Page 14 of Shooting for his Heart
“Marty,don’t you think the light is better on the right side of the helicopter?”
We had been working on a scene where the union leader gives a compelling speech to her minions, then boards a helicopter and takes off. Clarissa’s delivery of the speech was flawless, but she was so concerned about how she would look in the twilight scene that she asked to reshoot the scene three times. Clarissa looked good in any light. The white pantsuits, designed and tailored to fit her like a glove, made her look like a model more than an actress. She looked amazing. She was damn good at what she did, but she was getting on my last nerve.
“The chopper stays!”
Stomping her foot in the thigh-high boots, she gave the cameraman a wave, signaling for him to continue shooting as if she had the right. It didn’t matter what she thought as long as she climbed her ass on that chopper.
I was grateful that the next scene didn’t involve her. So far, I was doing what I considered a decent job of not making the film too dark. I appreciated the challenge of changing genres. Although the dystopian fantasy film had dark undertones, there were subtle differences that I wanted to stay true to. I didn’t need Clarissa suggesting changes.
“Mind if I sit with you to watch the next scenes?”
Clarissa’s voice crawled up my spine like a tarantula. It would be easier to tolerate her if she wasn’t carrying some sort of torch for me, but every single encounter I had with her led to her suggesting that we rekindle our deadened flame. I had no interest in having anything more than a working relationship with her. Honestly, if she weren’t such a good actress, I would have fought harder for her part to be recast.
“Sure, but I need quiet on the set. Please, none of yourbrilliantpointers until a scene is finished.”
“All right, Marty. You don’t have to be so salty all the damn time.”
“If you insist on speaking, then I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“Fine.” She sat back in the chair next to me and folded her arms across her chest.
I had to give it to Georgia and Gia. They were spot on when they decided to dress this viper in all white for all of her scenes. The contrast to her dark soul made her appear that much more villainous.
“I didn’t have a lot of faith in your ability to pull this one off, Marty. From where I’m sitting, this is really good.”
I didn’t respect Clarissa enough to take her backhanded comment as a compliment, so instead of telling her to go to hell, I didn’t say anything.
Clarissa sat there way too long. It wasn’t that she was running her mouth or doing much of anything at all outside of subtly brushing against me—I wanted her gone, though. I was wholeheartedly irked by her presence. Once I was satisfied with the shots we’d gotten, I announced that it was time to change for another scene.
“I’m about to grab lunch while they are gearing up for the next shots,” I announced, hoping Clarissa took the hint.
I usually sent my assistant to get my lunch and anything else I might need that would take me away from the sidelines, but the urge to put some distance between me and my conniving ex-wife was palpable. I could be as cordial as the next guy, but Clarissa was on some other shit. She wanted to give the impression that she and I were still a thing. I wasn’t with it. Luckily, it seemed as if my plan was working.
As I pushed off the chair and headed to the craft services tent, I could see her dismissing herself in my peripheral. Another reason I had taken to getting my own lunch was that I had to pass the designer’s tent to get to craft services. I had no earthly idea why I was so drawn to that sassy Southern belle, but I found myself gravitating toward her every time I came up with a good excuse. Today was no different.
I composed myself as I stuck my head in their tent, prepared to let them know how good everything looked. Even though she rolled her eyes when I said something, Georgia had taken my advice on the rebels’ outfits. To my surprise, neither Gia nor Georgia was in their tent. It was probably for the best. Taking a few steps further inside, I marveled at the pieces and sketches the two of them had compiled. They made an awesome team.
I was familiar with Gia after working with her on a couple of projects over the years. If I had a choice, I would always ask for her to do wardrobe. I had no idea where they’d found Vonnie. I was almost certain that she was new in the game. Instead of hanging around, waiting for them or going through their stuff like a creep, I put the sketchbook down.
I didn’t want to come off as thirsty for her attention, but I had to admit I was a little parched. The morsels of interaction I had been stealing daily kept me just sated enough to keep teetering on the edge of sanity. I really couldn’t put my finger on one thing in particular about that brownish-red-haired woman who had me so enthralled. Yes, she was absolutely stunning. That was a given. I had worked with and slept with models and actresses all over the world; I was used to beauty. Maybe it was because she couldn’t stand my presence. I didn’t want her to hate me. I had no idea why it even mattered, but for some reason, it did.
Disappointed in their absence, I had no choice but to continue my journey to the food area. I had no idea what was on the menu for the day, but the caterers they were using had yet to miss. Just as I was about to dip my head to walk into the tent, I came face-to-face with the most captivating brown eyes in the world. Unblinkingly, I took a couple of steps back to allow the alluring beauty to access the outside.
“I see you finally came up for air,” Gia noted, trailing behind the woman who I struggled to tear my eyes away from.
In an attempt to not come off as a weirdo, I willed my eyes off Vonnie and put them on Gia.
“Yeah, I actually stopped by the design tent to let you guys know how good everything looked today.”
“Not acompliment…” Vonnie tittered.
“I’m capable of giving compliments.”
“I see,” she said, granting me a lip-splitting smile.
My heart raced as I thought of ways to keep that smile in my line of vision. Any time I came around, she instantly shut down or became bitchy. I knew she felt like I was an asshole. I could admit that I wasn’t the nicest guy on the planet. I usually didn’t give a damn what anyone thought of me. For some reason, it was different with Vonnie. I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to like me. I just needed her to understand that a certain level of sternness came with overseeing such a huge project.
I was the director. These people were spending millions of dollars and trusting me alone to turn their vision into reality. I had to use a firm hand when dealing with the cast and crew. Most of them understood where I was coming from, and the rest didn’t matter as long as we had a masterpiece when I called for the film to wrap. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I almost didn’t notice the pair walking away from me. Shit. I had to figure out a way to stop them. I needed more of Vonnie. I craved her more than the food I’d come to get.
