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HAPTER THREE

13 DAYS TO MAKE A MOVIE...

IT WAS A TYPICAL DAY on the set of Brighton Buzz. The morning magazine show was off and running and so was Davina. In her role as general dogsbody she rushed between the producers and the rest of the crew doing everything from fetching coffee to calming guests.

“We need you in the green room,” one of the producers told her. “The guests for the next segment are at each other’s throats.”

Davina looked at her schedule and her heart sank. She deeply regretted saying she’d work the morning before taking her two weeks’ vacation time.

“I’m on my way.”

Five minutes later she was trying to jam a particularly obnoxious cat back into its cage.

“What do you think you’re doing bringing an animal without a cage?” the cat owner yelled at one of the other guests.

“It’s on a lead,” he yelled back.

“It’s a frigging lizard. It shouldn’t be on a lead.”

“Hello, cat lady, help needed,” Davina said as the blue eyed Persian ripped her to shreds.

The owner’s head snapped in her direction.

“What are you doing to my baby?” she shrieked before taking the cat and the cage from Davina.

The furry rat looked at her with evil eyes and began to purr.

“You’ve upset him,” the owner reprimanded between soothing noises towards the cat.

Davina bit her tongue. The cat wasn’t the one who’d have to wear long sleeves for a month until the scratch marks healed.

“Why don’t I find another room for you?” she said to lizard man.

“Good idea.” He cuddled his iguana like a baby.

In the corner a tiny woman cooed soothing words into the ear of an alpaca. Davina wondered which one of the producers had the bright idea to do a segment on local award-winning and unusual animals? Maybe they would like five minutes alone with an evil cat?

During a quiet moment, Davina found Derek the camera guy at the coffee pot. It was hard to believe that when she’d first come to work on the Brighton Buzz show she’d actually thought he was handsome. He flicked his perfectly styled blond hair, folded fake-tanned arms over his chest, and looked in her direction, with blue eyes she now knew to be coloured contacts.

“Derek, can I ask a favour?” she said while her instincts screamed that this was a very bad idea.

“Sure, darling, as long as you don’t mind me asking what’s in it for me?”

His tone implied things that made Davina shudder. She ploughed on, reminding herself that it didn’t matter what she felt about Derek, the most important thing was finishing the movie. She forced a smile.

“What’s in it for you? Fame. Fortune. The joy of reaching out to help another human being.”

Derek Gibbs ran a finger down the length of her arm. She took a step backwards and smiled to cover her distaste.

“I’d rather reach out and touch another human being.”

You’d have had to be incredibly stupid not to have gotten his meaning. And although there might have been evidence to the contrary, Davina wasn’t that stupid. Derek sneered briefly before stepping closer to her. Davina shuffled back. It was the tango of disgust.

“So about that help. I’m in the middle of a project and I need a cameraman. Someone who knows what they’re doing. Can you spare some free time? If you don’t want to, I completely understand and I’ll ask someone else.”

Who, she had no idea.