Josie muttered under her breath as she fished out the pence and pound notes buried in the bottom of the front pocket on her backpack. The taxi man waited patiently, understanding that she was a foreigner and obviously in a hurry. If Josie hadn’t slept in that morning, she would have been able to catch the shuttle bus from the hotel with the rest of the film crew. Instead, she had to count out what money she had kept for herself before wiring the rest of her paycheck to her mother in the states. 

She hastily pushed the currency into the calloused hand of the Scotsman behind the wheel, shouldered her backpack, and scooted out of the back seat of the taxi. The air was cleaner there in the country, miles away from Edinburgh, if not a little muggy from the morning fog that still lingered over the town.

Winchburgh was a charming village and perfect for shooting the remake of The Wolfman. The production team scouted for months to find a place that already had the perfect backdrop and possible sets for the shots they needed. Without much help at all, Winchburgh looked just like the village overlooked by Talbot Castle in the movie. 

This was Josie’s first time abroad and she expected to have a sense of awe and wonder toward the place that was so unlike her home in Arkansas. But Scotland had taken her breath away in ways that she couldn’t describe. It wasn’t just the fresh air, but the people and the rich history that seemed to scream at her from every street corner. The country had its modern conveniences, of course, but it retained its past well and Josie felt herself swept up in the romance of it all. 

Even as she sloshed through the muddy shoulder of the road to make her way up to the cluster of trailers just outside of the village, Josie admired the pale gray sky above and the light breeze that was beginning to blow the mist down the rolling hills of farmland and away from the village.  

Josie had wanted to make herself more presentable that morning, but three missed alarms later she had no time to fix her hair in her usual loose half-pinup style or even apply a basic application of mascara or eyeliner. Instead, she let her face go completely naked and pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail while in the taxi, taming back her slightly wavy, chestnut brown hair that she normally tried to straighten first thing in the morning. 

She wasn’t eager to look at herself in the mirror and see the hot mess that was about to greet the world. Despite her failure, Josie tried to remind herself that she was not the one the cameras wanted to see. It was her job to make the real stars look their best. 

The set was already buzzing with activity as other makeup artists, costumers, script writers and assistants all scurried from one trailer to another. Some of the more important players in the movie making business, like Landon Torff – the director - and Kirk Levins – the lead writer of the script - were exchanging some heated words about how they thought the next scene should be shot.

Landon was a world renown director.  She put them on the same pedestal along with Alfred Hitchcock, Francis Ford Coppola, and Orson Welles. 

Landon’s commanding leadership personality was truly a gift. Some may have read his demeanor as aggressive or demanding, but Josie knew better. She had been in the business of performance long enough to know the difference between guidance and cruelty. 

In the same way, Kirk had a creative mind for storytelling. He knew what worked and what didn’t and how to keep the audience captivated. Josie had read the script just after accepting the job as the star’s makeup artist for the film. Not being a lover of literature or prolific bookworm, Josie was amazed to find herself still awake at three in the morning, reading the screenplay. 

Seeing Landon and Kirk butt heads in this way, considering their great talent and passion for the art of filmmaking, wasn’t surprising. 

Josie slipped past everyone and made straight for the refreshment tent where a few frazzled crew members were setting out donuts, coffee, and other breakfast pastries for the team. Too focused in their task, no one paid her a single acknowledgment. Sometimes, she preferred it that way. She was involved in behind-the-scenes work for a reason. 

After checking the time on her wristwatch – the same one she had been using since she was a freshman in high school with the worn and peeling leather band – Josie quickly poured herself coffee in a Styrofoam cup. She took even greater care in preparing a cup of Earl Grey tea, making sure that the water was the perfect, scalding temperature and that she stirred in exactly one and a half spoonfuls of sugar to sweeten the bitter taste. Josie never cared for tea, but she knew someone who did. 

With a cup in each hand, she proceeded to the leading actor’s trailer situated on the far edge of the makeshift studio campsite. Josie tried to focus more on the warmth that seeped into her fingers from the cups that she was holding, rather than the anxious pounding of her heart beneath her rib cage. 

Unable to knock, Josie took a steadying breath and tapped the tip of her shoe on the door, making the thin plastic and metal material rattle noisily. 

“It’s open,” came the masculine voice from inside. 

Josie’s face scrunched for a brief moment, wondering how she would manage the door with only a finger or two to undo the latch. To ask the great Rodney Bator to open the door for her was out of the question. Josie didn’t have the nerve to ask a man who had won so many Academy Awards and dozens more nominations, to take the time of day to open the door for someone who hadn’t even made her name in the movie industry yet. Especially when she was perfectly able to figure it out for herself. There was no reason to waste his time. 

Being careful not to spill either drink, Josie worked the latch on the door and stepped inside. The trailer was a little larger than the rest, complete with a bathroom and sleeping area in case the star wanted to nap between shootings. The makeup vanity was lit and ready for use, but Rodney was occupied on the other side of the trailer where a small flat screen monitor was set up. 

