The Director's Cut (18 page)

I nod,
but I’m still feeling knocked for six by the sudden cut.

Is this normal?
If this is a regular occurrence, it’s going to be a long day.

“Ok
.” James takes a sweep around the set. “I think we’re good.”

He turns to Scarlett, who gives him a tight nod, and steps away from my adjusted hair.

“Places, please. Plaza scene, take two. Action!”

Everything’s happened so quickly, that I’ve barely had time to get back to my place. I force my concentration back into character and stride towards Natalie for the second time.

This time, we manage to get our dialogue out and get to the end of the short scene.

“Good,” announces James, after calling cut. “Excellent. Go again please.”

And off we go again.

We shoot another twelve takes of the same scene, and James moves around extras, makes suggestions on how to deliver our lines, and brings in David to make prop adjustments.

It’s hard work, but I’m enjoying it. Each scene is another chance to deliver my best. And the tiny alterations in our set, and lines, make each take surprisingly different.

Natalie seems to be thriving, and for once she’s behaving almost professionally.

S
he takes direction perfectly, without the slightest complaint. Although she does start to huff and roll her eyes once the repeat takes start to stack up.

I’m getting into character, so I can only hope I’m delivering my lines the way James wants.

“Ok, take a quick break,” announces James. “It’s five past eleven. Back at a quarter past please. The catering van is open.”

Phew. This is some tough schedule.
I can see why James is nicknamed ‘the hammer’.

“Isabella,” says James, “this next scene involves some stunts. You’ve not worked with that before. I’m go
ing to brief you during the break.”

“Ok
.” I look around to see the rest of the cast and crew and melting away, rapidly making for the catering van.

Lorna catches my
eye and winks before following the other extras, and I poke my tongue out at her.

“Come with me.” James strides ahead of me, making for the edge of the café set. He steps
neatly behind the scenery, then reaches out to help me.

We’re going behind the set?

“Be careful over these cables,” he murmurs, helping me over heavy lighting cables.

And then I’m
out of view, and alone with James.

Behind the café frontage is completely different.
It feels as though we’ve stepped into a theatre, with the huge wooden set panels all around.

Now there’s just the two of us
, the atmosphere changes.

“I’m very pleased with you today
, Isabella,” says James. “Your acting is every bit as good as I’d hoped.”

“Thanks,” I reply, not quite knowing what to say.

“But there is one matter, which we need to talk about.”

My
pulse quicken.

“What?”

James’s voice drops low. “You’re not wearing panties.”

I feel my heart
begin to pound.

It’s not a question, but I answer anyway.

“No,” I admit.

“Then surely, you must have known there would be consequences to your actions?”

I swallow, uncertain of how to reply.

“You know, you look irresistible to me on camera,” he growls. “Do you have any idea what it was like to watch you for the last two hours, knowing what was underneath that skirt?”

I shake my head.

“
Turn around,” he says quietly. “I’m going to take you here, and it’s going to be fast and rough.”

I open my mouth to reply, but before I can get an answer out, he spins me around so his hips are pressing into my behind.

The bare wooden panel of the nearest set wall is inches from my face.

“Put your hands against the wall,” he
commands, grabbing my wrists and setting my palms flat on the wood.

I’m speechless with sudden lust.

This is so hot.

James’s hands cup my breasts, and he grinds his hips into my behind.

“Don’t make a sound.
” He slides one hand to begin hitching up my pencil skirt. “Or I’ll spank you later.”

I suppress a moan of desire, feeling hot waves of passion cascading though me.

James pinches a nipple hard between his thumb and forefinger, and I bite my lip to stop myself crying out.

“You’ll need to think about your wardrobe more carefully in future,” he mutters
, moving both hands to pull the skirt above where I’m already wet for him.

“Now, open your legs.”

I obey, moving my legs a little apart, and suddenly I feel his fingers plunge deep inside of me.

Ahhhh
. He’s so rough, it’s almost painful. But the sudden thrust of his fingers shock me with instant desire.

He has two fingers inside of me, and I feel him work in a third, stretching me open.

“Don’t make a sound,” he reminds me as I feel a moan of pleasure rising up.

His fingers slide out.
There’s a ripping of foil, and faster than I would have believed possible, I feel him, hard between my upper thighs.

Then I feel him thrust upwards, and he’s deep inside me.

“Mmmmm.” It takes every ounce of self-control not to shout out loud, but I still can’t help myself from making a noise.

“
Shhh,” James whispers in my ear. He moves a hand to cover my mouth and puts his other hand against my stomach, pinning me towards him.

“I’m going to fuck you hard now,”
he says, his voice low.

James’s tone is almost soothing, which makes it all the more shockingly hot when he begins to drive powerfully inside me.

His arm holds me tight against him as he slams my body with strong, relentless thrusts. I can feel the solid muscle of his thighs powering into me.

I stifle a moan against the palm of his hand, feeling my body taken utterly in the moment.

Then James’s arm slides down from my waist, and his fingers are working my clitoris. His other hand is still tight against my mouth.

I buck against him, caught between the two sensations. My body is trying to
push back into him and press forwards towards his fingers at the same time.

“Easy
, Issy,” whispers James. “I’ve told you not to make any noise.”

