Cameron took a seat and they waited while the lights flashed and the music started over … and over … and over.
“Sorry girls,” a woman’s voice came over the loudspeakers. “Please be patient, we’ll get started soon.”
Soon turned out to be almost forty-five minutes later.
“Okay, let’s go,” Melodee called as she came down the aisle. She was a middle-aged blonde, slightly overweight, and with her hair in a stylish short cut. She eyed Cameron suspiciously. “Hello, can I help you?”
“I’m Annalisa’s coach,” Cameron said.
Melodee gave a slight frown. “I’m sorry, but only contestants are allowed at rehearsals.”
What would Dotty do? Cameron pasted on a bright smile. “You’re the pageant coordinator, right?” she asked and when Melodee nodded, she continued quickly, “I have to say, your pageant information has been really helpful. Most coordinators aren’t so organized. You’ve made my job easier, so thanks.” Okay, that was pouring it on a bit thick.
Melodee eyeballed the contestants, who had all stopped talking to listen, and then turned back to Cameron. “We really need to get started,” she said. “I suppose it won’t hurt for you to watch, but please don’t interfere.”
“No problem,” Cameron gave her a warm smile and went to find a seat several rows back in the darkness. Hopefully Melodee would forget she was there.
“Let’s go girls,” Melodee called as she climbed the stairs to the stage. “We don’t have a runway yet, so when it’s your turn to walk it during the choreography, come here and do your movements,” she moved to where a square had been marked with tape at the front of the stage.
The girls made their way noisily backstage and when the way was clear, Melodee grabbed a microphone, and gave the person in the sound booth a thumbs up. After a pause, the music began again with the gentle swelling of stringed instruments that marked the beginning of America. Red, white, and blue lights circled around the stage.
Melodee waited for the right place in the music, then as the drums kicked in, she raised the microphone and announced formally, “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Miss Snow Valley 2015 Pageant. May I present … your contestants!”
Far … we’ve been traveling far … Neil sang.
“Cut,” Melodee said into the mic and the music died. “Girls, you’re supposed to be moving out right when he starts singing.”
“Okay … sorry,” came a faint voice from backstage.
They started again and this time the girls hit their cue. They marched out in a line and Cameron suppressed a giggle when she saw they had red, white, or blue flags clutched in each hand.
The choreography wasn’t complicated, mostly a lot of walking around and a few moments of flag formations that resembled an exercise in the semaphore flag alphabet instead of the precision drill team Melodee was probably going for. Each girl took her turn walking to the taped square and pausing while Melodee announced her name, and her parents, then miming a walk down the nonexistent runway. Cameron made a note to work with Annalisa on posture.
“Don’t forget workshops tomorrow at ten,” Melodee called two hours later as everyone packed up to leave.
“I’m going with Monica; see you tomorrow,” Annalisa gave Cameron a quick wave and hurried off; probably hoping to get away before Cameron could give her any more homework.
“Thanks for letting me stay,” Cameron approached Melodee, who was kneeling on the stage pulling up the tape. “I know it’s probably not standard procedure to have a coach on board.”
Melodee looked up. “I don’t think there’s any specific rule about it, but it is kind of unusual.” She scraped her thumbnail over a particularly stubborn bit of tape.
“How long have you been directing the pageant?” Cameron knelt and started pulling on another line of tape.
Melodee’s eyes grew distant. “Let’s see, probably about nine years now. I can’t believe it’s been so long, but I really do love it, you know?”
“I do know,” Cameron nodded. “It must take up a lot of your time.”
“For a few weeks,” Melodee said. “The rest of the year I just have to make sure Miss Snow Valley turns up where she’s supposed to be … and plan the next pageant, of course.”
“Do you use the same judges every year?” Cameron asked, feeling smugly proud of her excellent segue.
“I always ask a former winner, this year it’s Paisley Hacket,” Melodee said. “And then we usually have the pastor. The third judge is always the hardest because they have to be from out of town and I don’t know a lot of people outside of Snow Valley. I think this time we have the cousin of one of our town councilwomen. I’m not really sure, but she found him for me.”
