by Lee Winter
“Well, I didn’t understand before. It’s…it’s a big deal for me you feel that way. And I have no words.” She stopped again, feeling the love in the room wash through her. Her throat tightened. Sam’s gaze slid to Alex, who was beaming from ear to ear, with so much affection in her eyes. It was overpowering. “Thanks,” she said gruffly to the room. “That’s all I have to say. G’bye, stay safe, be good to each other, and don’t nick shit.” She jumped off the table.
The room erupted into hearty cheers and applause.
In seconds, Sam couldn’t move for all the people slapping her on the back and shaking her hand. Claustrophobia welled up, but then, suddenly, Alex was on one side and Gina on the other, flapping her hands at them all.
“Back off, you lot. Let the poor woman breathe.” Gina then ignored her own advice and pulled Sam into a mighty hug. She whispered hotly against Sam’s ear, “I’m so proud of you, bub,” before stepping back and wiping a tear from her eye. “Now then, you two best make your escape while you can or you’ll be here all night.”
Sam nodded, and Gina bustled away. Turning to her other side, she found Alex’s soft eyes on her. “Um,” Sam lowered her voice. “So I didn’t embarrass myself too much then?”
“You were perfect. You had them all in the palm of your hand. You’ll be sorely missed.”
“I don’t know about that—”
“No, Sam. You will. Take it from me. You’re a blockbuster hit. Rave reviews and all that.” She elbowed Sam and tilted her head toward the door. “Now, I believe you promised a girl a walk to your place? Although a lot of people around here seem to want to tell you how sorry they are you’re leaving. You could always stay a bit and talk to them?”
Sam’s gaze took in the room. Stay and have beers shoved in my face by boisterous, well-meaning, half-smashed locals. Or… She glanced back at Alex. Sliding her arm around her shoulders, she said, “Nah. Let’s go.”
They made their way through the crowd to the exit, and the genuinely warm well wishes thrown her way burrowed into Sam’s chest. She’d had no idea.
So maybe she would miss Ika Whenu a little bit.
CHAPTER 30
It’s a Wrap
Alex gave Shezan’s final ever scene a long, hard stare and then exhaled. “Cut. And…that’s a wrap on Shezan: Mistress of the Forest. Fantastic job, people. Really awesome work.” She turned and clapped at her crew and cast, hands above her head.
A cheer went up across the set, and she returned it with a tired smile. It was only five-thirty in the evening, but her day had started at dawn. Alex was mentally and physically exhausted. Not just because of the sizzling former cop she’d woken up to today, nibbling on her earlobe. That had become a frequent start to her day lately, and she wouldn’t swap her lover’s pre-dawn attentions for anything, even adequate rest. It did mean, though, that she was virtually dead by the time her sodding film had fallen over the finish line.
“There’s a wrap party tonight,” she reminded everyone. “There’ll be a screening of a few scenes of Shezan along with a few surprises. Oh…and free booze.”
The cheers got considerably louder.
Alex called her production assistant over. “I need you to invite a few extra people to the party.”
Alice whipped out her notepad. “Sure.”
“Invite Joe—it’s his land, after all—along with Sid, Kevin, and Gina Mahuta. And Sam…who I’ll invite myself. Just make sure all five are granted access at the gate, okay?”
Alice nodded, smiled, and disappeared.
She left final instructions for the First AD, Leslie, who was handling any technical work as they began shutting down the production. Then Alex headed for her trailer.
Flopping on her small couch, she punched out a text to Sam.
Hot date tonight @ 8. Just you, me, and entire Shezan cast + crew. We’ll c a little bit of the film too. Want to come? Can promise fun, laughs + later, kisses from the director. :) btw your fam’s been invited. Couldn’t have made Shezan without them.
Her phone pinged a minute later.
Seriously? Didn’t Sid sabotage your film, Kev lose a light, and what did Gina do for Shezan?! Of course I’ll be there. Congrats on finishing!
Alex replied: Your brothers were great when they weren’t sabotaging. Gina fed us. PS wear something warm. It’s an outdoor screening.
