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“I’ll get it,” Ben insisted, grabbing a stick and shooing the snake out of the stall. “It’s a harmless one, I think.”
“You think?”
“We didn’t have too many snakes in the city. Rats, I can tell you all about; snakes are a bit of a mystery. But that one is gone now. You can shower.”
She shook her head and closed her eyes. “What if it comes back while I’m shampooing my hair and I don’t see it until it’s too late. I’m pretty sure it lives here. It’s going to come back.”
“Want me to keep watch? That’s sort of like peeking.” He grinned mischievously, seeming to enjoy the way she was scanning the area for another snake.
“Shut up and stand right there. If anything moves, kill it.” Paisley pointed to the ground and stomped her foot. “Don’t move. Your job is to protect me, right? Here is your first assignment. Snake duty.”
“Don’t Hollywood actresses all love animal protection and PETA? You sure you want me annihilating anything out here in the wild? That might be bad publicity if I ever decide to sell my story for a book deal. Famous movie star orders unconditional murder of all scampering woodland creatures. That headline would definitely get people reading.”
“Without hesitation. No mercy. You’re right, I’ve been to every gala for animal welfare and protections since the first month I arrived in Hollywood. But now I’m here in the woods. All bets are off. Anything that skitters is on its own. It’s survival of the fittest. And your job is to make sure I’m the fittest.”
“You look plenty fit to me.” He winked and gestured for her to head into the shower stall. “Technically though, I’m not sure they had spiders and snakes in mind when they gave me the job.”
“Consider the job description rewritten.” She put her hands on his shoulders and moved him in front of the shower stall. “Anything that moves.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ben offered a little salute and stood like a soldier outside the shower as she turned on the water. It seemed like he couldn’t help but pepper her with more jokes. “Hopefully Bambi doesn’t walk by. That would be a sad turn of events. Some little deer I’d have to take out because you’re heartless.”
“Bambi can live as long as he keeps his distance. That thing charges toward us and you know what to do.”
“Wait, are you going to keep watch for me when I shower?” He half turned but remained a gentleman, his eyes focused away from her.
“I’m going to be standing on the table in our room the second I get my clothes back on.”
“A table dancer. Good to see you’re considering other careers in case acting doesn’t pan out.”
“Funny. I’m not going to come down until someone makes sure there is nothing crawling around in our room. You can do a full inspection every hour or so.”
“I see my job title changing by the minute. I’m on rogue-creature patrol.”
“It could be worse,” she replied, her voice suddenly somber. “The last person who used to spend their days with me is in the hospital fighting for his life. At least out here it’s only poison ivy and slimy creatures.”
“He’s going to be all right,” Ben asserted. “So are you. No poison. No stalker. No snake. Nothing is going to get you. I promise.”
With the conviction in his voice, she almost believed him. And as the somewhat warm water trickled over her hair, she was grateful for that.
CHAPTER5
PAISLEY
After Paisley's encounter with the snake in the shower stall, she was on edge for the next hour. Even though they were relentlessly joking about it, she couldn’t shake the jumpy feeling. Her skin crawled and everything that moved out of the corner of her eye made her do a double take. She’d been on movie sets out in the wilderness, but it was so controlled and sterile. If there had been wildlife meandering around, the lights, equipment, and people would have scared them off.
Cinderhill didn’t have any of that hustle and bustle. The morning air felt crisp and invigorating as she joined Ben outside their room. It wasn’t possible to hide away in their little room. It was claustrophobic and sparse. She didn’t know what to call the enclosure they were sleeping in. It wasn’t a hut or a cabin. It was just a square with a floor and a roof. Two beds. A fireplace. Not much more. She felt lucky to have somewhere to lay her head, but it was all so strange. She didn’t realize people really lived out in the woods like this. And they thoroughly enjoyed it.
She and Ben finally made their way to the common kitchen building, where the aroma of breakfast greeted them.
The hive-like activity around them hinted at the communal nature of Cinderhill. Paisley had formed an opinion about a commune, but this felt different. People moved about, engaged in various tasks, and the sounds of laughter and conversation filled the air. They looked like a well-rehearsed crew accomplishing things without having to bark out orders or step over the other person’s task. She’d grown so used to the breakneck pace and smog of home. The air here, the lack of commotion, and more importantly, the smell of bacon filled her with some jittery excitement. She loved new things. New scripts. New colleagues. New locations. She’d try to embrace this the same way.
They found an empty spot at a picnic table, surrounded by others enjoying their morning meal. Mrs. Tully approached them with a warm smile, carrying plates of food.
“You survived the shower. That’s a good sign.” She chuckled to herself.
“Barely,” Paisley admitted bashfully. “There was a snake in there. You all probably heard me scream.”
“That’s just Gus. He eats pesky things and likes to hang out in the shower. We call that symbiotic. Though I also think he’s a bit of a pervert.” Mrs. Tully chuckled at her own joke as she put two plates of food down in front of them. “He’s harmless though. One of the good kinds of snakes.”
