Chapter 23 Garrick
Garrick
The crew has set up the carousel for my dinner date.
Hopefully, Desiree has a stomach as strong as me because I don’t want to have to clean up puke if the spinning is too much for her.
The music is turned off so they can add it in post production, but they can’t stop the creaks and moans of the old machinery.
Ms Ripley’s been making interns oil it all day, but it’s not improving.
I guess they gave up and are letting it live its life.
Pierre is doing final touches on my make-up. ‘If you hold that brush there any longer,’ I tell him, ‘it might freeze to my face.’
‘You should have learned by now, I can make any look work.’
He is a true magician.
The rest of the girls are back at the apartments, so Desiree and I can get some alone time while about fifteen other people watch our every move.
‘No, I need the Beeloved sign behind him, otherwise no one will see it. That’s the whole point,’ Ms Ripley says, rubbing between her eyes.
‘Can I do anything, Mom?’ Ripley offers. Any stress I was feeling melts away – figuratively speaking.
Ms Ripley shakes her head. ‘No, Juliet, you’re doing great, though, thank you.’
‘Come on, I need a huddle so I don’t freeze my nips off,’ Nathan says, grabbing Ripley. She wraps her arm around him and they cuddle together on a bench.
They’re still doing the final set-up, so I slip away before they notice. I plop down on the other side of Ripley. ‘They should have picked an inside location. It’s brutal out here.’
‘Garrick, you aren’t supposed to be over here.’ Ripley scoots her hands into her sleeves and holds them over her ears.
‘I like your make-up,’ I say, slipping her earmuffs out of my pocket and sliding them on to her head.
She freezes, blinking at me. ‘Uh, thanks. Ellie did it.’
‘You don’t need it, but it’s like flocking a Christmas tree, it adds a bit of flare.’
She frowns. ‘Did you just compare me to a tree?’
‘An extreme compliment, Juliet. Christmas is my favorite species of tree.’ I fluff her pink pom-poms. ‘I thought I should give them back to you.’
I notice her throat bob as my hands linger there. ‘I wasn’t sure I’d see them again.’
Part of me is hyper-aware of the crew around us, but the larger part is distracted by the girl in front of me. I smile, but it’s different than I usually offer, softer. ‘Nah, they look too cute on you not to return them.’
Nathan clears his throat. ‘Um, I don’t want to break up whatever this is, but they’re calling you.’
Glancing to the carousel, I see that all eyes are focused on us. Crap. ‘Sorry, gotta go. Keep the earmuffs warm for me,’ I whisper as I run back to the waiting cameras.
They’ve strategically placed heaters on the carousel so we don’t end up with a couple of ice statues on a date.
‘I thought I’d lost my spot for the night.’ Desiree’s eyes wander to the park we can’t see beyond the bright filming lights. ‘Sure you don’t want Ripley to join?’
My gut clenches, but I ignore the weird spasm. ‘It’s just me and you.’ Even as the words slide out easily, my face donning a charming smile, a voice in my head tells me to stop – that Ripley is watching. I don’t want her to see me flirt with Desiree.
Great, this date will be interesting.
A couple of cameras are set up next to us while the crew stands near the entrance, watching on the video screens. I might not be able to see her as we spin in a slow circle, but getting Ripley out of my mind is proving more difficult.
The date is going fine, pretty much how I expected. Desiree laughs at my jokes and smiles on cue as I ask her about her pets and what she’s looking forward to at Christmas. Then she mentions that she was in the play Romeo and Juliet last summer.
Without my consent my lips quirk into a dangerous grin. ‘You don’t say? That’s my favorite play.’
‘Really?’ Desiree perks up, ready to spout her lines, no doubt. ‘I played Juliet, as you probably guessed.’
Through the dark, I spy her – those pink earmuffs a beacon. I hope the camera thinks the smile is for my date and not the girl waiting off-screen. ‘“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”’
While I can’t see Ripley clearly, I sense the smile tugging at her lips. I’m afraid she might break a tooth if she doesn’t release it soon. When I learned Juliet was her first name, I memorized the best lines from the play just in case a moment arose when I could tease her.
They were right to keep Desiree around. She doesn’t need any prompting to continue talking through the evening. Between her and me, they get more than enough footage to splice into a nice package for the next episode.
When they finally call cut, I nearly jump for joy. My toes are numb in my shoes, and my fingers ache when I move them despite being wrapped in gloves.
The ends of the dates are always a little weird because, no matter who I’m with, we’re always just as unsure of what to do. If it were a typical date, I’d drop her off at home, have a goodnight kiss. Here, I just say goodbye and she’s ushered away.
‘I guess I can return that copy of Romeo and Juliet I bought you for Christmas,’ Ripley tells me as they remove my mic. ‘Since you already seem familiar with the text.’
‘Do no such thing.’ I pretend to be offended. ‘I want it. And I want it signed by the namesake herself. You.’
She tosses a thermos at me. ‘Some fresh cocoa, as requested.’
‘Hey, where are you going? Don’t you want to share it?’ I thank the PA and speed walk to catch her.
‘Too much sugar for this late.’ Just her eyes are peeking over her coat collar.
‘Probably, plus you’re already sweet enough.’
‘Do you really mean it when you say those things? Or does it just happen automatically, like a sliding door?’ She looks over at me, confused, and I’m equally as stumped.
A month ago, I’d say it was second nature and, sure, most of it was just for fun. But staring at her, with the lights reflecting off her blue eyes, it’s never felt truer.