Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
DANA
I ran my hand over another section of exposed tree trunk lined with crisscrosses, my jaw clenching. What the hell was doing this to the trees? Reddish-brown pellets surrounded the tree. Could it be a deer or a squirrel?
The tree would have to be marked down. This mysterious animal wouldn’t be helping the cash flow issues Roz mentioned.
I pushed myself up, dusted off my knees, and continued down the row of firs, assessing each one. A black and white chickadee flew overhead. It settled on the top of a seven foot tree and began to sing. Chick-a-dee-dee-dee.
“Can you tell me who’s been eating our trees, buddy?”
The chickadee paused, cocked its head, and then continued its tune.
A loud bang startled it, sending it flying into a neighboring tree.
I glared in the direction of the sound. “How about telling me what that film crew is up to, hey? Did they wake you at five a.m. as well?”
The chickadee squawked and flew off.
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” I said as the chickadee disappeared out of sight.
Roz had warned me that they’d be filming next to the fir trees today—and had even asked me yesterday to cut down a tree they could use for the scene—but I hadn’t prepared myself for that amount of truck doors slamming and loud voices before dawn.
That rude awakening, combined with a voice message Mom had left saying she wanted to talk about Thanksgiving plans, had sent me spiraling into a bad mood that I hadn’t been able to shake.
It didn’t help that I kept worrying about what the film crew was doing to my precious firs and wondering how Emily was.
She might be interested to hear about the new damaged tree trunk and the pellets I’d found…
I stopped. Get a grip. A stunning, talented actress wasn’t going to be interested in animal poop.
“Arrrgh!”
I froze. Was that Emily screaming?
It was definitely a woman. My pulse quickened. She’s probably fine. They would have safety officers on the set, wouldn’t they?
I should check it out. Make sure Emily and the trees are okay. I started toward the area I’d been avoiding all morning. This was probably a bad idea. But what if Emily was in trouble?
At least there’d been no more shrieks.
“Help!”
Shit. That was definitely Emily. I sprinted through the firs. She better not be stuck up another tree.
“Help!”
Emily’s voice sounded louder, more panicked. I pushed myself harder, my legs and chest burning. I jumped over a fallen branch and burst into the field that edged one side of the tree farm. I skidded to a halt.
About thirty pairs of eyes stared at me, along with two large black cameras.
“Dana?” Emily stood on a box holding a large gold star and clinging to the top of the fir I’d chopped down for filming. It had been cut in half and covered with snow. Behind her, the row of firs that formed the edge of the tree farm were also covered in snow.
Shit. Emily wasn’t in trouble. She was acting the very scene she’d been trying to practice on Tuesday.
“Cut!” yelled a bald Black man, as he strode toward me. “Can I help you? We’re trying to film a movie here.”
“I heard Emily yelling for help and thought she might be in trouble.” I cringed at my defensive tone.
“Well, as you can see, she’s fine. So if you don’t mind, we need to keep filming before the foam dissipates.” The man readjusted his ugly Christmas sweater.
“Foam?” I peered at the trees more closely.
The white stuff wasn’t snow. It looked more like bubble bath.
I walked over to a tree, swiped my finger through the foam and sniffed it.
A detergent-like scent flooded my nostrils, sending heat flashing across my body.
“What the hell is this made of? Has anyone checked if it’s safe for trees? ”
“Ummm.” The man, presumably the director, glanced at a middle-aged woman with wavy bleach blond hair and an orange-toned tan behind him. “You’d better ask Sue. She’s our special effects coordinator.”
I raised my eyebrows at Sue.
“Um, I—I don’t know. I can see if the packaging says anything.” She looked around.
I clenched my jaw. Not good enough, Sue.
Sue grabbed a large plastic container with the words ‘Snow Machine Foam’ and studied the back. “Non-toxic to humans and animals,” she announced with a wide grin.
What about trees?
“Can I have a look?” I exhaled as I read the ingredients list. “It looks like it’ll be okay.” I grudgingly handed the container back to Sue. “But can you make sure the trees are rinsed off as soon as possible afterwards?”
“Of course we will. Won’t we, Sue?” The director glanced at his watch and frowned. He turned to me and opened his mouth, paused, and looked me up and down.
“Actually, since you’re here, do you have a spare half hour? We could do with an extra who looks like they work on a farm.”
