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"What d'you want?"Jenson ignored the grim look on his friend's face the moment he stepped into Darren's trailer. He glanced outside. Coast clear. He shut the door and locked it to make sure privacy wasn't going to be an issue.Perks of being one of the lead stars in a big-budget TV show: a personal trailer complete with amenities and a spacious bed for each of them.Darren sat on his trailer bed with his copy of today's script on his lap, his medium-length hair restrained by a neat man-bun. His dark beard appeared thicker than last time, while his fist on his thigh clenched."Before we even begin this talk..." Jenson sighed and ignored his friend's deep scowl. They hadn't talked in days. Probably why the guy was still pissed. "Gotta be sure you're gonna tell me nothing but the complete honest truth."Darren scoffed and resumed reading the copy of the script,&nbs× "Zach's not coming." "He's busy looking for that girl, Ramona." "He got a call from the girl's mom." "The petite blonde at the party. You seen her recently?" Those were just some of the gossiping Jessi had been hearing all morning. It raised suspicions but didn't particularly pique her interest. Not as much as their boss not being around today. Instead of focusing on their jobs to do on this important first day of shooting, the makeup team had been gossiping about their boss and a young woman named "Ramona". No one familiar to her, although Jessi couldn't help but listen in to her colleagues gossiping during their cigarette and coffee break. Apparently, Zach and Ramona were friends and workmates before, and the two lived in the same town before Zach moved to LA. What Jessi couldn't figure out was why they said the girl was reportedly missing. Hence Zac
×"It's fine, Jess. I'm good." The guy cleared his throat. "It's nothing."Nothing? Seriously? Jessi could only stare at Darren as he tried his best to convince her he was physically fine, and not paralyzed by shock or fear after the utter craziness that just happened. She stood next to him, her knees still weak. They felt like they're going to buckle any second now.Darren sat still on his trailer bed, gripping his phone, his fairly bloodshot and watery eyes glancing at her from time to time.If only she didn't witness him being choked to death on the floor by his co-star, she would believe him without a shadow of a doubt. But she saw what happened with her own eyes. The unbridled violence. The hostility. Jenson swearing out loud at him... Darren's face getting all red and swollen from the aggressive choke hold and...The images just wouldn't leave her brain. Jessi restrained a sigh. Should she call the management? Or just call the cops on Jenson? Would they even believe her? After
×"And that's a wrap, guys!""Finally," mumbled someone from the set, earning a collective sigh of relief from the cast and crew.It sounded like Darren, who had been in a rather chipper mood all evening despite what happened back in his trailer. At times he would even prank his female co-stars during filming, distracting them from saying their lines right.On the other hand, Jenson was the more serious actor in front of the camera. Perhaps the most professional of them all. Well, since he also had considerable experience as a director and producer, Jessi didn't find his behavior surprising.Performance-wise, though, she found Darren's acting more dynamic and amusing to watch. But maybe she was just biased.It was half past ten when the director, Mr. Roberts, yelled "Cut!" and then called it a night. "See y'all in the mornin'!" seconded Margaux, the sweet, soft-spoken brunette Hollywood actor and the oldest among the cast members. She didn't look older than 55, though, her actual age.
× He's wearing pajamas now. At first, Jessi thought it was a joke or something. "Sleepin' in here tonight," Darren said while she hesitated whether he was actually going to sleep in his trailer tonight. It prompted her to begin her last task for the day so the guy could rest up now. Never mind that she had to render another half hour of overtime tonight. She couldn't let the actor go to bed with his itchy hair extensions. They might irritate his scalp all night. "Are they too tight?" she asked once Darren sat in the makeup chair. The stench of cigarette smoke in his breath bothered her somewhat, but it wasn't like she could complain to him about it. "Yeah. A bit. We gonna take 'em all off now?" The guy itched his recently trimmed beard as he stared back at his reflection in the vanity mirror. He looked as photogenic as Jenson, but in close-up shots, Darren appeared more mysterious, thanks to his long-hair-plus-dark-beard look adding points to his debonair appeal. "Yep. Just to m
× 1 new message from:Zach Boss"Hi Jessi. Hope u r doing ok just wanna let u know u will take on Mae's tasks and will be handling Jenson's makeup and hair plus extras. Nik will do D's and rest of the cast. Fam emergency. Can't come to work this week. See u soon"Today 07:07AM It was her supervisor's text. She expected to hear from him early in the morning, but the message slightly disappointed her. Zach didn't even explain why Mae had to go, or why she got "transferred" to another show. Did someone from top management fire her? For what? Jessi sighed and shut the bathroom door. She kind of lost sleep over the whole thing. Nikki, the other makeup artist, hadn't heard much, either. Maybe it's just how production companies worked?After sending a reply to Zach, Jessi picked out her outfit for work. Her phone went off before she could hang her bathrobe to dry. Zach's name stayed on the screen, prompting her to take the call. "Hi, Zach. Morning." "Hey, Jess. G'morning." "You doin' o
× - 1 new message Charmaine VDH "Omw to Beijing. Important board meeting. I'll be back next weekend. Kisses" Today 22:12 - Not again. Seriously. She didn't even bother to call him before going to the airport. With a loud sigh, Jenson turned off his big bike's engine after parking it inside their dark garage. He clapped twice to switch the lights on, then unzipped his leather jacket while trying not to hurl his phone into the trash. She had better make it up to him once she got back. Those corporate workaholics must be doing their best to convince her to take the promotion. Their new offer. It didn't annoy him as much as her behavior did, though. He thought everything was back to normal last night. They had sex twice and she was acting all sweet and caring the past few days. Now he knew why. "Such bullshit." Jenson stomped into their quiet home. The lights automatically lit up the two-storey house the second he stepped into the noiseless kitchen. Well, he should've seen it
×Four months of working for the show.Four months of hard work and late nights. Four months of working with people she considered her friends now.All gone. All over. Just flushed down the drain.Her career in the TV industry was done. "Short-lived" didn't even begin to cover how she felt about it. Jessi sat in front of her computer, still in her pajamas, watching online cat videos, her long greasy bangs all over her cheeks. She hadn't showered all weekend.The "highly necessary downsizing" of course depressed her. She just didn't expect that morning...that bright, sunny day she got the unexpected sit-down and learned of the production company letting go of their less experienced employees. The semi-amateurs like her.They said she and other new hires had to go due to the company having to reduce expenditures. In return, they offered her some money. A nice severance package to keep her afloat. Few weeks tops. Being jobless here in Los Angeles? Total nightmare, probably. The money th
× "Jess?"Oh no. "Jessiah?""It can't be him. It can't be..." Her brain repeated the words as she faced the busy road, standing and waiting for a cab on the sidewalk with her hoodie covering her up. Or so she thought."Jessiah." The deep, husky, familiar voice sounded louder now.Shit. The guy stood beside her now. Her breathing paused. Her legs just froze up at the mere sound of his voice. Shock constricted her throat and chest, her heart just pounding in her rib cage. She didn't need to turn around to be sure. The guy's grip on her arm told her enough. Reminded her enough. The prick always thought he could touch her without her permission. What a dick. Almost three years later and he's still the same. Still the same conceited asshole she almost dated. "Wow. Jessiah Kinley...in the flesh again." Armand Claude took another step closer, his suede shoes almost touching her sneakers. His lips and five o'clock shadow moved while he wore his trademark smirk, which unfortunately linger