Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
I turn around from that dead end and find myself walking toward the smell of coffee. I’m a couple of minutes early, right? I can get my own coffee before I get everyone else’s.
“Hey,” a voice says as I pass an open door. “Hey, are you the new PA?”
I want to cry because I have to say yes. I stop and back up because he hasn’t come out of the room, merely expects me to hear him and return. That’s the nature of what I’m going into. I’m the lowest of the low. The assistant to all assistants. I flash a bright smile as I take in the room. “Hi. I’m Anika Fox.”
The man is standing in the middle of a room filled with comms equipment. He’s not the only one, but he’s the only one who seems to care about me. The rest of the guys don’t bother to look up from where they’re organizing what is likely everything they need for the day’s filming.
“I’m Patrick Dennings. This is my set and you’re late.” Patrick is probably twenty-five and looks like he could be talent. He’s extremely handsome, with blond hair and a face that could be on a magazine cover. He’s dressed down, but I would bet the man is fashionable as hell in his daily life. He’s what we call the key production assistant, which means he’s in charge of all the production assistants and is likely very territorial over his position.
He’s also super irritated with me. I check my watch again. “I’m here ten minutes before my call time.”
“You’re here twenty minutes after everyone else arrived. Look, I get that you’re some kind of nepo hire, but I don’t care who your mother or father or uncle is. I don’t care if you’re someone’s side piece.”
“Hey.” I wasn’t about to take that from him. “And I don’t care that you’re some asshole who thinks because he’s slightly higher than me on the staff, that it’s okay to harass me.”
Now all the boys are looking my way.
Patrick frowns. “Harass you?”
I need them all to understand I’m not going to put up with their toxic crap. Oftentimes I have to introduce myself. “Yeah, look, you can dress me down all you like, but if you call me a whore again, I’ll have you wrapped up in a lawsuit. I am new to this set. I am not new to life, and despite my short stature and blonde hair, I’m not going to allow anyone to push me around, and that includes you.”
His eyes narrow. “You’re not going to last long here.”
He’s not the first bully I’ve dealt with. “We’ll see about that. Now I would like to be the nice version of myself, but I can introduce you to the other side of me. If you want me here thirty minutes before the call sheet says, tell me. I have gotten neither call nor text. I assume you have access to my paperwork and therefore you have my phone number.”
He puts down the comm he’s been inspecting. “We have a meeting before every shift. I update the crew on what’s being filmed that day and what will be required of you. Now you know, and I’ll expect you here on time.”
He’s not exactly polite, but he’s also not screaming so I count it as a win. “I’ll be here for the meeting tomorrow. Where do you need me tonight?”
He seems to calm, going back to his equipment check. “We’ve gotten hit with a curve ball. Completely out of nowhere, the director has decided to do some viral marketing. He’s going to live stream some of the meetings and do some candid shots with the contestants. It’s going to be live on the network’s website. He’s hoping it turns into one of those break-the-Internet things.”
“Live?” It’s kind of my nightmare. I know they used to do live shows back in the day, but you know what we have now? Editing. Editing is an important part of life. It is the eraser on the pencil we call entertainment. “Is he sure he wants to do that? What if one of the contestants says something awful?”
Patrick’s shoulder shrugs. “Well, then he’s absolutely sure to go viral. I don’t think he cares. I think he knows what’s on the line, and he’s willing to do pretty much anything to make this show a success. That means he’s going to pull out all the stops.”
Which means Joseph Helms will be relying on the crew to make his vision come true. I am suddenly happy I’m going to be the coffee girl. Though Patrick isn’t responsible for filming, he will feel the burden of the live segments. Everyone will.
“Where do you want me?” I ask. I don’t like the man, but he’s obviously under pressure.