Chapter 42
Chapter Forty-Two
T hey did some filming downtown that afternoon as the cast visited some of the local shops in search of the preppiest outfits they could find to wear that evening. They were having another themed party and once again, Lauren and Eloise visited the neighbors in the morning and invited them all. It was likely to be a bit louder than the last party as they’d secured the band from the Chicken Box to play. Everyone was excited about that and Lauren suspected it might be a late night and a lively one.
They went back to Murray’s Toggery, which had a great selection of clothing that fit the look they wanted. A few other shops did as well and everyone took videos of different cast members trying on pink and green shorts and shorts with whales embroidered on them, or anchors, or even sharks. Once again, they had a contest to see whose video would go most viral. It was great early promotion for the show—designed to build buzz.
Lauren had to laugh at Billy’s final outfit—a white button-down shirt with a navy cotton sweater tied around his neck that said Nantucket across the front and bright pink long shorts with great white sharks all over them. The sweater lasted all of about five minutes before he yanked it off and tossed it in a corner.
The caterers were going to do a classic cookout with burgers and dogs, grilled chicken, and assorted chips and salads. Lauren headed back to the inn as soon as she had a text message from her parents that they’d arrived and were settling into their room. They were going to have a nice dinner the next night after the filming ended with the food festival. For tonight, Lauren had to be at the house for the party, so she invited them to attend. She thought it might be fun for her parents to be in the background. She’d get to see them and they’d get a behind the scenes look at what goes into filming.
Her parents were in the room next to Lauren’s, and her mother pulled her in for a hug as soon as she opened the door. Her dad did as well. Lauren felt like she was looking in a mirror when she saw her mother—at least she hoped she’d look that good when she was her age. Her mother had the same color hair and build as Lauren and her skin was smooth, with just a few wrinkles around her eyes when she smiled. Her father’s hair was totally white now, and he’d put on a few pounds around his middle, but he was in good health and Lauren was thrilled to see them both.
“Not a bad setup you’ve got here,” her father said as he looked around the room. The view out the window was breathtaking—the sun was shining, and the harbor was full of boats. Lauren was used to it, but still took a moment every day to just stare out the window and enjoy the view.
She grinned. “I know. It’s awesome. How was the ride over?” Her parents had taken the Hy-Line Fast Ferry out of Hyannis.
“It’s the best way to come here, I think,” her mother said. “It’s so relaxing and the hour goes by so fast. There were so many dogs on the boat.”
Lauren nodded. “I noticed that too, the last time I took the ferry here. That was ages ago, though.”
“So, are you sure you want us to come to your party? We won’t be in the way?” her mother asked.
“Not at all. For the last party, Lisa and the neighbors, who are in their seventies, came. Some of the other neighbors did, too. I think they were all just curious to see what was going on. Lisa can’t make it tonight. She’s getting ready for the festival tomorrow, but Walter and Kay are, and I’ll introduce you. You’ll like them. They live right next to the share house.”
“Did you say there would be food there?” Her father asked.
Lauren laughed. “Yes. Are you hungry, Dad?”
“Starving. Lead the way.”
They walked along the beach to the share house and by the time they reached the steps to the back deck, Lauren could smell the food cooking on the grill and her stomach rumbled. The band was setting up and a small crowd had arrived already, including Walter and Kay. Lauren introduced them to her parents. They all got some food and sat at a table in the far corner of the deck, away from the crowd. Hudson was there too and had his camera stationed on the deck where most of the cast was mingling. Lauren introduced her parents to Hudson.
“I love their outfits,” Lauren’s mother said as she took in all the preppy colors and clothes.
“I might need to get myself a pair of those shorts,” Walter said as Billy walked by in his shark wear.
“Have you seen many sharks here?” Lauren’s father asked him.
Walter shook his head. “No. I know they are out there, though. I think you see more of them on the Cape?”
“We do. Not near where we live in Yarmouth, but Chatham and the lower Cape, Nauset, Provincetown—they see most of the shark activity,” her father said.
“I don’t go in the water anymore,” her mother admitted.
Her father laughed. “Anymore? It’s not like you ever went in much.”
