by Morgan
Michelle was frantic, but not panicked. David didn’t even know there was a difference until he saw her portray subtle steps to intensity.
“Good! I hope we crash through the bridge and kill them all!” Kyle didn’t quite match her skill or her intensity, but he was yelling, and that was a start.
“Just fucking let me use the fucking radio for one fucking second!” Michelle played the line straight, but even so, most people on the set began laughing. It was funny to hear such language from a classy woman like Michelle.
“Settle down!” Nathan ordered after he snorted and actually slapped his knee. “Read the sweep, Camera Three; go ahead whenever you’re ready, Grant.”
“What do you want to say to Nick!”
“I just want to set a time to shoot the moon flare.” She was pleading with him. A camera came rushing in from behind Kyle and shot Michelle as if she was somehow on her knees before him.
“Cue the crane,” Nathan called out.
Both actors were bobbed up and down like fussy infants in a flabby aunt’s arm.
“Too late!” Kyle said smugly. “That’s their Whisk Shield! Fire the flare if you dare.”
Michelle took out a prop that Nathan hoped avid sci-fi movie fans would recognize from the film Blade Runner. She held the gun above her head and recoiled her arm slightly, as if it had fired the small white orb that would appear in the finished print.
“Their main shield is going to push hard, Grant. We’re going to have to hold on to each other as tightly as we can.” Michelle let go of the gun, which floated away on a wire, and grabbed Kyle with both hands.
“You don’t think the links will hold?” They were face to face again, looking into one another’s eyes.
“Do you want to take that chance?” Michelle’s performance had already been at times fierce and fragile, but now it was positively heartbreaking.
“No, it’s not that…I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to hold you.”
“Grant, you act like we’ve already failed. Worse, like you wanted this to happen.”
Michelle was crying. Nathan noticed it later as he was going over footage. Inspired, he decided to CGI tears that would float around in her helmet like diamonds.
“I didn’t, believe me…but I guess I just get used to things too easily.”
“Cue crane!” Nathan called.
The actors began to bob once more. David thought of a toddler toy that hung in the door frame when his little cousin came for a visit. They called it a Johnny Jump Up.
The camera operator watched smoke fill the frame as a shadow was cast on the couple by the big lid of an industrial recycle bin.
The actors were supposed to remain together until the end of the scene, but Kyle deliberately pushed Michelle away. She was the only one who saw it until Nathan reviewed the dailies that evening. From the moment the director first noticed the shove, though, he began watching for what amounted to hours of emotional abuse all day long.
“Cut! Reset!”
It was the first of many times Nathan said those words over the next six hours, and Kyle was single-handedly responsible for over half of them.
Chapter Twenty
MICHELLE USED HER VERTIGO as well as her rage and sorrow and turned in one solid performance after another.
Kyle’s first take was brilliant compared to the next ten, where he stumbled over her name, yawned, laughed, and cursed at the Camera Two operator.
Only Michelle could recognize the look in his eyes. He was enjoying himself.
There were several delays as the smoke machines had to be constantly adjusted, and Nathan called for another break. Kyle and Michelle were lowered to the ground, but not unhooked. They were each brought some apple juice, but Michelle politely declined. She wasn’t interested in taxing her bladder on top of everything else. She did ask for some Red Vine licorice and even offered Kyle a rope. He took it without a word of thanks.
By the fifth hour, Nathan was going to call it a day because Kyle’s performance was only getting worse. But then the actor suddenly started turning in some compelling stuff. Not great, but better, and enough to fill in a few of the many holes he’d left in the first several takes.
After a few decent passes, however, Kyle once again began complaining loudly about everything from the dirty camera lens to the crane operator. He huffed at Nathan for taking too long with everything, even though he knew he only had himself to blame for the lengthy shoot.
As a professional courtesy, from one actor to another, Michelle tried to soothe him. It was a mistake. As a result, he turned his attention to her, berating her softly but menacingly.
