Page 6 of Steamy on Set

Having been successfully taken to task, I have no rebuttal. Seeing this, his full smile makes an appearance before he turns around and walks away from me. The score now reads Errol: 1, Farrah: 1, and the fact that he made it onto the board has me fighting back a frown for the rest of the day.

Still fuming by the time I make it home, Monty, having somehow anticipated my mood, has ordered from what has quickly become my favourite Chinese restaurant, The Dragons Inn.

“Hey girl, how was work?” she asks while setting the living room table up for us to eat.

“Don’t get me started.” I throw my shoes and my purse by the door. The pink blouse is the next to go as I move into my room to strip out of the matching pencil skirt. “I had a run-in with Errol, and he was a complete jerk!” I scream as I put on my comfort clothes. Walking back into the living room, I pull my hair into a silk bonnet, determining that I won’t be leaving the house again.

“Uh oh, what did he do this time?” She rolls her eyes and chuckles before taking her first bite.

Having complained to her almost everyday about him, she might be tired about hearing how I interpreted his looks to meansomething. Today was different, though. I dive in and tell her word for word what happened between us, not leaving anything out, including my terrible failure to respond to him essentially calling me annoying.

“Wow, I honestly did not think you were going to have a legit story. I can’t believe he said everyone doesn’t like you. Do you think it’s true?” She hands me the duck sauce packet and my egg roll.

Thinking back on the last week, I did indeed call two people rude on occasion. But they deserved it. I also complained about the weather, but mostly to myself. It’s not like I’m going out of my way to get on people’s nerves. Apparently I don’t have to.

“I don’t know. Maybe. I just can’t believe he brought a girl to work.” Something about this gnaws at me, biting into my nerves and setting them on edge.

“Yeah, after everything he said about you, this is hella unprofessional.”

I nod along with her, conceding that this is probably what’s bothering me about it. She tells me about her day auditioning, while we devour as much as we can. Once we’re full, we lounge back against the couch and watch as the night paints the bright blue sky navy.

“Thank you for this. It’s like you knew I had a hard day.”

“Well about that. I did this because Ididknow you were going to have a hard day.”

She turns to face me, her knees unraveling from under her so that she can scootch in closer. Pulling my hands into hers, she takes a deep breath before looking me in the eyes.

“Christian called me. He wanted to know how you’re doing.”

The words wash over me like hot water in the middle of winter. Instantly I’m frozen, unsure of what to do.

“He did what?” I ask, needing to hear the words again.

“He asked me about you, about how you are doing.”

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything. I told him it was none of his business and hung up. I honestly wouldn’t even have picked up, but I thought something was wrong for him to be calling me. Farrah, I honestly wasn’t going to tell—”

Ripping free of her hold, I storm over to my discarded purse in search of my phone. Pulling it free, it takes less than five seconds for it to start ringing his number. The sound repeats as the call goes unanswered until his voicemail finally picks up.

“Hello, this is Christian Reynolds. I’m sorry I missed your phone call, but please leave your name and number, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you.” It beeps and then goes silent, leaving me free to pour out all the unshed tears that gurgle in my throat. Yet no words come out. I hang up and try again, and again, and again. When it is obvious that he will not pick up for me, I finally find the words to speak.

“You have no right.” My fingers clutch on to the phone like it is a life-jacket, keeping me afloat in all my emotion. “You do not get to ask other people about me. You do not get to ignore my calls. I deserve a conversation. I deserve to have an ending. I deserve better than this.” The last words are a slated whisper as my mouth burns with the fiery rage blazing throughout my body.

“Call me,” I demand, ending with him having all the power again. Left with no choice but to request he reach out to me, I hate being in the same spot I was in two months ago when he ended things without giving me a chance to say anything.

“Are you okay?” Monty comes to stand beside me, her face full of sympathy.

I fall into her open arms, letting her hold me as the tears come. I thought I was done crying over him, but all it took was hearing his name again for the anger and hurt to come pouring back in.

“No,” I say, pulling free from her, “but I will be.” I make a promise to myself as I go into my room and turn off the lights.

Chapter 4

IwaitforChristianto call me, and he never does.

If he was still my friend, I can imagine the anger he would have at a guy for treating me this way. He’d had such high standards for me, deeming everyone not good enough. The fact that he couldn’t meet his own idea of what I deserve is not lost on me, and I can’t help but wonder if that is part of his distance. All the same, I miss him.

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