Page 2 of Back Up Plan

As she grabbed the large, stainless steel handle, she said, “We’re getting you laid tonight.”

Rolling her eyes, Ari took a deep breath. She hadn’t been able to find time to date, or even hook up, since her promotion. Her body was craving touch, but one-night stands tended to be complete letdowns. It took a lot for her to fully open herself up to pleasure, and strangers rarely stuck around long enough to finish the job. Tommy often suggested finding a friend-with-benefits, but with the time and effort that would require to maintain, Ari figured she might as well try to land a girlfriend.

Still, her body wouldn’t let her deny her more carnal cravings.

Emerging from her haze, Ari looked at the digital clock hanging above the walnut console table across from her desk.

Before she could dive back into her emails, her phone started buzzing,Kylie Claireappeared on her lock screen.

Ari couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes before accepting the call, “Kylie, how are you doing?”

There was a brief moment of silence on the other end, then an audible gulp of air, “I have this stupid ADR session at the end of the week, and the technician has been a real douche about the pre-session stuff.”

“Uh-huh, tell me more,” Ari took out a notepad, scrawling the time and Kylie’s name across the top.

“She won’t adjust the schedule for me at all and keeps asking forinsanehours,” Kylie complained.

Ari nodded, “When’s your next session?”

“Friday at noon,” Kylie said, the tapping of her gel-tip manicure through the phone overwhelming Ari’s ears.

“Got it, I’ll drop by the studio before then and make sure she chills out. How does that sound?”

Kylie exhaled like she had just been cleared by a doctor, “You’re the best, Ari.”

Ari gave a professional chuckle and replied, “It’s nothing. I’ll touch base with you later this week. Good luck.”

She hung up the phone and put it face down on her desk. By the time she looked up, Jess was already pushing the door open.

“Kylie again?” she asked.

Ari nodded, “Could you find me the sound tech’s name for her ADR session later this week?”

Jess nodded, excited to help, “Of course. I could make the call if you want to tell me what the issue is?”

“No, that’s alright,” Ari shook her head. Dealing with technicians was always tricky, they were experts in their fields and often overlooked, overworked, and underpaid. Their craft, replacing the bad auto from sets and re-dubbing them with studio-quality sounds, took expert-level focus and skill. They were highly sensitive to stars who looked down on them, and Ari had watched John elegantly navigate the balance for years.

It was exciting to get to chart her own course with the techs… There was a part of Ari that felt guilty for turning Jess down yet again, but this task required a delicate hand. Kylie was an up-and-coming star, but if the industry heard she was a diva, she would be dead in the water.

* * *

By the time Ari was home, she had about an hour until meeting Tommy at Cubbyhole in the West Village. She had moved into her Hell’s Kitchen apartment just a few months ago and was still trying to find the perfect pieces for the space.

She slipped off her Ann Taylor blouse, revealing a perfectly fitted black bra as she entered her bedroom. She tossed the shirt onto her bed, which had been made the first thing that morning. She took a moment to look out of her floor-to-ceiling windows. She still hadn’t gotten used to the view from ten stories up. Facing the Hudson River, Ari got south-facing sun all day - even though she was barely home enough to enjoy it.

With her black trousers draping down her long, toned legs, she put her arm against the closet door frame. The subtle curve of her bicep appeared as she placed the weight of her body on the arm. Her wardrobe consisted mostly comprised of work outfits — most of her favorite going-out fits had been given away to consignment shops as her social life slowly dwindled.

But, she still had a few bodycon dresses that would do the trick. As her hand brushed the expensive fabrics draped off of her hangers, she stopped on an orange number.

She slipped the dress off its hanger and pulled it over her broad shoulders. As she wrestled it into place, she scooped her breast up so her cleavage would spill over the front cutouts ever-so-slightly.

Ari took a step back and looked in the mirror to examine her outfit. The dress was shorter than she remembered, her upper thighs peeking out through the bottom.

Is it too much?

While she considered her other options, a text lit up her phone:

Tommy: Heading to Cubby now, see you in 20?

---