×"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
× "Hey, man. Back so soon?" The uniformed guard stared at Jenson and pressed the button to lift the metal barrier in front of her. Jessi walked past the barrier after giving the older man a slight smile. "Yeah. Gotta work hard to stay afloat in this economy, Walt," Jenson replied to the guard while he stood behind her. "Ayt, then." The guard chuckled and gave Jenson a mini-salute. "Don't stay in there all night, man." "I'll try." A smile stayed on her face as Jessi watched the friendly exchange. "Welcome and nice meeting you, Miss Kinley." "Likewise," Jessi replied with a smile and a timid wave after the cheery security personnel returned her ID. Jenson gently held onto her wrist as he led her past the security check. The guard didn't call him "Mr. Ross" or something more formal than
×"So what's the real deal with that gropey asshole?" Jenson munched on the last dumpling on his plate and waited for his dinner companion to answer. He couldn't call her his new secretary yet. They still had paperwork to sign for formality and Jessiah just accepted his job offer barely two hours ago. At his candid questioning, she avoided his eyes and continued eating her chicken teriyaki while she sat in front of his messy desk. "He said he's only here in LA for a business conference," she murmured after glancing at him."Huh. And he just randomly bumped into you outside that mall?""Yeah.""Sure.""He was shocked, much as I was.""Why was he gripping your arm?" He eyed her, minding her uneasy reaction the second he mentioned that well-dressed creep. Jenson sat back in his swivel chair, observing, gauging, and patiently waiting for her to talk to him with more honesty and less reticence.