The Numbers Game (44 page)

            “And avoid
acting like a bitch.”

            Now
usually, despite the estrogen rushing through their bodies, Serena and Tabitha
did pretty well on the last feat. They acted like basically nice human beings,
with a little flexibility on PMS days while making enemies was eventually the
Bitches downfall. None of this however explained Tabitha’s current behavior on
the set, the nose up in the air, the pungent scent of arrogance.

            “What in
the world is going on with you Tabitha?” Serena said, grabbing her out of way
before Champagne or Violet saw this behavior and blacklisted Tabitha forever.

            She had
expected a bit of discomfort due to their rift, maybe some quietness, but this?

            “It’s nothing,”
Tabitha giggled, flicking her long black fringe away from her face.

            Serena
noticed the way her eyes were furtively skirting all over the set. “I thought I
might just…see some girls we used to know…”

            “Like
who?” Serena asked suspiciously.

            Where in
the world did Tabitha think she was: at a high school reunion? The chances of
her knowing someone off the set of “Never, Ever Again” were as remote as her
bumping into a friend in Somalia.

            “You know
who…” Tabitha replied vaguely, now not even trying to hide the staring. “Those
two female clods we worked with on “Shameless.”

            “
Shameless
?”
Serena repeated the name of the film Tabitha had done the stint on, scaring her
off movie work for life.  “I still have no idea who you’re talking about.”

            Neither
Champagne nor Violet had lived in San Francisco back then, so she couldn’t be
talking about them.  The girls in the hair and makeup trailer on the Shameless
set were Julie and Renee and neither of them were clods. Who else could it be
then? Mmm…come to think of it wasn’t the rest of crew, albeit Tabitha, back
then all male. Wasn’t that was the big thing back then…the girls threatening to
sue for discrimination. Unless…maybe Tabitha wasn’t speaking about a member of
the crew…

            “You’re
not by some chance referring to the Bitches, are you?” Serena whispered. She
couldn’t possibly be but it was always best to ask.

            “As a
matter of fact I am,” Tabitha replied, the glint gleaming in her eye. “Are they
anywhere about?”

            Serena
wasn’t sure if Tabitha was serious.

            “Wait, you
do know what happened to Bitch 1 and Bitch 2 don’t you? Number 1 ended up
becoming a drug addict after
Shameless
bombed out at the cinemas, now
she works as a waitress in the valley. And Number 1 got killed in a car
accident, with the leading actor in the film Billy Bryson. You must remember
reading that in the tabloids.”

            For a moment
Tabitha looked flabbergasted, before feigning cool and calm.

            “Maybe I
do remember reading something about it now…”

            Serena
groaned. So this was what Markie was always referring to: the airheadedness,
the complete lack of general, current and academic knowledge. How she expected
to bump into those girls on this very set, a different set, was beyond Serena.
Tabitha wouldn’t even get the $100 question on “Who wants to be a millionaire?”
right if her life depended on it.

            “Come,
let’s take a seat by the mobile cafeteria,” Serena smiled, leading Tabitha by
the arm.  Good ole Tabitha probably had no idea what she did wrong with
Enrique. This was going to be like old times.  “And you can safely drop the
drama queen act Tab because there are no sharks here in the vicinity.”

            “Oh thank
gosh,” Tabitha relaxed, dropping her perfect posture to the floor, “my
shoulders were starting to hurt from all that thrusting back.”

            Ah yes, it
was nice to know some things never changed.

It took Serena and Tabitha
five minutes at most to become best friends again.

            Maybe it
was because they’d been friends for as long as both could remember or maybe it
was just a habit but the moment Serena sat down with Tabitha all her bad
feelings were gone.

            “So tell
me, who is this lad? The one that’s responsible for the dramatic overhaul in
your personality?” Serena asked.

            “Oh it’s
someone special,” Tabitha beamed, removing her lilac cardigan and slipping it
on the back of the chair. “Take a guess, you know him.”

            “What?” Serena
scrunched up her face. “But we don’t know any eligible good-looking blokes.
That’s always been the problem; if we did know, you would’ve snapped him by
now.”

            “Tut,
tut.” Tabitha shook her head and took a sip of her extra choc hot chocolate.
“That’s because you’ve not thinking outside the square. Think sexy friend, that
I don’t see very much; think someone I’ve had a crush on for years.”

            “That’s
not much help. The only person who springs to mind is Rick but you and I both
know how likely that match is.”

            Tabitha
said nothing, just kept looking suspiciously pleased. So Serena stared back,
happy to play the game. She was waiting for the next clue, any clue to shed
some light on the rosy haze to Tabitha’s cheeks.

            It finally
dawned on her.

            “No way!”
Serena exclaimed. “I don’t believe it. You and Rick?”

            Tabitha
nodded. “Yes,” she burst like an over inflated balloon,          “I know it’s
crazy. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to see if it’s really true.”

            “But
how…how did it happen?” Serena was stumped. She tried to feel excited, happy -
any positive emotion would have been welcome at this moment -but she couldn’t
because she was…gulp…maybe just slightly jealous.

            “Oh you
know…” Tabitha went on to recount the whole story…the telephone call, their first
date, their second and third date, the little tiff, the dinner with Markie,
everything in horribly exact detail. By the time she was done, Serena knew all
about what brand of condoms they used and Tabitha’s latest investment in hot
pink lingerie.

            “That’s
great. I’m so happy for you.” Serena mustered up the biggest smile she could
manage and kept it pasted on. She knew it looked like something an infertile
woman would give a woman who just found out she was ‘accidentally’ pregnant but
that was the beauty of Tabitha. The girl was so naïve she could barely tell the
difference.

