Reece's Faith (4 page)

After many hours of "discussion," in various rooms of the house, the two freshly-showered women were sitting in the living room eating dinner. Reece was still edgy, and Faith was trying to figure out a way to bring up the script without an explosion.
It would help if she told me what was bothering her.
The actress had been all set to tell her 5 days ago when she received the damn thing, but Reece's behavior that day had been very unpredictable and hadn't gotten any better since. Faith felt that if she told her now it would look like she was trying to hide it from her, and that wouldn't be good at all.

"What's wrong, Faith? You aren't acting right."

Faith gulped down some wine and prepared for the onslaught. "Well, I have this
thing
.."

The phone rang and Faith thanked all the gods."I'll get it babe." She picked up the phone in the guestroom.

"WHAAASSSUUUPPP!!" Cori screamed.

"Oh god, not that, anything but that. Packs of teenagers have been drive-by whassuping all month." Faith cringed.

"So, did you tell her?"

"No, I was trying to, but she's been acting so schizo lately, I'm afraid this would make her wild."

"You know, now that you waited so long, it's not gonna look good."

"Yeah, thanks for the brilliant deduction, Watson."

"I have an idea."

"No, no. That's quite all right."

"So my suggestion of telling her while you had your face between her legs wasn't brilliant? Don't scoff."

"Did you forget the size of her quads?"

"She's not going to
kill
you Faith. But I have serious doubts that 'Jim the Dim' will survive," she added seriously.

"Would you stop? Jim is a nice guy, he's just been unfortunately cast."

"Yeah, well, you're the one that's gotta kiss him anyway. Oh man, I can't wait till you tell her about the bed scene."

"Are you crazy?" Faith felt her palms sweat.

"It's been a while since I saw a good murder, the movies just aren't what they used to be."

"You're twisted you know that? Oh no..." her voice was almost a squeak.

"What's wrong? Faith?"

Reece dropped the script on the bed next to Faith and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Uh, Cor, I gotta go." The gulp was audible.

Cori hung up the phone with a gulp of her own. "Hide the breakables and set up the sofa bed, Violet, we may have a visitor."

 
*  *  *

"I can explain why I didn't tell you sooner, babe..."

"Tell me what? Spill it!"

"You don't know?"

"What's the fucking secret, Faith?"

Puzzled, the actress shook her head. "Um, you didn't read the script?"

"Should I have? Is that the only way I'll be able to find out what's been eating at you?" Reece picked up the script and started leafing through it. Faith snatched it away.

"No, I'm sorry. I had something to tell you, and I didn't know how...it's silly really...now it's blown way out of proportion."

"So, if it's so silly, why don't you tell me now?" The club owner was now standing menacingly over the actress.

"I'm afraid ..."

"Of what!? ME? What have I ever done to you for you to be afraid of me?" She practically screamed.

"You didn't let me finish. I'm afraid of how you'll react, and well, you just confirmed my fears."

Reece suddenly felt like a shit.
Of course she's afraid, look at you, you idiot!
She took a deep breath and sat down on the bed.

"Faith, look, I've been freaking out all week over this."

"Why?"

"I'm having trouble at the club, and now you're hiding something from me. I knew it the minute you walked in the door after the read-through. Are they killing you off? Are they gonna hurt your character? C'mon, what gives?"

"What trouble at the club?"

"Inspectors showing up daily, auditor sniffing my ass. It seems your
friend
from my favorite club has been getting his rocks off torturing me."

"I'm sorry Reece. Really. If I had known you were having such a hard time.."

"Please, Faith, just tell me what's going on so I can stop popping Tums like Tic Tacs."

"Well, I, Judith, has a love interest." She paused, gauging the reaction. Reece's lips got tight.

"Who's the lucky guy?" It looked like Reece's pupils disappeared.

"Jim" she whispered.

Reece made fists in her lap, her knuckles turning white. Faith stood and stepped away from the bed.

"We, uhm.."

"Consummate?" Reece offered through gritted teeth.

"Exactly." Faith flinched as her tall lover stood up and seemed to grow even larger.

"Oh. I see. Is that all?" She failed to make the smile sincere.

Faith nodded hesitantly.

"You were afraid I'd dislike this new character development and run amok all over your little set?" Reece looked her dead in the eye.

Oh, that's bad. Way too calm.

"Well, sorry to disappoint." she stated, still too calmly for Faith, "I'm very happy actually. Congratulations. This is good for "Judith".

"Thank you." Faith said to her lover's back.

