“Uh, duh! I know who you are! I’m so excited to meet you!” She took my hand but didn’t shake it, she pulled me into the trailer and once I was standing in front of her, she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a long hug. “I’m so happy you were available for this. Sorry about the short notice. I had to fire my original costume designer; she just didn’t see my vision.”
“I’m happy to be here.” And I was, but I was also worried about what would happen to me if I didn’t come up with exactly what she wanted – in twenty-four hours, no less. “I’d like to start with your measurements, if you don’t mind.”
“No, of course not. Let’s get started.” She turned around and went farther into the trailer. I followed and my eyes roamed the small space, taking everything in.
It was obviously a premium trailer and looked barely used, if not brand new. Everything was black with stainless steel accents. Even the countertops were black granite. There was a girl sitting at the table, talking on the phone, with what looked to be a large calendar set out, along with a notebook and pen, a tablet, and another cell phone. She was talking rapidly to whoever was on the other line, and her hands were switching between all the tools on the table.
“That’s my assistant, Betsy. She’s scheduling my tour with my manager, so I wouldn’t expect much involvement from her anytime soon.”
“You’re going on tour?”
“Yes! Oh my gosh, my new album drops next month and then in the spring I’m starting a US tour! Isn’t that exciting?”
“Totally,” I cried, trying to match her enthusiasm. “So you like being on tour?” I asked as I opened up my bag and brought out my notebook, pencil, and tape measure.
She beamed. “It’s so much fun. A different city every night, plus you get to share a bus with your closest friends for months! What’s not to like?”
I smiled at her because I didn’t know what to say. It didn’t sound like much fun to me. Sure, I got around, liked traveling, but moving from city to city every single day didn’t really seem like fun to me. And sharing a bus with so many people, stuck with them almost all day, every day? No, thanks.
“Well,” I said with a sigh, trying to change the subject. “Tell me a little about the video and I’ll get started.” I moved toward her and she immediately put her arms up, making a T shape with her body, obviously used to wardrobe people measuring her.
“Well, it’s pretty much just one big beauty shoot. No real story line, just really pretty imagery, interesting shots, and entertaining things happening in the background. Oh, and hopefully one really hot guy.”
“What’s the song about?” I moved around her, wrapping the tape measure around different parts of her body and making notes. She was a tiny little thing. I usually took as many measurements as I could. I wasn’t a seamstress by trade, but usually if I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for I could make it. Plus, it was always better to be over-prepared than under.
“It’s a ballad about unrequited love.”
“Sounds interesting. I can’t wait to hear it.”
“Well,” Lexi said with a laugh. “You’ll hear plenty of it tomorrow. Over and over again. I mean, I love my music, but even I get tired of hearing it so much on video shoots.”
I mumbled an agreement, furiously measuring and notating.
“George is working on the male lead right now. So it’ll be like, a lot of kissing and touching, maybe some bedroom scenes, but basically just me singing a love song to a man who doesn’t want what I want.”
“Sounds lovely,” I commented, not sure what else to say.
“We had one guy lined up, but I wasn’t sure he was right for it. I want someone hot, but also someone who won’t overshadow me, ya know? I want someone who will make an impact, someone who makes the video better.” She paused for a moment and then said confidently, “I want people to watch my video and then call all their friends telling them they have to see it.”
“Wow, that’s quite a tall order. I hope George has good connections.” I silently berated myself; of course George Lebowitz had good connections. I was, undoubtedly, an idiot.
“George is the best,” Lexi said, with a somewhat dreamy look on her face. Suddenly it became clear to me why George Lebowitz was directing a music video; he was sleeping with Lexi. I tried not to let my realization show on my face; it wasn’t my place to judge. I needed to be professional, but she must have noticed the slight raise in my eyebrows.
“It’s not really public knowledge, Kalli. We’re just so in love and he wants to help me with my career. He’s the best man….”
Her voice trailed off as her eyes went soft and her face looked as if she were drugged. She was definitely floating on a love cloud.
“Hey,” I said as I stood, done taking measurements. “I’m not here to judge. He seems like a really nice guy. I’m sure he’ll get someone perfect for your leading man.” I put my tape measure back in my bag and started formulating a plan in my mind for everything I needed to accomplish in the next few hours. “Is there anything in particular you’re looking for in terms of your costume? Anything you’d really like for me to focus on?”
Lexi put some real thought into the question before answering.
“I want to look sexy, but not trashy. I don’t want people to talk about my body when they’re done watching the video. I want them to talk about how beautiful everything is.”
“Got it.” And I did; I could totally appreciate what she was going for. She wanted to be recognized for her art, not her body.
“I think I’ve got everything I need then.”
“Oh, give your number to my assistant so I can get a hold of you if I think of anything.”
I slid a business card with my phone number on it to her assistant who was on the phone with two different people. She gave me a sideways head bob, indicating she understood what it was, and I headed out.
I made it three steps from the trailer and stopped to take a deep breath. This was going to be a crazy day. I pulled my cell phone out and immediately called for reinforcements.
“Hello?” I heard an excited voice answer the phone.
“Hey, Ella. What are you doing? Feel like being my assistant for the day?”
