by Tamara Lynn
When Kate emerged from her room, she found Otis, Betsy, Daniela, and Dixie all relaxing on the back porch.
“Good morning, child,” Dixie got up and greeted her. “Let me know if you need another pill.”
Kate shook her head, “Thanks, but no. I’m feeling much better today.”
“No more pain?” Daniela asked. She clearly did not understand sunburns.
“Not as bad,” Kate replied. “What did I miss?”
“Christmas charades. Carl made an absolute fool of himself last night,” Betsy exclaimed.
“I didn’t check the chalkboard. What’s on the docket for today?” Kate asked.
Dixie smiled. She was glad someone actually read her board. “Well, it’s our Christmas Eve, so after dinner we’ll watch White Christmas. It’s a family tradition.”
“And I’m serving a turkey dinner,” Otis added.
“Speaking of,” Dixie looked at her husband, “You need to get that in the oven.”
“Bossy,” Otis huffed and then left for the kitchen.
“He’s been busier than a cat coverin’ crap on a marble floor,” Betsy explained.
“We’re going shopping. Do you girls want to join us?” Dixie clicked her nails in their direction.
Daniela looked at Kate. Right away, she could tell that Kate didn’t appear interested. “No, mama, we’re going to stay here, in the shade.”
“Suit yourself,” Betsy replied. Then she patted Kate on the head and said, “See ya later, Red.”
Wyatt held the door open as the ladies walked through, and then he came over to kiss Kate. “Carl and I are taking the pontoon out on the lake to fish. Do either of you want to join us?”
“Sorry Wyatt,” Kate rubbed his beard. “I’m staying away from the sun for the rest of this trip.”
Daniela leaned back and put her feet up on the railing. “I’ve got her Wyatt. I’ll stick around and keep her company.”
“No, you’ve already done so much,” Wyatt protested.
“Listen,” Daniela lowered her sunglasses and looked him in the eyes. “I was going to ask her to read with me. I need to practice.”
Kate stared at her in complete shock.
“Good idea. I would’ve recommended that earlier, but we all know how private you can be when you are working on a script,” Wyatt said.
“It’s hard to work out the details in front of another person. I really don’t know my character yet,” Daniela explained. “But what can I say? I trust her.” Daniela stopped and looked directly at Kate. “I trust you.”
Her heart was racing and she could hear the pulse pounding in her ears. Instantly she became a ball of nerves and excitement. Kate wasn’t much of a fan girl, but she could recognize that Daniela was the best in their field. An absolute genius. The thought of working with her, even if it was only practice, nearly took her breath away. Or possibly, that was due to the hiccups that started.
“Is that a yes?” Daniela stared at her.
“I can do that,” Kate calmly replied. “But first, coffee.”
“Well then I’m off to fish. I’ll see you guys in a few hours,” Wyatt said as he kissed Kate on the cheek.
“Wyatt, your beard scratches my sunburn,” Kate protested.
“Have you put on any aloe today?” Daniela asked.
Kate shook her head. She’d literally only showered and come out on the porch. “Not yet, but I will.”
The two of them got up and walked into the kitchen. Kate popped a cup in the Keurig and Daniela began making bagel sandwiches.
“Turkey or Ham?” Daniela asked.
“Neither,” Kate answered. “I’ll just have cream cheese.”
“Okay, here we go,” Daniela popped a bagel in the toaster. “So, you will be playing Anne, obviously,” she began setting the stage.
“Tell me everything I need to know,” Kate became incredibly serious and professional.
“The first scene we will work on is the one where the two of them meet. Anne is married to Calico Jack, and she is on the deck when he attacks Reed’s ship,” Daniela explained.
Kate’s coffee was ready, so she pulled out her mug and reached for the Splenda. “Anne is clearly not afraid of danger, if she’s present for all of this.”
“Oh, she is incredibly brave. There are reports of her fighting alongside her men.” Daniela pulled a bagel from the toaster and began to spread cream cheese on it.
“Thank you,” Kate said as she took the bagel.
