Page 42 of Banter & Blushes #1

COLT

T he sun lowers over the water as we head for the dinner. Some of the crew have kept us supplied with water and snacks throughout the day, but I haven’t visited the food station since we started.

I lengthen my steps, anxious to see Tiffany.

“Somebody’s hungry,” Jessica comments when I pass her.

I ignore her and continue toward the truck. She talks to me like we didn’t just meet yesterday. It’s nice of her to treat me as a friend, but also a little strange. As much as she gossips when she does my makeup, I imagine she talks about me to other people.

“Hey.” Tiffany smiles when I reach the truck.

“Hey.” I smile back and take a plate.

They have everything set up like a buffet across the counter. It looks and smells delicious. While I grab a cup of sweet tea, Tiffany sets a stack of small brown cookies on my plate.

“Chocolate, because I know you don’t like coconut.”

“Thanks.”

I’m a little amazed that she remembered.

“Can I get chocolate?” a man behind me asks.

“Let me see if there are any left. All I made fresh today were coconut. I can make a note to bake chocolate for tomorrow.”

He nods, and Tiffany disappears from the window opening .

I take my plate and cup and find a spot under the large tent nearby. It’s one of those enclosed clear tents people have at company events and sponsored tailgates. The Rolling Rocks once played at an outdoor wedding with one.

Jessica slides across from me a few minutes later. “Where did you find chocolate cookies?”

I shrug.

She picks up one of her cookies and bites into it. Then she makes a sound that turns a few heads. “This is so good. You can keep the chocolate.”

I bite into a taco and think about my song. Not the song from the video, but the new one forming in my mind. Seeing Tiffany just now gave me a few more lines. My phone’s in my truck, and I don’t have a pen to write anything down. Maybe I’ll remember it later.

More people sit around us, and Jessica carries the conversation. I’m content to sit back and think on my song—and eat. Tiffany definitely knows how to cook. Everything on my plate tastes delicious.

When the break is over, I plan to find Tiffany and compliment her food and thank her for the chocolate cookies. But Jessica grabs my shirt and pulls me in the opposite direction. “Let someone else throw away your plate. We need to touch up your face before shooting again.”

I sigh and follow her to the trailer.

“I need to get your night look down before tomorrow.”

“Why will I need makeup if it’s dark?”

She puts tan-colored goop on her fingertips and dabs at my nose. “Because, in some of the shots, we’ll have lights on you for close-ups. You’re the star whether you want to be or not.”

I sigh. She leans back and frowns at me. “You do want to be a star, right?”

“For the sake of getting to sing my own songs for a living, yes. For the sake of being famous, no.”

She laughs. “Soon as I get done with you, everybody’s gonna want a piece of Colt Stallion.” She says my name dramatically, especially the last name.

I wince. It was a split-second decision to not use my real name. Even though my first name is the same, I didn’t want people googling me all the time. Internet trolls have a way of finding all the embarrassing kid photos when they get too much information.

Colt Stallion doesn’t have a past. He didn’t exist until a few months ago.

“There.” She swipes a brush across my face, tickling my nose.

“I’m done?”

“Yeah, cowboy. Go make magic.” She pats my back and sends me out the door.

I catch a glimpse of Tiffany inside her truck on my way to the beach. Her back is to me. I want to be on time. Otherwise, I’d rush over and thank her for the food.

“Hey, Colt,” Mackenzie, the director, greets me.

She’s dating, or maybe engaged, to a guy from my home county, which is cool. It helps to have someone familiar with the stuff I sing about. She tells me to back toward the ocean until I’m standing where the water breaks.

I hope they know these are actually my boots, not from the costume people. Not that they’re super expensive, but they are unique. My mom found them for me at the general store in my hometown. The owner has a knack for finding unusual items.

“Can you make smoldering faces?”

“Huh?” I stare at Mackenzie in total confusion.

“Flirt with the camera.”

I almost bite my tongue off, trying not to laugh, when she narrows her eyes and cocks her head toward the camera. When she’s finished demonstrating and I’ve controlled my almost-laughter, she asks me to try. I tilt my head and do what I think is a sexy smirk toward the camera.

Then she laughs at me .

“Was it that bad?”

She laughs some more. “So sorry, but you look constipated.”

Whatever face I thought I was making goes to a frown. She sighs and glances at the camera. “How about this. Pretend the camera is some hot girl you want to hit on.”

I step back closer to the water and look into the camera. In the distance, I spot Tiffany in the parking lot. Perfect. I look in the direction of the camera, but focus on her in the background. Then I imagine all the things I want to say to her.

Before I know it, Mackenzie calls, “Cut! Wow, that worked. Do that same thing tomorrow when the actress is here.”

I half nod. For a second, I’d forgotten they hired a woman to be in the video.

“That’s all we need from you tonight. I’m going to get some B-roll of the beach.”

“So I’m done today?”

She nods.

“Thanks.” I hurry toward Tiffany before she disappears. I catch up to her by her truck. She’s handing out cookies to a few of the crew members and promising a fresh batch for tomorrow.

“Hey.” My voice is airy. I’m a little out of breath from jogging toward her in my boots. A clear sign I haven’t been getting enough cardio.

“Hey. You looked good on the beach.”

“Really?” My face lights up involuntarily.

She blushes. “You know, the beach scene and all. It will look cool in the video.”

She can backtrack all she wants, but I already heard me looking good on the beach come from her lips. Those bright red lips.

“Anyway . . .”

When her lips move, I come out of my temporary coma.

“We’re about to head out. But I’ll see you tomorrow?” She smiles shyly .

“Of course.”

She turns and opens the back door to the truck.

“Tiffany?”

She stops and looks my way.

“Thanks for the chocolate cookies. It was nice of you to think of me like that.”

“No problem. I’ll make more tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to if it’s too much trouble.”

“No, I want to.” She climbs into the truck and smiles at me.

I do some kind of goofy little wave as she closes the door. And I’m sure whatever kind of sappy grin I’m wearing wouldn’t pass Mackenzie’s smolder test.

The truck lights come on and she drives off the lot. I shove my hands in my pockets and watch her leave before heading for my own truck.

Only when I get in and look in the rearview mirror do I realize I’m still wearing makeup.

Just great.