To Hell and Back (20 page)

The mood was tense yesterday when we arrived back on set.  There are no secrets on a movie lot, especially when one of your actors disappears overnight.  Brie and I were the subject of quite a few stares and whispered conversations before Tom took control of the situation.

“She’s gone, people,” he announced to everyone within ear shot. “I know you all want to know what happened, and some of you probably think you already know, but the point is she’s gone. Madeline Young will not be returning to this set, and she will not be appearing in this film. You’ll all learn who her replacement will be as soon as it’s decided and it’s really none of your business beyond that. If we could all focus now and get back to work, I’d appreciate it.”

We’re all used to Tom addressing us as a group; he is in charge of pretty much everything around here, after all.  This time, though, it’s different. The tone of Tom’s voice leaves no question that he means business. The looks and the whispers are non-existent from that point on and things begin to return to some version of normal.

After weeding through a stack of head shots and contacting various agents to see who is available, we finally decide on Chloe Brooks for the part. We speak with her agent several times over the course of the morning, and she’ll arrive on set sometime tonight.

I’ve worked with Chloe before; she had a recurring role on the second season of Stonewall High.  She’s a cast member on a new series now, but they’re on hiatus for another month, so the timing works out perfectly.  Chloe is a sweet, quiet girl who has been dating the same guy since they were in seventh grade.  I’ve met him several times and they’re like an adorable old married couple.  It’s not at all why we chose her, but it’s another point in her favor, and I think she’s a choice Brie will be happy with.

Brielle

I’m a little nervous to meet this new addition to the cast. Carson has assured me all day that this is nothing like the previous situation, but until I meet this girl for myself, I’m not convinced.

Lucy is picking Chloe and her boyfriend up from the airport right now, and I’m trying to get ready for the small welcome reception Tom has planned. I should be overjoyed that this actress comes complete with a boyfriend of her own, but I still feel the need to look my best. I finally choose a sleeveless yellow shift dress with a skirt that ends just above my knees. It’s tight enough to accentuate my curves without edging into slutty territory. It’s classy and I feel confident in it. Carson laughed when he saw the pile of clothes I’d discarded on the bed, but I shooed him away and continued my obsessive quest to look just right this evening.

I pair the dress with brown leather wedges and twist my hair into a quick up do, silently thanking Daisy for teaching me this little trick.  I’ve just finished when Carson peeks into the bathroom to tell me it’s time to go.  He gives a low whistle and tells me that all my primping has paid off before hurrying me out the door with a gentle pat on my ass.

Tom is keeping this reception low-key, so we only have to go as far as the crew lounge. We’re all assuming Chloe and Cole, I’ve learned the boyfriend’s name, will be exhausted when they get here. It’s not every day you wake up at home, then get a part in a movie, fly from Texas to Pennsylvania, and end up on the set all before you go to bed that night.

The food is being catered by the same Italian place that made dinner for Carson and I the other night, and I can’t wait to get my hands on more of that bruschetta.  A few of the guys from the crew are in a band, so Tom hired them at the last second to perform some of their classic rock while we eat and socialize. 

There are only about fifteen of us here, and this is everyone except the guests of honor. Carson asked Tom about a couple of other cast people we thought might be here, but the director said he didn’t want to overwhelm the poor girl, so he kept the guest list to a minimum. She will be introduced to everyone else tomorrow morning.

Adam and Kate are among the people attending tonight and I head over to chat with them when Carson and Tom start talking shop. Kate raves about my appearance and gives me a hug. We were both here this afternoon, but there was really no time to talk about any of the personal stuff I’ve been going through.

“Thank God everything is okay, Brie,” she gushes. “It’s none of my business what really happened, but I heard the rumors just like everyone else and I’m happy to see you two together. The She-Devil is gone and my beloved script is safe.”

We all laugh, but there is a huge element of truth to what she’s saying.