“We first meet when Jack’s men bring Reed onto your ship,” Daniela began setting the stage.
Kate raised her green eyes to Daniela’s and focused intently.
“Captain Jack discovers there was a mutiny on Reed’s ship, so he rightfully assumes that he can recruit some of our sailors.” Daniela pulled a second bagel out of the toaster before continuing. “We barely speak at all in that first scene. I don’t want the men on Jack’s ship to know that I am actually a woman, so I try not to talk.”
Kate cocked her head to the side as she listened. It struck her as odd how Daniela was switching back and forth between speaking of Reed as herself and speaking of Reed as a character in the story. Was this part of her process as she slipped into character?
“Captain Jack gathers the captured men on the deck of his ship. He tells them that they can join his crew or walk the plank. Some of the men readily accept his offer of employment. Others consider swimming to their freedom. Reed’s silence, however, catches the attention of Jack. Both Anne and Jack walk over to Reed. This entire time, Reed keeps her gaze focused on Anne, boldly looking her in the eyes. Then, Jack asks Reed if she intends to pledge allegiance or lose her life. In response, Reed takes a knee and bows before Anne.”
“Sexy,” Kate murmured.
“If done right,” Daniela pointed out.
“How does Anne respond?” Kate asked.
“She takes the tip of her sword and places it against Reed’s throat. For a moment, she holds it tightly against Reed’s neck, piercing the skin ever so slightly. Then she moves it under Reed’s chin to raise her face so that their eyes meet again.”
Kate swallowed a bite of her bagel and it got caught. Then came the hiccups again.
Daniela, completely in the zone, was oblivious to the noises coming from her companion. Slipping back into first person, she continues. “At this point, you say ‘Rise’. I get back on my feet, and Jack gives both of us a look. Jack is incredibly intelligent and through this interaction, he recognizes that I am a woman. He knows that his wife likes to keep an occasional lady on the side, and he allows for these dalliances.”
“All right, let’s do this,” Kate said. She opened a drawer by the sink and pulled out the largest knife she could find. “This will do.”
“Well we can’t do this in the kitchen,” Daniela pointed out. “It’s a work in progress. I can’t have anyone see the pieces while I’m working it out. I don’t want to be interrupted.”
“WE don’t want to be interrupted,” Kate corrected her and walked down the hall.
Daniela took a deep breath and stood up as straight as she could. “Okay, then,” she said to herself and followed Kate.
As soon as she entered the room, Daniela began the instructions. “Imagine that I’ve just been brought aboard the ship.” She knelt down on the far side of her bed. “I’m going to climb over the bed like I’m coming over the rail.”
Kate stood there holding the makeshift sword. She gently twisted the end of the knife into the ring finger of her left hand. Intently, her eyes watched as Reed’s hand first appeared on the railing. She lowered her head curiously and cocked it slightly to the left.
Reed crawled over the bed and stood in front of her.
“Right now, Jack is speaking,” Daniela explained.
Not once breaking character, Anne kept looking at Reed. Her eyes traced all the way from her feet, to her head. Then they locked eyes.
Anne raised an eyebrow and continued to stare Reed in the eyes.
Then Reed dropped to one knee, and finally broke their connection as she bowed her head.
Anne placed the knife firmly against Reed’s throat.
Daniela’s breathing increased. Kate was actually holding a sharp knife against her throat. She fell back and rolled away. “No, wait,” she said as she stood up. “It’s not right.”
“I’m sorry,” Kate said and put the knife on her bed.
Daniela paced back and forth in front of the window. “I need a drink,” she stated.
“You don’t drink.”
Daniela spun around and looked at her.
“What?” Kate said. “I notice things.”
“Well, I need to right now,” Daniela said and left the room.
Damn, I thought that was good. Kate went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. The red face staring back at her was a reminder that she needed to put on aloe. If her skin dried up, it would be even more painful.
When Daniela returned, a jar of Betsy’s moonshine in hand, she found Kate in the bathroom trying to spread the aloe across her back. The tension melted away and Daniela fell right back into a caretaker role. “Let me help you,” she said as she picked up the bottle of green gel.