“Oh, yes. Sounds exciting.” Ella’s voice was chipper and happy, making me smile.
“You at Poppy?”
“Yup. But I can leave, I’ve got all the girls here today.”
“Sweet. I’ll see you in ten.”
Ella and I spent the next four hours scouring every spot in the city that I thought would be beneficial, including raiding the wardrobe for a hit TV show that filmed in Portland whose costumes I thought would work for the shoot. Luckily for me, I left all my jobs with good contacts and felt comfortable reaching out to people who I hoped would help me.
We were just about to head to one more location when my phone rang.
“Kalli, it’s George.”
I freaked out for just a moment that George Lebowitz had called my phone, but then responded professionally.
“Hi, George.”
“Listen, we’ve got our lead male and he’s on a plane right now heading to Portland. Can you be back at the studio at six p.m. to fit him?”
“Of course,” I answered, looking at the clock and gauging how much time I had.
“Great,” he said, and then I heard the line go dead. I shrugged. George Lebowitz didn’t need to say goodbye to me; I was all right with that.
“Okay, we’ve got a few hours to get the rest of this wrapped up before I have to meet the male lead.”
Ella clapped her hands excitedly. “This is so much fun. I can’t believe this is your job, Kalli. You just get to go around and buy clothes and jewelry for people, then you get to dress them up.” She sighed. “We’ve both got really great jobs.”
Ella owned a boutique in downtown Portland. In fact, that was how we’d met. I’d seen a dress in the window display of her store that I wanted for a movie shoot.
�
��We are pretty lucky,” I said, giving her a smile. “And thanks for helping me today. This would have been impossible without some help.”
“Have you ever thought of getting a real assistant?” Ella asked. She looked over at me as I backed out of my parking space, sipping from the iced caramel mocha she’d snagged from a Starbucks we happened to walk past.
“Not really. I travel so much and sometimes, as this job so clearly demonstrated, I don’t get a lot of notice. It’s not really a steady kind of job. I don’t think I could find someone who’d be willing to just up and leave town at a drop of a hat. People have lives.”
“You have a life.” I stilled at her words. She was, in her caring, best friend kind of way, asking for information about my life. I hadn’t been very forthcoming with her or Megan, and they never pried. In fact, I’d never told either of them about Marcus.
“Yeah, but I can do this part—getting on a plane at a moment’s notice or just driving to another state. I’ve built my life around it.”
“Hmmm,” was her only response as her lips were still wrapped around her straw.
“Besides, usually for one or two day shoots there isn’t a lot of need for an assistant. I’d usually have some more notice and be a little more prepared. And when I get booked for longer shoots, like movies and TV shows, that’s when an assistant would make more sense. There’s a lot more involved in those kinds of jobs.” I was rambling to try and keep the topic of conversation off my life at home.
Marcus wasn’t a dirty secret, but he also wasn’t a reason for people to feel sorry for me. And he definitely didn’t need anyone feeling sorry for him. I only kept him from Ella and Megan because it was easier. Easier than explaining my whole history to them. They’d never meet him anyway.
I shook my head, trying to jostle the thoughts from my brain. Marcus was the focus of my life, all the time. Just because I didn’t tell everyone about him didn’t mean I didn’t love him more than anything in the world.
I realized my fingers were starting to hurt from gripping the steering wheel so hard. I loosened my grip and shook out one of my hands.
“Who do you think it’ll be?” Ella’s voice broke into my thoughts.
“What?” I asked, confused.
“The male lead. Who do you think it’ll be?”
I shrugged. “It could be anyone, I guess.”
“Justin Timberlake?”
I laughed. “No, not Justin Timberlake.” Well, I guess it could be….
“Why not? George Lebowitz is a big deal. He worked on that one movie with Justin. They could be besties.”
“First, I don’t think guys can be besties. And second, I think Justin’s got bigger things he’s working on than a Lexi Black music video shoot.”
Ella laughed. “A girl can hope.”
“Besides,” I said, turning a corner, heading to another upscale costume shop, “Lexi said she was going for an up-and-comer. Someone kind of unknown. I don’t think JT fits into that category.”
“You’re probably right,” she sighed.
We both laughed and I felt the tension from just a few minutes ago fading away. I exhaled, letting the last of it go. This was why Ella was my best friend. She didn’t care who I was. She accepted me at exactly face value and she didn’t expect anything more.
“Okay,” I said, staring at my car packed full of the things we’d acquired throughout the day. I checked the time on my phone and then looked to Ella. “Do you think you could drop me off at the studio and then run to Nordstrom for those shoes?”
“Yeah, of course. Do you want me to come back for you?”
“Let’s play it by ear. It might make more sense for me to grab a cab and meet you.” I waved my hand in the air, not really wanting to make a decision at the moment. I just needed to get back to the studio.
We pulled up to the doors of the studio and Ella got out to switch seats, giving me a good luck hug, and then I watched as she backed out and left. I walked in the front doors again, but the receptionist wasn’t there. It made sense, it was getting late. I wandered through the halls, hoping I remembered the way to the correct sound stage. I found my way and smiled when I entered, recognizing the complex set.
