The Director's Cut

  “Well, not everyone’s here yet,” I said. “I see Jason and Brock, but none of the others—”

  Just as I spoke the words, the room filled with adults and children alike. Once everyone was in place, I led the way onto the set, Benita on my heels, and clapped my hands to get their attention. My little sister stood at my side nearly humming with excitement. Any minute now I expected her to take off flying around the room.

  The guys—Jason and Brock, in particular—seemed spellbound by Benita. Out of the corner of my eye, I took note of the fact that she was watching them. She used her fingertips to brush loose strands of hair around her face. Whether she realized it or not, Benita always did that when flirting. Looked like she had a few girlish tricks up her sleeve. Hopefully the guys would see through her little game.

  “Everyone, this is my sister, Benita Morales.” I held my breath and waited for the menfolk to stop gawking.

  “Hi, everyone.” She giggled and gave a little wave, her perfectly lined lips curling up in a sumptuous smile. “You can call me Beni.”

  “I’d like to call her, all right,” Bob, the youngest on our writing team, leaned in to whisper to Jason.

  I chose to ignore him. “With Nora leaving in a few days, we need someone to take over the hair and makeup department,” I explained. “Beni’s a natural. And she’s graduated from a very prestigious beauty school here in L.A.”

  “Cosmetology school,” she whispered. She cleared her throat and spoke to the group. “I went to WBI.”

  “WBI?” Jason shrugged. “Don’t know that one.”

  “Western Beauty Institute. I graduated with a cosmetology license. It’s officially recognized by the National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences. My primary focus of study was eyes and lips.” She went off on a tangent talking about eye makeup techniques, but I could tell the guys weren’t really interested in that. They were, however, interested in her eye makeup. Or maybe the lashes, which she fluttered at will as she spoke. And those outlined lips were apparently a draw too.

  The males in the room appeared to be hanging on her every word. She finished up her speech and gave a little giggle. “So I guess you could say I’m a beauty expert.”

  “Holy cow, is she ever,” Bob whispered. He elbowed a couple of the other guys. One let out a little snort.

  Ugh. How could I turn this ship around? Only one way. Take command.

  I upped my volume to be heard above the murmuring of voices. “We’ve made our introductions. Now it’s time to get to work. Erin, would you take Benita to the makeup department and introduce her to Nora?” I gave my sister what I hoped would be an encouraging smile. “Have fun.”

  “Oh, I will.” She paused at Brock’s side, stammering something about his gorgeous hair, then kept moving.

  Thank goodness. We could finally get to work.

  Maybe. Jason drew near and touched me on the arm. I looked his way and he smiled. “She’s your sister? No joke?”

  “Really, Tia?” Bob asked. “You’re kidding, right? One of you must be adopted.”

  “Of course not. We have the same parents.” To the best of my knowledge.

  “Wow.” Jason shook his head, glancing after Benita. “That girl is . . . well, you have to admit, you two are nothing alike.”

  “She’s my kid sister,” I said. “Would you like to see her birth certificate?”

  “Only if it proves she’s old enough to go out with me.” Bob wiggled his brows and everyone laughed.

  “Very funny. But I don’t think that’s a very good idea. Dating your co-workers rarely works out.” Cardinal rule, right?

  “Oh, really?” Kat said, taking a couple of steps in my direction. She rubbed her belly. “I think I can prove otherwise.”

  Embarrassment flooded over me. “Well, you’re an exception. You and Scott were made for each other.”

  “We were indeed.” She laughed. “And apparently so were Athena and Stephen.” She pointed at our two love-struck head writers and shrugged. “I’m of the opinion that God brought them together too.” She gave me a pensive look. “Kind of makes me wonder who’s next on this set.”

  “Ooo, pick me!” Bob raised his hand and let out a childish squeal. “Beni and Bob! I like the sound of that.” He gazed after my sister and sighed. “And I like the looks of that.”

  The guys lit into an excited conversation about Benita’s assets. I groaned and turned away from them, wondering—for the first time in my life—if perhaps one of us really was adopted. Knowing my father’s history suddenly made that possibility seem all too real.

