AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I bit my tongue as Harlee nodded, directing him to her manager on the other side of the set. Everything was wrong about the way Eli was treating me, and while he might stare at my ass, moments like this were a reality check.
He can’t feel anything for me. Not with that attitude.
As Eli walked away, I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, sweat having beaded up on the back of my neck. My stomach was feeling less than pleasant, and I blamed it on the Chinese takeout Zena had picked up for us.
“Hey, can we talk before I go back to filming?” Harlee grabbed my attention. I had nearly forgotten she was standing right beside me.
“Sure.” I forced a smile, still slightly embarrassed by Eli’s stunt. “What’s up, Harlee?”
“Well, I was just going to say that I’ve really enjoyed working with you, and that the set is incredible. I love the vintage feel of historic New York City, and the way you planned the lighting. It gives me so many great vibes. It lines up perfect with the headspace I was in when I was writing.”
At least she appreciates it.
“Thank you.” I beamed, losing some of the initial defeat. “I’m really glad you’re happy with it. In the end, I still feel like your opinion matters the most.”
“That’s because it does.” She gave me a wink before dabbing at her makeup.
“Here.” I pulled out a oil-blotting wipe. “This should help.”
“Thank you,” she said, sighing in relief. “I swear the makeup team just cakes this shit on, and I just want to peel it off my face. It looks good though. So I guess it’s worth it.”
“Yeah, for sure.” I hesitated for a moment, gathering my courage for a split second before continuing. “So, as you know, I haven’t really worked here very long...”
She nodded. “Yeah, I know, but you’re great—and also, I totally read about what happened to you out in Los Angeles. That was so fucked up.”
“Thank you,” I said, surprised to hear her say that. “I really appreciate you saying that. It means a lot, but also, that being said...”
Why is it so hard just to ask her?
“Let me guess, you’re wanting to know if I have any connections to somewhere other than Whiss Productions?” Her smile faded slightly.
“Um...” I felt bad, her reaction not quite what I was hoping for. “I just...yeah...I don’t feel like I fit here very well.”
Harlee was silent for a moment, her bottom lip pulled into her mouth. “Well, if we’re being honest, I have to say that I agree. You’re way underappreciated, and actually…” She smiled. “I have already been talking to a few of my associates. I think you would do phenomenal with some of the people I know. You could probably easily partner with them, or just freelance completely. I only fully decided to go with Whiss Productions after we met.”
My mouth dropped. “Really?”
“Oh yeah, one hundred percent.”
Wish someone would tell Eli that.
“That really means a lot.”
“So are you wanting to leave the company? If so, I can start putting some real feelers out for you. I’d love to help you. You’re really bringing this video to life in all the ways that I wanted.”
“That would be amazing,” I said, a rush of excitement filling my chest. “That is exactly what I need right now.”
“I gotchu, girl.” She playfully poked my arm before sauntering back over to the touch-up crew. I watched as they swarmed her, making sure everything was perfect. I had never had that kind of attention paid to me—but honestly, after working in the industry, I preferred not to. I had no desire to be in the limelight.
Way too much pressure.
“All right, let’s do a few more takes of this scene before we lose the rest of the daylight. I don’t want to have to reshoot on another day. It’ll screw up the schedule.”
Everyone got in their places, including the two dancers who were to perform an interpretive, emotional routine behind Harlee as she sang. It was a beautiful, moving scene...
And I just couldn’t understand why Eli didn’t see that.
I sat my notes down on my desk, glancing around the empty office. Most everyone had opted to just go straight home, but the office was on the way home for me and there was no way in hell I was lugging an armload all the way home—my stomach wasn’t a fan of the idea either...
