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At that moment, Ruby’s phone rings, and she pulls it from her pocket.
“Vince?” She listens for a moment or two. “Do we need to look at this now, or can it wait until we start rehearsals? I’m sure it won’t be long now.” She frowns, giving Ella a quick glance, while Vince says something else, and then she nods her head. “Okay, I’ll come along now.”
She ends the call, returning the phone to her pocket, and looks up at us, smiling. “I’ve gotta check something with Vince.”
“Is there a problem?” The panic in Kennedy’s voice is obvious for us all to hear.
Ruby shakes her head. “I think he’s just getting anxious about the schedule. I’ll placate him.”
I can’t remember what Vince does now, but he’s not the only one who’s getting anxious. Kennedy seems to be doing a fairly good job of that herself, and it’s rubbing off on everyone else.
“Okay,” she says. “Let me know if there are any issues we need to address.”
I can think of several… the most important being that they haven’t allowed enough time to prepare this first show. I’m not about to say that, though… and clearly Ruby doesn’t want to stick her head above the parapet, either. She just nods and leaves the room.
After a moment’s silence, Kennedy turns back, taking a deep breath, her eyes settling on me.
“Okay, so before the next disaster strikes, do you think you could change into the t-shirt and put the apron on?”
“Now?”
She nods her head, and although Ella might be able to answer back, I don’t feel I can. I need this job too much, and I guess maybe she’s decided she doesn’t. At least not enough to tolerate Kennedy’s attitude. Maybe the hassle of it all is too much for her.
“Fine.”
I grab the bag containing the t-shirt and apron and head for the door, making my way down the hall and through the double doors, before entering the men’s room.
Once inside, I undo the apron Ella lent me, lifting it over my head, and yank off my t-shirt, dumping them both onto the white countertop, before I delve into the bag for the black one Kennedy supplied. Unfolding it, I can’t help frowning. It’s tiny, and I struggle to pull it on. I get there eventually, after a littlehuffing and puffing, but when I look at myself in the mirror, it’s all I can do not to laugh. Sure, it shows off my muscles, but I look like a modern-day version of Popeye, and even when I’ve got the apron on, I still feel foolish, mainly because the logo on the front is so prominent. I don’t feel like I’m the ‘master’ of anything at the moment, but I know the implication they’re going for, and it’s just not who I am.
I don’t know if I want to walk back to the studio dressed like this, but I guess I’ll have to get used to it.
“It’s a character,” I tell myself quietly, relieved there’s no-one else in here. Kennedy’s decided this is my ‘costume’, for want of a better word, and I’ll be wearing it on screen soon enough, so I may as well get used to it.
Grabbing my t-shirt and Ella’s apron, I poke my head out through the door, thankful there’s no-one in sight, and I practically run back to the rehearsal studio. As I open the door, though, everyone turns to look at me, and I can feel myself blush.
Ella stares at me, like she’s not entirely sure what to make of the change in my appearance. I’m not sure what to make of her reaction, either. If we were alone, I might be brave enough to ask, but we’re not, and I glance at Vivian, whose eyes widen as she licks her lips. She couldn’t look any more hungry if she tried, her eyes literally feasting on me, but I can’t raise any enthusiasm for her response. She’s attractive enough, I guess, but I don’t like the way she treats Ella. I turn away, just as Kennedy pushes herself off of the island unit, and walks over. There’s something in the swing of her hips that makes me nervous, though, and I back up to the door a little.
“That’s so much better,” she says, smiling, as she reaches me. “I just need to…” She grabs my hand, pulling me further into the room, and then walks around behind me. I can feel her fiddling with the ties, her hands in the small of my back.
“What are you doing?” I try to pull away, but she’s got hold of the apron strings and isn’t letting go. Short of striding away and probably pulling my boss to the floor as she clings on to me, I’ve got no option other than to stay where I am.
“I’m just adjusting the ties.”
“Is that really necessary? I’m not on camera now.”
“Maybe not. But there’s no harm in getting things right.”
She finishes what she’s doing, taking another moment to straighten the strap around my neck, which I’m sure is just as unnecessary as everything else she’s doing, and then she comes around in front of me again.
“Happy now?” I say, surprised by the sarcastic tone in my voice. Ella’s boldness must be rubbing off on me… thank God.
“Yes.”
“Well, I’m not. This t-shirt is way too small.”
She looks me up and down, taking her time over it. “But that’s exactly the look I wanted.”
“Are you serious?”
