by Anna Adams
Jason Taylor headed back into the shadows. He’d been ready to jump in to save Mary, but Maude’s giggling had interrupted his chivalric entrance.
“Start over! Everyone back in place!”
Mary’s eyes screamed silent terror because she knew she looked outrageously cute in a vulnerable sort of way. She dared not move because she was just a female cameo not a main male character. The beast’s fangs were ready to tear her up and have her bones for dinner unless her hero arrived and rescued her from the terrible monster whose longs hairs were scratching her nose and gave her an irresistible urge to . . .
Mary sneezed. Or rather, Maude did.
“Cut!” the director bellowed once more with an infuriated growl.
“Sorry!” Maude rubbed her nose. “Those hairs, they make me want to sneeze!”
“All right, everyone, take five!” he yelled with an impatience he wasn’t trying to mask. “Laurent and Taylor come this way. Make-up!”
Jazmine and Matt laughed and headed over to the snack table to grab something to eat.
“Maude can’t act to save her life,” Matt declared as he grabbed a couple of doughnuts and a cup of coffee.
“She’s better at it now. Let’s not forget her memorable appearance in Living with the Livingstons,” Jazmine laughed.
Matt had found Maude’s clumsy presence rather charming up until the whole homeless spitting debacle.
“So, Jason’s your rebound, huh?” Matt asked, changing the subject.
“You could say that,” Jazmine answered. “I was so blind regarding Jonathan. Why is it the people we least expect to hurt us are the ones who hurt us the most?”
“I think you’ve answered your own question. Jonathan doesn’t know what he’s lost.”
“Watching him for half an hour tongue Laura, ugh! Matt, I swear, it was humiliating and plain gross. Now, I’m cured. For good.”
“I can’t imagine,” he looked at Maude busy with the makeup artist. Jazmine followed his gaze and cleared her throat.
“Matt, about that,” she said. “I think you should move on . . . from Maude. I love her to death, but I know you’re unhappy with this whole situation, and honestly, at this point, I don’t think this situation is healthy for Maude or for you.”
“What are you talking about?” Matt asked. Did she know something he didn’t? Of course, things were a bit complicated with Maude, but she was nothing like Jonathan.
“All I’m saying is you two haven’t really broken anything up!”
“Jaz, I appreciate your concern. But didn’t your advice end up blowing in my face last year?”
Jaz looked uncomfortable. She had meddled in their relationship in the past with disastrous results.
“Last year, I thought you would be the one breaking Maude’s heart, and now I’m not so sure.”
“Maude hasn’t broken anything, Jaz. I’m fine, we’re friends.”
“You are not friends. You and I are friends,” she corrected, jabbing her finger in his chest. “You couldn’t care less if you saw me making out with another guy, right? Now, how would you feel if you saw Maude kissing someone else even for say, a movie?”
Matt turned away so that Jazmine couldn’t see his face in the darkness. “There isn’t a kissing scene in Vampire Love 2, is there?” he asked, hiding his discomfort.
“Take my advice. Move on,” she articulated. And to prove her point, she took a gigantic bite from her bagel.
“All right! Everyone back in place! Laurent, no giggling or sneezing or anything but your script.”
“There’s nothing in the script but a near-death experience,” Maude mumbled as she settled back in her spot.
“Annnnd action!”
Mary walked quickly in the deserted alley. No way was she going to linger in this death trap. She’d heard of the terrible animal attacks and didn’t want to make tomorrow’s headline news of the New York Times.
She stopped and looked over her shoulder. She’d heard a growl. She was sure of it.
She resumed walking, quickening her pace, her fists balled up. No wild animal would feast on her tonight.
Suddenly, she was pinned to the wall by a large, overgrown dog with long, rough hairs, a deafening growl, and fangs like ivory blades. His breath came over her like a hot, heavy wave of stench and burned the hairs of her nostrils.
Mary shoved her elbow in his rib pushed him off her with all her strength and smashed him into the large garbage bin overflowing with trash. He slid limply down the garbage bin as a bag poured its content over his head.