“What will you do about all the changes she demanded?” I ask the writers. I know they agonized over each word as they made the changes, wanting to do what was asked of them while still maintaining the integrity of the story itself.

“Ditch the whole lot,” Adam answers for both of them.  “It was fine the way it was and I’m happy to go back to it.”

“I do think we might keep one bit, though, don’t you,” Kate turns to him.  “I particularly like that one part, how does it go? ‘Perfection is simple. It’s pure, unconditional love. I can’t think of a more perfect thing.’ Yeah, I think we’ll keep that line.”

“Yeah, that one’s okay,” Adam teases as I beam at them in excitement.

“Are you serious?” I practically shout.  It’s a line I came up with one night when I stayed to go over the changes with them.  They’ve been great about listening to my ideas and taking my opinions seriously, but this is the only line I’ve directly contributed to the script.  I’m thrilled that they’re keeping it in.  I hug them both and excuse myself to tell Carson the news.  He’s excited for me and I throw my arms around him, but our celebratory kiss is interrupted by Chloe’s arrival.  I stiffen as she walks in, leaning in to Carson possessively.  I feel his chest move as he laughs quietly at me. 

Chloe is tiny and beautiful, her dark curly hair pulled back from her face in a casual ponytail.  She has on distressed jeans and a Texas A&M sweatshirt, telling me she really wasn’t expecting a welcome party.  She doesn’t seem to mind, though, she seems happy to be here.   She enters the room hand-in-hand with Cole, who is adorable; he may not be Hollywood sexy, but he’s handsome in his own right.  He and Chloe move fluidly around each other, it’s instantly obvious that they are a matched set.  I relax as I watch them introduce themselves to Tom, who in turn introduces them to two of the producers.  Chloe’s smile is warm and inviting and before I even meet her I begin to relax. The atmosphere in this place is worlds away from what it was like with Madeline here, and I can see I’ve been worrying for nothing.

Cole spots Carson first and taps Chloe on the shoulder, pointing in our direction.  She sends a huge smile our way and the couple heads over to talk with us.  Cole shakes Carson’s hand and Chloe gives him a huge hug.  It’s like a sister being reunited with her long-lost brother and I find that I’m not the least bit intimidated by her touching him.  Carson introduces them to me and I receive a hug from Chloe as well.  Her brown eyes shine as she takes in the two of us, telling us in her soft southern drawl how beautiful we are as a couple. I find myself wishing she had been cast in this movie from the beginning, but I push all thoughts of the last week aside. She’s here now and that’s all that really matters.

For the next two hours, we all dance and eat and sing along to the band.  They’re actually really good, and everyone cheers when Cole grabs a guitar and joins them for a couple of songs.  I find out that he’s a songwriter and even co-wrote a song that won a Grammy last year.  He’s really sweet and tells us he loves his job because it gives him the freedom to be with Chloe wherever her work takes her.  He and Carson make plans to play tennis the next afternoon, so Chloe asks if I’ll help her run some lines.  I’ve done it so much with Carson that I can practically recite the whole thing, so I tell her it’s a date.        

When Chloe finally pleads exhaustion, she and Cole say their goodbyes and head for the hotel.  The party dies down quickly after that and everyone goes their own separate ways.  Carson teases me mercilessly about worrying over nothing as we head back to our trailer. 

“I believe I had a right to be concerned,” I defend myself. “Personal experience tells me that not everyone is like Chloe Brooks.”

“Yeah, I guess you’ve got me there. Now get your sexy ass inside so I can get you naked.”

God, I love this man.
 

Chapter Twenty

Brielle

Chloe and I have a fantastic time when she comes over to run lines.  Incredibly, she has learned most of them already, so we end up laughing, talking and eating popsicles until the guys return.  We each eat several of them and the guys have a good laugh when they see our multi-colored mouths. The rest of the week is pretty much the same, the four of us hanging out in our down time and Cole and I watching our loves as they film their scenes together. We grit our teeth watching the romantic parts, but we both know it’s all part of the job and that they’ll be coming home with us. I’m actually really sad to see them leave the day after her final scene is shot, but we hug and promise to text and Skype each other as often as we can.

