Chapter 5
Chapter Five
I t wasn't hard to convince more cast and crew members to come to The Thirsty Bucket. They were exhausted from filming for twelve hours but wired from the continued sunlight and sugar cookies. A makeup artist from the trailer two over from catering cried out, " Silver Bells is going out on the town!"
Randy agreed to take the van back to the head kitchen, then return with the key and hang out for a while. The twinkle in Randy's eye told Sophie that he was surprised. A minute later, he explained to Beck why. "Sophie never goes out with us. What makes you guys so special?"
What had gotten into Sophie? She wasn't sure.
Maybe it was just a little bit of excitement.
That, and the fact that she was standing up to the mean-spirited director. It was up to her to maintain Christmas cheer. It was supposed to be a Christmas film, for crying out loud!
Sophie led fifteen of the cast and crew like the Pied Piper through the snowy, cobblestone streets of downtown Willow Creek. Jeremy staggered after them for a while, removing his traffic vest, but soon after, he cut around a corner and disappeared. Sophie wasn't sure what to make of that. Had she wanted him to join?
"Isaac gave that weird traffic guy the stink eye," Mike explained, sidling up to Sophie as they entered the warm pub. "We don't want him around."
"Yeah! We want you all to ourselves," Isaac affirmed.
Sophie laughed. She felt delirious from lack of sleep and overwhelmed by constant socializing.
Isaac pushed open the door of The Thirsty Bucket, and they were enveloped in a warm pub of dark wood benches and bar counters, Christmas decorations, ten golden beer taps, and Christmas music twinkling from the speakers. Everything smelled of old beer and nuts and whatever they were frying up in the kitchen.
The bartender was one of her father's great friends, Alan. He'd owned and operated The Thirsty Bucket since the mid-eighties and therefore knew every member of Willow Creek intimately. He threw a red bar towel over his shoulder and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Look what the cat dragged in!" he called out. "Sophie Masters, I haven't seen you in The Thirsty Bucket in years."
Sophie's cheeks were hot. "Good to see you, Alan."
"Are these your new friends?" Alan asked of the crew.
"We're the cast and crew of Silver Bells !" Beck announced proudly.
"And we just love your Sophie!" Natalie wrapped her arm around Sophie's shoulders and tilted her head.
"Who doesn't love our Soph?" Alan clapped his hands. "Let's get started. Who wants a beer?"
There was a raise of hands. Alan worked diligently, pouring pint after pint and setting them on coasters across the bar. Sophie watched him work and felt a smile creep across her face. Around her, the cast and crew bubbled with laughter and conversation.
"Year after year, we have film crews here in town," Alan said to her as quietly as he could. "And year after year, they never support the town's businesses. They never once came into The Thirsty Bucket. Not until now." He smiled. "Thanks for bringing them in here, Soph. Maybe your dad told you? It's been a hard year for sales here at the bar."
Sophie's heart felt bruised. Quietly, she said, "I'm sorry to hear that. It's been difficult for my catering business, too."
"People are tightening their wallets," Alan agreed. "Well, people around here are, at least. I never imagined Hollywood would swoop in and save us!"
Alan interrupted his flow of pouring beer to grab a glass of wine for her.
"You remembered!" she said.
"I always remember someone's drink. Chardonnay for sweet Sophie," he said. "Go on! Sit down and stay a while."
Sophie thanked him and turned around with her wine. The cast and crew had filled the bar. Natalie waved her over, and Sophie sat with her and Brent for a while. They were fascinated with each other, falling in love just as the script had said they would. Sophie wanted to ask them if they frequently fell in love with other actors in their productions, but she didn't want to take them out of the moment.
Maybe they were "method acting," she thought.
Suddenly, the door burst open. Derek Brownlee walked through, his boots cracking against the hardwood. His assistant, Cara, came in after him, offering Sophie a discreet smile.
Sophie wondered if Cara and Derek were an item. Did girlfriends or boyfriends frequently act as assistants for their more successful partners?
If she's his girlfriend, I hope he treats her well.
But Sophie had a hunch that Derek couldn't treat anyone well. Not in the dark mood he was in.
Derek caught Sophie's eye for a split second. His expression was sinister.
The Thirsty Bucket continued to play Christmas songs. "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" piped through the speakers.
You can't defeat Christmas in Willow Creek , she thought. It has a mind of its own.
Derek grabbed a beer, and Cara opted for a glass of white wine. They sat at a corner table and pored over a notebook Cara pulled from her bag. Sophie guessed they were making plans for the upcoming days of filming.
"Did you see him earlier?" Brent muttered to Natalie. It was as though Brent had forgotten Sophie was there.
"You mean, when we were doing the first kiss scene?" Natalie's eyes were lit up.
Brent nodded. "It was like he couldn't look at us. He had us kiss, what, three times?"
"Only three times!" Natalie agreed.
"It's strange," Brent said. "He redid that scene of me brushing my hair like twenty-three times."
"And he had me run up and down Main Street thirty-five times!" Natalie remembered. "Over and over again, he said, 'It's not right. Let's do it again!'"
