"How're things going?" I whispered to Hayley. She rolled her eyes, glancing briefly at me. "Jess is being her usual self. You weren't gone three minutes when she yelled at me for not knowing which of those freaking vitamin drinks she likes." I made a face. Jessica tended to be like that with everyone but me. Two years of pretty much living with her meant that I knew exactly how she liked everything. We worked well together- but she didn't necessarily work well with everybody else. I shuddered at the memory of the incident with the makeup artist.
The director called cut, and I made my way through the crowd of technicians and cameramen, finally making it over to Jessica. She grinned at the sight of me and the coffee. "Derek, you're a sweetheart. Always nice to know that there are some decent, capable people around here. Unlike that minor actor- what's her name? Hannah?"
"Hayley." She nodded, taking a mouthful out of her coffee. "Yeah, that's it. Such an uncooperative girl." She sighed. The director called something about moving outside for the next scene, and everyone started gathering various pieces of equipment up, getting ready to move. I retrieved Jessica's handbag and coat from her trailer, and we headed outside to the car, with me carrying the umbrella.
"Is everything ready for the dinner function tonight, Derek?" She asked as we got into the car. I nodded and pulled out my phone. "We have the founder of the charity arriving at half seven,but they have to leave no later than nine for a flight. So they'll be speaking, then dinner will be served at eight, and you'll be speaking after dinner, around ten." I rread. She nodded. "You're going to be there, right?" She asked. I nodded. "Of course." She grinned at me. "What would I do without you?" She asked. I grinned and shrugged. "I'm sure you'd manage." I shrugged, and she raised her eyebrows.
"Ms. Jackson, the paparazzi are outside the building. Would you prefer me to go around via a back entrance?" Our driver asked. Jessica shook her head. "No, Tim, I think I'll be fine. A little bit of publicity won't hurt!" She beamed as she spoke. "Of course, Ms. Jackson." He said, coming to a stop outside the building. I opened the door for her, and she got out, her perfect smile already on show. She called hello to all of them as she walked up to the entrance of the building, waving a little. I followed, a few steps behind. We were filming on the roof, and I had my suspicions that they'd try and get a few shots of that. However, she did have a point- it was good publicity, and she was always very careful around the press.
When we got up onto the roof, the hair and makeup team were forced to contribute severely to the decaying of the ozone layer with an obscene amount of hairspray, making sure that Jessica's hair would only blow in the way they wanted. As Jessica went to film, she handed me her coffee and told me to drink it to stay warm. I was grateful for that gesture, because I couldn't feel my fingers. I watched them film, running through Jessica's lines with her whenever they had to reset lighting or whatever.
It seemed like a very normal shoot- I was standing around, drinking expensive coffee, reading and replying to emails and attending to Jessica's every whim. But after about two hours, I noticed something on an opposite rooftop. A figure, barely noticeable against the rapidly darkening sky. I glanced away, thinking that it must have just been somebody on a smoke break or something.
"Cut! That's a wrap, great work everybody!" The director called. I headed over to Jess, who was currently being looked after by her makeup team. The roof of this apartment block was quite pleasant- the skylights were raised off of the roof, presumably intended to let more light in. It was s good spot for filming, with a magnificent skyline for a view.
Jess smiled at me as I reached her. Her makeup was perfect once again, just in case the photographers were around. "Great work, Jessica." I said, and she smiled at me, getting to her feet. "Still not finished for the night, though. Do you need to collect your suit?" She asked. I shook my head. "Nope, brought it with me this morning." As we walked, I glanced towards the rooftop where I'd seen the person. A shiver ran down my spine as I saw a figure there, holding something that was definitely not a camera. Moments later, a gunshot rang out across the sky. I heard glass shatter, and instinct took over. As I pushed Jessica to the ground, another gunshot rang out, and I felt pain explode in my hip. Another hit my leg, and I fell sideways, through the broken skylight. The glass broke as I fell through it, and I could hear somebody screaming. It was a short fall to the ground, but the impact was enough for me to black out.
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Hey guys! This was written on a tablet, so it's probably not my best work. If you enjoyed, please vote or comment! Share if you enjoyed. xxx
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The Food of Love
RandomA collection of short stories based on songs and/or music videos. Photographs: Black Cat and Priceless, both by Mayday Parade