Do You Do Extras? by Ashton, Nikki (19)

“You gonna tell me about last night?” Barney asked, as he drove us to the Mill House.

I wasn’t sure I was going to tell him, because I didn’t know how I felt about what had happened. I liked Phoebe; she was great, she was sexy, she made me laugh, and she was going to be here when I left in four weeks’ time. Yes, I could stay for a while after we wrapped up filming; I had a couple of months break coming up, but what after that? The fact that I was even thinking about it scared the shit out of me. We’d kissed just once, admittedly it had been the hottest kiss I’d had in a long, long time, but here I was wondering how we could do the long distance thing. When I’d moved in with Serena I hadn’t given it this much thought. Because all I’d done, all fucking night, was think about Phoebe and that kiss. I’d jerked off thinking about it, I’d gone for a run on the treadmill in my room at four-thirty in the morning thinking about it and I’d showered, oh and jerked off again, thinking about it.

“What the hell are all these plastic bears about?” I asked, pointing to the third one I’d seen, on the side of the road.

“I heard it’s a local tradition thing,” Barney replied. “It’s known as bear town and don’t change the subject.”

“I wasn’t.”

I fucking was.

“She’s a good kid, Grant, don’t do this if you’re not on the same page as her about it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I turned in my seat to look at the big man.

From his profile I could see he wasn’t joking around. He always got a fast pulse in his jaw when he was being serious and that fucker was throbbing to a pretty wild dance beat.

“It means, she doesn’t seem the type to want some sort of fuck buddy. I’m guessing she’s an all in type of girl.”

“And how do you know that’s not what I want too?”

Barney glanced at me with one eyebrow cocked.

“I’m not some fucking man whoring douchebag, you know that about me.”

“Yes I do,” he replied in his deep, rumbling tone. “But I also know you don’t do commitment. Fuck, you lasted two months living with Serena and you loved her.” His gaze shot back to me again. “Or are you telling me that you’re actually in love with Phoebe?”

“No,” I spluttered, “of course I’m not.”

She’d be pretty easy to fall in love with though.

“I just want you to think about what you’re doing, that’s all. Make sure she knows what you’re wanting before she falls in too deep.”

“Yes, Dad,” I muttered.

“I’m fucking ten years older than you, so it’s not physically possible. Doesn’t mean I won’t beat your ass though if you carry on giving me shit.”

I laughed, but deep down I knew he was right. I did need to have that conversation with Phoebe, but I didn’t want to. What if she wanted everything that I didn’t, we wouldn’t be able to carry on and I hated that idea.

It was almost eight in the evening by the time we finished filming for the day, and all I wanted to do was shower and sleep. I didn’t even have the energy to eat, but Alexi had insisted we all sit down together for dinner. I didn’t even have Barney for my socially inadequate self to talk to. He’d gone back to Manchester to drive Marcia around and help her with my mother when she finally arrived. Apparently she’d decided to have a stop-over in Paris, so was arriving a couple of days later than originally planned. I’d said no at first, but when Marcia threatened to get back on a plane to LA without waiting for Sue-Ann to arrive if I didn’t loan her Barney, I had to change my mind.

Stepping out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist and rubbed another through my hair, before wiping the steam off the mirror over the sink. Leaning forward I peered at my reflection. I looked as tired as I felt. There were grey circles under my eyes and my skin was pale. These damn films took it out of me, with the long hours and all the action scenes I had to film – hence why we only shot one every year and a half. I needed that time for my body to repair. I winced as I rotated my arm. I’d fucked up my shoulder when I was filming a scene where I was thrown against a basement floor. Henrik Dietler, playing the main drug lord, had been a little too enthusiastic in that scene.

With a sigh, I reached for my electric razor, needing to make sure my scruff kept to its usual two-day length. It was surprising how many film critics picked up on shit like that. Turning it on, I started to carefully tidy up, being sure not to go too short. I was pretty much done when I heard my cell ping with a text message. My heart lurched. Only a couple of people had my number, so I just hoped to God it wasn’t Marcia or Barney letting me know my mother had already landed and was causing trouble. Finishing off my shave, I moved into the bedroom and found my cell on the mahogany night stand. It was a number I didn’t recognize, but when I read the text, I couldn’t stop the huge ass grin.

I quickly saved her number and started to type out a text then thought better of it and called her instead. As her number rang, I began slowly pacing the room, still smiling. That was what Phoebe did to me – she made me smile.

“Hello.”

Phoebe’s voice was a little tentative and I wondered if she thought I was mad at her for texting me.

“Hey, pretty girl.”

I was right. She gave what sounded like a relieved sigh on the other end.

“Was it okay? Barney giving me your number?”

