Better Not Be Love

CHAPTER 23 - ACHOO!!!

By the middle of the day, the shoot had exceeded all expectations, and I found myself in one of my rarest and best moods. Carla mentioned it multiple times, but I just shrugged it off playfully, not giving any particular explanation. Even Nathaniel claimed I was being hyperactive, and I teased him, saying that he was only jealous of my youth.

However, I hadn't seen Eugene the whole day. I decided to stop by the production room after lunch hour to thank him for helping me last night and putting me to bed. The thought still sent shivers down my spine. We were filming in a local department store, which has been closed for the duration of the shoot. We only had two days to complete the session; therefore, we considered ourselves lucky to be ahead of schedule. A few of the shop spaces were designated for the production crew, and after having wasted some time searching for Eugene's, I eventually found them. I had a photocopy of the inventory items, which Nathaniel had already checked, but I needed an excuse to see Eugene.

People were rushing in and out of the doorway, and I exchanged cordial greetings with a few of them before entering. It was a mess inside, and there were laptops and mounds of documents scattered everywhere. It was a temporary setup, although I was convinced that almost every department was as untidy as this one, if not worse. We had intended to use a fake set at first, but since we felt that we were jeopardising the authenticity, we opted to contract with a real mall, and the employees worked relentlessly to make everything work in such a short period.

"Where's Eugene?"

I asked a middle-aged woman, and upon seeing me, her eyes widened, but she quickly recovered when she noticed I wasn't there for any surprise inspection.

"At the back side. He should be in front of a laptop."

I thanked her and left her to her duties. I had to hop through cables as I made my way to the end, where dozens of workstations were organized over three large desks.

Eugene was peering at the screen with a sketch book on his right-hand side and a pencil stationed between his fingers. What was out of the ordinary were the three boxes of tissue paper, two of which appeared to be empty, and the black mask concealing his face.

"Achoo."

He sneezed violently and yanked the piece of fabric from his mouth before blowing his nose aggressively on the Kleenex and tossing it into the trashcan, the paper landing above the already-forming pile.

"For the love of God, Eugene, go to a hospital. You are spreading the infection."

An unknown guy yelled from the opposite side, his face also buried in his computer display.

"Sorry."

Eugene said in a grumpy voice before pulling back his mask, giving me enough time to see his puffy nose and red face. I considered approaching him and urging him to get some rest; however, I refrained from doing so since he was crowded by the others. Even though it would not be strange for coworkers to look out for one another, it would be weird if I was involved, considering I don't get entangled in other people's affairs. I folded the documents before getting back to work and gave Eugene one last glance.

..................

"Can I have a car, Susan?"

I requested the transportation supervisor, and she pulled out her tablet prior to scrolling through something.

"Would you like a driver as well?"

I shook my head and explained that all I needed was a car for the next three hours. She tapped rapidly on her iPad and then smiled at me professionally.

"Just go to the parking section of the mall and wait in front of the elevators. You would receive the key from a hotel staff."

"I really appreciate it, Susan."