Someone I Used to Know - By Blakney Francis Page 0,8
wasn’t expecting such a hard ass to live inside the sweet looking, southern woman. Not even that Alabama accent could cover up her ruthlessness when it came to creating a quality film.
The result was that I’d been here for hours, and the pretty socialite snuggled into my side couldn’t even perk up my attention. Chatting beside one of the many, handcrafted fire pits that circled the marble pool, I couldn’t blame my disinterest on any fault of the twenty-year-old who’d informed me eagerly of her father’s high-standing position in the same studio that was producing The Girl in the Yellow Dress.
She seemed intelligent enough, debating the merits of a Sophia Coppola film that had just been released, even if she did sound a bit like she was reciting a movie review word for word. God forbid anyone have an original thought in this industry anymore.
“Quit being a bitch,” Cam replied to her with surprisingly good cheer, considering the content of his statement. “You’re getting paid to be inspirational. I told you we weren’t going back to the set until Monday. I didn’t say anything about gatherings that involved the cast.”
They were standing close enough that I could comfortably eavesdrop unnoticed.
In the time I’d gotten to know Cameron, I’d come to think of him as a decent bloke. I saw him, his essence, in The Girl in the Yellow Dress, but Adley was turning out to be an enigma. It was hard to reconcile the character with the girl I’d met. Besides being beautiful and sharing the name Adley Adair, she wasn’t anything like her courageous, strong, magnificently flawed counterpart.
“Do you see how Madeline Little is watching me?” she hissed, appearing genuinely frightened as she eased behind him.
My gaze battled through all the lovely ladies nearly falling out of their bathers around the pool, until I spotted my young costar amongst the revelers.
“What?” the producer’s daughter asked, joining in my laughter as if she were in on the joke.
Madeline looked like a lion stalking its prey in the bush. Her piercing green eyes were locked onto Adley, while her face split wide open in, what I could only imagine, was her best attempt at a welcoming smile. The effect was grotesque.
“Why is this starting to feel like the sequel to Single White Female?” there was real unease in Adley’s question, but she’d moved too far behind Cam for me to see if her facial expression matched.
A violent snap jostled me from my nosiness, and I turned to the girl whose name was as trivial as her presence had just become. Her bony hand was still raised at my eyelevel where she’d just snapped her fingers.
“Are you listening to me?”
“I’m sorry, no.” I told a lie and a truth. I was neither listening nor was I sorry about it. “I’ve got kangaroos in the top paddock tonight, I’m afraid. I spotted someone I know, and they’ll be as mad as a cut snake if I don’t go say g’day. Have a spiffy night!”
When in doubt, always leave them with a little jargon from the Lucky Country to really throw them off. I made my escape as her face crumbled with confusion, darting towards the house.
“Where’d she go?” Madeline came out of nowhere, popping up in front of me.
Under the weight of the small girl’s glare, I couldn’t blame Adley for being nervous. Madeline was scary, especially since she looked a little like a she-devil, her auburn hair set ablaze by the sinking sun.
I glanced back to where Adley had been standing with Cam, and found him observing the view of the rolling hills alone.
“Calm down, ankle biter.” I called on my most charming smile.
She glared harder. I shivered.
“Honestly, I don’t know where she went, but I’d say your best chance of finding her is sticking near Cam. She doesn’t exactly know anyone else.” I could feel guilty for selling Adley out later. I was just happy to be working my way back into Madeline’s good graces. Holy dooley, she could be intimidating!
She jerked her chin in a stern nod, and turned on her heel. Three steps later, she turned back to me.
“What’s an ‘ankle biter’?” she asked of the nickname I’d used.
“I’ll be sure to text the translation to Fran so she can add it to your list.”
Madeline nodded her approval, before slinking off in the throng circulating around us.
After another thirty minutes of mingling, I felt like I’d adequately fulfilled my duty. I’d kept an eye out for Adley’s reappearance, but