“God yeah. It was nice getting a text from you,” I replied, as I dropped down onto the edge of the huge, four-poster bed. “In fact it was great after a long, tiring day.”

“I wasn’t sure whether you’d be finished, which was why I sent a text. I didn’t expect you to call me back. I just wanted to say hi.”

I caught my reflection in the mirror over the dresser and noticed I had a pansy-ass look on my face. Shit, she really was making me a pussy.

“Well hi.”

“Hi.” It was a soft whisper and I really wanted to see her face and kiss her.

“What’re you doing while we’re here? You working on anything else?”

“I’m working on Coronation Street tomorrow for two days.”

I had no idea what that was, but she sounded excited.

“That’s good right?” I asked with a laugh.

“Yes,” she cried. “Oh my God, it’s fantastic. You really need to Google it. It’s our equivalent of The Bold & the Beautiful, but without the bold or beautiful people.”

“Not my thing, but I get the picture, so I’m excited for you.”

“Hmm… the only problem is, Declan is on it too. We’re playing a couple having a meal in the bistro. Which means I’ve not only got to sit for hours forking cold food around a plate and drinking lukewarm, watered down apple juice out a wine glass, but I have to do it opposite him.”

My mood suddenly soured at the thought of her sitting with that prick while he stared at her fucking tits.

“Grantley, did you just growl then?”

Fuck, I think I might have.

“Can’t you ask to do something else?” I asked, trying to keep the bitterness from my tone.

I had no damn right to ask her, we only kissed. We weren’t even dating.

“It’s a really small cast of extras,” she replied. “There isn’t much else I could ask to do.”

“Well if he gives you shit, tell me.”

I wanted to add: ‘and if he looks at your tits tell me, because I’ll punch him in the face’, but thought it best not to.

Phoebe sighed. “I’ll be fine. He just caught me unawares last time. I’ll be ready for him.”

“You shouldn’t have to be ready for him, the fucking douche. I should’ve had him thrown off the shoot at the time.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” she protested. “It would have made things much worse.”

I rolled my eyes and decided that was enough talk of Declan, he wasn’t worth the oxygen.

“What you doing tonight, pretty girl?”

“Just chilling with Beth and the boys.” There was a smile in her voice as she spoke of her family and it made me smile right along with her. “We’ve been watching The Secret Life of Pets, it’s hilarious.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I watched it on the flight over here. You’re right, it’s pretty funny.”

“You watched it?” she asked incredulously. “Aren’t you a little old?”

“Hey, I’m a kid at heart. Plus, I’d pretty much seen everything else, even been to the premier of two of those showing.”

“Ooh listen to you, Mr. Showbiz.”

“I try,” I replied with a laugh. “Well, say hi to all of them for me.”

A warm feeling spread through me as pictures of Phoebe, Beth, and the boys sitting around watching movies flitted through my mind.

“I will. Anyway, I’d better let you go.”

I reached for my watch on the night stand and looked at the time – I was going to be late for dinner, but I couldn’t give a fuck. I much preferred the idea of talking to Phoebe a little longer, for a couple more hours, if I could.

“It’s fine,” I replied. “You’ll be back on set on Thursday, right?”

“Oh yes, this is just a couple of days’ work.”

“That’s good, it wouldn’t be the same without you to talk to at lunch.”

Phoebe laughed on the other end. “You really do need to learn to socialise more, Grantley.”

“Nope, I’m good.”

We continued talking and as Phoebe told me about one of the soap actors falling over and spoiling a scene, there was a knock at my door. I ignored it the first time, but when it happened again but a little louder, I thought I should answer it.

“Hey Phoebes, someone’s at my door, just hang on a second.”

“Okay.”

I padded over to the door and swung it open, to find Francesca on the other side.

“Hey Grantley,” she said in her sickly-sweet voice. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

I looked down at myself and realized I was still only dressed in a towel.

“Hey Frannie, sorry, I’m running a little late.”

“That’s okay, I can come inside and wait.” She licked her top lip, and didn’t hide the fact that she was ogling my body. “Maybe catch a little more of that body, although there’s not much of it I haven’t already seen.”

“Give me five and I’ll be right down.”

Francesca nodded. “Okay, I’ll save you a place right next to me.”

I flashed an empty smile and watched as she sashayed away. Closing the door, I put my phone back to my ear.

“Hey Phoebes, I’m going to have to go.”

“Okay. Take care and have a good night,” she replied in a quiet, flat tone. “And I hope the next two days go well. Night, Grantley.”

“Night Phoe-.”

That was it, the line went dead. With a frown, I dropped my cell onto the bed and went to my closet for a pair of jeans and a light sweater, cursing Francesca the whole time for spoiling my night.