Chapter 7 Holly
SEVEN
Holly
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THE NEXT MORNING, I was filled with immense excitement.
Today was the day. More people to meet. More opportunity to learn about filmmaking.
More opportunity to get to work on my music with someone so accomplished and talented as Ayra.
The main cast and the rest of the crew would be in attendance today.
I took extra care to wash with a lightly scented soap, shampoo my hair and let my natural curls take hold.
I’d chosen my attire the night before. It had to be casual, yet noticeable. I wanted my entrance to be memorable.
I pulled on my snug black pants and a very loosely knitted orange sweater with a black bra underneath. It was sexy without being provocative, and the orange knit was lovely against my skin, bringing out the hazel amber lights in my eyes and playing nicely against the copper highlights of my hair.
Satisfied, I headed out to the elevator. For this very first meeting with everyone, I wanted to go downstairs alone. I didn’t want Mother or Susan stealing not even a single ray of the limelight I craved.
“Holly!” Mother said as she wheeled herself down the hall and came to join me. “How adorable you look.”
“Thank you. I thought it looked very fall-like. Keely and some of the cast and crew are from America. I think it’s close to Thanksgiving over there.”
“Oh, I forget they’re from America since Ayra and Keely now live here,” Mother said.
“I find that very exciting, Mother. I’d love to visit America someday. It’s a very freeing place...all those freedoms to speak, to say what you want, to be who you want to be, the opportunities...”
Mother smiled. “You are indeed our most outspoken child. America would suit you. Yes, that orange looks bright and cheery on you. Very bold and full of life like you are, my sweet Holly.”
I beamed. I enjoyed being Mother’s favorite. “You look very nice yourself, Mother. I tell everyone I got my looks from you.”
Mother laughed. It was good to see her laugh. She looked down at the pale pink skirt topped with a darker pink blouse. “Thank you.”
The elevator arrived and we got in.
“Perhaps we should wait for Susan,” Mother said. “I think I heard her closing her door.”
I quickly pressed the button to shut the doors, then level one. “Oh, sorry about that. I was already poised to press the button when you said that.”
She shot me a knowing glare.
“Besides, I’m sure Susan can find her way downstairs on her own.
The doors opened and the cacophony of celebrity voices greeted us from afar.
“This is a little exciting, isn’t it?” Mother said.
“Very much so, Mother.”
I wheeled her to the large ballroom.
“Oh, my,” she let out on seeing the crowd.
I looked out at the attire of the women, wondering if I was under-dressed or over-dressed. Judging by many of them, I had hit the mark perfectly. Stylishly casual. Very American or Hollywood. Not so demure or British as stereotypes would led many to believe.
Smiling, I made a beeline for Keely.
“Holly. Glad you could make it.”
A pretty young woman stood beside her. She appeared to be about my age, perhaps an inch or two taller, perhaps a pound or two lighter. A little more blonder.
“Holly, this is Lauren Foster. If you know anything about Sense and Sensibility, she’ll be playing the younger sibling, Marianne.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Oh,” Keely called out as she waved someone over. “Mary! Mary! Come. Come.”
The seasoned actress was several inches taller than all of us and almost painfully thin. She had a pretty if somewhat uninteresting face.
“Oh, you must be playing Eleonor. You truly embody her,” I said.
“Thank you,” the actress said.
In my excitement, I’d lost sight of my mother who quietly came up to join us.
“Mrs. Selma... I mean Maggie,” Ayra said. “Are you able to get around all right?”
“Everything is perfect, dear. Everyone is so kind and considerate. I even had a young man push me to that lovely buffet table set up at the back. Hope you don’t mind, but I grabbed myself a little wedge of sandwich.”
“You grab all the wedges you want,” Ayra said. “That’s why it’s there. We provide the most delicious craft services/catering table for our cast and crew.”
“Oh, how exciting to be here among such beautiful young people. So, so exciting.” She looked past me. “Oh, here’s the handsome young man now.”
“Mrs. Selma,” the man said to her. “I turned and you were gone. You let me know now if you need to be wheeled anywhere.”