But Mary wasn’t finished with him. She ran to him and . . .
“Cuuuuuuuuut!” the director bellowed. He’d been too astounded to yell cut as soon as Maude had gone on a raging killing spree.
“What are you doing?” He racked his hand through his thinning hair and appeared to be debating on yanking off the little he had left.
“I’m defending myself,” Maude explained with a shrug.
“WHY are you doing that? The SCRIPT! Just follow the freaking script Laurent!” His voice reached unbelievable heights every time he said script, and it took all of Matt and Jazmine’s self-control to refrain from rolling over with laughter.
“Leonardo is supposed to save Mary! If you fight back, what the hell is he supposed to do?”
“So I’m supposed to stand there and let that sorry excuse of a werewolf breathe on me with his onion breath. No offense, Chris,” she said turning to the dismal werewolf. He waved it off.
“I can fight. I’m no black belt, but I can still stand up for myself. This is how I would react if I ran into a werewolf in a dark alley with ominous music playing. Girls are sick of playing damsels in distress. We’re not in the Middle Ages, and this isn’t an Arthurian legend.” Maude took turns looking at each crew member and actor on the set. “What example would I be giving to girls all over this country if I were to roll over and let this thing bite me? Your sisters, girlfriends, wives, daughters. My character Mary doesn’t have to wait for Leonardo to save her. Forget about Mary and add a little Madeleine in this story!” she cried.
“You want to play a whore?” Jason Taylor asked, laughing.
“Maybe not,” Maude conceded “but you get my drift. I’m no victim or a damsel or distressed! I want to kick some werewolf butt! Who’s with me?” she cried out raising her fist in the air. Jason and Jazmine yelled “Yeah!” in unison, then looked around waiting for additional support. No one budged, and Matt was nowhere to be seen.
All they heard was a fly buzz by.
“You listen to me, Laurent.” The director pulled his hands out of his hair and pointed a threatening finger in Maude’s face. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about your stupid girl power routine. You play this scene as is. No sneezing, no giggling, and NO KICKBOXING! Get it? Or do I have to repeat it in another language for your snooty French behind?”
Maude glared at the director’s finger and wanted to bite it off. He’d see snooty French behind. This French girl would make him bite the dust.
“Forget it, Maude,” Jason said, tugging her arm. “He won’t change his mind.”
“Fine,” Maude said through clenched teeth.
Mary sauntered with sweet innocence through the dark alley like a fairy sauntering through calm pastures. She felt as giddy as could be and didn’t pay attention to growling noises she heard in the background along with a violin’s morbid wail.
Suddenly, she was pushed against the wall by a scary, furry beast. She screamed “Aarrrrrrrrrrrrghh” in the highest pitch her mezzo-soprano voice allowed and covered her eyes. Who will save me from this monster, she thought?
Just as she despaired and felt the beast’s teeth close in on her neck, she heard the music change. No more violins, but loud drums and a hectic rhythm. She opened her eyes and beheld her ardent hero had arrived in time to save her. She clasped her hands with gratitude while the handsome stranger with eyes glinting like midnight stars knocked the werewolf out of his senses.
“Oh my hero,” she murmured with dreamy, misty eyes.
“Cut! Good job, Maude!” The director yelled as he clapped the clapboard.
Maude sauntered towards Matt with the giddiness of a schoolgirl her hands behind her back. She stopped in front of him with an exaggerated angelic smile and blinked repeatedly.
“Did you get the fight on camera?” she asked twirling her fingers together.
Matt smiled and nodded with a mischievous glint. “I did.”
Maude clasped her hands with gratitude and cried in her high-pitch voice “Oh my hero!” She unclasped her hands and added in a serious tone, “That director’s going down.”
*****
“A what kind of concert?” Alan asked.
“A‘female empowerment concert,’” Maude explained. She’d thought about it and even Alan wouldn’t put a stop to this plan.
“And how would that profit me?”
