Casting Lacey

by Elle Spencer

  Lacey stopped and waited for J.J. to catch up to her while she watched Quinn with concern.

  “Just wanted to say thank you, for stepping up like you did.”

  Lacey turned her attention to J.J. and smiled. “No problem. I’m thrilled to be here.”

  J.J. leaned in and lowered his voice. “She won’t admit it, but I can tell Quinn’s still hurtin’ so we’re gonna try to get everything in two takes tomorrow.”

  “I’m used to one, so…”

  “I can tell,” J.J. said with a grin. “You come to work ready to work, which is more than I can say for a lot of actors. Just do me a favor and keep an eye on Quinn for me, would ya’? Let me know if we’re pushing her too hard.”

  Lacey gestured toward the door with her thumb. “On it, boss. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She rushed to Quinn’s trailer and knocked before she walked in. She found her alone in the trailer, sprawled out on the sofa with one foot on the floor.

  “I should just stay here tonight. I’m too tired to go home.” Quinn’s voice sounded weak. Nothing like it had when she was in character as the talented and tough defense attorney, Jordan Ellis.

  Lacey knelt down and rested her hand on Quinn’s forehead, worried she had a fever. Her blouse was drenched in sweat and she looked pale. “Tomorrow will be easier. They just tried to pack as much into the first day as possible.”

  “Well, I can’t take it,” Quinn said as her started to quiver. “I’m sore and tired and I need my bed, and…what if I’m too scared to come out?” She bit her lip as she started to cry.

  “It’s going to be okay.” Lacey ran her hand over Quinn’s hair. “We’ll go home and have dinner in bed, and take more drugs, and tomorrow, you’ll still be hot and sexy and you’ll probably flash your tits at me again and…”

  Quinn giggled through her tears. “Shut up.”

  “You shut up,” Lacey gently replied, smiling as she said it. She offered her hand. “Nurse Covington is back on duty. Let’s get you out of these courtroom clothes.”

  Quinn got to her feet and waited while Lacey unbuttoned her blouse. “You were amazing today, Lace. Fierce.”

  “Fierce?” Lacey’s eyes widened in surprise. She pushed the blouse off Quinn’s shoulders and carefully maneuvered it over the cast.

  “Yeah. That’s the only word I can think of right now, in my current state.”

  Lacey moved behind Quinn and unzipped her skirt. “It’s going to be fine, you know. Things aren’t perfect. They’re kind of messy, and I know you don’t like messy, but it’s going to work out. You’re not going to lose your show, and one day, everything will be back to normal again.” She pushed the skirt over Quinn’s hips and let it drop to the floor so she could step out of it.

  Normal. The truth was, nothing would ever be normal again. Not if they went through with the plan. And Quinn was scared to death. Lacey had been right all along; Quinn didn’t have to do this. She lived such a private life as it was, surely she could date Ginny Strong privately.

  Ginny Strong. Quinn’s mad crush. She’d had her eye on the gorgeous, powerful woman for a while now. They were acquaintances who would run into each other at awards shows and premiers. Ginny was always so suave and graceful. She had an easy time talking to anyone. Quinn, on the other hand, would clam up and turn bright red when Ginny was within three feet of her. She’d forget to breathe, even. God, it was embarrassing. How the hell would she ever find the nerve to ask one of the most powerful women in Hollywood out on a date?

  “Lift your foot.”

  “Sorry.” Quinn lifted her foot and stepped into the yoga pants Lacey had packed for her.

  “I found this the other day when I was shopping.” Lacey pulled a black, sleeveless zip-up hoodie out of the bag.

  “That’s perfect. Why didn’t I think of that?” Quinn took the hoodie and easily slid it over her cast.

  “I bought three of them. Black, white and navy. Easy on and off.” Lacey zipped it up and put her hands on Quinn’s shoulders, looking her in the eye. “What you accomplished today was amazing. If anyone in this trailer is fierce, it’s you. And I promise you that it’ll all work out, okay?”

  Quinn almost started to cry again. Lacey had been such a godsend these last few weeks. Yes, they argued at times, but it was mostly just blowing off steam. They both hated the situation. Quinn knew that. Lacey didn’t want to be a caretaker and Quinn didn’t want to be so dependent on her. It sucked. But they were both trying to make the best of it. And Quinn was grateful.

