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It would be fine from here on out. I was one hell of a pep-talker.
Surely it was time for that beer now.
Chapter Two
Ihad severely overratedmy pep-talking abilities.
A week after the big announcement, movie types had inundated our quiet little town.
Rockmount was buzzing like a beehive in May. Sadly, all that hustle and bustle meant that friction was bound to erupt, even if all the store owners were giddy over the influx of customers.
Every diner—we had two—was packed for every meal and had had to hire extra help. Every hotel—we had two—was booked full and people in town were now renting out rooms to stranded makeup artists and key grips, whatever the hell a key grip was.
I’d already had to ask several trucks with equipment—tons of equipment—to find other places to park then had a long talk with the production manager, a nice guy named Kevin, about where his permits gave him permission to shoot and where they did not. Since most of the townsfolk were hepped up about being in a movie, they all seemed willing to bend over backward. Seemed everyone was happy to have filming take place inside stores and homes. Hell, even Mabel Larkin let them see her bathroom and the cast iron bathtub she’d inherited and now they had scribbled out a scene for Tony to be in that clawfoot tub. A mental vision that I did not ever need. Tony dry was hard enough to purge from my mind. Tony wet would be damn near impossible.
I heard our mayor calling my name and thought, albeit briefly, about trying to duck behind a huge fir tree that the movie set hands were setting up in the middle of our town green. It was utter madness.
“...you are! I was looking for you in the library. Hello! Bradley Milkhouse, mayor of Rockmount and a huge fan of this movie!” He jammed himself between me and Kevin, grabbing the man’s hand and pumping it frantically. Bradley had been running on sixteen cylinders since the film crews had besieged our town. “There’s been a small snafu over at The Pine Arms Motel. Seems they mistakenly overbooked.” I folded my arms over my coat as a feeling of dread settled over me.
“And this impacts me how?” I asked while Kevin, sensing something on the crisp fall winds, eased away and hid behind the massive fir tree. Lucky bastard.
“Well, you have that charming little place, and it’s just you, so—” Bradley said, his coat collar turned up against the chill.
“No.”
He made that face. The one that said he was just a beleaguered public servant like me and why was I being such a turnip?
“Stillman, be reasonable. Everyone in town is pitching in.” He took me by the arm and led me behind a trailer filled with lights and rolls of cables. I followed only because the trailer served as a windbreak. “How would it look if everyone but you acted hospitable?”
“It would look like I value my privacy.”
His thin lips flattened. “So do Lilith and I, but we’ve opened up our home to the director. Everyone on the council has offered up spare rooms. Even Teddy said one of the wardrobe assistants could stay with him.”
“Is she blonde with big boobs?” I asked and got a scorching look. “Just asking.”
“She might be but the point stands. If Gertie over at the library is willing to clear off the bed in her doll room, I’m sure you and your cat can bend just a little.”
