A Girl's Guide to Fairy Tales

Chapter Three (part 1)

Chapter Three - Isobel

‘What do you expect me to do Sarah? Turn my back on my men, shirk my responsibilities? Be branded a deserter?’

‘No,’ I sobbed. ‘That’s not what I want.’ I wiped the tear away from my cheek. ‘But I’m just petrified of you walking out that door and never coming home to me again. It shouldn’t be this way.’ Arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace and I tried to struggle free before finally letting my body relax into his.

Then silence.

I looked up into the deep blue eyes staring down at me. ‘Alex, it’s your line next.’

‘Oh crap, thanks Isobel.’ He cleared his throat before resting his finger underneath my chin. ‘My darling, I will return to you. I promise.’

‘Stop! Stop stop stop stop stop! I can’t take anymore of this shit. It’s just not good enough.’ Guy shot up from his front-row seat and slammed his script down on the stage. His roar echoed around the auditorium, sending a serpent-like shiver from the top of my spine to my knees where it seemed to pool.

I quickly locked my limbs in place before they could fail me and scrunched my eyes tightly, forcing the feeling of ill-will and hatred to a place they could not be retrieved - within the next five minutes at least.

It was unfair of Guy to slam us all down like this. We had worked for five days solid. I’d lost at least four pounds in weight from all the meals I’d missed and he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with speaking to people like that. I wouldn’t allow him to get away with speaking to me like that.

‘Well I thought it was a much smoother run through actually Guy,’ I said confidently. ‘I mean the transitions were much better and everyone is projecting more.’ I felt Alex’s arms tighten around me as I made my challenge, but whether it was a warning or for protection, I wasn’t sure.

I certainly didn’t mind the prolonged contact. Alex De Villiers was divine and a welcome new addition to the cast. He had replaced the last leading man, Mark Something-or-other, who had stormed out one rehearsal over a petty argument with Guy involving the wooden stirrers at the coffee machine. People were taking too many or they were making his coffee taste funny? Something along those lines, but I didn’t really care. For one I hated machine coffee and two, I had never been a fan of Mark ever since he had stroked the side of my face and commented how effective my earrings were in helping to draw the eyes down to my chest. It wasn’t smooth, just creepy.

I shook myself from my daydream and turned my attentions from Alex’s glowing complexion and immaculate eyebrows which furrowed in concern. Then I looked back to Guy who had his hands held up in that no-one-say-anything-to-me-right-now way.

Well I couldn’t help myself. This bastard of a director intimidated everyone from front-of-house to lighting.

I felt the words simmering in the pit of my stomach and they were out my mouth before I knew it. ‘Oh be reasonable Guy,’ I began. ‘No one missed a cue, the scenery is great. Can it be that bad?’

‘Yes Miss Harris, it can,’ he barked. ‘And I would ask you not to refer to me by my first name. You need to earn that privilege. As for the scenery, you’re right, it is great but there is more life in those painted backdrops than in the acting I’ve had to endure this afternoon.’ He took off his square framed glasses to rub his eyes. ‘This scene should be full of passion but the only thing the audience will be able to see between you two is the rest of the set. I think that’s a fair assessment of reasonable don’t you?’

‘Frankly, no I don’t.’

Guy’s stone-like features flinched slightly. ‘Then I do apologise Miss Harris, I am merely a humble director.’