Chapter 44

Quitting the acting job became Josie’s obvious next step. She’d really come to hate it, and even the thought of it made her anxious. She was nervous about telling Michaela but she resolved to do it.

Unfortunately, Michaela called her first. It was the middle of August but you’d never know it was summer given the grey sky and drizzle. Josie looked out of the living room window of Emily’s apartment as she answered the call. It wasn’t much of a view, just a busy street filled with traffic and people hurrying through the rain.

“You’re going to love me!” Michaela said excitedly.

“Really?” Josie replied sceptically. “What’s happened?”

“They’re finally giving you some lines to say! I was just talking to Sally at the studios and she told me. Didn’t I tell you it would end up being a speaking part?”

“I was going to call you today,” she said flatly. “I’m quitting. I don’t want to go back there.”

“Don’t talk crazy. You were the one who always wanted a speaking part. Don’t run away now you’ve got it. It’s not stage fright, is it?”

“No! I just don’t like the job. It’s not enough hours. And I’m thinking of a career change.”

“But you’re expected on set first thing tomorrow.”

“I wasn’t planning on going.” She should have let Michaela know sooner, but she didn’t really care.

“Of course you’re going. It reflects badly on me if you fail to show up without warning. You’ll at least have to go in tomorrow.”

“I don’t have to,” Josie said, swirling the dregs of coffee in the cup. “But if you ask nicely I might.”

There was a loud exhalation of breath. “Fine! Please will you go to work tomorrow?”

“Hmm. Okay. Only tomorrow, though. Then you’ll have to tell them I quit.” She’d been adamant she’d already done her last day of filming, but she was a little intrigued by the fact that she’d have lines to say, and one last day wouldn’t hurt.

The next morning as she sat in the holding room, she even felt a little nervous. What if they were actually giving her character a storyline? Would she really walk away now if it was finally becoming a real acting job? She decided she probably would.

Eventually, the assistant director came to talk to her. She seemed distracted and kept glancing over her shoulder as she spoke to Josie. “At the start of the scene, if you can just lean over the bar and ask whoever’s in front of you what they want to drink. Not too loud or anything. Just be natural. Okay?”

Josie’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s it?”

“It’s not a problem, is it? You can manage that?”

Josie was about to tell her where she could shove her one measly line, but Jack appeared and slid into the seat beside her. She smiled and the woman went away again.

“I didn’t know you’d be here today,” she said cheerfully. She hadn’t seen him for a couple of weeks, but he was quite good at calling her or sending the odd message. He hadn’t mentioned he’d be working with her again.

He shrugged. “I quite enjoy it. And work are happy for me to have the odd day off. It works quite well. What did she want?” he asked, nodding at the retreating assistant director.  

“They’ve finally given me something to say.”

“Great!”

“Not really. One crappy line. I wasn’t even going to come today. I’m going to quit.”

“What will you do? Keep working in the café?”

“I don’t know.” She couldn’t find the energy to discuss it and glanced at the door when it opened. “Lauren’s here,” she said quietly. It was the woman Jack had been on a date with. Jack took a sudden interest in his coffee until she’d passed. “She hates you,” Josie remarked.

“She’s a psycho!” He shook his head. “I really know how to pick ’em, don’t I?” She gave him a friendly shove just as they were called down to the studio. “What do you have to say then?” Jack asked as they walked. “Have you got it all memorised?”

“I hope so.” Josie rolled her eyes. “I have to ask someone what they want to drink. Let’s hope I don’t mess up! Ooh, if you stand at the bar, I can ask you. That’d be exciting.”

He laughed as they filed onto set with everyone else.

As it turned out, Jack did manage to scoot into position across the bar from her, and she couldn’t help but grin as she turned to him to deliver her line.

“What can I get for you?”

“A shot of whatever’s convenient,” he replied loudly.

Her eyes went wide and she whispered out of the corner of her mouth. “I don’t think you’re supposed to talk.”

“It’s a bar,” he said loudly. “And I want a drink.”

She bit her lip in an effort not to laugh at him. “Jack!” she hissed, trying to sound stern.

“Quick,” he said, breaking into a grin. “We’ll get thrown off set any second now. Get me a drink!”

“You’re an idiot.” She reached for the nearest bottle and poured clear liquid into two glasses. She glanced up as the director called “cut” and started shouting something in their direction.

Jack knocked the drink back and she did the same. “Sambuca,” he coughed. “Thanks a lot. I think it’s time we ran!”

“I think you’ve just got us both fired,” she said, as the crowd parted and an assistant director headed over to them.

“That was the plan. Come on!”

She hurried round the bar and grabbed Jack’s hand. He led her quickly through the throng while the director shouted after them. She couldn’t make out what he was saying, but he didn’t sound happy.

“You’re such an idiot.” She kicked her shoes off in the hallway and ran up the stairs with Jack as though they were fugitives. No one followed them, but they raced back to the dressing room anyway and hastily changed back into their own clothes. They were still running and laughing as they burst out of the building onto the street behind.

“I can’t believe you just did that.”

“You said you were quitting anyway. I thought we might as well have some fun.”

“I think I need another drink!”

 

***

 

It felt like a weight had been lifted as she sat in the dingy corner pub down the road from the TV studios. It was too early to be drinking, really, but it seemed like one of those days, and she felt the need to celebrate the end of her job.

“So what’s your plan now?” Jack asked.

She took a long swig of her beer and then set the glass on the stained beer mat. “I think I want to do something with animals.”

“Go back to the kennels?”

She shook her head. “I’ve been looking into doing some courses. I know it sounds a bit crazy, but I was thinking about dog grooming. I could be a mobile dog groomer and offer it as a service to boarding kennels. I could run some obedience classes … Are you laughing at me? It’s stupid, isn’t it?”

“I’m not laughing.” He was definitely laughing. “Sorry. I just had an image of you tying ribbons in a poodle’s hair!”

She gave him a friendly slap on the arm and let out a sigh.

“I’m only teasing.” Jack’s features turned serious. “If that’s what you want to do then do it. Why not?”

Since she couldn’t think of a reason why not, she decided that’s exactly what she would do.