In Between Lies (18 page)
Authors: Shawna Hill
She heard a soft knock at first, flipped over and ignored it. Then a barrage of knocks jerked her up to a sitting position. It was then that
Savannah
realized that she had fallen asleep fully clothed. She heard the knock again. Looking at the clock, now flashing 9:45pm, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and gathered her thoughts. “Coming,” she yelled.
“I’m sorry, babe.” Kevin said, coming in the door. “I didn’t know you were sleep.”
She moved to the side, decidedly happy to see him. “I didn’t know you were coming my way. Shouldn’t you be on your way to the station? You’re running late, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am, but I wanted to see you first.”
“How sweet,” she said. He smelled good enough to eat. She drew in closer to him and kissed him softly. “Why don’t you just come by when you get off?”
“I can do that, but you look like you had a rough day, so I will just meet up with you tomorrow?” he questioned.
“Oh, that would be good. I want you to meet the woman I told you about that got the part in the commercial. So, say…around lunch maybe? We could all go out if you have time.”
“We’ll see. I’m not sure about lunch. But I do want to see you,” he smiled.
He’d just broken his pattern. One that he’d sworn before that he would not ever do again. His feelings had gotten involved, this time in a major way.
Savannah
had no idea just how much of an effect she had on him. She is definitely wifey material. His player hand, was now turned in.
While she saw his tall, dark, figure emerge from the house, she lit a cigarette and started her car. Not one that usually smoked, she felt the urge to puff on one now. She looked at her car clock. He’d only been in the house for about ten minutes.
So this is what I get, she thought. I get to be his friend? Naomi pulled off behind Kevin and rolled behind him almost all the way to the station, trying to figure out how she could repay him for his most inconsiderate actions towards her. She turned off a few blocks before reaching the station and decided to head back home.
Flicking back and forth between channels, she finally rested on him. She listened to his voice while he lulled her to sleep. Still upset and feeling dejected, which was a feeling that she hadn’t quite managed to get a handle on, she laid down. She was used to being the one doing the letting down, not the other way around. She turned the television off to silence Kevin’s voice and flipped over to get some sleep. She had another day of shooting to complete and intended on doing it. She had bills to pay and was living from gig to gig and this one was promised at $2500 total which would cover at least two more months of rent.
Chapter 13
Savannah
had slept like a log and hadn’t even remembered letting Kevin in. He lay there beside her looking content, with a slight smile on his face. Must be dreaming a nice dream, she thought. Even in his sleep he was perfect. She grabbed her robe, deciding to cook some breakfast before waking him.
Chopping some onions and green peppers in preparation of making a Western Omelette, she was startled by her phone that rang abruptly.
“Hello,” she answered.
All she heard was breathing, then the caller hung up.
Savannah
shrugged her shoulders and hung it up. As soon as she did, it rang again.
“Hello?”
Nothing.
“Listen, you have the wrong number. Don’t call this number again.”
Savannah
said and hung up again.
It rang again.
Savannah
let it ring at least five times before answering it. It was obvious that the caller was not going to hang up. She picked it up again.
“ If you-“
The caller interrupted her, “He’s mine bitch! Get your own man!” then slammed the phone down.
Savannah
stood and looked at the receiver in disbelief. “What the hell?” she said aloud. Looking at the caller id, she realized it was a private caller.
She heard the faint sound of her cell phone ringing. Not in a rush to answer it, or stop what she was doing so that she could answer it, she let it ring.
Kevin had already gotten up and was halfway dressed by the time she returned to her bedroom with the breakfast in hand.
“Good morning, sleepy head,” he said. He pulled a toothbrush from his night bag that he just conveniently had left over there. “You were really tired yesterday, huh?” He tapped her on her behind as he passed by.
“Yes, I was. Remember, yesterday was the first day of the shoot. There was a lot of preparation that had to be done before we started. I had to forsee this and that and make sure everything was done to my liking, and correctly”
“Slave driver,” he joked.
“I really want you to be happy with this. I want you to come to the set today…think you can make it?”
“I don’t see why not?” Kevin grabbed his plate and took a huge bite. “Wow, and you can cook too? I hit the jackpot.”
“Gee thanks,”
Savannah
responded. “I want to make sure you are fed well. You know they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach…so is that true?”
Kevin stopped mid bite. “Baby, you had my heart a while ago…before I ate these eggs.”
She smiled. “Ok, I better get dressed,” she said nervously. She felt a warm flush race through her at his comment. Under the usual circumstances that was just what a woman would want to hear. And she did love to hear it coming from his lips, but right at that moment, she thought of the phone call, Dre, Lenora, cheating, and trust all within the same moment.
Kevin saw the concern written across her face. “You okay?” he asked.
“Well, I was just thinking… I got this crazy phone call a little bit ago.”
“And who was it? What did they say?”
“Some woman that sounded very upset…I know she had the wrong number, but she made a comment about a man being hers and to get my own man.”
