Thanks for all of the reads on the first chapter! I love you guys!
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How hilarious it was that we would film one of the opening shots and the ending shot in one day. Making a film was akin to putting together a puzzle. All the pieces, or the scenes to the film, were scattered and in no particular order, and they had to be put together. I was used to doing films that way. There wasn't a film I was in that was shot in order.
What a crowd of people! I looked around the carnival at all the extras as I stood on a small stage where I would start singing "Brand New Day on the Horizon." Most of these people I had already met. The place was loud like a carnival would be, and all the characters were there—clowns, dancers, jugglers, the bearded woman, the heavy woman, the fire eater, the tall and short people... and that included Shannon. She stood there on a stage down a ways to my right, wearing a cute little black dress that no child would ever wear. Well, a child wouldn't have the chest and curves to fill it. She was most definitely a woman, and a shapely one at that. She was just tiny.
A dog barked among all the chaos, and that brought me back to what we were doing. The back of my neck heated as I tried to focus on the scene. John shouted into a megaphone instructions for all the extras and what I would have to do as well—sing as I walk through the crowd.
"Alright, let's try it out!" John shouted, and music started playing. All the music I prerecorded a month back and was blasting through speakers. I would still sing, though, so my mouth matched the song lyrics.
"Action!" he called, and we all got to it.
This song was one of my favorites of all the songs in the soundtrack, mainly since it sent a good message of good things to come and to always stay positive. I needed that reminder almost constantly because of how busy and stressed I could get with my job. It wasn't the only remedy, though. The smiles on everyone's faces as I passed them was a pretty good medicine. I lived to make people happy, and these people were glowing with happiness without John needing to tell them to look happy.
It sure made me feel good, knowing that I could bring smiles to people's faces and improve their lives just a bit.
"Don't you know I said, everything's gonna be alright, and the whole world's gonna be mine!"
"Cut!" John shouted, and the music stopped. "Great job, but I think I want the whole band following Elvis through the crowd, not just the dancers. Let's start over and see how it looks. You boys good?" The band hollered the affirmative. "Great. Elvis, in this order, I want you to exit the stage, turn the wheel at the stand, brush the blonde lady's cheek, take Joan out of the stall, and walk up to the stands, not just walk through the crowd."
"You got it!" I said and looked over at the stands and saw the wheel and the blonde woman. John came over to me as I stood near the stands.
"Now, this part here," he told me and those on the stands where Shannon was, "Elvis, you're going to go down the line of stands, nod your head to the fire man, pinch the big lady's cheek, bump Stong Man in the shoulder, then pick up the little lady by the waist and give her to Strong Man. You all heard that?"
Everyone on the stands that were lined up near each other told him they did, and he instructed the dancers to just keep dancing, and the dancers from the stage that I was on originally to continue following me. Everyone else was to dance a little and have a great time. I eyed Shannon. I would have to pick her up. Again, that heat on my neck came back.
This was odd, getting nervous to touch a tiny woman. Heck, I had never even encountered a woman like her before. She was so interesting. I met her gaze for a second but looked away as I headed through the crowd and back to main stage. Shannon really did look great in the black dress, and her blonde hair was done up in a pretty way.
The scene started again, and everyone did as they were told. I sang along to the song playing over the speakers, and my heart was pounding as I did so. At the row of stands, I went down the line. I came to Shannon. Without a second thought since I knew cameras were rolling, I picked her up by the waist and handed her to the tall man whose name was Richard. I had to hold in a reaction to how light Shannon was. She was the size of a child and weighed as much as one, too! It made sense, of course, but it was hard to believe that a woman was so light.
I moved on, and I came off the stage and to another one where I finished the song with Joan with me. We had to hug, and I had to kiss her neck and cheek. Why did I feel strange doing that? Because I was taken? Because a certain other woman in this crowd was watching, too?
"Cut!" John shouted. "Wonderful! I want to go through the whole scene once more just to be safe, but I think we will probably use this one."
Everyone was still clapping, and I stood there on that little stage with Joan, and I glanced over at Shannon, and my brows rose. I didn't really notice a couple minutes ago when the cameras were rolling, but the height difference between her and Richard... He was literally twice her height but most likely around the same age. It was insane!
