Chapter 3 - teaser trailer

"You want me to wear this?" Allie held up an old button down blouse she had once worn to job interviews.

"Please? You'll look amazing." Brown eyes begged at her over a puckered lip.

"I don't think it could, well, hold me in anymore." Allie's cheeks reddened.

A knowing, playful grin erupted on her lover's face. "I know. That's the point."

Biting down on her lower lip, but keeping that mischievous grin, Allie's lover took the blouse and began threading Allie's arms through.

Small hands began fastening buttons, but not with ease. The sides of the blouse had to be tugged to make it around Allie's ever expanding midsection. Allie sucked in her stomach to try to make it easier, but even still, each button tugged against its hole, every space between was puckered, displaying her bulging skin below.

The shirt strained to contain Allie and she felt uncomfortable and stiff.

"I don't think I can wear this. These buttons might burst open at any moment..." Allie grunted.

"Exactly." Light, pouty lips grazed Allie's own, then a small hand took her doughy one and lead her out of the bedroom to the living room couch.

On the coffee table was a breakfast buffet that looked like it could have fed a rather hungry family of five. Pancakes drizzled in syrup; waffles covered in chocolate; crepes dripping with sauce; French toast swimming in %100 maple; a mound of eggs with a hearty amount of cheese.

"We're going to make you pop."

Allie was pushed on to the couch where she fell with a grunt. Sitting made her stomach bulge out more, so she had to adjust to attempt to be comfortable in her tight blouse.

The plate of pancakes was chosen and a fork cut a large mouthful. It was held up and Allie watched hungrily as the excess syrup slowly dripped back towards the plate.

"Now, let's put that greedy mouth of yours into-"

*~*~*~*

"- action!"

On the director's call, the set came to life. Actors spoke and the camera glided around them. The rest of the crew was completely silent until the magic word "cut" released them to prepare to take it from the top once more.

The team ran through several takes. Each time reset began, Allie would rush forward with a broom and dustpan to sweep up the shattered vase with Cathy handing Tiffany a new one.

Eventually, they moved on to the next scene and Allie found herself engrossed in watching the tapings as she never had before. She told herself it was because she felt lucky to be on the set of her favorite comic book turned movie, but something in the back of her mind was hinting it was something else as she focused on Kendra Knight moving gracefully through the scripted sequences...

When lunch break finally came, Allie sat down next to Cathy with the meal catering had provided.

"Wha... what do you think it is?" Allie said, poking the meat upon her plate.

"Old PAs who dared sit down on set."

Allie gagged and decided to stick to the pasta salad. It was in an overly creamy sauce, but at least it looked more edible.

"I think I'm going to go have a cigarette for lunch," Cathy said, standing up with her untouched meal.

"You really should eat something."

"I would prefer that something to be a something that looked like it died this century." Cathy walked out, tossing her plate in a trash bin on her way.

Allie watched her leave, feeling somewhat abandoned at the empty round table. Somehow, lunch break during the first week of a show still felt like a high school cafeteria.

"Mind if I join you, Allie?" Spinning around in her seat Allie was surprised to find The Maverick, nope, Tiffany smiling down at her.

"Not at all, go ahead," Allie sputtered.

Tiffany sat down with a plate of the same sad food Allie was pushing around herself.

"Geez, did they just grab whatever the restaurant down the street threw out yesterday?" Tiffany mumbled, making Allie laugh with surprise and delight.

"Cathy said it was old Production Assistants who dared to sit down on set."

"Did she? Ha! No, it's PAs who didn't bring James his breakfast burrito within five minutes of him asking."

"I think my PA meat is from one who finished off a pot of coffee without making a new one."

Allie and Tiffany were snickering hard when suddenly a crowd of people swooped down at their table.

"Tiffany! You were amazing in that last scene. How is that wig feeling; ok?"

"Tiffany! I love your nails. Did you get them done or is that our people?"

"Tiffany, I read the interview you gave for Misc Magazine, you made such a great point about modern audiences at the theater."

Tiffany smiled and spoke with each person patiently. Allie found herself wishing she was at another table. She felt invisible as this crowd laughed and chatted. She pushed her food around on her plate, suddenly even less hungry than she felt when she first eyed her meal.

