Chapter 3
Kathryn's phone opened to a text from Aubrey.
Missed you last night
A 30-second video of Patti and Aubrey singing “Like A Virgin” by Madonna was attached. The Broadway legend’s level of sobriety was questionable. Aubrey sang looking straight into the camera.
Kathryn let out a light laugh at the screen. She was still on set having stayed behind to shoot some closeups and alternate angles of Agatha’s transformation, while Aubrey had already left for the day.
The look on the younger actress’ face at each outfit change was fresh in her mind. She had to admit that seeing the shock and awe evolve each time she stepped out was enjoyable and it had pushed her to lean into each look more.
However, the last time she stepped out, dressed in her 50s look, honey-brown eyes stared at her with something else. Something more. Kathryn's cheeks grew warm at the memory but she brushed off the feeling quickly, attributing it to being self-conscious about her performance.
But truthfully, she knew this was the most comfortable she had ever felt in a role. Agatha was a culmination of all her work up until now. She felt magic run through her when she delivered her lines and it only sparked with what she was met with from her fellow castmates. So if it wasn't nerves, then why was her stomach in knots?
_________
The next day, the studio was alive with excitement. It was the first big fight scene between Agatha and Rio. The purple witch was getting a rude awakening from her 3-year mental slumber with a blast from the past, literally.
Kathryn was nervous but eager to get started. Her look for the scene was a casual one, a simple floral robe and her hair down with extensions in. She felt surprisingly comfortable despite the lack of coverage. There was still a while before her call time and she felt like she would burst with anticipation, until she had an idea.
She opened her poetry book and ripped a page out of it before skipping out of her trailer, a devious grin plastered on her face. The brunette made her way to hair and makeup on a mission to find her nemesis.
Before she could get there she was stopped by Daniel. “Wow, Kathryn! The extensions bring the whole look together don’t they? Where are you off to?” He fidgeted with the opening of her robe a bit, trying to perfect it.
“Oh, thanks” she replied with a dainty hair flip. “I was just looking for Aubrey. I wanted to give her something before we start.” The designer’s eyebrows raised in response. “Trust me, you will want to wait until the look is complete, I outdid myself. I’m heading there now to finish up.”
Kathryn was a bit disappointed at the interruption of her plan but she was also curious. “Well then, can you give her this for me?” She hands him a folded piece of paper. He giggled, “Passing notes are we?” followed by a wink. Kathryn felt the faintest blush start to emerge before she laughed it off offhandedly.
“No problem, I’ll make sure she gets it hon” Daniel said. She smiled and thanked him before making her way to set. Stunt doubles were working out choreography and wire rigs were being set up for the action that was expected of a Marvel project. It only helped to further fuel the actress' excitement.
_________
Daniel walked into the hair and makeup trailer with a large garment bag. “You ready Lady Death? This look is killer.”
Aubrey looked at him, beaming. “I was born ready.” If the shoes she had seen for the ensemble were any indication, it was going to be deadly and she couldn’t wait.
Payback time.
After he unzipped and hung up the garment, the designer turned to her “Oh, by the way, Kathryn wanted to give you this.” He pulled a piece of folded paper out of his pocket and handed it to her.
Aubrey looked at it for a moment, puzzled but eventually took it. She opened it and read:
She stared blankly at the page. Her mind felt like it was shortcircuiting.
Jesus…
This was a lot for her to take in. She and Kathryn were always pushing each other but this felt… pointed. But she must have been overthinking it. The poem was just a reference to the love-hate history between Agatha and Rio. It was just a way of getting Aubrey riled up for the fight scene, and it definitely worked.
As she put on each piece of her outfit, she was filled with energy. Taking in the completed look in the mirror, she had never been more ready to shoot a scene. Aubrey was vibrating with anticipation.
_________
Filming had started. Agatha found Teen tied up in her closet realizing her cop fantasy had slipped its way into reality.
Kathryn’s delivery was getting laughs from the whole crew as she swung the spatula in her hand with reckless abandon before slamming the door in Joe’s face.
They paused to make the final preparations before the fight scene. Kathryn spoke with her stunt double again to try to iron out some of the choreography. Suddenly, there was an odd silence on set. She turned to look around at what had caused the sudden shift and then she saw her.
Aubrey walked in with an aura about her. She felt otherworldly and she looked…
Jesus.
The brunette tore her eyes away and tried to gather her thoughts.
“Hey witch. Ready to get your ass kicked?”
Kathryn turned back and was met with the raven-haired woman’s confident smirk.
There Aubrey stood, hand poised on her hip as she tilted her head expectantly. She was in all black. Her head wrapped in a hooded veil. Her top had the sides cut out revealing the actress' toned abdomen and her waist was cinched by a belt, dagger hanging off the side. The pants were more flowy but still hugged her curves and were tucked into her boots. The boots! High-heeled, black boots that gave Aubrey several inches on her co-star who was basically barefoot.