            “So tell
me about you?” Tabitha said, glancing at her watch. It was a quarter to two,
Serena knew, from having peeked at her own watch a moment ago. Only fifteen
minutes left of her lunch break, fifteen minutes to drown her sorrows.

            “There’s
not much to tell,” she said. “Not much good that is.”

            “But what
about Jasper?” Tabitha cried. It was as if she now thought he was something
great as opposed to fodder for pigs like before.

            “What
about him?” Serena replied quietly and the look on her face said it all. Don’t
go there, don’t even mention his name.

            “I had no
idea. Why didn’t you call me or something? You know even when we’re being idiots
that I’m always there for you.”

            “I know, I
know. It was something I just had to deal with on my own. And look; now I’m all
better.”

Serena
plastered on her big smile again.

            “Get real,
Serena. I’m not stupid you know. I can tell when you’re devastated and right
now believe it or not you are.”

            “I give
up.” Serena shrugged her shoulders and shoved the rest of the donut into her
mouth.  “To make things worse there’s the LA fiasco.”

            She filled
Tabitha in on the latest developments at Guerrilla Zoo, about the offer and
millions of dollars, and then she clapped a hand against her forehead.

            “Oh but
you must already know all about that. Seeing as you and Rick are now a tight
pair.”

“No,” Tabitha
said suddenly quite tight-lipped. “That’s actually the first I’ve heard about
any move.”

            Or more specifically
a move with the potential to alter the direction of her and Rick’s relationship
forever.

            Now it was
Serena’s turn to back up her steps.

            “I’m sure
he was about to tell you. Maybe he didn’t want to say anything until it was
definite, signed on paper maybe.”

            “Ahem.”
Tabitha made an agreeable sound and nodded her head.

            “Markie
said he was actually waiting for my response before he makes a decision so
maybe he hasn’t even told Rick about it yet.”

            “Ahem.” 
Out came the throat-clearing again.

            Tabitha
inside knew this was bull crap. Nothing would explain Rick’s aloof
schizophrenic behavior quite as well as an impending runaway. But let’s not
focus on that right now…Serena was in the same boat, actually in a worse boat
than her.

            “So what are
you going to do?” Tabitha asked her friend.  “Move to LA or stay in Frisco?”

            “I don’t
know.”   Serena’s eyes widened with fright. “Both options are as daunting as
each other. Plus it doesn’t help that I’m more confused about Markie than
ever.”

            “Confused?
What’s there to be confused about? You love Markie and only went on this stupid
break to make him realize how much he needs you. Which he obviously does by
now, so the boy is all yours again. Game over.”

            “But I’m
not sure if I want him any more…” Serena whispered absently, looking away from
Tabitha and at her watch. Five past two; if she didn’t get her ass off this
seat soon, the director was going to come and take it off for her. Taking a
deep breath, Serena stood up and motioned for Tabitha to do the same. But Tabitha
was not moving; she was just glaring at Serena as if an escapee from prison.

            “Are you
crazy? You can’t possibly mean what you just said.”

            Many
moments later, Tabitha was still sitting there frozen. She wouldn’t budge;
instead she took to crossing her arms stubbornly.

            “Come on
Tab you have to go…I’m late for work.”

            “No, I’m
not moving until you take back what you said.”

            “What did
I say?”

            “About not
loving Markie. You know it isn’t true.”

            Oh so
that’s what this was all about…

            “Okay I
love him, truly, madly, deeply. Now go.”

            “Hell, you
couldn’t be more sarcastic if you tried,” Tabitha muttered, finally standing up
and picking up her bag and cardigan. “Just know, you’re gonna regret this
Serena. You’re gonna regret it badly if you let your stupid thoughts screw you
up the ass.”

            “Yes thank
you Dear Abby; I’ll make sure to take that advice to heart. Now scoot, you
really have to or James will kill me.”

            “Just as
long as you listen to me,” Tabitha frowned, walking off in the direction of the
exit. “I can’t think of anything worse than you and Markie not been together.”

            At that,
Serena smiled pleasantly and waved her newly reunited best friend off. Whatever
you say honey, whatever you say….

Back at the ranch,
Markie was busy making arrangements for the move.

            He assumed
that Serena, despite the initial glum demeanor, would eventually jump at the
opportunity. She had to… He and Rick had already called an emergency summit
meeting with the Guerrilla Zoo staff and laid it all on the table. Their
reactions were as to be expected, a menagerie of shock, bubbling excitement and
bitter disbelief. Observing lab researchers would have quickly scribbled into
their notebook the following remarks:

There are two groups,
definitively marked by age.  Younger species, somewhere in the vicinity of
20-25, show genuine signs of enthusiasm, including high pitched voices, plenty
of chatter and arms waving around. This is in great contrast to second group
which include individuals approximately 30 and over and/or wearing wedding
bands. Latter faces may be smiling but there is visible concern/caution in
their movements and in their eyes.

            Markie
could see almost straight away that he might not get to keep all his staff.
Harry had pre-warned him this would be the case (expect the fifty-fifty ratio
he advised) and not to worry too much about it.

            “No matter
how vital you think someone is, even if you think the company would collapse
without its crux, past encounters will prove you wrong. There isn’t a CEO or
secretary in the world that can’t be replaced, even you my friend. So don’t be
too disheartened if the resignation slips start pouring in. Think of them as an
opportunity for new blood. New blood always gives a company new life.”