  Before she could express her gratitude, Amy, Quinn’s assistant, opened the trailer door. “I’ve got a cart to take you to your car.” Amy stood a few feet away. “You don’t look so good.”

  Quinn wiped her wet eyes. “I’ll be fine. I just need to rest.”

  “Long day,” Amy said with a nod. “You’ll call me if you need anything?”

  “J.J. said they might add some scenes for tomorrow.”

  “Okay. I’ll send the pages over as soon as they’re ready.” Amy turned her attention to Lacey. “You don’t have an assistant?”

  “No.” Lacey put her arm around Quinn’s waist, holding her steady. “We should get going.”

  Amy stepped to the side, making room for them. “If Quinn doesn’t mind, I’d be happy to act as your assistant too, Lacey.”

  Quinn snorted. “Of course, you would. And it’s fine, Amy. Do what you need to do.”

  Amy almost jumped up and down with glee. “Wait till my mom hears! She’s gonna flip out! Ooh, can I get a business card printed? Amy Stevens, P.A. to Lacey Matthews.”

  As Amy verbalized her dreams, Lacey silently giggled and held onto Quinn as she made her way down the steps of the trailer. “God, I love her,” she whispered.

  “She’s straight,” Quinn whispered back. “And married, though I don’t really think that matters when it comes to you.”

  “Maybe I’m her celebrity free pass. You know, a freebie she’s allowed to...”

  Quinn giggled and then winced. “Please don’t make me laugh right now. And for god’s sake, don’t put that image in my head.”

  Amy locked the trailer and got behind the wheel of the cart, grinning from ear to ear as she looked at Lacey in the rearview mirror. “Everyone said you were amazing today. I told them, duh! It’s Daytime Emmy award-winning Lacey Matthews we’re talking about. And then I told them all about Light of Day and how we grew up together.”

  Quinn tried to cover her giggling by resting her forehead on Lacey’s shoulder. “I think she’s in love with you,” she whispered.

  ***

  Quinn got settled in the passenger seat of Lacey’s Range Rover. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, trying to deal with the pain. Lacey reached across Quinn’s body, securing her seat belt. They were eye to eye and almost nose to nose. “Thank you,” Quinn said. “You really were amazing in those scenes. And at home.”

  Lacey gently wiped the sweat from Quinn’s brow. She needed to get her home and in bed as soon as possible, since they would have to get up early and do this all over again the next day. “You’re pretty amazing yourself. I’ve never known anyone besides my mom with your kind of strength.”

  “What was her name?”

  Lacey’s gaze fell. She didn’t like saying her mother’s name out loud. It hurt too much. “Daria.”

  “That’s a beautiful name.”

  Lacey nodded. She didn’t want to cry. She had to drive home in the heavy traffic that was pretty much a constant in L.A., no matter the time of day. She met Quinn’s gaze again. They were so close, she could see the dark flecks in Quinn’s blue eyes. “I took care of her before she died.”

  “I know.”

  Lacey’s eyebrows rose up. “How did you…”

  “You’ve done this before. And not on TV. In real life.”

  Lacey nodded again. For once, she didn’t have something sarcastic or cynical to say about her new “job.” “Let’s get you home.” She leaned in and kissed Quinn’s head. She�
��d done it a few times. It was a sign of affection but it didn’t really mean anything. At least, that’s what she told herself.

  ***

  It was well into the early morning hours when Lacey stirred awake. She blinked a few times, trying to orient herself to her surroundings. She was in Quinn’s room. And her hand was – oh god, she was spooning Quinn. She was on top of the covers, but still, her arm was wrapped around Quinn’s middle. She slowly pulled away and rolled off the bed. She was headed to the door when Quinn said, “Could you bring me some water?” Her voice sounded gravelly and weak.

  Lacey walked around the bed and knelt down. She touched Quinn’s forehead, a habit she’d gotten into. “Did you get any sleep?”

  “Not much.”

