"And now, a toast to all of you who made that happen! Cheers, great job!"
Michael cheered, raising the bottle of beer he held in his hand as Tara Butters yelled out the toast. After a few intense months, the shoot for the new season of Agent Carter had wrapped, leaving everyone with mixed feelings. While most of them focused on the joy of finishing the project, some of them were already feeling the anxiety of whether the show would continue on. To hear it get a second season was surprising enough - most of them thought the low ratings would sink it outright - but it happened. Right, now, it was time to celebrate - and the small club right next to the set would do just fine in that regard.
And damn good it did. Michael thought as the music started again and the other partygoers dispersed into smaller groups. His little adventure with the show started with the first season, right when he managed to get a job as the personal assistant to the main star - British actress Hayley Atwell. The news filled him with a strange mix of relief and fear - while the job would mean a good income and a completely new experience, the horror stories he heard about how other stars treated the staff and crews made him uneasy at first. All of those bad feelings evaporated almost the instant he met the person he was supposed to work for. Hayley (as she insisted to be called right from the start) turned out to be a complete opposite of a diva. She was approachable, funny, smart and laid back. Michael quickly found himself being roped into the pranks Hayley seemed to play on almost everyone involved, to much of everyone's amusement. The set of Agent Carter quickly turned into one of the most fun places Michael had ever worked in. To hear it get another season and that Hayley personally requested him to come back (although she never told him that personally - but if there was one thing Michael learned during the job, it was that tight lips didn't seem to be a trait many people in the industry possessed) seemed like a dream come true once more.
Now, it was all coming to an end, however. Even though he did have another job lined up, Michael already had a feeling that it wasn't going to be as fun as this one
I'll miss this. Michael thought as he moved through the crowd towards the bar, dressed in a shirt and a pair of comfy jeans. He sat down at one of the stools, polishing off the beer before ordering another one. Suddenly, he heard a voice right next to him, the posh, slightly clipped English accent making him turn his head.
"Hello there, Michael."
He smiled, seeing the person the voice belonged to. It was, of course, Hayley - but he did have to bite back a gasp when he saw her. She was dressed as if she had just gotten off the set - her hair loose around her shoulders, her lips dark red with her now iconic brand of lipstick. She was wearing a dress she originally wore in the first episode of the season and in the dream dance sequence - blood red and up to her knees, with a little window in the deep neckline allowing him a little peek at her spectacular cleavage and tight enough to accentuate her amazing curves. Michael would lie if he didn't think about her more than a few times when he jerked himself off alone in his apartment, but that would have to remain a secret.
Unless, of course, he wanted to have his teeth knocked out.
"Hi there, Hayley," he spoke, snapping out of his thoughts. "didn't know this was a fancy dress party."
She giggled in return, seemingly not noticing the fact he zoned out a little just by looking at her.
"Oh no, just had to do a few promo pictures, that's it." she spoke, taking a sip from the glass of champagne. "Although I do find this dress to be very nice."
"It sure makes an impression." Michael replied, noticing a smirk on Hayley's lips as he said that. She then slid onto the stool right next to him, taking another sip before setting the glass back on the counter.
"So, Michael..." she spoke, looking him right in the eye, "...we did it."
"Well, I'd say it's more on you and the rest of the crew rather than me," he replied, taking a swig from the new bottle.
"Oh, don't be so shy," Hayley said quickly, waving her hand. "You had a part in it too. You were such a help through all of it."
"I was just doing my job." Michael responded in kind.
"And you did it damn well, if I may say so," Hayley replied, draining the glass empty. "Many people would kill to have someone like you as their assistant."
He felt his cheeks heat up at the praise, turning his head down to avoid her gaze.
"If you say so..." he spoke before looking up at her again. "So, what now? In job terms, that is."
"Oh, not much in the most immediate future," she, turning to face him fully while crossing her legs. "For now, it will be two weeks of a break before I go back to London. After that, I have already had a few castings lined up at the West End, so we'll see."
"Right." Michael nodded, leaning sideways onto the counter.
