Timothèe left, deserting Lilia and I back at the table.
"I could feel the sparks, Cleo. I literally felt them," She said, widening her eyes and gesturing to the air around us with her hands. I just rolled my eyes.
"You're psychopathic," I said, through light laughter. She just smiled as we continued unloading the boxes.
--
We finished about a half hour later. It took much longer than I had anticipated. Despite the freezing air around us, I wiped a beat of sweat off my forehead. Timothèe had gone into the house a while ago, to film his scenes. I realized I probably wouldn't be seeing much more of him today. With a forlorn glance towards the large wooden front door, I carried my pitiful folded boxes to the recycle. Lilia and I trudged through the snow, the snow leaving my feet cold and my shoes saturated with water.
"What's next?" I asked, out of breath from the simple venture. Lilia sighed deeply and pulled out the sheet of paper from her pocket. She blew into one of her hands to keep it from numbing.
"Uhhhh. Costuming." She said. Her head rolled back and she let out a groan. I laughed loudly, feeling exactly the same way.
"Maybe they'll let us off today. What more do they need from us in costuming, anyway?" She asked. I shrugged.
"You're right, but if we want to not get absolutely obliterated by professor Pratt when someone tells him we skipped one of our jobs because we didn't want to do it, we should probably go," I said. Lilia rolled her eyes but reluctantly followed me.
We reached the tent in no time. It was much easier to walk back when you weren't carrying several pounds of lightbulbs and cameras and whatnot.
"Damn. This is the most exercise I've had in years," Lilia said. I snorted and walked inside, the rush from the warm air inside an instant. Continuing inside, I took a deep breath and headed to costuming, Lilia at my side.
As we walked inside, I was shocked by the busy atmosphere. People were running around everywhere, fabric swatches and dresses in hand.
"Oh no. We're not going to be extras again, are we?" Lilia asked desperately.
"God, I hope not," I responded.
"Ladies! Over here!" A woman yelled slightly above the noise. I recognized her as one of the main designers, and with a breath of uncertainty, Lilia and I walked over.
"Now, we have a very special guest in here today. Jacqueline herself has decided to come in and see her designs in action. I need you, girls, to shadow her, kind of ask her if she needs anything, and get it for her immediately, okay?" She asked.
Lilia and I exchanged nervous glances once again.
"Yes ma'am," I responded. She smiled at us and nodded, giving us another once-over. After an awkward moment, she whisked away, leaving us with the strong scent of her luxury French perfume. I turned to Lilia, panic evident in both of our eyes.
"Who on earth is Jaqueline?" She asked, exasperated.
"I have no idea," I responded.
We didn't have much time to look around, because a commotion started near the door. I turned quickly to see a kind-faced woman with a long black dress walk in. She was accompanied by the woman who had just left us, and a devastatingly familiar face.
"Tell me that's not Timothèe," I whispered to Lilia. She nudged me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me through the crowd. I momentarily lost control of my legs but scrambled to catch up with her.
We ended up in a small corner behind Jacqueline, Timothèe, and the other woman. I heard glimpses of their conversation, but I couldn't make it out.
"You'll be very pleased with the costumes on film. They flow beautifully," The woman was saying.
"I have first-hand experience, and I can definitely say that you are an absolute mastermind," I heard Timothèe say to Jacqueline. She smiled gratefully and he folded his hands behind his back. I watched him glance around the room, looking at the busy atmosphere. That was before his gaze landed on me. His eyes widened, and I saw him raise his eyebrows.
He glanced back towards Jacqueline, noticing she had moved on without him and was now talking to a man with a curly mustache about a piece he had in his arms. He stepped away, walking over to me in a few brisk steps. Lilia had already begun to follow Jacqueline, so it was just me and Timothee.
"Whatcha doin?" He asked me curiously. I glanced around the room quickly, to make sure no one was watching before I responded.
"Shadowing Jacqueline. What are you doing?" I questioned back. He looked down at me with a sparkle in his eyes, his arms still clasped behind his back.
"Just helping out. I'm finished for the day, so I thought I'd hang around. Speaking of, I was trying to find you," He said. I smiled.
"Well, you've found me," I responded. He chuckled, before looking back up and around the room.
"Are you allowed to leave right now?" He asked. I bit my lip and shook my head.
"I can't leave Lilia to assist Jacqueline. The lady over there said so," I replied. I tilted my head in the woman's direction. He looked thoughtful for a second, before quickly leaving our conversation. My mouth hung open slightly as he walked over to her, giving her a charming smile and beginning to speak. I watched her star-struck stance as she looked up at him, hanging onto every word. At one point, her eyes flickered to me. I jammed my mouth shut and looked away, pretending I hadn't been staring. I busied myself by watching Jacqueline, making sure she didn't seem to need anything.
After a few moments, I felt a light tap on my back. I spun around quickly to face the agitator but was faced with a large, toothy smile.
"C'mon," He said, grabbing my wrist. I reluctantly took one last glance toward Lilia, who was now watching me. To my surprise, she winked. I gave her a grateful smile before I was gently pulled out of the room. Finally, I turned my attention towards Timothèe. He had let go of my wrist and was standing in front of me now.
"Want to get out of here? Get coffee or something?" He asked. I grinned and checked my watch.
"Fine, if we must," I said sarcastically. He smiled, and my heart almost burst as his hand slipped into mine. It felt so natural, like a puzzle piece fitting into place. We walked casually out of the tent. The cold air came as a shockwave as we left, making me violently shiver. Timothèe laughed loudly, and I smacked him on the shoulder.
"Is my pain funny to you?" I asked. He just kept laughing. "It's not that funny," I reasoned, but by now, I was giggling too. We quieted down after a minute, and he squeezed my palm.
"My car?" He suggested. I nodded and followed his lead. He walked me over to a large black car on the outskirts of the gravel. Walking over to the passenger door, he gently pulled the door open and motioned for me to get in.
"Ladies first," He said, smiling. I laughed and rolled my eyes, climbing into the car.
Once inside, he shut the door. I was left in my silence for a moment, and I used it to look around. The car was nice. It had that new car smell and the leather seats shone. It was completely devoid of anything out of ordinary. There were no decorations, no empty fast food cups, no shopping bags or receipts along the floor. I'd suddenly become glad that we chose his car instead of mine. I'd always prided myself on being a clean person, but this was a new level.
"Alrighty. Let's get this show on the road," He said. I almost laughed at his phrases, but I didn't want to embarrass myself.
"Where are we going?" I asked him. He turned his head to me as he turned his key in the ignition.
"I know a place."