Page 71 of Between Never and Forever
“You think she’d drive a big fancy car? She wouldn’t be here with a tour bus,” Brynn chatters to herself, skipping along next to me as we walk toward the building. “I bet she had to fly in a plane. Do you think she has a private plane? I hope not. The pollution is bad for the environment. That’s a lot of carbon emissions. She wouldn’t have a private plane, right? Maybe she flew in a regular plane and then took a limo. I don’t see a limo, though.”
I reach down and smooth back Brynn’s hair, escorting her through the door I’ve already opened.
“I don’t think she’s here yet, Boss.”
She glances at me and opens her mouth to respond, but then her eyes go wide when she catches sight of the set we’ve built.
Two of the soundstages have been combined to create a 40,000 square foot area. The flats have all been fully erected, the paint is dry, the textured details have been added, and I have to admit, it’s pretty fucking cool. With the lighting, sound, and camera crews rushing about, it feels much more alive and real than it did two weeks ago.
“Wow,” she breathes out, taking it all in. “You guys built all this?”
“We did.”
My chest puffs out at the awe on her face, and I try to see the soundstage through her eyes as we walk past the sets we’ve constructed. There are several fancy New York offices, a cozy studio apartment, a coffee shop loft, an art studio, a jail cell, a few rooms that resemble an Italian villa, and a ballroom that looks like something straight out of a multi-million-dollar mansion. When we step in front of another structure, Brynn’s jaw drops. She whips her head to me, then back to the set.
“Dad! This looks just like our kitchen!”
I watch her eyes dart around to every detail—the refrigerator, the island, the double oven—and I let my eyes follow. Even the backsplash is the same. It’s actually eerie, and I worked directly with the props and designs crews. All that’s missing are dishes in the sink, Brynn’s artwork on the fridge, and our dry erase board calendar on the wall. Everything else is nearly identical.
“Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to tell Cameron. You’re so cool, Dad.”
“Want to see the back lot?”
She jumps and claps her hands. “Yes!”
I lead her to the open lot where we’ve constructed what looks like buildings, a courtyard and several small roads in a coastal Italian village. I read a lot about this movie when we got the job, and it’s predicted to be quite the blockbuster. An action thriller that takes place in New York City, a coastal village in Italy, and the Hamptons. Conveniently, though, it will be almost entirely shot here in North Carolina.
“Cooper,” someone calls, and I turn to see Jerry, the studio construction manager, heading my way. I lift a chin in greeting, then turn to Brynn.
“Go look, but don’t touch. And keep an eye out for some of my guys. They’re out here somewhere.”
Brynn salutes me, then skips off just as Dustin, a member of my crew, pops out from behind one of the fake Italian buildings. He waves at me. I point to Brynn, and he throws me a thumbs up just as my daughter bounces over to him.
“Hey, Boss.”
“Hi, Dustin!”
I watch them give each other a low five, then Dustin leads her toward the courtyard fountain, just as Jerry steps up next to me.
“Everything is looking good.” He grunts, shaking my hand. “Your guys did a great job. Some of the best work I’ve seen in all my years here, and you worked quick, too.”
“Thanks.”
He waits for a breath, but when he realizes I’m not going to say anything else, he looks toward Dustin and Brynn.
“You showin’ your daughter around?” I nod in response. “She’s welcome here anytime. We’ll get her a badge if you like. Just keep her away from the equipment. Shit’s expensive.”
I raise a brow at him, an unspoken yet sarcasticno shit, and he laughs. We talk a bit more; I get some information about filming, then we say goodbye with another handshake and a nod.
Jerry has been great to work with. I’m pretty sure the only reason we got this job was because he’s seen the work my company has been doing in the area since the storm. I also think he can guess how much we’renotmaking on the reconstruction and rebuilds. It’s been an unspoken favor, and I won’t let him down.
These towns along the coast are small and tight knit. We all know or know of one another, and word spreads quickly. It's where small town nosy and southern hospitality meet. For as annoying as it can be, it can also be really nice.
I check in with Dustin, then grab Brynn and take her around to the trailer lot. Usually, the studio crew would be driving golf carts to get from one lot to another, but Brynn and I hike it on foot, so when we make it to the crew trailers, we’re damp with sweat.
“This is where she’ll be,” Brynn whispers, walking slowly.
“This is where the cast will be during filming, but they’ll be living somewhere off-site.”