Standing in the middle of all the steel beams, with just one light shining down on them were George, Lexi, and a man who I assumed was the male lead.
My boots made a clacking noise as I walked toward them. I pushed my shoulders back and straightened up, wanting to make another good impression on everyone. As I got closer, I had to start stepping over pieces of the set: metal poles, ramps with slight inclinations, and giant gears seemingly buried halfway into the ground.
I was watching my feet, not wanting to fall and make a fool of myself, but when I got close enough to look up, my eyes were caught by the man who already had his eyes on me.
He was absolutely breathtaking. His eyes. My God, his eyes. I’d never seen eyes that color. They were golden, a shiny caramel color. And he was smiling. His smile was heartbreaking.
“Kalli, glad you made it back. We’ve got our male lead.” George was speaking, but I had yet to take my eyes off the beautiful man standing next to him.
“Uh,” I stammered. “Hi.” I managed to look away from him and focus on George, trying to recover from the humiliating exchange.
“Kalli Rivers, this is Riot Bentley.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Riot said. Sweet baby Jesus. His voice was deep and musical. I’d never met anyone with a voice I wanted to listen to forever, but his was gorgeous. I looked at him and his hand was out, waiting for me to take it. I swallowed, hopefully silently, even though I could feel my throat working too hard to push down all the sensations building up.
I reached out and took his hand, managing a decent grip. That was something I felt passionately about: a good handshake. I hated it when women just gave their hands and then let them lay there like limp noodles in the other person’s hand. Participate in the hand shake, for crying out loud.
Riot had an awesome handshake.
It was firm, warm, and he held on to my hand just a little longer than necessary, which caused an involuntary blush to creep over my face.
“Hi,” I said, still shaking his hand. “I’m Kalli.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” he said, his words floating through the air and caressing my skin like silk.
“Likewise,” I said as he finally released my hand.
“Isn’t he perfect?” Lexi cried, hopping up and down, clearly excited.
“He sure is,” I said, making my cheeks burn even more. I heard him chuckle and looked at him as he slid his hands into the back pockets of the soft, worn, with holes-in-all-the-right-places jeans he was wearing, which only caused his washed-until-it’s-as-soft-as-a-cloud t-shirt to stretch over his chest, and his biceps to become the most magnificent things in the room.
“Kalli, why don’t you take Riot to Lexi’s trailer and get all the info you need. We’ll wait here. We’re still going over a few things for the shoot, but we should be ready to head out when you’re finished.”
“Sounds great,” I managed. I looked to Riot and said, “Shall we?”
“Sure. Lead the way.”
I made my way back through the set, still paying close attention so I didn’t fall, and then continued to Lexi’s trailer.
“So,” I said, turning back to him, trying to engage him in light conversation like a professional. “Riot? That’s a really interesting name.”
He smiled and ran a hand over his jaw which had a delicious amount of stubble covering it. “Yeah, it’s pretty unusual. My agent loves it though, wouldn’t let me change it for the business.”
“It’s not a stage name?”
“No, but it sounds like one, doesn’t it? It sounds fake and pretentious.”
He was smiling, but I suddenly was afraid I’d offended him.
“Oh, no, not at all. It’s just not a name you hear all the time. Or at all. I’m sorry,” I rambled.
“No, don’t be,” he said as he laughed. “It’s fine. People just hear Riot and they think I’m trying to be some bad boy actor, and I’m not.”
“Oh, well, at least your name isn’t boring. Mine is pretty forgettable.”
“I think your name is beautiful,” he said with so much sincerity it made my breath shudder.
“Thanks,” I murmured. We made it to the trailer and I opened the door, allowing him to enter, and then followed, plopping my bag on the table. I was surprised to see Lexi’s assistant wasn’t there, slaving over her calendar. But it gave us more room to work. I pulled out my notebook, tape measure, and a pencil.
“I just need to get some measurements.” I looked him up and down, trying to gauge his size. I had gotten pretty good at guessing; sometimes I didn’t have the luxury of measurements.
“So, I’m sure you’ve done this before, it should only take a few minutes.”
“No problem,” he said as he raised his arms into a T, like a pro. I smiled, partly because he was being agreeable and partly because with his arms raised I could see a sliver of skin just above the waist of his jeans. I wrapped the tape measure around his chest, having to get closer to him so that I could grab it behind his back.
Good God, he smelled good.
“George said you were on a flight here. Where’d you come from?” I made note of the measurement and wrote it in the notebook, moving the tape measure lower.
“San Francisco,” he said, looking straight ahead. “I live there because I don’t want to live in Hollywood, but it’s still close enough that I can make it there in a day if I need to.”
“Smart. Hollywood is kind of a different world,” I say, looking up at him and smiling. I found it incredibly easy to smile at him.
“I love acting, but I don’t love the whole Hollywood mentality. I’m a little more, uh, chill than most people in So Cal.”
“Gotcha. I agree. I wouldn’t fit in there either.”
“Are you from Portland, then?”
I made another scratch on my notepad and then moved to measure the distance from shoulder to shoulder, trying to seem as if I didn’t notice all the muscles under the thin cotton of his shirt.
Never Standing Still Page 3
