CHAPTER 11
“It sounds nice. Long drives with your soundtrack of choice. Something energetic when you’re tired, and something calming when you’re contemplative,” Samara read her script, trying to run lines by herself, which wasn’t always the best idea.
She’d been in her trailer for the past hour, waiting for them to tell her that they had made their decision about who would play Bray or that they were delaying production until they could figure it out.
While she didn’t want to delay anything, part of her could’ve used a break from the shitty hotel room and would’ve loved to be in her own bed back in LA until after Christmas, when they would probably try to get everyone together on a shortened timetable to film this thing that seemed like it might be a little bit cursed.
Earlier that day, she had done more wardrobe fittings, which was silly because this wasn’t even some period piece that required intricate costumes, and they’d already had all her measurements, so they hadn’t needed much more from her, but she’d gone to their trailer this time and tried everything on, including the new items they’d added to the mix, so that they could take polaroids of her in every combination for reference later.
After that, she’d also done another makeup test before returning to her trailer around eleven.
Breakfast had been cold and inside her refrigerator when she had arrived, so she hadn’t seen Dana, which had disappointed her a little.
Knowing that lunch would be arriving at noon, though, Samara knew she would see her soon, and that thought made her smile.
“Keep it together. She works here. She lives here. She’s off-limits,” she told herself just as a knock came at her door.
She stood, walked over, unlocked it, and saw Faye and Bryce standing there.
“Can we talk?” Faye asked.
“Sure,” she said, fully expecting them to tell her that they were shutting down production for a while, and maybe forever, because sometimes, movies like this, with a very small budget, never got on the schedule again after a shutdown.
The two women walked in, and Samara sat down at her table, awaiting the bad news and thinking about what other indie film she might be able to do in order to meet the goals that had driven her to take this role. Bryce remained standing, but Faye sat down on the chair in the living area.
“We’re casting Dana in the role,” Faye announced. “Reed is calling the others now. We’re going to wait to call one of them just in case Dana turns us down, but none of the rest can pull Bray off, anyway.”
Samara’s face lit up and she said, “Really? She got it?”
“Yes,” Faye replied. “She was the best.”
“Maybe even better than Vanessa,” Bryce said. “I wish she had auditioned in the first place. She probably would’ve gotten it over Vanessa.”
“She became Bray yesterday, didn’t she?” Samara asked.
“She did, yeah.” Bryce laughed a little. “Weird for me to say that because I’m Bray, but she did.”
“Do you think she’ll cut her hair?” Faye asked. “Bray has that short hair that Stella really loves. It’s a part of the story.”
“It’s not part of the story.” Bryce shook her head as she ran her hand through her own short hair, probably thinking about her real-life girlfriend who loves it. “And I don’t know. Vanessa already had short hair.”
“Can I tell her?” Samara asked. “Please. I’d love to be the one to give her the good news.”
“You two have gotten over that whole food being too hot or too cold or whatever it was, huh?” Faye asked.
“I think so. She’ll be bringing my lunch soon. I can ask her to stay and tell her. Then, we can call my agent, and you can send the details to him. He’ll handle the rest.”
“She might say no,” Bryce reminded. “I’ve heard from friends that she’s someone who’s been talking about acting in a movie forever but hasn’t really tried.”
“She tried yesterday,” Samara replied. “And if I have to convince her, I will. This is too big an opportunity for her to pass up. It practically fell into her lap, but she’s good.”
“That, she is,” Faye said, standing. “If you want to tell her, go for it, but we’ll need an answer by the end of the day. Paperwork might take a little longer, but we’re offering her what we would have paid Vanessa so that it’s fair.”
“Sounds good,” Samara said. “We’ll be shooting soon, then.”
“Am I crazy, or did Dana memorize the whole damn script already?” Bryce asked.
“She did,” she replied. “I could tell. She was just nervous at first when she did the chemistry read, but she didn’t even need to hold the script.”
“Then, yeah, soon. We would need to get her measurements to wardrobe and see if anything they had for Vanessa would work for her, but Dana is only a little taller and about the same size, so just slight alterations, and we’ll be good, I think,” Faye said.
The two women continued to talk as they walked out of Samara’s trailer, but Samara picked up her phone, unable to wait any longer.
