Page 33 of Baby, It's You
“Let’s go to your porch! Is that fine with you, Hunter?” Olive’s brown eyes grow wide as she anticipates my response.
“Sounds great. Let me run and get my camera bag from my truck.” I excuse myself and jog out to my car so I can grab it out of the back seat.
As I head back inside, I hear Mrs. Sonjia speaking to Olive. “He is so cute. Is he your boyfriend?”
Olive lets out a small laugh. “Sonjia, no. We barely know each other. He’s just helping me by making the video series for Whiskey’s. That's it.”
The way she saysthat’s itsounds so final, like there is no room for anything else to happen.
I lean against the hallway wall as I continue to listen. I know I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but I can’t help the temptation. I want to hear what Olive has to say about me.
Mrs. Sonjia continues, “Olive, you have to give someone a chance someday. Not all men are bad.”
“I know. It’s easy for you to say that when you have Mr. Ray.” She sighs. “I’ve never found a man worth dating. The guys my age are horrible, and you know how my dad was…and then all my mom’s boyfriends…” She trails off.
“You don’t have to tell me, honey. I know he caused you indescribable pain and that you witnessed unhealthy relationships in your formative years. Just be open is all I’m saying. There is someone good out there for you. A guy with a golden heart, I just know it.”
At that, I walk backwards and shut the front door firmly. I feel a twinge of guilt but also worry for Olive’s sake. Who hurt her so badly that she doesn’t trust men now and what pain did her father cause? I casually walk into the kitchen and their conversation silences quickly.
Olive gives me an overly bright smile, trying to compensate for the sudden awkward silence, and hops out of her chair.
“Ready?” she chirps.
I nod. “Of course. Lead the way.”
Mrs. Sonjia opens the fridge and pours some iced tea into three mason jars. She hands us both one and takes a sip out of hers. Then she guides us through the living room and out onto a porch. It overlooks the town below; we are literally hanging over the side of the mountain.
“This view is awesome,” I say softly, while taking in the picture-perfect scenery in front of us. Two small birds fly by together and swoop down to rest on a tree branch below.
Mrs. Sonjia sits down on a bench with a colorful quilt. “Do I look camera ready?” she jokes, touching her dreadlocks and smoothing down her long dress.
“You're perfect,Mother Nature.” Olive smiles at her. This must be a nickname she has given her.
I chuckle. “You really do remind me of Mother Nature!” I open a zipper pocket of my bag and pull out my tripod. “I’m just going to set up the camera here.” I unsnap each leg of the stand until it’s a few feet high. “And I want you to talk to me like we are having a normal conversation. Don't worry about the camera at all. We are just two friends talking.”
I have always found that the best footage is the stuff that is filmed organically—not overly composed or set up, but just showing everyday life. That's what people relate to and root for. The audience wants something real.
When I film skaters, I leave in a lot of the shots where they don't get the trick. The clips show how hard they work, so when theydoland a trick, it’s incredible. You celebrate with them as the viewer.
I twist my camera on the tripod stand and then press record. Olive grabs two stools from a porch table and drags them over for us. I thank her as she sits with me behind the camera.
Mrs. Sonjia stares at me. With the sun glowing down on her, she looks ethereal.
I begin to talk. “So, tell me, Mrs. Sonjia. What does Whiskey Jane’s mean to you?”
Chapter 23
Olive
Three days later
Isit at the bar with Rick and press the video link that Hunter just sent me for approval. He wants to make sure I’m okay with everything before he posts it on his channel. Hunter asked for my phone number on the ride home from Sonjia’s the other day. I gave it to him gladly, but then felt anxious after, worried he might get the wrong idea.
I bite my lip slightly as the screen loads. Hunter stopped by two days ago to film some more footage of the bar before we opened for the day. He spent an hour with Rob, interviewing him about Whiskey’s and getting some more of the bar's history from him. By the time he left, Rob was grinning from ear to ear. Hunter seems to have that effect on everyone once he talks with them.
Unfortunately, he seems to have that effect on me, too. I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. Even though I just saw him a few days ago, it feels like it's been months.
Finally, the video starts to play. The screen is black, and I hear Rob’s voice start talking about Whiskey Jane’s. He talks about Seymour and Jane, his relationship with them, how theyalways treated him like family. The screen brightens and pans from the giant mountain view behind the bar to the front entrance of Whiskey Jane’s. Then, as if the viewer is walking into the bar themselves, Hunter’s hand reaches out from behind the camera and pushes the door open. When he enters, there’s me behind the bar, dancing and singing along to Dolly.
