Taffy Sinclair 010 - Taffy Sinclair Goes to Hollywood by Betsy Haynes Page A
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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eyes. " Listen, Paige Kramer. I don ' t know who you think — "
" Hi, everybody, " Tess broke in. She had come bouncing up behind Taffy and now stood between the two girls. " It looks as if it ' s just the three of us for this morning ' s shoot. "
Neither Taffy nor Paige acknowledged her. Their eyes were still locked in anger.
Tess turned to Paige. " You should have seen KJ playing your part when he and Taffy and I rehearsed this morning ' s scene a few nights ago. He was a riot, wasn ' t he, Taffy? "
" Yeah. A real riot, " Taffy answered in a monotone voice.
" Places, everybody! It ' s time to run through the scene, " called the director.
Suddenly there was a flurry of activity as the key grip brought the equipment into place and the gaffer adjusted the lighting to make the set look like a cloudy day just after a rainstorm.
Tess tugged at Taffy. " We ' d better find our marks, " she said, and Taffy noticed for the first time that Tess had been made up to look as if she had actually been out in the rain. Her face was streaked with mud and her hair was hanging in damp clumps.
" Okay, " said Taffy. She retied the laces on her sneakers and smoothed her pink sweatsuit. Then she took Tess ' s hand and headed for the side yard from which they would make their entrance on camera. " Here goes nothing, " she muttered.
" It ' s okay, " Tess insisted. " Remember, you ' re an actress. "
Paige had disappeared behind the front door as the AD called for quiet on the set, and Jerry held up his hand for action. On his cue, Taffy and Tess walked across the grass and up the porch stairs. Then Taffy knocked on the door.
An instant later Paige opened it and gave a sharp cry of surprise. " Tiffany Stafford! What are you doing here? And what are you doing with Kara? " Then she glared at Taffy and asked angrily, " Did you kidnap her? "
Taffy narrowed her eyes. " I found her asleep in your doghouse, " she snapped. " Nobody kidnapped her. She ' s fine. "
Tess ran to Paige. " Jilly! Jilly! " she cried. " I was so scared when I couldn ' t get back into the house, and I hid in the doghouse. But Tiffany found me. "
Paige tried to smile, but Taffy could see that it was taking all her effort, and the results were not terrific. " Do you mean that you went out in this storm to look for my little sister? " she asked.
" Of course, " said Taffy. She was trying to smile, too, but she had the feeling that her smile was no better than Paige ' s. " When I found out that she was lost, I had to help find her. It didn ' t matter whose little sister she was. "
Taffy tried to keep the smile on her face. I should get an Academy Award for this performance, she thought.
But the scene wasn ' t over yet. The hardest part was still to come.
" I owe you an apology, " Paige said flatly. " You ' re a much nicer person than I thought you were. "
Taffy gritted her teeth and replied, " It ' s just as much— "
" Cut! " cried the director. He jumped out of his chair and stomped toward them. He was frowning and his cigar was clamped tightly between his teeth. " This is the worst performance I ' ve ever seen in my life, " he roared, looking first at Paige and then at Taffy. " In fact, it ' s disgusting. "
" But Jerry— " Paige tried to protest.
" Don ' t ' but Jerry ' me, " he said. " I ' ve known for a long time that you two were having trouble getting along, but it has to stop. You ' re both professional actresses, and you have a job to do. "
Taffy felt fire climbing up her neck and consuming her face. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. " I ' m sorry, " she said feebly.
" I don ' t want to hear that you ' re sorry, either, " Jerry snapped. " What I want is a good performance. I want both of you to go home and study your lines and be back here tomorrow morning ready to act ! Is that understood? "
Taffy nodded as the director stormed off the set. She couldn ' t move. She felt rooted to the spot. Then she noticed that Paige had not moved either.
" Hi, everybody, " Tess broke in. She had come bouncing up behind Taffy and now stood between the two girls. " It looks as if it ' s just the three of us for this morning ' s shoot. "
Neither Taffy nor Paige acknowledged her. Their eyes were still locked in anger.
Tess turned to Paige. " You should have seen KJ playing your part when he and Taffy and I rehearsed this morning ' s scene a few nights ago. He was a riot, wasn ' t he, Taffy? "
" Yeah. A real riot, " Taffy answered in a monotone voice.
" Places, everybody! It ' s time to run through the scene, " called the director.
Suddenly there was a flurry of activity as the key grip brought the equipment into place and the gaffer adjusted the lighting to make the set look like a cloudy day just after a rainstorm.
Tess tugged at Taffy. " We ' d better find our marks, " she said, and Taffy noticed for the first time that Tess had been made up to look as if she had actually been out in the rain. Her face was streaked with mud and her hair was hanging in damp clumps.
" Okay, " said Taffy. She retied the laces on her sneakers and smoothed her pink sweatsuit. Then she took Tess ' s hand and headed for the side yard from which they would make their entrance on camera. " Here goes nothing, " she muttered.
" It ' s okay, " Tess insisted. " Remember, you ' re an actress. "
Paige had disappeared behind the front door as the AD called for quiet on the set, and Jerry held up his hand for action. On his cue, Taffy and Tess walked across the grass and up the porch stairs. Then Taffy knocked on the door.
An instant later Paige opened it and gave a sharp cry of surprise. " Tiffany Stafford! What are you doing here? And what are you doing with Kara? " Then she glared at Taffy and asked angrily, " Did you kidnap her? "
Taffy narrowed her eyes. " I found her asleep in your doghouse, " she snapped. " Nobody kidnapped her. She ' s fine. "
Tess ran to Paige. " Jilly! Jilly! " she cried. " I was so scared when I couldn ' t get back into the house, and I hid in the doghouse. But Tiffany found me. "
Paige tried to smile, but Taffy could see that it was taking all her effort, and the results were not terrific. " Do you mean that you went out in this storm to look for my little sister? " she asked.
" Of course, " said Taffy. She was trying to smile, too, but she had the feeling that her smile was no better than Paige ' s. " When I found out that she was lost, I had to help find her. It didn ' t matter whose little sister she was. "
Taffy tried to keep the smile on her face. I should get an Academy Award for this performance, she thought.
But the scene wasn ' t over yet. The hardest part was still to come.
" I owe you an apology, " Paige said flatly. " You ' re a much nicer person than I thought you were. "
Taffy gritted her teeth and replied, " It ' s just as much— "
" Cut! " cried the director. He jumped out of his chair and stomped toward them. He was frowning and his cigar was clamped tightly between his teeth. " This is the worst performance I ' ve ever seen in my life, " he roared, looking first at Paige and then at Taffy. " In fact, it ' s disgusting. "
" But Jerry— " Paige tried to protest.
" Don ' t ' but Jerry ' me, " he said. " I ' ve known for a long time that you two were having trouble getting along, but it has to stop. You ' re both professional actresses, and you have a job to do. "
Taffy felt fire climbing up her neck and consuming her face. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. " I ' m sorry, " she said feebly.
" I don ' t want to hear that you ' re sorry, either, " Jerry snapped. " What I want is a good performance. I want both of you to go home and study your lines and be back here tomorrow morning ready to act ! Is that understood? "
Taffy nodded as the director stormed off the set. She couldn ' t move. She felt rooted to the spot. Then she noticed that Paige had not moved either.
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