by Nikki Ashton
Alexi had called cut on my final scene for the day and I was just heading out with the rest of the extras when a hand landed on my shoulder. I turned to see Declan. His nose looked sore and he looked extremely pissed off. He also looked extremely stupid, with two huge wads of tissue hanging out of his nostrils. Lucky for Declan we didn’t call an ambulance, because they would have stuck tampons up his nose. Shame, we really should have called them.
“What the hell did you think you were doing, hitting me like that?” he asked, his swollen nostrils flaring around the tissue.
“You know why,” I replied. “And I didn’t actually do it on purpose.”
“Like hell you didn’t. You’ve turned into quite the Prima Donna, you know that. Since you got your lines and are all pally-pally with Grantley, you strut around as though you own the place.”
I tried to take a step back. It was instinctual to want to get away from him, but also his breath absolutely reeked of the chorizo and garlic chicken we’d had for lunch, and not in a good way. It was more like gone off chorizo and garlic chicken.
“That’s not true and you know it.” I pulled away with a little more force, causing Declan’s hand to drop from my shoulder. “Leave me alone Declan.”
“No!” he snapped. “You punched me.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose, I was trying to push you away.”
“Everyone is saying it,” he scoffed, curling his lip, “that you think you’re something special.”
Deep down I knew he was lying, but something still punched at my stomach. I knew everyone always felt envious of the extra who got lines, but I’d tried not to make a big thing of it. It was only three lines after all. I didn’t even want to be a leading actress, the thought of having to learn all that dialogue and pull out all those emotions every day, just didn’t excite me. I was quite happy with the odd line and being in the background. I could understand Declan being pissed off about it, he knew I didn’t want to be anything but an extra, whereas he was desperate for the limelight – no wonder he was jealous and maybe a few more were too, but no way did I think I was someone special.
“If anyone thinks that,” I sighed, “then tell them to come and talk to me about it. Now please, can I go? I don’t want to miss the bus back to the studio.”
“Your boyfriend not giving you a lift?”
“No. That was purely coincidental that Grantley drove past and saw me waiting with the boys. He did that more for the boys than me.”
I had no idea why I was justifying it to Declan, it wasn’t anything to do with him. Him or anyone else.
“Everyone thinks you got the lines because you’re shagging him.”
“Well I’m not,” I spat back at him. “Even if I was, Grantley couldn’t or wouldn’t, get me some dialogue just because we were sleeping together.”
“Everyone is calling you a whore, pretty much.”
The pain couldn’t have been worse if he’d punched me in the nose.
“No,” I gasped.
Declan smirked at me and nodded his head, very slowly. “Oh yes.”
“You’re a liar. Nothing is going on between us, not like that anyway.”
“So what’s it like, Phoebe? Do tell me. Did you get the lines before you shagged Grantley or after?”
My throat tickled as tears welled in my eyes. How could he say things like that? How could everyone else think that? I would never do anything like that.
“You hateful man,” I said around an emotional gasp.
“You whore.”
He verbally punched me again and this time it was too much. I turned and ran, pushing past people making their way to the dressing rooms, as I let the tears fall. Ricocheting off Claude, a huge, grey-haired man, I slammed into a wall, winding myself.
“You okay?” Claude asked, stooping down to look at me. “Phoebe, what’s wrong?”
He bent to look at me closely, resting a much more comforting hand than Declan’s on my shoulder.
“I’m not a whore,” I sobbed.
“What?”
He looked down the corridor where I’d come from and then back to me. People passing us gave curious glances, some of them whispering to each other as they went by.
“I’m not. I didn’t do what he said.”
As I pulled the hideous blue hairnet from my head, the tears were flowing rapidly and my chest was heaving as I thought about Declan’s words.
“I don’t know what it is you’re talking about sweetheart,” Claude said, running a hand through his mass of curly hair. “I-.”
“Hey, what’s going on?”
