Page 11 of Holly Jolly July

Ellie

“Good morning!” I singsong as I swing open the door at the top of the stairs. It’s bright and early and not quite hot out

yet, so my Christmas sweater hasn’t drenched me in a layer of sweat. I bounce into the room, full of vigour and excitement

for the first day of filming.

I’m early. There’s no one else here except Jimmie, a few other backstage people, and Mariah. She’s at our makeup stand, leaning

toward the mirror and applying mascara.

“Hey now, don’t use up all your skills on yourself.” I bounce up behind Mariah and meet her gaze in the mirror.

She casts me a quick glance then returns her focus to the mirror. “Morning.”

Not a morning person, apparently. That’s okay. I’m morning enough for the both of us. She’s dressed in her usual black attire,

leggings and a tight long-sleeve shirt, but something doesn’t fit in.

“Why are you wearing a scarf?” I tilt my head as I regard the bright red garment.

She shrugs her shoulders to her ears. “No reason.”

My mouth drops open and I clap in excitement. “I knew it! It’s happening!”

She looks mildly panicked. “What?”

“You’re getting into the Christmas spirit!” I squeal and clench my fists.

Her mouth contorts into a disgusted frown. “Oh god no, nothing like that.”

I twirl with the end of the scarf around my fingers. “Then what’s with this?”

She regards me as if I’m an annoying toddler who recently learned the word why ; it’s an expression I get often. I maintain my smile, holding out, knowing that she’ll break before I do.

Finally, she sighs, casts a glance around, and then pulls down the edge of the scarf to reveal a bright purple hickey.

I gasp, but she gives me a death glare, so I stifle it with my hands. “Ma- ri -ah!” I give her arm a playful slap, and lo and behold I earn a fraction of a smile. My first Mariah smile! I should get an

award.

Okay, it’s more a smirk than a smile, but it’s something.

Mariah readjusts the scarf. “I didn’t notice it when I was getting ready this morning and I don’t have my shade here.”

Ah, yes, a makeup artist who’s covering up a hickey with props from the costume department must not be in the most comfortable

predicament. “Say less,” I say, settling into my chair. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thanks,” she replies, softening.

“But also...” I widen my eyes and lean forward, catching her attention through the mirror. “Say more ! Who’s the lucky person? Have you known them for long? Is this an old fling, or a new one? Did you make it past the neck

area? Did you—” I click my tongue and whistle.

Aha! Another smile! I’m on a roll here.

“It’s new. Sort of.”

“Ooh, rekindling an old flame?”

“Something like that.”

“Go on...”

She sighs, like I’ve broken down some sort of barrier, and after a moment she relents. “We went to high school together. We

didn’t really know each other, though. I didn’t think he even knew I existed back then.”

“Well, he definitely does now!” I lift my fist for her to bump. She eyes it for a moment, then returns it in the most limp-wristed,

half-assed way possible. I’m still calling it a win.

Mariah begins prepping my face with the clear goop, the soft pads of her fingers massaging circles over my cheeks, my forehead, my nose. “I was at the bar avoiding my... I was at the bar having a drink and he was there. The bartender.”

“Oh my god, you got to live out the ultimate fantasy. Second-chance romance and sexy small-town bartender!”

“Right?” She seems to pick up on my energy, talking with a bit more animation while keeping her voice low so no one overhears.

“He’s tall, and chiselled, and has this confidence that radiates off him. He’s always had a lot of charisma. Like he walks

into the room and you can feel his presence, you know?”

“Mmm-hmm, do I ever.”

Mariah switches to a brush, squirting some light tan liquid onto it before swooping it over my face in effortless, practised

motions. “One thing led to another, and then we were back at his place, and he... yeah.” Her face flushes pink.

I bite my lip and try my hardest not to squeal, but it’s challenging. “Oh my god, no! You didn’t!”

She raises an eyebrow. “Oh, but we did. A few times.”

“Damn, girl! You’re like, my hero right now.”

“Thank you.” She lifts her chin.

“You know, you have the radiant skin of a person who’s had great sex.”

I say it a little too loudly and she shushes me, but the half smile still on her face tells me she’s not mad. I like Mariah

on sex. She’s in a way better mood today than she was yesterday.

“Well, I hope whatever this guy is doing to you, he keeps doing it. Because damn.” I wave my hand in a flourish, directed

at her reflection in the mirror, and she glows from the compliment.

“I hope he keeps doing it, too,” she replies.

We fall into a companionable, comfortable silence. Thank god . The next two weeks will be so much better if we have some sort of working friendship. I knew I’d win her over eventually;

some people just take more time.

“I may have met someone, too,” I say as she steps back to eye her handiwork.

