“Tracie?” Cameron asked.
“She’s a local seamstress and actually quite talented,” Joyce said. “I was going to have her make the evening gown too, but then we found the perfect dress in Billings. I can’t wait to show you.” Her eyes were shining with excitement.
Cameron took a sip of water and returned to the schedule. “I have wardrobe review planned for Sunday, is that okay?”
“Fine,” Joyce smiled. “Perfect actually because I won’t have to run off to work so we can talk clothes and be girly for hours.”
“You had a photography session with The Snow Valley Register, right? How did it go?” she asked.
“Melodee’s husband took the pictures for the paper and I didn’t want an amateur, so we had portraits done by a photographer in Billings,” Joyce said, handing her a copy of the paper, already folded to the story. Beneath the headline Local Beauties Vie for the Title of Miss Snow Valley, were the pictures of the twelve contestants.
Annalisa’s photo was definitely the best. She was slightly turned so her shoulders were angled, but her face was full front. Her hair cascaded in soft curls over her bare shoulders and the strapless black top. Her eyes appeared enormous and her lips were soft and slightly parted. She looked straight into the camera, but it was as if the photographer had caught her off guard. Her expression was innocent and open and … dreamy.
“Dreamy,” Cameron snapped her fingers with sudden inspiration. “There’s your persona.”
“What does that mean?” Annalisa said. “How do I do dreamy?”
“You’re a fantasy, a dream,” Cameron supplied, getting excited. “You hold yourself slightly apart, you’re the ideal and there’s no question you’re better than all the other contestants.”
“Around here we’d call that snobby,” Kyle said.
Cameron ignored him. “But then you smile, you make eye contact, you give a great interview, and suddenly you’re warm, personable, smart … the perfect princess.”
Joyce clapped happily. “Genius!”
Cameron pulled two printed calendars from a sleeve protector in her binder and passed one to Joyce and the other to Annalisa. “Here’s the schedule for the next week. As you can see, it’s busy, but I tried to give you a few breaks.”
“Annalisa’s taken a leave of absence from her job at Big C’s, so she’s free every day,” Joyce said. “I, however, am not. I arranged to go in late to work this morning, but I’d better get going.” She sighed. “I hate to miss anything, this is so much fun!”
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Kyle said, “we can handle it.”
Cameron’s heart dropped at the word “we.” She had been hoping Kyle would have to leave too.
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him, lounging easily in the chair as he downed a third glass of orange juice. He had to be in his late twenties – why did he still live at home? And why didn’t he have a job? And why was he such a jerk? He might be hot, but loser points were stacking up fast.
“I can’t wait to hear all about it when I get home tonight,” Joyce said. She wiggled her fingers in goodbye as she left the room. A few minutes later they heard the garage door open and then close as she drove away.
Annalisa plucked a cheese Danish from the plate of pastries and took a large bite. She closed her eyes in satisfaction as she chewed. “These are so good. You have to try one, Cameron,” she said. “They’re from Tina’s Bakery, even better than homemade.”
“Thanks, I’m good.” Flustered, Cameron ducked her head to her schedule. Joyce had obviously not wanted Annalisa to eat the fattening pastries; should Cameron enforce the rule? Who did she work for, Annalisa or Joyce?
“You have the rehearsal for the opening number tonight, correct?” she said, trying to get back on track.
Annalisa nodded. “It’s pretty lame. All we do is walk in a couple of formations and do a few basic jazz moves. We all had it down after the first ten minutes of the first rehearsal, but Melodee’s insisting on another one.”
“So don’t go,” Kyle shrugged. “What are they going to do? Kick you out?”
Cameron bit her lip. There was no doubt Kyle was hostile toward the pageant and Annalisa was indifferent at best. Without Joyce to back her up, she felt vulnerable. She pretended to study her papers while she thought through her next move. She hoped Kyle and Annalisa would start a conversation, but they didn’t and the silence stretched awkwardly. They were testing her.