The older woman felt her mouth dry up. She licked her lips inadvertently before responding.
“Wow. You look…” Her eyes trailed down to Aubrey’s boots then back to her brown eyes, “Powerful.”
Aubrey felt a slight chill as the other woman’s eyes examined her so intently. Pearls of blue seemed to grow darker. The raven-haired woman was determined to keep her advantage.
“And you look domestic, detective” she said, taking a step toward her co-star with an impish smirk plastered on her face.
Kathryn raised an eyebrow and huffed playfully. “Fair enough, but don’t underestimate a witch. I may have some tricks up my sleeve.”
“Where else could you hide them wearing that?” Aubrey retorted, her eyes quickly scanning the older woman’s robe-clad figure. She took yet another step forward.
Kathryn’s eyes widened for a moment as she scoffed. She was surprised by her blatancy. She looked down at herself, her outfit offered no defense, nowhere to hide. But sometimes the best defense is a good offense.
After a short moment of silence, darkened blue eyes shot up with a glint of ferocity behind them. Kathryn closed the gap between them. Aubrey nearly flinched as she felt the breath of the other woman against her face, mere inches apart now.
The older woman smiled wickedly, her voice just above a whisper. “Wouldn’t you like to find out?” And she walked past her co-star, back to talk to the crew as if nothing had happened.
Fuck. Me.
The younger actress stood there, gobsmacked. She wondered how the tables had been turned on her so fast? She was standing at least 3 inches taller, in an unmistakably sexy ensemble. Yet there she was, melting on the spot. She had lost again, somehow. But she was determined to get her revenge.
_________
Kathryn had shot her first stunt. Rio blasts through Agatha’s front door, throwing Agatha across her house and onto the floor. She loved getting on the wires and enjoyed working with her stunt double to make the transitions between them as seamless as possible.
Now it was time for Rio’s entrance. Kathryn lay on her stomach on the floor of the kitchen set. Agatha reeling from the blast.
“ACTION!”
Suddenly, there was a familiar silence in the air, only broken by the sound of heels clicking against the wood floor. She saw only boots at first.
Aubrey walked in confidently, her arms at her sides. As Kathryn grasped the kitchen table to get herself up, she could see the rest of her. A threatening and stunning sight to behold.
The green witch was supposed to launch Agatha with her wind again. Kathryn anticipated what kind of hand gestures Aubrey would use when casting her magic. Would she be more rigid in her motions like the immovable entity that she was? Would she flail them more wildly, drawing from Rio’s chaotic personality?
Her jaw dropped as Aubrey thrust her hips forward and wind torrented from behind her.
Of course.
She should have expected nothing less of her co-star. Obviously she would unleash her cosmic powers with a fucking hip thrust.
“RESET”
It was Aubrey’s turn on the wires. She looked badass flying around knife in hand, and she felt it too. This was what she had looked forward to about Rio. Well, it was one of the things she had looked forward to…
The two actresses took their places. Aubrey held her dagger up to Kathryn who held her wrist with both hands trying to push it away. The older woman grinned. “I see you worked hard with the movement coach on your spellcasting.”
The taller woman shrugged her shoulders in jest, “I did, I just put my own spin on it.” They both laughed.
“ACTION”
The green witch flashed a shit-eating grin at her ex.
“I’ve missed you” she cooed breathily.
“I hate you” the other woman bluntly responded, struggling against the knife.
The heated history between the characters was palpable as they volleyed back and forth about Agatha’s now failed attempt at hiding from Rio.
“And now…” Aubrey growled, pushing the knife with both hands until the tip met skin, “Touch.” Kathryn’s breath heaved and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
The green witch seemed to enjoy watching her squirm. “You’re vulnerable.”
Fake blood spilled down Kathryn’s exposed chest as the tip of the knife pressed into her. And she couldn’t help but notice brown eyes following the blood as it trickled down.
The purple witch chuckled and smiled maliciously. “Only physically” she said before grabbing the younger woman by the hair and slamming her into the wall. However, the victory was short-lived as Aubrey grabbed her by the neck with a smile on her face before the fight continued.
Rio’s knife was thrown and then it was a scramble for the weapon. Unfortunately for the purple witch, she grabbed the sharp end, hissing as the blade cut into her palm. She looked up.
Aubrey was on the floor and then slowly rose on all fours. Her head was tilted down so that the light on her face contrasted with her dark makeup.
She looked up at the brunette through her eyelashes, “Do you remember pain?” she said teasingly. “It kinda tickles doesn’t it?”
The two looked at each other, exchanging knowing glances across the knife-fight, as if they’d done this a million times before.