Suddenly Claude was pulled away from me and Penny was standing in front of me, pushing my hair from my wet cheeks.
“What’s wrong, hun?”
“I don’t know,” Claude replied. “She banged into me and she was just like that.”
Penny rolled her eyes. “I was asking Phoebe. Since when do I call you hun? I don’t even know your name.”
Claude snorted out a girlish laugh for a man so large. “Ooh sorry. I thought you were talking to me.”
“Nope. Listen, you go. I’ll take care of her.”
Penny turned back to me, pushing a slim, tattooed arm around me and hugging me against her.
“Come on,” she whispered in my ear. “I’ll take you to Grantley.”
“No,” I cried. “People will say-.”
“Fuck what people say. Have you not left yet, big guy?” she said without even looking at Claude.
“Thank you, Claude,” I whimpered, giving him a small smile.
“No problem. Glad I could help.”
Penny tsked and started to walk me down the corridor amongst the throng of extras making their way to the dressing rooms to change out of their costumes. When we got to the end, everyone turned left, but Penny steered me right towards the exit of the warehouse. We passed a few technicians and some of the other main actors, but no one gave us a second glance. Finally, Penny pulled me to a stop outside Grantley’s trailer. She banged on the door.
“Grantley, open up. Phoebe needs you.”
Within seconds, Grantley’s door was swung open and he was standing in the doorway. He was already out of his Addison Yates’ clothes and wearing a pair of faded jeans and a grey t-shirt.
“What the fuck’s wrong?” he asked, stumbling down the metal steps and pulling me against his chest. “Hey, Phoebe, what happened?”
“I figured you’d look after her.”
With my face against Grantley’s chest, I couldn’t see Penny, but I could tell she was smiling. Her voice was full of warmth and tenderness.
“How…?” Grantley said.
“I have eyes, hunni. I’m gonna go. I still have my gear to pack up. You gonna be okay?” she said into my ear.
I turned my face to look at Penny, giving her a smile.
“Thank you, Penny.”
“My pleasure, sugar.” She ran a hand down my hair and with a punch to Grantley’s bicep, turned and left.
“Come on, let’s get you inside. It’s fucking freezing out here.”
“No it’s not,” I said around a small laugh.
“It fucking is.”
“You’re going to have to tell me some time,” Grantley cajoled, placing a mug of coffee into my hands.
“I actually don’t.” I sighed and took a sip of the muddy liquid. “Ugh that’s disgusting.”
“No it’s not, that’s proper coffee. Now tell me what got you so upset.”
“Seriously, Grantley, I’m fine. Penny shouldn’t have brought me here. I’ll drink this and then leave you to it. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of things you need to be doing.”
He planted himself on the sofa next to me and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “Penny did the right thing. We’re friends.”
I turned my head sharply and raised my brows. “We are?”
“You know we fucking are.” He narrowed his gaze on me. “I admit you were a pain in my ass at first, but I’d say we are most definit
ely friends. Now damn well tell me what got you so upset.”
This was how it had been for the last twenty minutes, him pushing me to tell him why I’d been crying and me saying I was fine. I didn’t want to tell him, because I knew what would happen – Declan would get thrown off the film and then I’d be the biggest bitch alive.
“I really am okay, I swear. Just something stupid upset me.”
Grantley’s eyes darkened as he took hold of my chin with one hand and with the other, took my mug and placed it on the coffee table.
“I want to know, Phoebe,” he said softly. “Penny must have thought it was serious to bring you to me.”
“I’m so sorry about that. You don’t need me here, crying on your shoulder.”
And boy, what a shoulder it was. I don’t think I’d ever felt as safe as when he had his arms wrapped around me. Unfortunately, I think I got snot on his t-shirt, but he hadn’t seemed to notice when I surreptitiously wiped it away. I hadn’t wanted to leave his embrace and forgo his clean citrusy smell and warm, hard chest.
“Tell me.” His gaze was steely and commanding and made my heart thunder.
“I was being silly.”