The scene was done again, and again, I had to pick Shannon up and hand her to Richard. I couldn't help but notice, also again, her feminine waist.
I was looking forward to making this film, I just had no idea that I would be thrown through a loop like some carnival ride. There were so many beautiful women extras, but my gaze continuously wanted to land on the smallest of all of them.
(The little lady he picks up is supposed to be Shannon, but she looks different than the woman in this. It's the same idea, though.)
~ ~ ~
Nighttime came, but the set was alight with carnival lights and laughter. We were doing carnival scenes all day, and now, it was passed dinnertime, and everyone was enjoying the festivities. It was an actual borrowed carnival, after all. Those were all real activity stands and rides that people could enjoy. Me? I was sitting it out on a picnic bench, taking a much-needed break as my feet pounded from being on them all day. The Colonel was standing about ten feet away, chatting with the producer Hal Wallis. They were discussing some things that should be added or taken away to make the set look more real. Out of all the films I had done so far, this one was the one that the Colonel was the most interested in and put in a helping hand as far as set-up.
I snickered. The Colonel was in his element, and he was gleaming, much like the others around. It did my heart good to see him happy when he was always pretty stressed running my life.
A dog started barking, and I found a familiar one scamper up to me as I sat on the picnic table bench, facing away from the table, so the table edge was in my back. I grinned. "Well, hi, there, again!" I pet her head, and she was trying to get up on my lap. I laughed as her tail wagged crazily as her front legs were on my lap, and she was nuzzling her head against my belly. "Now, aren't you a sweet girl, huh? What was your name again?"
"Lila, down!" I looked up and saw Shannon run up, and she was out of her costume and in the same clothes I met her in. "Hello, again, Elvis. I'm sorry about her."
"No, no, it's alright." I saw that her hair was up in that ponytail again. She really did look like an adult right here, and in the lighting from the post near us, I could see her age. She stood as tall as me as I sat, though. "Great job today."
"Oh, boy, I should say that to you! You went through your scenes with ease. I could tell you've done this a few times."
I laughed. "Yeah, just a few." Lila was still in the same stance, but she went down on all fours, but then hopped up on the bench and climbed into my lap. She wasn't a big dog, about medium-sized, so half of her was in my lap. "Aw, would you look at that, huh?"
"She really likes you. Careful, once she's attached to someone, there's no turning back."
"Hey, I don't mind. She seems like a good girl. How old is she?"
"She's three years old. I've had her since she was born. I actually delivered the litter she was in, and her mother's owner asked me if I wanted a puppy, and, well... I couldn't say no. I think I fell in love with her at first sight."
"I see." I petted Lila's furry head over her shiny brown coat. "So, you're Billy's niece, huh?"
She grinned that smile that took up half her face, and she folded Lila's purple leash in her hands. "Yeah, he's the one that got me in. Mr. Rich was looking for more... well, unique people... and Uncle Billy mentioned his little niece who's from this area and who runs a little hole-in-the-wall vet clinic in downtown LA. The moment I met Rich when he stopped by my clinic, he..." She giggled, and what a cute little sound it was. "Well, when he first saw me, he exclaimed, 'You're perfect!' I had no idea what he was talking about until he said who he was. I was a bit taken aback since no one told me that Uncle Billy was going to be in a film right now and that the film would be filmed in the area. I especially had no idea that it was an Elvis Presley film."
My head whirled with her story. "Wow, that's really somethin'. Usually, the directors send out the producers or castin' directors to scout the extras. Rich went to you himself. That's sayin' somethin'. And you own a vet clinic in LA, huh?"
"I do. Given, it's a tiny clinic, but it's something. I've always loved animals and wanted to become a vet and run my own clinic. Wish granted."
"Well, good for you. And runnin' your own clinic at... how old are ya? Twenty-four?"
"M-hm. It's still mind-boggling."
"I'll tell you what's mind-boggling... the fact that you're a twenty-four-year-old vet. Do people get surprised when they see ya at your vet office?"
"Oh, all the time. They mostly think I'm a child helping out my parent who is the vet doctor. I think my clinic has obtained more customers because of it. The vet who's the size of a child but isn't one."
A question itched at my mind, and I petted Lila still, and she was very much enjoying it. Her eyes were closed. I smirked. She was snoozing.
