Excuse Me, Miss

Kibum saw Minho approaching the loading bay and flagged him down. “You're just in time,” he called, swinging one leg over the side of the truck he was perched on.

“In time for what?” Minho asked, sidestepping a pair of assistants steering a costume rack.

“I thought of a way to get the show some positive publicity,” he replied. “I just hope Claire gets here in time.”

“Does she know about your… surprise?”

“It wouldn't be much of a surprise if she knew, would it?” Kibum countered.

He saw the van pull up and he leaped down from the truck like a cat. “Come on,” he said, waving for Minho to follow him outside.

“What… you didn't!”

Kibum made it to the van just as the door opened and Jinki poked his head out. “Are we late?” he asked.

“You're right on time,” Kibum said, embracing him.

Jinki got out, followed by Taemin and Jonghyun. “The gang's all back together again!” Jonghyun cheered, putting an arm around Kibum's neck.

“You look surprised to see us,” Taemin commented, looking at Minho.

“I… am,” Minho said slowly. “Ki, I don't understand.”

Kibum sighed and shook his head. “Jinyeong called the press and told them SHINee was coming by to tour the studio and support their fellow members,” he explained. “It's a great endorsement for the show, and should turn the focus off me and Claire.”

“Where is this girl we've heard so much about?” Jinki asked, craning his neck to see past them.

Kibum checked his watch and had to suppress a concerned frown. “I'm sure she's on her way,” he said lightly.

He led the way back into the loading bay, but he didn't feel nearly as confident as he sounded. Claire should've been in the office by now, he thought worriedly. I hope she's okay.


******


Claire slowly drove up to the production building and swallowed past the lump in her throat. Mr. Lee had allotted her an hour that morning to collect her personal belongings before her employee pass was permanently revoked, and she had spent the whole night in a sobbing rage, but she was determined to get through this hour without any explosions of emotion. I'll just slip in quietly, get my things and go back to the apartment, she told herself. She hadn't told anyone what had happened, but better to tell them at the apartment than in front of all the actors and crew. If they don't already know, she thought miserably.

She walked up the front steps and found a security guard waiting for her that she didn't recognize him, and he didn't speak as he followed her inside. The main hallway was surprisingly deserted, so she quickly darted down to her office and closed the door, but the guard followed her inside and she couldn't repress an irritated look. “Do you have to watch my every move?” she demanded. “I'm not a thief, you know.”

The silent guard didn't budge and she sighed before pulling a large cardboard box from under some files. She set it on the desk and filled it with all her things - her notebooks, nameplate, pictures, the toiletry bag she kept in her top drawer, even the little stuffed puffin she kept near her lamp. She went to gather her second season proposals, but the guard stepped forward. “Not those,” he rumbled.

“But they're mine!” Claire exclaimed. “I wrote them yesterday.”

“All materials pertaining to The Forest Prince are the creative property of Mr. Kyle Gresham and must not leave the premises,” the guard said, almost as if reciting it from memory.

Claire choked back a sob as she dropped the papers back onto the desk and went to the shelves by the window. They mostly held files and proofs, but Claire only wanted two things. One was a worn copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales that she took everywhere, and the other was a small DSLR camera with a slender strap. It was Claire's first camera she bought in New York, and she still used it on occasion, but mostly it just reminded her why she was in this business in the first place.

“All equipment must stay,” the guard said.

“No, this is mine,” Claire insisted. “I've had it since New York, see?”

She dug a picture out of the box and showed it to him. “I'm wearing it around my neck there,” she said, pointing. “I'm not leaving it behind.”

The guard seemed unsure but didn't press her and she tucked it into the box. It's just you and I again, old friend, she thought, giving the camera a loving caress.

The last thing she took was the picture of her and Kyle that hung on the wall. They were both bundled up in parkas and hats, but grinning like idiots in spite of the cold. Claire remembered how much she had relied on Kyle during those years, and in a fit of anger she smashed the picture against the door frame, sending glass and bits of wood everywhere. The guard was taken aback but remained silent as Claire tossed the shattered frame to the floor and picked up the box. “Let's go, then,” she muttered.


******


“And this is where we get our costumes fitted,” Kibum said, opening the door to Jessica's workroom. Jessica was sewing alone at a table and smiled as they looked in. “Good morning, gentlemen,” she said brightly. “Come to visit little old me?”

