Page 29 of See You Soon

“I don’t think Commander Data will mind if you don’t look exactly like him.”

Wes huffed, but Cara could see he’d reached his limit with the heavy makeup. Flashing their badges at the security guard, she steered him to a chair inside.

Peachtree Pictures had provided a hospitality room for those with VIP passes, and it had filled up since they left hours before. Most were standing in small groups talking, but there were a few seated with their feet up. She and Wes were among only a handful in costume, and she could practically feel his embarrassment.

“Hang on.” Cara grabbed the bag she’d stuffed under a table that morning and began to loosen the glue with her latex adhesive remover.

“That shit sticks, huh?” Cara lifted her eyes to see a woman (at least she thought it was a woman) dressed as a Ferengi, arms crossed watching her work. “You need to use a lot more.”

“Ahhh! I’m already making a huge mess!” Cara exclaimed, as the liquid dripped onto the leg of Wes’s Starfleet uniform.

“Here.” The Ferengi shoved a handful of napkins at her.

“I’ve got it.” Wes snatched the napkins out of her hands, when she began wiping up the spill on his lap.

The woman looked around the room, and the part of her mouth not covered in a molded latex piece curled. “Brian can afford VIP tickets and a room here, but I can’t get funding for a real team.” She waved at someone across the room, before her attention returned to where Cara was crouched in front of Wes, trying to prevent the dark curls of her wig from sticking to his thick, white makeup as she worked on his face.

“I can’t believe you dressed up, Wes!” the woman said, as Cara carefully inched the latex chin pad from Wes’s skin.

“Me, either.”

“Is this your handiwork?”

Cara nodded. “It’s my first time using the latex, but I was happy with how it came out. Who did yours?”

The woman was completely transformed with what must be several sculpted latex pieces and a wig.”

“I did. I’m the lead makeup artist onLove in Arms,” she said, referring to the Peachtree Pictures movie Wes was working on.

Cara opened the jar of white makeup and began sponging it gingerly onto Wes’s reddened chin.

“You should clean and moisturize that first.” The woman pointed out.

“I know. I didn’t bring everything I needed and,” she gestured to where Wes’s eyes were screwed tightly shut as if he were being tortured, “my client’s patience is limited.”

The woman laughed loudly. “I’m Skye by the way. He must really like you to let you do this. Never in a million years did I think I would see Wes Evans in a costume.”

Cara felt her cheeks heat.

“Leave my roommate alone, Skye,” Wes said.

Skye’s eyes widened slightly behind the makeup.

“I thought you bought a house when you moved back?”

“Still looking.”

Cara kept her mouth shut as she finished blending the edges of the old makeup with the new. Wes hadn’t looked at houses in weeks. She sat back on her heels. The chin didn’t look great, but it would do for the next few hours.

“You’re free. Don’t touch it for ten minutes. Give it time to dry.”

Wes got to his feet and immediately stretched his mouth, cracking the thick makeup. Cara sighed.

“Cara’s really talented. It would be awesome if she started having models other than me,” he said, giving Skye a meaningful look.

She looked at Cara consideringly. “Are you licensed, or is this something you do for fun?”

“I have my license, but I’m just getting started.”