Cameron stayed and helped Melodee pull up all the tape, making sure to keep the conversation focused on pageants and Snow Valley. By the time they were finished, Cameron was sure she wouldn’t have any more problems with Melodee.
She stopped at Dove’s for bubble bath and enough junk food to get her through the night – Doritos, gummy worms, a box of chocolate fudge Pop-Tarts, and to ease the guilt, a couple of apples. Then she drove back to the B&B where she fixed her hair and makeup and prepared for another phone call with Dotty.
“Annalisa seems kind of … fragile,” she told Dotty after they’d gone over the day’s events.
“Not so uncommon in a seventeen-year-old,” Dotty replied. “She needs to be pushed. Help her overcome her fear and she’ll thank you for it later.”
“But what if she honestly doesn’t want to do this?”
“Nonsense. Every girl wants to be a princess,” Dotty said dismissively. “And Joyce thinks this girl could go far. I’ve seen the pictures, she’s gorgeous. Does she have the right body type?”
Cameron thought of Annalisa’s slender, graceful figure. “Definitely.”
“Talent?”
“Violin, but I haven’t heard her yet.”
Dotty’s eyes narrowed in thought. “Get videos of her violin and her modeling so I can see how she moves.” She gave Cameron an actual, genuine smile. “You’re doing a good job, keep it up.”
After they hung up, Cameron took a long soak in the old-fashioned bathtub, then climbed in bed and tried to relax. If Dotty was right, and she usually was, Annalisa could go far – which meant Cameron could go far with her. This could be the ticket she’d been hoping for.
If she could keep Kyle under control.
Chapter 5
They met in the high school common area the next morning for workshops and once again, Cameron was the only adult accompanying the contestants. Melodee arrived half an hour late, and after a brief welcome and an apology, split the girls into smaller groups to attend sessions on modeling, interview, wardrobe, and platform. At each station, Cameron took short videos of Annalisa with her phone and emailed them to Dotty.
The last session drilled home the honor of being chosen as Miss Snow Valley. From her seat at the back, Cameron watched Annalisa fidget as Jocelyn Rollins, Miss Snow Valley 2009, went over the various events the royal court would attend, starting the morning after the pageant with the hot air balloon launch for the Founder’s Day Festival.
“They usually have Miss Snow Valley ride in the first balloon, the one that goes up with the flag while the National Anthem is playing,” Jocelyn said. “You have to be at the field really early so my advice is for everyone to have an outfit ready to go. You don’t want to win on Friday night and realize you have six hours to find something to wear, when all the stores are closed.”
She went on, describing the talent show and the parades that were part of Snow Valley’s Fourth of July celebrations. “And of course you make an appearance at the Saturday rodeo. The rodeo royalty does the other nights, but on the last night, the Snow Valley royalty is there too.”
“Do we have to ride horses?” a blonde on the front row asked hesitantly.
“Not in an evening gown. They’ll have a convertible for you.” Jocelyn said reassuring
ly. “One year, the convertible broke down and I think they rode the tow truck around the arena … in evening gowns.”
Everyone laughed and Cameron made a note to include the tow truck in her report when she got back to Westbrooke. Dotty would be indignant at the idea of any beauty queen riding a tow truck, but the rest of the staff would find it hilarious.
“Do you need a ride home?” Cameron asked Annalisa as they left the school. It was late afternoon and the sun was still bright and hot. Cameron fumbled through her purse for a pair of sunglasses and slipped them on.
“Um …” Annalisa’s attention was on her phone. “Josh is coming for me.”
“Josh?” Cameron asked as a red Xterra pulled into the bus lane and stopped beside them.
She was expecting a teenage boy and her heart leaped to her throat when Kyle leaned out of the driver’s side. “How’d it go?” he asked.
Thank goodness for sunglasses. At least Cameron could pretend to be cool, even if her stomach had suddenly started churning.
Annalisa shrugged. “Fine. Nothing I didn’t already know.”
