Page 66 of Fake It 'til You Make It

‘I don’t like conflict.’

‘I can understand that.’ I avoid it at all costs in my personal life, despite the fact I’m smack in the middle of the worst personal conflict I’ve known. Maybe that’s part of the reason I can’t bring myself to confess who I really am to Abbey. I want to, desperately, especially after tonight. But I don’t want to fall out with the one person I know in New York. Particularly when that one person is… pretty great, it turns out. ‘But sometimes competition in business is a good thing.’

She scoffs. ‘May I remind you that I’m a very successful actress these days. I’ve lucked in.’

‘Still, I’d happily pay you for everything you’ve done tonight. I mean, my brother would.’

She pats my chest and starts to leave the apartment. ‘And this was a friendly chat, remember. He needs to get everything blessed by a professional.’

She’s in the corridor and heading for the stairs. ‘Then how can I repay you, as a friend?’

She opens the door to the stairwell then turns back to me. I expect her to be dismissive again but she surprises me. ‘You’re already repaying me by agreeing to be my fake date in Canada for a week.’

‘I guess.’ She’s helping me by getting me off the grid.

‘Now, get some sleep. Sweet dreams. Don’t let the bed bugs bite but if they do, use dynamite.’

Her voice echoes in the stairwell as she goes, leaving me to watch the fire door start to close behind her.

Before she disappears from view, I shout out, ‘Hey Abs, for the record, some people might like the big panties, fluffy slippers numbers girl better than the impractical-shoe-wearing actress.’

I think maybe I started bouncing balls again tonight in the hope she would come.

‘Said no one ever,’ she calls back.

She’s right. No one ever preferred the tech developer to the MLB player either.

28

ABBEY

It’s my last day of filming today. Mike and I will be taking our show on the road and performing our relationship for my family in Canada tomorrow. I don’t know if I’m an appropriate level of anxious about it or over-the-top anxious but we’ve both been so busy in the last few days that we haven’t done as much preparation as I would have liked.

New York is muggy today and filming is taking place on location in Central Park, which means I’m running around following orders and my clothes are sticking to me like the humid air. A hefty thunderstorm is what this day needs.

‘Abbey, we’re taking a break in ten, can you get iced water ready for the actors and crew?’ One of the production assistants addresses me, holding a hand over the microphone attached to the headset she’s wearing as she does. It’s not even 3p.m. and this is something like my millionth instruction of the day (not including my early morning stint acting as a young maid walking a dog).

I hand her the spare microphone pack I was sent to find as my latest task and tell her, ‘Will do.’

Gosh, I used to hate being stuck inside at my desk as an auditor – mostly in summer, the aircon on full power, while the sun beamed down on tourists and outdoor workers in the parks below. Now, I realize I had it easy. Not that I’m ungrateful, just appreciating that the world of television and film production is much less glamorous than people might expect.

I feel for my sister, still not out of her yucky first trimester, dressed in full period-drama costume in this sticky heat.

I head out of the park, where our production vans are parked on the street near the closest entrance. I prepare jugs of filtered water with ice and a stack of recycled card cups.

We can’t stop passers-by using the sidewalk. Naturally, tourists who aren’t used to something being filmed in New York every day are gathering around to catch a glimpse of the cast and crew at work.

‘Excuse me, coming through,’ I call as politely as I can, navigating the spectators as I head back to the set. When I get to the camera crew, who are all sitting on the highly sought after fold-out chairs, I recognize a handsome face approaching one of our temporary barriers.

Setting down the water, I make my way over to Mike and wave him inside, telling security, ‘He’s with me,’ and feeling more important than I am in the process. ‘He’s my boyfriend,’ I say, entirely smugly because, let’s face it, Mike’s a catch (no pun intended).

‘Hey, you came to see my sister in action,’ I say, placing a hand on his elbow to guide his big frame under the fence tape.

‘I came to see you, actually, but I did notice your sister, she looks great. Very… Tolstoy.’

Only now do I remember I’m supposed to be an actress, not fetching water. I think on my feet. ‘Well, my shots were filmed this morning. Clean takes. Smooth as a… smooth thing.’Stop. Talking.Abbey.‘I’m just helping out with refreshments because the, ah, runner got sick. Dodgy seafood.’

Is he buying any of this?

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