“There's nothing old about you,” Minho replied, coming over to kiss her cheek. “Have you seen Claire today?” he whispered in her ear.

“No,” she said, “I thought she'd be with you.”

This isn't right, Minho thought, but he kept smiling as Kibum introduced the other SHINee members. “Did you make this?” Jonghyun asked, fingering a pink robe of Ming Hae's that hung on a dress form. “Taemin, come feel this.”

Taemin obediently picked up the fabric. “Very nice,” he agreed. “I'll have to have you design for my next tour.”

Jessica blushed and nodded appreciatively. “I'd like that,” she agreed.

After they left her Kibum took them back to the main entrance for their photo op with the paparazzi. “After that we'll grab some lunch, then head up to the set for filming,” he called over his shoulder.

They turned the corner and Minho saw Claire walking ahead of them with a security guard. “Claire!” he called, relief flooding through him. Kibum saw her too and went to call out, but surprisingly Claire just quickened her pace.

“Is that her?” Jinki asked. “Why won't she come over?”

“I don't know,” Minho murmured. He jerked his head at Kibum and they caught up with her at the end of the hallway. “Didn't you hear us?” Kibum asked. “I want to-”

He stopped cold as he took in the box in her arms. “What is this?” he asked in a low voice. “Did Kyle do this?”

“My apologies, sir, but I must escort Ms. Gresham off the premises,” the guard said.

“Why?” Minho demanded. “What happened? Claire!”

The others caught up to them and Claire looked at them in mortification. “What are they doing here?” she whispered.

“I… I invited them,” Kibum said dumbly. “Did they… fire you?”

“I can't do this now,” Claire whispered, continuing down the hallway.

“Claire, wait!” Minho yelled, but he was too late to prevent Claire from turning the corner and stepping into the paparazzi's sights. “What's going on?” Taemin asked as the photographers started snapping pictures.

“I don't know,” Minho replied, feeling panic well up inside him. Kibum tried to steer Claire away from the photographers, but the guard seemed determined to guide her through the crowd and out the main entrance. “Please, can't we just take the side exit?” Kibum pleaded.

“My instructions are clear, sir,” the guard replied, taking Claire's arm.

“That won't be necessary,” Minho said, gently tugging her away from him. “We can escort her.”

The three of them bowed their heads and pushed through the paparazzi until they were outside, the guard staying with them until they were in the parking lot. “Claire, please tell us what's happening!” Kibum urged her.

“Kyle, he's… he's taken everything,” she replied brokenly. “The show, the contracts, all of it.”

They made it to her Jeep and she put her box in the front seat. “Claire, I don't understand,” Minho persisted. “How did Kyle do this?”

Claire glanced up at the rapidly approaching crowd of photographers and pulled away from them. “Not here,” she said, getting into the Jeep. “Bring Philip and the others to my apartment later and I'll… I'll try to explain.”

She shut the door and drove away before either of them could protest, barely eluding the photographers who so eagerly snapped pictures of her receding car, and Minho looked back to see the other confused SHINee members watching from the steps. This is gonna be a huge mess, he realized.


******


Claire was resting her head on her arms when someone knocked on the apartment door. “It's open,” she called, setting her glass of brandy on the table.

There were footsteps, then Philip came into the tiny dining room. “Are you okay?” he asked tentatively.

Claire glanced behind him. “Just you?” she asked, ignoring his question.

“The others are in the hall, but they wanted me to come check on you first.”

“Why, afraid of what you'd find?”

“Claire-”

“Bring them in,” she interrupted before downing the brandy.

Philip left and came back with Matt, Jessica, Minho, and Kibum, but Claire's eyes went straight to the last two. “You shouldn't be here,” she murmured.

“You told us to come,” Kibum reminded her.

“I've said a lot of things,” Claire replied dully. “A lot of stupid, naive things.”

She poured another brandy and drank it in one swallow.

“I thought you didn't drink,” Minho ventured.

“It's a special occasion,” Claire shot back.

Jessica put a hand on Minho's arm and sat beside Claire at the table. “Everyone's worried about you, Claire,” she whispered. “They don't understand why this has happened.”

“You said Kyle did this,” Kibum cut in. “What exactly did he do?”

Claire began to answer, then poured and swallowed another drink.

“Claire, please,” Matt whispered.

