Thrill! (10 page)

"You'd better take the clothes off now. Those pants have to be pressed."

H

ft ft ft

Lara hit the set surrounded by her all-female entourage. There was Roxy, dressed up for the first day's action in a lime green micromini and ankle-clinging white go-go boots, her red hair a blaze of glory. There was Yoko, her make-up girl - Japanese and pretty, with flat black cropped hair and a wide face. There was Angie, her standin - a poor man's version of Lara, with a tired look about her, due to the fact that she was married to a stuntman who continually gave her a hard time. And then there was Cassie, trailing 64

behind, cellular phone in hand, plus yellow legal pad and poised pen ready to make notes.

Lara recognized several of the crew she'd worked with before. She greeted them by name, adding a warm handshake and sincere enquiries about their families. They all loved her for remembering.

Kyle was already on the set lounging in his canvas director's chair, long legs stretched out before him. He got up as Lara approached.

"Morning, beautiful,"

he said in a deep rich voice.

"You get a good night's sleep?"

"I certainly did,"

she replied.

Miles came over.

"You look particularly gorgeous,"

he said, kissing her on both cheeks.

"That hair thing really works."

Instinctively her hand reached up, touching her newly streaked hair.

"Thanks,"

she said modestly.

"It's all due to Roxyhere."

Miles didn't acknowledge the hairdresser, she wasn't important to him.

"Let's do an immediate walk-through,"

he said, ready to set the scene.

Roxy pulled a face behind his back.

Cassie handed Lara her script.

"How come,"

Lara said to Miles,

"that the first scene on the first day is always a kissing scene?"

He laughed.

"Can you come up with a better way to get the two of you hot for each other? Raw sex, honey, it works every time."

She ignored his crassness and quietly stated her case.

"Surely you understand that if you arranged it for later in the schedule, the actors performing the scene would have more chemistry together."

"Don't worry, hon,"

Miles said, in a patronizing tone.

"You and Kyle are set to burn up the screen."

He winked at Kyle, who winked back. All boys together.

Lara remained silent. She'd learned that as a successful woman

111 the movie industry it wasn't worth getting into an argument over small things. Better to save her power for when it was really needed.

Miles blocked the action, showing them exactly what he wanted them to do. When he was finished, they started to rehearse, running through the page and a half of dialogue several times.

Soon it was time for the kiss. Lara turned to Miles and said,

65 "Do you mind if we wait until we're actually shooting? It'll be more spontaneous that way."

She wanted to add no tongue, but decided to wait and see if Kyle was a gentleman. Fortunately, this was a fully clothed kiss. Later in the script there was a nude scene. Her contract stated she did not do nude scenes, but she had agreed they could hire a body double.

Kyle obyiously didn't know this, because when he pulled her close, readying himself for the first kiss, he whispered,

"Don't worry about a thing, Lara, when we shoot the sex scene, I'll be right there to protect you."

He was talking to her like she was a novice. She'd made nine highly successful movies, she knew exactly what she was doing.

After a few more rehearsals Angie moved in front of the camera while the scene was lit. Lara took a break, sitting in her chair while Roxy fussed with her hair and Yoko touched up her lipstick. Fifteen minutes later they were ready to shoot.

Lara loved the silence that descended after the first assistant yelled,

"Settle down, everybody, we're going for a take."

She enjoyed acting, becoming someone else, creating fantasy. It was her life - the only life that made her feel secure.

They would have gotten the scene in one if Kyle hadn't rumbled his lines.

"Sorry, babe,"

he muttered.

She noticed little beads of sweat on his forehead and wondered if he was nervous. His make-up person, a statuesque black girl, strolled over and powdered him down, followed by his hair person, a short gay guy, who squinted at his hairpiece making sure it was securely in place.

"OK, let's go again,"

Miles shouted.

"We're ready for another take."

This time it was second take perfect, right up to the kiss. Lara kept her lips firmly clenched together when Kyle bent to kiss her, but he had other ideas as he pushed against her soft lips, managing to insert his slippery thick tongue.

She immediately jerked back, uncomfortable at this sudden intimacy.

"Cut!"

Miles called.

"Is there a problem?"

66

"I feel like she's shoving me away,"

Kyle grumbled.

"We're supposed to be falling in love. Shouldn't she be more into it?"

Lara threw him a look. There was nothing worse than a leading man who tried to insert a little tongue action when shooting a love scene. It wasn't necessary, the camera couldn't see. And why was he talking to Miles as if she didn't exist?

Sensing tension, Miles quickly drew her to one side.

"What's the matter, hon?"

he asked in his I care about actors voice.

"Something bothering you?"

"He's coming on too strong, Miles,"

she complained.

"There's no reason for him to put his tongue down my throat."

"You want me to talk to him?"

Miles asked soothingly.

"Yes, do that,"

she said, walking over to her chair.

Roxy approached.

"Hmm . . ."

she remarked knowingly, tugging at her too-short skirt, which kept riding up over her skinny thighs.

"The old tongue trick, huh?"

"Right,"

Lara agreed.

"You can't blame the guy for trying,"

Yoko said.

"It's unprofessional,"

Lara said.

"It's a man thing,"

Roxy responded.

"They see a mouth - they want in!"

Yoko nodded in agreement as she went to work on Lara's lips, outlining them with a steady hand.

Miles obyiously spoke to Kyle, because he came over a few minutes later, and said a contrite,

"Sorry if I offended you, Lara. Only doing what comes naturally."

"You didn't offend me, Kyle,"

she replied coolly.

"It's simply not necessary for you to French kiss me."

