Escape to the Tuscan Vineyard

Chapter Three

I woke up to the aggressive honk of my 6 a.m. alarm and threw my running gear straight on. It was always best to get up, dressed and outside before my brain had time to talk me out of it.

‘Morning, Abi!’ Ned called, as I ran down the stairs.

‘Morning!’ I shouted, over my shoulder, setting my watch as I went – 5k, 35 minutes; my first challenge of the day. I put my headphones in, cranked up the dance music, and set off. Padding along the streets towards Highbury Fields, running to the beat, no time to think; the steady thud of my feet hitting the ground, melodic and meditational. Keeping on, keeping on. Today was the start of a new adventure and I wanted to kick it off right. A new job, a new industry, and hopefully some new friends. I got back to the flat, had a shower and a green tea, and shimmied on a black, silk jumpsuit – chic, casual and comfortable. My work uniform. Every new job was like another first day at school. My make-up was topped up, and my brushes were washed and soft. I felt ready to take on the world as I lugged all my gear outside and waited for an Uber. I always treated myself on day one to make sure I arrived on time and my kit got there in one piece. It was too expensive to risk dragging it across town on the tube, and it would be hell getting from Islington to Stratford at this time in the morning.

‘Abigail Mason.’ I spoke clearly into the metal box that asked for my name, as an invisible eye watched me. The door buzzed open, and it was a relief to step out of the sun and into the air con. I wheeled my case ahead of me, along the smooth, concrete corridor, the smell of coffee filling the space as I spied the Moonmen set for the very first time. An enormous green screen, six cameras in various shapes and sizes, and groups of people milling about, eating toast and granola pots, and drinking out of paper cups.

A girl with pink hair and oversized glasses stopped me before I could walk through and introduce myself.

‘ID?’ she called, holding out her hand.

‘Morning!’ I said, with a sunny smile, unzipping my bag and handing her a plastic wallet. This wasn’t my first rodeo.

‘Morning. Thanks, doll,’ she said, scanning my passport with difficulty, her purple talons getting in the way. ‘Look straight ahead, please; don’t smile. And now up here.’ She clicked her fingers and there was a flash and a whirr, and the printer spat out my security pass.

‘That’s you done,’ she said with a wink. ‘Welcome to the crew. I’m Tanya – I’ll be seeing you in and out of the building each day.’

The pass was shiny, silver plastic with an LATV logo front and centre. The only thing ruining it was my befuddled expression, as Tanya had caught me unawares. Still, I was officially in and just putting the lanyard around my neck sent a shiver down my spine. I was someone who ‘worked in film’ now, a member of the showbiz community, if you don’t mind.

‘You’re in Room 2. Just around the set to the right.’ Tanya popped a piece of gum in her mouth and went back to her phone.

‘Thanks.’ I gave the top of her head a nervous smile, then set off towards the toast-eaters, scanning their faces in case there was anyone I knew. I walked slowly past, smiling blankly in hope, but nobody looked familiar. Oh well, it would give me chance to widen my circle and make some new friends or, at the very least, some new contacts.

Make-up was always next to the stage at the theatre, so it made sense for us to be the first room in the corridor, positioned nice and close to the set. I stood outside the door where a whiteboard hung on a hook with ‘Make-up 2,’ scribbled in black marker. That was me. This was it. I knocked and waited. No answer. Oh well, here goes nothing. I struggled in with my case, swinging the door open with my bum, to find a petite girl with long black hair, bopping along to her headphones and laying out her kit.

‘Morning!’ I said, excited. ‘I’m Abi. I’m here to replace Kelly?’

‘Hey! Great to meet you! I’m Lucy,’ she said, her ponytail swishing as she came over to hug me.

‘You’re an even earlier bird than me. We don’t start for another hour!’

‘I know. I’m too keen. Everyone seems to be,’ she said, twirling her hair into one long, thick lock.

‘First day of school vibes,’ I laughed, lifting my case onto one of the low tables. There was a mirrored wall surrounded by lights, with two stations set out where we’d get the actors ready. One to get them into their silicone masks and one for their moon make-up. The film was a classic interplanetary romance, where humans and moon-people lived side by side, connected by a space superhighway between Earth and the Moon. Girl meets boy, well, woman meets wayward Moonman rogue. There were six different moon heads for each actor, each one unique, and they sat on the side, glowing. I’d need to get to grips with which one was used in each scene, although Lucy was in charge, so she’d brief me on what to do.