He was facing away from her, the back of his head just visible above the edge of the plush armchair that sat in front of the built-in media center. It was a special request Rodney made when they were preparing his trailer. He wanted it, so he could watch the original movie and study it for reference. Josie couldn’t help but admire his dedication to the craft. 

“Good morning, Josie,” Rodney greeted as he always did. Despite the slight distracted note in his voice, Josie knew he was sincere. Rodney was always sincere. 

Josie hooked her foot under the door and snapped it shut, isolating herself and Rodney from the rest of the world. She walked up behind the armchair and turned her attention to the movie. The original The Wolfman movie, starring Lon Chaney Junior was playing in black and white. The scene, she recognized, was from the beginning of the story long before any serious action had taken place. 

“How did you know it was me?” Josie asked, her slight drawl giving away her southern roots. 

Rodney finally turned his attention away from the screen and looked up at Josie with his piercing, but kind slate blue eyes. Even in the low ambient light of the trailer, they were hypnotic and bright. Maybe it was the stark contrast between his nearly gray eyes and short black hair that made him look so alluring. 

It wasn’t any surprise that all the magazines back home rated Rodney Bator the sexiest man alive for three straight years in a row. His looks were reminiscent of the old movie days with Gregory Peck, Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, and Rock Hudson, with strong and masculine features like a square jaw covered in dark stubble, slender nose and a charming gaze. 

Yet, there was always a gentleness about Rodney. He was the perfect actor for action movies and romantic comedies alike. He never needed a stunt double and had mastered every art of fighting for the sake of his method acting style. He could bash skulls into brick walls and tenderly caress the face of his co-star to make her swoon without needing to play the part. He was truly a work of art and as her mother said once, “God broke the mold when he created Rodney Bator.”

 
Working in the world of theater for so long, Josie had never known what it was like to be truly star struck. They had been working on this project for a few months now and every single day, without fail, Josie had to reel herself back into reality. 
When she first saw Rodney sitting in his seat on the plane bound for Scotland, Josie had to contain her fit of squeals and giggles that wanted to rattle her body all the way across the Atlantic. Luckily, she had Natalie sitting in the aisle seat next to her, keeping her grounded until they could get to the hotel in Edinburgh.

For the first few days on set, it was hard to keep herself under control. The urge to burst into smiles while she brushed his cheeks with light powder was almost too much to bear. Slowly, the newness wore off and she could work with Rodney more professionally, talking alone in the trailer for quite a while each day. 

Sometimes, she wondered if he ever suspected that she had to stop herself from asking for his autograph every day for those first few weeks. And even though the excitement over the fact that she was working so closely with Rodney Bator had worn away, Josie still blushed when he treated her with unfounded kindness and respect. 

Josie had to catch her breath before silently handing him the cup of tea. It was Rodney that she had wanted to look good for and God only knew what he thought of her now, standing in front of him looking like she had just rolled out of bed, while he looked perfect in his basic short sleeved shirt and pair of faded jeans. 

Without answering her question, he grinned and showcased his pearly white teeth as he took the cup from her. “You know, you’re the only one who remembers that I don’t drink coffee.” He sipped quietly, and Josie could see the satisfaction in his face. “All those drones out there try to give me energy drinks or coffee and I have to keep telling them to go take a powder.”

Josie couldn’t help but giggle. Another thing that made Rodney so endearing was his colorful use of older terms that few others on set might understand. On more than one occasion, they talked completely in slang and lingo from over seventy years ago and laughed hysterically afterwards. It was just another memory that Josie held close to her heart on those days when Landon was grumpy and Kirk wasn’t explaining his vision succinctly. 

“I don’t normally have to be told something twice.” To keep herself from falling deeper into Rodney’s mystic eyes or handsome face, she lifted her gaze back to the television. “You’re watching it again?” she asked, feigning astonishment. 

Rodney glanced back to the screen as well and propped his chin in his hand. “Yes,” he sighed. “We’re doing this scene today and I want to make sure I’m getting the feeling right. I know Kirk has his own mind about Larry and his personality, but I still want to stay true to the original.”

Josie shrugged and casually leaned against the back of the arm chair after dropping her backpack to the carpeted floor. “If there’s nothing wrong with it, don’t fix it,” she quoted the old adage. 

Rodney peeked over his shoulder, flashing her another gorgeous smile. “Exactly… By the way, did you do something different with your hair?” 

Josie pulled a face. “That bad, huh? I was running late this morning.”

“Not bad.” She saw his eyes briefly skim over her features and shook his head. “I always preferred women without makeup. It only gets in the way and hides the true beauty underneath.”

Rodney turned away to watch the movie and Josie tightened her lips together to keep her smile small and subtle, even though she wanted to burst into peels of childlike giggles. He didn’t blatantly say that he thought she was beautiful, but it wasn’t an insult either. And even though she didn’t agree with his opinion, she wasn’t about to ruin this precious moment. Maybe she would let her hair be a little wilder from now on.

 

(End of Excerpt)