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“But we all know about your valuable contribution.” Chris said. “And we’ll never forget.”
“Okay,” Jayce clapped his hands together. “Let’s get started. Chris and Maye, you can take a seat and we’ll get the lighting and cameras adjusted.”
Maye sat in one of the seats and Chris helped her adjust the microphone.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“A little bit,” she admitted. “It’s kind of weird being under lights and in front of cameras like this.”
“Yeah,” Chris said as he wrapped the excess microphone cable around the mic stand. “But, you know what? You’re gonna do great. And all the lights and cameras and extra stuff will just fade away and it will just be you and me having a good time together. That’s what happens when you’re doing it right, anyway.”
She thought about their time together the day before, standing at center stage. “Yeah…I can imagine.”
“Okay, here we go,” Jayce said from somewhere in the darkness behind all the equipment. “I’m going to edit in an opening package, so just do a brief welcome and jump right in.”
“Are you ready?” Chris looked at Maye and waited for her response.
“Born ready,” she said.
He held her eyes, then cracked a smile and nodded as he grabbed the questions off the table next to him. “Alright, let’s do it.”
Maye watched Chris take a deep breath, and then it was like he flipped a switch and became Chris ‘The Actor.’ His effortless charismatic on-camera energy was a shift from the more mellow version she had been hanging out with.
“Hello and welcome to…” he froze and then looked at Maye. “What was the name again? Sparkling Shindig?”
She tried to recall. “Bubbly…something?”
“Bubbly Babble?” he wondered.
“Bubbly Buzz?” she suggested.
“Just call it anything,” Jayce said from the darkness. “We can fix it in post.”
Chris readied himself. “Okay, here we go. Take two.” He took a deep breath. “Hello! And welcome to The Vivacious Vibe Sesh—”
Maye couldn’t contain herself.
“Okay, try it again,” Jayce said, “this time without laughing over the intro.”
Chris cleared his throat. “Hello! And welcome to The Magnetic Mingle!” Chris resettled in his seat. “I’m going to try one more and then we go.” He paused. “Hello everybody! Welcome to the High-Spirited Hangout! I’m so glad you’re joining us here today. I am here with the real-life psychologist, confirmed nay-sayer, and party-pooper, Maye Daniels.”
“Well that’s quite the introduction,” Maye scoffed. “But somebody has to balance the scales when Mr. Christoffer Robert Sunshine-Ponies-Rainbows-and-Birthday-Cake Walker is in the house, right?”
“Technically, it’s Christoffer Robert R. Sunshine-Ponies-Rainbows-and-Birthday-Cake Walker,” he clarified. “Need that R in there to keep that union health insurance coverage. Shout out SAG-AFTRA!”
While Chris naturally adjusted his attention between the camera set ups like he could predict how the shots would be cut, Maye found it difficult to know exactly where she should look at any moment. Every time she caught herself looking down at her hands, she tried to find a camera to look at instead. Not wanting to look at the wrong camera, Maye decided to focus her attention on Chris. He was so expressive and engaging, even just sitting there talking to a camera. She was glad to have a front row seat for this performance. Every time he looked away from a camera and back at her, her heart fluttered a little bit.
“Maye?” Chris said.
“Yeah?” She answered.
“I asked if you were ready to get started with some hot takes. Do we need a commercial break already?” He smiled as he discretely winked at her.
“Yup, ready,” she pretended to be fully present as her cheeks flashed red with embarrassment.
“Okay, first topic up for discussion…in the movie, Almost Only Counts for Horseshoes and Hand Grenades but Never Kisses, the couple—whoops, potential spoiler there, folks,” Chris covered his mouth with his hand.
“Oh, please,” Maye waved it off. “Like people don’t know.”
