‘Which makeup assistant?’ Sibyl’s narrowed eyes darted between the pair of them.
‘Ruth.’ Rowan ground his teeth and took a deep breath. ‘And it wasn’t a “a bit of harmless fun”. He touched her up. I saw it. I want him gone. I’m not working with him.’
A heavy silence stifled the room. Rowan’s blood pounded at his temples, once again his brain catching up to what his mouth had done after the fact. Didn’t matter – it was true and he meant what he’d said.
‘That’s a serious accusation, Rowan.’ Wesley’s voice was grave.
‘Not to mention a complete inflation of your own importance,’ Stan scoffed. ‘You think they’re going to cut me – an Academy Award winner – from this picture, on the say-so of a boy who’s made his name by swanning around in tights? I don’t think so.’
‘I’ll be the judge of who is and isn’t getting cut from my goddamn movie.’ Wesley stood up and leaned over the tables, resting his knuckles on it. ‘Why are you here, Rowan, rather than the MUA he allegedly assaulted? Is she okay?’
‘I doubt it. She was terrified. I walked into the trailer. She was doing his makeup and when she turned away for a moment, he put his hand up her skirt. He thought he was on his own with her.’
Wesley looked to Sally. ‘Sal, can you please go see her, check she’s all right and hear her side if she’s up to it. Sibyl, you should go too.’
‘Shall I bring her back here?’ Sally asked.
‘No. Not unless she wants to come talk to me, and radio ahead if that’s the case so I can make sure we have privacy—’
‘You’re all blowing this way up out of proportion,’ Stan interrupted.
Wesley narrowed his eyes at him. ‘If what you say is true, she’ll confirm that to Sally. In the meantime, you can take a seat. I don’t want you wandering around my set, until I know for definite that you’re not going to harass any of my cast or crew.’
Stan looked around the room at the core management team for the production, his face puce with indignation. ‘I don’t have to take this kind of treatment you know.’
‘You’re right, you don’t. You’re free to leave. But I’ll call security to escort you off the premises if that’s the case.’
‘I’llescort him—’
‘No, Rowan. You won’t. You’ll go to your trailer and cool down there too. In fact, write me a full statement about what happened. I guess filming is paused until further notice.’
Rowan nodded and turned to go away.
‘I’ll be havingyoufor assault you jumped-up little wannabe,’ Stan called out behind him.
Rowan lifted his middle finger without even looking around as he left.
Lila
Lila walked back towards the makeup trailer at a steady pace, careful not to drop the boxed-up selection of pastries and large cup of coffee she’d collected from the canteen. As she made her way along the dirt paths worn down by all the crew trekking back and forth, snaking around the vans and trailers, something made her slow and take a look around her. People were stopping work to chat in small groups. There was a ripple going across the unit base and something odd charging the air.
When she got to the makeup trailer, Marcus and Jackie were outside, talking, heads bent low in the same way.
‘Hey. What’s going on?’ Lila asked. ‘Is it another DFI day?’
Marcus looked over at her and raised his eyebrows. ‘We’re not one hundred per cent sure, but someone saw Rowan dragging Stan Gillian across the lot to Wesley’s trailer, and now Ruth, Sally and Sibyl are in there.’ He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder at the makeup trailer.
Lila blinked, struggling to visualise Rowan manhandling the older, much smaller man. Every interaction she’d ever had with him made it a hard image to process – he was always so gentle. Why would he drag the other actor out of the trailer? Unless they were all exaggerating? What if he’d been helping him because he didn’t feel well?
But Stan Gillian had seemed pretty healthy when Lila left, and wouldn’t Rowan have taken him to the first aid trailer rather than to Wesley?
‘We can’t go in?’ she asked, after standing there awkwardly for a moment. Jackie shook her head. ‘What d’you think’s happened?’
‘We were wondering if you’d have any idea actually.’ Marcus crossed his arms and looked at her with an intensity that made Lila shift her feet. ‘Did you see Stan Gillian this morning?’
‘Yeah, really briefly. Ruth had gone over to use the bathroom and he came in early. I took his breakfast order and left. That’s it.’
‘Sosomethingmust have happened with Ruth and Rowan in there with him.’ Marcus shrugged, like what she’d said confirmed anything at all.