“Maybe, maybe not, but I won’t know unless you tell me,” Grantley said in a tone so soft and tender, I wondered whether he was actually hypnotising me.
“Promise you won’t do anything, because if you do it’ll only make things worse.”
Grantley sat back against the soft leather of the sofa, eyeing me warily.
“So it’s something bad enough I’m likely to go nuclear on someone’s ass?”
I winced, knowing he was right.
“Swear to me, Grantley. Please.”
He watched me for a few seconds and then nodded.
“Okay.”
I took a deep breath and told him all about mine and Declan’s ‘friendly’ conversation.
“The fucking asshole,” he cried, pushing up from the sofa. “I’ll have him thrown of this damn movie quicker than he can say ‘I’m named after a fucking prick, because I am one’.”
“You promised,” I said, pulling on his hand. “If you do anything, it’ll just prove it right to those who think it.”
“I don’t give a fuck what they think,” he stormed, pulling away from me and starting to pace up and down the trailer. “I’ll get every-fucking-one of them that said it, or even thought it, thrown off too.”
“I don’t want that,” I protested.
“Well I do. They can’t say that.”
“They actually can. We live in the free world.”
“Not on this fucking movie we don’t. This is my movie and if I want the fuckers gone, they’re fucking gone.”
He turned quickly, snatching his phone up from the coffee table. “I’m going to call Alexi.”
“No!” I cried, making a grab for the phone. “Please don’t, Grantley. Please.”
Lifting it to his ear, he paused and stared at me. “Why don’t you want me to get the ass hat kicked off?” he asked. “Surely you don’t want to be around him after he upset you.”
“Because it would make what he said seem true. It really would look like I only got the lines because you and I are…well you know.”
Heat flooded my veins, as I considered what Declan had said. I couldn’t lie, a little picture flashed through my brain. A picture of Grantley supremely naked and doing naughty things to me.
As if he read my mind, Grantley’s lips curled into a small smile – the first I’d seen since Penny had deposited me at his door.
“I don’t really care what they say. You know that right?”
I nodded.
“We’re friends, even if you don’t think it, and I’d do the same for any of my friends. But,” he said on a sigh, “I won’t do anything about it, because you don’t want me to. Although why you don’t, I have no fucking clue.”
“I just don’t want things to be even more difficult. Not that I thought they were, until Declan said what he did.”
“Yeah well, that all sounds like a crock of shit to me.” Grantley puffed out his cheeks and looked at me intently. “I’m pretty sure he’s making it up and no one else has said that about you. That only makes me want to dick punch him even more.”
“Well I think he’s probably been punched enough for one day.”
Grantley tsked. “Nah, I’m sure he can manage one more. Anyway, I won’t say anything, but if he does anything else, all bets are off. Okay?”
I grinned and nodded. “Thank you. I do appreciate you wanting to get rid of him for me, but I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
“Honestly.”
Grantley took a step towards me and lifted his hand to my face. His fingertips whispered against my sticky cheek and the lightness of his touch took my breath away. Standing as still as a statue, I raised my eyes to look at him. His strong jaw was taught and beneath the light spray of whiskers I could see a nerve twitching. Eyes the colour of winter grass looked down at me as I held my breath. When Grantley’s breathing quickened, I knew he was going to kiss me. Slowly, his hand moved around to the back of my head as he narrowed the gap between us. The air grew stifling and all I wanted to do was feel his lips on mine.
“I have no idea what’s happening here,” he whispered, inching closer. “But I know I have to kiss you.”
We were nose to nose and I couldn’t believe I was going to get to kiss him.
“Well do-.”
“Grantley, open up this fucking door now. I’m freezing my fucking titties off out here.”
Grantley’s hand fell from my hair and he took a step away from me, letting his head drop back with his eyes closed.
“I cannot believe this,” he groaned. “Fucking Marcia.”
