Page 25 of Three Holidays and a Wedding
Anna was surprised by his words. This was almost exactly what Maryam had said to her on the plane. But Maryam had been convinced her family didn’t understand her. Her grandfather clearly did, though.
Mr. Dadu put down the poker and dusted off his hands. “Ihave a feeling about you two. Unlikely friends—it’s a well-known film trope, you see. Speaking of, I plan to watch a stack of Bollywood movies for the rest of the morning. Care to join me and while away the time?” He patted a stack of VHS tapes on a small table beside him and pointed to the television. “I never travel without my own entertainment.”
“That sounds like fun,” Anna said, “but...” She frowned. “I have so much I need to take care of today.”
“What could possibly be so urgent in a town like Snow Falls?”
She pointed to her cocktail dress and impractical shoes. “I’m afraid a snowy town like this is going to require more than the clothes I have on. And you’re right, nothing in Snow Falls is urgent—it’s my lifeoutsidethis town that requires attention.” She started to explain more about her to-do list to Mr. Dadu, but he just shook his head.
“None of those are problems you can attend to right now. Have you seen it out there? It’s... What are they calling it? Snowmageddon. The best thing for you to do is stay here where it’s warm and cozy. In fact, Miss Anna, maybeyoushould commit to a fast.”
“Oh, wow,” Anna said thoughtfully. “I haven’t done that since Beth and I used to...” She frowned, pushed the memory of fasting for Yom Kippur with her now ex-stepmother away, and waved a wedge of apple at him. “Besides, I’m eating right now!”
“Not from food. I am suggesting you fast from worrying so much. Who knows how long you will be here in Snow Falls, but maybe you can make a deal with yourself that as long as you are here, you try to let things go—save them for later.Tomorrow. The day after, even. Maybe, if you give your worries a little time, they will start to shrink.” He winked at her, then hummed along to the festive song playing in the lobby. “It is a trick I employ all the time.”
Anna thought about what he said. Her mind was always pulled in so many directions—except for those moments on the plane yesterday when, instead of agonizing over who she was supposed to be and what she was supposed to do, she had focused on nothing but the deepest truths inside her. Despite her fear, she had felt centered. It had been freeing. And come to think of it, it had felt very similar to the sensation she had experienced every year on Yom Kippur. “I’ll try it,” she said to Mr. Dadu.
“Good. Now, how about we relax and watch some excellent films?” He clicked the television on—and the screen filled with a snowy scene, and two actors gazing into each other’s eyes.
“What luck!” Mr. Dadu exclaimed, delighted. “This is one of my favorites.One Night at Christmas—have you seen it?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Anna said.
“Bollywood can wait—we absolutely must watch this!”
In the film, a couple walked together through the streets of a town at night. “All this looks a little familiar,” Anna said. “That town...”
“Oh, all the towns in Christmas movies look the same. That’s the best part. With this movie, the best is also the acting.”
“The acting? But it’s a cheesy Heartline Channel holiday movie.”
“So you would think—exceptOne Night at Christmasis special. It features one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood—Chase Taylor. The poor man was cast in a terrible movie calledCaptain Eagleman—honestly, someone needs to speak to his agent about that—and it nearly torpedoed his career. But then he and Tenisha Barlowe—that’s her—appeared together inMoonshine.” Mr. Dadu pointed at the screen, to the striking woman who was now looking deeply into Chase Taylor’s eyes as the snow fell around them. “She is an absolute gem of an actress. The movie was a little high-minded and artsy for me—no dancing.” He winked. “But I saw the appeal. Maryam loved it. And it got a lot of critical acclaim.”
“Right, I was reading about this on the plane. And the fact that they’re apparently a couple is really buzzy, too, right?”
“Exactly. It is so Bollywood, but in real life! They met on the set of a romantic holiday movie and now look at them!” He turned back toward the screen. “Okay, so the story line is that Jane—played by Tenisha—comes back to her hometown after having her heart broken. Tyler—played by Chase—is her high school boyfriend, only he stood her up at prom. He had his reasons, of course. But I will not spoil it for you. All you need to know is that this is one of the most romantic Christmas movies of all time.” He rubbed his hands together in delight.
Anna leaned in, watching as Tyler and Jane were interrupted by a horse and carriage running loose through the town just as they were about to kiss. Soon, she was swept up in the story—and she had to admit, both Chase Taylor and Tenisha Barlowe were fine actors, adding a surprising layer of depth to the simple story. She squinted at the screen as the camera zoomed in on Chase. He was handsome and clean-shaven, withwarm brown eyes and a nice smile. “He looks so familiar to me—I must have seen him in something else,” she remarked at one point.
“I hope for your sake you never had to endureCaptain Eagleman.” Mr. Dadu shuddered and Anna couldn’t help but laugh, but then his expression turned serious. “Moonshine, though, that one I hope you did see. Mr. Taylor penned the script for the film and then asked his ‘friend’ ”—at this, he waggled his eyebrows—“Miss Barlowe to play the lead role. It won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF! And Toronto is where Mr. Taylor is from—what a feather in his cap!”
“Oh, right, I think my office friends were talking about that one, but Nick, my boyfriend, wasn’t interested, so we didn’t see it. About a struggling artist living in LA...?”
“Yes! But the Oscar buzz fizzled. It did not gain nominations for best picture or screenplay. Mr. Taylor didn’t write another film, but returned his focus to acting. Now thatTwo Nights at Christmasis being made, Barlowe and Taylor are going to be reunited on-screen—and possibly in real life, too!” He gestured at the movie currently playing on the screen. “But you cannot possibly enjoy the sequel until you see this one!”
“Wow, you sure do know a lot about the film world.”
“Other than my dear, departed wife, the cinema is my greatest love,” Mr. Dadu said with a happy sigh.
Later, as the credits rolled, Anna found she felt deeply relaxed—and very satisfied.
“Nothing like a happy ending, right?” Mr. Dadu said, brushing away a small tear of joy. Heartline was running a Christmas movie marathon, and another movie started right away. ButAnna had seen Kath heading back to her post at the front desk. “I know I said I wasn’t going to worry,” Anna said to Mr. Dadu. “But Idostill need to find a toothbrush and see about the phones. I’ll be right back.”
Anna rushed to the front of the lobby, hoping for good news.
“My dear, it looks like you’re here another day at least,” Kath said. “The airport is still completely shut down.”
Anna glanced at her watch and felt a flutter of dismay.