"How about you, then?" Hayley then asked, a small smile creeping onto her lips.
"Already had something in the works even before the wrap," he replied, smiling. "Moving more into marketing and branding, still in L.A."
Hayley nodded at that.
"Hey, it's not my fault my life is boring," Michael then added, causing Hayley to let out a giggle.
"Oh, believe me, sometimes I wish my life was this boring." She then spoke, giving her hair a little flick. "This 'constantly in the spotlight' thing sometimes makes me want to just... ugh. And don't forget the bloody paps, gossip rags and creeps - remember the one back from season one?"
"Yeah, I do. Total nutjob, that guy," Michael replied, the memories of him having to sucker punch a guy that was straight up trying to grope her while she went to a store reappearing in his mind. While the creep did get the message loud and clear (also thanks to a police patrol taking him away later), the experience still made an impression on Hayley.
Before Hayley responded, Michael then saw her face light up as she looked over his shoulder. He then heard a familiar female voice right behind him
"English, there you are!"
Even without looking, Michael knew who that was. As the woman passed him to pull Hayley into a hug, he did notice she was also wearing her iconic costume - the light-blue uniform of the fictional L&L Automat.
"How are you doing?" he heard Hayley ask, the woman in uniform still facing away from him.
"All cool. Got myself a Mojito then chatted a bit here and there. Not much more, though. You?"
"Well, Michael has been keeping me company..." Hayley started to speak as the woman turned around, Michael coming face to face with her. It was, of course, Lyndsy Fonseca - Hayley's female co-star. While he wasn't as familiar with her as he was with Hayley, the close relationship they had during the filming of the first season meant he did become quite well acquainted with her as well. The reduction of Lyndsy's role in Season 2 was a disappointment for many, but at the very least she was still able to attend.
"Did I miss a memo, or something?" Michael asked, not knowing what to make of the fact that both women were wearing the costumes from the show. "Was I supposed to get myself a costume too?"
"Nah," Lyndsy spoke, waving her hand. "It's just a little arrangement between me and English here."
The look Hayley shot at Lyndsy after she said that made Michael smirk. It was clear that Hayley's explanation earlier was fabricated, but it wasn't a massive enough of a lie for Michael to care about too much.
"How are you doing, anyway... Angie?" Hayley then spoke, seamlessly transitioning back into her upbeat mood, a giggle leaving her lips at the end.
"Oh stop it, it was your idea. And I'm doing great, thank you very much," Lyndsy replied, twirling the straw between her fingers before setting the glass on the bar counter.
"And you, Michael? Having fun, young man?" Lyndsy then asked, punctuating the sentence with a beautiful smile.
"As much as I can, yes," e replied. "Not a big fan of parties, you know. Too loud and crowded and everything's usually overpriced..."
"Oh, I know," Lyndsy replied, the smile never leaving her face.
"Listen, both of you," Hayley then interjected. "How about we move somewhere a little bit... quieter?"
"Hmmm..." Lyndsy spoke, gliding her fingers over her chin. "What do you mean, English?"
"I might have a little collection of very nice alcoholic beverages stashed in my apartment," she spoke to Lyndsy in a not-so-quiet whisper, winking at Michael at the same time. "But it would be very selfish of me to keep it all for myself."
Both Michael and Lyndsy nodded in approval.
"I'll get a cab then," Michael spoke, noticing how both Lyndsy and Hayley then exchanged a look between them, smiles decorating their lips. "Meet you in 5 outside?"
"Deal," Hayley replied as Lyndsy grabbed her glass back from the counter.
The cab ride to Hayleys place was a simple affair. Michael sat in the front, mostly checking his phone while both actresses opted for the backseat. They also stuck to checking their phones, but Micheal did catch them exchanging knowing glances and whispering something a few times. He didn't pry too much - if he wasn't supposed to hear it, it meant it was something private - and snooping around private stuff was something he was a massive enemy of. As the cab pulled by the apartment block Michael paid the cab driver and then exited the car, moving over to the sidewalk as Hayley and Lyndsy rejoined him.
