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Elisha: LMAO VES DID YOU GOOGLE THE MEANING
Ves: I’m going to guess that you did?
Elisha: [sends screenshot]
Ves: You’re kidding me.
Elisha: I never kid about something as serious as rodent-named restaurants.
Ves: Even when I’m not in Piney Peaks, I can’t escape from it.
Ves: Stoats, mice, chinchillas, and now tuco-tuco.
Elisha: Again, technically a stoat is a weasel...
This exchange never fails to make him laugh, no matter how many times he rereads it, until he’s sure of one thing beyond all doubt: he is absolutely, totally, and completely in love with her.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Elisha
After their two-week vacation in Goa, the Rowe family returns home to Piney Peaks. Elisha yawns around her thermos of hazelnut coffee, brewed hot at the Chocolate Mouse, and crosses the street to survey what’s happening at the diner, where the first scene is being filmed. The street is cordoned off, but there are enough people milling around hoping to catch a peek of the leads.
Just like the original Sleighbells, all the extras and minor speaking roles will be locals, to everyone’s delight. And no one is more excited than Grandpa Dave, personally requested by Damian to play a townsperson after he heard about the revamped sleigh. Even Noelle the Clydesdale plays a part in pulling the sleigh, dubbed by Damian as the most photogenic horse in the stables thanks to Elisha’s pictures.
“How are you not jet-lagged?” asks Mia, who’s been running point in Elisha’s stead. Around a mouthful of Pop-Tart, she adds, “If I got back in the middle of the night I wouldn’t be working today.”
“Oh, I’m not officially back yet. But it’s January fifteenth! The first day of filming! I’m probably not going to last the whole day, but of course I had to visit the set.” Elisha glances at the diner. Cameras, cords, and production lighting are everywhere, but she doesn’t see Heather or Nathan, who were supposed to have flown out over the weekend, or the up-and-comer leads playing their grandkids and respective love interests. “Uh, Mia. Fill me in, what’s going on? Where’s the cast?”
“The leads are still in their trailers and apparently some of the extras are sick, so Damian’s trying to wrangle replacements.”
No sooner is the sentence out before the man himself appears, looking relieved beyond measure to see her. “Elisha, I didn’t think you’d be here today.”
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world. I hear you’ve had some trouble with the extras? Is there anything I can do to help?”
He scrutinizes her, then snatches the coffee from her hands and passes it to Mia. “Yes, actually. How would you like to be one?”
“But I’m not an—” Her yelp trails off as he herds her toward the entrance of the diner.
Elisha is all too aware of the flight fatigue that even her morning skincare couldn’t quite cover. She presses the heel of her palms into her eyes, willing away the dryness and the start of a headache. “Damian, really, you don’t want me, I promise. You don’t know this about me, but I was replaced as Tree #3 in my first-grade play! There’s a reason I’m strictly behind-the-scenes only! I am literally the worst person for this!”
“Nonsense. Now, I won’t hear another word about it. You are the perfect person.” His face breaks into a smile. “It’s good to have you back, Elisha.”
Elisha sighs and gives up, sinking into the red-plastic booth. The other extras semi-perk up when Damian says they won’t have to wait much longer, which makes her wonder exactly how much earlier they got here. Someone plonks down a mug of coffee in front of her, along with instructions to not actually drink it because it’s already cold and this scene may need a few takes to get right.
“I thought this would be way more fun,” Becca says with a sigh, twirling her hair. She’s in the booth opposite Elisha with the people playing her family: a hot older DILF-type fondly watching his two little boys play on their Nintendo Switches.
At the table between them, Riley nods in agreement. He’s here with his parents, and all three of them look bored as hell. Adhira’s at work, but her husband, Sam Ambani, a stay-at-home dad, is there with their toddler daughter, Taj, who’s determinedly clutching crayons and focusing on her coloring book. He catches Elisha’s eye and sighs with exaggerated boredom that sets everyone off in laughter.
The minutes slowly tick by. Every few seconds Elisha’s eyes flutter shut and her neck droops, but she catches herself in time. Maybe she should have slept in after all, but she felt guilty doing so when her parents were opening the Chocolate Mouse first thing.
She stares down at the cold mug, half tempted to risk taking a sip. God, she wishes she had her own thermos back. Hot coffee would wake her up for sure.
Someone abruptly slides into the other side of the booth. Her head jerks. “I wasn’t sleeping!”
Mia snorts. “Uh-huh. Change of plans, Sleeping Beauty.”
Elisha brightens. “You mean I get to leave? I mean, oh darn.” She tries to look suitably disappointed.