RU just being nice? Inviting Shezan’s black sheep + Gina? For me? Thnx on clothing tip. Will pack my flannel undies.
Alex texted back: Flannel undies are NOT a thing. And I’m not nice. I’ll have u know I’m as fierce as those dogs ur trying to rehab
Since Killer’s a complete softy, I agree. See you in a few hrs. xx
Alex stared at the two Xs, her heart warming along with her cheeks.
She wondered what Sam would make of the highlights reel of Shezan she’d see tonight. Their Auckland editing team had been working flat out all throughout filming. Most special effects were still missing, but Alex had ordered them to at least do a cut of the opening scene, with Amelie’s watercolor art underlaid with the evocative Bulgarian song she’d chosen.
Alex couldn’t wait to see all those elements together on the big projector screen the crew would be setting up next to Craft Services. Soon Alex was about to discover how much of a hit—or otherwise—her career would take from her insane decision to agree to this movie.
No pressure.
By eight that night, Craft Services had been transformed. Rows of plastic chairs, filled with cast and crew, lined the grassy, flat area. A giant white sheet had been strung up. All lights had been turned off, plunging the screening area into inky darkness—nature’s own cinema.
The still, moonless night carried laughter and chatter from everyone crammed into the chairs, waiting for the entertainment to begin. For many, this was the first movie they’d worked on, and nervous tension rippled through the crowd.
Alex sat in the back row next to Sam, her jaw clenching and unclenching.
The show reel began amid rowdy cheers.
What if it’s no good? Alex wiped her perspiring palms down her jeans. What if Quincy and I just imagined it having redeeming features? Critics could shred it even worse than before. I won’t be able to show my face in LA for years.
Sam gathered her hand and whispered, “Relax.”
The Bulgarian music began, with an aching, low, earthy rumble of traditional bagpipes, joined by layers of gently wailing female voices. It was ancient, longing, like calling for a home of millennia ago. The rich watercolors of fern-thick forest surrounding Wairere Falls appeared, earning soft, awed gasps, before they dissolved into the real scenery.
A Maori elder’s narration began. The woman’s deep, earthy voice had been recorded in the studio in Auckland only a week ago. Her gravitas brought goosebumps to Alex’s skin.
In an ancient, distant land, there was born a girl child. Small of size, but strong and fearless, she grew to be ten seasons old. She had a gentle spirit, a curious nature, and a smile of such brightness as to make the stars envious.
Shezan was beloved by the Amazons as their most precious sister.
And the day she became lost, the whole world wept.
The haunting lament of the Bulgarian singers rose with the music. The artwork itself wept, too, draining down the screen, bleaching it of color.
“Oh wow,” Sam murmured. “That’s beautiful.”
Alex nodded, throat too tight to swallow.
The editing was sublime, even just in these rough cuts.
Several action scenes followed, before it jumped ahead again to just before Jennifer and Shezan’s big puma showdown. The intimate close-ups and guarded looks giving way to longing were perfection. This was the powerhouse moment of the whole movie, and she’d been dying to see it in panorama size.
They were now at the moment where Jennifer had to choo
se between saving her father or Shezan.
A close-up of her shaking rifle filled the screen. Then Jennifer squared her stance, took aim with a determined clamp of her jaw. The tension rose, the music little more than a single taut violin string. Quivering, holding, waiting.
Alex’s hand was suddenly crushed by Sam’s. The crowd drew in a collective breath. A slide appeared.
Insert: Gunshot sound FX
Insert: Puma close-up FX
Jennifer flung aside her gun and ran, a fearful expression on her face.
Insert: Poacher mauled FX
Insert: Puma dead
Then…the poacher’s crumpled form came into focus.
The audience cheered heartily.
Alex snorted at the response. Typical. Everyone loves a good villain.
Jennifer was now comforting Shezan. “Don’t cry. Not for him. He’s not worth it.”
Oh yes. It was even better than Alex had dared hope. No one made the slightest sound.