  Calm down, Tia.

  Athena approached just as I shared my heart with Kat. “I guess I’m a little jealous of my sister. Always have been, in fact.”

  “Why?” Kat looked perplexed by this idea.

  “She’s gorgeous, and she’s never had trouble finding a guy. Or two. Or twelve.”

  “Well, yeah,” Athena said, looking in the direction Benita had gone. “It’s the vibe she puts off. Trust me, if you started putting off that vibe, I’d be plenty worried.”

  “It’s not that I’m even looking. My work keeps me busy. And I’m perfectly happy single.”

  Liar. You are not.

  “I used to think that.” Kat offered a delirious sigh. “But then God interrupted my plans with Scott.”

  “Funny. I was always the sort of girl who found satisfaction in her work too,” Athena said. “Figured if I wanted a romance I could pencil it in whenever I liked. But God had other plans. He sent Stephen when I least expected it.”

  “You guys—girls—are different. You’re both so . . .” I wanted to say pretty, but I knew they would turn it around and claim that I was pretty too. Instead I just sighed.

  “We’re not different from you, trust me,” Athena said. “Just at a different stage of the journey.”

  Kat patted me on the arm. “The excitement over your sister will wear off soon enough, I suppose. The guys will get over her in time.”

  “I’m not sure about Bob. He looks smitten.”

  “He’s always smitten. Remember the Amish girlfriend? And the girlfriend before that? And the one before that? He falls hard and then licks his wounds.”

  “Guess you’re right. I’m sure it will be business as usual around here as soon as the fascination wears off.” The heaviness in my heart eased up a bit. Then just as quickly, it returned. I faced Kat. “Only, you’re leaving. So it really won’t be business as usual, will it?”

  “Aw.” She shrugged and reached over to hug me—not an easy task with a basketball-sized belly in the way. “I’m going to miss being with all of you so much. And in case I didn’t make it clear yesterday, I really love this week’s script. It’s the perfect swan song for me, and I’m grateful. You have no idea how grateful.”

  “You deserve the best, Kat. You really do. I . . .” Tears filled my eyes. “Well, I’m really going to miss you.”

  “Ack! Now look what you’ve done.” Athena dabbed at her eyes. “You’ve made me cry.”

  “I’ll miss you both so much,” Kat said. “But I can’t wait to see what the future holds.” She giggled. “For that matter, I can’t wait to see what today holds. I know you’ll do a great job leading us.” She lowered her voice. “And just so you know, I think it’s a very kind thing you’re doing for your sister.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Brave, even.” She gestured to the guys, and one of her brows elevated slightly. “If you know what I mean.”

  I knew, all right. But I didn’t feel brave. I felt like I’d just made a big mistake bringing Benita here. The potential for damage was huge. Still, we had to plow ahead. No rest for the weary, and all that.

  Minutes later, we were off and running. I pulled the team together again, reminded them of the basic outline of the episode, and began to give some stage directions, starting with the elevator scene—the most critical component.

  “The elevator set piece is being constructed as we speak a
nd should be ready for tomorrow’s run-through. But for now envision a space about eight by eight. Brock, you’ll enter first, followed by Scott and Kat. Brock is holding the bag of sandwiches from the gyro shop. He’s just picked them up to take to a meeting.” I snapped my fingers. “Ah, that reminds me, we’ll have to get Athena to bring in several sandwiches from her parents’ shop for this scene. They actually get eaten, so they have to be real.” I turned to Erin. “Make a note, okay?”

  “Got it.” She grinned. “Athena needs to bring sandwiches for Thursday’s shoot.”

  This led several of my cast and crew members into a conversation about how great Athena’s parents’ sandwiches were, which took away valuable time. I finally managed to get them corralled once again.

  “Anyway, Brock is in the elevator with the sandwiches when Kat and Scott—er, Angie and Jack—get in, dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny.”

  Scott interrupted me. “No, they’re heading out to meet the kids. Brock gets on after the fact. Isn’t that right?”

