Page 56 of #Moonstruck

“Don’t forget I have to approve the final cut,” she said with a smirk, and it almost felt like she was enjoying the chaos and problems she was creating.

At this point, the director just ignored what she was saying. “Play back the music and ... action!”

Ryan did as he’d been asked, slowly walking up to the throne and bowing to the princess. Caryl looked at him like he was a bug on the bottom of her shoe.

“Cut!” Bay called out, frustration evident in his voice. “Caryl, you have to look at him like you love him. With longing. Let’s go again!”

They did the scene over, and her reaction was exactly the same as the first time.

Bay told everyone to stop. He approached the throne. “Do you know what longing is, Caryl?”

“He should just tell her to pretend Ryan’s a doughnut or a new Birkin bag. Maybe she’d get it then,” Lauren said to the makeup artist, and I tried very hard not to laugh.

“Again!” Bay shouted.

Again, Caryl looked hostile.

“That’s not longing!”

“I’m the professional model. I know how my face looks best, and that’s what matters in this video. You hired me for how I look. You let me do my job, and you do yours.”

“That’s it! I am done. You are fired,” Bay shouted back. “You are in breach of contract. You were four hours late for your agreed-upon call time. You’ve done nothing but cause delays. You refuse to take direction and won’t wear the wardrobe. I will not tolerate your selfishness and disrespect. Get her off my set!”

“Fine. I will still get paid. You’ll be hearing from my people,” Caryl said as she sauntered off.

“Yeah, have the head nurse call us,” the makeup artist muttered, but I couldn’t laugh this time. Now what would they do?

“I can’t believe any of that just happened,” I said. “How could she be such a jerk?”

Lauren let out an undignified snort. “I’ve seen so much worse. Once you get enough fame, you can be horrible, and people put up with it. The stories I could tell you ...” Her voice trailed off.

It made Ryan’s down-to-earth behavior even more admirable.

I was distracted by the sound of desperate arguing. I was close enough to the director and his team that I could hear everything they said.

“You have to apologize and get her back. We’re in the middle of a national forest in Washington. Who else are we going to get to play this part?”

“Could we have him never actually find the princess? The whole video is about him searching for her?”

“Maybe when we get to LA we can hire someone new and put her in front of a green screen and then add her in to the scenes.”

“That won’t work. Ryan’s supposed to interact with her.”

“Why can’t Maisy do it?”

That last line was from Ryan.

“Who is Maisy?” Bay asked and turned to stare at me when Ryan pointed.

“She’s the lead singer from my opening act. She’ll be here today and tomorrow.”

The director stood in front of me, studying me. “Do you have any on-camera experience?”

Other than YouTube? Not so much.

“Wait a second. I’m not an actress.” I was also not interested in trying to become one. I didn’t want to screw up Ryan’s video.

“To be fair, and no offense, but neither is Caryl Clausen,” Ryan said with a wink.