Forever and a Day (8 page)

“Oh! What else?”

“Well wanna hear the bad?”

Halo sighed, “Might as well…”

“Married and runs his own care business with his wife.” JJ gave Halo a frown, “The good ones seem to always be taken or gay…”

Halo interrupted by blurting out, “Hey now, I never said I was interested, nor am I looking…”

“Yeah, right… well I think you will like him—regardless.”

“So what did you two talk about, other than his wife?” Halo said as she sat down in her chair.

“Besides that?” JJ stopped talking and shrugged, “Well, he pretty much asked about me.”

Halo saw JJ’s cheeks blush pink, “Oh? Like what?” Halo quipped.

“Well, like things I liked to do, any good places to eat at, or any fun places I like to visit… you know? He made me feel important, uh, like I mattered. It was nice…”

“Was he like hitting on you JJ?” Halo asked surprised.

“Oh no! Not at all, he was sincere… nice.” JJ smiled sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders.

“I see…” Replied Halo giving her friend a raised eyebrow, “According to Ari, he helped out Christina on the plane. Hell, he even turned Ari down on his offer of help, oh and that stays between us. I thought he might be a bit arrogant because of that, but what you described? I’m impressed, I sure hope to hell he can act. I think I like him already…”

“Oh you will. By the way he seems kinda familiar…”

“Yeah…ok, stop. I don’t want to hear anymore. I want to see him on my big screen where I can get a good look and decide for myself.”

JJ smiled and with her fingers, she pantomimed a zipping motion over her lips, “You got it boss lady.”

Both women stopped talking and turned, as a high-pitched man’s voice came calling from the doorway, “Ladies! I have returned! I saw that we have a little fish out in the lobby. I think he needs to go back to his little mud puddle where he spawned from. So let’s get this shit over with already.” Joel Miller sneered and walked over to one of the vacant seats in front of Halo’s TV.

Halo watched as Joel settled into the chair. At thirty years old, Joel still had the body type of a nerdy teen. He stood about five seven and Halo thought he might weigh about one hundred and twenty soaking wet. The guy missed the call when they announced the looks genes were being handed out. His nose was long and big, much bigger than his pinched face could handle. He had thick black eyebrows and when he smiled, he always seemed to be leering. His hair was black and he styled it in a messy look, but by the end of each day, it would fall straight down and look stringy. He sported black thick framed glasses, which did little to help his looks but it did help hide his gray thick hooded eyes.

Her father had characterized Joel as being the typical spoiled rotten kid. Who would use his high-end Italian cars, money and family name to influence and bed any girl who struck his fancy. Halo knew Joel carried the so-called torch for her, and she had let him know in no uncertain terms that she was all business and never let him forget it.

Halo sighed, “Joel, this guy flew down here at the last minute for us. Johnny Stone is your buddy and all, but YOU don’t have to have Johnny pawing his hands all over your body. He makes my skin crawl…”

Joel turned and held his skinny arms out wide, “Halo…”

Halo voice was terse, “Dammit Joel, do not cut me off! If Johnny leers at me one more time I will exercise my option, pull out as Producer, and take my financing with me. Do I make myself clear?”

Joel held up his hands, trying to placate her, “Fine, fine. I’ll watch your little fish—I mean the guy. Hey, we all know you like to give new peeps a shot, and in a way, I respect that. I saw the guy when I came in, he looks ok but too friendly, and his eyes are too wishy-washy. Yeah, Johnny is my bud… but he does like you.”
 

Halo pointed her finger at him, “Likes me?” Then she raised her voice, “All he wants to do is feel me up so he can go home and get his jollies off. I can feel him undress me every time he sees me; he is not one bit discrete about it!”

“Wow! Ok babe, sorry I hit your nerve there…”
 

Halo stood up and leaned over her desk towards Joel and glared, “Don’t you ever fucking call me ‘babe’ again. Do I make myself clear?”

Just then, a deep baritone voice full of calm sounded out from her office doorway, “Are we at this again?”

Joel rolled his eyes, “Isn’t it obvious enough?”

Halo felt the aggravation rise up in her and she simply glared silently at Deacon James, the film’s DP. Halo took in a deep breath to calm herself. Deacon was a first class Director of Photography, and knew his craft inside and out. His last four films were huge moneymakers and she knew she needed him as much as the film needed her. Despite him being in his fifties, she thought his looks would fit in well with all the surfer boys down at Zuma beach. She watched Deacon nod at her and sit down in front of her desk next to Joel.

“Halo, this next audition is the guy from Oregon?”

“Yes. He’s flew down here this morning last minute and he has been waiting patiently for quite some time.”

Halo recalled their earlier conversation, Deacon told her to she had to think with her producer ‘hat’ on while pre-production was happening, instead of her acting ‘hat’ to which she was accustomed. He was right up to a point. If it were not for her revulsion with Johnny, Deacon and Joel would be dead on with having Johnny on simply for name recognition.