Finally she looked up. “Wh …” her voice cracked. She flinched and cleared her throat. “What does your mother do for a job?”
“Secretary at the phone company,” Kyle said, barely glancing at her. “Hey, Leese, wanna go play Skyrim?”
“No! We have work to do,” Cameron cut in quickly.
“The rehearsal isn’t until six,” Kyle pointed out. “There’s plenty of time.”
“No, it’s … I have other things planned,” Cameron said. Why couldn’t he just leave?
“Like what?” Annalisa pretended there wasn’t a carefully marked schedule sitting on the table at her elbow.
“We’re starting with some basic appearance coaching and then we’ll talk about your platform.”
“What does ‘appearance coaching’ mean?” Kyle asked.
“Just what it sounds like. Westbrooke prides itself on the professional presentation of our contestants, and appearance is an important aspect.”
“Professional presentation?” he snorted. “You do know this is a two-bit beauty pageant, right? It’s a bunch of girls in prom dresses on the stage at the high school – Donald Trump isn’t jetting in; we’re not going to be on national TV or anything.”
That did it.
“Yes, I know,” Cameron glared at him. “But it doesn’t mean we can’t do our best.”
“I think you’re wasting your time,” he said bitingly.
“Oh nice. Way to be supportive of your sister. I’m sure hearing you talk like that makes her feel really good.”
Kyle’s face darkened with anger. “You’ve been here two hours, don’t you dare try to –”
“Okay, stop it, you guys!” Annalisa broke in loudly and Cameron and Kyle both turned toward her. “Let’s get this over with. What do you need me to do for appearance coaching?” she asked.
Professional presentation was a standard part of the routine at Westbrooke. Only it usually included having the contestant spend several hours in a bikini while the coaches evaluated every inch of her body, from pedicure to root touch ups. Dotty had been known to poke her finger into girls’ stomachs to evaluate their muscle tone and supervise the use of duct tape to produce more cleavage. Cameron suspected Kyle would have a fit if she even suggested a bikini and tape and was almost tempted to do it just to see his reaction.
But no, she was a professional, here to do a job, not pick fights. “Let’s start with your hair and makeup and then … do you have something form fitting you can change into?” she asked, eyeing Annalisa’s baggy t-shirt.
They moved to the living room and Annalisa stood rigidly while Cameron worked through her checklist. She skipped over the more personal categories, like waxing, and did her best to ignore Kyle, who sat hunched on the piano bench like a gargoyle, his stare seeming to burn through her skin.
Finally she had done everything she could without being able to see more of the girl’s shape. “Why don’t you go change your clothes and we’ll finish up,” she said, trying to keep her voice professional and neutral.
Once Annalisa was gone, Cameron rounded on Kyle. “Are you planning to be this big of a pain the whole time, or is all this attitude just for today? I don’t care either way, I’d just like to be prepared.”
His eyes narrowed. “I think I’ll surprise you.”
“Don’t you have a job or something? Why are you hanging around on a Friday afternoon?”
“Summertime,” he said with a mocking grin. “It’s one of the best reasons to be a teacher.”
“Oh, you’re a teacher, that explains it,
” she said.
“Explains what?”
“Why you’re acting so juvenile.”
“I’m not the one who ran someone over to shave two minutes off the wait in a checkout line,” he pointed out.
“Okay, look,” she said with a deep, even breath, “I don’t know what your problem is, but your mother hired me to do this job and I certainly don’t plan on changing my approach just because you’re acting like a jerk.”
“Yes, because my main goal in life is to make your life miserable,” he said sarcastically.
“I really don’t care why you’re doing it, but it’s not going to work,” she shot back.
They locked eyes. Kyle’s were light blue, ringed with a darker blue around the iris and just as big and as startlingly clear as his sister’s. She forced her gaze away.
“I’m going to feed the horses,” Kyle said in a more even tone as he stood up. “But don’t think it’s because I’m backing off, he added, shooting down Cameron’s burgeoning sense of victory. “I don’t want to upset Leese with more fighting.”