Reece exited the room, her boots clomping across the hardwood floor.

Wait for it...

SLAM!

The actress let out the breath she was holding and threw herself on the bed. She called Cori and filled her in, adding that she should be careful not to get in the way of her angry boss tonight.

 
*  *  *

The tall form restlessly paced the length of her club. Sometimes she mumbled, and other times she sneered. The dancers whispered, the patrons stole glimpses. No one looked her in the eye. They 'd heard the rumors and she did, after all, live up to her reputation. If they hadn't witnessed it for themselves they knew someone who had, and they weren't suicidal. But what they didn't know was that Reece Corbett wasn't at all angry, she was a nervous wreck.

As the owner of the most lucrative gentleman's establishment in New York City, The Lounge, Reece already had her hands full. She didn't need this new development. Tonight, the love of her life was going to lie in bed with someone else, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. Feeling very helpless and threatened, she made fists and continued to pace. No one dared confront the agitated woman, but some people never learn.

"Geez, boss, I saw a thing on spontaneous combustion on one of those learning channels... this woman, all that was left was an arm."

Reece looked at Cori like she was speaking Chinese.

"What the hell are you talking about?!?" she yelled.

"I'm just
saying
, that you should stand outside or something. Don't take us down with you," Cori said rather boredly.

The tall woman glared at her magenta-haired friend.

"Hey, easy tiger, Faith is
acting
... she's not actually doing anything with the guy. What is the big hairy deal?" The dancer shrugged. "She did more up on that stage with me."

Reece narrowed her eyes. "And that's supposed to make me feel better?" She stomped off to her office to brood.

 
*  *  *

Faith was lost in thought. Here she was, with a great part on one of the most popular TV shows, and she was miserable.
Why? Because Reece is miserable, that's why.
She sighed sadly.
It's just a show... Why is she reacting like this?

"Excuse me, Miss Big Bad Wolf, could you stop huffing and puffing? You're blowing all the powder off the brush."

John, the makeup artist, had just spent 15 minutes covering her hickeys, and just had to comment.

"Oh, sorry. I'm just thinking." Faith sighed heavily again, this time through her nose.

"Well then, could you not think so hard?" Finding yet another little bruise he sighed himself. "So Louise, how long have you been together?"

"Almost 5 months. Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because I call all the men Mary." He covered the last mark with a flourish. "Aaaanyways, you can tell Mr. Wonderful that pissing on his property like a dog is quite the neon sign of insecurity." He lifted her chin to survey his work.

Faith paled slightly.

"Gorgeous! I'm just guessing here, but I think someone's been having a lover's spat? You know, I can see how he would be bothered by you kissing another man, any normal person would. You are stunning."

She got a little nauseous.
Normal? Reece?

"If I were into women, HA! you get it?" Slightly indignant at the lack of response, he continued anyway. "Hokaaay, like I said,
If
I were into women, which thank god I'm not, I can't figure you out anyway, and I mean that 'you' collectively.."

"John, I'm getting old."

"Righty then, I'd be following you around all day."

Oh god.. I'm such a moron!
She jumped up from the chair. "I gotta go make a phone call!"

"Women." John rolled his eyes.

 
*  *  *

Reece sat behind her desk with her head thrown back over the top of the chair. She had been in this position for nearly an hour and it was making her scalp feel funny and her lips numb. She groaned out loud, making the poor auditor even more uncomfortable than he already was. The lightheadedness was much better than looking at Roy's latest distraction sitting across from her, so she spun the chair around a few hundred times.
Fuck Roy and his rat- infested Playhouse! If it weren't for that dickless shit head, I'd be....what? I'd be stalking Faith and I know it.
She stopped spinning.
Why does she have to kiss this Jim guy? What if she likes it? Man, and they gotta lay all over each other in bed too. On freaking TV! God, if that Jim gets the slightest woody.. heh. Why shouldn't he? He better get a fucking hard on if he knows what's good for him.
Reece's eyebrows met in a frown.
What the hell am I saying?!? I gotta calm down. As soon as this moron leaves I'll go speak to ole Jim boy and make sure he keeps that tongue where it belongs. Fucking Roy! I have every right to march right over there and...

"Ms. Corbett?"

Reece just grunted from her current position.

"I was saying, It seems that these books are fine. You keep impeccable records. You run a tight business, ma'am."

Reece didn't move but held up a hand to point at the man. "Thanks. Don't ever call me ma'am again. K?"

He looked at the strange woman, who appeared headless for most of this session. "Are you alright?"