‘Wow, look at these,’ I said, getting up close to study them. They were intricately made works of art, and it would be our job to wrestle the actors into them and add the finishing make-up touches before they went on set.

‘Pretty cool, huh?’ Lucy said, admiring them from afar. ‘I’ve been staring at them all morning.’

Luckily, only two of the actors were wearing moon heads, Blake Thomas and Travis Johnson, so they would be our focus and I couldn’t wait to meet them both. The job would become much clearer once we got to know each other and got into the swing of things. I unzipped my case and pulled out my make-up stacks, bags, and brushes, and set up my side of the room. We had floor-to-ceiling windows along the back wall, looking out over East London, with plenty of sunlight streaming in. The thrum of early morning traffic carried up from the street below, as cars honked, buses sighed, and commuters pattered past. I slid my empty case under the wardrobe and took a long look around the space. Yes. This would do nicely. I lined my brushes up, perfectly straight and equidistant between the mirror and the edge of the dressing table, just like I had them at home. Every brush had its own space and was in the right place.

‘We’ve done alright here, haven’t we?’ I said, excited to get going.

‘I’ll feel better once the guys have been in for their skin tests,’ Lucy replied. ‘I hate this part at the beginning when we’re waiting to get started.’

‘Have you had chance to look around the set yet?’ I was desperate to see it.

‘Not yet. We can go together if you like. Shall we get a coffee?’ Lucy asked. I nodded. Caffeine was a terrible idea, but it was a good excuse to go and mingle. We walked into the central space where people were chatting and waiting in line for hot drinks. The set was split into six sections, each one completely different to the next. The surface of the moon, a futuristic lounge full of tech, a bedroom with a telescope poking out of the window. Each environment meticulously laid out by the set designers to bring the Moonmen world to life. Lucy was ahead of me in the queue as I openly stared at everything, and everyone.

‘Abi…? What do you want?’ she called.

‘Skinny soya latte with an extra shot, please,’ I replied, on autopilot.

The man behind the counter looked tired. ‘Black or white?’ he said, unimpressed, holding up a jug of filter coffee.

‘Oh. White, please.’ No expense spared. Lucy handed me my coffee and we wandered over to get a closer look at the set. It was strange to be in a totally new place, after such a long stint on Les Misérables. I knew everyone in the cast there, the backstage and front-of-house crew, and every nook and cranny of the theatre. And now I had to start again and get up to speed with a totally new process, team, and space. Part of my job was to settle the actors and keep them happy and relaxed before they went out to perform. Their final pitstop. I looked around at the people I’d be working with – my new classmates. There was a collective drawl of American accents buzzing about the place, and not one face I recognised. The buzz increased, turning into a flurry of excitement from the other side of the studio, as a group of men in jeans and gilets were ushered through the space.

‘It’s Blake Thomas,’ Lucy whispered, as I arched my neck to see. The three men were virtually identical – it must have been him and his two stunt doubles, unless his entourage were forced to wear matching outfits. The trio were marching towards us and came into focus as I tried not to stare. One of the guys did look kind of familiar under his cap. He was tall and broad, with dark hair and a scruffy beard.

‘I recognise the one in the middle,’ I whispered back.

‘Course you do,’ Lucy rolled her eyes. ‘That’s HIM. Outlaws’ biggest star.’

It couldn’t be from that. I’d never seen Outlaws. I didn’t like to watch TV on my own. That was something Josh and I used to do together. Binge-watch a box set on a Sunday night; a bucket of toffee popcorn drizzled in chocolate sauce to share. The only time I put the TV on these days was while I cleaned, so the flat didn’t feel so empty. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d sat down to watch a show – it just didn’t feel right somehow. I occasionally put something on when I was on the move. On the train or on the rare occasion I found myself on a plane these days, but that was about it.

I shook my head and turned back to Blake. I must have seen him on TikTok or in a meme. Maybe on a clip of Graham Norton. I couldn’t quite… see him properly, as everyone had stopped to stare. The floor had turned into the mannequin challenge as Blake glided along, seemingly in slow-mo. He smiled and nodded as he walked, like a member of the royal family. Smile and wave, boys, smile and wave. As he got closer, I saw the side of his face before he finally turned and looked my way. We locked eyes for just a second, but that was long enough. He paused. That beautiful smile frozen on his lips and gone from his eyes. And then he carried on by. Phoebe had said I’d know him when I saw him, and I did. I knew that face, those eyes, and that smile. It was Pete.