Powerful (The Driven World) - Kathleen Kelly Page 0,52
accusations of sexual advances. It’s a good thing you and she are no longer dating, or this whole production would be without me as a director.”
Holding up both hands in surrender, I say, “She’s been under a lot of stress. Things came to a head last night. Andy, she’s not herself.”
“Kris, the problem is I think this is who she’s been all along. It’s not the first time she’s tried something like this. George Hunt hinted that Sophia could be a viper.”
Colton bursts out laughing. “Isn’t George gay?”
George Hunt is a director with a swag of Oscars under his belt, but he is very gay.
One side of Andy’s mouth goes up in a half-smile. “Yes, he is. I’m just lucky that I had the mic on, and the whole production crew heard Sophia’s lies.”
“Jesus,” I mutter.
“Indeed. Did you like Loretta Reed? She was who I originally wanted for the part, but you were seeing Sophia, and the studio thought she was a better fit. I should have gone with my gut.”
Placing my hands on my hips, I look down and mentally go through Loretta’s movies. She’s an up and coming and would be a good fit.
“We read together a while back for Pascal Lorenzo’s film. She was easy to work with.”
“You haven’t fucked her, have you?” asks Andy.
His candor throws me for a moment. “No, I have not.”
“Good, let’s keep it that way.” Andy looks around. “We’re done for today. See you in a month, providing Loretta is available. I’ll get her details, and we can have a sit-down.” Andy holds out his hand. “You did well today.”
Taking his outstretched hand, I shake it and nod, then I do the same with Colton.
“Thanks for today, man. It was fun.”
“The real work will begin when production begins. Keep fit, take care of yourself, and keep away from vipers.”
I chuckle and head for the trailer. Once inside, I find Sophia there, looking distraught.
“Hey.”
“What do you want, Sophia?”
“He’s booting me off the film because… because I—”
“Because you made a pass at him. What the fuck were you thinking? He’s been married to Dottie for ages.”
“I was looking to trade up,” states Sophia matter-of-factly.
“Well, how’s that looking for you now?”
Standing, Sophia straightens her blouse and looks at me from underneath her long lashes. “I made a mistake. Is there a way to fix this and us?”
Shocked to my core, I finally see her for what she is, a soulless entity who will use anyone to get what she wants.
“No, Sophia, you’ve fucked yourself on this one. Now, get out.”
Her mouth drops open, then she straightens her shoulders and pushes past me out of the trailer. One thing is for sure, Sophia is a survivor. This will only be a minor setback for her.
***
The drive back to Boothbay is much more pleasant without Sophia nagging at me. I feel lighter knowing she’s out of my life for good. I hadn’t realized how much I didn’t want to work with her was affecting me. I park at the bottom of Athena’s home and jog up the path. Her phone has been off all day, and I need to hear her voice. When I get to her door, I try to open it, but it’s locked, so I knock. There’s no response.
“Athena!” I yell out as I knock again.
Nothing.
The gate to her walled-in garden is also locked with a padlock, which is weird since Athena never locks anything. Unperturbed, I drive to her parents’ house, but they aren’t home either. TB and Ashlea are off on their honeymoon, so I can’t check with them where she is. The only person I can think to ask where Athena is, is Todd at the police station.
As I open the door, the woman at reception is someone I went to school with. She was a couple of years ahead of me, and I smile at her.
“Julia?”
“Oh my God, Kris!” she shrieks.
Julia runs around the desk, through the gate, and hugs me. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Ah, thanks.” She has that crazy look in her eye that some fans have, so I disentangle myself from her and ask, “Is Todd here?”
“Todd?”
“Yeah, he’s a deputy here, right?”
“Right.” Julia throws her arms in the air and nods profusely. “Yes, yes, he is. Let me just see if he’s in.”
With a huge grin, she walks backward through the gate. The police station still looks the way it did when I was a kid—same gray walls, same setup. Not that I was dragged in