The man shrugged. “I dunno. A few weeks. A month.”
“What about the set that was here? What happened to it?”
“I have no idea. They probably dismantled it when they wrapped.”
“No, no. You don’t understand. Filming never finished. That’s my point. I’m the lead actress. The picture’s not done.”
The man leaned against the wall behind himself and chuckled. “So, you are the lead actress and you’re asking me where the set and crew of your movie went? Lady, no offense, but that sounds crazy.”
“Uh!” I fired back as my hands curled into balls. “I’m not crazy. Just… do you know anything at all?”
As he finished his sarcastic guffaw, he shook his head. Pushing himself off the wall, he continued, “Look, how many more ways can I say this to you? I don’t know anything. Isn’t there someone you can call?”
I chewed my lip as I listened to him. Yes. That was it. A simple call would straighten this whole thing out. Why hadn’t I thought of it! I looked down and focused my attention on the inside of my purse. Scanning pocket after pocket, I pulled out my phone at last.
“Yes, I do have someone I can call…” I began, as I looked back up towards him. But during the time I’d fished around inside my bag, the man had walked away. In my distracted state, I hadn’t even heard him leave.
“Rude,” I muttered.
Shrugging him off, I swiped my phone and seconds later, Grey answered.
“Grey, what is going on with the movie?”
My question caught him off guard. In the background I heard him shuffle some paper around on his desk. Half-listening to me, he replied, “Hmm? What do you mean?”
I spun in place. Gesturing towards the newly constructed sound stage, I continued, “Uh, well! I came to the studio and the set is completely different. Susan is nowhere to be found. Hell, the only person I ran into has never heard of her before. There’s a completely different production going on here now! You promised me I could come back and finish filming as soon as I was feeling better.”
Grey’s continued to struggle with attention. “Uh huh.”
“Grey!” I yelled. “Are you listening to me?”
“What?” he said, as his focus returned. “Yes, Maddie. I heard you. Nothing has changed with respect to your film. Okay?"
“What?” I stammered. “What are you talking about, Grey? You aren’t hearing me. The whole thing is… well, it looks like it’s been canceled!”
“No, it isn’t. Jesus Maddie, don’t be ridiculous,” he replied. “As I told you, we would begin filming again as soon as you felt up to it. In the meantime, I’m running a business there. I’m not about to pay for the time of the entire crew, including Susan, while you got your strength back."
I frowned as he spoke. “So what then? Does that mean it’s not canceled?”
“No, it isn’t. I authorized the senior studio management to use the production space as they saw fit. If they are filming in there right now, that’s all they’ve done.”
Confused, I continued, “Well, okay so now what? Are you going to get everyone back here to work again?”
Finally giving me his full attention, Grey let loose with a deep exhale.
“I can’t right now, Maddie. I’m buried in the details of my grandfather’s estate. You’ll have to handle it.”
“Me?” I replied in disbelief. “How am I supposed to do that? You’re the one paying for the whole thing. Who’s going to listen to what I have to say about it?”
“You’re the lead actress, Maddie,” he said with conviction. As if the mere fact gave me the right to compel change. “You asked me to stop controlling you. Remember? You wanted me to trust you to make your own choices. Right? Well, here’s your chance.”
“But who am I supposed to go see?”
“Oh hell, I don’t remember his name,” Grey replied with a dismissive tone. “Just go to the studio offices and ask around. You’ll find out soon enough. I’m busy. Is there anything else?”
“No.”
MADDIE
A half hour and a dozen questions later, I stood outside of the office of the person who’d shuttered the movie. I drew my eyes up the length of the door until the name placard came into view. Through closed lips, I slid my tongue across the front of my teeth in disgust.
Trevor Mother Fucking Billings.
Okay, so I inserted the ‘mother fucking’ part in my head.
Keep it together, Maddie. Stay calm.
Reaching up, I rapped against the door for a moment or two.
“It’s open!”
