Page 19
Story: Capture the Rainbow
SIX
“IWON’T STANDfor it,” Dirk Danford bellowed. “Do you hear me, Damon?”
Kendra and Billie looked up, startled, from where they were sitting a few yards from the cameras and lights of the set. The dark-haired Adonis of a million women’s daydreams was looking less than appealing at the moment with his face flushed an apopletic scarlet and his lips compressed in a tight line as he faced Joel and waved a scrap of black satin material in front of his face. Kendra shook her head wonderingly as she saw Joel turn away from the discussion he’d been having with the light director to gaze at Danford with glacier cool eyes. She’d discovered in the past weeks that Billie was right about the actor being a conceited lecher, but she hadn’t thought he was a complete fool. People didn’t talk to Joel Damon in that tone of voice, not even superstars.
“Joel,” Dirk continued, “you’ll have to get to the bottom of this or I walk.”
“I think not,” Joel said with utmost softness, but suddenly the atmosphere was several degrees cooler. “I believe even you’re more intelligent than that, Dirk. I have the final love scene between you and Brenna to film today and I want it in the can by evening. After that you can do whatever you damn well please.” He glanced at the scrap of material in Danford’s hand. “I gather that has something to do with this nonsense. What the hell is it?”
“My shorts.” Danford shook the underwear out dramatically. “Look at this. It will take me hours to get out all the knots and every pair in my dressing room has been sabotaged just like this.”
“Black satin jockey shorts?” Kendra whispered.
“Hasn’t he told you? Dirk’s a sex god,” Billie murmured.
“And that’s not all,” Dirk ranted on. “Two days ago someone chained shut the door of my trailer. It took me an hour of pounding and shouting before anyone came and got me out.”
“As popular as Dirk is around here, it was lucky it wasn’t a month,” Billie said sotto voce.
“And what about what happened yesterday to my shoes? How could one of every pair of shoes I possess simply disappear?” He lifted his foot. “Look at me. One tennis shoe and one moccasin. I look utterly ridiculous.”
Kendra couldn’t help it; she began to chuckle. The sound immediately brought the irate actor’s attention to the corner where she was sitting with Billie. Dirk’s frown took on a new dimension as he spotted Billie sprawled in the chair beside Kendra.
“You!” He stalked over to glare accusingly at her. “You know something about this, don’t you? Who did it?”
“Poltergeists?” Billie offered, blinking up at him innocently.
“Not likely,” Danford bit out through clenched teeth. “You’re finding all this very amusing aren’t you, Billie?” His hand delved into the pocket of his robe and brought out several sheets of memo paper. “I suppose you don’t know anything about these either?” He scowled as he read the first one. “As you lust, so shall you reap.” He read another one. “Thou shalt not covet thy producer’s wife.” He crumpled the notes and threw them on the floor. “I’ve been finding them in my dressing room, pinned to the pillow on my bed. I even stepped out of the shower stall yesterday and found one taped to the shower door.”
Kendra suddenly darted Billie a suspicious glance. What had Billie said about Brenna needing a little help? Oh Lord, poltergeists, indeed!
“Well, if the shoe fits,” Billie drawled. She covered her mouth with her hand. “Oops! Sorry. I forgot you were a bit sensitive on the subject of shoes.”
Joel was beside them now. “If you’re through making accusations and disrupting my set, I’d appreciate it if you’d occupy yourself elsewhere, Dirk.” His voice dripped sarcasm. “Preferably learning your lines. You blew them twice this morning.”
“But I saw that big Arab of hers skulking outside my dressing room,” Dirk sputtered. “I know she—”
“Now,Dirk,” Joel said with soft menace.
With a violent curse Danford turned on his heel and strode furiously toward his dressing room.
Joel turned to Billie, his eyes narrowed. “I don’t suppose you know a thing about all this, brat?”
“Who, me?” Billie asked, her eyes widening. “Do I look like the kind of girl who would invade a man’s privacy while he was in the shower?” She grinned impishly. “Though come to think about it, I might be the only woman on the set who’d be safe alone with a nude Dirk Danford.”
“I’m not at all sure that paraphrasing the Bible wouldn’t be considered blasphemy,” Kendra said, her eyes twinkling.
“Billie, I don’t know what you’re up to, but I won’t have you unnecessarily upsetting that ass,” Joel said impatiently. “I have a picture to finish.”
Billie jumped to her feet and squeezed Joel’s arm affectionately. “Don’t worry, Joel,” she said soothingly as she turned to leave. “The man obviously has no stamina. It will be over before you know it.”
Joel watched Billie walk away, exasperation warring with amusement in his expression. “Whatwill be over before I know it?”
“I think it would be safer not to ask,” Kendra said dryly.
“You’re probably right.” He dropped into the seat Billie had just vacated. “That’s all I need, a personality conflict on the set.” He grimaced. “And with Billie involved, it will probably escalate into a major brouhaha.”
“You can handle it,” Kendra said quietly. In the past week she had practically lived in his pocket and she had discovered Joel could handle almost anything. He seemed to thrive on problems that would drive most directors into a rage. “I think you enjoy these little challenges.”