I hate him; I totally hate him.
Cameron tried to focus as she took Annalisa’s measurements, but Kyle’s withering assessment made it difficult. No matter what Dotty Westbrooke said, this was a two-bit pageant and there was no earthly reason for Joyce to have hired a professional coach. Glancing at her carefully prepared binder, Cameron felt silly. Over-compensating much?
“Here are some possible interview questions,” she handed Annalisa a stack of index cards tied with a rubber band. “Why don’t you spend the afternoon reviewing them and I’ll quiz you later?”
Annalisa sighed.
Cameron felt like she should say something to pump Annalisa up and get her excited for the competition, but she couldn’t think of anything. In her limited experience, she’d never met a contestant so apathetic. She made a mental note to ask Dotty about it later and decided to call it a day … until the rehearsal tonight anyway. The morning had been much rougher than she’d expected and she needed a break.
Chapter 4
Cameron spent the afternoon exploring Snow Valley. Not that there was much to explore, but she did find several interesting local businesses. She bought a cute pair of silver earrings at Artisan’s Knack, a small, rather rundown boutique next to the salon, and smiled at the display in the window of The Flower Girl – a mannequin in a wedding dress with a bouquet of roses alongside a sign reading, Congratulations Molly and Kevin! July 3, 2015. That Healing Feeling was offering a discount on massages, which sounded wonderful. Her shoulders were tight and she could feel a tension headache coming on.
Mostly thanks to Kyle.
She bought a turkey sandwich and a chocolate éclair at Tina’s, then found a picnic table at the city park where she could eat and go over her plans.
Annalisa had homework and so did Cameron – she needed to find the judges. Dotty insisted making friends with the judges was part of a coach’s job, but to Cameron, it seemed to skirt an ethical line. However, as Dotty liked to remind her staff, she had coached nine Miss Americas and her methods were not to be questioned.
Cameron finished the last bite of éclair and licked the chocolate from her fingers. Annalisa was right, Tina’s pastries were delicious. She wished she’d bought two, though she probably shouldn’t have even eaten one.
She sighed. She wasn’t fat, but she wasn’t rail thin either, not like Annalisa. Not like the girls who won beauty pageants. Not like the girls Kyle probably dated.
Kyle … ugh! The guy was cute, no question. And he had incredible eyes and a hot build, but his bad attitude definitely overpowered his looks. So why did she feel a little jolt of excitement at the thought of seeing him again? Why was she wasting time imagining witty comebacks to all his rude comments?
She threw her trash into a nearby garbage can and climbed in her car. Joyce said the local pastor was usually one of the judges, may as well get this over with.
The church was made from stone and had a marquee out front reading: Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
Cameron hadn’t been inside a church in years, but the combined smells of candle wax, furniture polish, and dust was instantly familiar. Light slanted through the stained glass window in the chapel, throwing rainbow patches over the wooden pews and burgundy carpet.
“Hello?” Cameron called softly, half hoping no one was here. Then at least she could honestly tell Dotty she’d tried.
“Hi there!” A head popped up from behind the pulpit and Cameron jumped. “Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to scare you; I’m trying to get the sound system working,” the man stood and looked sourly at the microphone mounted on the pulpit. He was tall and thin with gray hair and wore jeans with his black shirt and distinctive priest’s collar.
“I’m Pastor John,” he said as he came toward her, hand extended.
“Cameron Elliott,” she replied, shaking his hand. “I’m coaching Annalisa Drake in the Miss Snow Valley pageant.”
Understanding dawned in his eyes. “Oh yes, Joyce told me she’d hired a coach this year. Did she tell you I’m emceeing? I’ve been working on my jokes.”
Cameron bit her lip, flustered. “I thought you were one of the judges.”
“That’ll be my nephew, James, our youth pastor. He’ll be one of the judges … if he can pull his attention away from his girlfriend, Jessica, long enough, that is,” the pastor said with a smile.