It would be bad for the film if she and Johnny started fighting on set. She recalled a story of a famous actress, much like herself, bite her co-star so hard during a kissing scene that he had to have stitches which forced a delay in filming. She did not want it to go that far.

Deacon had told her that even if any of the new auditions ‘killed’ it, he would more than likely side with Joel. He speculated discretely to her that he thought Johnny Stone had something on Joel and now Joel was being held accountable. She thought if that was the case, it must be big.

Halo changed her tack. She sat down and faced the screen as the two men eyed her, “I feel so bad making him come down here.” She sighed and continued with remorse, “I remember all the hopes and expectations in all my past auditions…”

Deacon made sour face, “Even if he proves to be decent, we don’t even have a bone to throw him. All the parts are cast, at best we can ask him to be a backup for a minor role.” He looked at Halo and gave her a little smile, “Well, let’s see what he’s got.” He pointed to his blonde unkempt hair, “Remember, Producer hat.”

Halo simply nodded. She reached for her earpiece and put it in. Depressing the send button, she called JJ in. She sat back in her chair and nudged one of her black Louboutin pump’s off her heel and began surreptitiously slipping it nervously off and on. JJ quietly slipped in and took a seat next to Halo.

“Susie?” Halo said into her headset.

“Yes Halo?”

“We are ready. Go ahead when you are ready with Mr. Kostinos.”

JJ held up a sheath of paper, “Anyone need the sides?”

Joel turned to her and glared, “Like we haven’t heard these lines a hundred times today?”

Deacon in turn glared at Joel, “No need to be pissy, Joel.”

Joel shrugged him off, turned, and began staring at the seventy-inch screen in front of them. “What’s this guy’s name again?”

Halo spoke up, “Xander Kostinos from West Linn, Oregon.”

“Sounds Greek.” Joel replied sarcastically.

“Ok, they are getting ready to slate. Shh.” Halo replied, ignoring Joel.

They all watched as Xander stood up as the slate was placed in front of him and the camera. It had his name and information written in black on the white slate clapper. Xander stood up straight and looked right into the camera with a smile, “Good afternoon. My name is Xander Kostinos.” Then the cameraman zoomed in on Xander’s face.

Halo’s shoe fell off as she leaned forward in her chair looking at Xander’s image on the screen and blurted out, “Oh? Wait a minute guys… I’ve seen this guy somewhere before!”

Deacon and Joel turned to look at Halo as Susie’s voice came over the speaker on the big monitor, “Welcome Xander, I have a few questions first. What would you say is your favorite time of year in Oregon?”

JJ nudged Halo, “I know! Me too, you asked me to not talk about him…”

Halo held up her hand as they listened to Xander’s reply, “What is my favorite time of year in Oregon? Well, Miss Selmer as you probably know, Oregon is all about rain and gray. So I would have to say summer, or when we have what could constitute as a summer.”

Halo depressed her button, “Susie! Keep him talking.”

They heard Susie pause then she started asking more questions.

Halo turned to JJ, “Get on IMBD and see what we have done together!”

JJ smiled, “I already did that. There is nothing that you both were a part of that I could find. Let’s see… he had guest appearances on Lever and Fables. A couple of feature roles in two low budget SAG films, as well as an ultra-low one. He did some commercials, Nike… and Oregon Lottery and some background work. That’s it.”

Deacon chimed in, “Halo don’t you watch ‘Fables’? Maybe that’s where you’ve seen him from.”

“Maybe.” Halo replied distantly then depressed the button, “Ok, Susie. It’s a go.” Everyone began watching the screen more intently now, except for Joel.

“Mr. Kostinos, thank you so much for answering so many of my questions. Are you prepared to begin?”

“Yes Miss Selmer I am.” Xander replied politely.

“Craig will cue you.”

Xander pulled out his pair of sunglasses and held them up, “May I start with these on?”

“Hmm? Sure, just don’t wear them the whole way through please.”

Halo liked the look with the sunglasses then a distant memory itched at the back of her mind. She quickly stood up and pointed excitedly at the screen, “I know I’ve worked with this guy!” Deacon turned and shushed her.

“Rolling, and action.” Came a voice off camera.

They all watched Xander on the screen, his nice smile quickly faded away. His body tensed up, his jaw jutted slightly forward and he looked hard, all semblance of friendliness was gone. He ever so slightly leaned menacingly towards the camera as if he was ready to rip it off the mount.

Halo watched enthralled as he reached up and slowly took off his sunglasses. His once friendly eyes were now filled with loathing and cold malice. His look was as if he could kill them all then happily go eat lunch. Halo saw that JJ was leaning back in her chair and she realized she was doing the same.

Xander glanced over to Susie’s assistant Megan who was off camera. He brought up his hand as if he was answering a phone. He cocked his head slightly as if concealing his conversation, “Cap, Jake here… you’re early, what’s up?”