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“I brought it from back home,” he said. “Thank God those little K-cups I love are instant.”
I took a sip and went back to carving at my short stack.
Austin kicked me under the table. “What gave you the red ass? You look like you want to stomp a mudhole in someone’s butt.”
Tess laughed out loud. “I swear I never know what’s going to come out of your mouth next.”
Austin shrugged. “Back home, we call it a country mudhole.” He turned his attention back to me. “Seriously, what’s got you so pissed off?”
“Ah, pissed off,” Tess mumbled. “Now that one, I’ve heard.”
“There’s no time to be pissed off,” Ben said as I continued drinking my coffee. Then he stood up, and Ally rushed over and handed him a bullhorn. “Attention, everyone. We are moving the next shoot up due to the lighting. I’ll need everyone ready in five. Jake, you need to report to makeup.”
“Five!” I said, looking at my pancakes. “Shit.” I pushed them away, and Austin grabbed my fork and dug in. “You have to go too, remember? Even makeup isn’t going to have enough time to work with the two of us.”
“I remember. I’ll be there in ten.” He and Tess laughed, and I let out a long breath, thinking I was going to be starving by lunch, all because of the stupid sun.
After going to wardrobe, I went to the makeup where Kayla, my artist, who was in a worse mood than me. “Ouch, you’re little heavy-handed,” I said as she dragged the brush across my forehead so hard, I was sure it had left a mark.
“Sorry,” she said. “I have a heat rash. The medic said to take it easy, and then Ben starts up with his five-minute shit before I’ve even had anything to eat.”
“I hear you. I left an uneaten stack of pancakes.” My stomach growled as if to prove a point.
“You should have brought them with you. I would have.”
She would have been upset had I done that. Kayla had always hated it when I ate in her chair.
A moment later, she let out a breath. “This should stay on,” she said. “Try not to sweat.”
That was easier said than done. The air was so wet, it was a wonder I didn’t need a snorkel. I walked out through the trees a bit to find Ben yelling at the crew to hurry up.
“We have about fifteen minutes until the sun is behind that tree, so let’s hurry up and not screw this up.”
Kayla swarmed around me, scratching her itches and complaining until Ben called me to my place.
Once I got to the stage where Ben was ready to make me a part of his vision, he turned around and greeted me. “I hope you’re in your headspace, my friend. We have the perfect opportunity to get this shot done.” He glanced around. “Okay, three, two.” He paused a moment then shouted, “Action!”
I didn’t have any lines this round, but there was an intense action shot of me navigating the terrain. It wasn’t the most glamourous or hardest, but when I came to a place I had to jump, it got a little tricky. I hesitated to jump, but that wasn’t part of the script.
“Cut!” Ben called. “Let’s get Austin.”
“No,” I shouted. “I can do it. It’s a simple fucking shot.” I gave Austin a hard look, daring him to come over and try to do what I could do myself. “I’m going to take it from the top.”
“Fine,” Ben said, rolling his eyes. “I want a fluid shot, so let’s get this done. Action!”
I ran through the area, and just when I was about to reach the part where I jumped, I pushed myself and made it. I stuck the landing and continued on, but that was all the shot needed. “Good, that sun was perfection. It added just the right glow and shadow, and I’m pretty sure that’s the prettiest shot in the entire film.” I had hoped he would give us a break, but that didn’t happen. “Okay, I think we can get one more in right now.”
“Get as many as you want,” I said. “As long as we stay on schedule. The sooner we’re back home, the better.”
I stood on the sidelines with the others reviewing that last shot as they prepared and staged the area for the next. Kate was there too, and she was staring at the ground with a concerned look on her face.
“Okay, places, everyone,” Ben said.
“Not so fast,” Kate said as I walked over to stand near the brush.
“I saw something move in here. I’m afraid it’s a snake.”
“Maybe it’s a rhinoceros,” Ben countered with a laugh. A few others joined in.
“That’s not funny,” Kate replied, tired of the man’s remarks. “Especially if it’s a snake.” She walked over and got a stick that the set designers had been using to poke for snakes.
