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The salacious gossip was entertaining, and I stepped a little closer, hoping to get some dirt. The male actor, Bradley Stern, was a B-list actor who starred on soap operas. This was his first holiday film. His love interest in the production, All I Want for Christmas, was another B-list actor named Jennifer East.
“What? Like how old?”
The tall girl took off her hat, a red fair isle with the biggest white fur pompom I’d ever seen, brushed off the snow and carefully pulled it over her perfectly brunette ringlets. “Like our mom’s age.”
“Ewww.” The girl sounded disappointed, but kept her gaze on the star. “Maybe it’s just a rumor.”
The brunette shrugged. “I’ve heard from more than one person that he was seen together at the Last Chance, and leaving Stacy’s house yesterday.”
“Brandon’s mom? I see her every day at the after-school program.” The girl looked at Bradley and shook her head. “I don’t buy it.”
The brunette gave another shrug. “Come with me to the Last Chance tonight. See for yourself.”
This was what I needed. I had already planned a stop in at the Last Chance Tavern, but the gossip girls in front of me confirmed that’s where I was going to find the drama. One of the crew, a young man named Harrison, came over and gave us instructions on how to walk down the street.
“You.” My heart dropped when Harrison pointed to me. I thought that I’d been pulling off my role as an extra.
I pointed to my chest with my striped mitten.
“Yeah, you in the giant coat. I don’t know who in wardrobe approved that.”
Jake’s insulated canvas coat had kept me toasty all afternoon, and I’d forgotten that I was wearing it. “I’m just wearing this until the take.” I hoped that I’d gotten the lingo right.
“Fine.” He shook his head. Harrison looked like he’d come straight from an emo goth concert, his black and green dyed hair poking out from under his slouchy hat. “Take your places everyone.” He herded the group onto the snowy street. I tailed towards the back of the pack and he fell into stride beside me. “I like the coat. That’s what people actually wear here. But, you know, this is not just a romance movie, it’s also a fantasy. “He held out his hand. “I can hang it up in the extras trailer for you.”
As soon as Harrison disappeared with Jack’s coat, I froze. It was as though Jack, and the same smell from his bedsheets, had wrapped itself around me all day, protecting me from the climate of Chance Rapids. Harrison had returned and tilted his head and stared as I zipped the motorcycle jacket tightly to my throat. “What the fuck is up with wardrobe?” He rolled his eyes and then strode away, giving off an I don’t get paid enough to care vibe. It was clear that he would rather be working on a thriller where the act of trusting strangers in a strange town didn’t lead to wedding bells, but to shallow burials in the woods.
For the next two hours I walked up and down the fake main street while Bradley and Jennifer’s characters ate chocolate chip cookies and participated in a snowball fight. My teeth were chattering and even with the mittens, my fingertips were frozen by the time the director yelled ‘cut.’
My phone had been in the pocket of Jack’s coat. I found Harrison and reminded him of the jacket. I squeezed my hands open and closed several times and blew my hot breath onto them, hoping that I hadn’t just gotten frostbite. Other than the gossip about Bradley and some local woman named Stacy, the set hadn’t given me any details for my story.
Next stop was the Last Chance Tavern. My stomach growled, and I realized that I hadn’t eaten anything since the morning muffins with Jack. Harrison’s green hair flashed between members of the festive looking crowd as he dodged carolers to deliver Jack’s coat to me.
“This fell out of the pocket.” He handed me an antique key that was bigger than my hand. “There’s got to be a story behind that.” He eyed up the rusty relic.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” I tried to play it sly with him. There definitely was a story behind the key, I just didn’t know it. Worried that the key would fall out again, I zipped it into the inside pocket of my leather jacket.
“Maybe I’ll get it out of you later.” He winked. His was much more obvious than Jack’s, his whole face was involved in the not subtle gesture. “The whole crew is going to the tavern for drinks. You should join us.”
“I’ll see what the others want to do.” I jutted my chin toward the group of extras.
“They’re all coming.” Harrison pointed his fingers at me like guns, grinned, and then jogged away, disappearing into the throng of actors and crew.
I shook my head and was about to walk away when an arm slid through mine. It made me jump a little until I realized it was the tall brunette with the pompom. “How did you get on Oscar’s good side?” she whispered.
“Oscar? I think his name is—”
Miss ringlet interrupted. “Harrison, but he reminds us of the grouch, you know, Oscar.”
I extricated my arm from hers. “I suppose the hair is the same color, but he seems sweet.” Perhaps if I could get miss ringlet to focus her attention on Harrison, he’d be less inclined to wink at me again.
She leaned in so close I could feel the warmth of her breath on my cheek. “Apparently he’s the one that can get you more screen time.”
“Ah.” I nodded, understanding what was going on. “I’m fine with being in the background.”
Miss Ringlet tucked one of the twirling brown strands behind her ear. “I’m not.”
“Amelia.” The other girl that I’d seen with Miss Ringlet earlier rushed to her side. “They’re all going to the Last Chance.” She was out of breath and her cheeks were pink.