Shezan slipped her arm around Jennifer and they walked slowly away.
“It’s so cold.” Jennifer gazed around them. “I come from warm lands. Here, the ground is frosted in the mornings. The trees shiver with winds. The leaves stay wet long after sun-up.”
“Is it…too cold?”
“That’s just it. It should be,” Jennifer said softly. “But all I feel here is warmth. Shezan, you warm me.”
“Then stay. Be warm here—with me.”
Jennifer’s smile could have lit the whole screen. “Always.”
The crowd went nuts. Roars and cheers resounded.
The film’s stars remained gazing at each other as the camera pulled back, rising toward ancient, green Mount Te Aroha.
Breathtaking. Quincy was right about the cinematography. It deserved an Oscar.
Next up came a few scenes showcasing Breaker Bob’s riding skills, weaving through the trees, leaping a tiny creek, earning hoots and smart-ass comments.
But Alex’s mind was still on that pivotal scene. Her movie probably shouldn’t work at all. Some of their dialogue still was a bit too…over the top. She preferred understated. But somehow it seemed to work when paired against the magnificent backdrop. Something to do with larger-than-life characters in a larger-than-life setting.
A rhythmic Amazon dance was now playing under some hastily cobbled together credits, and this time the cheer was female—all the Amazon extras. It finished with more dazzling watercolor brilliance for the movie’s end, weeping down the screen along with the music. The crowd erupted into hoots as they recognized their names.
Then the screen shifted into a series of bloopers.
“Fuck!” on-screen Chloe said.
“Line?” Melody replied, sounding bored.
“Fuck,” Chloe repeated. “That’s your line.”
“Wait, I get to fucking swear?” Melody deadpanned.
Chloe’s face shifted right in the lens, larger than a house. “Fuck yeah.”
Alex’s barked “Cut!” sounded in the background.
Alex rolled her eyes at her exasperated voice. That had been a trying day. Everyone had been so tired they were punch-drunk. Making movies was always funnier in hindsight.
Local stuntees started flying across the screen in a short tribute to their skills, incurring more excited hollers and whoops from the audience.
“I think they like that.” Alex laughed. “Or those three, anyway.”
“They’re really popular around here,” Sam said. “Even more so thanks to you. Those stuntmen have their own fan page now, since your viral video.”
“Ah.”
The bloopers continued with a rubber arrow bouncing off a tree, Melody asking for her line three more times, and Chloe accidentally tumbling out of the high tree set, disappearing into a dense bush, followed by a muffled “I’m fine!” Next, Sid tripped face-first over a lighting cable, bouncing in and then out of frame, followed by Alex, hands on her hips, captured peering down at him, saying, “Seriously, Sid?”
Sam’s laugh was as hearty as everyone else’s in the cheers of delight at that.
Candid footage of Alex giving her cinematographer the thumbs up and a wide, genuine smile ended the reel in a freeze frame. As the projector was switched off, and the lights came up, the applause rose to thunderous.
Alex walked to the front and quieted them down. She made a short speech thanking everyone for their work, praising the efforts of novices and veterans alike. Then she paused.
“In years to come, I want you to remember this moment: Once upon a time you worked on the so-called world’s worst movie and you made it beautiful. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished here, as I’m proud of you all. Thank you for everything. Please enjoy the free booze and food. It’s Quincy’s shout!”
A cheer rose up and Quincy made some good-natured, expected mutters of disapproval about them having no restraint, earning more laughter.
Alex returned to her seat.
Sam gave her an admiring look. “Nice speech.”
“So what did you think of my film? Well, what you saw of it.”
“Loved the music.”
“Of course you did.” Alex snorted. “Just the music?”
“And the stunt work. That scene with Chloe running, was that all her or Kiri, too?”
“A bit of both.”
“Cool.”
“So you liked the music and the stunts.” Alex prodded her in the ribs. “That’s it, woman?”
“I really liked the dead puma.”
“The hell? It was a card saying ‘dead puma here!’”
