[Reviews - 48]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2216 times

- Text Size +




Chapter 7 Back to work………



“And cut – Ford, can you move your microphone a bit further up, when you lean over the engine, you’re scratching against something and we can’t hear what you’re saying”

“I can’t…we need a boom mic”

“We can’t use a boom mic, it’ll be seen in the reflection of the diner window”

“If I move the mic further up, you’ll see it, further down, you can’t hear me, it gets muffled”

“Give me strength…look okay everybody, it’s a little early I know at 11.50, but let’s cut for lunch…be back for 12.45” Warren said wearily. First day back and it seemed fraught with problems, mic’s not attached right, equipment failures, lines forgotten, they’d had it all morning.

“Calm down Warren, you’ll do yourself no good at all, think of your blood-pressure!” Tara said.

“What’s the matter with everybody, still in holiday mood, that’s what it is – I must have about ten minutes of footage I can use from this morning, that’s all!” Warren leant against one of the diner tables. Tara patted his arm and went to the rehearsal room saying she’d have a word.

“Come on now please, you really need to pull yourselves together, we’re all back to work, like it or not – there’s been a considerable amount of wasted time this morning – what’s wrong with the mic Ford, you don’t usually have a problem”

“I don’t usually wear nylon overalls, they’re cotton usually – but I was told I’d got to wear these because of the new sponsors” Warren said.

“And Buffy, we know you’re now engaged, which is all very lovely, but you should have learned your lines”

Buffy was annoyed at this and said,

“I DID! It’s just that at 9.40 I had a script change, then another at 10.10, then ANOTHER at 11 ‘o’clock – so it’s not my fault!” Buffy said, she could feel the anger building up.

“And Spike, don’t bang the lid on the milkshake maker, it’ll break” Tara said.

“But you have to!” Spike said, and Willow piped up in Spike’s defence,

“Tara, if you don’t the lid flies off and we get a milkshake bath”

“Well whatever, can we just get into a more work ethic mind please folks”

“Yeah well, we will, if you will” Spike said, and Tara turned and asked what he meant by that comment.

“What I mean is, you come in here, moaning at us, and none of it is our fault”

“What isn’t your fault” Warren asked, entering the rehearsal room.

“All these problems this morning………” Spike said. The arguments and counter –arguments continued for over half the break. So by the time they had to get back to it, NOBODY felt like they were in the mood to work.

“Well I don’t care what the sponsors want, it’s not practical so I’m not wearing them, and that’s final!” Ford said, throwing the new nylon overall aside, adding,

“Besides which, they’re too damned hot to wear, I feel all sweaty in them”

Warren rubbed his face and said,

“I think we can write off today – look folks, I’ve taken on board what you’ve said, about the equipment, the props, the new sponsored clothing and the quick script changes, and I DO appreciate what you say. I’m sticking my neck out here, and if you’re prepared to come in earlier tomorrow morning, and get on with it, then I’m going to let you go home now” (It was 2.25pm)

Everybody nodded and said ‘yes’.

“What time in the morning Warren?”

“Seven o’clock sharp, we have to catch up on today’s lost filming”

“I will email your scripts to you by 5.30pm, I want you all word-perfect please – right, Tara, go find Cassie we need a brain-storming session”

Everybody was glad to go.

_______________________


“Well, what a waste of time that was!” Buffy said as they walked out to the car.

“I knew today would be a disaster – I’d just got that feeling…mind you, nobody was really in the mood for it, and that included Warren!” Spike said getting in the passenger side of the car.

“You know, I don’t enjoy it as much as I used to…I used to love getting up and going to work….and now………”

“Now?” Spike echoed her with a quizzical brow.

“And now I find I’d rather stay in bed with you, or go shopping, or be myself instead of Buffy Wilson all the time. I was thinking…”

“What’s that pet?”

“Well…when I comes up for my contract renewal in April - how would you feel if I didn’t take it up”

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say actually” Spike said with a grin.

“Really – why’s that?” Buffy seemed quite surprised at Spike’s confession and it buoyed her up.

“Because, well – I was wondering how you’d feel about moving to England?”

“Moving to – oh WOW yes!”

“Hold your horses there pet – you must have proper time to think this over, there’s a lot to think about – besides the wedding and such, like what would you do with your house for a start?”

“How do you mean?”

“Well would you sell it, want to keep it, rent it out, what?”

“Oh that’s easy, Willow would rent it off me…I think she thinks it could be a love-nest for her and Ford” Buffy said with a grin. Spike also grinned.

“I see! Would you still want to carry on acting when you live in England?”

