Fame

by Susan X Meagher

  ***

  It was fully dark now, with the sky an inky navy blue, full of so many stars it would have taken three lifetimes to count them all. “We should probably get to bed,” Piper said, stretching her arms above her head as she let out a yawn. “Charlie has an eight a.m. call.”

  “That’s not so bad,” Haley reminded her. “You just have a five-minute walk to get to work.”

  “Ooo, bliss. I’m one happy camper. Literally.”

  They picked their way across the plants, being careful not to step on anything living. But just before they reached the path, something long and sharp scraped up Piper’s leg. “Ow!” she yelped.

  “Are you all right?” Haley stepped onto the path and peered at her.

  “Something stabbed me,” she grumbled. “Hurts.”

  “Come on. I’ll take a look.”

  They went to Tim and Meredith’s tent, where Haley quickly flipped on the lamps. Perching on the edge of the bed, she took a careful look at the scratch, then said, “Let me go get some soap and water. Back in a flash.”

  Then she was gone, and Piper sat there, feeling a little silly. But Haley hadn’t made fun of her, so that was a plus. After a few minute’s wait, Haley returned with a washcloth and a small towel. “I’ll fix you right up,” she said, dropping to her knees to carefully clean the stripe, now dripping a little blood, that ran down Piper’s shin.

  She fought the instinct, but she couldn’t stop herself from saying, “Ow!” every couple of seconds. But Haley kept going, mostly ignoring her whining to get the sand and dirt out of the cut.

  “I don’t have anything to put on this, but I think it’s fine. Just a scrape.”

  Piper cleared her throat and spoke before she could stop herself. “I was thinking of when you patched me up the day we met. I really appreciated that you didn’t point out what a baby I was.”

  “You really are a baby,” Haley said, rising to sit by Piper on the bed. “But it’s kinda cute. Endearing, actually.”

  “That was the first time I realized what a kind soul you had,” she said quietly, afraid to meet Haley’s eyes.

  “You think I’m kind?”

  “I do.” She looked up, catching Haley looking at her with a tender, vulnerable expression on her pretty face. “You are.”

  “Thanks.” They sat there, side by side, for another minute, with Piper hoping Haley would simply forget to leave. But she clearly didn’t share that instinct, for she got up and stood there, rather awkwardly, before saying, “I guess I’ll go back to my tent.”

  “Okay.” Piper looked up at her, hoping Haley could see the longing in her eyes. “If you have to.”

  “I do,” she said, sighing with what sounded like regret. She put her hand on Piper’s shoulder and let it rest there for just a few moments. Leaning over, she said quietly, “I had a very good day today. The best since I’ve been here.” Tenderly, she brushed her lips across Piper’s cheek, then turned and pushed through the tent’s flap, with Piper watching her go, silently begging her to turn around and stay. But her wish was not to be fulfilled.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHARLIE WAS THE FIRST PERSON Piper spied as she walked toward the hair and makeup cabin. She’d heard the helicopter, and had noticed that a lot of lights went on moments after it arrived. It made sense that the crew used the sound as an alarm, but she’d never considered how Tim’s arrival started a chain of events that had the whole camp up and at ’em just because he’d touched down.

  Charlie spotted her, and waved energetically. “Who missed me?” she playfully called out.

  “I did,” Piper said, standing and jerking her thumb toward herself. “You know I can’t go a whole day without seeing you.”

  “Liar,” Charlie scoffed, dropping her big tote bag at Piper’s feet. “I bet you were glad to have a day without me bugging you.”

  “Not true. but I did enjoy myself. We played around on the beach all day, then Haley took care of me when I threw up because I’m a big baby…”

  “You threw up?” Charlie asked, clearly concerned.

  “Apparently, I don’t have a strong stomach. They roasted a pig and I got sick after seeing the head.” She rolled her eyes. “Not too embarrassing.”

  “Aww,” Charlie cooed. “But Haley took care of you. That’s something, right?”

  “It was better than being laughed at. She’s almost as dutiful as you are when I’m being dramatic.”