Sam snickered at her outrage. “Sorry, I’ll stop teasing. Okay, from what I saw, it looks beautifully shot and really exciting. And, I may have enjoyed Shezan making all those lovesick doe eyes at Jennifer—although I’ll deny it if anyone asks.”
“Well.” Alex smiled in relief, heart lifting at the praise. “Booyah.”
“That’s not a word,” Sam murmured fondly. “At least not this century.”
Alex laughed.
The after-party was thumping. A buffet spread had been laid out on trestle tables, and lanterns hung from trees and nearby trailers, giving a warm glow. Against the backdrop of the dark green Kaimai Ranges, with the stars above, it was easily the prettiest party Alex had ever attended.
Skye was burbling with excitement as she gave Chloe four pairs of matching socks with the word “Hollywood” knitted up the side. “For your family,” she was saying. “I can’t wait to meet them next week. I’ve made matching suspenders, too.” She beamed proudly and held a pair up.
“Choice.” Chloe took them. “Um, are these bells on the suspenders?”
Alex chuckled and turned back to Gina, who looked like she’d died and gone to heaven, with exciting new food to try and a whole crowd to gossip with.
“Did you like what you saw of Shezan?” Alex asked. “Bear in mind it’ll be way better with all the effects in place and, well, all the rest of the scenes.”
“Oh, I’m not one for fantasy films, so I’m probably the worst person to ask. Although I admit I loved the romance side. How beautiful that was. Those lovely lesbian ladies finding each other.” She became a little dewy eyed. “I really wanted them to be together.”
“Lesbian ladies?”
They turned to find Melody staring at them, an inquisitive eyebrow lifted.
“Oh yes,” Gina said enthusiastically. “You and Chloe did a fine job. I truly believed you were in love.”
Oh shit. Alex had really hoped not to be around the moment Melody worked out the ninety-eight-percent gay content of her movie.
“Oh.” Melody shrugged. “Yeah. That.”
Alex blinked. “Wait, you knew?”
“Course.” She rolled her eyes. “How come you didn’t level with me that you were mak
ing a down-low lesbian romance?”
“I wasn’t sure you’d take it well.”
“Why?” She flicked her hair. “Does my neck look that red to you?”
Wait, what? “I didn’t want to risk your chemistry with Chloe by making you self-conscious if you weren’t aware. Besides,” she said delicately, “you do have a fondness for Bible quotes and large crucifixes.”
Melody snorted softly. “Hey, my crucifix is costume jewelry my best friend makes. I wear it to support her business. My Bible quotes are actually hilarious and ironic, thank you very much. And I don’t support the oppression of minorities, ever. I’m only biased against ugly people.” She shuddered. “That’s different. Their stupid faces annoy me.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Gina interrupted. “How can ugly people help how they look?”
“Not my problem.”
“Hamuti,” Gina muttered under her breath, then pursed her lips.
Alex had no idea what that meant and wasn’t about to ask in front of Melody. She cleared her throat to get the actress’s attention. “Well, anyway, you did a great job on my film. You’ll get offers from it, I have no doubt.”
“Christ, I hope not.” Melody screwed up her face.
“What? You don’t want to be successful?”
“Eww, no. Look, I’ll be honest. I only took Shezan cos I thought it’d be a stinker.”
Alex peered at her. “Why?”
“Dad’s the one who wants me to be a star. That’s his dream. I want to study political science. So we did a deal: He’d pay for college if I agreed to do one studio movie. He thought I’d catch the acting bug and wouldn’t want to do school after that. Anyway, I turned down any decent script that he sent my way. Then Shezan came up, and it was perfect. How utterly shit was the first draft?”
“It wasn’t…ideal,” Alex acknowledged.
“So I took the job and figured I’d do the bare minimum, no point being noticed, or worse, becoming an acting sensation.” She looked appalled at the thought. “So it was all going to plan, then Chloe started hitting on me. At first I thought she was, like, a total lez.” Melody glanced around, seeking out the actress in question, and inclined her head Chloe’s way. “Boy was I wrong. She’s only got eyes for one person.” She snickered.