Page 34 of Wrapped in You

"Mission accomplished."

Suddenly, Derek Brownlee called a break for lunch, and nearly a hundred crew members stormed the catering table and cast Sophie and Randy to separate corners. Sophie floated through her responsibilities, chatting with the sound guys and Natalie and Brent, throwing sauces on bowls of pasta, and grating parmesan cheese.

"You look happy," Natalie pointed out as she stabbed her tortellini with a fork.

Sophie laughed. "I just promoted Randy," she said, gesturing to the happy blond twentysomething at the opposite end of the catering table. "He just took a load of stress off my shoulders."

Natalie's eyes flashed. "He's so cute, isn't he? He should put together a portfolio and head out to LA!"

"To act?" Sophie asked.

Randy overheard them and laughed. "I could never do what you do, Natalie."

"Come on. I saw you bartending at the Christmas party," Natalie shot back. "What is bartending if not acting? You have a knack for it!"

Randy continued to laugh. "I'm a small-town guy with a small-town lady," he said. "I don't want anything else."

Suddenly, Sophie realized Derek was at the table, listening to their conversation. Natalie gave Derek a soft smile, one that indicated things had been kinder and looser on set ever since Derek's "breakdown."

"What do you think, Mr. Director?" Natalie asked. "You think Randy has a chance in Hollywood?"

"I think Hollywood is a cesspool," Derek said, although his tone was light and cheerful.

"You know what Hollywood doesn't have?" Randy continued. "It doesn't have a Christmas Festival."

Natalie perked up. "I heard something about that!"

"We're catering," Randy said, waving his spoon between himself and Sophie. "But Sophie's been involved in planning the festival for years."

Sophie's cheeks burned as she piled a bowl higher and higher with pasta. Was this bowl for Derek? Was that why she was making it so much bigger than the others? And why was Derek looking at her like that? Why did it make her feel so nervous and shivery?

"It's my favorite day of the year," Sophie admitted once she realized everyone was looking at her. "The entire town comes together to sing carols and eat delicious food and play games and drink mulled wine. It's a dream."

Sophie thrust the bowl of pasta across the table and into Derek's hands. She then grated parmesan over the top, praying he couldn't see her shaking.

"You should come if you want to," Sophie continued to blabber. "It's small-town charm at its most charming. And like Randy said, we have a lot of ideas for catering. The food will be sensational."

"We won't disappoint!" Randy called.

"I'd love to come," Natalie said, beaming. She turned as Brent approached to announce, "Guess what, baby? We're going to the Willow Creek Christmas Festival!"

But Derek looked gray-faced and unsure. He stabbed his over-parmesan-ed pasta.

Sophie couldn't breathe.

"It's in a week and a half," Sophie said. "Next Saturday from noon to nine p.m. If you're walking through downtown, you can't miss it."

Derek's eyes were no longer as warm and inviting as they'd been that morning.

It felt as though the "new," nicer, kinder, more handsome Derek had suddenly disappeared.

Where did you go? Sophie wanted to demand.

"I can't make it," Derek said. His voice was cold. Suddenly, he twisted around, calling out to the assistant director as he maneuvered through cameras and equipment. "Let's meet in my trailer. I have a few notes on scene forty-five."

The assistant director rerouted to follow him. Sophie watched forlornly as the two men slipped into the trailer and sealed the door behind them.

"What a Grinch," Natalie quipped, squeezing Brent's arm. "I can't believe you invited him, Sophie. You know how he is."

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