Filthy Beast(5)

3





Jackson





The first table reading is always a little uncomfortable.

When you shoot a big movie like this, you basically don’t know anybody. But you’re going to have to get close with everyone as quickly as possible. Everyone is a professional, but like with anything else, it takes a little while to feel out the people around you.

But this table reading, it’s uncomfortable to the next fucking level.

“Okay, Mr. Hendricks. Can you pick up from the top of the page?”

I look at Tara and I can feel everything I used to feel and more. The weight of the years, the time and the space that’s been between us for so long, it’s all there, crushing everything I want. She’s so grown up, so poised and beautiful, but she’s still that sixteen-year-old girl that I left behind.

I guess I’ve grown up, too.

“Take your shirt off. Go ahead. I won’t mind.”

She stares back at me and doesn’t blink. I know she recognizes me. I can see it in her gaze. She remembers the long nights sitting up on her daddy’s porch, talking about our lives, what we wanted from the future. She remembers the way it used to be between us. Even if she’s pretending that she doesn’t, I can see it.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

I have to look away from Tara and over at Holly Hall. She’s tall, blonde, fit, and very pretty. She’s an up and coming star, just like me, and I suspect she’s doing this movie just for a quick buck. She’s playing my love interest in the film, and from the way she’s looking at me right now, she’s either a fantastic actress or she wants to make real life look like the movies.

“You know what I’m saying, girl,” I grumble at her, reading from the script. My character, Brock Brockhard, is a CIA contracted hitman with a dark side and a desire for flesh.

“We’re on this mission together. One pinky out of line, and I’ll break it off.” Holly is playing Helga, the woman from the CIA assigned to make sure that Brock doesn’t get in too much trouble. Of course, she eventually gives herself to him, because women can’t resist a bad boy for long.

As I damn well know.

“All right, be like that. Sit over on that bed, pretend like I ain’t here. But tomorrow, I’ll kill for you, and afterward you won’t see me the same.” I’m trying to act my best, but I can’t help but glance at Tara. She’s watching me, not reading the script like she should be.

“That’s what you do. You’re a killer.”

“I’m a man. With fucking needs.”

“You think I care about that?”

“You will.” I pause for two beats. “You fucking will.”

“Very good!” Lionel, the German director guy cuts in, and the crowd claps. He has a splash of white hair on top of his gaunt, wrinkled face. He looks like he runs marathons for fun. I don’t know much about him, but I can already tell he’s going to be a pain in the ass to work with, and I bet this movie won’t be half bad.

“That’s lunch,” Tara calls out. “We’ll be back in an hour.”

The group stands up and starts to mill around. I stand and start toward Tara, but she walks off as fast as she can away from me, and I know I can’t chase her down. I watch her go with a slight frown, but I’m not making a scene on my first fucking day.

“Hey, that wasn’t too bad.”

I turn around and Holly is standing there, a pretty smile on her red lips. I don’t trust her, not one bit. I’ve seen what girls like her can do with just a smile.

“I think it won’t suck,” I say to her.

She laughs at my stupid joke. “That scene’s a little heavy-handed. But we can make it work. Just needs a little chemistry on screen, huh?”

“Yeah,” I grunt. “You’re right about that.”

She laughs and pats me on the arm. “Come on, let’s grab something to eat.”

“Sure,” I say. I glance around for Tara, but I can’t find her. Looks like I’m stuck with Holly for now.

Lunch passes quickly. Holly isn’t too high maintenance. She’s nice enough, not really my type, but I think she won’t be too difficult to work with at least. She can act, does her own stunts, and she’s not bad to look at. I’ll be able to handle her, at least.

We get back to work after eating. We read through the script, Lionel makes some comments, and Tara runs the whole thing more or less. She’s like the director’s right-hand lady, and she looks better every time I glance at her.

Her deep blue eyes strike me in a way no other woman has ever been able to before. And I’ve been with plenty of women. I’ve fucked my fair share of groupies and fame-seekers ever since my big movie came out, and plenty more before that, too. Not so much during my time overseas in the SEALs, but still. I’ve done pretty well for myself.