EXCERPT
Copyright 2015 © Brooke Williams
Danica
Bennett threw her elbow into the man beside her. When he turned to
complain, she simply smiled and his words disappeared in the thin air
surrounding them. Danica was lucky. Her small stature and boyish figure
worked to her advantage. When she needed to pass for a man, she could.
She simply dressed in clothing a couple of sizes bigger than normal,
threw her hair up in a ball cap, and placed sunglasses on her face. But
today, she didn’t need to blend in, and being small and female helped.
She was
on a reconnaissance mission. Danica needed to figure out the ins and
outs of the studio. It was scheduled to tape the new show touted as the
next big thing. To Danica, anything noteworthy became important in her
world.
Her
height allowed her to stand in front of others without being an
obstacle. And batting her big blue eyes enabled her to get her way when
it came to the males in the crowd.
She
glanced to the other side of the parking lot. The media lined the
street, waiting for the stars to arrive at the studio to begin taping.
She recognized several familiar faces as she scanned rows of cameras.
Some of them were on popular news magazine shows. Others were more
nondescript individuals that took photographs like hers.
Hollywood
was a small world. Chasing stars led her to the same people over and
over again. It was like a club. And though not everyone could go into
the clubhouse, that didn’t stop them from banging on the door outside.
Danica
held her breath as the media and paparazzi started shouting. A long
vehicle pulled into the lot and the people around her buzzed.
Danica
wanted to see what everyone else clamored for, but today, her mission
was more important. She needed something different than a celebrity
sighting. She wanted to understand how everything surrounding the studio
worked. It could lead her to a better photo opportunity at another
time…assuming the show really did end up being a hit.
While
others watched the arrival of the show’s big star, Eliot Lane, Danica
ducked under the barrier and pressed herself against a nearby wall. The
security guards didn’t notice. She edged away from the crowd and glanced
backward. Eliot Lane, or Lane, as everyone referred to him, exited his
vehicle and gave his signature humble wave and half smile.
Danica
squinted. She never quite understood why everyone went mad over stars.
Sure, they were good looking, rich, and always in the limelight. But
they were just people, right? They slept, ate, showered, and did
everything else a normal person did. So what was the big deal?
Danica
shook her head. She would see enough of Eliot Lane later. If the show
did as well as everyone predicted, she would make sure of it. But right
now, she needed to concentrate. In order to get something no one else
had, she should search for things only someone behind the scenes knew.
It was part of why she was good at what she did.
Danica
sidled up to a door at the side of the building. It wasn’t the main
entrance, but perhaps some of the crewmembers used it. Of course, it
could just be a storage area for equipment too. She tried the knob.
Locked. Of course. She wasn’t that lucky.
When she
turned to see what else was down the way, a firm grip landed on her
upper arm. Suddenly, Danica was glad she was not incognito. She could
easily pass herself off as a crazed fan when dressed in her normal
street clothes.
She put on her biggest smile and prepared a sheepish look as she opened her mouth to explain.
“You’re obviously not in the right place.” The large man holding her arm stared at the locked door behind her.
Without
another word, he led her away from the crowd, deeper into the lot. The
building beside them quickly moved behind them as he took long strides
to a second structure.
Danica
wasn’t sure whether to protest or thank her lucky stars. She was either
caught red-handed and would be turned in, or led to the pot of gold.
Either way, it was probably in her best interest to stay quiet. She’d
work her wiles on whomever turned up at the new location.
The man
finally let go of her arm as they reached the back corner of the second
building. The door before them was also unmarked, but when he raised his
knuckle and knocked briskly, it opened with a squeak.
“I found a stray.” He turned and gave Danica a push into the room.
Before
Danica processed what was happening, she was inside the studio
building. Her wide eyes darted about as she tried to figure out how to
handle the situation. She thought fast on her feet frequently in her
occupation.
“Name?” asked a man with a clipboard and headset.
“What?” Danica stalled. She heard him. She just didn’t know if she should be honest or make something up.
“Which agency are you with?” The man looked her over from head to toe. “Did Vivian send you over?”
Danica mentally shrugged. Sure, why not. “Vivian, yes.”
“You’re
the other extra, great.” He made a few notes on his clipboard. “Follow
me. We need to get you into costume and over to hair and makeup.”
Did he say extra?
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