pieces of glass up from the floor. “Chloe?” he said as if he was trying to make sure it was me. “Is this really the job you were telling me about?”
I nervously gathered the pieces, disregarding the fact that one wrong grab could have glass slicing open my flesh.
“Yes?” I wasn’t answering properly, mostly worried about the mess I made. I knew that Simon would probably get rid of me because of my mistake, but I didn’t expect to see Hudson standing right in front of me. “I’m sorry for making a mess. I’ll go and get you another glass.”
He grabbed my hand and kept it steady, then slowly smiled, silently telling me that everything would be alright. Just beyond him, I saw that guy that he was at Pierre’s with. It was the annoying person that came to our table and nearly ruined Hudson’s chances with me. He narrowed his eyes, and suddenly, a smile stretched across his face.
“Hey, that’s the chick from Pierre’s, right?” he said as if he had just solved a decade’s long mystery. “Yeah, you sure are! I remember!”
“Chloe,” Hudson said as he rolled his eyes, “her name is Chloe.”
I forced a smile and gathered the other shards of glass together as Hudson grabbed the small trash can, so I could dump them inside. “Yeah, Chloe,” his friend said, “I didn’t catch your name, but I surely do remember a pretty face. What are you doing here?”
Baby and the Biker: The Ghost Riders MC Page 30