Page 4 of Captive Hearts
Two
Gina Tucker was slathering butter on toast on a Tuesday morning, wondering what her day would hold – not a lot, most likely - when her phone rang. ‘Gina, for the love of god,’ a frantic voice greeted her. ‘Tell me you’re free?’
Gina took the phone away from her ear to see who the hell was calling her with such a manic energy at this time of the day. It was Bernie Carter. He’d been the producer on her first job shooting promotional videos at twenty-one. Nice enough guy. She put the phone back to her ear. ‘Hi Bernie,’ she said. ‘Been a while.’
‘Yes, it has. Sorry. I probably should have started with hello, but I’m in a bit of a bind, and I can’t seem to… So, look, are you free or do you have something on at the moment?’
Ginawasfree, as it happened. She’d been second unit camera on a microbudget horror that had wrapped a week ago. Dreadful schlock, but it paid the bills. Just about. She hadn’t found her next job yet. Unless Bernie had a decent offer, that was. She’d sworn to herself, no more badly paid work. She couldn’t keep selling her stuff when things got tight. She was down to her last chair. ‘I just finished up a job, as a matter of fact, so I’m between things now.’
‘Oh, thank god. Look, I know you’re working in movies now, but how do you feel about shooting news reports for me?’
Gina raised an eyebrow. ‘The news? It’s kind of… I mean, it’s pretty different from what I do.’
Bernie was contrite. ‘I know it’s probably not as interesting for you as shooting movies. But it’s regular work and decent pay. I mean, if you’re at a loose end.’
‘What’s the pay?’ Gina asked, certain it wouldn’t be enough to entice her. But when he said the figure, Gina found herself more swayed than she would have liked. Regular money, regular work. She’d never really had that. Might be nice. ‘Hey, Bernie, why are you so desperate for someone anyway?’
Bernie paused. ‘OK, look, here’s the thing…. The reporter you’d be working with, Ashley, she’s a bit… Not justanyonecould work with her. In fact, all my other ops have refused the job.’
Gina chewed the inside of her mouth. ‘Right.’
‘But that’s why I thought of you. You were always such a steady sort of person. No one could rile you. That’s what I need right now. It’s what Ashley needs.’
Bernie was right, Gina didn’t really do angry. She’d seen many a meltdown on set, but she stood apart, removed. Life was just too short to let it all get to you. Gina liked to do her job, go home, get in the bath with an alcoholic beverage and have some peace. ‘So you’ve got a reporter who’s so difficult that no one wants to work with her? Bernie, I’m not trying to put thoughts in your head, but I think most people woulda sacked her by now,’ Gina speculated, taking a bite of her toast. It had gone a bit cold.
‘Trust me, it’s crossed my mind,’ Bernie said.
‘So…’
‘Yes, she’s a pain sometimes. But I’m trying to hang in there with her. I see potential. I think I just need the right camera operator who can let it roll off their back, and she’ll be alright.’
Gina thought on that for a moment and concluded that a job was a job. Plus, it didn’t have to be forever if she hated it. If better work came along... ‘Yeah, alright, Bernie. I’ll do it.’
Bernie’s smile practically popped out of the phone. ‘Gina, you’re a lifesaver. Can you start today?’
***
Gina was at the offices of KTN not two hours later, sitting in Bernie’s office, having her arse kissed. ‘You don’t know the favour you’ve done me, seriously.’
‘You’ve already thanked me, Bernie.’
There was a hard knock at the door. ‘Ah, that’ll be Ashley,’ Bernie said through a too-wide smile. ‘Come in!’
The door opened, and there she was, Ashley Quick. Gina had about three seconds to think she was kind of hot. Tall, she was a clothes horse in her little dark suit. She had coiffed long, caramel hair, coiffed everything actually. Sharp, dark eyes and a slightly severe, yet somehow sexy mouth. Then she opened that mouth. ‘Is this my new camerawoman, Gina?’ she demanded of Bernie but didn’t wait for an answer before turning to Gina. ‘Bernie said you usually shoot movies. I hope you’re not going to try and do fancy shots. I don’t have time to explain why we can’t do contra zooms or crane shots or whatever it is you usually do.’
Gina smiled with one side of her mouth. ‘It’s going to be a lot of medium close-ups, right?’
Ashley nodded. ‘Right.’
Bernie stood from behind his desk. ‘Well, I think that’s introductions done. Why don’t you two get downstairs, I think we’ve got something for you to get to.’
Gina stood. ‘I’ll follow you then, shall I?’ she asked Ashley.
Ashley nodded, and Gina followed her out of the office and into a lift. ‘So, how long have you been doing this?’ Gina asked Ashley.
‘I’ve been working in news for eight years, here for three,’ Ashley said briskly.
Gina thought Ashley might ask her a question in the name of getting to know each other, but it didn’t happen. They just stood in silence for the rest of the elevator ride. Gina wasn’t exactly starting to regret her decision to give this news thing a go yet, but she was beginning to wonder exactly what it was that was so far up Ashley Quick’s arse.
