In These Arms

Ch.5

Lucy walked back into the room first as she had been the first to leave, she took her seat between Troian and Shay and lifted her coffee to her lips. She smirked slightly when Ian walked in seconds later.

Marlene King the show's producer asked everybody to get back in their seats so they could resume the table read, a loud noise interrupted the silence and Lucy realised with embarrassment that it was her phone, she'd forgotten to switch it off. "Sorry," she mumbled to everyone in the room as she reached under the table to grab her bag, she fumbled around for a few seconds and retrieved the phone just as it stopped ringing. She was just about to switch it off when it began ringing again.

"Answer it," Marlene said with a slight smile, "but be quick."

Lucy nodded and reluctantly answered the phone, "Hi," she said quietly, conscious that all eyes were on her.

"So I finally get a hold of you. So shall I book this flight for Friday night then?" Chris asked.

"I'm still there, can I call you back?" Lucy replied

"Fuck Lucy," Chris shouted aggressively down the phone, and Lucy knew that everybody in the room probably heard it, "you must have some idea how many scenes you have?"

"I don't," Lucy said abruptly, "and I have to go everybody is waiting on me."

She didn't even wait for him to respond she just pressed the red 'End' button and switched her phone off before throwing it back into her bag.

"I hope nobody else's phone is going to interrupt us." Marlene said with a chuckle, "Okay back to work page 60."

Lucy glanced over towards Ian for the first time since the phone call as Ashley and Tyler began reading out their lines. He held her gaze for a few moments before his eyes fluttered back down to the script in front of him.

Table read day also meant wardrobe fitting day as the shows costume designer Mandi Line had also been given a script and would sketch out possible outfits for each cast member. If she already had the clothes there they'd be pinned as necessary and altered, or sometimes she'd put a question mark next to a scene indicating that she was unsure or that she would go out and buy something new. The Liars always went to see her first, starting in alphabetical order, which meant that Lucy was always second. Ashley was first up and as the 'most fashion conscious' of the Liars, Lucy knew that she would be with Mandi for a while so she discreetly slipped out of the room that their table reads where held in and walked towards her dressing room.

She closed the door behind her and sat down on the small sofa, with a sigh she pulled her cell phone out of her bag and switched it on. Not surprisingly she had four text messages from Chris:

- I only wanted to know if I'd see you this weekend

- Do I have to remind you Lucy? It's been three weeks.

- I'm getting the feeling that your hiding something from me

- Seriously Lucy just call me when you can fit it into your schedule.

Lucy let out another loud sigh and pressed the green 'phone' button, and then she clicked on 'recents'. Chris's number was right at the top as he had been that last person to call her; she clicked on his name and held the phone to her ear as it began to dial.

There was a small part of her that hoped he wouldn't answer some childish game of his. But she knew that she couldn't avoid him forever and the quicker she got this over with the better.

He answered on what Lucy knew to be the last ring before his answer phone kicked in.

"So you finally find time in your busy schedule to call me? You're not going to cut me off in a few minutes because you've got something more important to do?"