"Fucking hell!" she heard the short, pudgy man yell into the phone. "What the fuck am I going to do now? That bitch is going to cost me a shit ton of money!" The man hung up on the person on the other end of the call without allowing any time for an answer.
"Uh oh," Maci thought. Billy Badd got his name for a reason. He earned the extra d in his last name by being tough on any talent, crew, or producer that upset him. Several careers ended prematurely because of the grudges the director held. She'd heard about one instance when he, frustrated with what he saw as an underwhelming performance, berated the young talent to the point where she left the state.
"Stupid bitch can't even make it to a shoot! Gets her dumbass into a car accident and has to go to the fucking emergency room! That's the gratitude I get for giving that over the hill slut another fucking chance!" the director fumed to his cowering assistant. "With all I've set up for today, I'm going to be out thousands of fucking dollars!" he screamed, punctuating this statement by flipping over a table laden with expensive looking equipment. "Pick that shit up!"
As the assistant bent to pick up, Maci mustered up the courage and walked over to the furious man. "Mr. Badd, sir. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"What? Who are you?" the director turned toward what could only be his next problem.
"I'm...well...my real name is Maci," she got out before he interrupted her.
"No, your stage name sugar. Are you supposed to be the daughter for me today?"
"My stage name is Maddy Young, and yes, I'm supposed to be the daughter," she answered.
"Well, Ms. Young, we were supposed to shoot another well reviewed and financially successful scene of "Watching My Mom Go Black" today," he spat toward the tall brunette. "However, the stupid skank cast as your mother got in a tiny fucking fender bender and now has to go to the hospital. I'm now fucked because the entire shoot is worthless without the fucking mom, for which the title so succinctly and accurately reflects, to fuck a fucking black fuck."
Maci thought to herself. "Mr. Badd, if I can get someone else to play the role of the mom, would that help?"
"Sweety, if you can pull off the miracle of finding me another milf twat, I'll double your pay," Billy said before turning with enough speed that his shoulder collided with the assistant. The sudden contact caused the assistant to drop everything he picked up.
"Fucking waste of space!" the director screamed over his shoulder at the assistant as he stormed back toward the room that functioned as his office for the day.
***
"Can you do me a big favor?" Maci asked the woman on the other end of the call.
Maci had scrolled through her phone's contact list trying to find a willing replacement. Most of her friends in the industry were too young to pass as mothers. Of her older friends, one had retired, another was in Miami for some plastic surgery, and the last time she'd worked with the third had been a total disaster. Scrolling back up through the list a final time, she stopped so that her biological mother's name settled in the middle of the screen.
Maci grew up in the area. Her childhood home was no more than fifteen minutes away. Her parents still lived there. Maybe she could salvage the day.
"What are you doing?" she fired off.
"Hi to you too," her mom replied.
"Sorry. Hello mommy. What are you doing?"
"Not too much. Just finished up a load of laundry. All is quiet here. You know your dad is in Chicago for work this week."
"That's perfect," Maci responded, thinking on her toes. "I need your help. Uh, we are scheduled for a rehearsal for a low budget movie, and the woman cast as my on-screen mom can't make it in today. We need someone to fill in for her. The scene is mainly improv and just to set up the lights and blocking for when shooting begins. She's supposed to play my mom in the film. You'll be a natural. It is the role I was born for you to play"
"Oh Maci, I've never acted before. There has to be someone else. What about someone else on set?"
"Well, mom, they all have their own assignments for this rehearsal, and, uh, it would really make me look good to the director. Plus, wouldn't it be nice to see how movies are made? And you aren't doing anything right now? Please, please, please, Mommy."
After a long pause, Maci heard a sigh before her mother answered, "Fine, what's the address?" After giving the address, her mom said, "That's not that far away. I'll see you in about a half hour. Love you sweety."
"See you soon. Love you too," Maci returned, smiling to herself.
***
After finding the address her daughter gave her, Linda Samuels knocked on the front door. The door opened and Maci stood there, smiling at her.
"Come on in Linda. You're right on time," her daughter offered.