Kyle turned to Cameron and there was a moment’s pause before she realized he wanted an answer from her as well.
“Um … fine. Nothing I didn’t already know either,” she said.
He gave her a small smile and turned back to Annalisa. “Tracie called. Your costume is ready and Mom said to pick it up.”
“I should probably go along,” Cameron said quickly and then blushed. Third wheel much? “I mean, to make sure it fits correctly.”
A small blue car pulled up next to the Xterra and a cute boy with curly black hair jumped out of the driver’s seat. “Hey, Leese … ready?” Another couple in the backseat waved when Annalisa looked over.
“Where are you going?” Kyle asked.
“We haven’t decided yet. Can you tell Mom I went with Josh?”
Kyle gave Josh a big brother stare down. “When will you be back?”
“Geez,” Annalisa rolled her eyes. “Settle down, it’s just Josh.”
Josh’s face lit up and he nodded vigorously.
Kyle sighed. “Okay, fine. Go have fun. Cameron and I will get your dress.”
“Thanks!” Annalisa gave his arm a squeeze before running over so Josh could open the car door for her.
“Her boyfriend?” Cameron asked as they watched the little blue car drive away.
“Nah, I think he wants to be though,” Kyle said. “So … Tracie’s?”
“I forgot!” Cameron lamented. “How are we supposed to see if the dress fits if she’s not there to try it on?”
“She’s going to be in it for one five minute dance. I’m sure it won’t be the end of the world if it doesn’t fit like a glove,” Kyle pointed out.
“Easy for you to say,” Cameron retorted. “You’re not the one who could get fired for it.”
He paused. “Seriously? You could actually get fired over this pageant?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time. Dotty Westbrooke doesn’t mess around.”
“Yeah, sounds like it,” Kyle looked at her thoughtfully and she could have sworn there was a small wrinkle of concern between his eyebrows. “C’mon, I’ll drive you over to Tracie’s,” he finally said as he jumped out of the truck and went to open the passenger door.
“My car is right …” Cameron stopped herself from pointing toward her rental, parked a few feet away. He was actually being nice and whatever the reason, getting on his good side would be a huge accomplishment.
***
Cameron had a jolt of recognition when Tracie opened the door of her small, one-story house. It was the red-headed clerk from the grocery store.
“I thought Annalisa was coming,” Tracie said.
“She couldn’t make it, so I brought Cameron,” Kyle explained.
Tracie shrugged and led them through a small, cluttered living room to an unfinished basement, where she had cordoned off an area with sheets hung on clotheslines. Her sewing machine and cutting table were set under a bare lightbulb on a remnant of carpet so covered with fabric scraps and bits of thread, Cameron couldn’t determine exactly what color it was supposed to be. Several dressmaker dummies, some dressed and some not, stood along one curtained wall, and plastic bins overflowing with fabric were stacked along another.
“Sorry, it’s kind of messy,” Tracie said. She pulled one of the dress forms from the lineup and stood it in the middle of the room. “Here it is.”
Cameron suppressed a groan. Considering the opening number was America, she shouldn’t be surprised by the costume – a dress with a red and white striped skirt and a blue, short-sleeved bodice printed with gold stars.
“I took the waist in quite a bit and hemmed it so it will hit right above her knees,” Tracie explained.
“Well …” Cameron fumbled.
“It’s great, Tracie,” Kyle cut in. “You should have seen it before. My mother had a fit,” he told Cameron.
Tracie laughed. “Yeah, it did look kind of like a gunny sack.”
“Have you altered any of the other girls’ dresses?” Cameron couldn’t help asking. She had no problem if everyone else looked like gunny sacks.
“Nope, just this one,” Tracie replied. She unzipped the dress and pulled it off the form.
“How much do I owe you?” Kyle asked.
“Your mom already paid me,” Tracie said as she folded the dress and handed it to him. “I have to work so I won’t be able to make it to the pageant, but tell Annalisa good luck for me.”
“Will do,” Kyle promised as she led them back up the stairs to the front door.
“Well, at least she’ll only be wearing it for a few minutes, as you say,” Cameron said wryly once they were back in the truck.
