Smoke and Ashes Read Free Page B

survived…”
    â€œYeah, my point. Before you came along to hold my dick, I survived just fine.”
    â€œThings are different now.”
    â€œAnd that gives you the right to bite down on the rest of my life?”
    â€œWhat?”
    The conversation had deteriorated around then, but the point was, if Tony was sensing a supernatural watcher on the roof, he was probably sensing Henry playing Mother Hen of the Night. Sure, he hadn’t told Henry about the shoot, but Henry had new contacts in the business now.
    He flipped a finger in the general direction of the feeling.
    Â 
    â€œCB Productions, can I help you? Uh-huh. Uh-huh.” Tucking the phone under her chin, Amy waved her left hand in Tony’s general direction while she doodled on a message pad with her right. “No, I’m sorry, that’s not possible.”
    He crossed to her desk during the other half of the conversation and noted that up close her fingernails weren’t a uniform black. Each nail also wore a tiny, white stick-on skull.
    â€œLook…” She methodically scratched out what she’d already written. “…why don’t I just put you through to our office manager? Okay. Just stay on the line.” Pushing the hold button, she hung up the receiver and frowned up at Tony over the blinking red light. “What are you doing here? You’re working second unit tonight.”
    â€œCB wanted to see me.” Tony glanced around to see that Rachel Chou, the office manager, was noticeably absent. “Shouldn’t you find Rachel?”
    â€œWhy?”
    He nodded toward the phone.
    Amy snorted. “She’s not in the office today. That asshat can stay on hold until she gets back for all I care.”
    â€œNice.” Tony picked up one hand and took a closer look at the nails. “Skulls glow in the dark?”
    â€œUh-huh.”
    â€œHair, too?” White strips of hair bracketed her face. They seemed slightly greenish next to the matte black of the rest.
    â€œPlease; too tacky.” Lids lowered, she tipped her face up. “But my eye shadow does.”
    Wondering why glow-in-the-dark hair was tackier than glow-in-the-dark eye shadow—and skulls—he leaned forward for a closer look.
    â€œDon’t do it, Amy. He’ll make you watch old black-and-white movies.”
    â€œDon’t do what?” Tony demanded, turning in time to see the door to post close and Zev start across the office.
    â€œShe looked like she was about to make an unhealthy commitment.”
    â€œAs if. And what’s wrong with black-and-white movies?” Amy leaned to the right so she could see the music director.
    Zev grinned within the shadow of his dark beard. “He keeps pausing so he can comment on the way they used to set up scenes.”
    She jerked her hand out of Tony’s grip. “Is he kidding?”
    â€œNo, but…”
    â€œDude, you’ve got to work a little harder at getting a life.”
    â€œI used to have one.” Tony nodded toward Zev. “He broke up with me.”
    â€œYeah. Quel surprise.”
    Shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, Zev frowned thoughtfully in Tony’s general direction. “I thought you were doing second unit tonight?”
    â€œI am.”
    â€œCB wants to see him.” Amy’s tone suggested last requests, last meals, last rites.
    â€œWhy?”
    Tony shrugged. “I don’t know.”
    They turned as one toward the closed door of the boss’ office. The scuffed wood gave nothing away.
    â€œHe’s just running over the stunt with Daniel,” Amy murmured.
    â€œDaniel’s not doing the stunt.”
    â€œGee…” Eyes rolled. “…I can’t see why not. Daniel’d be so convincing as a not very tall, gorgeous Indian woman.”
    â€œWell, the not-very-tall would give him a few problems,” Zev reflected, measuring a space some two meters