Most Hated, page 18
“Cheers,” said Sabrina. “To feeling good.”
Leo cocked an intrigued eyebrow. “Indeed.”
28
Zoe
The greatest gifts God ever gave the minions of reality television? Drugs and alcohol.
Zoe hadn’t thought the Lexi/coke plan was going to work out. But evidently Sabrina still had enough desperation to reclaim her youth.
Meanwhile, Leo was perfect casting. It was too easy to convince Lexi the addition of a love interest would make Sabrina more relatable. He needed no arm-twisting. Worked for Zoe. Now she needed this party to escalate.
But she worried Dahlia might be onto the old add a little something trick. Dammit.
The good news, the others weren’t. Fiona and Milo had to walk Nicole down the steps to the pool area. She wasn’t totally messed up yet, but in those heels and with those steep wooden steps, she was unsteady. Of course, they had it on film. She had taken the shot Milo handed to her after the attack on Dahlia, and it seemed it hit her fast.
As for Mariana, the production had started serving her cocktails during the‘getting ready’ scenes that had begun hours before dinner. The PAs told her it was her big chance to talk up her business, and they filmed and filmed. It was more about getting enough footage of her wine getting refilled again and again at different stages of her hyper-vanity.
It was fucking great. She paid however much and spent all the time to look perfect, and all the viewers would see was this slurring, over-injected, mess leaving lipstick on all her glassware.
The whole gang was hitting the mark tonight. A dinner preceded with cocktails, served with multiple wine pairings, then followed by shots and cocktails—who could have guessed it would be a recipe for disaster?
You would have thought a bunch of adult women would.
But no, because deep down they all knew they were boring unless they had something in the mix to keep it interesting. If anything, all these women owed Zoe a big fat thank you at the end of all this.
Zoe gave Leo a signal, and he asked Sabrina if he could talk to her alone.
She blushed—like, actually blushed. Of course she did. She also said yes, because of course she did.
They went to a small part of the courtyard, surrounded by hedges with a settee and a team of three there ready to film.
They sat together and then the crew placed them closer than they naturally wanted to be.
Fifteen minutes of lighting and arranging later, they were set.
Once they got the go-ahead, Leo started.
“I have to say, it’s nice to see you.”
“You too.”
“It was nice seeing you in the city, but I didn’t expect to see you again.”
“We need him to talk about what they did,” Zoe said to Milo. He ran over and whispered in Leo’s ear.
“Keep going,” said Zoe out loud.
“I have to say,” Leo began again, “it’s nice to see you again.” Only this time he delivered the line he looked her up and down with a devilish look in his eyes.
“Perfect,” Zoe said to herself.
“Er—you too. It’s nice to see you again.” Sabrina laughed.
“That last time, things were a little wild.”
Sabrina couldn’t help but smile.
Gag.
“The class was nice.”
“You know I’ve done a lot of one on ones in a lot of nice places, but never in a penthouse like yours. That was the fanciest one I’ve ever seen.”
Yes, perfect, play up the poor little hippie angle.
“Oh, thank you. It’s big. Too big for just me.”
Recut as innuendo, and they’ve got something there.
“You and your husband used to live there, then?”
“We never lived there, no, but we used to stay there with our daughter whenever we stayed in the city.”
“I’m guessing you designed the whole place. It felt like you. Fragile, and beautiful,” he swept a hair off of her face, “but a little cool.”
“I-I don’t mean to be cold.”
“You’re not. I can tell.” he pointed at her heart.
This is unbearable, thought Zoe.
“I didn’t used to be cold.”
Yes, more about your golden days, more about the past you miss so much.
“You know, I don’t think I told you this, but I saw Lily of the Alley about five times. Some of the scenes,” he made a face like it was too hot to mention, “I grew up to them. If you know what I mean.”
“Leo!”
“That might be a little too weird. I’m sorry.”