"I think you made a friend," Shannon remarked as she gazed down at her animal.
"I think so." My gaze went to her. That question pushed at my lips. "So... you and Billy have the same thing goin' on? I mean..."
She nodded, knowing what I was asking. "Yes, similar. You see, there's a part of your brain called the pituitary gland that controls your growing, among other things. The doctors say mine wasn't fully developed, so that's why I stopped growing at the age of eight. I mean, the rest of me changed, just not my height. Uncle Billy's the same way. He and I are the only people in my family who are short."
"The rest of your family is..."
"Normal sized? Yeah. I have my parents and a couple of sisters, one older, one younger. Everyone thinks I'm the youngest for obvious reasons. The 'short gene' as my family calls it comes from my mom's side."
"So, Billy's your momma's brother."
"Yes, her younger brother. In her family, too, he's the only one with the underdeveloped pituitary gland."
"That's interestin'."
Lila started snoring, and we both laughed at it. Shannon said, "So, I think I'll say this now." We met gazes, and wow, the blue that stood out in her eyes as the light in this little area shined on them! "I'm a huge, huge fan of yours. You're amazing in all that you do. I love your films, your music... it's all wonderful."
I smiled. I knew that was coming at some point. "Thank you, Shannon. I'm flattered."
"I just feel so honored that I got to witness you acting and singing in person. My sisters are incredibly jealous of me. They made me promise to at least get an autograph from you, for the both of them."
"I'd be happy to." I looked down at Lila. "But maybe not right at this moment."
She giggled again. "Yeah. Like I said—there's no going back. Seems like you draw in the ladies of all species."
I laughed at that, mainly since I had never heard that before. I didn't really know what to say to it. Shannon pet Lila along her body, and I could smell a sweet perfume that made my heart pulse. She had to step closer to me in order to be near her dog, so I could easily see those long, dark lashes of hers.
I cleared my throat and looked down at the dog, attempting not to focus too much on the beauty of this little lady. It was then that Shannon and I both heard a click. We looked over and saw a guy with a camera. "Don't mind me," he said. "This is just such an adorable shot." Shannon quickly stood away as more clicks sounded. "Oh, no, get back in there, miss."
She did so and sat with me on the bench. The photographer thanked us and left. Shannon blew air out of her mouth. "I have no idea how you famous people do it."
I chuckled. "You just get used to it. But, hey, you were behind a camera earlier, and you did great."
Her cheeks flushed pink, and she pressed her lips together. "I was more nervous than any other time in my life, and I didn't even have to say anything, just stand there."
"And get handed to a really tall guy. I didn't hurt ya when I picked you up, did I?"
Her cheeks remained a cute deep pink. "Um, no, you didn't. Richard could've handled me better, though. But he couldn't help it, though. He's a big guy."
"So, you've met 'im."
"Yeah. He's a nice guy who is actually a year older than me."
I whistled. "Aint that somethin', when he's twice your height?"
"Yeah. My height can cause some problems, the obvious one being people thinking I'm more than half my age. Also, finding the right size of clothing is difficult. I just end up altering clothing I buy in the children's section so it can fit me correctly, or I just make my own clothing. Reaching for things at the grocery store can be a headache, too, as well as going to restaurants where people think I shouldn't sit at the bar since they think I'm a child."
She really did have a hard time with the most menial things just because of her size. It had to be a huge headache for her, the poor woman. "I bet that's really frustrating, huh?"
She shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm used to it. A bartender wanted to kick me out until he saw my ID card. I just try to dress and act like an adult as much as possible."
With the right clothes, she very much didn't look like a child with her curvy little body. "Hey, you're a vet. That's a very adult thing."
"Yes, but people can't see that right off."
"I suppose that's true."
"I'm just so thankful that I was able to go that far. But even then, I'm still short."
I only nodded to that, not exactly sure on how to sympathize. This woman probably had a lot of other hardships that she didn't mention, such as... relationships. I was really curious about that. Did she date normal-sized guys or guys her height? It was probably difficult for her to find guys her height. Her uncle was, but he was family.
She hopped off the bench and petted Lila. "Lila, time to wake up." She brought her groggy head up. "That's a girl. C'mon."