“IWON’T STANDfor it,” Dirk Danford bellowed. “Do you hear me, Damon?”
Kendra and Billie looked up, startled, from where they were sitting a few yards from the cameras and lights of the set. The dark-haired Adonis of a million women’s daydreams was looking less than appealing at the moment with his face flushed an apopletic scarlet and his lips compressed in a tight line as he faced Joel and waved a scrap of black satin material in front of his face. Kendra shook her head wonderingly as she saw Joel turn away from the discussion he’d been having with the light director to gaze at Danford with glacier cool eyes. She’d discovered in the past weeks that Billie was right about the actor being a conceited lecher, but she hadn’t thought he was a complete fool. People didn’t talk to Joel Damon in that tone of voice, not even superstars.
“Joel,” Dirk continued, “you’ll have to get to the bottom of this or I walk.”
“I think not,” Joel said with utmost softness, but suddenly the atmosphere was several degrees cooler. “I believe even you’re more intelligent than that, Dirk. I have the final love scene between you and Brenna to film today and I want it in the can by evening. After that you can do whatever you damn well please.” He glanced at the scrap of material in Danford’s hand. “I gather that has something to do with this nonsense. What the hell is it?”
“My shorts.” Danford shook the underwear out dramatically. “Look at this. It will take me hours to get out all the knots and every pair in my dressing room has been sabotaged just like this.”
“Black satin jockey shorts?” Kendra whispered.
“Hasn’t he told you? Dirk’s a sex god,” Billie murmured.
“And that’s not all,” Dirk ranted on. “Two days ago someone chained shut the door of my trailer. It took me an hour of pounding and shouting before anyone came and got me out.”
“As popular as Dirk is around here, it was lucky it wasn’t a month,” Billie said sotto voce.
“And what about what happened yesterday to my shoes? How could one of every pair of shoes I possess simply disappear?” He lifted his foot. “Look at me. One tennis shoe and one moccasin. I look utterly ridiculous.”
Kendra couldn’t help it; she began to chuckle. The sound immediately brought the irate actor’s attention to the corner where she was sitting with Billie. Dirk’s frown took on a new dimension as he spotted Billie sprawled in the chair beside Kendra.
“You!” He stalked over to glare accusingly at her. “You know something about this, don’t you? Who did it?”
“Poltergeists?” Billie offered, blinking up at him innocently.
“Not likely,” Danford bit out through clenched teeth. “You’re finding all this very amusing aren’t you, Billie?” His hand delved into the pocket of his robe and brought out several sheets of memo paper. “I suppose you don’t know anything about these either?” He scowled as he read the first one. “As you lust, so shall you reap.” He read another one. “Thou shalt not covet thy producer’s wife.” He crumpled the notes and threw them on the floor. “I’ve been finding them in my dressing room, pinned to the pillow on my bed. I even stepped out of the shower stall yesterday and found one taped to the shower door.”
Kendra suddenly darted Billie a suspicious glance. What had Billie said about Brenna needing a little help? Oh Lord, poltergeists, indeed!
“Well, if the shoe fits,” Billie drawled. She covered her mouth with her hand. “Oops! Sorry. I forgot you were a bit sensitive on the subject of shoes.”
Joel was beside them now. “If you’re through making accusations and disrupting my set, I’d appreciate it if you’d occupy yourself elsewhere, Dirk.” His voice dripped sarcasm. “Preferably learning your lines. You blew them twice this morning.”
“But I saw that big Arab of hers skulking outside my dressing room,” Dirk sputtered. “I know she—”
“Now,Dirk,” Joel said with soft menace.
With a violent curse Danford turned on his heel and strode furiously toward his dressing room.
Joel turned to Billie, his eyes narrowed. “I don’t suppose you know a thing about all this, brat?”
“Who, me?” Billie asked, her eyes widening. “Do I look like the kind of girl who would invade a man’s privacy while he was in the shower?” She grinned impishly. “Though come to think about it, I might be the only woman on the set who’d be safe alone with a nude Dirk Danford.”
“I’m not at all sure that paraphrasing the Bible wouldn’t be considered blasphemy,” Kendra said, her eyes twinkling.
“Billie, I don’t know what you’re up to, but I won’t have you unnecessarily upsetting that ass,” Joel said impatiently. “I have a picture to finish.”
Billie jumped to her feet and squeezed Joel’s arm affectionately. “Don’t worry, Joel,” she said soothingly as she turned to leave. “The man obviously has no stamina. It will be over before you know it.”
Joel watched Billie walk away, exasperation warring with amusement in his expression. “Whatwill be over before I know it?”
“I think it would be safer not to ask,” Kendra said dryly.
“You’re probably right.” He dropped into the seat Billie had just vacated. “That’s all I need, a personality conflict on the set.” He grimaced. “And with Billie involved, it will probably escalate into a major brouhaha.”
“You can handle it,” Kendra said quietly. In the past week she had practically lived in his pocket and she had discovered Joel could handle almost anything. He seemed to thrive on problems that would drive most directors into a rage. “I think you enjoy these little challenges.”