“Hello?” Dana said.
“Hey. Can you possibly get my lunch here a little faster?”
“You wanted it at noon,” Dana replied.
“I know.”
“It’s eleven thirty. You want it now?”
“Yes, please. And can you take your lunch break now, too?”
“We’re doing this again?”
“Yes, Dana, we’re doing this again. Just get here as soon as you can, okay? I… need… help running lines. I checked with Faye and Bryce. They said to tell your boss that they’ll pay for you for the hour or something if he needs it.”
“Pay for me?” Dana asked. “Well, that makes me sound like a sex worker.”
Samara pictured Dana pressing her to the wall, and she laughed nervously as if Dana could’ve seen the image inside her mind.
“It’s lunch. Bring whatever you want to eat.”
She hung up without saying goodbye, leaned back, and smiled.
They had their Bray. She had her Bray, and it was a slightly annoying but absolutely gorgeous woman whom Samara had a sex crush on.
No, sex crush wasn’t a thing. She had lust for Dana, genuine lust, and she’d finally had that second orgasm last night, after Dana had left, relieving her clit of the tension that had already reappeared at just the thought of Dana coming here for lunch.
◆◆◆
Twenty minutes later, so only ten minutes earlier than planned, there was another knock at her door. Samara let her in, took two containers from Dana, and placed them on the counter.
“Sit,” she said.
“You know I’m not a dog, right? You could ask me if I want to sit down,” Dana replied.
“Okay. Dana, pain in my perfectly shaped ass, do you want to sit down?” she said, forcing a mock smile.
“Depends. What am I doing here? I had to have someone cover for me, and my boss wasn’t happy, despite you offering to pay for me.”
“Bryce and Faye said that,” she lied.
“Samara?”
“What did you bring yourself for lunch?” Samara asked instead, stalling a little.
“I made a plate of what we served everyone else today.”
“What’s that?”
“Tacos,” Dana replied.
“Oh, I love tacos.”
“You got veggie tacos.”
“I did?” Samara opened the container. “Did I put veggie tacos on my list?”
“No, I took a chance. Avocado and sweet potato tacos. Avocado, garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, and vegan mayo for the sauce. Sweet potatoes were roasted with a little chili powder. Black beans. Tortillas. That’s it. Oh, and I added some pickled onions.”
“You made this yourself?” Samara asked, staring down at the beautiful-looking vegan tacos.
“Yeah. We had some of the ingredients for everyone else, so I just had to make you the sweet potatoes.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
“Don’t thank me yet. I’m sure they’re too hot, too cold, too spicy, not spicy enough, or–”
“You got the part,” she blurted out as she stood there facing Dana, trying to get the woman to shut up already.
“What?” Dana asked.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. They told me right before I called you. I wanted to be the one to tell you. I hope that’s okay.”
“I… got the part?” Dana asked, looking dumbfounded.
“You are Bray, Dana–” Samara stopped before adding, “I just realized that I don’t know your last name. I put you as Dana Caterer into my phone.”
“Sterling,” Dana told her. “You put me as Dana Caterer in your phone? Samara! Wait. You’re not messing with me, are you? Because that would be fucked up, Samara.”
“I’m not messing with you,” she replied, laughing. She plated her tacos, set them on the table when she was done, and added, “Congratulations!”
The next thing she knew, Dana’s arms were suddenly around her, pulling her in for a hug. Samara stood there, not hugging her back at first because she hadn’t expected that at all, but when her arms caught up with her brain, she wrapped them around Dana’s neck and finally leaned into the embrace.
“God, I can’t believe this. I–” Dana squeezed Samara tightly and then let her go all too soon. “I got it? Really?”
“Yes,” she said, laughing a little anxiously now because she hadn’t wanted that hug to end that soon.
“I can’t believe it,” Dana repeated before covering her mouth with her hand. “What happens now? What do I do?”
“Well, now we eat lunch,” she said as she plated Dana’s food for her and set it next to her own plate on the table. “So, sit.”
“I’ll give you that one because I actually want to now,” Dana said and sat down.
“I’m going to call my agent for you, but only if you want. I don’t want to push them on you.”
“No, that’s… good. I need that, right?”
“Yes, you should have someone with experience review whatever you’re going to sign, but since Bryce is your friend, I trust what they’ll put in there for you.”