"But a kiss? Arguably one of the most important scenes in the entire film? He only wants that three times?" Brent shook his head. "It doesn't make sense. I think only one of the takes was okay."
"It's weird. It's like something is eating at him," Natalie said. "Like he doesn't want to see us kiss. Isn't he a fully grown adult? Isn't he a professional?" She used air quotes around the word "professional."
"Did you know him back in LA?" Brent asked.
"I auditioned for a film of his a few years ago," Natalie remembered. "He was still up-and-coming, but everyone was really excited about his vision."
"What was the film?"
"It was never made," Natalie said.
"Huh." Brent leaned back and crossed his arms.
"It happens all the time," Natalie stated with a wave of her hand.
"Not to people like Derek Brownlee," Brent said.
Sophie burned with curiosity. She sipped her wine and watched Derek and Cara out of the corner of her eye, wondering what this guy's deal was.
Her heart churned with adrenaline. She hated how attractive she found him. It felt as though he had a quiet power over everything simply because his jawline was perfect.
She resolved not to let him keep that power over her. She resolved to remember his anger and his volatility above everything.
Suddenly, Beck, Isaac, and Mike were surrounding her, peppering her with questions about the next bar to go to after this. Sophie cackled. "Boys, we're in a small town," she said. "The Thirsty Bucket is about all you're going to get."
This pleased them all the more. Beck stormed up to Alan. "Did anyone tell you The Thirsty Bucket is the best bar in the world?"
Alan laughed openly, his chest bouncing. "If you're an actor, you've got real talent."
"I'm just a sound guy," Beck assured him. "I've never gotten away with a lie in my life."
But the following early morning on set was not an easy one. Sophie had only one glass of wine before heading home for bed, but many other cast and crew members hadn't been so sensible.
Or they knew how to celebrate in ways Sophie didn't.
Either way, Sophie felt bright and chipper as she strung even more Christmas lights over the catering table and turned on the outdoor heater. Randy was still in the van, drinking a massive bottle of water and shivering. She was pretty sure he was hungover, too, but he refused to say.
It wasn't long until the sound guys got there, limping around as they set up their equipment. Beck approached and asked for, "Coffee. As soon as you can pour it, and as black as you can make it."
Beck hung his head as she poured. Sophie asked, "What else happened last night? Any drama I should know about?"
Beck raised his chin to show eyes laced with capillaries. "I'm pretty sure Natalie and Brent went back to the hotel together."
"So they left the bar together. But don't they have separate rooms at the hotel?" Sophie asked.
Beck nodded. "But did they use those separate rooms?"
Sophie giggled. "It doesn't sound like you have any real gossip."
Beck groaned and took his cup of coffee. "The only gossip I have is that the other sound guys and I drank one too many beers last night. That, and Derek Brownlee said something awful to his assistant and stormed out of the bar."
This caught Sophie's attention. "You didn't hear what it was?"
Beck shook his head too quickly and winced. Sophie could imagine his head heavy with a hangover.
"I don't envy Cara," Beck said, sipping his coffee. "I just hope she doesn't quit. I have a feeling she's the only person keeping Silver Bells together. Well, Cara and Sophie, of course."
On cue, they heard Derek Brownlee growling at someone on the other side of the cameras. Sophie tuned in to hear.
"You do know you're supposed to be falling in love with each other in this film, don't you? That's the whole point?"
Sophie craned her neck to make out Natalie and Brent on the far side of the cobblestone street. They were rehearsing their next scene before the cameras rolled. Natalie had her hands shoved in her pockets; her skin looked vaguely green. Brent seemed unable to look at her.
"See?" Beck muttered. "I think something happened! Now, they can't even work together!"
Several other cast and crew members approached to grab croissants and cups of coffee before filming began. Sophie was getting into the rhythm of it and even remembered most everyone's names.
"You're a godsend, Sophie," the assistant costumer said. "I heard you have croissants?"
But Sophie didn't just have croissants. "I have the normal version and the Christmassy version. Which would you like?"
The costumer laughed. "Uh-oh. Derek's in a foul mood already. And you're offering Christmas croissants?"
Sophie raised her shoulders as if to say, I'm not in charge of the way Derek feels.
"It's just the way we do things in Willow Creek," she offered instead.
"A Christmassy croissant, then," the assistant costumer said, rubbing her palms together.
Last night, Sophie came up with the idea of layering the croissant with whipped cream and strawberry jam so it looked like Santa's hat. She even added some green and red sprinkles on top to make it livelier.
The costumer's eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas morning. "This is adorable," she said. "Can I take a picture?"
"Take as many as you want!" Sophie said as she handed the croissant over.
"Beck, look at this!" The assistant costumer waved him over.
Beck cackled and looked Sophie in the eye. "She's playing with fire!"
From the other side of the cameras, Derek called for the final rehearsal before rolling. Everyone scampered to their places and left Sophie and Randy to continue prep for the next break. The assistant costumer hollered a last thanks and took her croissant with her.
There was more coffee to brew, eggs to arrange, and bacon to pull out of the coolers. Randy took several breaks for water, so much so that Sophie considered sending him home to sleep off his hangover.
"I never should have hung out with the sound guys," Randy moaned. "I'm ruined!"
