Witching For Joy (Premonition Pointe #3) - Deanna Chase Page 0,19
budget and timeline if no one is here to film?”
“I know you’re upset,” Joy said calmly. “But I would like to point out that I’m the only one who is here and ready to work.”
He stopped pacing and stared at her. Finn Chance was a tall man with a full head of black curly hair. Normally his blue eyes were the color of the ocean, but today they were dull gray and full of impatience. “Do you think I’m blind? Obviously, you’re here. But our main star just walked out because you two can’t get along. Fix it. Or else I’ll recast you.”
Joy gaped at him. “Recast me? But we’ve already filmed half the movie!”
“Don’t test me,” he warned. “There are hundreds of actresses in your age range who will do this for far less than we’re paying you. The only reason you got this job is because the perfume campaign went viral. But don’t think that kind of hype lasts forever. Get it together and get Prissy back here first thing Monday, or you’re out.”
“Yeah. Sure,” Joy said, agreeing. She knew what to do to calm Prissy down. It involved groveling and coercing Joy’s non-boyfriend into going to Prissy’s cocktail party, but she could do it. The thought of kowtowing to the director in front of her after he berated her for Prissy’s bad behavior was infuriating. The fact was, acting had always been a dream of hers, and she’d be damned if she’d let Finn Chance or Prissy Penderton take it away from her. “We’ll be here Monday.”
“Make sure you are.” He started to leave but then glanced back and added, “And do something about your face.”
Joy stood there stunned as she watched him go.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Sam hissed, “Bastard.”
“I was going to go with something a little stronger, but that works.” Joy closed her eyes and tried to push aside the crushing self-doubt. She worked up her courage and looked at Sam and her perfect creamy skin. “I have no idea why this is happening, but do you have any suggestions on how to clear it up?”
“Come with me.” Sam led Joy over to her station. “I have an herbal mixture that should do the trick. All it takes is twenty-four hours.”
“Let’s do it.”
An hour later, with her face tingling more than was comfortable, Joy called Hope and asked her to pick her up in a half hour. Then she took off to the beach, in desperate need of some water therapy.
The wind whipped off the California coast, blowing her long blond hair behind her as she walked along the shore. Images of Harlow flashed in her mind, and she couldn’t help the crushing worry for the young woman she hadn’t even had the opportunity to meet. Suddenly her problems with the movie director seemed insignificant.
She stopped near a large rock outcropping and stared out at the horizon. Normally the sea energized her. It filled her up and helped center her so that she felt confident in her life choices. But in that moment, she was completely unsettled. Her new career wasn’t everything she’d dreamed. She was single now; separated from the man who’d emotionally left her years ago. She’d imagined herself dating, having a hot affair or two, and then maybe finding someone else to settle down with. Maybe that was all Troy was—a hot affair. Wasn’t it better to not have any expectations from the man who hadn’t called her in weeks?
If it were up to her, she’d write him off completely. But now she needed to make Prissy happy, so that she’d make their director happy. Even though Joy wasn’t sure she wanted to keep acting, she absolutely wanted to finish the movie and give it everything she had. If it didn’t work out or she decided it wasn’t for her, she could always go back to her position as vice president of the Arts Market. Technically, she was still the vice president, but she’d taken a leave to make the movie. Or maybe she could open an art gallery. Premonition Pointe was growing, and she’d considered opening a handmade gallery before.
“This doesn’t have to be forever. Neither does Troy.” Just saying the words out loud settled some of the turmoil spiraling through her. The most important things in her life weren’t things at all. People were important, specifically her kids and her coven and now Carly and her niece. Since the vision, she’d felt a connection to Harlow