Page 109 of Christmas at the Movies
Sarah frowned. She thought both actors had played the scene beautifully.
Mia looked upset by the director’s criticism but nodded.
‘Is it hard to watch Mateo kiss someone else?’ Iris asked Sam.
‘I’ve got used to it,’ replied Sam, taking a sip of her wine. ‘It’s just part of the job.’
Aaron and the other runners helped the crew set up the scene again, brushing away fake snow and resetting props. The camera wheeled back along its track. Reflectors were repositioned.
‘What have we missed,’ said Geraldine, coming over with Roger, Pam, Vi and Olwyn to join Sarah and the others.
‘Not much,’ Sarah assured her mum.
‘We came in the Valley Vistas minibus,’ Geraldine said. ‘It felt like being on a school trip.’
‘Except with booze,’ added Pam, taking her silver flask out of her bag. She took a swig, then passed it to Vi.
‘Take two,’ called Kirsty, her voice weary. It had been a long day – and night.
The actors did the scene again. Still, Noa wasn’t satisfied.
‘Come on!’ he shouted at the actors. ‘This is supposed to be ahappyscene. For God’s sake, ACT HAPPY.’
Sarah winced at the director’s harsh tone, feeling sorry for Mateo and Mia.
‘It would probably be easier to do that if he wasn’t keeping the cast and crew away from their families on Christmas Eve,’ muttered Sam.
They did the scene a third time. It was going well, until right in the middle of Mateo’s big declaration of love, there was a loud beeping noise.
‘CUT!’ bellowed Noa. ‘Where the hell is that noise coming from?’
The insistent beeping was coming from right near Sarah.
‘Whoopsie! I am sorry,’ said Pam, fumbling in her handbag. ‘That’s me. I set an alarm on my phone to remind me to take my blood-pressure medication.’ She jabbed at the screen of her phone, but the alarm continued beeping.
‘TURN THAT FUCKING THING OFF!’ Noa screamed at her.
‘Oh, deary me …’ Pam got more and more flustered, pressing buttons to no avail.
‘Here, let me help,’ said James. He quickly turned the alarm off.
Noah’s assistant attempted to pacify him, but he just swore and pushed her away.
Sarah frowned. Over the past few weeks she’d seen that Noa was a control freak, and that he could be extremely demanding. She’d accepted it as part of the creative process that had won him many awards. But this behaviour was completely out of line. He couldn’t treat people like this.
‘What a rude man,’ said Vi disapprovingly.
‘He should wash his mouth out with soap,’ agreed Olwyn.
‘Thank you so much,’ said Pam, as James handed her back the phone – now switched to silent. ‘I don’t know what we’ll do when the cinema is gone, James, and we can’t come to your repair shop after Golden Oldies.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Sarah.
‘When we organised the minibus this evening, the director of Valley Vistas mentioned you were thinking of selling the cinema.’
Sarah slowly turned to face her husband. ‘What is she talking about?’
‘Oh, dear,’ said Pam. ‘Have I put my foot in it?’