“Oh?” Seeming satisfied with the tan liquid, she says, “Close,” pointing to my eyes.

I follow her orders, continuing to talk. “Yeah, his name is Matt and he takes care of the Airbnb I’m renting and last night

I was decorating the cabin with my Christmas lights and I plugged too many things in and I shorted out a breaker and I couldn’t

find the panel so I texted the number on the app and this guy showed up and ohmygod he was so handsome and he came in and

fixed my breaker, but not in a porno way, like the real way, turns out the electrical box was hidden behind a picture, which

is smart, they’re not exactly nice to look at, and after he kind of flirted with me, and he was like, clumsy, you know, he

couldn’t take his eyes off me, and he tripped when backing out, and yeah.”

Mariah pauses what she’s doing. After a couple seconds I open my eyes to look at her, and she’s... laughing. It’s a weird

silent laugh, just her shoulders shaking while she covers her mouth, followed a weird chesty inhale.

I got her to laugh!

Mariah takes a step back to compose herself, giving her head a shake. Well, if that isn’t the most rewarding thing to happen

to me in a long time. I grin back at her, pleased beyond belief.

Finally, she touches the corner of her eye and exhales a slow breath. “You’re hilarious. I don’t even know where to start

on that one, but I’m glad you... flirted with a guy and you think he’s cute.”

My eyes widen. “Maybe we’ll both have a small-town Christmas romance and get swept away by the perfect guy and live out the

rest of our lives in peaceful bliss with a chicken coop and some fainting goats and bake our own sourdough bread!”

Mariah gives me a pointed look. “Or, you know, not that. The opposite maybe.”

I nod. “Yes. Or the opposite.”

Yueyi walks up while Mariah is pulling my hair into a bun. “What are you doing here?”

Mariah pauses. “Me?”

She shakes her head. “We don’t have you on set today, Ellie. We had to move you. Late notice. You don’t have any scenes until

Thursday.”

“Oh.” My eyes dart from Mariah to Yueyi and back, my face warming. “Right. Of course.”

Yueyi says nothing. She walks past, onto the next item on her endless to-do list.

As soon as she’s gone, I sigh, collapsing into my chair. This is so typical. I should be used to getting shuffled around and

pushed aside.

“Hey,” Mariah says, nudging my arm.

I look at her through the mirror. The concern on her face makes me squirm. Then, I look at myself. I’m pale, washed out, my

hair looks like I gave zero shits when I got up this morning—and I’m not even supposed to be here. But none of this is Mariah’s

fault, and it’s not fair to her to put up with me and my mistakes and bad moods.

After a quick breath, I straighten and force a smile to my face. “You know? It’s fine. I wanted to explore Chilliwack anyway.

It’s a beautiful day. Maybe I’ll go visit the park, or the library, or—”

“How about I do your makeup?” Mariah interrupts.

I gesture at my face in the mirror. “You already did.”

“No, like for real.”

“Are you sure? You have time?”

She shrugs. “It won’t take long.”

I sit up a little straighter. “Okay. Thank you.”

Mariah gets to work, moving with much more energy than before, telling me to close my eyes and open them and close my mouth

and open it and five minutes later I barely recognize myself in the mirror. My eyes are lined in black with smoky brown on

the lids, making them seem twice as big. There is a sharp angle to my jaw, my cheekbones stand out, and everything is just...

“Wow,” I manage.

Mariah lifts her chin. “There you go. Now, why don’t you go call up that Mitch guy—”

“Matt.”

“Why don’t you call up Matt and invite him over. See what happens?” She leans toward me, talking in my ear. “Take your relationship

from G-rated to X.”

I shiver at the sensation of her breath on my neck, at the places my imagination goes with the mention of X-rated things and

Matt.

“You know what?” I look at myself with the kind of confidence I haven’t felt in a long time. “I think I will.”

As soon as I’m back in my cabin, I march to the stove, pull it inch by inch away from the wall, hoist myself up onto the counter,

lean down, and unplug it. I’ve barely pushed it back into place by the time I’m texting Matt.

ME: hey! Sorry to bother you again, but the stove is acting up. Is there a secret to getting it to work?

The bait has been set. While I wait for him to reply, I twirl past all the twinkling lights in the main room of the cabin

into the bedroom. I remove my sweaty Christmas sweater and pull on a much sexier, and still somewhat seasonal, red tank top.

My phone dings.

MATT: hey, I’ll be right over

The bait has been taken!

Casting a glance in the mirror, I give myself a sultry look, fully embracing the character of the woman who eyes me back.

She’s confident. She’s sexy. She knows exactly what she wants and how to take it. And that’s what she’s going to do.