“Oh, but you are such a dear.”
I looked at him and my heart stopped. Had a man ever been so lovely?
Standing tall, he smiled at all of us, and I was instantly disappointed when his gaze didn’t linger on me as much as I would have hoped.
He was so incredibly handsome, with such wicked bedroom eyes.
Surely every girl in the place wanted to get closer to him.
And the only one who’d managed to catch his attention was my invalid mother.
“Holly,” Keely said. “I’d like you to meet the hero of our movie. Our Sense and Sensibilities’ Willoughby.”
“Willoughby,” I repeated, enchanted like I’d never been enchanted before. I held my hand out to him.
He took my hand as any fine gentleman would. “However, when I’m not on set, I’m simply Damen. Damen Dominic.”
“Damen,” I repeated his name with the same enchanted tone.
He released my hand and turned to Mother. “Well, Maggie. I told you that simple wedge wouldn’t be enough. How about I wheel you back to the buffet table for another piece?”
“Oh,” Mother said. “That really would be nice.”
And the pair took off.
Great. My mother had hit it off with the best-looking guy in the place... and the star of the movie!
*****
THE DINNER WAS PLEASANT enough, but as dessert was brought out, I slipped away from the ballroom and quietly found my way to the piano room a few doors down.
The piano was set in the center of the modest room, with a dozen chairs or so placed around it.
It’d been a while since I’d played. Since Father’s death, I’d only touched our piano a time or two. And when we learned we would have to move, it was one of the first things to be put up for sale. Oh how I missed our piano.
I walked up to the piano and tapped a few keys. It sounded wonderful. I pulled the bench back and sat down. After a moment of stretching my fingers, of wiggling them about to awaken them, and of contemplating what to play, I finally set my fingers on the keys and played.
It was an old song my mother had taught me so long ago, and while it was an easy enough tune to play, I’d added more to the song to enhance the melody. I played the song through twice before finally finding my voice.
I can dream of the little things
I can always stay awake to make it happen
I can want what the world has to bring
Or I might realize it’s not what I’ve been wanting
But then I’ll fly
Yes, you’ll see me fly away
No matter what you might say
You can’t make me stay
I leaned into the keys, playing harder as the song grew in intensity in the second verse. Then I lightened my touch for the final, gentle chorus.
No matter what you might say
You can’t make me stay
“I don’t know about you, but I certainly want to stay... and hear more.”
Startled, I slammed my fingers over the keys, causing a clash of musical notes. “Oh. I didn’t know anyone was there.”
I stood, for some reason, embarrassed to have been caught playing and singing.
“You have a very lovely voice.”
“And you have a very light footstep.”
He laughed. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just heard the music and was drawn in.”
“I’m Holly,” I said, losing my temporary bout of inhibition. “I’m working on this movie. Who might you be?”
“Major Cooper,” he said as he came forward, his hand outstretched in a very formal, almost military type of way. “At your service.”
I chuckled. “Major? Is that your name or your title?”
He laughed. “Ah, yes. The all-important titles that are based on rank. Is that important to you?”
“Oh. No,” I said, surprised by the question.
He was older, perhaps in his early thirties. Tall and strong, he gave the impression of a man in control. His gaze was intense but not intimidating. His smile was warm, but not flirtatious. His approach was bold but not rude.
Yes, I thought as I looked up at him. He seemed like a very nice man indeed.
“How do you come to be at this little get together? Are you a part of the crew? A member of the cast? You certainly have the looks to be on the big screen.”
“Do I now?” he said with a charming laugh. “No. No. I have no part in this movie. Actually, I’m a friend of Jai’s. We go way back and... well, since I was going to be in the area for a while, he invited me to come around and hang out.”
“Well, I do hope you enjoy your stay.”
“That’s already taken care of,” he said, his smile saying so much. “I had no idea my stay here would include live music... and by a beautiful musician, no less.”
I wasn’t given to blushing very easily, but I could have sworn my cheeks heated up rather rapidly.
And I was enjoying every second of it.