“Holy crap. I’m going to make actual money for acting.”
“You are, yes.”
“I need to call my mom,” Dana said. “No, Lainey first. Then, my mom.”
“So, you’re going to do it?” Samara asked, sitting down next to her.
“Hell, yes, I am,” Dana replied.
“Good,” she said. “I worried you might not.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you didn’t audition in the first place, you also didn’t exactly do anything to move your acting career along, you–”
“Okay… Can we not bash me right now? I just booked my first movie.” Dana laughed.
“Not bashing,” she said as she poured herself a glass of her water and added some to the glass she had placed in front of Dana’s seat before she’d gotten there. “Just saying.”
“Well, I’m doing it. I don’t even care if they pay me. I’m–”
“Oh, don’t let them hear you say that. This is your first paying role. You’re making that money.”
“I know. I just can’t believe this,” Dana said. “And I’m sure you’re glad I’m taking it because that means there won’t be any more delays and you can wrap this thing up and get back home, huh?”
“What?” Samara asked, surprised. “No, that’s not what I was thinking. I… You’re the one for the part, Dana. I’m glad you got it because you’re the right one to play Bray, and you’ll make the movie better because of it.”
“Oh,” Dana uttered and looked at her, a little surprised as well. “Thank you.”
“I’ll call my agent after we eat, okay? Bryce and Faye said they needed an answer by the end of the day, but the paperwork doesn’t have to be in. I was thinking that we could go to the wardrobe trailer together after this and get you all set up there.”
“I have a shift,” Dana replied. “I’m still technically the caterer.”
“Oh, right. He can’t find someone to cover for you for the rest of the day?”
“We have two people out sick. You’re lucky I’m here now.”
“Well, maybe after dinner, when your shift is over.”
“Do they need me here tonight? I can stay if they need me, but I’d love to celebrate with my sister and friends tonight since everything changes tomorrow, right?”
“Right,” Samara replied. “No, I don’t think they would need you tonight. It can wait.”
“Great. Um… Do you mind if I take my lunch with me? I need to go call Lainey.”
“You can do that here, if you want. It won’t bother me.”
“You sure?” Dana asked.
“Yes. And I’ll call my agent when you get done.”
“Can I maybe go into your bathroom or something?”
“Bathroom?”
“To make the call? Privacy.”
“You can use the bedroom,” she said. “I’m not making you stand in my tiny trailer bathroom to make a phone call, Dana.”
“Thanks,” Dana replied, and she was on her feet and headed that way before Samara could say anything else.
Samara took a bite of her taco and closed her eyes because it was delicious; a little lukewarm now because they’d been talking, but it was still good.
“Yeah. Can you fucking believe it?” Dana said from the other side of the closed door.
Samara smiled.
“We’re going to the bar tonight. We’re celebrating. And you’re buying me a drink, but only one because I’m not going to be hungover tomorrow,” Dana continued.
Samara laughed to herself and picked up her phone to dial her agent’s number, not wanting to wait.
“Hey,” she spoke.
“Hey. What’s up? How’s New Orleans?”
“Unseasonably warm,” she said. “And I need a favor.”
“What kind of a favor?”
“You heard about Vanessa?”
“Yeah. What’s going on there? Did they find someone else yet?”
“Yes. She’s here in my trailer right now, but she doesn’t have representation, so I volunteered you.”
Her agent laughed and said, “You volunteered me?”
“Yes. You’re going to review her contract how you do with all of mine and make sure it’s good.”
“I am? I take it, by your use of the word volunteer, you expect me to do this for free?”
“I’ll pay you,” she said softly. “Just take care of it, okay? Make sure she’s getting a good deal. It’s her first paying gig. I don’t want anyone taking advantage of her.”
“Why exactly are you helping a newbie breakout?”
“She’s good,” Samara said. “Like, really good, and more potential.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes,” she said. “And she needs it done ASAP. I’ll get you the paperwork. Prioritize it, don’t mention payment to her, and send me whatever the bill is, okay?”
“Okay. No problem,” he replied.
“Thank you,” Samara said and hung up.
“Top shelf, Lainey. I don’t want that well shit tonight, okay?” Dana said, causing Samara to laugh again.