  “I think that’s because she still cares for you.” She put her hands on Piper’s shoulders and jumped up and down, looking a little like Delta. “I just know she does!”

  “I’m not at all sure that’s true. I specifically asked her if she’d like to hang out more. Like at lunch. But she shot me down.”

  “Oh, she can’t do that,” Charlie said, like it should have been obvious. “Talent can go to the crew, but crew can’t go to talent.”

  “You buy into that bullshit too?”

  “It’s not bullshit, Pip. It’s the way things are. And if Haley starts acting like she’s part of my posse, people will treat her differently.” A frown slid onto her face and she nodded reflectively. “There are rules, Pip. You just can’t break ’em.”

  Piper nodded, beginning to see what Haley was talking about when she said being a manager would change her. Even if she didn’t want it to, the system had its own agenda.

  ***

  Haley was whistling a happy tune when she reached for the door of the aviary to get her feathered actors ready for the day. But she stopped short and read the sheet of paper that had been taped to the door. “Bird call cancelled.”

  Typical. Making a movie seemed to mostly consist of getting ready, then not being needed. Her birds had been filmed a total of three days, and they were only scheduled for another five or six shots. But their appearance clearly wasn’t urgent, since it had been pushed back twice. An efficiency expert would have had a field day cutting wasted hours and personnel on a movie shoot.

  After removing the covers from their cages, feeding all of her charges, changing their water and cleaning up after them, Haley went back to the lot, hoping she could help someone who was busier than they wanted to be. She was surprised to see Tim consulting with a bunch of crew members while his very energetic kids ran around.

  They must have been planning on staying overnight, since a bunch of backpacks and a couple of tote bags were waiting for someone to carry them up the path to the Banks’s family tents.

  She hadn’t checked to make sure Piper had picked up the few things she’d lent her. Someone had probably run over there to make sure the tent was clean, but she thought she’d better check. It never paid to annoy the director’s family.

  As she approached, Haley saw that the tent was still open, which probably meant Piper hadn’t cleared out. Haley was almost at the door when she heard Meredith Legrand’s voice, her unmistakably sultry purr sounding more like a “let’s do it” invitation than it should have, given Tim was nowhere near.

  “I can arrange to have someone cover for you. We’ll take the helicopter and go to your hotel or even zip over to Kauai. No one will miss us.”

  Oh-oh.

  Haley had obviously stumbled onto a very private conversation. While trying to turn and tiptoe away, another voice almost made her knees buckle.

  “I couldn’t possibly leave,” Piper said. “Charlie’s got a big scene today.”

  Meredith’s low, sexy laugh made Haley see red as surely as if someone had painted her eyeballs.

  “Do you really think it matters who slicks your sister’s hair back? She’s dripping wet in every scene.”

  “That’s my job, Meredith. Charlie needs me.”

  There was a soft rustling sound, like someone was moving around. Then Meredith spoke again. “I think it’s sweet that you care about her and you’re serious about your job. So, let’s make it Saturday. I checked the call sheet and Charlie’s not scheduled until the afternoon. We’ll go to Kauai on Friday night and be back i
n plenty of time.”

  “I don’t think so,” Piper said.

  Meredith’s voice dropped into another register. This one was called “stupendously sexy.” “Let me give you a little hint of what I have in store for you.”

  “I’d really rather you didn’t,” Piper said.

  Haley was stuck. Stuck as firmly as she’d have been if her feet were incased in quick-drying concrete. But she didn’t want to stay. The very last thing on this earth she wanted to hear was Meredith Legrand making plans to lure Piper away for a sexual rendezvous. She was certain she couldn’t control her emotions, afraid she’d start wailing, but Piper’s shaky, soft voice said, “I’m not able to go to Kauai, Meredith. I’m flattered that you asked—”

  “What do you mean you can’t go?” Her voice was a little sharper, but more puzzled than anything else. She probably felt like she was offering a kid a big ice cream cone and couldn’t believe the child was turning up her nose at it.

