Story Of My Life

Chapter 13

Kacey showed up to the set of Mortwick Murders at 630AM on December 27. She arrived dangerously low on caffeine having run out of coffee at Harry's where she was staying. That and the fact that she had been unable to get in touch with Harry for the previous 24 hours made her uncharacteristically grumpy. Nikki, her make-up artist, tried to tease a smile out of her to no avail. A runner came banging into the make-up room with an urgent message for her. Taking the envelope that he handed her, she tore it open to find that Geoff, her co-star and guest director for this episode, had made some rather significant changes to the script. It seemed that the cuddly little bedroom scene they were to shoot that day had been rewritten to be quite a bit more risqué.

"Has he lost his fucking mind??" Kacey blurted out when she read the changes. "Nikki, have you seen this?

Nikki read the changes over her shoulder, frowning. "What has that little ferret done now?" her dislike for the actor oozing from her pores.

"He's got me topless! No way in hell. What has gotten into him?" she queried as she hopped out of the chair. She stalked out of the room shouting his name.

Finding him on the set wearing a robe and talking to the AD, she confronted him with the script clenched in her fist. "Geoff, what the hell is this?" she demanded.

"Why Kacey, good of you to show up today. First call was at 6, not 630. And that looks to be the script changes for today's scene. Thanks to your tardiness we're behind schedule. Please go get ready." he said silkily.

Taking a deep breath Kacey tried to control her tone in front of the crew, with only partial success.

"First, no one told me that the first call was changed; perhaps the director should have seen to that. Second, there is no way in hell that I am doing a topless scene."

"Oh, but you are Kacey. It's in the script and you are contractually obligated. It's time for these characters to spice it up," Geoff's voice dripped condescension.

"Oh, it is, is it? We shall see," Kacey said quietly before turning on her heel and stalking away.

Back in the makeup room she snatched her phone from her purse and called her attorney. Clarissa Dickson-Wright was a formidable woman based solely on her credentials but when you added in her large stature and booming voice, even the bravest quailed before her when she was angry.

Kacey's head was pounding as she waited for her attorney to answer, knowing it was not her custom to rise before dawn. After hearing a barely intelligible greeting in the other end of the call, Kacey began her exposition. Nikki could only hear Kacey's side of the conversation.

"Clarissa, he is trying to force me to do a topless scene."

"I know! There is no nudity provision in my contract. His tone was threatening though."

"I know it's early but can you come?" this in a small voice, her fear edging in.

"Oh, thank goodness. Thank you. Yes, I'll be in my dressing room."

Thirty minutes later, Hurricane Clarissa blew onto the set as grown men scrambled for cover. Inquiring loudly for the director and the producer, she stomped through the soundstage until she found them. Sneering at Geoff Adams' attire, his short terry robe being scant protection from her onslaught, she demanded an explanation for the sexual harassment that her client was currently experiencing. The producer, a formidable woman in her own right, flinched at the term. Geoffrey Adams, not the brightest of men, decided to "mansplain" the situation.

"We've had some script changes and your client is refusing to accept them. She is also holding up the production which will result in monetary..." his voice faded away as Clarissa gave him the benefit of her full glare.