CHAPTER 13
I BARELY HAD TWO BITES WHEN SOMEONE HEAVILY KNOCKED ON THE DOOR. Either the person was mad, agitated or losing it.
'I'll get it...',he smiled and I nodded. I sensed something horrible had happened. Did I do something terrible last night and forget?
The moment I heard the door unlock, my heart was so frightened and sought to escape through my mouth.
"Where is she!!!" An angry woman burst in and demanded to meet me. "I said where is she??" he asked as she matched in. I heard the high note from the stiletto she was wearing and it felt like nails driven into my heart.
I closed my eyes shut and crossed my fingers. I wasn't feeling fine already and having this ruckus was something I wasn't ready for.
"Where is---" she paused after she saw me. She handed her bag to her assistant and crossed her hands on her chest. She posed and looked at me with the most mischievous smile I'd ever seen.
"Your majesty....if it isn't Princess Eleanor of Avalor... having breakfast in bed....while am busy cracking my brain thinking of a way to shut the media..." she began. Following behind her was Gemini and Lauren. Oh Dear....
"What???"
"I told you Eleanor. The person I hate is the one who drinks and forgets her memory after! Why do you drink when you can't handle it? Why why why???" I squished my eyes and let it all in. What did I do this time?
"I called you several times but you never picked. They all called you but you never picked....what the hell is wrong with you???"
"Am sorry....I know I messed up...."
"No...no you don't! Do you know how much it cost us to take down all the comments on line?? Do you? All the posts and retweets....am literally going insane because of you...."
"Natalia...am sorry..."
"Sorry..? Ha! Did I hear you right? Sorry?? Oh God....we suffered a setback because of you and all I get is a sorry??? Look here princess, don't forget you're not the only actress in our agency. There are twenty five more alright. Just because you're one of the most paid sweethearts it doesn't mean you can do as you please. If this happens again I can assure you, we're going to drop you....."
"Ma'am please don't say that...." Gemini jumped in. I didn't dare look at him. I already knew the kind of look that awaited me from him and Natalia's earful was enough.
"Oh I will say it and I'll say it loud. Hear me girl! You better get your game straight. It's almost 8 and you're still in your room, having breakfast with your boyfriend when the entire crew is waiting for you at the shoot. What is wrong with you ma'am. Do you know what a privilege it is to have Drake Anderson in a movie under our record???" she screamed in my face and it caused me to feel an emotion I wasn't familiar with.
I felt like crying.
"This movie will take us to higher ratings. We're thinking of 40% to 50% viewer percentage across the globe. Do you give a freakin' dam of how much that is??? It's half the planet sis....half the Planet...!!!" she yelled in my ear and I felt the piercing experience not even an inch close to this pain.
Whenever Natalia was talking to me, I felt like a shrimp in the presence of a hungry man. She always belittled me and made me feel useless. The fact that I was the world heartbeat didn't matter to her even for a moment. I wanted and wished for nothing more for her to understand but things just weren't taking that turn. The tiny mistakes I did costed me big time and I didn't realize I had lost myself along the way.
"Get up! Get up!" she dragged me and as I got off the bed, I pushed the tray down and spilled all my food on the floor.
"OhNo!"Lauren gasped and covered her mouth. My heart ached the moment I looked at the food. Adam had cooked for me for the first time and I never had the chance to taste it.
Tears registered in my eyes and I didn't even bother to let them stay in.
"If you want to ruin your future and career, go ahead and do so but only after our contract expires, in three months. As long as you have a contract with my company, you do as I say and right now, I need you to go to the shoot. We wasted a lot of money last night and you better act for it...."
Natalia dragged me outside the room and on the way, I hit my foot against the door. She didn't care. She didn't even stop to check on me. She continued with what she was doing and I could see how determined she was just to get what she wanted.
We got into the elevator and it was just us. I was sobbing and she was standing next to me quiet and busy on her phone.
Then, in an unexpected change of events, she turned to me and gave me a hug. At first I wasn't sure of what was going on but when it lasted longer than a minute, I figured it could be true.
I stretched my hands to hug her back but she broke it before I could.
She sniffed and I looked at her. She was crying.
"I don't enjoy doing this. Yelling at people and being the worst person in their lives. I don't enjoy it ... I just... am just a woman who's determined to get the best out of her world, y'know...." she paused and sniffed followed by a chuckle.
"I see that....", was all I could say. I didn't know how exactly to react. She had the habit of tormenting me and apologizing later. I understood that as the natural arrangement and expectation good behaviour as expected of a normal human being.
You wrong, then repent but she was just on another level. I couldn't do it anymore.
" I took the first flight to San Diego just so I'd give you an earful....", she laughed. I just looked at her with a puzzled Look. I was really driving her insane.
We walked out of the elevator and she ordered me to get in the car. She got into the driver's seat and drove me all the way to the shooting site.
We arrived in a moment after Natalia violated a lot of road rules and regulations. Who drives on a red light?? Apparently she does.
She got out and I followed her.
The entire crew, the cameras and everything was set. Drake was in the police room in his uniform as Rustom and was waiting for me.
"Do you see how much of a second can cost us a lot?" she asked. Her angry mode must've been back and I wasn't surprised at all. She was worst than a chameleon.
"Yeah...whatever I did, am sorry for it...."
"Can we make some money now???", she nodded and gestured for the make up parlor. I smiled and nodded back.
She dropped me in the room and waited outside. I could overhear her conversation with the directors. She was trying to clear my image in whatever way possible. I couldn't thank her enough. I still had no idea what happened yesterday but I was glad I had people like Natalia.
"Your make up's done ma'am.....", one of the artist jerked me and I thanked her with a smile. I got up and had the designers quickly help me change into a sari.
Fortunately, my make up was still intact. I was wearing a wig and a whole bunch of bangles which made my hands very heavy. Indian women have charm. Long cloths, long hair plus heavy jewelry required an art to balance. I for one couldn't. In my favour was the fact that Cynthia had short hair. Otherwise.....
I got out of the parlor and Natalia was the one who welcomed me first. Along with the crew, they led me to the room designed as a police station. Drake was on his phone and when I arrived he put it away and smiled with a wave at me. I returned the gesture and walked in to stand behind him.
"Are we reshooting this scene?" I asked one of the directors.
"Yeah....you stormed off like a tornado last time and we couldn't finish it. Who knows why...."
"Plus the footage we recorded wasn't as clear so we're redoing it...." the editor explained and I nodded.
"I hope you remember all your lines...." Director Lane added his own statement and it definitely made me forget all my lines.
"Ready camera 1....??" he asked.
"Ready!"
"Ready camera 2?"
"Ready!"
"Ready camera 3?"
"Ready sir!"
"Good...give us some light please....",he called it and the entire place was lit. Not too much, just enough. I looked at Drake and mouthed 'i forgot my lines...' I so hoped he could read lips.
'What??' he asked and he was about to come to me when the director asked him to face the wall and show me his back.
"Ready....aaaannnnnddddd Action!"