A/N: I agree….Colleen is a little dramatic, but hey, that's why she's in film. ;)
"I can't be late. Coll, where are my spikes?" Bridey flurried around the room. It was a Saturday morning, and Colleen had been fast asleep before Bridey started whirling around the room, gathering paraphernalia for her game.
"Have you checked the bathroom cupboard?" Colleen called from beneath a heap of blankets. She was worn to the bone from the past two weeks of being Matthew's assistant. He hadn't been kidding when he said it would be grueling – sometimes it felt like 'personal slave' would be a more accurate title. She did enjoy spending time with him, but now that the sheen of his stardom failed to thrill her, she was beginning to resent the way he constantly had her running around. She'd already memorized the city's subways while getting him specialty coffee, bagels and the like, and it seemed like he was constantly in need of a hand massage, or a back rub. Sure, she liked being able to put her hands all over Matthew Hamming, but at times it seemed almost degrading.
"Why would shoes be in the bathroom?" Bridey called. She at least was having luck. Today, she was playing her first actual game. She'd only been put on the defensive line, but it was better than nothing. It wouldn't be long before the coach realized that with her energy and stamina, she belonged on the front lines, assisting – and scoring – goals. But, Big was the team's goalie, so Bridey working that end of the field just meant that his affection for her was growing.
Colleen shuddered. She didn't like Big. She couldn't say what it was exactly, there was just something about him that threw her off. Maybe the way he kept giving Bridey things, or the way he never had a 'girlfriend', just a few girls (never just one) who he flirted with. He seemed into Moxie Logan, Bridey, and maybe even Sugar, Tom Wordy's girl. He spent so much time hanging around Bridey, inviting her to things – it was obvious he wanted something from her. Bridey was only nineteen, and so easily impressed. She was eager to fit in, and Colleen knew that if Big asked her to do something, she would do it, no question.
"Oh, my gods. You were right!" Bridey came out of the bathroom stuffing the spikes into her duffle bag. "Alright, I've got a game to win. Go llamas!" Without another word, she flitted out the door.
Colleen lay in bed for another hour, hoping she could get back to sleep. She had perhaps finally achieved a dreaming state when her beeper went off, shattering her reveries. She rolled over, pulling her cell off the nightstand, and called Matthew.
"Colleen?" He sounded worried, nervous. A wave of pity overcame her. "You're not busy, are you? I've got a meeting with some lawyers, and I'd really appreciate it if you could come with me."
She sat up, pushing her hair out of her face. "No, I'm not busy. I'll be over to your place in half an hour, okay?"
He sighed loudly, and she could hear the relief in his voice. "That sounds great. You're the best, Colleen." He hung up, and she slipped out of bed, running over to her dresser and trying to find something professional-looking that didn't need to be ironed.
"So…did you actually do it?" Colleen asked, watching Matthew's face as it twisted into an angry expression.
"No, I didn't. Why would I sexually harass my male personal assistant?" The question hung in the air a moment.
Colleen shrugged. "I was just asking." She looked to Matthew's lawyer. "So, what's the game plan?"
The lawyer shuffled a few papers. "Well, I think we need to fight this aggressively. First, Matthew, you need to make it official with one of your flings. Or, just be caught kissing a girl in public – but make it look like a secret tryst. We're going to take him to court for slander, we're going to fight the allegations, and most importantly, we're going to clear your name. No one is going to believe you came on to him – you're Bridgeport's biggest playboy. We just need to show that you want to change, win them over."
Matthew nodded. "Right, right. I just…gods, I need a drink. This is the worst part of being famous – everyone wants in on your cash and your name. You can never tell who is in it to help, and who is just out for a piece of you." He ran a hand through his perfect hair and glanced over at Colleen, who couldn't take her eyes off of him.
He was so stressed, so tense. She understood how awful the situation was, but still – shouldn't he be used to this by now? He'd been a child star, then a teen star, and was now an adult success. Wasn't he used to the limelight, its ups and downs by now?
This whole situation was weird, too. Why would his former personal assistant accuse him of sexual harassment if it wasn't true? Who would believe that, anyway? Her mind drifted to Devon. They had plans for that night – dinner, a movie. It wasn't a date, seeing as Devon was dating the cute guy Bridey had seen that first day in their building, but she was still excited. Devon was turning out to be a good friend, and he had the best sense of color combination.
When the meeting was finished, Matthew wanted to grab coffee – and, of course, he wanted Colleen to go with him. She rode with him in his car to a small coffee shop, the more expensive one in town – she and Bridey had been grabbing quick cups from a cheap corner vender, as they couldn't afford this stuff. She sat across a table outside with him and savored the rich creaminess slowly. There was a reason this stuff was so expensive – it was completely delectable.
