Chapter 3
Brian:
Things went as planned the next day. AJ was actually wrapping up his part of
the shoot as we came walking in the door of the theater, which had been given
a total facelift in the past 12 or so hours. It was time for Kevin to get himself
all settled in the new backdrop.
AJ took a seat next to me. "Where were you last night?" I asked.
"I don't see why you'd actually care," he said indifferently. Things
were going to get ugly in a little while if I didn't find a way out of this.
"I'm just saying I was concerned, that's all. I didn't mean to intrude
or anything," I said backing down.
"My whole life doesn't revolve around cheap chicks and a bottle of whisky,
Bri."
"I know. I was worried that you'd think it did."
There was an awkward pause. "Whatever," AJ said quietly.
"So really, where were you last night?"
AJ looked at me suspiciously. "You really want to know?" I nodded.
"I went to a coffee shop a few blocks from the hotel." I couldn't
help but look at him skeptically. AJ? At a coffee house after he just spent
the past 2 months at every bar in creation?
It wasn't making sense. "I found Durbbie there."
"And she let you live to see the next day?" I questioned.
"Cut it out Brian. She's not all she looks like."
"And neither is her friend, Melissa," I muttered under my breath.
AJ looked at me with a confused look on his face. Luckily Durbbie came over
to tell me it was my turn.
Durbbie:
I noticed that Melissa got really uncomfortable as Brian and I came closer. I guess she still hasn't forgiven him from the last time we met. Then again, neither have I. How could someone who looks so trustworthy really be a cheater? I swear, between Brian and Scott, I might as well lose all trust in men…
Flashback 4 Years
"Hi, I'm
Scott," he introduced with a smile that made me feel special.
"I'm Durbbie," I said and returned the smile. I could see that his
features were well defined and eyes that were a combination of the deepest blues
and the most turquoise of oceans. I fell for him almost immediately. He had
such a magnetism about him that it was completely impossible not to give all
our attention to him as soon as you saw him. But that was how Scott was: such
a sweetheart. Not a trace of anger.
The two of us had started talking and I was thoroughly enjoying the conversation
when he cut me off suddenly.
"What color are your eyes?"
"Excuse me?"
"Your eyes. What color are they?"
I smiled. Scott liked my eyes. "They're olive green. My mom's in denial.
She thinks they're brown."
"I don't know why she'd think that. Green's so much more interesting. You
don't see it much. I was noticing it before."
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear shyly and smiled up at him. "Thanks."
"You know Durbbie, I've got a feeling…"
Back To Present
Durbbie:
Melissa waving
her hand in front of my face brought me back to reality.
"You OK?" she asked.
I shook my head to clear it. "That was weird," I said quietly.
"Scott?" she asked. I nodded. "That sucks."
"No kidding," I muttered. "Let's get Brian going. I wanna get
out of here."
Kevin:
"Kev,
you're over here," Durbbie said as she came jogging over. We started walking
over to the next set. "Sorry about the whole delay. We had some technical
stuff to figure out."
"I figured. Doesn't Melissa only do scenery though and you do the cameras?"
"Yeah, but we're running behind schedule and Melissa's got some experience
with cameras, so she's doing Brian and I'm doing you."
"What?"
"I meant the pictures. Not…anything else."
So now they're behind schedule? Great…
"You OK?" Durbbie asked as we started the shoot.
"Why?"
"You seem distracted today. Look to your left and there we go," she
said directing me.
"Nothing you need to be concerned about," I answered colder than intended.
Durbbie put the camera down. "You know, I don't get it."
"Get what?" I asked.
"Why you act the way you do. You always give these snide comments and glares
when you think nobody's watching, but you know what? I'm really tired of it.
So if you're not going to suck up whatever it is, I suggest you go get Howie
and come back when you get your head out of your ass."
"What did you just say to me?" I asked in total shock. "Do you
even know who you're talking to?"
"I know exactly what I said," Durbbie said coolly.
"And you still talk to me that way?" I challenged.
"I'm sorry if the truth hurts, but right now you are pissing me off so
royally that I really don't feel like talking to you."
My jaw hit the floor. "Who are you to tell me how to act? Where do you
get off on that?"
Durbbie held up her hands. "I'm just saying the all this hostility you
have for us is really uncalled for."
That's it! "How dare you tell me it's uncalled for!" I said raising
my voice. "Do you know how much damage you caused while you just skipped
off in the middle of everything?"
"You want to talk about damage?" she challenged right back. "Try
having to go back to a charred apartment by yourself with no place to go and
basically no money! Try going back to an asshole boyfriend who has screwed anything
in a skirt while you were off trying to make a decent living! I don't care what
you say happened! What Melissa and I had to go through in the past few months
is 10 times worse than anything you've ever dealt with!"
AJ:
"I
thought you said she was different," Howie asked as we started jogging
over to Kevin and Durbbie. "I thought you said you two chilled out last
night."
"That's what I thought too," I added under my breath. "Cool it
Durbbie," I said wedging myself between the two fighting parties and backing
her up by putting my hands on her shoulders. "I think it's time we took
a little walk."
Durbbie was resisting and had a look of sheer determination on her face. If
I hadn't stepped in the moment I did, I'm pretty sure Durbbie would have thrown
a punch or two. That would have made great press…
Durbbie swore loudly. "Just because he sat on a frickin' forest doesn't
give him the right to piss the hell out of me!"
"He's just bitter," I said soothingly in an attempt to calm Durbbie.
"No kidding, Einstein," Durbbie retorted. "It's still not right."
"I know, but…" I started and then came to the realization that
I had nothing to say at the end of the sentence.
Durbbie looked at me critically. "I thought so. Nothing to say. Why don't
you just leave me alone?"
I was getting more and more agitated by the moment. "Maybe it's because
I actually care!"
Melissa:
"Durbs?"
I asked gingerly as she walked by with a dangerous look in her eye. "Do
you want to finish Brian? I can deal with Kevin."
"No thanks," she said flatly. "Let him wait."
"So be it," I said. There was no use in trying to argue. I'd make
her even angrier and to have a really pissed Durbbie in a small apartment for
a long period of time, like over-night, was not a smart idea. I'll let her cool
down by herself.
"OK Brian," I said almost awkwardly. "Look over me and pretend
that your long lost love is right above my head." I snapped a few pictures,
more like 2 more rolls of film, before I actually finished.
Brian started to get off the little piece of set we had set up and I started
packing stuff away. "You need any help with that?" he offered.
"Nah," I said, "I think I got it." I grabbed my case of
materials and started to walk off when I tripped on a wire.
Brian:
"You
OK?" I asked as I helped Melissa back to her feet.
"Yeah," she said a little unsteadily. "I'm fine."
"Let me take that," I offered motioning to a case of art supplies.
"No really," Melissa said pointedly. Then she looked at me and almost
looked like a deer in headlights. She looked so terrified, so very terrified
that I was almost afraid to speak because I thought that she would shatter.
"What's wrong?" I asked in a voice that I didn't recognize as my own.
Melissa shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing, I'm fine. I've got to get going."
AJ:
I sat and put my arm around Durbbie. "Meet me at the coffee shop as soon
as you can, OK?" I asked quietly.
"Are you sure they won't be mad at you?"
"Who cares what they think. Just you and me and the coffee shop.
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