Off Script (Book #1 of Lights, Camera, Romance! Series)

Chapter Five

"I can't believe Ren's thinking about firing me!" Jada wailed into her margarita glass.

"He wouldn't dare," Mikayla insisted, flames in her eyes.

The two of them were sitting in a local bar, The Drunken Skunk. After they'd left set, Jada had moped around at home. Eventually, Mikayla was able to drag her out of the house. The Drunken Skunk may not have had the prettiest name, but the crowd wasn't as rowdy as people might think. Plus, the margaritas were always bangin'. They'd brought along their other bestie and next-door neighbor, Alia.

Alia and Jada had met through work. Back when Jada had been a supporting actress on a fantasy show—vampires and werewolves galore!—Alia had been one of the staff writers. The show was also how Jada met Daniel—but she didn't want to think about that. The good thing that came out of the show was that she and Alia bonded. Alia became a close friend and helped Jada and Mikayla find the apartment they were currently in—right across from Alia.

"It's going to be okay. I highly doubt he's going to get rid of you this late in the game. Didn't you say you have like two weeks of shooting left?" Alia said.

As always, she was the reasonable one. Sophisticated and perpetually put together, Alia rarely succumbed to the depths of negative emotions like normal people did. From the outside, she was poised and perfect, easily gracing the 30 under 30 list of Hollywood's up and coming stars. However, Mikayla denied Alia's perfectionism, saying she could be overly strict and needed to "lighten up sometimes." Regardless, they'd formed a comfortable triad of friendship.  

Jada nodded to Alia's question, then took a giant sip of her drink. Alia patted her on the back with indulgent affection.

"You're a good actress, Jada. Even if he did get rid of you, you would be able to find another job. I'm sure of it."

"Hear, hear!" Mikayla added, raising her mug of beer.

"None of this was my fault in the first place," Jada grumbled as she played with her straw. "I didn't force Tristan to have sex with a young and impressionable PA. He brought that on himself, but I'm paying the price. He thinks he can yell at me for his indiscretions."

"Yeah, I'm shocked. I can't believe Tristan did that," Mikayla said.

"That's interesting, coming from you. Since you were hiding in the CLOSET, watching the whole time!" Jada snapped.

"Hey! I heard Ren coming and I had to dodge. You know he hates me. But still, I thought Tristan was a good guy and it'd all work out."

"Well, he's not." Jada nearly snarled. "He's a self-absorbed, hot-headed lothario!"

Like the good friends they were, Mikayla and Alia allowed Jada to rant on for another hour and two strawberry margaritas later. However, at this point, Alia let out a yawn.

"I'm sorry, guys, but I'm starting to crash. I'd love to stay and keep cursing the day Tristan Maxwell was born, but I have an early start tomorrow. Forgive me?"

Jada and Mikayla pardoned their friend but weren't quite ready to leave. When Alia was out the door, Mikayla turned to Jada with a devious smile.

"What?" Jada squinted at her cousin. Mikayla had her "I'm plotting something diabolical" face on.

"I would have brought this up earlier, but you were too devastated. Plus, Alia was here and she wouldn't approve. But now I think you're ready." Mikayla pulled her phone out of her pocket and waved it teasingly in front of Jada.

"What does your iPhone have to do with my shitty day?"

"It MEANS that I got everything on video. Well, up until the point where Ren walked in."