About a week after Chloe leaves, the final scene is shot and the movie wraps.  Many of the members of the cast and crew say their goodbyes almost immediately, heading on to other jobs or returning to their families.  Tom and the editing crew will continue to work from here and Carson and a couple other key cast members will stick around in case they’re needed for voice overs or additional film.  A few people I’ve never seen before arrive sporadically throughout the next week or so.  Carson tells me they’re all on the production end of things. 

While I’ll always love our little trailer, I’m starting to feel like it’s time to move on. Everything is different now. Even Daisy and Sara have gone.  They’re working together again, this time in Manhattan.  They took a job with a musical doing a short run there. Neither of them likes to stay in one place for long.  We all cried buckets of tears the day they left and Carson and I are planning to spend a weekend in New York while they’re there. I’m looking forward to seeing the city for the first time, but I truly miss my friends and it’s the two of them I really can’t wait to see.

Carson

It will only be another month or so before Tom and the editing crew finish up here and head back to California to finish production.  We have everything we need on film already and I can do voice work from anywhere. I gave up my apartment in California before coming out here and I’m not in a hurry to go back. We both like it here, so we’re going to stay put until the next thing comes along.  It’s definitely time to say goodbye to the trailer, though, so I’ve lined up a realtor to take us to see some rental houses. 

The first two houses we look at are huge and completely over-the-top for just the two of us.  We definitely don’t need six bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms, and a bunch of other rooms we would never use.  Who rents these places?  I ask the realtor to skip any other McMansions she has on her list.  She looks a little disappointed, but consults her tablet and moves on to the next listing.

The next couple of places are a lot more reasonable, but neither of them feels right to either of us. We’re starting to get tired and hungry, but our realtor talks us into looking at just one more place before we quit for the day.

We pull into a short drive that leads up to a yellow ranch-style house.  It’s simple, but has beautiful landscaping and a huge bay window in the front.  This one, finally, looks like a real home.  I catch the dreamy expression in Brie’s eyes and I squeeze her hand as we walk through the doorway.  I can tell she feels the same way I do. 

The front door opens into a large living room. There are gleaming hardwood floors and creamy white walls. It’s an open floor plan, so the space flows from living area to kitchen to dining room. The kitchen is a chef’s dream and Brie laughs when I tell her it may even inspire me to learn to cook, or at least learn not to burn water.  Everything in this place has a great feel, but I know Brie is sold on this one when we walk into the master suite.  There are French doors leading out to a small patio in the back of the house.  The backyard is small, but well-maintained, giving us a nice view from anywhere in the bedroom.  There is an en suite bathroom and I start to have wicked thoughts when I see the huge garden tub and the large shower. 

I think Brie has been reading my mind because her eyes widen at me and she blushes.  Either that or she’s having the same thoughts.  I’m good both ways.  My first priority in this house will be getting her in that tub with me. 

We sign the rental agreement for this house on the spot and, since it’s empty, we’re able to move in right away.  It takes only a couple of hours to pack up everything from the trailer.  Three hours if you count the time it took us to say a proper goodbye to the bed we have shared all this time.      

The new place is about twenty-five minutes from the set, but we make several stops on the way.  The house comes partially furnished, but we stop to buy linens, groceries, and even some little things Brie says will make us feel more at home.  All in all, we arrive at our new address three hours after leaving our old one.

I sit at the large maple dining table and watch my angel cook the first meal in our new kitchen. She makes omelets with spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms, serving them with a cold, crisp tossed salad.  Every little move she makes is sexy as hell and I can’t take my eyes off of her.  This confident woman has come a long way from the scared girl I first met. 

Dinner ends and we do the few dishes side by side. We’ve been together just over six months and I can see spending the rest of my life with this woman. I could spend every day eating meals and doing household chores next to her and never tire of it.