"Most actresses love it,"

he boasted, going for the macho swagger.

"Well,"

she said, as sweetly as she could manage, Tm not most actresses."

The line was drawn. Kyle was on his side of the fence, she was °n hers.

At lunchtime they both sat with their people at different tables. Koxy began carrying on about Yoko's boyfriend back in LA giving

67 her a hard time and how she should dump him. Yoko retaliated by saying that Roxy only dated weirdos and perverts and was obyiously jealous. Angie announced that her husband was working with a mega action star who was notorious for beating up his three exwives and had gotten more plastic surgery than any woman. And Cassie listened to it all, finally saying, "Give me food over a guy any day!"

Lara was glad she had none of their problems She didn't need a man, she was perfectly happy on her own. Or so she kept trying to convince herself.

ft ft ft

Later Joey returned to the hotel and lay on top of his bed watching an old Clint Eastwood movie on television. He was relaxed and feeling good. At least he was back in action.

Madelaine called.

"How's it going?"

she asked.

"Nothing much happenin"

yet,"

he said, aiming an imaginary gun at Clint.

"Think I work tomorrow."

"Well, Joey, do your best,"

Madelaine said, sounding like his seventh-grade teacher.

"Don't let me down."

He wished she'd stop saying that, it was getting on his nerves. He'd baled on her once, but he was back and at least he'd started paying her the money he'd taken. She had no idea what he'd gone through, how tough things had been.

"Hey, listen,"

he said, with a slight edge.

"When did I ever let you down?"

"Let's not get into that,"

Madelaine said, her voice sharp.

"I'll definitely be there this weekend."

Fuck! He had to think of a reason for her not to come.

"Great,"

he lied.

"I could use the company."

ft ft ft

At the end of the day Lara was tired. Much as she loved it, making movies drained her energy, there was so much down time doing nothing. That's why she liked her group around her - Roxy, Yoko, Angie and Cassie. They amused her with their raunchy dialogue, 68

kept her from getting bored. Besides, they were her family, her only real friends.

After the kissing incident, the atmosphere between her and jMe had definitely cooled. Between takes they stayed away from each other, although on camera they still generated enough heat for her to know the scenes were working.

Back at the house she studied her script, preparing for the next day. In the upcoming scene, Kyle's character picks a fight with her in a restaurant and walks out. Then a guy at the bar begins flirting with her, comes over, they have a conversation, and just as she's about to dance with him, Kyle reappears. The scene ends with Kyle punching the guy out.

Hmm, Lara thought, Kyle's probably into all that macho stuff men get off on. Most leading actors loved playing the hero. In fact, many of them had it written into their contract that they couldn't play anything else on account of the fact they felt the public had to see them in a shining light at all times.

She checked the call sheet to see who was playing Jeff, the guy at the bar. Joey Lorenzo - an actor she'd never heard of.

Cassie had gone to the movies with Angie, so since she had nothing else to do, she went to bed early and was asleep by nine o'clock.

In the morning she was up long before her wake-up call. Throwing on a tracksuit, she jogged along the deserted beach. She was lucky, she could eat anything and not put on weight, which meant she didn't have to slave away in the gym getting the hard body that was a requisite for most young actresses today. Jogging was different, it cleared her head and gave her energy.

When she got back to the house, Cassie was sitting in the kitchen eating a substantial breakfast.

"You were up early,"

Cassie remarked, her mouth full of cereal.

"There's not much to do around here except sleep,"

Lara said.

"I'm making the most of it."

"Miles left a message last night. They're showing dailies at lunch°me, and he wondered if you'd like to forgo lunch and take a look."

"Absolutely,"

Lara said, although seeing herself on screen was always a painful experience.

69 When she arrived at the location she found Yoko and Roxy indulging in their usual banter. They were sitting at one of the long trestle tables set up by the catering truck, facing each other. Roxy had a plate piled high with scrambled eggs, toast and bacon, while Yoko chewed on a granola bar.

"You're early,"

Roxy said, scooping up eggs.

"Who wants me first?"

"I do,"

Roxy said, mouth full.

"I'll put your hair in rollers, then you're all Yoke's."

Lara stood by the table a moment.

"I'll be in my trailer,"

she said.

"Send somebody to fetch me when you're ready."

"I'm ready now,"

Roxy said, stuffing a piece of bacon into her mouth.

"There's no rush. Finish your breakfast."

"I need my strength,"

Roxy giggled.

"Had a heavy night."

"Yeah,"

Yoko said, rolling her eyes.

"She dated one of the drivers. The fat charmer that sits around reading porno magazines all day."

"He's not fat,"

Roxy objected.

"He's big-boned. Besides, I like something I can hang on to in the middle of the night."

"Oh, yeah, and I bet you did plenty of that,"

Yoko sneered.

Lara left them to it and went to her trailer. It amazed her that in this day of AIDS both Roxy and Yoko were so casual about sex. Didn't they realize how dangerous it was out there?

She'd never been like that, for her it was always a relationship or nothing.

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe one-night stands were the way to go.

No. It wouldn't work for her. Eventually someone worthwhile would come along. And if he didn't . . . well, she had her career, her house in LA, her dogs and horses and her friends . . .

Deep down she knew it wasn't enough.

70

-^^^Jfl JOEY WAS having fun on the set. Females were ^^^PUL«* everywhere, and they all wanted to make sure he was a happy camper.

He was happy all right. The cute little Japanese thing who'd done his make-up was sweet as candy. And when her redheaded hairdresser friend came in, she was all over him too. It was some smart move telling Trinee he was engaged. Naturally she'd informed the world. They could look, but not touch.