#gilbert green

Just Acting - Dress Rehearsal
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Gil’s door clicks softly as he closes it behind himself. He stops with his back to it, folds his arms, and watches.

Cross-legged on the floor with a compact mirror held up to the light, 704 is applying the final touches to her makeup. She bats heavily mascaraed lashes at Gil, and turns her pout in his direction as she paints sealer over sinfully red lips. A thin dust of gold glitter over her cheekbones, and she is done.

“How do I look, sir?” Her voice is husky and sweet.
“Like an expensive whore.”
A quick, dazzling smile, straight out of Smith’s playbook, and 704 unfolds gracefully to her feet. She lifts her arms over her head like a ballet dancer and does a little pirouette.

“This is your last chance to come to your senses,” says Gil.
“You’re worried about me.” A sharp smile that’s all Liv accompanies the teasing accusation.
“Because your plan is stupid,” Gil fires back.
“My plan,” she arches a perfectly painted eyebrow, “is going to work. Yours didn’t.”
“There will be other opportunities.” He steps forwards, and puts a hand on Liv’s shoulder to spin her again, slowly this time, inspecting every inch of her. “It’s always better to play it safe.”
“You like to play it safe, old man. I like to live a little dangerously.”
“Playing it safe is how you live to get “old”. Do you think we don’t live dangerously?” One hand tugs the hem of her dress to adjust it by a centimetre.
“It’s going to work, Gil,” Liv reiterates. “And look on the bright side. If I die, you get to claim my share.”
“Assuming you succeed before you die.”
“Of course.”

When he finally steps back, satisfied with her costume, Liv spins again then bends sideways from the waist. She plants her hands on the floor, kicks her legs high and performs a lazy cartwheel, legs scissoring to demonstrate her range of motion.

“I still think you should back out.”
“But you’re still going to help me do it,” Liv smiles, righting herself.
“I’ll come to your funeral.”
“You’d better.”