“Well – yes, I guess………never really thought about it. It’s the only thing I’ve ever done…I wasn’t very bright academically…I’ve no real paper qualifications”

“Me neither pet, nothing of any significance anyway – I didn’t want to go to uni...I’d got me a band by then, I say a band, of sorts, it consisted of me on lead guitar, a kid that couldn’t drum on drums, and a bass-guitarist who only knew two chords!”

“How old were you?” Buffy asked with a smile

“Oh, 15, going on 16 – thought I knew it all!!”

“But you didn’t do too badly did you – you became famous!”

“Yeah well…more of a case of being in the right place at the right time than me being a musician! So pet, feel up to talking about the wedding?”

“Oooh yeah!”

Buffy pulled on to the drive and Spike said,

“I’ll put a pot of coffee on, I’ll get a notepad and pencil, and we’ll start making lists”

_____________________


“I’d want to get married at Carrisbrooke, but I want my friends their too, is that being greedy?” Buffy asked

“Of course not – pet, we’ll fly ‘em over – it won’t cost them a penny”

“But – how?”

“Remember my old mate Chopper Harris from the Water Cannons?” Spike asked

“Yes, I remember him, he got us out of a jam with his pink Cadillac taking us to the soap awards”

“That’s the fella, well, I was going to ask him to be my Best Man, and as a present, to fly anybody who’s coming over in his Lear jet”

“Do you think he would?” Buffy asked excitedly

“I can but ask, and if not, well…I’ll just charter one! – Let me see, what’s the time in New York…they’re five hours behind us… I’ll ring him now, no time like the present………”

___________________

2 hours later ………

“I suppose I should really phone Mrs Calendar and get her to send us a ‘wedding pack’ for Carrisbrooke” Spike said. They were on their third page of notes in the spiral-bound note-book.

“No need…I bought one back with me – I bought it to show Willow, I thought that booklet with the photos of your friends wedding I took with my phone, she could get an idea of how big the house was…” Buffy said

“Oh good girl, go fetch it then pet” Buffy went upstairs, the phone rang.

“I’ll get it” Spike called and answered

“Hi Spike, have you seen the script yet for tomorrow?”

“Er, no, no not yet, we’ve been talking about the wedding, making some rough plans, why?”

“These new sponsors, they’re going to be a right pain, we’ve got to make sure that we pick up this bottle or this glass, not to cover the name or the logo, and to smile at the camera before we use whatever we’re holding…”

“But that’s product placement, the network won’t stand it, it’s free advertising and there’s a strict revenue on that!” Spike said

“That’s the words I was looking for, product placement! I’ll tell you something, -“

“Hello – oh hi Willow, what’s going on?” Buffy had picked up the phone in her and Spike’s room.

Between them, Spike and Willow bought Buffy up to speed…

“Anyway, Ford said that’s it, he’s not renewing his contract, he’s sick of it, come February, he’s off, he’s had an offer for a gamer’s show and more advertising work, and doing voice-overs and such”

“Spike and I aren’t renewing either!”

“Really – wow! You know, I think I’ll put a few feelers out too, I was approached about five months ago to do a hospital soap, and I turned it down flat – but if you’re going Buffy…”

“Yes well, Spike and I will be living in England after we are married – but then we’ll go where the work is I suppose. We thought you could house-sit for us here while were in England”

“Great! – Look don’t say anything at work in the morning about not re-newing, let’s just see how far they think they can push us!”

“Okay, see you in the morning, bye!”

Buffy came trotting down the stairs with the wedding pack and they took their seats back at the dining table again. Buffy’s mobile rang, it was Joany.

“Hi Joany – what can I do for you?”

“Oh Buffy, I’m in a quandary and I don’t know how to get out of it without causing trouble”

“Go on, see if I can help, tell me more”………………Buffy said.


“………………So she can’t possibly endorse Islands Tropique products, as she’s the face of ‘Produit Swiss Spa Clinic,’ and has been for years, anything like that could be seen as breech of contract and they could sue poor Joany for thousands” Buffy explained to Spike.

“You know what, we need to tip one of the studio executives the wink about what’s going on” Spike said.

“How do we do that?”

“By telling them”

“But they’ll find out eventually” Buffy reasoned

“Yeah but – oh I don’t know…maybe we should just let them get on with it and Warren and the new sponsors will find out for themselves just how much trouble they’re in”

“I think that’s the best, I don’t want to go sneaking around telling tales…doesn’t look good” Buffy said

“You’re right of course pet…let’s leave them to it”





You must login (register) to review.