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His eyes narrowed. “Get your things, Bauer. You’re fired.”
Maddie took her tape measure off her belt loop and threw it at Beaumont’s feet. “Fuck that. Iquit.”
She’d never been so angry in her life. Accused of making his mistake? She didn’t have to take that shit. She stormed off, high-tailing it to the trailer where the crew kept their personal items.
“Maddie,” Sam called afterher.
Sam was the last person she wanted to deal with. Well, maybe not the last person. She didn’t want to deal with anyone.
He called again, running to catch up. “Maddie!”
She spun around. “What?”
He put his hands on his hips, panting. “Do you need aride?”
Sam’s voice was kind and gentle, and it broke her. Tears welled up again in her eyes, this time she couldn’t stop them from falling. “Yes,” she mumbled. She nodded to make sure he understood.
“Go get in the car. It’s unlocked. I’ll get your things.”
She climbed in the front seat of his car and slumped down. Fired. She had been fired. She’d never been fired from anything in her life. She was an exemplary employee, devoted to her job. Now she’d been fucked over by Joss Beaumont twice in one lifetime. Christ, she’d be lucky if she worked anywhere in film again.
She wiped at the tears falling down her face. There would be some serious crying later when she was alone. She knew that. She just had to hold on untilthen.
Her phone buzzed alerting her of a text. Micah from the party. She stared at her phone, not sure if she wanted to read it at the moment. Sam’s arrival helped her make the decision. She pocketed her phone and curled up next to the window. Please don’t make me talk, she willed silently. Please, please, please.
“Don’t worry, you only have to talk about it if you want to,” Sam said as if reading hermind.
As they drove in silence, Maddie replayed the scene with Beaumont over and over in her mind. She didn’t want to think about it, but as soon as she stopped, thoughts of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor crept in its place. Those thoughts were too much tobear.
When they’d nearly reached her hotel, she found she could no longer stay trapped in her mind. She peered over at Sam. He really was a nice kid, not a douchebag at all. “Won’t you get in trouble for leaving theset?”
Sam stole a glance at her before answering. “I called Joe’s cell phone. He agreed I should driveyou.”
“You calledJoe?”
“Yeah. I told him what happened. I’m sure Beaumont’s version of the story will be different than yours and I wanted him to know the truth.”
How thoughtful.And irrelevant. “Beaumont’s version of the story is the only one that matters.”
“On this film, maybe. But Joe and Adam—they’ll make sure you get hired again.”
She nodded. Sam had never experienced the joy of being blacklisted by Beaumont. “I don’t even know if I want to be hired again.”
“You might feel differently later. I mean, Beaumont’s a dick. And you’re good. You don’t want to give thatup.”
Maddie stared at Sam. He was sweet. Would Micah say the same thing to her? Would he comfort and reassureher?
Yes and no. He’d tell her to get the hell out. Tell her to take this as a sign to move on, to direct her own stuff. And he wouldn’t say it because he was reckless and irresponsible. He’d say it because he knew that was what she really wanted todo.
Sam pulled into the front circle of the Comfort Inn and let the car idle. She looked out the window, suddenly realizing he didn’t know she wasn’t at this hotel anymore. What should she do? She couldn’t walk to the other hotel. She was exhausted—emotionally and physically. She could call a cab after Sam drove away. What apain.
Fuck it.“Sam, I’m not staying at this hotel.”
He nodded and put the car in drive. “Iknow.”
Shocked, she soaked in his response while he pulled out on the road toward Micah’s hotel. He knew. “Does everyone know?” Just what she needed, for her love life to be the talk of the productioncrew.
“I don’t think so. I didn’t know if you wanted me to know, so I took you here first. No one else has said anything.”
