Chapter 27 Faces Old and New
“Hello! Wasn’t expecting you for – what…another four hours at least!” Warren said happily looking at his watch when Buffy and Spike turned up at the studios.
“Well, Angel threw a tantrum, knocked himself out, and as a precaution they took him to hospital. It’s all a put on, a huge fuss about nothing, the Judge wasn’t the least bit impressed, he said he’s starting the hearing after lunch tomorrow whether Angel’s there or not – so as we are free we thought we might as well come in early” Buffy explained.
“Great, that means we can all get away a little earlier then, okay I’ll just do a little re-shuffling of some scenes…tell you what, Tara…Tara, tell everyone to take 15 go get a cup of tea while I do a reshuffle (Tara nodded and went to tell the rest of the cast) We’re going to run with that Indian burial ground story, and the great news is, we’ve got veteran actor Garry Lagman to play the heartless developer, Gus Leedermann, I am SO happy!” Warren said grinning.
“Oh my god! Garry Lagman! – I used to watch him every Saturday morning when I was a kid, in that cowboy show Purbeck’s Stockade!” Buffy said grinning, then she started singing the signature tune, “
‘Break ‘em in and ride ‘em hard, the cowboys of ‘beck’s stockade, dum de dum…lalala, I forget the words now, but it used to end with - ‘Ride ‘Em cowboy, Yee Harr!” Spike giggled
“You think that’s good, did you ever watch Oil?” Tara asked coming into the rehearsal room smiling.
“No, bit before my time that, !” Buffy said.
“Course, but you’ve heard of it right, all big hair and shoulder-pads and cinched in waists – the women had silly names, like ‘Winsome’ ‘Caress’ and my favourite one ‘Whisper’ – I mean I ask you, who would call a child Whisper?!!
“So, what about it?” Spike asked picking up his lines.
“Well, Joany Evans is going to play your new meat supplier Babs Hartley – got some good storylines coming up too” Tara said.
Cassie came in and asked,
“Why is everybody at tea?”
“Our fault, we came early, court adjourned for the day so we thought come early and we can all have an early night, Warren’s just reshuffling the running order” Spike said.
“Oh great, I might get to see the film I wanted to after all then…” Cassie said smiling
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“My god I’m star-struck! Have you seen her figure, and her skin, she’s got such beautiful skin, and I know she’s in her mid sixties, and hardly a wrinkle! – I wonder what her secret is?!” Buffy whispered to Spike.
They were watching Joany and some ‘extras’ actor loading up a van so her character could deliver the supplies. This was being filmed outside on a specially built set………………………
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“And Action!” Scene 14, take 1 the clapperboard was shut and filming began, Joany as Babs walked towards a small delivery van. A man was loading boxes into the back of it…
“Okay Carl, is that it…all the orders in now - can I have the orders list please” Babs asked holding her hand out for the clip-board. Handing her the board, the guy said,
“But ma’am, I’d be more than happy to do the deliveries for you, you know” he was a biggish guy in a check shirt and jeans.
“I know Carl, but my husband died three months ago now, and I gotta get used to doing things myself (she opened the van door) I appreciate what you’re doing for me already, but I need you here to see that the cutting and the packing of the meat goes like clockwork. I’m promoting you to overseer, there’s a pay rise for you too. Now I’ll see you later” She got into the van, started it up and pulled toward the edge of the set.
“And cut! – Joany that was fantastic!” Warren said grinning.
Joany got out of the van and walked over to them. She too was smiling. She looked stunning for a woman of 65, she was slim, wearing tight jeans, a white blouse with a red scarf tied around her neck, her short blonde curls blew in the wind but remained tidy. Buffy was right about her skin, it had a luminance that defied her age, hardly a wrinkle either.
“Okay folks…next up, we want Buffy, in the diner reading a letter, Red and Spike – and the extra’s at the tables – two minutes please” Tara called
Everybody took their places:
And – Action!” Scene 13 –take 1 Warren called
Buffy was seated at the table nearest the counter reading a letter. Spike was flipping burgers and Red was pouring milkshakes.
“Two hamburgers, one heavy on the onions, no pickle” Spike placed the two snacks on the counter tray and Red picked them up and took them to customers.
“That was a big sigh Buffy, problems?” Spike asked from behind the counter. Buffy looked up from reading and replied,
“Could be. This is a letter here from the Leedermann Construction Company, they have got my details from the Land registry, they want to buy that scrub land over in Summerville Creek” She stuffed the letter back into the envelope.
“And, I take it you don’t want to sell it?” Spike continued
Red came behind the counter and started to make a banana split.
“My daddy bought that land years before I was born, heck, I even think he had it before he and mom got married…he always made her promise, no matter how bad things got, she was never to sell it” Buffy said
Two customers came to the counter to pay, and Spike took their money at the till.
“What does he want it for, does he say?” Red asked pouring caramel sauce over the ice cream and whipped cream confection she’d just made.
“To build a huge hyper-market” Buffy said. She stood and stuffed the letter into her overall pocket.
“I’m just gonna have to write and tell him no – that land isn’t for sale. Bye then, and thanks folks, mind how you go, have a nice day” Buffy said to the leaving patrons. In the doorway they passed
a smartly dressed, balding man coming into the diner and he said,
“Well, I’m mighty sorry to hear that Miss Wilson, coz I’ve got a hyper-market to build in Summerville Creek, and that plot is perfect for it. Let me introduce myself, I’m Gus Leedermann – (he walked forward with his hand out-stretched and continued) I take it you ARE Miss Wilson” Buffy shook the proffered hand and said,
“That I am sir, owner of this here diner AND the said land you’re after, but I’ll tell you now, if you think you’ve come here to persuade me to sell it to you, well you’re in for a disappointment. That land is not for sale”
“Well now, ain’t that a shame”
“Sorry you’ve had a wasted journey. Can I get you something?”
