Chapter Six
Sloan
I got out of the car and groaned as a gust of wind blew dust all around me. I’d been telling myself that I was going to experience a glorious month of sunshine and fresh air. I’d forgotten all about the dust. And the dirt. I looked down at my pale blue dress and my beautiful shoes that Victoria had insisted I buy and realized what a mistake I’d made with my outfit. I peered out at the rest of the cast members and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that they were dressed pretty similarly. Clearly, we had no idea what we were in for.
I looked around for the producer and smiled when I saw him walking toward me. He had two men trailing behind him. One was a white-haired man with a very wide girth who was grinning at me with unabashed excitement, and the other was a younger, handsome man with a scowl on his face. I assumed they were both coming over to get my autograph. I didn’t mind signing autographs; I knew that it was part and parcel of being an actress. But I had just arrived, and I really wasn’t in the mood for it.
“Darling,” cooed Roger as he took my hand. “You look gorgeous. I’m glad to see you got here safely. All good?”
“Everything is great,” I lied. “It’s good to see you. I’m looking forward to this.”
He beamed. “So are we. So are we. Now, there are two gentlemen that I’d like you to meet. This is Harold; he’s the owner of the ranch, and this is one of his best workers, Brady.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Harold beamed. He leaned in and kissed my hand. I smiled politely but felt desperate to pull my hand away. Thankfully, I was saved by his phone ringing. He apologized profusely and ran off to answer it.
“Actually, I’m sorry to do this to you, my dear,” Roger said. “I’m being called. But you’re in good hands. Brady here knows the lay of the land and I’ve told him what we’ll be doing and where we will be shooting. He’ll show you around quickly so that you have an idea. Afterward, I’ll gather all the cast together so that we know what to do. We won’t do much today, but I just want you to get an idea of the place. Is that okay with you, Brady?”
I looked at Brady, who was standing stiff with his hands in his pocket. He was obviously very nervous to be around me. I couldn’t imagine that they got many celebrities in his neck of the woods.
He shuffled his feet and nodded. “Of course. I don’t mind at all.”
“Wonderful! See you all soon,” Roger said and rushed off.
“Well, uh, thanks for showing me around. I’m Sloan,” I said and stuck out my hand.
Brady shook my hand, and I was surprised at how rough his skin felt against mine. He was a very good-looking man, even better-looking up close, but he didn’t seem prone to smiling. Also, he was looking at me in a way that was making me feel uncomfortable. I thought about what Victoria had said about all the hillbillies in the area and shivered.
“Sloan. Interesting name. I’m Brady.”
He didn’t move from his spot even though he was supposed to show me around, and I suddenly realized that he was probably looking for an autograph. As much as I didn’t want to give him one, I also wanted to get this encounter over with as soon as possible.
“Uh, where can I sign for you?” I asked.
“What?”
“Where can I sign for you?” I asked, speaking slowly this time. He probably wasn’t the smartest person around.
“Sign what?”
“Uh, my autograph,” I said. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“Why would I want your autograph?” he said and shook his head.
I felt my face go warm and I quickly tried to laugh it off. “Just kidding. Uh, should we get going, then?”
“Sure,” he said and started to walk.
As we walked, Brady showed me around the ranch and told me what they did on the farm and where Roger was hoping to shoot. He kept the conversation to a bare minimum and didn’t seem interested in talking about anything other than what he was supposed to tell me. In fact, I’d go as far as saying he didn’t want me there at all.
“Do you mind walking a bit slower?” I asked. He kept charging off in front of me, and I was already breaking out into a sweat. And breaking out into a sweat was not something I was accustomed to doing when I wasn’t at the gym. I remembered hearing once about someone who had gotten their sweat glands removed. I’d thought it was an awful idea, but now I wasn’t so sure. I hated the thought that someone was going to see me sweating.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have worn those shoes,” he said as he turned around.
“What?” I asked in surprise. I had expected him to apologize and to slow down, not to stand there and insult me. “What have my shoes got to do with you charging off?”
“Trust me, if you want to enjoy your time on the farm, you’ll be better off getting something a bit more comfortable. And if you were wearing better shoes, you’d probably be walking right beside me instead of trailing behind me. I’m not walking fast here. You’re the one that is walking too slow. Did you not realize that you’d be out on a farm?”
Was this man for real? What an asshole.
“Do you even have any idea who I am?” I asked him.
“Sloan Hill, or something like that?” he answered.
“Well, yes. That’s my name. But do you know who I am?” I said again.
“You’re an actress from New York? You’re shooting a film here at the ranch? Am I wrong?”
I shook my head in annoyance. “No, you’re not wrong. That’s right. But you shouldn’t talk to me like that. I mean, I’m an actress. I’m well-known.”
“Hey, you’re the one that’s on my farm. And I’ve been perfectly nice to you. I’ve taken time out of my day to show you around. Actress or not.”
“You honestly don’t have to do that, you know. I think I’d rather walk around by myself than walk with you. I mean, what can you honestly teach me that I don’t already know? I went to Yale. Do you know that?”
“No, I didn’t know that. And while that’s very impressive, I honestly don’t think Yale gave you the skills you need to succeed out here. I think that concludes our tour, wouldn’t you say? I think maybe it’s best for both of us if we just end it here for today. But Miss Sloan,” he said, “if you need anything at all, just call me. I’ll be here.”
I looked at him in exasperation as he walked away. Who the hell did he think he was? If you need anything at all, just call me! That was the most insincere message that had come out of his mouth. Victoria was right. This was going to be an absolute nightmare.
I walked slowly back to the rest of the actors. The heel of my shoe kept slipping into the dirt, and it was making the walk very difficult. But I refused to take them off. I knew Brady was somewhere nearby and I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. So I walked, albeit slowly, and kept my shoes on. I couldn’t imagine what the shoes must look like with all that mud on them. Victoria was going to have a heart attack when she discovered what I’d done with them. She treated her shoes better than she treated most people.
“Sloan!” Roger said when he saw me. “So, what do you think? Isn’t this place incredible? It’s exactly what I had envisioned. I cannot believe I found a place that’s so perfect. I think we’re going to make an amazing movie out here.”
“Yeah, it’s great,” I said. But it was hard to sound enthusiastic after my encounter with Brady.
“What’s wrong? You look annoyed.”
I sighed. “That Brady guy.”
“What about him? He seems like a nice guy. Did he do something wrong?”
“He was so condescending to me. He seemed to have no interest in helping me at all.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about him. Remember, Sloan; you’re a gorgeous girl. And not only that, but you’re famous. This is probably the first time that he’s ever dealt with someone like you before. You’re gorgeous, you’re rich, and you’re highly educated. That’s probably just a lot for him to take in right now. He’s probably just a hillbilly who knows nothing other than working on this ranch. He’s going to be perfect when it comes to helping us with the movie. But beyond that, I really wouldn’t let him get under your skin. And when you get irritated, just remember how much better off you are than him. The poor guy is probably just completely overwhelmed by being around you.”
I smiled. “Well, that’s a good thought to have. Thanks, Roger. I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”