“Maybe we both should be thinking about quitting our jobs and finding somewhere to work where the people aren’t dicks,” Brianne smiled. “I mean, so many people love their jobs, right?”
“Yeah,” Mandy said. “But those are the people who suck up the bad bits and focus on the perks. They still have an annoying boss in their ear, they just know things could be worse so they choose to be positive and focus on the fact that they actually enjoy the work and it could be so much worse.”
“You’re such a cynic,” Brianne said with a smile.
“And you’re such a dreamer,” Mandy smiled back.
It had been their mantra through high school, where they had met. Mandy had always had a cynical view of the world, where she seemed to believe that everyone was basically miserable, but some people hid it better than others. Brianne, on the other hand, had always believed that the majority of people were happy, or at least that they could be if they chased their dreams. That was why they always made such a good pair; they balanced each other. Mandy kept Brianne grounded and Brianne kept Mandy from becoming too bitter.
“We need more wine,” Brianne announced, flagging down their waiter.
“So much for not wanting a hangover,” Mandy laughed.
Brianne shrugged. She really didn’t want a hangover, but she thought another glass or two of wine would be fine. She ordered another bottle of chardonnay and when it came, she poured out two large glasses.
“To knowing the exact moment to stop before I get into hangover territory,” Brianne grinned, raising her glass and clinking it against Mandy’s.
Mandy laughed and drank some wine.
“I’ll drink to that,” she said.
Brianne sipped her wine and half listened as Mandy talked about her boyfriend and how she thought he was going to propose soon. Brianne felt a little bad for not being as attentive to the conversation as she perhaps should have been, but Mandy and her boyfriend, Greg, had been together for almost four years now, and every six months or so, Mandy got it into her head that he was going to propose to her. The first time she had been wrong, she had been really disappointed. Now, she just shrugged it off and went back to waiting patiently. Brianne secretly thought Greg would never propose and that he was happy just living together, but she knew better than to point this out. She had made that mistake once before and the fallout hadn’t been pretty.
Now she just made all of the right noises while secretly having a debate with herself about whether or not to just quit her job and be done with it. She was a little worried, though. What if Mandy was right and her next boss was as bad as Valerie, only the new job came without any of the perks? Maybe I should just work for myself, start my own business, Brianne thought. She dismissed the idea. She had no idea what product or service she could offer that wasn’t already being offered.
“Is it true?” Mandy asked suddenly, pulling Brianne back out of her head.
“Is what true?” she asked.
“Duh. That Callin McKenzie is in the movie,” Mandy said.
“Yeah, it’s true,” Brianne said.
“Oh my God, you’re so lucky. He’s so hot,” Mandy drawled.
Brianne shrugged and Mandy frowned at her.
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you don’t think he’s hot!” Mandy exclaimed.
“Of course I think he’s hot. I’m not blind,” Brianne laughed. “I just don’t think I’ll exactly be getting up close and personal with him.”
Even if the opportunity presented itself for Brianne to get to hang out with Callin, she had no intention of taking it. Because she knew something that Mandy, like most of the world, didn’t. Something big. Callin was a dragon shifter, just like Valerie was, and that likely meant he would be an egotistical asshole, just like Valerie was.
It was another reason why she was reluctant to leave her job. She didn’t know if she would be able to just quit like in a normal job, or if Valerie would end her, making sure she didn’t reveal any of her secrets. Brianne’s mom had been Valerie’s assistant before her, her grandmother before that, and to her knowledge, her great-grandmother before that. It seemed the only way to get out of working for Valerie was to have a child and pawn it off on them. And that wasn’t a path Brianne wanted to go down, and even if she did, it would be a long time until her child could take over.
She knew that she should just accept her duty and let go of the feeling that she wanted out, but despite everything she told herself, she still couldn’t shake the notion that if Valerie was still as bad as she had been on her last movie set, she was going to quit. This time could go either way. In Valerie’s last movie, she had been far from the star. Brianne hoped that now that she was getting a chance to shine, she would be happier and therefore less bitchy. In reality, though, she thought it more likely that being the star would only make Valerie more of a diva.
“Imagine getting up close and personal with Callin McKenzie,” Mandy said dreamily. She nudged Brianne and grinned. “Hey, if you get a chance to do it and you don’t want him, you totally have my permission to slip him my number and tell him I’m willing and eager.”
“What about Greg and his proposal?” Brianne said.
“Greg? Greg who?” Mandy grinned. “You think I wouldn’t swap a proposal for even one night with Callin McKenzie?”
“Noted,” Brianne laughed.
3
Brianne hurried between the trailers that stood around the outside of the main building that housed the set and all of the departments. She was heading for Valerie’s trailer, sure she would be in trouble for