“Maybe you should take some acting lessons from your new boyfriend. That is if you can stop fucking him long enough to have a conversation.”
“What do you care who I see?” Michelle shouted, immediately drawing the attention of the entire crew. “Or how much more satisfying he is!”
Kyle roared. “It’s hard not to notice when you’re flaunting it all over town.”
“You didn’t want me anymore! Remember?” she countered.
“You’re damn right. And I still don’t!”
Michelle’s voice began to falter. “If I find happiness without you, despite you, I am going to hold on to it!”
“Bitch! You couldn’t find happiness—”
Nathan didn’t need the megaphone, but he used it anyway.
“That’s enough!” He was on his feet and walking toward them. When he was positioned directly below their feet, he raised the megaphone to his mouth again. “We had a deal, and you are both breaking it.”
Michelle offered a soft apology to Nathan. Kyle sneered, but complied.
When Nathan returned to his chair, David tapped him on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear that had the director nodding his head like a kitten following a laser pointer. Nathan called for a reset and allowed David to borrow the cherry picker. He raised himself up next to Michelle and spoke with her during the long reset, gently tucking her hair back into her helmet.
It was such a sweet gesture that it nearly softened Michelle too much for the scene.
“Hey, I have a joke for you,” David offered.
Michelle rolled her eyes, which David took as her way of giving him permission to continue.
“Why does Waldo wear a striped shirt?”
“I don’t know. Why?” Michelle was already smiling.
“Because he doesn’t want to be spotted.”
He continued. “Why don’t tigers eat clowns?”
Michelle rolled her eyes.
“Because they taste funny.”
That particular joke got a loud groan from one of the camera operators.
David may have told bad jokes, but he was turning out to be a good friend. Michelle felt real affection for him in that moment.
David’s chivalrous actions infuriated Kyle, however. He improved his acting and stopped complaining long enough to hasten the end of the work day. He just wanted to rid himself of the sight of them together.
The harder he tried to get the scene right, though, the more he messed it up, and his genuine mistakes were followed by world class hissy fits. His tantrums shook the crane arm, jostling Michelle and cheering him up momentarily. But David always reached out and took her hand, which immediately steadied her movements.
He even talked her into drinking a juice box. He made her feel more comfortable, encouraging and complimenting her performance between takes. Every joke he told was cornier than the last, yet she began laughing more. They both completely ignored Kyle.
Eventually, Nathan wrapped for the day and applauded everyone for their efforts. He took David aside and shook his hand. “Thanks, pal. I owe you one. You two are good together.”
David was finally going to set the record straight about him and Michelle. “It’s not exactly—”
“Nathan! We need you!”
“Oh shit!” Nathan said, looking over his shoulder. “Thanks again. Are you going out with S
haunna and Alix tonight?”
“Aren’t you coming with us?” David asked.
“Sorry, not after all the footage we just shot. I have a lot work to get finished before tomorrow.”
“Okay. See you then.” David and Alix left together.
Michelle and Kyle were in their trailers for hours afterward while Nathan pored through the day’s footage and witnessed Kyle’s emotional abuse.
Michelle stopped by to see Nathan and say good night, her hair matted from the nap she’d just woken up from.
“Michelle.” Nathan’s voice cracked.
“Nathan, I hope you got what you needed today.”
He stood and approached her with his arms outstretched for a hug. “I got exactly what I wanted, but at your expense.” He ignored her puzzled expression and continued. “I knew he was fucking up my takes on purpose. But I had no idea how mean he was being to you up there. I promise I’ll never let that happen to you again.”
Michelle saw his pain and was touched. “I don’t blame you for it,” she added. “And as you know, most of the rest of my scenes are in the Earthlab. I can handle Kyle when my feet are on the ground.”
“Go get some more rest,” Nathan encouraged.
“I will.”
He walked her to her car, and as he made his way back to the set, his stroll became a march.
Kyle came out of his trailer soon after, and Nathan was waiting for him.