  “Hmm.” I thumbed through my script. Sure enough, I’d gotten it backwards. Nothing like appearing discombobulated in front of my cast and crew. I released a slow breath and dove in again, this time giving instructions about the location of the next scene. “Okay, so Angie and Jack are in the elevator . . .” I paused and turned to Erin, distracted by a niggling thought. “Would you mind checking with the wardrobe department to see if they’ve got the Easter Bunny costumes ready? Last I heard they were having trouble finding the fabric they needed for Mrs. Bunny’s skirt.”

  “Will do.” She took off running.

  I turned back to my cast. “So, they’re in the elevator dressed up for the party, where they plan to surprise the kids they represent. Then Brock gets in carrying the sandwiches, and the elevator gets stuck, which jars them all and sends Angie sprawling to the floor. At that point, she goes into labor.” I looked at Kat. “Think you can manage that part?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Well, do you mean ‘go into labor’ as in ‘have labor pains’? Or does my water break or something? The script isn’t clear. Do you have a preference?”

  Ack! What a question to ask a never-been-pregnant woman. I closed my eyes and tried to envision the scene. Which would be the better choice? Labor usually took awhile, right? Maybe it would be best to have her water break first. I’d just about decided on that when Kat piped up.

  “I read in my pregnancy book that most women just start with a few twinges. They don’t even realize they’re in labor right away. And very few women have their water break at the beginning. How long is this scene going to be, anyway? I can’t just have a pain and then deliver a baby, you know?”

  “Oh, we’ll go back and forth from the elevator to the scene with the kids to show a progression in time,” I explained.

  “Okay.” She nodded. “So, how do you want me positioned? I mean, this is a family show. We have to be really careful how we handle this scene.”

  “Right. We want it to be funny but not crude.”

  Hmm. Looked like I needed a compass, because right now I didn’t have a clue where I was headed. And how would I steer this ship if I couldn’t even tell a pregnant woman how to deliver a baby in an elevator?

  I closed my eyes once again, picturing the whole thing. “Okay, this is how it’s going to happen. You’ll be in the elevator when Brock joins you. A moment later the elevator gets stuck, and after you fall to the floor, you feel your first labor pain. That’s not too unrealistic, is it?”

  Kat shrugged. “Sounds okay to me.”

  “By the time we cut to the kids’ scene at the agency and come back again, maybe you can be lying down with Jack on one side of you and Brock’s character on the other. At that point you can be . . .”

  “Panting?” she offered.

  “Sure. Panting. Whatever. Just make sure it looks real.”

  Kat rubbed her belly. “Trust me, I’ll make it look real.”

  Everyone got a laugh out of that one.

  “And this would be a good time to have the guys eating the sandwiches. They’re just biding their time.”

  “Typical guys.” Kat rolled her eyes and eased her way into a chair.

  “Then we’ll cut back to the kids, who are trying to break into the elevator. By the time we cut back to the inside of the elevator, Jack has figured out that Brock’s character is the rival talent scout, but it’s too late to worry about that because the baby’s coming. We’ll cut back out to the kids, who hear an infant crying. When the elevator doors open, Jack faints.”

  “Can’t wait,” Scott said. “I’ve always wanted an excuse to faint.”

  “Well, now you’ve got it.” I plastered on a smile and tried to look calm and confident as I called everyone into position for the first run-through. Unfortunately, the whole thing turned out to be a chaotic mess. And my instructions—confusing and vague—didn’t help matters.

  What’s wrong with you today, Tia? You’d think you had never directed the birth of a child before.

  Then again, I hadn’t. Maybe that was the problem. I had no clue what I was doing. But I couldn’t very well let them see that, could I?

  Erin ran back in the room, gave me a thumbs-up, and hollered that the costumes were complete and ready to be fitted. At least we didn’t have to worry about that.

  We forged ahead, making a royal mess of things. The kids began to act up, creating more chaos than my nerves could handle. Poor Kat sat on the floor panting for so long I thought she might pass out. She pushed and puffed till I believed a baby might actually emerge. And the look on Brock’s face was priceless as he watched. Clearly he’d never witnessed a scene like this one before. Not with a neurotic director in charge, anyway.