“Cut,” said an exasperated Zoe. She went in herself and crouched whispering in Leo’s ear, “You’re going to have to make it a little more obvious here. How about, ah, don’t be shy, you know you’re sexy or something like that?”
And by how about she meant do that.
“I don’t know, I wouldn’t say that. It was enough already saying the Lily of the Alley thing.”
“That wasn’t true?” said Sabrina, smiling.
“It was, but I wouldn’t have said it.”
They both shared another look.
“Leo, can you please … we’re on a schedule here, let’s go.”
They both looked a little surprised, and then Leo turned to her and asked if she would feel comfortable with him saying that.
She said yes, thank fucking god, and they started the scene.
“Don’t be bashful. You know you’re sexy.”
“Leo…”
“Especially tonight. That night, at your place, when I—”
“Hang on. Cut. Sabrina, don’t look at the camera, please.”
“I-it’s, are we really going here?”
“We don’t have to,” said Leo quickly. “I won’t say a word if you don’t want.”
Who even was this guy? It wasn’t a difficult task. Deliver your lines, bone the movie star, cash your check, and move on. This was exactly why Zoe knew she was stronger and more rational than most people. Emotions make you weak and get in the way of everything.
“I don’t … I don’t know why we…”
Zoe went over to Sabrina. “Listen, this is all part of it. Trust me. Okay?”
Sabrina couldn’t hide her excitement at the attention from Leo. “Okay…”
“Take it again. Leo, go.”
“Especially tonight. That night, at your place, when I stayed over. That was … whoo. Unbelievable. I had no idea you could let loose like that.”
She was beyond blushing now, and Zoe couldn’t help but laugh inside that Sabrina was turning red all the way to her clavicle.
“You were a maniac,” he said.
“I may have had too much to drink.” She seemed frenzied. She was both aware and not of what was going on.
Leo leaned in. “You know it wasn’t that. It’s us. Our chemistry. It’s undeniable, don’t you think?”
Sabrina was reaching swooning. She was transfixed by his perfect bone structure, piercing eyes leaning in toward her.
There was no way Leo was into her, right?
No. There were plenty of girls Leo’s age. He could hook up with any young thing.
Zoe, for example, actually did yoga. She had, of course, stalked his Instagram before she approached him for the job—which wasn’t a wealth of anything, since he used it only for his business. Lots of shirtless fitness videos with disgusting comments from desperate women like Sabrina.
You know, Zoe and he had far more in common than he would ever notice.
Zoe was a maniac in the bedroom too, for fuck’s sake. And gorgeous men like him would never even know because they never took a chance on a girl like her.
Sabrina had years on him—a couple, anyway—and yet that was what he went for?
She was too thin. And Zoe didn’t believe she was wild in the sheets. She was too frail-looking. Too martyr-ish. She’d make a guy feel like a rapist for spanking her.
That’s probably what happened with Robbie.
And yet men like them still looked for women like her.
Fucking men.
And this, as Zoe thought nightly, was why she would die alone. Because there was no one on the planet good enough, and they never saw her, regardless.
Leo put a thumb on Sabrina’s chin. “Can I kiss you again?”
Sabrina’s eyelashes fluttered and Zoe’s eyes rolled.
“Yes,” she said with a small nod.
He kissed her. Deep, and like he meant it.
Yuck. Perfect for the footage, but ew.
He put a hand on her ribcage, and she ran her brand-new manicure through his hair.
Zoe hoped he was a clout chaser. He was too hot for her.
“Yeah, okay, enough, we can cut there.”When they didn’t break away, “um, hello?”
Sabrina pulled back first, clearing her throat, and touching her lips. Oh, now she’s shy.
“Alright, back to the others.”
***
It was nearly ten-thirty when Zoe’s earpiece crackled and she got the word.
“They’re here,” she said to Aleksandr, feeling very official.
He gave a curt nod, not taking his eyes off the monitors, pressing the headphones into his right ear.