Kyle didn’t look very surprised to see him.
“Hello, Kyle. I’ve been expecting you.”
Kyle didn’t stop walking. “And why is that?”
“So I can kick your abusive ass.”
Chapter Twenty-One
KYLE HAD WALKED OUT OF HIS TRAILER, anticipating that he would be stopped and scolded. He certainly didn’t expect Nathan to threaten him.
“Watch yourself, McPherson,” Kyle snapped. “If you touch me, I’ll have you hauled out just like Shaunna was.”
Nathan was on him in an instant, his breath hot in Kyle’s face and his hand like a vise on Kyle’s startled balls.
“Let’s get one thing straight right now.”
Nathan was frighteningly strong, and despite the immediate queasiness Kyle felt, he still wondered if the man’s other hand was going to clamp around his throat next.
“I don’t care if I get arrested for fucking you up.”
Nathan had just made his first point of the evening, and he continued. “I’ll cooperate with the arresting officers, hire a good lawyer…Michelle’s lawyer maybe—” he thought for a moment, as if he had all night to ponder the stars “—I’ll make a deal, get a reduced sentence—” his grip tightened on Kyle’s testicles “—and come back and fucking do it all over again.”
All Kyle could do was squeak.
Nathan released his grip and held both his hands up. “Now, I won’t touch you again tonight, or probably ever again, but that all depends on you. Don’t ever think that I am not crazy enough to throw it all away just to make sure you’ll regret ever getting the authorities involved.”
Nathan sat down at the table. “Have a seat,” he offered.
Kyle sat. It hurt his balls, but he sat.
Nathan crossed his leg by putting his ankle on his knee. “If you walk out on me before I’m done talking, I will chase you down and drag you back here by your swollen sack.”
All Kyle could do was nod his head and try not to vomit. He had no intention of trying to walk anywhere for a while.
“I foolishly thought that threatening to close down the production would bring you into line.” Nathan reached for his computer, and much to his amusement, Kyle flinched. “Look at this.”
He turned his laptop toward the anguished actor. It was footage of him and Michelle hanging in their space suits.
“Stop it, Kyle,” they heard Michelle plead between takes. “I’m scared.”
“Good!” Kyle sneered. “A dirty little slut like you deserves it.”
Nathan paused the video and turned his attention to Kyle. “If you try anything like this again, I will give all of this footage to Shaunna to show to the press. You’re going through what promises to be a messy and media-heavy divorce right now, and I will gladly show the world exactly what kind of prick you are.”
Kyle was quick in his response. “We were in costume.” He sounded smug, despite still being semi-hunched over and cradling his nuts like a handful of flower petals in a wind storm. “All I have to do is say we were just acting. You’ll only look like a fool.”
Nathan shook his head. “Don’t try to outsmart me, Kitten Dick. She called you ‘Kyle,’ as in, Asshole, not your character’s name. Besides, that’s not the best clip.” He resumed the video.
The actors were still in the harnessed space suits, but this clip was filmed from a different angle with a much tighter shot of them.
“It’s not just my time you’re wasting, Kyle,” Michelle was telling him. “It’s the crew, the other actors, the studio and their money…”
“I don’t give a shit how much money it takes or how much this thing shakes…” He began shifting forcefully in his harness, causing the crane arm to vibrate and Michelle to gasp in fright.
“It’s your fault you’re not good enough to do this scene without crying and carrying on,” he said venomously. Their helmets were off, and the ugliness of Kyle’s face was stark and biting. “You’re the one wasting everyone’s time and money. You’re the worst actor on this movie. I hope you know that.”
Nathan stopped the video and looked over at Kyle with renewed war in his eyes. “We still had boom mics on you, idiot,” Nathan informed him. “I must have about a half hour of you verbally abusing your wife.” He looked at Kyle and was not sure if he could stop himself from making a mess of the pompous actor’s perfect teeth. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
Nathan let him squirm like a worm on a hook.
