The Lucky One

Chapter Thirty Seven

The set bustled with controlled chaos, a beehive of activity orchestrated by the unseen hand of the director. In the center, bathed in the harsh glare of studio lights, stood the director, barking orders through a megaphone, his brow furrowed in concentration. The chaotic madness of echoes and commands made Cate want to just tell everyone that she still was sick. It was only 9 in the morning, but the blazing sweats of everyone made it look like it was already a full day shoot.

Cate shook her head as she went on to read her script. With so much concentration, she reread the whole screenplay as her assigned  makeup artist dabbed make-up on her face, the make-up artist's brow furrowed in concentration as she strived for screen-ready perfection.

"Excuse me. Filming 3 minutes from now." A crew spoke as she softly tapped Cate's back, informing the blonde to get ready for the scene.

She had been ready. She knew she had perfected her lines very well, but a big part of her  dreaded to actually do the scene. She had to film a scene with Rosamund; it wasn't because she hated her, it was just she wasn't ready to see her. She really did not understand the whole hurricane she was feeling. All she knew was that, she wanted to not see her. But how could she when Rosamund was her coworker in the film? With a firm mental note to pretend Rosamund was a talking-money, Cate rose up from her make-up chair and proceeded to go outside her trailer. 

"Gimbals on. Camera rolling..." The blonde, in her red suit stood two inches away from Rosamund who was draped in a pearl-white gown; the artificial lightings were too strong, but they both knew it was needed to give that opulent party effect, "...and action!"

"You are the one he married. The one he put a ring finger on. The one he waited and paraded down the aisle." Rosamund started, each line was drenched with so much feist and conviction as she stared at the blonde, "Yet you are the one who barks like a dog. I'm not stooping down on your level, Elise." She spoke, her eyes on fire before she attempted to walk away, but when she did, Cate held her by her forearm and forced her to stay on her very place.

"I'm the one on the marriage certificate, but here you are, the ever proud mistress who has his dick all the fucking time." Rosamund almost trip as Cate withdrew her hold on her abruptly, "Stop playing with fire, you fucking bitch."

"Tsk. Why are fighting me? Why don't you go talk to your husband? Why are you putting the consequences of your incapability and lack of marital flavors on me? Why are you --"

A thick slap landed loudly on Rosamund's face. The woman was cut off and had been rendered speechless as she felt the slap's sting. Cate was also shocked as the slap ended up too loud and strong, but nevertheless, she continued. Rosamund's eyes dwelled up and Cate took her steps, almost crowding her.

"Stop messing..." She pushed Rosamund's shoulder with her hand as she continued to take further steps, "...with my marriage."

"Or what?"

"Your other cheek will have my slap."

"And cut!"

As soon as the director yelled cut, the busy buzzing of the set reoccured. Rosamund laughed, looking almost a little skeptic as she went on to relay to everyone that she was okay despite how strong and hard Cate's slap was. She went on and joked about how Cate might have gone overboard. Cate wanted to just step away and walk out towards her own trailer, but she knew she could not yet without apologizing. With an apologetic face, the blonde apologized for the slap before she walked out, ready to spill her inner monologue about the fact that maybe, just maybe, the hard slap was something planned.

----

"Ms. Catherine? There is a buffet for dinner outside. Taping will resume in an hour."

Cate put down her script and smiled at the staff. It was a long day and dinner at 6 PM was hardly not ideal because it was early for her, but she was famished. She immediately placed her script on her table before she stood up from her chair. She was already a meter away from the opened-door of her trailer when she saw Sandra, on Rosamund's side, being introduced to everyone else. It looked like her friend was running for mayor in an old town and she was trying so hard to flaunt her trophy girlfriend to everyone around downtown. With a scoff, Cate retreated. She was famished, yes. But would she go out and eat knowing she was drowning her own self in jealousy? No.

"This bitch." She muttered as she slammed her door hard, everyone might have heard the bang of it, but she could not care less.

She was jealous. She was the actress Sandra should be with, not Rosamund, not everybody else. She totally got that they had a fallout, but she could not bring herself to kneel and beg for the brunette again. In Cate's head, she had done begging quite a lot of times that she felt she lost her love and respect for herself. And goodness, she was mad. She was mad at Sandra for having the audacity to go at her workplace knowing the goddamn situation.

"Is she trying to make me jealous?" Cate asked, her teeth gritted as she talked at her reflection on the mirror, "Hello? Have you seen how big of an audacity she has coming her? That fake smile and nodding..." She ran her hands across her face in frustation, "She's so arghhhh." She went on to kick the trash in beside her make-up table, "I hate that brunette. I hate that blonde. I fucking hate them both. I fucking hate them. If Sandra thinks that I will show her jealousy and ---"

"Blondie?"

The knock on her trailer door made the blonde stop. She recognized that voice and she was highly cognizant about what was to come if she opens the door. Her feet rattled with jealousy, but she tried to hard to suck it all up. Another knock on the door and Cate sighed; she was left with no choice, she knew. She then trudged towards it and opened the door with a darling smile.

"Guess who is here!" Rosamund squealed, giggly as if presenting a gift towards her friend; Sandra appeared on Rosamund's side, her eyes looking anywhere but Cate, "I asked my baby to come to the set and she didn't know that you and I are filming together sooo..." The blonde held Sandra's waist as she looked at her, "...surprise! I guess, a doctor and a patient reunion it is."

Sandra chuckled, but beneath those smiles and saccharine sounds, Cate knew she was dying for the earth to open up and swallow her whole. Cate only gave back a smile. She did not know what to seriously do, and so she just stood there, holding the door open while the two women stood outside.

"Oh, I haven't eaten dinner and I presume you haven't too." Rosamund cut the tension off as she spoke to Sandra, without the brunette answering, she proceeded, "I'm gonna get our dinner and we can eat here in Catie's trailer."

"Oh, I am not hungry. I can just stay in my car and wait for --"

Rosamund cut the brunette off, "Nonsense." She looked at Cate and pushed Sandra in towards her trailer, "Blondie, you take care of her for a sec."

Cate watched as Rosamund toddled away. With a sigh, she opened the door wider and silently asked the brunette to come in, in which the brunette, did so, silently. When Sandra got in, Cate closed the door and stood beside it while the brunette stood mutely across from her. The tension in the room was so thick and both of them could feel it, that neither of them opened their lips to speak.

"So..." Sandra chuckled as they both said "so" in synch.

"Uhm, you go first. Ladies first."

Sandra shook her head, "You're a lady yourself."

Cate nodded before she walked towards her make-up table, "Uhm so...how are you?"

Sandra shook her head in disbelief, "Please, we are past pleasantries and all. Aren't you mad that I'm with your friend?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"Because you and I are, I mean we're --"

"You're my doctor." Cate replied before crossing her arms against her chest, "A doctor. Nothing else." She added so smugly that Sandra felt her head getting hot.

***