Just Physical by Jae Read Free Book Online Page B

you—”
    Shaking her head, Crash let go of her. “The script says, ‘What do you think you are doing, Corporal?’”
    Jill stepped closer and half turned so she could look at the script pages Crash was holding. Damn. She was right. Jill closed her eyes for a moment and repeated the line three times to herself, hoping it would finally stick in her memory. “Okay, let’s try this again,” she said when she opened her eyes.
    They ran through the lines again from the beginning. Jill attempted to get into the scene, trying out different gestures and inflections. But something was still off, making her stumble over her lines at times.
    Finally, she plopped down on the couch and shook her head. “See what I mean? This isn’t working, and I’m still not sure why.”
    Crash sat next to her. “Well, I’m not an acting coach, and far be it from me to tell a seasoned actress like you how to do her job…”
    â€œBut?” Jill prompted.
    â€œI think the scene needs more…fire.”
    â€œMore fire? That’s what they’re running from.”
    Crash threw the script down on the coffee table. “No, I mean more fire from you. More anger.”
    â€œUm, excuse me. I’m butting heads with an armed soldier, refusing to leave. I’d think that’s enough anger, isn’t it?”
    â€œYeah, but…I just don’t feel it.”
    Groaning, Jill let her head fall back against the couch. “Damn. I think you’re right. I just don’t get why Lauren wrote the scene this way.”
    â€œLauren?”
    â€œOh. She’s the screenwriter who wrote Shaken to the Core . And she’s a friend of mine,” Jill added after a moment’s hesitation. “I mean, Lucy is a trained doctor. Shouldn’t she be calm and level-headed in the face of this crisis? Shouldn’t she trust the soldier to do his job, just the way she’s doing hers? Why get so angry with him?”
    Crash seemed to consider it for a moment before shaking her head. “I think she’s angry at much more than him.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” When Jill turned on the couch to face her more fully, their skirts brushed and she sensed the warmth of Crash’s knee against hers. Quickly, she moved back a bit.
    â€œYou have to view this scene in context and consider Lucy’s background. I only read bits and pieces of the script while I was waiting for a stunt yesterday, but didn’t she grow up on a ranch?”
    Jill nodded. “She did. Her mother was the first female veterinarian in the US.”
    â€œAnd Lucy is one of only eight thousand lady doctors in 1906,” Crash added.
    â€œRight.” To prepare for her role, Jill had read the memoir of one of the first women to graduate from a medical college, so she knew what that meant. “She’s a woman living and working in a man’s world.” A thought occurred to her. “Just like you.”
    â€œThings are much easier for stuntwomen nowadays, but I’ve heard some stories from women who used to be in the business twenty or thirty years ago…” Crash shook her head. “Let’s just say I understand why Lucy wouldn’t react too well to being ordered around when she’s trying to do her job.”
    Jill looked at her with new respect. She hadn’t expected Crash to be able to provide such insights into her character.
    Crash laughed. “What? You thought I was all brawn, no brains?”
    Jill’s cheeks warmed, and she cursed the fair complexion she had inherited from the Irish side of her family. “Well, far be it from me to underestimate your intellect, but I think Ben hired you for your athletic skills.”
    Crash let out an exaggerated sigh. “Story of my life. People just want me for my body.”
    A witty—and slightly flirty—reply was already on the tip of her tongue, but Jill bit it back. Back to work.