  Fuck. That meant Quinn was fully aware of Lacey’s cuddling mishap. She picked up the empty water glass and went into the bathroom. She felt embarrassed, humiliated that she’d somehow ended up in that position. The last thing she remembered was that they were watching the news together. Quinn had asked her to fluff her pillow. Lacey had scooted closer to do just that and she must’ve stayed there, close enough to fall asleep and eventually end up spooning.

  She filled the glass and set it on the bedside table. “Try to get some sleep. I’ll wake you up when it’s time.” She quickly left the room before Quinn could say anything else, shutting the door behind her.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Lacey practically pranced into the bedroom, all smiles and happiness. “Day two!” she said, hoping her joyful attitude would overshadow what had happened a few hours earlier.

  Quinn rolled onto her back and gave Lacey a sleepy smile. “Someone’s happy to be working again.”

  “So happy.” Lacey set a glass of orange juice on the bedside table. “You don’t even know how bad it was out there in audition wasteland. I was this close to becoming an alcoholic.”

  Quinn smiled at the obvious exaggeration. “Sitting in that motel room in Hollywood, shooing away an annoying fly while you read the classifieds. Smoking your last cigarette and downing the last drop of vodka.”

  “Yes!” Lacey helped Quinn sit up and tucked a pillow behind her. “And then I throw the empty bottle against the wall because I’m so goddamned at the end of my rope, and someone on the other side yells at me, telling me to shut the hell up.”

  “And by nightfall, you’re hooking on Sunset Boulevard.”

  “Waiting for Richard Gere to collect me so I can glamorize hooking to a whole new generation of young girls. Wait, is it really called hooking?” Lacey asked, her finger tapping her lips.

  “I’d go with Lady of the Evening-ing.” Quinn took a sip of the orange juice, and in a more serious tone she said, “Thank you, for taking care of me last night, and for staying with me.”

  Lacey waved a hand. “Babysitting your ass is my job, right?” She wasn’t going to let herself blush, and if Quinn thought she could bring up the cuddling thing, well, that wasn’t going to happen. She pulled the covers back and put out her hand. “Now, let’s get moving.”

  “No problem, snugglebug.” Quinn giggled and headed toward the bathroom.

  ***

  J.J. took a final look at the camera placement. “Okay, ladies, let’s see how well you fight.”

  Quinn found her mark on the elevator floor. “Oh, we’re super good at that.”

  Lacey stood on her mark next to Quinn, holding a large file box. “Bring it.”

  The assistant director ran through the protocol and J.J. shouted “Action!”

  As they exited the elevator, Jordan put her briefcase on top of the heavy file box Selena was carrying, weighing her down even more. “Pick up my dry cleaning tonight. I’ll need my black suit for court tomorrow.”

  They entered Jordan’s office and Selena dropped the box on the floor. “Why am I here, Jordan? All I do is schlep and drive and make coffee and get dirty looks from practically everyone in this office.”

  Jordan sat at her desk and thumbed through her pile of messages. “You amuse me.”

  “I amuse you?”

  “Yes. I find your attitude…amusing.”

  Selena glared at Jordan. “So, I’m just here to humor you? You want to see how much grunt work you can make the Harvard grad do, is that it?” Selena leaned on Jordan’s desk, getting in her face. “My mother cleaned toilets until the day she died. And I worked my ass off to make sure I didn’t follow in her footsteps, so you’ll have to excuse me if I don’t want to carry your crap around and open your door and help you put on your damn pantyhose! That’s not me paying my dues, Ms. Ellis. That’s being your damn slave, and I’m done. And, FYI, no one wears pantyhose anymore!”

  Selena stomped out of Jordan’s office.

  “Selena!”

  Selena stopped and squeezed her eyes shut as she shook her head. She slowly turned around and was surprised to be face to face with Jordan.

  “The privilege of sitting next to me in a courtroom – and it is a privilege – is reserved for those who have something exceptional to contribute. No first-year gets that chance. Not ever. But I knew you were talented and I didn’t want to wait. So, a broken arm created an opportunity for you. And as far as those dirty looks you’re receiving goes – they’re jealous, Selena. They all get it, so why don’t you?”

  Selena stared at her, dumbfounded. “I guess I didn’t…”

  Jordan didn’t let her finish. “If helping me out of my skirt is so terrible, then you’re welcome to go back to your little cubicle on the second floor and do whatever it is you do in there.”

