20. Chapter 19
Siobhan
H earing about the second package at my place destroyed my mood and focus. It didn’t help that my bodyguards were still limited to the set.
Apparently, it was too expensive and too unlikely that anything dangerous would happen at my home since only packages were being left, and the police report didn’t mention the fake bomb found under the poop-laden roses when my house got tagged.
If I wanted it, I would have to hire my own security. Thankfully, Duke offered to do some check-ins until I hired some guys on my own. He even recommended some friends.
With my stress levels, I sucked today. Everything was just forced, even if I got my lines right, which was a full-on battle. If I didn’t get back to my normal self soon, it would turn into a late night. There was no way in hell I would get done in time to pick Stephanie up from school.
When the director called cut after my latest debacle of a take, I rushed to my director’s chair. I grabbed my phone that was tucked into the side pocket to text Stephanie’s nan.
Late night at work, can you pick Stephanie up from school?
Sure. But we’re pretty busy tonight. Would it be okay if I brought her to you?
No problem.
Normally, I would have offered to have her drop Stephanie off here at the set since there were friends here, but Gigi usually preferred to have extra time with her favorite granddaughter.
So I didn’t mention it, but it was never a problem to have her close by.
And thanks to recent events, I preferred the idea that she would come to the set.
I read the script until things were all reset for a new take. Knowing Stephanie would be okay until I was done, I focused a little bit better, and my lines were coming to me again.
But the moment Stephanie arrived on the set, I finally did work that I was proud of. Stephanie wasn’t too pleased to be sitting next to Duke doing her homework instead of hanging out in my trailer or visiting with some of her friends on set.
I had just finished the most intense take of today’s filming when Duke came up to me. “Carter Carmichael is at the gate, saying he’s here to pick you up today. Should we let him in?”
I nodded. I hated that they didn’t let him in since I had added him to my list this morning, but they must have upped their security checks instead of just waving him through.
If Mo, the director, hadn’t been giving me the stink eye, I would have questioned why they didn’t just let Carter onto the lot. I could understand not letting him onto the set, but he was on my list. Maybe they were just being extra careful.
“Come on. We need to get this done. Let’s start the next scene,” Mo shouted from his director’s chair.
I got up, went back to the hospital set, and took my position on the bed.
“We need another couple of minutes to move the lights. We’re almost done,” one of the lighting guys shouted, which only caused Mo to groan. But at least it wasn’t me delaying things.
After so many bad scenes earlier in the day, my script was now inside the hospital nightstand next to me.
So I reached into the drawer to look over my lines to see what I had to do for this next scene.
Thankfully, this was the scene where I had to just lie there and do nothing. Too bad we didn’t do this sooner.