Page 57 of Take It Till You Make It
“So sweet, you can’t stop until he’s killed you.”
I bury my face in my hands and let out a quiet scream. When I meet her gaze in the mirror, I look frightened. “What have I agreed to?”
“It looked to me like you agreed to a date with Crispin Moore.”
“Oh lordy!” I bury my face in my hands again when she raises the spray bottle to re-wet my hair a second time. Nothing about me dating Crispin Moore seems right, but it looks like I’m going to give it a try regardless.
On Friday night.
By the timewe finish filming for the day, I still don’t feel settled about my date with Crispin. Everything about the idea of me and Crispin dating feels wrong, but I can’t put my finger on why. I swing by the cafeteria to see if Sally is around. Maybe talking to her about it will help me define what has me so unsettled. But she’s not there. I stop at her trailer, but Chandra hasn’t seen her. She probably won’t be showing up until later. She and Crispin are shooting a romantic sunset scene – which means they’ll have to do it at sunset. Or maybe she won’t be coming to the set at all today. I would assume the sunset scene is on the beach somewhere. I don’t know.
I might as well track down Jenny to get my questionnaire and see those photos.
I find her in an office trailer near the entrance. When I walk into the blessed air-conditioned room, she scowls at me. It’s probably the fuzzy slippers and booty shorts. I want to pull my sweatshirt down past my knees, I feel so conspicuous.
“I’m here for that marketing thing you told me to fill out.”
“Oh, right! Sorry, I completely forgot about that. It’s all in my office. Let’s run over there.”
I follow her back into the sweltering heat and climb onto a golf cart when she hops into the driver’s seat, hissing when the leather scalds the backs of my thighs.
“So, how’s it going for you? Any problems on set?” Jenny asks.
I shake my head as we speed past rows of trailers and storage containers.
“Your podcast has been great. Sally’s interview was so much fun. It looks like your audience loved her too.”
I startle. “Oh, wow. Thanks for watching. I’m surprised you even know about it. You’re so busy with everything around here.”
Jenny shoots me a grin before taking a corner at top speed. “I’m dating a guy in the marketing department. He’s the one who told me about it.”
I chuckle. This guy must be good for her. This is the most natural I’ve ever seen Jenny. But, as soon as we pull up in front of what I’m guessing is her office, she’s right back to being the ultra-focused professional I’ve always known.
“I’ll let you take the questionnaire home if you promise to bring it back no later than Friday.”
Our footsteps on the metal ramp leading to the doorway echo in the deserted back lot. She pushes through a door, and I have to rush to catch it, so it doesn’t swing closed on my nose.
This office is dark and not air-conditioned. She flips on the lights as I wrinkle my nose against the stale air. There are several desks shoved into the small space. She walks over to the messiest one and riffles through some manila folders.
“Here we go.” Jenny arches her brow as she holds out the folder. “You are very photogenic.”
I frown. I mean, I know I don’t look like a troll on camera, but I’ve never been called photogenic before. Looking around, I see a small round table with a clear surface, so I set the folder on it and flip it open.
My mouth falls agape. I’m staring back at myself from the photo on top of the pile. My eyelids are hooded, and my chin is tilted upward so that I look aloof. The shot is from my waist up. My hands are pressed against my hips with my elbows facing away from the camera, thrusting my chest forward. My stance and expression make me look like a total badass diva. I also look like I’m in my late twenties. Crispin was so right when he said I’ll have some range in the roles I can take.
I glance up at Jenny who is watching me curiously. “When Remi first made me up to look like a thirteen-year-old, I told her it looked like me and not like me. This is exactly the same, but in the opposite direction age-wise.”
Jenny grins. “When they first sent me the proofs, I glanced at the first few and emailed back telling them they sent the wrong file. I thought I’d gotten some high-end fashion shoot instead. People are going to go nuts when they see that you—” she points to the picture I’m still gawping at, “—are playing the little sister. They’ll want to see the movie just to make fun of how miscast you were, only to see that you nailed the part.”
I cock my head. “You don’t know that I’ve nailed the part.”
“I’ve seen plenty of the dailies, Arabelle. You’ve nailed that part.” She looks around as if someone might be listening in on our conversation. “I’m so glad you’ve taken some of the ridiculousness out of the character. She’s still an obnoxious little sister, but an actually funny one instead of a caricature.”
With reddened cheeks, I look back down at the photo. “Thanks, Jenny. I appreciate that.”
“This movie is gonna be so much bigger than they thought. There is so much emotion and drama and humor and realness. People are going to love it.”
For the first time, I truly imagine what my life might be like after the movie releases. What if Crispin and Jenny are right and it takes off? What if I become recognizable?