“I dunno,” Kyle said thoughtfully. “I think it turned out pretty good. I can totally see her wearing it to church, maybe even to the prom next year … the possibilities are endless.”
For a moment she thought he was serious, then she caught the gleam in his eye. “Yeah, definitely for church,” she agreed, jumping in. “But I’m drawing the line when we get to Miss America. By the way, I sent Dotty some video of her today, she was really impressed.”
It was like a switch flipped. Kyle’s face darkened and he turned the key. “Your car is at the high school, right?”
Hello, tension. Mentioning Dotty was obviously a mistake.
When they got back to the school, Kyle opened her door and then waited until she was safely in her car before driving away. She watched the red Xterra turn the corner and disappear with a sinking feeling. It had been going so well and she’d blown it.
Chapter 6
On Sunday morning, Cameron woke to chaos. The lawn of the Starry Skies B&B was covered in tents and the dining room was filled with firefighters.
“There’s a forest fire off in the hills so I offered the place as a base camp,” Rayna explained as she bustled by with coffee. “They got here late last night. Who doesn’t love a yard full of hunky firefighters, huh?” she threw Cameron a wink and hurried off.
Well, yeah. Cameron surveyed the dining room, where there were definitely some handsome faces. A few of the men were looking back at her, but most seemed too busy with their breakfast to pay much attention. She filled a plate with pancakes and bacon and scurried back to her room where she could eat in peace and go back to bed for an hour or two.
She wasn’t scheduled to be at the Drake’s until the afternoon and she’d already ruled out going to church. After Kyle’s abrupt mood change last night, she wasn’t about to show up at his place of worship to pump the priest for pageant info. She’d have to approach Pastor James another time.
Cameron wandered into the kitchen a few hours later to find Rayna and Becca making sugar cookies. Becca looked nervous.
“I have a date with one of the firefighters this afternoon,” she admitted. “We’re going to the Iron Stix concert in the park.”
“And she’s going to have a wonderful time,”
Rayna put in, vigorously rolling dough.
Cameron snagged a cookie from the cooling rack and gave Becca a once over. An idea was forming – she wasn’t a beauty queen coach for nothing.
Half an hour later, the makeover was complete. Becca’s fair skin glowed and her dark hair curled softly around her shoulders. Her grey eyes looked fantastic. Cameron was smugly satisfied, at this this one thing she could do right.
***
Later that afternoon, she tried to focus on the clothes draped over the living room chairs and not on Kyle, who sat on the fireplace hearth, his expression stony. He still wore his church clothes and his dark gray suit and light blue shirt contrasted with his tanned skin and caught the blue of his eyes. He’d loosened his tie and it hung crookedly around his neck. Cameron imagined the feel of the silky fabric between her fingers as she tugged him closer … but wasn’t sure if she wanted to strangle him, or kiss him.
She took a deep breath; she should be assessing Annalisa’s clothes, not her brother’s. She ran a finger over the strand of pearls dangling from the hanger that held Annalisa’s powder blue interview suit. “So pearls for the interview, rhinestones with the white dress for the talent, gold hoops for the opening number, and an iPod for the fitness portion,” she added the items to her accessories checklist. “So we’re down to evening gown.”
“It’s upstairs; why don’t you put it on, sweetie?" Joyce suggested from her seat on the sofa. “And stand up straight!” she called as Annalisa left the room.
They sat in silence for a moment and Joyce leaned toward Cameron. “How is she doing?” she asked in a conspiratorial tone.
“Uh … fine,” Cameron replied. “She’s working hard.”
“I think she needs more … something,” Joyce fretted. “Spunk? Pizzazz?”
“Mom, you can’t force her to be something she’s not,” Kyle said.
“She just needs to relax,” Cameron said reassuringly, casting a glance at Kyle. With him in the room, she wasn’t about to tell Joyce about Dotty’s opinion on the videos. “We’ll get there.”
Summer in Snow Valley (Snow Valley Romance Anthologies Book 2) Page 21