“A nice cool lemonade wouldn’t go amiss” Gus said, taking a seat.
“Red, get Mr Leedermann a fresh lemonade, on the house – now if you’ll excuse me, I have a delivery to sort” Buffy cleared the shot and walked off set.
“And cut! – Thanks folks, next up Buffy taking delivery off Isaac………in two minutes people” Tara called.
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Later after filming had finished, Rehearsal room.
“…………………………..And so that’s why we called him ‘Esiah’, coz one ‘Eye’s higher’ than the other!” Garry quipped and everybody laughed.
“Okay folks, that’s it for today – it’s been great, point is, have YOU enjoyed it?” Warren asked leaning on the back of Joany’s chair.
“Heck, I’ve had a ball, and I haven’t worked with Garry here since 19 blur! Joany pretended to mask the year of the film they were in together.
“What year?” Tara asked grinning
“!958!” Garry said laughing
“Hey – supposed to spare a lady’s blushes about her age!” Joany slapped Garry’s hand playfully
“We were both 14, and-“
“I was 13!” Joany said leaning forward grinning.
“Okay, you were 13, I was 14, and we played brother and – no we played cousins, that’s right, we played cousins and my mother and father were Dorothy Lambert and Edward Gaunt – and your mother was Julie Ragland…who played your father- I can’t remember now” Garry said
“Eddie Vincent…he of the dreamy blue eyes!” Joany said with a wistful look.
“Wow…such glamour!” Tara said remembering the actors from another age.
“Julie was SO beautiful…I remember saying I hoped to grow up and be beautiful like her!” Joany said with a far-away look in her eye again.
“Edward Gaunt used to put a slug of Scotch in his morning coffee – gave me some once too!” Garry said grinning.
“What was the film called?” Buffy asked
Joany and Garry chorused together,
“Kissing Cousins!”
“Oh look at the time, we must let these good people go home else we’ll be sacked before our new roles have even been aired!” Joany said and everybody else stood in the rehearsal room. It was dark outside.
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“Great fun aren’t they!” Buffy said as she pulled off the studio lot.
“Sure are, my dad used to fancy Joany – I’ll have to pull his leg about it how I’m working with her now. What’s for dinner, or are we getting take out?”
“Take out, there’s been no time to shop, and –“
“Hey baby, I know – we haven’t had time to breathe let alone do a food shop! – That’s me (Spike fumbled for his mobile phone) …hello – yes, speaking…what? – How………well obviously not guarded well enough, hold on” Spike lowered his mobile and held it to his chest and said to Buffy,
“Angel’s made a run for it from the hospital, they can’t find him” he lifted the phone to his ear again and said,
“Hello, yes I’m here…why not – but…okay, hold on again – Buffy stop”
Buffy indicated and pulled in.
“What’s up?” She asked
“This guy, a detective O’Connor said not to go home, in case he’s there waiting for us” Buffy rolled her eyes and said,
“Okay, where are we supposed to go then?”
“Hello – where shall we go then? I don’t know if anybody could put us up at this time of night…we could go to a hotel I suppose…………yeah? – Well I’m sorry too mate, if you’d done your job properly in the first place we wouldn’t be having this conversation would we? Yes, I’ll do that, goodnight! – PRICK!”
Buffy raised a brow
“Sorry love, condescending bastard can’t you get somebody to put you up…well you heard what I said…”
“We’ll have to go all the way back and into town now…wait up…Buffy could here her phone vibrating in her bag. She picked it up and leant it on the steering wheel.
“Hello – hi Willow…yes, we just had the police phone us we can’t go home…are you sure, we don’t want to put you out…okay be there in five…” Buffy heard Bernice’s voice in the background asking if they were hungry. Spike and Buffy grinned at each other,
“Tell your mom we’re starving!” Buffy ended the call started up the car and made for Willow’s place.
Willow was waiting outside for them when they arrived and she pointed to the garage.
“Dad said to drive in, in case nutcase is on the prowl, he won’t see your car then” Willow said,
They got into Willow’s house and the smell of food had their mouths water. A cloud of steam rose from the sink and Bernice turned and stacked a sieve on top of a saucepan.
“Come in come in, welcome, welcome – you poor things you’re cold Buffy you’ll be catching another chill – and Spike is it – look at you - so good looking!” Spike blushed and Buffy giggled, Willow just wanted her mother to stop embarrassing her!
“This your slightly older sister then Red?!” Spike teased.
“Lovely boy!” Bernice said grinning and Willow rolled her eyes, groaned and said,
“DON’T!”
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Spike sat back and patted his bulging tummy. Buffy had been defeated about twenty minutes earlier and had gone to watch a film with Willow in the lounge. Bernice had got a willing taster of food and she wasn’t about to waste that fact……
“Wow! That was…that was something else Bernice – I thought Mrs Cohen was a good cook, but that was THE best Jewish food I ever ate!”
From now on, Spike could do no wrong in Bernice’s eyes!
Outside a battered blue Ford van cruised slowly up the road………nope, no sign of Buffy’s car. Angel knew roughly where Willow lived, it was one of three houses, but he wasn’t sure which, he’d only been here once before in daylight…he had another look around…nope, Buffy’s SUV was nowhere in sight. Nothing else for it then, he’d go back to Revello Drive, see it the police were still there outside her house, if they were, he’d park up somewhere and bide his time. If however, they’d gone, he’d try and talk to her, make her see sense………
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