“It’s getting better,” Kate said. “Still hurts like a mother, but it’s getting better.”
“Do you need to rest?” Daniela was concerned.
“No, I’m fine. I just want to keep my skin moisturized,” Kate replied. “It tightens as it dries out and then every movement feels like I’m pulling and stretching my skin. It’s ridiculously painful.”
She turned around and let Daniela continue to rub the cooling gel across her body. “At least I can wear a bra today,” Kate pointed out.
“That was really bothering you, wasn’t it?” Daniela asked.
“You have no idea. And then you kept putting cold things on me,” Kate laughed. “It wasn’t an ideal scenario.”
Daniela snickered, and Kate noticed that she was letting her guard down again.
“Tell me what you want me to do differently,” Kate's voice was quiet, yet firm.
For some reason those words hit Daniela like a wrecking ball to the chest. With that, Kate had all of Daniela’s attention. None of the actors or actresses she’d worked with have ever said those words to her. She put the bottle down. “Nothing. You were perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
“What do you need?” Kate persisted.
“It’s not you, it’s me,” Daniela tried to explain.
Kate shook her head and turned away in annoyance. I can’t believe she’s giving me this line.
Recognizing her poor choice in words, Daniela quickly tried to recover. “No, I’m serious, I just freaked out over the knife thing. It’s not every day someone holds a sharp knife to your throat. I mean, if you wanted to, you could have killed me.”
Kate slid her hand around to the back of Daniela’s neck. With a thumb resting on Daniela’s cheek, she moved her face so that they were looking directly at each other. “You trust me,” Kate reminded her.
Daniela grit her teeth and then reached for the moonshine. After a healthy chug, she nodded at Kate. “Right, let’s do this then.”
Again, Reed crawled over the edge of the bed and stood before Anne. Seconds later, she lowered herself to the floor on one knee.
Testing the limits, and pushing Daniela close to the edge, Kate held the knife to her throat for longer than she probably should have. Then she brought the flat edge of the knife up to rest on the bottom of Reed’s chin.
Anne lifted her chin until they were once again looking at each other. “Rise,” she commanded.
Reed stood to her feet and looked at Anne like she wanted to rip her clothes off.
For a few seconds, they held the scene and then Daniela stepped back. “That was good,” she said with passion in her voice. “Really good.”
“Let me at that moonshine,” Kate said as she walked into the bathroom for the jar. She took a long drink and then scrunched up her face as she swallowed. Betsy sure made a strong drink.
“I want to try something. Can we do it again?” Kate asked.
“Sure,” Daniela answered uneasily.
“Okay,” Kate took another drink and walked back into the bedroom.
This time as Reed was kneeling before her, Anne placed the knife between her breasts instead of at her throat. Slowly, Anne dragged the knife from Reed’s chest to the small divot at the bottom of Reed’s neck. Anne paused there momentarily, then moved the knife to Reed’s chin. “Rise,” came the command.
Reed got to her feet and stood obediently before her.
“I like it,” Daniela broke character.
“Do you?” Kate asked.
“Absolutely. Anne is a bold one for sure. And she knows from the minute that she sees Reed’s hand on the railing that Reed is a woman. This movement of the sword lets Reed know that Anne sees through the disguise. She knows Reed is a woman.” Daniela was impressed with Kate. It was a smart choice to play it that way.
Wyatt knocked on the door before entering. “I’m back!” He walked up to Kate and took the knife from her hand and looked suspiciously at the two of them.
“It makes sense in the scene,” Kate explained as she kissed Wyatt on the cheek.
He really didn’t care one way or the other, he was just excited to share the news. “I caught a fish! I have no idea what kind of fish it is, but it’s big.”
“Nasty,” Daniela faked gagging.
“You’re drinking?” Wyatt said when he noticed the moonshine on her end table.
“I’m drinking,” Kate corrected him as she picked up the jar. “I was feeling the effects of my sunburn and according to your mother, this concoction cures everything.”