“You’re only seeing one side of it…” Kyle began finally.
“Oh, you’re a victim! Is that it?” Nathan interrupted. “Are you going to tell me what she has done to you to deserve such treatment?”
Kyle said nothing.
“Look.” Nathan uncrossed his legs, and Kyle flinched again. “I’ll make it easy for you. You slip, I slip. Got it?”
Kyle nodded. “Got it.”
“Are you sure?” Nathan asked earnestly, leaning forward. “Because I can’t tell if you’re actually stupid or just too used to playing stupid, but you don’t seem to get important messages the first time. I’ve already been fooled by your promises to conduct yourself in a manner befitting…a human.” He looked at Kyle for a moment, then seemed to make up his mind. “Nope, you don’t get it. You need a more permanent reminder.” Nathan stood up with resigned duty.
Kyle fell backward in his chair and immediately began scrambling away in a crab walk. “I got it! I got it! I promise! I won’t even talk to her.” He stood up and didn’t wait for Nathan to agree. He ran. It made his testicles ache with new pain, but he ran anyway.
“Stop!” Nathan’s command echoed like a pinball among the set trailers.
Kyle was too scared to stop, but even more scared not to. He halted, but didn’t turn around.
“Don’t fucking bother Shaunna, either,” Nathan warned.
Kyle started running again.
Shaunna was deep in concentration, typing and staring intently at her monitor, when the shrill ringing of her hotel room phone startled her. She’d practically forgotten about the cream-colored fossil sitting a short distance away.
Shaunna picked up the receiver and reminded herself not to come across as abrupt or angry, just in case whoever was on the other end was a reporter.
“Hello?” she answered matter-of-factly, as though she were even expecting the call.
“Hi, Shaunna.” The familiar and welcome suave tones of a man’s voice carried through the line. “It’s David Quinn.”
His voice caressed Shaunna’s ear pleasantly, and she shivered in
response. She also found it mildly amusing that David felt the need to use his last name to distinguish himself.
“Hello, David Quinn. I recognized your voice.”
“I hope it’s okay for me to call your room. I didn’t have any other way to get in touch with you, and I didn’t want to presume to show up and knock on your door…again.”
Shaunna was marginally disappointed he hadn’t done just that. After all, their other doorway encounters had gone so well.
“It’s perfectly fine. No worries. How was your day?”
“It was good, but busy.”
“Did everyone behave themselves?”
“Pretty much, but I’m glad it’s behind us. Actually, that’s kind of why I was calling.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, well…um…Alix and I thought we’d go out somewhere, get some dinner, maybe a drink or two, and we hoped you could join us.”
Shaunna cringed. Logically, she knew she had no right to feel possessive of David, but the fact that he had made plans with Alix first and then called her to tag along left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“That’s sweet of you to ask, but I don’t need to be a third wheel. You two have fun.” Her intention was to sound like a mature adult, but there was an edge to her tone that cut right through the line.
David picked up on it immediately. “What? Oh no. No. No. Don’t get me wrong. Alix is great, but I’m not interested in her.” David hesitated slightly before speaking again in a somewhat injured tone. “I thought you understood that.” His voice was closer to the receiver, and the effect pushed his hurt but heated words into her ear, as if he had been in the room with her.
Shaunna fidgeted slightly and bit her lip as she pondered her response. She felt embarrassed at making the passive-aggressive comment and opened her mouth to apologize, when he interrupted her.
“I would really like to see you tonight.” David spoke the words slowly, hoping to convey his true attraction for Shaunna.
She felt a discreet sigh escape her lips upon hearing his declaration. “That’s sweet, David. I’d like to see you too, but the truth is, I’m pretty bogged down in work tonight.” Shaunna put her elbow on the table and rested her head against the admittedly comfortable hotel phone. “It turns out there are tons of media outlets who ran with a story about your date with Michelle. I need to respond to them before the entire thing gets out of hand.”