“Absolutely not,” I said. “I need to get back to work.” I’d already received a text from George this morning asking if I wanted to be an extra on Saturday with her and most of our friends. I couldn’t think of anything worse.
“So you work here on the farm?” the director asked. “I’m sure Roz will be fine with you helping us out. I could speak to her if you want.”
Emily stepped off the box.
“Charles, this is Roz’s head farmer, Dana. I shadowed her on Tuesday.”
“Head farmer, eh?” Charles tilted his head. “Even better. If you don’t want to be an extra, would you mind running your eyes over some dialogue?”
Without waiting for my response Charles yelled to a pale, brown-haired man behind him.
“Anthony! Can you give, er, Dana, the script of the scene about the tractor mishap so we can get her expert opinion.” He turned back.
“It doesn’t have to be completely realistic, but at the moment it’s really not ringing true to me. ”
I looked over at Emily, who mouthed, “Sorry.”
I sighed. I really didn’t have time for this.
But the film would be representing Red Tractor Farm and, after ruining the last scene, I should probably help.
Not only that, but it would be interesting to see Emily in action—and make sure they didn’t damage any more trees in the process.
The fact that they’d destroyed the tree I cut down for them by sawing it in half already stung.
Charles glanced at his watch again. “We need to get back to filming. Anthony will find you a seat. And we’ll need complete silence, thanks.”
Clearly dismissed, I made my way over to Anthony who handed me some paper and a pen and ushered me to a plastic chair next to a fold-out table.
“Places, please,” Charles said, and Emily climbed back on the box. “Get the snow machine going, Sue.” Sue pressed a button on a large black machine and it began to whir, shooting out foam. “And...action!”
“Help! Help!” Emily cried.
My head jerked up. Emily sounded so panicked, my pulse picked up pace. She’s just acting. I fought the urge to go over and double check she was okay, just in case. My gaze lingered on her pink cheeks and lips, which were accentuated by bright red lipstick. It suited her.
I forced myself to focus back on the script in front of me. Jesus, these lines are cheesy. And a Christmas farmer would never say that. I aggressively drew a line across the dialogue and scribbled a note.
“Cut!” yelled Charles. “Okay, next scene. Emily, you stay there, and Austin will come rescue you. I want one camera on Austin and another on Emily. Don’t capture any of the box she’s standing on.”
A blond man with a bronze tan, wearing a firefighter outfit walked to the side of the set.
“And...action!”
Austin jogged in front of the cameras.
“Are you okay up there?” he asked, sounding far less concerned than I had two days ago when I’d discovered Emily stuck up the tree for real.
“No! I’m stuck. I was trying to put the star on top of this Christmas tree, and now I can’t get down.” Emily somehow managed to make the terrible dialogue sound believable.
“I’ll grab my ladder and help you. Just hold on.” Austin walked to the side of the cameras, where somebody passed him a ladder.
Austin set it up next to a big tree nearby and then began to climb.
I frowned. I couldn’t quite work out how they were going to make this look at all realistic in the film. It seemed so fake with Emily on the box and Austin setting up the ladder at a different tree. I guess that’s the magic of editing and CGI.
He stopped partway and yelled out. “You’re doing great. Just hold on. I’ll be there soon.”
When Austin reached the top, they cut again. A man carried a ladder that almost looked identical to the one Austin had been climbing on, except it was only a fifth of its size, and placed it next to Emily on the box.
“Okay, now back to Emily. Austin, this is where you’ll climb up and reach out to save her.
Sue, let’s get even more snow going. I want one camera filming from low down to give the impression of height.
” Charles waited until Austin had taken his place on the bottom rung of the tiny ladder. “And...action!”
Sue pressed the button and the snow machine whirred to life. Foam sprayed out over Emily and Austin, landing on Emily’s face and hair. I winced. That looked unpleasant. I was glad Sue confirmed it was non-toxic to humans.
Austin climbed up the ladder and reached out for Emily.
His hand skimmed Emily’s ass as he scooped her up and helped her onto the ladder.
I narrowed my eyes. That seemed unnecessary.
He kept his hand on her butt, even after she’d safely climbed onto the wooden rungs.
There was something about the way he looked at her that I also didn’t like.
Perhaps it was just an expression he was putting on for his character?
Although I doubted his character was meant to look like a sleaze.
Sue added more liquid into the snow machine, sending another flurry of foam toward Emily. A piece landed directly in her mouth. She pressed her lips together. That couldn’t have tasted good.