Tanner poured wine for the others and refreshed Sierra’s and my glasses. Before we could dig in, Aiden raised his glass for a toast. “To Sierra. May you have an amazing career ahead of you.”
We clinked glasses and echoed Aiden’s toast. I expected Sierra to be touched, as I had to admit I sort of was, but her face was incredibly pale. Was she ill?
I got caught up with scooping salad onto everyone’s plates and passing food around. The steak was amazing, and I’d just finished complimenting Ford when Aiden muttered “son of a bitch” under his breath. I turned to stare at him, but his eyes were on Sierra. “She’s crying.”
Sure enough, her head was bowed and tears were streaming down her face. “Sierra?”
Aiden looked pissed. “All night, I’ve been on my best behavior. Yet she’s still crying.”
I got up and walked around the table, crouching down next to Sierra. I tucked a long strand of her flaxen hair behind her ear. “What’s wrong?”
She stared downward, and one tear after another glided down her cheeks and landed in her lap.
Ford caught my eyes, using silent gestures to ask me if he thought he and the others should leave the table.
I honestly didn’t know. “Sierra? Can you tell me what’s wrong?”
She gave a slight nod and sniffled. “He…”
I grabbed a water glass and offered it to her. She took a sip and set it on the table. “He said I needed to show my breasts.”
My first thought was that she meant Aiden, but I dismissed it just as quickly. He could be a jerk, but not that much of a jerk.
“Who?” I asked quietly.
She cried harder. “The assistant d-director. He said I need to show my b-breasts.” Her voice was soft, but clear, even with the stuttered words.
“To him?” Ford asked quietly.
“No. On M-Monday, during the filming.”
“That’s awful.” I put my arm around her shoulder, and I heard someone swear under their breath.
“Do you have a no-nudity clause in your contract?” Aiden asked.
“Yes.”
“Then he can’t make you do it,” he said, matter of factly.
Sierra’s tears increased. “He s-said I should choose to do it to m-make them less likely to replace me.”
“Can they do that?” I asked.
Aiden nodded, a disgusted look on his face. “They can, but not for that reason.”
“Henderson’s a fucking pig,” Tanner said. Ford left the table and returned with a box of tissues. He handed the box to me and I gave one to Sierra.
“He said that since I c-can’t act, I’d better learn to show my t-t-t—”
“It’s okay,” I said, putting my free hand on hers. “We know what you mean.” I looked at the others. “What can we do about this?”
Ford responded first. “It sounds like he was careful not to say it was required of her.”
“Just strongly encouraged,” Tanner said. “That’s bullshit.”
“You can,” Aiden said. “Act, that is. I saw your audition tape, and clips from other things you were in. But you’re not going to get very far if you freeze up every time there’s physical shit involved.”
“Which is pretty much every part of an action movie,” Ford added.
Sierra nodded, still staring at her lap. “I thought this was going to be my b-big break.”
“Maybe it still can be.” I looked desperately around at the men, hoping that one of them would have a solution. My gaze landed on Aiden. “Can you talk to Henderson?”
He met my eyes. “No.”
His answer stunned me. Surely he had enough clout for that? I couldn’t believe he’d just flat out refused. Even Tanner and Ford looked shocked.
“It’s got to be her,” Aiden said. “She needs to learn how to do this.”
Anger flared up inside me. The assistant director had all the power, and she had none. “She needs to learn how to stand up to a sexist pig who holds her career in his hands?”
“Yes, about standing up to him. As to him holding her career in his hands, the decision of whether she stays or goes isn’t just his.”
“Whose else is it?”
“The director’s, the producers’, and mine.”
“That’s all the more reason you should go talk to that piece of shit, Henderson. Or better yet, let me kick his ass.” Ford looked mad enough to hop in his truck and do that right now.
“She needs to do this,” Aiden insisted.
“Why?” Tanner asked.
“Because this damn well won’t be the last time some prick demands something like this. Hell, it may not even be the first time. At some point in their career, all actors need to learn how to say no. Whether it’s an unsafe stunt or working eighteen-hour days for weeks on end—you’ve got to learn how to say no even if it means you might get canned.”
Aiden’s gaze shifted to me. “You were right, Ronnie. As a woman, Sierra has a harder path ahead of her than I did. That’s why it’s all the more important that she stands up for herself now.”