His hand keeps perfect contact
the entire time, making fast, expert strokes.

I feel a fluttering sensation, like butterflies between my legs, and for a moment I freeze in the midst of the unfamiliar feeling.

Then, James pushes hard and deep into me, and there’s a sudden explosion, as though my entire body is combusting in hot, shuddering gasps.

“
Shhhh,” whispers James as I fall utterly into the pleasure of it, moaning softly under his hand.

He thrusts into me again, creating another surge, and I feel myself collapsing
into him, pulling him tighter into me.

I feel James’s hard body take on another level of rigidity, and then he’s moving hard and fast, coming inside of me.

“Oh Issy,” he whispers, sliding both hands to caress my breasts, “I wish more than anything I could take you somewhere now and do that to you all over again.”

I blink back at him as he gently pulls away and turns me around to face him.

He kisses my lips gently.

“I’m taking you on holiday
soon,” he decides with a devilish smile. “Somewhere I can have you anytime I like.”

“Sounds nice.” I smile, still breathless from what we’ve just done.

“The others will be back soon,” says James. He leans forward and tugs my skirt back down into place.

“I don’t know how I’m going to get through the rest of the day,” he says, buttoning his trousers, “knowing that you’re not wearing panties.”

“You’re a professional,” I smile, “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

James gives me a rueful smile. “I always thought I was extremely professional,” he says. “And then I met you.”

Chapter 20

James and I have been standing on set for a few minutes when t
he crew and cast come swirling slowly back.

I step carefully away from James in a whirl of feelings.
I’m loving the acting. But this is going to be
hard
. How can I act this scene, knowing what we just did behind the set?

“
Crew, take your places please!” announces James. “Cast, come to me please. We need to run through this scene. Natalie!” he adds in a voice like thunder. “That means you too!”

Natalie had been
talking intently with Carol. At the sound of her name, she jumps and looks guilty.

Something about the movement catches my attention, and my eyes sweep to Carol’s face.
By the looks of her, James just interrupted a serious conversation.

Carol sees me watching, and she looks away. It’s exactly the gesture of someone who has something to hide.

What were they talking about?

“You can
order your staff on your own time,” James is saying to Natalie. He sounds slightly sardonic, and it’s hard to tell if he’s really angry with her.

Natalie clearly can’t tell either, because she trots towards him with uncharacteristic speed, looking uncomfortable.

There’s no time to think further about what I just saw between Carol and Natalie.

Callum is already at James’s side, and I make sure to come last and hang slightly back. Partly to dampen any suspicion, and partly bec
ause I don’t trust myself near him.

“Come in closer
, Issy,” says James patiently, and I try to keep my face neutral as I step nearer.

“Ok.” James is brandishing a script in his hand. “So we all know this next part.
Callum has been inside the café, whilst Lisa and Grace were outside.”

“What we’ll get next is Callum crashing straight through this window,” continues James. He’s pointing to the slightly mistier, sugar-glass window.

“Callum’s happy to do his own stunts for this,” adds James, “so we can do it in one nice take.”

James stands to one side and puts a hand on Callum’s shoulder.

“Callum, you’ll come out here,” he points. “Fall, just how the stunt guys showed you. Left shoulder to the ground, curl into a ball, and roll. Ok?”

Callum nods. “Do you want me to turn my head a little,” he asks, “so we get a dusting of glass in my hair?”

“Yes, great idea.” James nods and looks pleased.

He turns to Natalie and me to check we’ve understood.

“He’ll fall around two feet away from you,” continues James. “We want it very light, very comedy. Lots of great shocked expressions from you girls.”

Natalie and I both nod.

“Wait,” says Natalie. “Would it be a good idea to dislodge som
e of our coffee cups and things? Spray us both with coffee?”

James pauses for a fraction of a second.

“Yes. I think that could work,” he agrees. “We’ll do a few reaction shots without the coffee spill, and then try it with.”

He smiles at Natalie.

I have a sudden wave of uncertainty. The acting part, I can do. But it looks as though actors can also contribute more than I realised.

I decide, slightly miserably, that I
’m not sure I’d be brave enough to offer my opinion like Callum and Natalie.

Pull it together
, Issy
, I tell myself sternly.
Concentrate on getting the acting right before you worry about being as good as the mega stars.

“
David. Props please!” calls James, and in a moment, David is on set with us. He seems less shy of me this time around and gives me a warm smile.

James explains he wants coffee spray set up, and they discuss
equipment and what level of soaking Natalie and I should receive.

“Ok,” says James, once the equipment is
arranged. “Issy, I want Grace to be really shocked, horrified. Ok? Really ramp it up.”

I nod.

“You’ve added a really nice character touch by dressing her semi-formal,” adds James. “So when we shoot the coffee spray, let’s see that in full comic effect. Her nice clothes are drenched. She’s disgusted.”

He turns to Natalie.

“Natalie, I want Lisa to be easy-going,” he says. “Laugh, roll your eyes. Lisa has seen the funny side. Grace hasn’t. Let’s really play that contrast. Ok?”

The rest of the day passes in a whirl. We shoot scene after scene, take after take. It’s exhausting, but it’s fun.