As she looked into Pastor John’s steady blue gaze, Cameron felt … seedy. Like she was doing something she shouldn’t.
She squirmed. “Uh … is he here?”
“I’m sorry, he’s not,” Pastor John replied. “I could give him a message if you’d like. Or, he’ll be here for Sunday services; you could come by then.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll come back.” She turned toward the door, but stopped. This was as good a chance as any. “Can you tell me more about the Drakes?”
Pastor John smiled and gestured to the low, carpeted platform that held the pulpit and choir benches. “Why don’t we sit?”
“What is it you want to know?” he asked when they were seated.
“What’s your impression of Annalisa?”
“She’s a sweet girl. Very pretty, I’m sure you noticed, and always seems quite agreeable.”
“I get the feeling Joyce drives her pretty hard,” Cameron said.
The pastor nodded. “That’s always been my impression.”
Stage mothers were common in the pageant world, but Cameron had never had to deal with one on her own before. “Is it just with the pageant, or other things too?” she asked.
“I can’t answer with certainty, but I will say Annalisa’s teenage years do seem to closely mirror the way I remember Joyce’s.”
“So is the pageant a good thing for her?”
The pastor wrinkled his brow thoughtfully. “It might give her the confidence she seems to be missing. But then, perhaps not if winning isn’t what she really wants.”
“What’s Kyle’s deal?” Cameron blurted and then felt her face grow hot. Smooth, Cam. Good job.
Pastor John paused. “What do you mean?”
Her frustration came tumbling out. “He gave me a really hard time this morning for no reason and it just …” she stopped, aware she was whining, “it was really unexpected,” she finished in a low voice.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Pastor John said. “I really like Kyle, he’s always been a good kid.”
Not to me. “He seems kind of old to still be living at home. I know he teaches school, but does he just hang out all summer?”
“He has a house in town,” the pastor said. “I imagine he was at home today because he loves his family.”
Cameron flushed. Was she really sitting here grilling the local pastor for information on Kyle Drake? What came next, finding out if he had a girlfriend and then passing him a note after English class?
Except … his last name probably wasn’t Drake since Roger was his stepfather.
… Was it?
“Is his last name Drake?” she couldn’t help asking.
“No, it’s Linwood. You knew Joyce and his father were divorced?”
Cameron nodded.
“Anything else you’d like to know?”
This was embarrassing. Of all the embarrassing things she’d done, and there were a lot, this ranked right up there with the time in college she’d slipped on ice walking to class and taken four people down with her.
She stood up, wishing she could take the whole conversation back. “That’s all. Thanks, you’ve been extremely helpful.”
“Any time,” Pastor John said. “Sunday services start at ten-thirty, if you want to meet my nephew. Kyle usually comes too,” he added, his eyes twinkling.
“Ah … I’ll see,” Cameron said, making a hasty exit.
***
Later that evening, she parked in the bus lane at the high school and made her way to a door that was propped open with a chair. She entered and found herself backstage.
Strains of Neil Diamond’s America boomed over the loudspeakers and multicolored lights flashed across the stage, not quite in time with the music.
Neil Diamond?
Her eyes still adjusting to the dimness, Cameron picked her way carefully down the stairs leading off the stage and into the dark auditorium. She found Annalisa sitting with a brunette. Their heads were together and they were deep in conversation.
“Oh, hey,” Annalisa looked up as Cameron approached. “This is Monica,” she gestured to the brunette.
Cameron nodded a greeting and looked around. The other girls were clustered in the first few rows of seats. Cameron recognized them from the newspaper pictures and a quick glance reaffirmed her opinion – Annalisa was the prettiest. A few of the girls watched her curiously, but most were too absorbed in either talking with friends or playing with electronics to notice her.
“Where’s Melodee?” she asked.
“Up in the booth,” Annalisa said, nodding toward the back of the auditorium. “They’re running late with the setup.”
Summer in Snow Valley (Snow Valley Romance Anthologies Book 2) Page 20