“Did it help?” Wyatt asked.
“I felt numb,” Kate assured him. “However, now I’m feeling a little worn out. Is it cool with you guys if I take a nap?”
Daniela couldn’t help herself from switching to the caretaker role. “Please do,” she replied. “I’m going to get you some Gatorade and ibuprofen. You need to stay hydrated.” Daniela took the moonshine from her and handed it to Wyatt.
Wyatt kissed Kate’s hand and then followed Daniela down the hall.
Seconds later Daniela re-emerged. She closed the door behind her as she came in. She wasn’t surprised to see that Kate was already under the covers.
“You were really good,” she reassured Kate as she sat down.
“I’m glad you liked it,” Kate replied. “If you want to do a different one later, I’m down.”
Daniela handed her the lip balm. “Do you know that you burnt your lips?”
“It felt like that when I drank your aunt’s poison. That stuff burns from the inside out,” Kate pointed out.
“Well get some rest, and then maybe after White Christmas we’ll run another scene,” Daniela leaned forward and kissed Kate on the forehead.
Kate closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of Daniela’s perfume.
Once Daniela left the room, Kate rolled over on her side. She wasn’t tired. In fact, she did not even want a nap. Instead she wanted a moment alone to replay the afternoon. Every look, every touch. She savored every second and tried to commit them to her memory.
CHAPTER SIX
Spending the day apart made Wyatt clingy. As they sat around the table eating dinner, Kate had to repeatedly remind him to be mindful of her sunburn.
“I hear you read lines with Daniela this afternoon,” Otis said as he cut into a potato.
“I did,” Kate glanced across the table at Daniela. She’d noticed that Daniela hadn’t looked at her once since they sat down. It was strange. They normally traded looks of annoyance at the things Carl and Wyatt talked about.
“Well, how was it, sweetie?” Betsy asked.
“Amazing,” Kate said without hesitation. “She’s brilliant and I am in awe of her talent.”
For a quick second Daniela looked at her.
Taking fu
ll advantage of the opportunity, Kate rested her steak knife on her lips and winked at Daniela.
Daniela laughed silently, her chest heaving in a steady rhythm. She grinned and shook her head.
She couldn’t stand the way Wyatt fawned over Kate. He was such a strong confident man, but when he got around Kate, he turned into a wimpy love sick teenager. It was too much. She’d never seen him like this before. She didn’t like it, and she just wished he’d stop.
“Do you like playing a pirate?” Dixie asked.
“She’s not really playing a pirate,” Carl interrupted. “She’s playing a cartoon pirate.”
“There’s a difference between comics and cartoons,” Daniela kicked him under the table.
“Very much,” Kate spoke over the two of them. “I very much liked being a pirate.” She hoped that Daniela was serious about working on another scene.
“I like pirates,” Otis said. “Do you believe in reincarnation?”
“Oh, here we go,” Dixie said as she took a drink of wine.
“Not really,” Kate shook her head. “Why?”
Otis proudly explained. “My grandfather was the reincarnation of the famed pirate Blackbeard.”
Kate stopped mid chew and looked at Wyatt. Is he serious?
“That makes me Blackbeard’s grandson,” Otis explained.
“Dad was extremely excited when I signed on for this show,” Daniela added.
“Just what does a pirate do in this modern world?” Kate inquired. “You know, for work?”
“He worked for the post office,” Otis replied. “Delivering mail.”
“Huh,” Kate said. “Imagine that.”
“If you need any help getting into character, let me know,” Otis offered.
Kate nodded. Noted. She looked over at Wyatt and noticed he’d been drinking quite a bit of Besty’s moonshine.
After dinner, the group gathered in the living room to watch the movie. Wyatt was sitting in the corner of the couch, and Kate was leaning in to him. He had his arm around her and his feet up on the coffee table. On the other side of her sat Carl. The next couch over, in Kate’s line of sight, Daniela was lying on her back and facing the tv. Otis, Dixie and Betsy sat on the other couch on the far side of Wyatt.