Reluctantly, Lila hopped off my lap, and Shannon hooked the leash to her pink collar. Lila rested her head on my knee. "Aw..." I enthused, feeling a little pinch in my chest. I pet her head.
"I think it was love at first sight for her, Elvis," Shannon joked, and I laughed.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Elvis, we have to get going," said the Colonel as he stepped into the picture. He pointed to Lila. "Looks like you made a friend."
"Yeah, I did. Colonel, this is Lila and Shannon Comm. Shannon was an extra in the ending scene earlier."
"I see." He shook Shannon's hand. "Pleased to meet you, miss. You must be the little gal my boy here mentioned. The vet, correct?"
"Yes, I am. I own a clinic in downtown LA. Landing this gig actually is doing great things for it."
"Publicity because of my boy." He put a hand on my shoulder.
Guilt etched her pretty eyes. "I admit, yes. The clinic was hurting, but as soon as people found out that I would be playing a little part in an Elvis Presley film, and I would be a resident vet on the set, more people started coming in."
So, all this was a way to do good for her clinic. It made sense, but it still made my heart drop a little. Shannon was my fan, and she came into this picture because of it, but it was also because—or mainly because—it would boost business at her clinic.
"Well, glad we could help," the Colonel said, patting my shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Dr. Comm, Elvis has to get back in front of the camera."
"Yes, okay. Don't let me keep you."
I stood up, and Shannon craned her neck as I did so. "It was great talkin' with ya, Shannon. You take care, okay? And Lila."
"Okay. You, too. I'm sure I'll run into you again soon. Tomorrow, I'll be checking up on Jackie the elephant, just to make sure she's okay for having people ride her."
For the re-shot of the scene we did yesterday. We didn't have the elephant in it, but Rich changed his mind. "I'll be here. I can't wait to say hi to a real elephant up close. You've treated 'em before?"
"I have. Sometimes I take field trips to zoos."
"That's somethin'." The Colonel reminded us we had to go. "Okay. Well, goodnight, Shannon."
"Goodnight, Elvis."
Lila barked, and I gave her a good pat on the head and on down her back. I started walking away, and I heard her whining.
"Well, you sure hooked that dog, Elvis," the Colonel remarked as we walked back into the carnival and people were bustling about.
"Yeah, and she hooked me. I think I'm gonna get a spaniel next." I looked behind me and saw Shannon sit on the picnic bench, and Lila sat there on the ground, looking up at her owner. The Colonel noticed me looking.
"Elvis, don't even think about it."
I looked back to the front. "Thank about what?"
"That woman may be in her twenties, but she's nearly half your height, and in the right lighting and distance, she looks like a child."
As always, he could read me like a book. Plus, him out of everyone knew that I had a rather large love of women. "I know, I know, Colonel. But I can't help but notice that she's a pretty gal, and she seems like a good person. And she loves animals. That's a definite plus."
"Just don't go there. Your image was already tainted when you went after a fourteen-year-old, practically a child. I don't want it to be tainted by a woman who's of age but looks like a child. Someone already got pictures of you two together."
I let out a huff in irritation. As much as he liked Priscilla as a person, he hated the fact that she was young. "Nothin's gonna come of it, Colonel, relax. We were just bondin' over our love of dogs. It was an innocent conversation."
"Yeah, and that can turn into something else rather fast, especially with you. Just be careful."
"I will. I like tall women, anyway."
We came up to where the cameras were set up, near to where the trailers for the carnival workers were. We had to do the scene where my character Charlie gets after a man for continuously dunking poor Kathy, or Joan. Hopefully Joan was ready for this.
"I will," I said and got to work, and Joan came onto the set wearing a bathing suit. She was a really attractive woman. Her birthday was the same day as mine, but seven years before, and she had the same name as another woman I was nuts about—Joan Blackman, who was in Blue Hawaii with me, as well as Kid Galahad. There was also Priscilla and Ann-Margret.
I really did have a large weakness for women, and I found out over the past day that it had to do with all types of women.
Shannon was so sweet, kind, pretty, and her love of animals matched mine. It was more so, in fact, since she dedicated her life to them with her career. That was more than I could say of all the women I knew or were involved with in the past and present.
I was in for a ride during filming of this movie, more of a ride than any carnival ride could give me.