being thorough.”
She glared at him as Danielle stepped through, then Blake flashed his pass and was admitted.
“I don’t have mine,” she finally muttered.
“Set aside please. I need Taylor Goode to the check point to sign in a cast member,” Merrick said into the walkie. He spent a moment checking IDs and comparing those he didn’t immediately recognize to names on a clipboard before passing them in, then when there was a break, took a thick marker and wrote Poppy Landrieu on a white card and slipped it into a holder.
“Who is it?” Taylor said as he approached. “Poppy!” he said loudly when he saw her standing to the side. “Why did you stop her?”
“You’re the one who said anyone who didn’t have their pass or wasn’t on the clipboard was to only be admitted by you or Will. She doesn’t have her pass, so that’s what I’m doing.”
“I didn’t mean Poppy, or one of the stars! Jesus H. Christ on a popsicle stick, what’s wrong with you?” he shouted, staring at Merrick as if he’d grown another head.
“You set the guidelines, I’m just following them.”
“Yes! Let her in!”
“Taylor, I need to see you!” Poppy said as she grabbed the lanyard and holder from Merrick as she passed.
Merrick smiled. He knew the shit was about to hit the fan now, which was why he wanted to be the one checking IDs the first night, for situations just like this.
“Good for you,” the man he’d seen working the camera said as he stepped up and showed Merrick his pass. Merrick said nothing, kept his poker face, and passed him through.
***
“Merrick, I can’t have you harassing Poppy. It has to stop.”
“What are you talking about? I haven’t been harassing anyone.”
“The water. Grabbing her yesterday. Making her wait this morning because she forgot her pass. And of that ring any bells?”
“You said we had access to what food and water we needed. You’re the one who said anybody who didn’t have a pass or wasn’t on the list could only be admitted by your or Will’s say so. And if she’d slapped me, I would have punched her into next fucking week, so be glad I caught her hand.”
“Why are you being such an asshole?”
“I’m not being an asshole. Why is the only person here who seems to be having a problem Poppy? Have you ever asked that? Why do you put up with her shit?”
“Because she’s the goddamn star of the movie, that’s why!”
“So? ‘She’s the star’ doesn’t cut any shit with me. If you want me to run security, fine. You tell me the parameters and we’ll follow them. But I’m not going to let anyone, not you, not Will, not Poppy Landrieu, bully me into letting them ignore the rules. You don’t like it, then find someone else.”
“You don’t understand—”
“No, you don’t understand,” Merrick said, cutting him off. “You agreed to let me run security. Either get out of my face or find someone else. Those are your only two options.”
“You can’t talk to me like that! Who do you think you are?”
“I’m the guy who solved your fucking problem, that’s who. Now you’re standing here questioning me.”
“Get off my production!”
Merrick nodded. “You got it. I’ll send you a bill.” He shoved the clipboard into Taylor’s chest and handed him his location pass before he walked away to collect his men. As he spoke to each man, they dropped their lanyard where they stood and began to file away. When everyone was at their bikes, they rumbled to life like distant thunder before they rode out as a group.
***
Poppy watched as Merrick and the rest of the Harlequins pulled away on V-Twin thunder, a weight settling into her stomach as the heavy roar of their bikes faded into the night. This wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to put that fucking Merrick in his place, sure, but she didn’t think he would actually quit. Or
She glared at him as Danielle stepped through, then Blake flashed his pass and was admitted.
“I don’t have mine,” she finally muttered.
“Set aside please. I need Taylor Goode to the check point to sign in a cast member,” Merrick said into the walkie. He spent a moment checking IDs and comparing those he didn’t immediately recognize to names on a clipboard before passing them in, then when there was a break, took a thick marker and wrote Poppy Landrieu on a white card and slipped it into a holder.
“Who is it?” Taylor said as he approached. “Poppy!” he said loudly when he saw her standing to the side. “Why did you stop her?”
“You’re the one who said anyone who didn’t have their pass or wasn’t on the clipboard was to only be admitted by you or Will. She doesn’t have her pass, so that’s what I’m doing.”
“I didn’t mean Poppy, or one of the stars! Jesus H. Christ on a popsicle stick, what’s wrong with you?” he shouted, staring at Merrick as if he’d grown another head.
“You set the guidelines, I’m just following them.”
“Yes! Let her in!”
“Taylor, I need to see you!” Poppy said as she grabbed the lanyard and holder from Merrick as she passed.
Merrick smiled. He knew the shit was about to hit the fan now, which was why he wanted to be the one checking IDs the first night, for situations just like this.
“Good for you,” the man he’d seen working the camera said as he stepped up and showed Merrick his pass. Merrick said nothing, kept his poker face, and passed him through.
***
“Merrick, I can’t have you harassing Poppy. It has to stop.”
“What are you talking about? I haven’t been harassing anyone.”
“The water. Grabbing her yesterday. Making her wait this morning because she forgot her pass. And of that ring any bells?”
“You said we had access to what food and water we needed. You’re the one who said anybody who didn’t have a pass or wasn’t on the list could only be admitted by your or Will’s say so. And if she’d slapped me, I would have punched her into next fucking week, so be glad I caught her hand.”
“Why are you being such an asshole?”
“I’m not being an asshole. Why is the only person here who seems to be having a problem Poppy? Have you ever asked that? Why do you put up with her shit?”
“Because she’s the goddamn star of the movie, that’s why!”
“So? ‘She’s the star’ doesn’t cut any shit with me. If you want me to run security, fine. You tell me the parameters and we’ll follow them. But I’m not going to let anyone, not you, not Will, not Poppy Landrieu, bully me into letting them ignore the rules. You don’t like it, then find someone else.”
“You don’t understand—”
“No, you don’t understand,” Merrick said, cutting him off. “You agreed to let me run security. Either get out of my face or find someone else. Those are your only two options.”
“You can’t talk to me like that! Who do you think you are?”
“I’m the guy who solved your fucking problem, that’s who. Now you’re standing here questioning me.”
“Get off my production!”
Merrick nodded. “You got it. I’ll send you a bill.” He shoved the clipboard into Taylor’s chest and handed him his location pass before he walked away to collect his men. As he spoke to each man, they dropped their lanyard where they stood and began to file away. When everyone was at their bikes, they rumbled to life like distant thunder before they rode out as a group.
***
Poppy watched as Merrick and the rest of the Harlequins pulled away on V-Twin thunder, a weight settling into her stomach as the heavy roar of their bikes faded into the night. This wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to put that fucking Merrick in his place, sure, but she didn’t think he would actually quit. Or
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