thereâs no middle ground. You either hang out with your girlfriends or you screw your boyfriends. There is no kissing and holding hands.â She eased up and put her arm around me. âI know; youâre so young. But that is just the way it is. You canât have friendships with men.â
I said nothing as I got out of my dress, hurting Franzâs feelings somehow, but not taking on any responsibility for his sensitivity. I was so mad that I couldnât even get out of my corset without someoneâs help, furious that I was surrounded by people all the time but was completely alone.
I stormed out of the trailer to get my dinner and ate it at an unoccupied table, mad that men were so damn shallow and angry that I didnât have any girlfriends.
I went back to my trailer and threw my iPhone against the wall, disappointed that it didnât break.
Â
~Â Â Â LEARNING LINES Â Â ~
I had a text from Richard when I got out of the shower. I changed into sweats and met him in his trailer. Clyde, Sara and Byron were there, too. Richard handed me the new script.
âMarie, run lines with Byron. Clyde and Sara will work with Renee. You have a ton to memorize.â Richard gave me a hug. âAnd thank you, honey, for stepping up to the plate again and again. Youâre awesome.â
âSure. No problem.â I told Richard, still completely annoyed with my life.
Richard nodded, âClyde, move Byron into a trailer here on set. You are now this assholeâs babysitter so he doesnât ruin the project.â
Byron and I left Richardâs trailer and headed for the catering tent.
âShit, I guess itâs my last night in my condo. Letâs go there. Everyone hates me here. I canât concentrate.â
âOkay,â I agreed. âBut only if we just practice. You promised youâd control yourself.â
âI promised that I would try, and I will. Trust me. I donât want to get screamed at again tomorrow. Richard said that just cost him fifty thousand dollars and told me heâs taking it out of my percentage. I feel awful that Iâm dragging down the project.â
He put both of our scripts in his backpack and he put it on my back. We got on his motorcycle and were at his condo within ten minutes. I noticed the photographers.
âWhy the paparazzi?â I asked as we headed to the door. I felt better. The ride on his motorcycle was fun and kind of sexy. I liked holding him. It was comforting. I liked being close to his body without him having the opportunity to kiss me.
âOh, they want to see who Iâm with today.â
âWhy are you such a slut? Donât you find it, like, empty?â I asked. He went straight to the kitchen fridge and got two microbrews out, opened the tops, and handed me one. I could drink one beer but that was all. I was on a one-drink maximum policy since recovering from my almost alcoholism.
âNo, honestly. What I feel is out of control. Iâm not me . The girls back home were much harder to impress. Actually, I was innocent until my recent fame. I won a reality TV talent show in Australia and immediately got cool when I was just a normal guy before. Iâm a singer/songwriter, not an actor. Iâve never even had an acting class.â
He shrugged his shoulders. âI get surprised that the women in L.A. are so aggressive.â He grinned. âI donât love them and they donât seem to care. I only love you.â
âUgh. Byron, why do you keep saying that? Itâs absurd, ya know.â I probably downed half the beer in just one swig. It tasted so good.
âNo, itâs not. Youâre the sweetest girl in Hollywood. Iâve never met anyone like you before, ever.â
I dismissed him. âThanks. Now letâs start.â I went ahead and just finished the beer.
âHey, do you want another beer?â He noticed, finished his, and got
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