The older woman laughed gutterally before letting go of the weapon and punching her ex across the face sending her flying. “Coochie coochie coo” she rasped as she got her bearings.
The actresses had run through the physical aspect of this scene many times. It was choreographed. Practiced. And yet the air between them surged with excitement. Aubrey took the first swing, dagger flying through the air as Kathryn dodged it and then ducked to avoid the second swing.
Then it was Kathryn’s turn to be on the offensive. She tackled the younger woman to the ground and straddled her like they'd rehearsed. Her hands swiftly moving to pin down the hand holding the knife and choke her nemesis.
It was just for the camera, Kathryn’s grip was light.
Suddenly, she felt Aubrey’s hand on her wrist. It was meant to hold her back, to pull the hand away to ease the pressure on her throat, like they’d practiced. Only this time, she fealt her hand being guided forward, pressing harder into the woman below her.
Did she just…
Their eyes met and she saw a spark of mischief in Aubrey. Where there was once a honey-brown hue, she found a darkened charcoal color, melding with her pupils.
Kathryn laughed maniacly, baring her teeth.
Aubrey only smiled under her grip, “You can’t kill me” she murmured, a hint of struggle behind her words despite her composed appearance.
“You can’t kill me” the purple witch growled, “it’s not allowed!” She heard a faint giggle below her before she was headbutted and knocked back onto her feet.
“RESET!”
Kathryn offered a hand to Aubrey to help her off the ground. “Are you ok? That was definitely more intense than when we rehearsed it” she said raising an eyebrow. Maybe she had imagined the push against her hand.
As if she read her mind, Aubrey responded, “What can I say? I’m a method actress” she winked as she walked toward the stunt team. The brunette was shocked but also strangely elated.
Kathryn returned to her mark on the ground covered in rubble, Aubrey standing tall across from her.
“ACTION!”
The green witch uttered her threat and grabbed her knife, lunging toward her adversary.
“Wai-wa-wa-wa, wait, wait, wait, WAIT!” Kathryn pleaded with her bloody hand in the air. “This isn’t what you want” she tsked, letting a puppy dog pout cross her face.
Aubrey stared intently, just listening, so Kathryn pushed on. “Me without power” she laughed, “this is, undignified.” She rose onto her knees and she saw brown eyes widen and felt a familiar push.
She rose slowly and breathily asked: “Don’t you want me at my best?” Kathryn was slightly bent forward and she saw the gaze before her waver for a short moment.
The older woman rolled her shoulders, moving her hair out of the way and revealing a touch of cleavage. She looked directly at her co-star. “Admit it. You prefer me…”
“Horizontal,” Aubrey swallowed dryly. “In a grave” she finished, trying to regain her dominance.
Agatha negotiated, trying to grasp at any crack in the green witch’s resolve. And then she saw it, brown eyes trailed down for a moment too long and she took the opportunity to strike.
Kathryn tilted her head and took a step forward, “Come on...” she whispered “You love it.” She paused and allowed her eyes to drop long enough so the other woman would clearly notice the blatant action.
The raven-haired woman caught her bottom lip in her teeth as a shiver ran down her spine.
“The anticipation” said Kathryn, anunciating every syllable.
Aubrey tore her eyes away, chuckling from the familiar sense of panic that ran through her. But she composed herself. “Ok Agatha.” The relief was short-lived, as she stepped into the other woman’s bubble. Tears had streaked down the purple witch’s face.
Aubrey reached out and wiped one cheek with her thumb. Kathryn flinched at the impromptu gesture and her voice wavered slightly as she delivered her lines. The younger woman continued her assault, pawing at the sleeves of the witch's robe before running her nails along the older woman’s forearm.
This was all beyond anything they had rehearsed, but they both knew what came next. Kathryn couldn’t stop her gaze from flickering down to look at her hand being held by her co-star, their faces only inches apart.
Kathryn stood frozen for a moment. "You don't have a heart" she finally uttered sharply.
The taller actress pulled her forward by the wrist and breathily responded, "Yes, I do. It's black, and it beats for you."
Aubrey brought up the hand she was gripping and licked the palm from bottom to top, looking straight into the older woman’s eyes. Kathryn felt warm as goosebumps traveled up her arm. She smirked.
“CUT!”
“Kathryn, can we get a take where you're more withdrawn when Rio heals your hand?” Jac called out from behind the camera. “Can we get some more blood please?”
Shit.
Aubrey got back on her mark looking far too satisfied. Dark red dripped from the corner of her mouth. Kathryn couldn’t help but stare at it.
“You’re a messy eater” she said.
Aubrey’s tongue darted out as she slowly wiped the blood up in one lick. “All clean.”
Kathryn looked down at the floor before the makeup artist started reapplying fake blood to her hand. All she could feel was the heavy weight of darkened brown eyes fixed on her.
Payback’s a bitch.