Phoebe
As Grantley strode to the door, I quickly ran a hand over my hair and straightened my ugly white overalls. I knew I hadn’t been kissed, but that near kiss had been pretty hot – God, imagine what an actual kiss would be like.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Grantley asked, a cold breeze rushing around me as the door was opened.
“You fucking asked me to be here, you asshole.”
I turned and watched as Marcia stomped through the door. She was wearing an extremely tight white skirt with a fitted black and white stripe jacket on her tiny frame, and carrying my dream handbag; a black Mulberry, Bayswater. Her bleached blonde hair was bigger than she was and as she tottered forward on a pair of towering, black stiletto shoes, which were probably as expensive as her handbag, she slapped Grantley around the back of the head.
“What the…what’s that for?” he asked, rubbing at the spot she’d slapped.
“For making me come to this godforsaken hell hole,” she screeched. “You just wouldn’t take no for an answer, would you?”
“I told you why,” Grantley protested. “Sue-Ann is coming and you’re the only who can put her in her place.”
“I know I have the honor of that ability, but it doesn’t mean I always have to be the fucking one to do it.”
“But you do it so well,” Grantley said with a grin.
I watched their interaction, silently waiting on the side-lines and wondering whether I should simply slink away. Before I had a chance to decide, Marcia turned her head towards me – I say she turned her head but more like her face turned to me, and her hair looked as though it stayed where it was. It was so solid with hairspray, I wondered if she ever dared go near a naked flame.
“And who the hell are you?”
“I…I-.”
“Marcia, this is my friend, Phoebe,” Grantley said on a sigh.
My gaze shot towards him, and while he wasn’t smiling, there were little creases at the corners of his twinkling eyes.
“Why the fuck are you dressed like that?” she cried, waving a finger up and down at me. “Do you clean the drains around here, or are you some sort of fucking sexual freak and I’m going to be reading about this experience in People Magazine i
n a month?”
“Marcia!” Grantley snapped. “Stop it. Phoebe is an extra on the movie. She’s just finished filming a scene.”
“You’re letting a damn extra spike your pole? Grantley, what the fuck have I told you about messing with the help? You. Don’t. Fucking. Do. It.”
My eyes widened as she pushed past me and strode up towards the other end of the trailer where there was a small bed, piled with cushions. Bending, she pulled off the cushions and then the white cotton duvet.
“I’ll make sure this lot is burned,” she growled. “We don’t want her scraping your damn spunk off here and claiming some little bastard as yours – that’s assuming you’ve used protection and she hasn’t saved the damn condom in her purse.”
“Marcia!” Grantley bellowed. “That’s e-fucking-nough. Don’t you dare talk about Phoebe like that. We are not having sex. We haven’t even kissed.”
Thanks to you, Marcia, and I just know it was going to be amazing.
“Doesn’t mean she isn’t going to try.” Marcia winked at Grantley. “She wouldn’t be the first little whore to try it.”
“Marc-.”
“Hey,” I cried. “I am not a whore. How the hell dare you?”
“Ah jeez, Grantley,” she cried. “This one has fucking balls.”
“We are just friends. What Grantley says is true, but even if we were more than that, you should not be calling me a whore. You don’t even know me. You stroll in here, being rude to Grantley the moment you walk through the door, and call me horrible names without even saying kiss my arse.”
“Oh my God, you are a fucking sex freak,” she groaned, horrified. “You want me to kiss your ass?”
“No,” I snapped. “It’s a turn of phrase. The point I’m making is, you haven’t even spoken to me and have already made your mind up that I’m out to pull a fast one on Grantley.”
“A fast one – what like pull a gun on him?”
She was playing with me, she knew exactly what I was saying.
“I mean it, Marcia. Leave Phoebe the fuck alone.” Grantley pointed a finger at Marcia as she kicked at one of the pillows on the floor. ”She’s my friend. She makes me laugh and I enjoy her company. She has no fucking hidden agenda. She’s so fucking good and kind she wouldn’t have a damn clue where to start.”