She was about to get up to leave, giving up on having a filling lunch, when she felt a poke in her side and noticed Tiffany had elbowed her.

Tiffany leaned over towards Allie, who felt herself straighten as she inhaled whatever sweet scent the actress was wearing. The air between them became electric as Tiffany closed the distance that separated them.

"You know, I think crafty left some more appetizing options in my trailer. Want to check and see before we have to be back on set?"

"Uh, sure." Allie whispered back with a surprise.

Tiffany looked around to be sure the crowd was distracted by each other, then nodded her head toward the door, mischievous brown eyes on Allie.

The two girls got up quietly then moved quickly to the exit, dumping their barely touched plates as they left.

Tiffany's trailer was huge. Allie had never been invited to an actor's trailer before and had no idea what to expect. This was much more than she imagined.

There was a large couch that rested in an inlet that could be pushed out to allow more room. A TV twice as big as what was in Allie's apartment sat on the wall. There was a kitchenette with a fridge, a sink, and a microwave. A full bathroom sat across from a dinning space in another expandable inlet. It was all incredibly clean and very modern looking.

"Welcome, make yourself at home." Tiffany smiled as they stepped up the extendable stairs and through the door. "Crafty always leaves too much in the fridge. It's like they think I'm an Olympic swimmer who's got to eat 10,000 calories a day, not an actress whose career depends on being a size zero... Oh, please, sit on the couch, I'll bring you something."

Allie had frozen just in front of the door, suddenly feeling very unsure and not knowing what to do with herself. This wasn't her, she was a props assistant - not even THE props assistant, the assistant under the assistant - she didn't belong in a lead actresses trailer.

She stepped lightly, like she might break the floor if she wasn't careful, over to the couch and sat gingerly on the fluffy couch.

A can of coke was placed before her along with a large quinoa grain bowl.

"I hope you don't mind coke, it's all they gave me for now. And I figure you can start on the quinoa as I heat up some mac and cheese."

"Th- thank you so much! This is great. Honestly, it's so kind of you to share." Allie sputtered.

"Please, if you weren't here, most of it would go to waste anyway." Tiffany smiled and Allie's insides did a flip. She opened the coke for something to do a took a big gulp.

"Honestly, this trailer is so well packed, if the Big One finally strikes, we'll be set for the next decade."

"If an earthquake happens, will we still get cable?"

"If not, the producers are going to hear from my manager!"

The jokes broke the tension and Allie soon found herself laughing and eating as the actress puttered around the little kitchen. Allie's eyes watched Tiffany moving as gracefully around the kitchen as she had on set. She really was enticing to watch.

The two made more jokes and talked about life on set as Tiffany sat with a modest salad. Allie was having so much fun she didn't even notice she had eaten the entire grain bowl and all the mac and cheese.

"Oh! They left me this giant slice of cheese cake for some unknown reason. You have got to try it." Tiffany said when their plates were clean.

"Tiffany, that's so kind, but I am actually really full." But the actress had already fished the slice out of the fridge and placed it in front of her guest

"I insist. I have to fit into a spandex super suit, but that doesn't mean you should eat like you have to!"

Not wanting to be rude, Allie figured she'd have a few bites. However, Tiffany launched into a story of a time when she was on set as a kid and stole the director's hat because she was mad at him, and soon all that was left of the cake was crumbs on the plate.

"It was terribly unprofessional and my manager had to call and act like he had no idea how it ended up in my trailer. But, to be honest... he deserved it so I don't feel bad."

"I cannot believe you did that! You brat!"

"I believe on set we call such ungrateful actresses divas, thank you!" Tiffany grinned.

"Well, Ms. Diva, I fear we will both be in trouble if we don't make it back to set soon."

"Oh, yes. I have to stop by make-up for touch-ups, but thanks so much for keeping me company!" As Tiffany said this, she placed her small hand on Allie's where it lay on the couch. Electricity shot up her arm and reverberated through her body.

"Um... no, thank you." Allie quickly got up and headed for the door. "See you on set!"

Allie could have skipped back to the props cart, but her stomach was too full anyway, so she just walked quickly. She knew a big smile rested on her face and her whole being felt energized and excited.

'You're being and idiot,' she thought to herself. 'Actresses, remember?'

But the voice didn't sound so confident this time.