As I entered, Trevor sat behind his desk, hunched over a pile of paperwork. He paused and looked up at me and his eyebrows tented with surprise.
“Maddie?”
“Hey,” I replied, as I closed the door.
As I did, he stood from behind the desk and circled around towards me. It looked as if he might be coming in for an embrace. I had no interest, so instead I stopped him cold with the reason I’d come.
“What’s going on with the movie, Trevor?”
He frowned as he looked back at me. “Nothing.”
“What do you mean? Nothing? I’m back and ready to work. When can we get started again?”
As I spoke, Trevor assumed a half-seated position on the corner of his desk crossing his arms and legs in the process.
“Not sure, Maddie,” he began, as he tilted his head at me. Smugness peppered each word coming from his mouth. “It’s going to be a while. If it were up to me…”
His voice trailed off.
Thinning my lips, I countered his closed off posture as I raised my arms and crossed them at my chest. “If what was up to you, Trevor?”
He nodded. His frown deepened, creasing across his forehead as his tone turned serious. “You really want to get into this with me, Maddie?”
“Get into what? I don’t know what you’re talking about, Trevor.”
“All right, okay,” he began. “Maddie, your flakiness and bizarre antics are the whole reason this thing ground to a halt. You up and disappeared without telling anyone what happened or why. The only person who had any inkling of where you’d gone was Susan, but you stopped returning her calls and texts. For some unknown reason, the owner of the studio chose to shelve the project until you decided to get your shit together. I have no idea why. I would have fired you and hired another actress in no time flat.”
As he finished speaking an urge overwhelmed me. I almost, almost, almost threatened to go over his head. I could take this to Grey in a second and get everything back on track but that would only reveal our relationship to Trevor and everyone else. I’d gotten this job based on my ability and I didn’t want to tarnish it. If I wanted to keep working in this town, I’d have to get there on my own and like it or not, there were always going to be men like Trevor in my way.
I spun away from him, walking towards the windows of his office. Just beyond them bright sunshine glinted off the chrome and windows of vehicles crowded in the studio parking lot. I exhaled as I stared blankly, hoping a persuasive thought would come to me. But, before I could say anything, Trevor spoke once again.
“Maddie, I’m disappointed in you. All this time, you finally get the opportunity to achieve your dreams and what do you do? Completely self-sabotage the whole thing. Some things never change do they?”
Bitterness gathered in the corners of my mouth as he rambled. My fingers started to curl under, threatening to take the shape of fists.
He chuckled.
“Fuck you, Trevor.” I hissed as I glared out the window. As much as I hated to admit it, his words still hurt. Not as much as they used to but they did, nevertheless.
“Careful Maddie,” he warned. His tone carried a sinister intent. “Watch what you say to me.”
I grimaced as the skin across my knuckles tightened. “There’s a lot of things I never got to say to you that I should have.”
“Oh really?” he scoffed. “Like what? I mean, since we’re here, might as well get it all out there.”
I spun in place and focused my ire on him.
“Fine!” I exclaimed. “It’s simple, Trevor. You broke my heart. And you never even bothered, not once, since everything happened, to ask how I was. It’s like I never existed to you! Don’t you understand how terrifying it was for me to leave my family and come all this way? I worked and supported you for years while you struggled and then for you to just drop me like you did…”
He nodded as I spoke, but didn’t reply.
“I was too good of a girlfriend for you to treat me the way you did. I would have followed you anywhere, done anything to be with you. But you ruined it all with your cheating and lying and for what? Why? Were any of those girls any better than me? No! They weren’t! If they were, you’d still be with them.”
“Stop it, Maddie!” Trevor yelled as he banged his fist on the table. “Quit putting all of this on me!”
“Why, Trevor? It’s all on you! You did all of it! I’m not the one who cheated and lied. Am I?”
“No!” he fired back. “But your goddamn insecurities drove me crazy. Don’t you get that?”