Chapter 10 #2
‘Think of it like acting in a movie,’ he said, and when she looked terrified, he hurried on, ‘Hear me out. When you’re on camera, on-screen baker is your persona. Act the role – or that cliché, fake it till you make it.’
‘I’m not an actress,’ she said weakly.
‘But you obviously wanted to enter this contest for a reason. Whether it’s the money, the opportunities that might come – whatever it is. Maybe it’s better to think of it like this: you come to work here, at Catpurrcino, right?’
‘Yes . . .’
‘When you’re working in the kitchen, you’re in that persona, right? Professional baker. Employee. If you talk to a customer, you’re professional baker Clem. It’s the same thing. When you’re on camera, you have to slip into a different persona. Contestant Clem.’
She was gnawing at her lip so hard it might bleed. ‘Have you done acting?’
‘Ha, no. Studied film at university. I worked some live-action roleplay events as a caterer and picked up a few things, though. Think of it like that. Like roleplay.’
‘I’ll try,’ she agreed, though she didn’t sound sure.
He wanted to offer more advice, but didn’t know what else to give.
She still seemed so worried, her hand hooked over her elbow and her foot tapping nervously against the floor.
There was an odd mixture of emotions building inside him, like waves crashing forward to reach a shore – to reach her.
Because he wanted to reassure her, make her feel better, and there was this pull towards her that he didn’t really understand.
‘It’ll be fine,’ he said, because it was all he had. ‘Don’t worry.’
And he couldn’t help it – he stepped forward and gave her shoulder a reassuring pat, almost turning it into a squeeze before he moved away quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets. Idiot , he thought. He hadn’t been thinking.
She stared at him, wordless, then, surprisingly, she smiled, her hazel eyes sparkling, and those waves inside him crashed even more loudly.
*
Several days later, Lucas was spending a morning at home, preparing for the first round of the contest. He was in the room that served as their designated Muddy Paws office, which held two desks – one for him, one for Dwayne – and a couple of swivelling office chairs.
A big canvas picture of Reina leaping through a green field holding a frisbee took pride of place on one of the walls.
They’d been sitting here developing ideas for a solid few hours, so Dwayne had gone out to grab some cold drinks to stave off the muggy weather, which was making the air close and sticky.
Lucas leaned back in his chair, swinging to one side in it, absently.
A familiar name flashed up on Lucas’s phone when his chair rotated to face the desk again, giving him pause.
Georgina . What did she want? He hadn’t heard from her in a while.
Since she’d moved away, they didn’t talk like they used to – hadn’t for years.
Childhood friends for over ten years, drifted apart not only in distance but in their bond, too.
They met up occasionally, if he happened to be in her neck of the woods, or if she was visiting home.
And he’d talked her through a few bad break-ups when she was still settling into her new home.
Maybe she was visiting again and that was why she was contacting him?
Georgina: Are you around, Lukey?
Lucas: What, like right this second?
Lucas: And stop calling me Lukey. It makes me sound five years old
Georgina: No, I mean in general. Soon. I’m coming home for a bit
Lucas: Yeah, I’m around
Georgina: Okay
Georgina: It’d be nice to see you and catch up. I’ve missed you
He frowned down at his phone, reading the words over twice. She hadn’t said something like that in a long time. Where had this come from?
Lucas: Is something wrong?
Georgina: Nah. I just feel bad we aren’t close anymore
Lucas didn’t know what to say to this – so he didn’t answer.
When they’d been closer as friends, she had never been particularly affectionate, never saying she missed him or she loved him in the way some friends did.
She wasn’t a hugger, didn’t display her feelings through touch or words.
She’d been like that throughout their childhoods.
Until she suddenly told him she had romantic feelings for him – and he couldn’t reciprocate.
How could he, when she was like a sister to him?
He remembered playing tag with her in the school playground, forming a fake band with some of their schoolfriends, swimming lessons, going to the same high school.
For her, it had always been more. A crush, grown into something deeper over years.
Was she thinking down that track again? His phone vibrated against his hand; he checked the screen.
Georgina: Are you seeing anyone?
Lucas: Why are you asking me this?
Georgina: I’m curious. We hardly talk now
Lucas: No
Lucas: But why does it matter? I hope you’re not thinking of asking me out
Lucas: Sorry, Georgina. I don’t mean to be harsh but we’ve talked about this before
It took her a long time to respond, and she’d been pretty quick up to now; she must be puzzling out a response, digging around for the right words like she was searching for seedlings.
He sighed, scraping a hand over his neck and stretching it out.
He didn’t want to go down this road again – they weren’t heading in the same direction and he’d only disappoint her, like he had before.
Back then, he’d thought maybe he should distance himself from her for good, a clean break. Only, he hadn’t been able to, not completely, after so many years of friendship. The gradual distance between them had helped; he’d expected things to peter out after she moved away. Yet here she was again.
Finally, his phone vibrated again.
Georgina: No, I’m not going to ask you out
Georgina: I wondered, is all. It’d be good to see you, when I come. I could visit you at Muddy Paws. I haven’t been there in ages
Now it was his turn to take his time replying, fingers hovering over the touchscreen as he figured out what to say. He hoped she didn’t think there was a chance something more would bud between them. He should make that clear, as gently as he could. Eventually, he typed out:
Okay, let me know when. Always good to catch up with old friends.
There. It was a subtle enough reminder that she was a friend, almost a sister, to him, and not a prospective romantic partner.
Even so, it irked him that after all these years, Georgina couldn’t seem to let go of her feelings for him. He didn’t know if a friendship could survive that.