  “I can’t,” Piper said, letting Haley hear that she was getting irritated. “I won’t.”

  “Then I haven’t made the offer compelling enough,” Meredith said, clearly sure she could compel anyone to do anything. The floor creaked and Haley heard fabric rustling again.

  Piper sounded almost desperate now. “Please don’t do that.”

  “Oh, I know who you are now,” Meredith said, sounding like the answer to Piper’s psyche lay right in her hands. “You’re the type who has to make the first move. I can play that way.” A delicate, sexy laugh escaped through the window. “It’s not natural for me, but I can play it.”

  Haley was ready to storm in there and take out the trash, but she stopped herself. At this point, she had no right to police Piper’s behavior. Besides, sticking her nose in might make things difficult for not only Piper, but Charlie. Thinking hard, she latched onto an idea. Quietly walking toward the back of the tent, she stood right next to the corner, where there were no windows. “Bring the bags right down,” she called out, lowering her voice to sound more imposing. “The door’s open. Walk right in, guys.”

  “Shit! You’ve got to get out of here,” Meredith whispered harshly.

  Haley heard the springs on the door creak, then saw Piper race out of the tent, power-walking up the path, probably wondering why she didn’t run into any guys toting luggage.

  Instead of going back down the path herself, Haley cut through the verdant foliage behind the tents to reach the beach. It was a glorious day in Hawaii. Sunny and warm, with a one hundred percent chance of Meredith Legrand not throwing herself at Piper, a woman who clearly hadn’t wanted to catch her.

  ***

  Tim must have called for lunch a little early, because people started streaming into the dining hall at eleven thirty, all chatting and goofing around like they’d had a good morning.

  Whenever she was able to, Haley ate early, just to avoid the rush. But she tried to save a big table for her friends from the wardrobe department. The chair next to her skittered across the floor, and a little tongue started to lick her arm. Turning, she saw a very sober-looking Piper, along with an ecstatic Delta.

  “What’s wrong?” Haley asked, scratching behind Delta’s ear to calm him. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “I need to talk to you. Can you get away?”

  “Um, sure, I guess. Don’t you want lunch?”

  “Not now,” she said, heading toward the door. Haley picked up her salad and a fork and followed her. But Piper didn’t stay right by the dining hall. She walked until there wasn’t another soul around, way out by the road where the crew brought provisions in.

  “Piper, what’s wrong?” Haley asked when she reached her.

  She swallowed noticeably, then said, “I didn’t tell you this before because I assumed I’d imagined it.” Looking down at the ground, she quietly said, “Meredith Legrand’s been flirting with me, and now she wants to have sex.”

  It truly wasn’t funny, but Haley burst out laughing. The topic was dead serious, but the look on Piper’s face was so cute! She looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and was just waiting for Haley to slug her.

  “I’m sorry,” Haley said, gripping Piper’s arm. “I’m so sorry for laughing.”

  “She really does,” she insisted, wide-eyed. “I know it’s impossible to believe—”

  “No, it’s not,” Haley said, now just as sober as Piper had been. “It’s not hard to believe at all. She’s got fantastic taste if she wants a little bite of you.”

  “But I don’t want her! We got interrupted, but I don’t think she’s finished with me yet.”

  “Oh, she’s finished with you,” Haley said, smacking one fist up against the other hand. “I’ll rearrange that pretty face if she doesn’t keep her hands off you.” She leaned in and peered at Piper carefully. “Did she actually touch you?”

  “Just my arm.” She blinked a few times. “That was your voice! You were by the tent!”

  “Not on purpose,” Haley assured her. “I was just afraid you’d left stuff there. I’d seen the kids and assumed they were moving in. I was only double-checking that you’d cleaned up.”

  Piper grew even paler. “Oh, God, my first instinct was to just put her off, hoping she’d forget. If you’d heard me do that—”

  “Piper, what’s going on? You act like you owe me an explanation.” She took a breath and spit the rest out. “I don’t have any claim on you. If you want to be with Meredith…”

  “I don’t,” she said, her eyes filled with something just short of disgust. “But this all started when you and I were together. It was the night Charlie and I went to her house in Malibu.” She nodded. “I should have told you then.”