“Kyle had me brought to Mr. Lee's office at YN,” she said quietly. “He accused me of embezzling money from the show and said Kyle had given him proof. I was fired and almost arrested, but my magnanimous brother offered to recoup the money in exchange for my freedom.” She laughed bitterly and reached for the bottle again, but Philip slid it out of her reach. “Remember New York,” he murmured. “Your drinking-”

“Believe me, I remember,” Claire snapped. “This is exactly like New York, so why shouldn't I drink?”

“I don't understand,” Matt stammered. “You're saying that Kyle somehow set you up to be fired?”

“And take complete creative control of the show,” Claire added, leaning back in her chair. “I was required to turn in all notes and paperwork regarding The Forest Prince, which are now the sole property of my brother, and was not allowed to take a single sheet from my office.”

She looked at Kibum, who had an expression of complete shock and devastation on his face, and smiled. “Well?” she asked.

“Well what?”

“I wanna see.”

“No, Claire, there's no need-”

Claire got up suddenly and went to the living room in search of her phone, still holding her empty glass. “I wanna see it,” she repeated.

The others followed her and Kibum hurried forward as she grabbed her phone off the couch. “Claire, there's no point,” he insisted, trying to take the phone from her.

“Don't touch me!” she screamed, slinging her glass to the floor. It shattered into a thousand pieces and Kibum immediately took a step back. The room fell deadly quiet and Claire saw the horrified expressions on her friends’ faces. “What's the matter?” she asked, her words slurring a little. “I'm not afraid. This’ll be the last time I see my name in print, and I'm not afraid.”

It took her a few tries, but she finally managed to pull up the tabloids and find the article she wanted. It was a large picture of her, box in hand, being hurried down the steps of the production building by Minho and Kibum, who could not be mistaken for anyone else. “Read it,” she said, holding the phone out to Kibum.

“I… I can't,” he said thickly.

Claire turned to Minho. “You, then,” she said, giving him the phone.

Minho took it and sighed deeply before reading. “ ‘American director of photography Claire Gresham fired for embezzlement and creative theft’,” he read.

“ ‘Creative theft',” Claire mused. “Nice touch.”

“ ‘Pictured with her are Lee Minho and Kim Kibum, two members of the talented KPOP group SHINee,” Minho continued. “Recent news confirmed Ms. Gresham's romantic relationship with Mr. Kim, but remain inconclusive concerning her involvement with Mr. Lee.’ ”

Claire laughed and the others winced. “This is great,” she said loudly. “My career is burning to the ground, and they've managed to set both of you on fire too.”

“No one cares about that!” Kibum insisted thickly, and Claire realized he was holding back tears. “Why are you crying?” she asked, putting a hand to his face.

“I… I just…” he couldn't finish and Claire made eye contact with Philip. “You just didn't expect me to react this way,” she said, dropping her hand. “Fine, go then.”

“Claire, this isn't you,” Philip said firmly, “it's the damn brandy. You almost drank yourself to death in New York, and now you seem determined to-”

“To what?” Claire demanded. “Finish what I started? Maybe I should have. Maybe, if I'd just stayed at the bottom of that bottle, none of us would be here right now.”

A dim part of her was regretting this situation, but the alcohol-fueled despair egging her on was louder. “Did he tell you about that too, Minho?” she said, turning to him. “Did they tell you the reason I couldn't hold down a job was because I was drunk all the time?” She laughed again and plopped down onto the couch. “It took three weeks to dry me out,” she said, holding up three fingers, “which is when my precious brother showed up and asked me for help.”

Minho sat beside her and took her hands. “It doesn't matter now, do you hear me?” he said. “Screw Kyle and the rest of them. You're a talented photographer and writer, and the best damn director this show ever had. You'll have job offers pouring in by next week.”

“No one hires a thief, Minho,” she said flatly. “My reputation is dead, my career is dead…”

Philip stepped forward as if to speak, but he just took Jessica's hand. “Come on, you know she's too drunk to listen to reason,” he murmured.

“We can't just leave her like this!” Kibum objected.

“Why not?” Claire asked, standing up again. “I'm perfectly fine, Ki. Go back to your trailer and finish learning tomorrow's scenes. God knows you need the practice.”

She turned her back to them and heard Kibum stomp out of the room, then the others follow one by one until the door closed and she was alone again. They won't come back if they know what's good for them, she thought savagely. I'm a bad luck charm, and everyone should keep away from me.

Notes