Zoe pressed the button on her radio. “Tell Mariana it’s her cue. Wait, is Sabrina in position? Yes, okay, go ahead.”
Leo was sitting on a chaise, and Sabrina was between his legs like the quarterback and the cheerleader. They had fully forgotten they were on camera. But again, that made it even better.
“Got it,” said Milo.
In the yard, he gave Mariana a nod.
She didn’t notice, prompting him to duck under the camera and go to her. He squatted at her side, waited for Mariana’s acknowledgment, then ran back out of scene.
“I’m going in!” she screamed.
Next thing you knew, she was shimmying her underwear off from beneath her dress and jumping in the pool. Once in, she peeled off the rest of her clothes and sank beneath the steaming water.
Lexi squealed, took off her top and unzipped her pants. They landed in a pink lamé heap on the ground, and she jumped in beside Mariana.
Lexi yelled for Budgie’s friend Sam to jump in too, and he did, laughing and saying Lexi was so bad! So bad!
Nicole asked Mick if he would get her zipper.
Dahlia stood up and pushed Nicole into the water.
Mick gaped at Dahlia. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Shit, that’s gold, they had to do that now?” said Zoe. She turned on her radio. “Hey—tell them to wait. Hold. Hold.”
Dahlia shook her head in absolute impatience and took a sip of her water.
“Dahlia, what is going on with you?”
“I’m messing around! It’s fun, right, Nicole? I’m pretty funny, right? Mick she tore a strip off me inside, she was horrible, I’m sorry, she’s got this whack idea that she’s … that she’s like, I don’t even know going to take you from me. Says you guys have been hanging out.”
“You’re doing this here?”
Dahlia looked surprised. “Are you saying there’s a this to do?”
Sabrina and Budgie stared on in utter disbelief. Budgie looked composed and had on that mad teacher face, but she could never shake the ghost of a smile.
Sabrina looked like she’d seen a ghost.
She hadn’t. But she was about to.
Nicole floundered around in the pool, her latex dress trapping her legs together.
She called for help.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” said Dahlia.
Lexi and Mariana laughed, doing that oh, no! but it’s funny! Sort of laugh.
“For fuck’s sake,” said Mick, kicking off his shoes and leaning over the edge of the water. Nicole reached for his extended arm and he pulled her up and lifted her out of the pool.
“Oh my god,” she said, shaking, looking at him with my hero-eyes.
“You’re fine, you’re fine, here you go.” He set her down on one of the cushioned chaise lounges.
“Mick?” asked Dahlia. She was tipsy—better yet, she seemed angry-drunk. Hell yeah.
“What?” he said, tone raised.
“Have you and Nicole been hanging out?” she had a look on like it was all unlikely.
Mick looked at Nicole.
“Don’t look at her, look at me, Mick, what is she talking about?”
“I’ve seen Nicole a few times, yes.”
“H-how? Why?”
“We met because she did some promotion stuff for the team, and … that’s all. It’s like me seeing Regan. It’s nothing. But then you’re pushing her in the pool and everything you said about her the other night, I mean, what is your problem?”
“Mick, what—” she shook her head. “Mick, please.” She gave him an imploring look.
Zoe made a note on her iPad: Mick and Dahlia poolside. Fantasy football interview line.
“I don’t know what happened to the girl I knew. You’re not the same.”
Dahlia looked like he had slapped her.
Too bad he didn’t.
29
Sabrina
Mick left the scene, going back into the house. Nicole loafed after him a conspicuous moment or two later, saying she had to dry off. Dahlia watched in awe, heart pounding so hard that it showed.
She went to the bar and took a shot.
Fiona approached Sabrina.
“Okay we need you to get her alone now. We still have the hedge set up from you and Leo. You can go do it over there.”
She talked into her two-way radio, giving instructions to the cameras to be prepped for the scene.