"So, big plans for the weekend?" Matthew asked. She studied his face as she finished swallowing. He had thick, dark lashes that accentuated the clear quality of his ocean-blue eyes. He was any woman's dream, from his perfectly sculpted body to his strong jaw line, perfectly quaffed hair, hand straight white teeth. What always surprised Colleen, though, was the uncertainty that lay so deep beneath all of that polished exterior. You had to dig deep, but once you got there, it was almost overwhelming. The man she was coming to know was so insecure, unsure and cautious.
"None, really. Devon and I are going to a movie and dinner. Her red lipstick had left a dark print against the sky-blue of the coffee shop's mug. It wasn't really her lipstick, it was Bridey's – and, weeks ago, she wouldn't have worn anything that wasn't neutral, or a soft pearly pink. Devon had encouraged her, though, and she had to admit she liked the way it played with her skin's creaminess and her dark hair to create a smokey, mysterious look.
Matthew nodded. "Devon. He works at the studio, doesn't he? I swear I've seen him."
Colleen smiled. She was proud of Devon – he was going to make a great actor, when he finally got there. "He's one of the production managers of a smaller sitcom, but he's being considered for a role in 'Bite My Heart'. I swear, these vampire television shows are so mundane, but everyone seems to love them."
"Yes, well sex sells, and vampires have that dangerous sensuality to them. Glowing eyes, dripping fangs…delightful creatures, they just sort of suck you in. And Bridgeport has one of the highest concentrations of vampires in the country, so it doesn't surprise me. They fascinate people."
Colleen choked on her coffee when she heard this. "You mean…you mean they're real?" Vampires were like mummies, or boogeymen. They weren't real, and they certainly weren't in her town.
Matthew smiled knowingly. "Yes, very much so. I've dated a few vampires myself….they're insatiable." He paused, then look at her, his eyes probing. "So, this Devon…have the two of you been dating long?"
Colleen smiled and shook her head. "No, no. We're very good friends, but we're not…compatible. I'm not his type." She laughed a little at herself. She might be Devon's type – if she were a man.
Matthew took a sip of coffee, then grinned again. "Well, he's missing out, then."
Colleen felt a familiar fluttering in her stomach and suddenly, she wasn't so upset about being awoken so early on a Saturday morning.
Bridey pushed the hair out of her face and grinned. The club was packed full of people but she, Big, Richie and Moxie had slid right past the crowd, and were now brushing shoulder's with Bridgeport's biggest names – Lola Belle and her beau, Elspeth Cooke and her boyfriend Jett, and Emmy Starr, to name a few. She couldn't believe that she was here, at the Brightmore, partying in the VIP section – and yet, she and her teammates were headed for the more exclusive section, sliding yet again behind that velvet rope as though they'd done it a thousand times. For the others, that very well may have been true, but for Bridey, this was all very new – and thrilling.
"Get you a drink?" Big offered, looking her up and down. She'd chosen a short red halter that made her cleavage look far more impressive than it actually was. She fell into a cushioned booth across from Moxie and Richie, and nodded to Big, who sauntered to the bar.
Nervously, she surveyed the room. Behind a screen was a bubbling hot tub, and she watched it apprehensively. She hadn't brought a swimsuit – who thought there would be a hot tub in a bar? Maybe she should have planned better. She wasn't even wearing a bra, so it wasn't as though she could just slide in wearing her undergarments. Her breath caught in her through as Big came back – his glances at the hot tub indicated clearly that he planned to be in there by the end of the night.
She wasn't sure she liked how flirty they'd been, or the way he put a hand on her thigh as he slid next to her and handed over the pink drink. They'd only been a Bridgeport a few weeks, and she wasn't sure she wanted to get involved with one man. Plus, she was nineteen, and he was twenty-five. It wasn't a huge difference, but sometimes it seemed like too large a gap to cross.
"Man, that was a good game. We totally squashed the Rangers – great playing on all of your parts." Richie offered, raising his drink in a toast. They all clinked glasses, and took deep drinks.
Moxie grinned at him. "Spoken like the Captain of the team, Rich." She took another sip of her drink, and Bridey frowned.
"Wait. But isn't Lehighton Sekemoto the Captain?" She noticed Richie's arm around Moxie's shoulder, and bit her lip. Richie was married, with a son and another kid on the way. He wouldn't cheat on Stella, would he? And wasn't Big sort of into Moxie? She knew he flirted with her, but she figured all the flirting she and Big did was just play, and that he was actually after Moxie – it had been in the papers before she came to Bridgeport.
"Yes, but he's going to take the coach position, and I'm hoping to become Captain." Richie explained patiently.
Bridey nodded, now embarrassed. "Oh. I didn't realize he was getting so old. He moved out of Sunset Valley to go play for the Llamas when I was in grade school, but still."
