Shocking Pink by Stuart Canterbury

Author:Stuart Canterbury [Canterbury, Stuart]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781955062190
Publisher: Running Wild Press

The wind picked up as night fell. Script pages, call sheets, and production reports were caught up, and blew across the parking lot. The colored gels clasped to the metal barn doors on Tommy’s lights fluttered at the edges. Additional sandbags and ropes were used to secure the light-stands. There was a sudden drop in temperature. To keep warm, crewmembers, working on the rooftop, had to go to their cars to fetch their jackets, and, in at least one instance, a shot of tequila.

Travis, Howard, Jack, Willard, and Officer James Fleet of the Los Angeles Fire Department stood at the parapet like sailors on the prow of a ship gauging an impending storm. With the exception of the intrepid producer, they all shared a forlorn look.

They had completed the dialog scene in the bar beneath them, and made sure to leave Menachem’s equipment, exactly as they had found it; they were judicious enough to take photographs before anything was moved, so that it could be perfectly matched; nobody would know they had been there. All that was left was the final scene on the rooftop, but, even if the wind dropped, they still had nobody to play the female role. Worse, once Tiffany quit, Storm had taken it upon himself to logically assume that with no partner, and the unlikely and unwilling prospect of a solo male performance, the scene was cancelled. This was actually not an option under the limitations of their permit, which was very specific as to time, date, and details of the proposed pyrotechnics. But, not notified of the information and a little fatigued, the last male performer roared off on his Harley without notifying the production manager who left three sarcastic messages on his voicemail, requesting his direct return.

“It doesn’t look good,” Howard said pessimistically.

“Just keep preparing.” Travis exuded confidence in the face of grim reality. “We’ve never shot an empty set.”

“If the wind keeps up,” Fleet exerted his authority, “I will not allow the shot.”

“The wind!” Travis scoffed, “I can direct the wind.”

Fleet sneered at the director as if he had claimed he could fly, and the wind, as if in equal contempt, rattled the fronds of the palm trees across the street with a fresh jolt of turbulence.

From the rooftop, they could see into the parking lot, which was mostly empty, because, at that hour, they were the last crew on the premises. A cardboard box blew across the lot, scraping on the pavement. They kept their eyes peeled for Storm’s motorcycle to come back, but there was no sign of him. Instead, an SUV approached.

“Now, who’s that?” Travis wondered, always sensitive to the prospect of unexpected visitors, since an unfortunate surprise accession by the vice squad had left a bitter memory.

“It’s Sebastian Barge’s way-to-large SUV,” said Howard.

“What’s he doing here?” Travis asked, relieved that Tiffany had departed before she had the opportunity to jump to a rash conclusion as to the producer’s veracity with respect to casting.

His sense of relief increased exponentially when they all recognized the passenger with the Mohawk who got out of the vehicle with Sebastian.

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