“It wouldn’t really,” Maude shrugged. “It’s not about you. I want to raise money for women shelters like the one my Aunt Victoria is running.”
“So this is like a fundraising concert.”
Maude nodded.
“No.” Alan turned back to his stack of papers.
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean what no usually means.”
“I wasn’t asking for your permission.” Maude crossed her arms and faced Alan with a determined stare.
Alan made his way around his desk and stood before Maude. His bald spot shone right under Maude’s nose.
“I won’t give my approval for some ridiculous female fancy!”
“You already have,” Maude replied. She took out her laptop for her bag and searched the Internet while sitting on the edge of his desk, which she knew would irritate him.
“This video has been on YouTube for less than twenty-four hours.”
The director’s voice blasted out of her computer. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about your stupid girl power routine. You play this scene as is. No sneezing, no giggling, and NO KICKBOXING! Get it? Or do I have to repeat it in another language for your snooty French behind?”
Alan peered at the YouTube video and his eyes widened. “900,000 views!”
“And don’t get me started on the comments. They go from sexist pig to a few lofty death threats. Oh, and the French haven’t really appreciated the whole ‘French snooty behind’ comment even though they know it’s true at least regarding Parisians.” People from the north of France were far less snooty, that was a known fact.
“You remove that video this instant, Maude!” He grabbed her keyboard and drummed on the keys with frantic haste.
“Not happening. Besides all these people are really looking forward to that concert next week hosted by Soulville and the incredibly non-sexist Alan Lewis.”
She removed Alan’s sweaty palms from her keyboard clicked on her official website and read her announcement. “Female Empowerment Concert. Guests: Maude Laurent, Matt, and more. Place: Soulville’s rooftop. Host: Alan Lewis who’s condemned the director’s comments as ‘outrageously inappropriate.’” She turned to Alan. “Don’t you like the sound of that?”
Alan glared at Maude.
“I learned from the best, Alan. Thanks to you, I now know that when I want to force a person into doing something they don’t want to do, I tell the press they’ve agreed to it and just like magic, I’ve twisted their arm. Sound familiar, Alan?”
“Going out with Thomas Bradfield has been beneficial to your career,” Alan spat out. Maude decided that would be a debate for another time.
“And this concert is beneficial to yours. Check out the considerable increase in likeability this does for you. Teenwarrior323 wrote ‘Go Alan!,’ Iceandfire41 wrote, ‘Soulville Rocks!,’ Burrito52 wrote, ‘Finally a music label respectful of women,’ and the list goes on.”
Alan scrolled down the page and viewed the comments, his face losing its sternness as he went down. “Fine,” he growled. “You have my approval.”
“I don’t need it, but if that makes you feel better.” She closed her computer and headed for the exit.
“I want Thomas Bradfield and Lindsey Linton in on this,” he added before she left. He grabbed his telephone and called Glitter Records. He could create gold out of any kind of straw.
Maude nodded and shut the door on her way out.
*****
When the day of the concert arrived, Soulville Tower was in a state of excitement rarely seen before. Sound engineers were walking in and out of the building, guest stars were arriving, barking extravagant demands to interns, who met them all in due time. Between soy milk, gluten-free foods and Evian water, the interns weren’t nearly rewarded enough for their enduring forbearance.
Adrianna had chosen an outfit for Maude that was warm enough to stand the chilly air of a cold February afternoon, but chic enough for a rooftop concert and her rebellious theme. Thomas and Matt were at each other’s throats for the entire day, and Maude gave up trying to make them listen to her voice instead of theirs. As for Lindsey, she was content enough with being a part of an event she’d never before attempted, even at the peak of her own rebellious phase, and thought Maude had one or two good ideas once she thought outside of her saintly box.
“Obviously Maude can’t have her piano on the rooftop! The acoustics will be awful!” Matt exclaimed, wringing his hands around an imaginary neck.
“She can’t not have a piano up there! This is the concert of a lifetime!” Thomas argued back.
“How do you plan on making that happen Einstein? No one’s going to hear her play fourteen floors down.”