Sophie laughed. It was sometimes hard for her to remember what it had been like to be twentysomething—eager to forget that tomorrow was fast approaching and you had to pay for your mistakes sometime. She and Jeremy had probably been like that, celebrating their youth and their life and their love as often as they could.
As though she'd called him, Jeremy hurried past the catering tent to grab a cup of coffee. His eyes found hers as he raised his cup, careful not to make any noise that would distract the film process.
A shiver went down Sophie's spine.
But already, Jeremy was gone.
His quick appearance and disappearance gave Sophie whiplash. It was like he took this job just to bother her.
Or he took it to get her back.
Did Sophie want that? After everything he'd put her through?
Then again, she hated how her father and mother sometimes talked about Sophie's future, as though it was already ruined because she hadn't married yet. Maybe getting back together with Jeremy would get them off her back?
But she didn't want to "just get back together" with Jeremy for such a silly reason.
Suddenly, Derek's assistant, Cara, stood in front of the catering table. Sophie blinked out of her reverie and smiled, remembering that Derek had stormed out of the bar last night. What was it Cara had said to make him so angry?
Just like always, Cara was dressed chic, with high-waisted pants and a shining bob. Just now, she watched filming through the gap in the cameras and equipment with a strange expression. Derek demanded more of Natalie, trying to pull an Oscar-worthy performance out of her.
It was just a Christmas film. Why was he acting like he was Martin Scorsese?
Then again, probably all film directors wanted to be Martin Scorsese. No job was small.
Cara cleared her throat quietly. Sophie wished she could read her mind.
When filming broke for a minute, Sophie leaned over the table and whispered, "Can I get you a coffee, Cara? A croissant?"
Cara turned so that her bob flipped. "That would be great. Thanks." She smiled.
"We have the Christmassy croissant or the regular," Sophie explained.
"What does the Christmassy croissant entail?" Cara asked.
Sophie described them, and Cara laughed so hard that she bent over. "It's so nice to be out of California," she said. "I'm remembering how to eat again."
"Does that mean you want the Christmas version?" Sophie asked.
Cara's eyes glinted. "It means I want a bit of whipped cream and a bit of jam. But go light, Sophie. I'm used to green smoothies and low-carb diets."
Sophie fake-shivered, then laughed. "Sounds awful."
"It is!" Cara giggled.
Over by the cameras, Derek called for a break. "Natalie, go back to your trailer and say your lines as many times as it takes to believe them," he ordered.
Cara sighed, gripping a cup of coffee with both hands and watching Sophie as she smeared a thin layer of jam over the croissant. "Let me know if he gives you any trouble about the croissants," she said softly.
Sophie raised her shoulders. "I don't care one way or the other."
She wanted to say, I'm here to do a job. If their director won't boost morale, it has to be me.
Cara sipped her coffee contemplatively. "He was really something a few years ago. That was back when he first hired me to be his assistant. Film production companies wrote him blank checks to make whatever he wanted. He never would have deigned to work on a Christmas movie like this. I had trouble keeping up with his career’s fast pace."
What's wrong with Christmas movies? Don't they make people happy? Aren't they essential to the Christmas spirit? Sophie wanted to demand.
"But now? You can see how frustrated he is," Cara said with a shake of her head. "He treats poor Natalie like she's supposed to be the next Nicole Kidman or something. Natalie's great, don't get me wrong, but she's at the beginning of her career. She hasn't worked much. And Derek blames everyone else for their own happiness because he doesn't know how to be happy himself."
Sophie tilted her head. "I don't understand," she breathed. Why would anyone do that?
"It's been three years since he lost Georgia," Cara explained. "Everything's been difficult for him since then. It's been difficult for me, too."
"Georgia?" Sophie's heartbeat was rapid in her ears.
"Derek's wife," Cara explained. "But she wasn't just his wife. She was so much more. She always wrote his screenplays; they were always together. They were perfect partners, both artistically and romantically." Cara sighed. "When I first met them, I thought, I didn't know true love actually existed! And then, not long after that, Georgia was dead, and Derek quit working for a while." She raised her eyebrows. "Natalie auditioned for the film he and Georgia were working on at the time of her death. That must be why he's so disappointed in her acting. He assumed she'd be so much better because she represents this big part of his life."
Sophie's mouth was dry with alarm. Never had she imagined Derek was a wounded man. She'd considered him to be a soulless, Hollywood-elite type.
Brent made his way to the catering table. His eyes were dark and spinning. "I heard a rumor about Christmas croissants?" He said it as though his life depended on it.
Cara bowed her head. "I think they're going to save this film."
"Nothing can save us from the Grinch," Brent said with a sigh.
"Maybe a little whipped cream will help," Cara said. She then reached across the catering table to touch Sophie's shoulder. "He doesn't know how much you're helping his cast and crew. Maybe he never will. But as his assistant, I want you to know I see you and appreciate it."
Warmth flooded Sophie's arms, legs, and stomach. But before she could thank Cara, she was gone with the flip of her bob. She had to take care of her flailing, brokenhearted director. Otherwise, Silver Bells would be doomed.