  “Okay, everyone, let’s do this. I think we should . . .” I stared at my cast, my thoughts tumbling madly. For whatever reason, every sensible idea slipped right out of my head. I’d left everyone hanging on my last word, and they were counting on me to give direction.

  At long last, I said the only thing that made sense.

  “I think we should take a break for lunch.”

  There are those moments in life when you feel as if you’re drowning. In my case, pride kept me from calling out for a life preserver. How could I call myself a director when I felt like fleeing every time the seas got rocky? Spielberg didn’t run when trouble set in, did he? Of course not. And what about the great Cecil B. DeMille? He dug in his heels and stayed put, even during the toughest of times. Even Stanley Kubrick didn’t run, though some felt he should, after that scuttlebutt with Lolita.

  No, the greats didn’t run. They stayed put and directed the delivery scene in the elevator, even when everything inside of them screamed for the mother-to-be to hold that baby inside until next season.

  Deep breath, Tia. This baby’s got to come out.

  A few deep breaths later and I realized I was panting, just like I’d seen Kat doing earlier.

  “You okay, Tia?” Rex walked toward me, the wrinkles in his brow deepening. “You’re looking a little pale. And you sound a little winded.”

  “Am I? Hmm.” Mustering up my courage, I gave him what I hoped would be a convincing smile. “I’m fine.”

  Or at least I will be, once I get this breathing steadied.

  “Okay. Well, I’m taking Lenora over to the commissary for some lunch. She didn’t eat much this morning. Her appetite these days is . . . ” He shook his head. “Anyway, she likes the commissary. Reminds her of when she was young. Back in those days, you never knew who you might see at the next table—Rock Hudson, Clark Gable, Doris Day . . .”

  Rex disappeared, along with half of the cast and crew. Finding myself on a near-empty set, I turned to my new production assistant. “Erin, would you do me a favor and run lines with the kids as soon as lunch ends? I could tell at the roundtable reading yesterday that Joey’s going to have a little trouble with pacing in that first scene, and Ethan is struggling with a lisp. I really need someone to help Candy
run over her solo too. Think you can do all that when we get back from lunch?”

  “Sure. Sounds like fun. Do you mind if I do some warm-ups with them first? I think that’s half the problem. Their enthusiasm is waning because they’re stuck in a rut. Seems like no one’s excited about all of this, and that’s a shame. If we make this fun for them, they’ll come alive again. I just know it.”

  I nodded, mesmerized by her ability both to work with small children and to take charge. In so many ways, I felt like the Lord had plopped Erin down in the middle of the Stars Collide studio just to lift my spirits. Well, that, and to help. She seemed more than ready to assist me in whatever way I needed.

  To my left, a familiar voice rang out. “Are you hungry? Do you want to go to the commissary?”

  I looked over at Jason. “Oh, I . . .” Was he really asking me to join him for lunch? My grumbling stomach finally won out. “I would love that. I’m starved.”

  “I had some ideas about shooting this scene and wanted to talk them through.”

  “Sure.” Naturally. He just wanted to talk shop. Figured. Then again, who could blame him? I’d always focused on business first.

  “Ooo, I want to go too,” Benita said from behind me.

  Jason turned and gave her a curious look, followed by a shrug. “Sure. Sounds good. The more, the merrier.”

  Ugh.

  Benita rolled her eyes. “I asked Brock if he wanted to come, but he’s going to eat with Erin and the kids. Go figure.”

  Go figure, indeed. I watched as Brock made his way to Erin’s side, a broad smile on his face.

  When we reached the commissary, the smell of roast beef nearly knocked me off my feet. How long had it been since I’d eaten a real meal? Still, I could hardly shovel in the beef with people looking on, now could I? Instead, I opted for a salad with light Italian dressing. Benita, on the other hand, went for the roast and potatoes.

  We took our places at a table just far enough away from Rex and Lenora to give them some privacy. I watched as Kat and Scott ate their lunch together off in the distance. What would it be like, I wondered, to eat lunch with someone who loved you as deeply as Scott loved Kat?