Kevin froze. It took him only a quick moment to respond. “Wrong number, don’t worry about it.”
“Funny thing is, is that I haven’t gotten a prank call, wrong number or a threatening call since Dre’s mess, and…”
“Wrong number,
Savannah
. Don’t worry about it.” He cut her off, continuing to eat his breakfast then told her would see her later at the shoot today.
Jazzy finished collecting some files that she’d left on
Savannah
’s desk the previous morning and waited for
Lydia
to leave the office. Fumbling through the stack of portfolios that had been haphazardly placed on
Savannah
’s desk, she came across Naomi’s file. Jazzy stopped, now curious to see it. She took a seat in one of the comfortable reclining chairs and searched through the photos and other information that it contained. There she found pictures, a bio, contact phone numbers, any representation she has currently, as well as any past agents, and past jobs.
“Good morning, girl. I think we should be ready to meet for the shoot in the production area in about ten minutes,”
Savannah
said as she placed a cup of ice coffee on her desk. “What are you doing?” she asked.
Jazzy flipped the folder closed. “I was just looking over Naomi’s file.”
“Jazzy.”
Savannah
gave her the concerned mother look. “What were you looking for? Anything in particular?”
“Anything. I told you that there is something about her that I just don’t like and I cant believe that you are not picking up on it.” Jazzy walked to close the door so they could speak in privacy. “Why didn’t you say anything about Richard taking her photos?”
“Why would I? He does lot of photo shoots for a lot of our clients. What makes hers different?”
Savannah
shrugged her shoulders, questioning where she was going with this.
“Well, just for the record, I think the trick is up to something. And let me ask you this….did you catch the way she was watching you last night?”
“Well, now that you mention it, I did see a couple of glimpses that made me feel a little uneasy. But I thought that was because she may have had something on her mind. It’s not my business to be asking.”
“You should have… we could have used that time to get to really know her.”
“I don’t want to know her like that. I just want to get this commercial done. What is your problem, Jazzy? Do you have other things bothering you?”
“Nope. Like I said earlier, I just get a strange vibe from that chick. If I was on the deciding panel, she would have never gotten that part.”
“Good thing you weren’t on the panel then. I think she fits the part very well.”
“That’s cuz you don’t know a hoodrat when you see one. Been all up here in bougie land too long,” Jazzy laughed and pat
Savannah
on the back. “Let’s just get this over with and her outta here.”
“Okay, well keep what other thoughts of me being bougie, to yourself,”
Savannah
said, “because we need to get going right now. Everyone is probably already at the set and waiting on us…as usual.”
“I will leave it alone for now. Business is business.”
They walked towards the shoot area. “Besides, Jazzy, I think may be able to wrap it all up today and still make the original projected air date. Remember we had to push the actual air date out about a week and a half because we didn’t think we could find a replacement so quickly. Now, it may still be able to air this week.
“Good morning everyone.”
Savannah
announced as they both entered. “I think we will have a good day today and perhaps be able to wrap things up as well.” The team happily clapped their hands in appreciation and in possible anticipation of getting it completed today. Shooting was just one piece of the puzzle that was time consuming. Editing and cutting scenes came in a close second. “So let’s get started.”
Naomi, already dressed and ready was standing in her spot, waiting for her que.
Savannah
smiled at her, gesturing for her that she was ready to begin as well. She wondered if Jazzy had any real reason to not like her. Then she thought of Richard. Didn’t he tell her about a woman he was seeing named Naomi? Also, she noticed that Naomi’s portfolio was filled with pictures shot by Richard.
“Lunch is here,”
Lydia
announced as she carried in a few large brown paper bags. “Dig in while its hot.”
As
Lydia
was leaving through the double doors, Richard stepped in.
Savannah
smiled and went to hug him as he approached. “Hey, Richard,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his. “What brings you this way?”
“I came to meet my lady friend for lunch and also get a peek of the caliber of work she does.”
“Oh? Who? Naomi?”
“Yes, the lovely Naomi, who I just happen to see standing right over there.” He pointed in Naomi’s direction.
“I knew it! So she’s the one you wanted to introduce me to that day you came over?”
“Yes, I wanted you to take her out, show her a good time.”
Naomi saw Richard and walked towards them both.
“Naomi, you have a visitor,”
Savannah
announced, then left the couple to talk.
The rest of the day, the shoot went flawlessly. However,
Savannah
did notice the slight coldness and icy tones that escaped from Naomi’s voice as she repeatedly voiced her lines. She was not the warm Naomi from yesterday. Something had changed, but she had no idea what it was or what brought the change on. Naomi had sent Richard away pretty quickly and both
Savannah
and Jazzy noticed the change took place around then.
Savannah
didn’t want to pry, but Richard was her best friend, and she wanted nothing but the best for him. Jazzy, on the other hand, could have cared less about the attitude change.