“She can’t take a Steinway, but she can play on a digital piano,” Thomas offered.
Matt snorted as if Thomas had offered Maude swing on branches dressed as Tarzan.
“A digital piano? Are you kidding me? Maude will never play on a digital piano. That just goes to show you know nothing about real musicians.”
“Right, because ‘Love Doctor’ was such a masterpiece from a real musician?”
“At least I didn’t steal it from anyone,” Matt flung back. “Speaking about that: how does it feel to know you’ve won Best Male Artist thanks to a song I wrote?”
“My other singles were hits, Matt. They all peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard 100. So no, I don’t owe you anything. And if you ever insinuate otherwise. . . ” Thomas grabbed Matt by the collar while the latter raised his fist ready to smash Thomas’ lights out, both pairs of eyes burned with mutual hatred.
“Guys!” Maude shouted. “Let me remind you this is the Female Empowerment Concert. Boys are allowed, of course, because we’re all united in this cause. But this show of testosterone has got to stop, or I’m kicking both of you out of this event. I mean it!” Maude glared in silence and surveyed each singer with a stone eye.
Thomas reluctantly let go of Matt, muttering under his breath, while Matt lowered his clenched fist.
“Matt, may I speak to you in private please?” she asked.
He followed Maude to his creation room, leaving Thomas with a disapproving scowl.
“We’re French, and the Gallic rooster is our unofficial national symbol. But please, quit acting like a rooster tonight,” Maude pleaded.
“I can’t stand him!”
“I gathered as much. Lindsey and I aren’t best friends either, but you haven’t seen us at each other’s throats all day, have you?”
“Are you sure you want to sing with both Lindsey and Thomas tonight?”
“I have to. Alan wants me to promote our two upcoming singles. But don’t forget, you and I are the last performers. I thought I could have a piano on the rooftop.”
“But you hate digital pianos!”
“I know,” Maude nodded. Digital pianos were far less authentic. “I’m making an exception.” Her eyes gleamed, and he understood she wanted to sing with him as much as he looked forward to singing with her in public for the first time.
“All right, but it h
as to be a Steinway digital piano. No way you’re playing on a Yamaha digital piano.”
“I agree. I’m a Steinway girl all the way.”
A Steinway digital piano was therefore mounted on Soulville Tower rooftop where a large crowd had gathered as the sun’s descent glazed over the rooftops.
When Maude reached the rooftop that evening, the musicians started playing, and the electric night air fired through her veins as the crowd greeted her with loud applause and cheers. Music blasted from rooftop to rooftop through Times Square. Traffic was jammed and cars were honking like crazy.
“Good Evening Manhataaaaannnnn!” Maude yelled, her voice echoing across the streets. The crowd yelled in response and ignited Maude’s feeling of utter freedom. Children, adults, teen girls and boys: all were there to support her cause.
“So we’re here this evening for the very first edition of Soulville’s Female Empowerment Concert! This started out as a reaction against director Frank Forrester’s blatant disregard for the portrayal of women in movies. We’ve received many donations for our cause for women’s shelters all around America and programs for the advancement of women, so keep on giving! And let’s have some fun! Because, as Cyndi Lauper said, ‘Girls just wanna have fun!’”
Lindsey joined her on the rooftop, and they sang Cyndi Lauper’s immortal words. They’d decided together that singing on Cyndi Lauper was more appropriate for their theme than singing about two girls who can’t stand each other, and the choice proved to be judicious. Singing with Lindsey was a complete different experience than recording with her. Fueled by the crowd’s energy, the street noise, and the scenery of the city sprawled under their daring gaze, the girls sang together with vigor and vivacity. Soon, the loud buzzing of a helicopter’s propellers cut through the air. They were on national TV.
As the last notes of their song died down, Thomas came up to replace them.
Maude and Lindsey left the rooftop and made their way to the kitchen to get a drink, before going back up. The fourteenth floor was crowded with guests but when Maude passed by Alan, she overheard his conversation with a reporter.