“Well, that’s true. But I took a paddle boarding class with a friend and it was so much fun. It was on a lake, but we were thinking of going in on one together and trying it in Lewis Bay. But then there was a sighting in Yarmouth and we changed our minds.”
“I go in up to my knees. That’s my limit,” Kay said.
Lauren excused herself to go inside and check with Eloise. She hadn’t seen the girls come outside yet.
She found them gathered around the kitchen island. There was a big bowl of white wine sangria and Anna was pouring glasses for everyone. They all seemed in great moods, except for Sami, who was sulking. She’d just received a text message and looked miserable.
“Is everything okay?” Anna asked her.
Sami shook her head. “I’m just disappointed. Zach says he has to work late and isn’t sure if he can make it unless it’s much later. I told him that’s okay, but I don’t know if I’ll see him or not.”
“That stinks. But at least he said he’ll try to get here later. That’s something,” Katy said.
“I suppose.”
The band started to play and everyone made their way out to the deck and spilled over onto the beach. Eloise and Lauren followed them and joined her parents. Lauren introduced Eloise, and they settled in to watch the crowd.
“So, this is your job, then. You throw parties and watch what unfolds?” her father asked.
Lauren nodded. “Pretty much. And then once we finish filming for the season, then we’ll go back and edit it all into a story. That’s actually my favorite part of the process.”
Her mother especially seemed fascinated by the filming as they were able to eavesdrop as Billy and Katy had a conversation about Sami, who was more subdued than usual.
“What’s wrong with Sami? She seems kind of down?” Billy asked.
Katy immediately looked annoyed by the question. “She’s just mad that Zach can’t get here until later, if he gets here. I’m sure he will, though.”
“Ah, got it. Let’s go cheer her up. Let’s get a game of cornhole going. That will be fun and will get her mind off it. What do you think?”
It was clear that Billy was going to do it regardless, and that Katy didn’t want to be left behind. “Sure. Sounds good.”
Her mother looked thoughtful as they listened, then turned to Lauren. “So that’s Billy. Your Billy?” She asked. Her mother had heard all about Billy, but had never met him as they’d only dated for a few months. A few intense months.
“Not my Billy. He’s Katy’s now. And she’s welcome to him,” Lauren said.
Hudson overheard that remark and winked at her.
Lauren’s parents stayed for about an hour and a half. They enjoyed chatting with Kay and Walter and when they stood to leave, her parents said their goodbyes and walked back with them.
“I’ll see you tomorrow a little before noon. I’ll drive us over to the food festival,” Lauren said.
The party was a success. The band was fantastic and had everyone dancing for most of the night. It wasn’t until they stopped playing around eleven that the energy level dropped a bit. Sami had moped around all night waiting for Zach to show up, but he never did.
The production team called it quits at midnight. All the outside visitors had left, and it was just the cast. They were still laughing and dancing to music from a speaker in the kitchen. Billy was in rare form and had them all in stitches as he poked fun at everything, including sharks. Katy’s eyes shone when she watched him and Lauren once again worried for her. It seemed like she was falling fast and hard.
It had been a good night overall, though. They’d gotten some great footage from what Lauren had observed, and she looked forward to reviewing all the film from the party in the morning. She yawned as Hudson walked over and nodded at the beach. “Are you ready to walk home? I don’t mind getting away from this crowd for the quiet of the beach for a few minutes.”
“Sure, I’m ready.” Lauren said goodnight to Eloise and headed off with Hudson.
“So, what did your parents think?” Hudson asked as they walked along the shore. The beach was deserted, and the tide was low, the sand packed hard beneath their feet as they walked. The air was salty and fresh and Lauren breathed in deeply. She would miss this when she was back in LA.
“They got a kick out of it. They liked talking to Kay and Walter and being flies on the wall. They find it amusing that I get paid to go to parties.”
Hudson laughed. “That is a nice benefit of the job.”
The walk went by too fast and just a few minutes later, they reached the steps to the inn.
“Thanks for walking me back. See you tomorrow,” Lauren said.
Hudson’s eyes met hers and he smiled. “See you at the festival.”