Chapter 5 #2
The snow machine rumbled, then suddenly an avalanche of foam was projected directly at the ladder. Being closest to the machine, Emily bore the brunt of the avalanche, foam covering her from head to toe. She stood frozen on the ladder.
Shit. While it wasn’t toxic, surely it couldn’t be good for Emily to inhale it. I stood, taking a tentative step forward just as Austin jumped off the ladder and started brushing it off his hair, muttering. What a dick. He could have at least helped Emily down.
“Get hair and makeup!” Charles yelled, glaring at Sue.
Emily, still gripping the ladder, started coughing uncontrollably.
A woman jogged toward Emily, but Austin waylaid her, grabbing the towels in her hand and using them to wipe himself down.
Why is no one else helping Emily? I snatched some paper napkins and a bottle of water from the table in front of me and raced over.
I could barely see her face through the foam. She looked like some sort of anthropomorphic snow person—an anthropomorphic snow person having a coughing fit.
“Here, let me help you down,” I said, shoving the water bottle and napkins into my jacket pockets. She was only two rungs off the ground, so I placed my hands under her armpits and lifted her down.
“I’ve got some napkins. Do you want me to help get it off your face?”
Emily nodded through her coughs.
She shut her eyes and I leaned in, trying to ignore the slightly minty scent of her warm breath, and carefully removed the foam from her eyes.
Her eyelashes are unbelievably long. With the foam came some mascara, which smudged around her eyes.
Oops. Emily turned her head away to cough some more, then I wiped down the elegant bridge of her nose.
And then her mouth, brushing over her full, red lips.
After smearing the mascara, I dabbed even more gently to try to avoid spreading lipstick everywhere, though not completely successfully.
I instinctively wet my own lips before I caught myself.
Thank goodness her eyes are still shut. I removed the remaining foam from her cheeks and quickly stepped back as she coughed again.
“Have some water.” I twisted off the cap and passed her the bottle.
Emily took a long sip and then breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god.”
Her clothes and hair were still covered in bubbles, and she now resembled a cute but damp raccoon due to her smudged eye makeup, but at least her face was clear and she could breathe without inhaling foam. “There, I can finally see your face again.”
“Thank you.” Emily ran her hand through her hair, collecting foam as she went, and then shook her hand so the bubbles fell to the ground.
“No problem. It’s the least I can do after I ruined your shoot.”
Emily brushed foam off her coat. “I’m actually quite glad you interrupted. I wasn’t happy with how I’d done my lines, but I’m not supposed to ask for extra takes.”
“Happy to be of service.”
Emily seemed to take acting so seriously.
She clearly cared a lot about doing a good job, which I appreciated since I also took pride in my work.
There was nothing more satisfying than working hard and then enjoying the results—whether it was a bed of perfect ranunculus or, I imagined, a well-acted movie.
“Okay everyone, I think we’ll be able to use the footage despite the accidental blizzard at the end,” Charles announced, looking up from the screen he had been studying. “With a bit of CGI, it should be fine.”
“Perhaps they can just CGI me ice-skating too?” Emily whispered. Her face fell. “Although unfortunately I don’t think their budget will extend to that.”
The thought of teaching her flitted through my head again, but I discarded it. I couldn’t stomach all the Christmas cheer and, in any event, I had too much work.
The woman Austin waylaid earlier handed Emily a towel.
“How’s filming otherwise?” I asked, changing the topic so I wouldn’t be tempted to reconsider.
“Good,” Emily said. “It’s great to be in front of the camera again.
Although it’s definitely moving at a faster pace than what I’m used to and things keep changing.
” Emily toweled off the foam on her chest. “They gave me six pages of new lines I need to learn by Saturday.” She grimaced.
“I used to run lines with my sister but she seems a bit stressed at the moment and I don’t want to bother her.
” She looked over my shoulder. “I might take Austin up on his offer to go through them tonight. I do find it a lot easier to memorize them by practicing with someone.”
I followed her gaze. Austin was leaning against a white trailer talking to a young woman. He was leaning just a little too close to her. His eyes dropped to her chest.
My stomach tightened. I didn’t like the idea of Austin and Emily spending time together alone.
“Well, if you want, I can help. I don’t have any plans tonight.”
Emily paused while reaching down to wipe the last of the foam from her boots. “Are you sure?”
I glanced over at Austin, who was now watching the young woman walk away. Was he staring at her butt? Gross.
“I’m sure. I’m by no means an actor, but I can read...so hopefully that will help.” Very smooth, Dana. Good idea to make sure she knows you’re not illiterate.
Emily beamed at me. “I should be finished around seven tonight. I could come over to your cabin afterwards?”
“I’ll be there.”
As Emily was bustled away by a man holding a large make-up bag, I noticed my heart was beating fast.
Was I anxious? I hardly ever invited people over to my cabin. That was probably all it was. I’d race home and tidy it. Perhaps while I was at it, I’d call Mom back about Thanksgiving. I wasn’t looking forward to that discussion, but I needed to get it over and done with.