Summer to Winter

Chapter Six

He blinked. Could the mysterious lady in red be his new assistant? It wasn't unusual to have a photo from the WB lot, but specifically Stage 17? Was that even the stage she was standing in front of? He had lost track with all the circles he had made around those stages, so he wasn't completely sure. "Of all the times to be completely oblivious..." Henry thought. It was either really good luck or the Gods having a good laugh at his expense. He hadn't had a girlfriend in over a year, and it felt like every woman that he met only wanted to date him for the status or to get ahead. People fawned over him constantly and all felt so insincere. He loved the life he had but he craved being home, around people that were real and who loved him for who he really was. He missed his brothers constant teasing, dinner with his parents and running around the yard being fun Uncle Henry. He was constantly on guard and now he also had to wonder about this new assistant? At least he didn't have to interact with her unless absolutely necessary. He had his own assistant for all the personal errands, he would only need to use her for the occasional tea or shake order. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad. Six months would be over quickly and maybe she wouldn't go to London afterwards.

The wormhole of Instagram scrolling continued when Henry saw one of the most beautiful sunsets he had ever seen. The beach was geotagged in Hawaii. He had been to many beautiful places but hadn't made it there yet. His brother Charlie's family had gone there recently and raved about how beautiful it was, so he knew that it would be next on his list of vacation spots. Maybe during his next break from work. He took a screenshot of the photo and made it the screensaver on his phone. It would help remind him to book a vacation soon. As he hit save, Brian came into his office with a heavy pat on Henry's back. "Hiya buddy! I see you made it through the lot okay. Didja get through the mountain of paperwork for security?"

Henry smiled, "I had a guardian angel guide me through the lot, the paperwork, however, was not as easy."

They talked for a while about how Brian's family was doing, Kal and the new cast assistant when Henry got a phone call from the production office number. He answered and heard a sweet voice introduce herself as his new cast assistant. Well speak of the devil... he thought. They exchanged pleasantries and promised to meet in person during his final costume fittings to go over what he will need (if anything) from her. Their conversation was brief, but he was intrigued more than before about this girl. A girl named Syden. Who takes pictures of dogs and landscapes, but not selfies. Interesting... he wondered what she looked like. I guess he would see soon enough.

He ended their phone call and Brian asked "Was that her? That didn't take long..."

Henry laughed, "We are going to meet in person this week to go over things, don't worry."

Brian replied "I'm not worried about her in the slightest. I know her old boss VERY well, I'm very confident she can handle all of you." Brian continued to tell him about Adam and how he put her through the ringer, but through it all she stayed loyal. He described how endearing he thought it was that even though she had been in the industry for five years, she still couldn't pick a famous "Chris" out of a line-up. She didn't care who you "were" or what benefit she could get out of knowing you, she just cared about people in general. She fed the homeless at a local soup kitchen and with a group of friends, started a non-profit. Being an assistant was just a job for her and one that she was extremely good at. He told Henry about the time Adam asked her to get a reservation at a super exclusive restaurant that you needed to be a member of (which Adam knew he wasn't). He had given Syden two hours to get him the table, not expecting her to succeed. She called him back 45 min later and told him he had a table waiting for him and a guest. Brian was the lucky recipient of the extra seat at the table and was in awe that she had delivered.

Henry trusted Brian's opinion. They had worked together in the past and he learned quickly that Brian was one he could trust to give honest guidance, even if his advice was blunt and sometimes hurt. Everything Brian said about this new "girl" made him feel a whole lot better about being stuck with a stranger. The stories actually made him want to know more... which was a strange feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time. Brian excused himself to "use the head," leaving Henry in a quiet office.

Thud. Thud. Thud.