  Jordan sauntered back to her office and slammed the door.

  “And, cut! Let’s re-set.” J.J. walked over to Lacey. “You nailed it, Lacey. You freakin’ nailed it.”

  “Thanks, J.J. Not too much?”

  J.J. chuckled. “You’re holding your own with Quinn Kincaid. If you haven’t noticed, she nails her lines every time.” J.J. motioned with his head toward Brock Tennison, the actor who played Jordan’s arch nemesis, the District Attorney, John Dent. “I’m only telling you this because I don’t want you falling prey to him, but he’s the one who slows us down. If he tries to get you to change what you’re doing to suit his pace, tell him to…you know.”

  Lacey nodded. “Got it.”

  Quinn came out of the office grinning from ear to ear. She waited for J.J. to walk away and then went over to Lacey. “So, that scene felt familiar. Kind of like how it went the first day I met you.”

  “Oh?" Lacey smirked. "Did I upstage you that day, too?”

  “Yeah, speaking of that, will you pick up my dry cleaning? I’m going to need…no, stop!” Quinn squealed as Lacey tried to tickle her.

  ***

  “And Action!”

  As they exited the courtroom, Jordan handed her briefcase to Selena, instead of throwing it on top of the file box she always seemed to be carrying. “You saved my ass back there, Selena. You pulled that precedent out of thin air.”

  “Glad to help. And now you can save mine by letting me off early today.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “I have something personal to take care of,” Selena said.

  “Whatever it is, I’m sure no one’s life is at stake.”

  “Maybe not literally, but figuratively. Please Jordan, can you help me out here?”

  “Is this a millennial thing? You have one good idea and expect the day off?”

  Selena stopped walking and pursed her lips together. She let out a big sigh as she ran to catch up with Jordan.

  “Cut!”

  Quinn slumped against the wall, holding onto her arm. Lacey dropped the file box and went to her. “Get you home?”

  Quinn nodded, hoping no one would notice how exhausted she was. “Please.”

  Lacey glanced around to see if anyone was watching them. “You know, you could just tell them to cut back a little.”

  “I’ve never missed a day of work in five seasons. I’m not going to start now.” Quinn pushed herself off of the wa
ll and stood up straight, cradling her arm in her hand. “This is where you nod your understanding instead of arguing your point.”

  “Yeah,” Lacey said with a huff. “Like you ever listen to me anyway.” She held Quinn’s elbow as they walked to the door.

  “I’ll make it up to you with Chinese take-out. I know how much you love eggrolls.”

  “Yeah? What else do you know about me?”

  Quinn paused at the door and faced Lacey. “I know you’re hardworking, just like me. We both take our jobs seriously, and that’s why I know you understand where I’m coming from.”

  Lacey smiled. “This is where I nod my agreement, knowing you’ll make good on those eggrolls.”

  ***

  “And action!”

  Jordan and Selena sat at a small table. Jordan looked very relaxed as she twirled the olives in her martini glass. Selena took a sip of her wine and looked around. “Really? Lunch at a hotel bar?”

  “Would you rather be sitting in Joe’s, listening to the all the overworked ADAs complain about their paychecks?”

  Selena swirled the wine in her glass and inhaled the bouquet. “They should’ve worked harder in law school.”

  “No sympathy. I like it.” Jordan sucked the vodka off of an olive and dipped it back in her drink.

  Selena sighed and looked at her watch. Jordan tilted her head, trying to find where the shaking was coming from. Selena’s leg was bouncing up and down under the table. “Silly of me to think we could relax and get to know each other outside of work. You’re free to go. Anything to stop the shaking.”

  Selena stood up. “Thank you. And it’s not you.”

  “Oh, I can assure you, I wouldn’t care if it was.” Jordan forced a tight smile.

  “I mean, it’s not your company. It’s just…I really need to buy a birthday present for my girlfriend and, you know, actually plan something for tonight.”

  “Girlfriend?” Jordan asked, her eyebrows rising in surprise.

  “Yes, girlfriend. For now, at least. We’re on shaky ground. I can’t afford to miss another special occasion.” Selena glanced at her watch again.

  Jordan put up her hand. “Say no more. And buy her something twice as expensive as last year. Works like a charm.”