  Now focused on the words, rather than how cute Piper looked while saying them, Haley said, “You’re saying she’s been hitting on you since then?”

  “Yeah.” Her head dropped, making her look profoundly embarrassed. “Last time we were together, she put her hand way up on my thigh.” As her head snapped up, she revealed her outrage. “With Tim and Charlie sitting right there. I could tell she thought she was being cool, but I did not like it.”

  Sighing, Haley said. “This is exactly the kind of thing I’ve been telling you will happen. She wants you, so she takes you.”

  Piper grabbed her arm, holding on tightly. When Haley looked up, fire was burning in those normally placid eyes. “If she tries to touch me again, she’d better bring her bodyguards.”

  Haley felt a burst of sympathy for her. She just didn’t get it. Stroking her arm, she soothingly said, “That’s not how it works, Piper. She’s the director’s wife. You can’t just say no. You’ve got to figure out a way to finesse it. To make her not want you anymore.”

  Piper leaned over so close Haley’s eyes almost crossed. “Maybe that’s how you’d do it, but I’m finished with fending her off. I’m not going to make a scene, but if she hits on me again, she’s going to know—without question—that she’s barking up the wrong tree.”

  “What if she tells Tim to make you disappear? I’ve only been on two and three-quarters movies before this one, and I can tell you about four different people who were thrown off set because they slept with the wrong person, or the wrong person found out. Tim’s the god in this universe, Piper.”

  “He’s not my god,” she said flatly, with her chin sticking out defiantly.

  “But he’s Charlie’s,” Haley said, feeling a little sick when she saw the flash of realization hit Piper. “He could ruin her career without even trying hard.”

  “Then she’d better learn how to repair air conditioners,” she said, clearly getting another burst of courage.

  “Air conditioners?”

  “Just an expression,” she said dismissively. “I’d hate it if Charlie got screwed over because I wouldn’t sleep with someone.” Her voice gained confidence as she spoke. “But if her career depends on my being pimped out—she’d better have a backup plan.”

  ***
/>   Piper watched the weather all day, certain they were going to be rained out. But the few raindrops that fell didn’t interfere with a moment of shooting until almost six. Then the skies cracked open to unload a real deluge. Everyone scrambled to protect equipment, then they stood under hastily unfurled umbrellas, all watching Tim. He scanned the horizon, where dark, angry-looking clouds had settled. “Let’s call it a day,” he announced, not smiling when his decision was met with a muted cheer. Tim had two favorite hours in each day, the first and last of the sun’s presence. Losing the evening golden hour was no cause to celebrate in his book. But it was in hers. She leaned over and spoke quietly, so only Charlie could hear. “Mind if I take off? I want to try to charm Haley into flying back with us. She’s seen less of Oahu than I have.”

  “I don’t mind, but you’re not going to get it done,” Charlie said, snickering. “Good luck,” she added, giving Piper a playful push.

  Taking off to cut across a path Haley had shown her on the weekend, Piper reached the aviary ten minutes later. The birds were yakking up a storm, the noise loud enough for her to hear them when she was still a good distance away.

  “What’s the deal?” she asked when she entered, having to shout to be heard.

  “Not sure.” Haley had the parrot out of his cage, perched on her arm while he complained. He had a good number of words, but today he just made angry parrot noises, some of them loud enough to make you grit your teeth.

  “I think the storm’s bothering him,” Haley said. “And when he starts, the others have to join in.”

  “We broke early,” Piper said, sticking close to the door, having to concede she couldn’t stand to be too near to the bird. She was sure he was perfectly harmless, but he still gave her the creeps. “I was hoping I could convince you to come home with us…just for one night,” she added, holding up her index finger. “We’ll be back in time to go have dinner someplace nice. All of us,” she added, in case Haley thought she was looking for a date.