Richie shrugged. "It's a long time to be Captain, especially when there are so many good player waiting for the position. If I do get the promotion, some lucky kid is going to get my starter position – it could be any one of the three of you."
Moxie sat up a little straighter. "You figure they'll go with someone who's been on the team for a while, right?" A smile played on the corner of her lips. Of the three of them, she'd been on the team the longest.
Big shook his head. "Naw, they'll want someone who can scare the bejesus out of the other team. A starter's gotta be the best there is."
Richie shrugged. "Experience is important, as is power. I think what they're looking for, though, is the ultimate player – someone experiences but still fresh, powerful but still skillful…someone who knows the game inside out, but still has heart. If I get the Captain position, I'll be working with Leigh to pick out the new starter."
Moxie grinned, scooching a little closer to Richie. It became obvious to Bridey then what was going on – Moxie was sleeping with Richie in the hopes that it would help her get the starter position. It seemed such a cheap way to earn your fame, but who knew? Maybe it was just the way things worked in this town.
Bridey got up to grab herself another drink, and take a gander around the room. There weren't as many people here in the VIP section, and a lone pianist serenaded them with his ivory-tickling skills and deep, rich voice. Occasionally he would leap an octave, his voice hitting notes so sweet, Bridey's heart melted a little.
She completely forgot the drink and wandered over to the piano, which stood in a shadowy corner. She wondered how the pianist could even see the keys, but when she approached she realized he was playing with his eyes closed, anyway. A soulful expression graced his face, which was as deep and rich in color as his voice. Bridey set a pale hand against the shiny black on the grand piano. The vibrations of his playing coursed through her arms, making their way throughout her body, marked by the beating of her heart.
It was another moment before he opened his eyes, acknowledging her presence. "Any requests, miss?" He flashed a smile at her, and she noticed that his eyes were a light brown, almost gold.
"No, no." Bridey glanced back at Big, Richie and Moxie, who were too absorbed in their conversation to notice that she had left. "I wouldn't want to interrupt this song – it's beautiful. What is it? I don't think I've heard it before."
The man smiled dreamily. "Oh, just a little number I made up. I grew up on a farm, out in the countryside – there was a creek near my house, and I used to go play down there. They say that two lovers used to meet there – he was a hearder of llamas, like my family, and she lived on the opposite side of the creek, with her family who grew corn. They would meet for secret love trysts, but one night she fell into the creek and smashed her head off a rock. Her body sank to the bottom and her lover dove in, searching in the dark water for her. He drown trying to find her, and now it's said that both of their ghosts haunt that creek."
Bridey leaned against the piano, sucking in a deep breath. "That's so beautiful. Did you ever see the ghosts?"
He shook his head. "Not that I know of. I once saw a white-blue, spooky sort of light, but I didn't know what it was. Could've been a ghost, could've been the wind – who knows? It is a beautiful story though." He hummed a few more bars, and looked back up at her.
"So, you play here often?" She slipped her chin into her hand, and watched his long, thin fingers gliding effortlessly over the bright keys.
"Every weekend. I get off work around 8:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, so it gives me just enough time to jet here for 9 o' clock. Some weekdays I'll play at Plasma, or other clubs around town, but I like this place, too. Lots of interesting people, and the pay ain't bad, either." He switched songs then, gliding into a concerto that sounded vaguely familiar to Bridey's untrained ears.
"Do you play for the orchestra?" She queried. A glance at Big and the others revealed that they were now on the dance floor. Moxie and Richie were dancing together, and Big was with some blonde Bridey didn't quite recognize. She was surprised to realize that this didn't bother her at all.
"Naw, not yet. I play bass in the quartet. I've wanted to be part of the orchestra for a while. What I'd really love to do is be a composer, but I'm not there yet. And, you know, I'm still young – plenty of years to go before I'm even in the orchestra, probably." He smiled at her. "So, I don't think I've seen you around in town. Are you new here?"
Bridey played with her hair, a smile playing in her red, plump lips. "Yeah. My sister and I have been here less than two months. She's working in the film industry as Matthew Hamming's personal assistant, and I'm on the Llamas as the newest rookie."
His eyebrows shot up. "Impressive. If you're looking to live the dream – this is the town to do it in. Just beware – not everything is as it seems." His gold eyes glinted, and she frowned, unsure of his meaning.
"Bridey? C'mon, we're all getting into the hot tub." Big came up and took hold of her elbow, pulling her toward himself and the others.
She waved a quick goodbye to the pianist. She wanted to know more – his name, his life, the music that moved him so much. She feared alienation from her teammates, though, especially if success on the team depended on Richie's good opinion of her. So, she followed them to the hot tub, which was screened away from the rest of the room, and when she realized that they would be skinny dipping, she ordered another drink to calm her nerves, and did what she had to do to succeed, hoping the whole time that the soulful pianist couldn't see.