Sabrina did not want to. But when she hesitated, Fiona added, “Listen, be the chum she needs right now. It’s a win-win for you both. You’re compassionate and she has a chance to tell her side of this.”
Sabrina bit her tongue—which hardly had any feeling left from this repetitive action.
“Dahlia,” said Sabrina, gently. “Let’s go over there. Yeah?”
Dahlia followed, and Sabrina felt like she was leading her to slaughter.
Once settled, they took only two minutes resetting the scene before telling them to speak.
“Is everything alright between you and Mick? It seems a little tense.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’re fine.”
Dahlia kicked her shoes a few feet away. The grass was growing dewy. Sabrina knelt to pick them up. The cameras made themselves scarce but remained present.
Being filmed seemed to be the last thing on Dahlia’s mind.
Dahlia started to cry. “I’m sorry, you don’t need to talk to me, it’s okay, I’ll be fine.”
“It seems like this might be a bit more than an argument.
Is something going on?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know! For one thing, I’m drunk, and I’ve never been drunk like this until … lately. I don’t get like this and I hate it. I’m dizzy and feel awful and I would never have—it feels like Mick is acting like he doesn’t even know me anymore. Maybe he doesn’t. I don’t know. I’m on eggshells all the time.”
She rested her head in folded arms.
“Things do seem a little tense between you.” Sabrina stopped herself from saying that she remembered the point in her marriage where pins, needles, and eggshells seemed to constitute the floor wherever they walked. It indicated that she was hitting milestones along a path that would lead to one and only one possible destination.
“We’ve been bickering which we never, ever do! I don’t understand. It’s like we’re totally different people And I’ve been impatient. It’s not all him. I don’t know what all that stuff with Nicole is about, I can’t even … I can’t even. And I’m insanely moody lately, borderline manic, because of these hormones.”
“Hormones… ?”
Dahlia kept her face covered by an arm but then leaned back in the chair. “No, it’s birth control and I can’t tell him because we’re supposed to be trying to have a baby. Half the time I’m all whacked out from the pill and the pill makes me crazy. But it’s him too, he’s different—”
With a start, she seemed to remember the cameras were there. Worse than that, Milo had retrieved Mick who was now standing on the sidelines.
If only Sabrina had any clue what was about to be said, she would have stopped her. Sabrina should have known.
Dahlia saw Mick. Mick looked shocked.
Dahlia’s face cleared to blank, and she shot up. She looked to Sabrina, then to Mick, then to the cameras. “Shit,” she whispered.
Mick’s face had fallen. He looked like he might break someone in half. The two of them looked at each other, and it was like watching the earth crack open between them, an irreparable chasm forming in front of them.
Zoe looked like a cork ready to burst out of one of Sabrina’s champagne bottles.
30
Zoe
Yes. This was too good.
Mick stormed inside.
“Mick!” yelled Dahlia, starting to follow him.
“Dahlia, we need you to stay out here.”
“What? No! I have to—”
“What you have to do is go back over to the pool. You’re working, don’t make me remind you, you’re under contract, right now. We are on the clock and we need to finish here. K?”
Dahlia looked stunned.
Zoe motioned toward the pool, and like a zombie, Dahlia went.
“You too please,” said Zoe to Sabrina.
Sabrina looked as though her skeleton might burst from rage. Zoe wanted to laugh.
Once Sabrina had gone to the pool, and was seated again with Leo and out of earshot, she lifted her transceiver.
“Okay, go for Aubrey.”
God she was like a damn maestro.
You could hear a record screech to a halt when Sabrina’s gaze landed on the figures of two girls, who had appeared, silhouetted on the lawn by the indoor light.
“Who is that?” asked Lexi, squinting.
Sabrina turned transparent. “Aubrey?”
The trek from silhouette to the bright lights felt long, even to Zoe.
“Hey, mum.”
“This is fucking amazing,” said Zoe.
“Shh,” snapped Aleksandr.
Zoe’s blood boiled. She hated being reprimanded.
