Page 6 of Coral Memories

Yet, their grandmother wasn’t getting any younger, even though Ginger enjoyed exceptional health for her age. Her brisk walks on the beach and vigorous hikes to her favorite meditation spot on the ridgetop kept her in shape. Her incredible will drove her every day.

Kai reached out and shut the book in Marina’s hands. “That will be there tomorrow. Let’s start the video shoot while the cafe is slow. Besides, you need hair and makeup.”

“You told me to look natural.” Marina smoothed a hand over her wispy hair.

Kai arched an eyebrow. “You look like you’ve been working in a hot kitchen.”

“That’s because I have been.”

“I’m not letting you on camera like that. You should know better.”

Marina nudged her sister. “Work your magic, then.”

She followed Kai to the spacious hall bathroom of the old cottage. While Kai opened the bag she carried, Marina settledinto a chair in front of the mirror. “I don’t want to look theatrical. I want to look like I do every day at the cafe.”

Kai opened her makeup bag, a glint of excitement in her eyes. “You’ll look that way on camera, I promise. Only better.”

Her sister hummed a Broadway tune as she worked. Marina guessed it was a song fromWest Side Storythat Kai had once performed.

Kai cleansed her face and applied foundation to minimize the sheen, much as Marina had done for her on-camera work on the morning news in San Francisco, which seemed another lifetime ago.

“Hey, you look great,” Brooke said as she joined them. Her hair was in braids, and her sun-kissed face from gardening didn’t need makeup, although she had applied lipstick. “We’re all ready to go.”

Ginger was behind her, looking casually elegant in her pressed coral shirt and pearls. “What a wonderful idea this is,” she said, clasping her hands. “Three generations of the Delavie family cooking together.”

“Thank you all for being a part of this,” Marina said. “The Coral Cafe wouldn’t exist without you.”

Her daughter Heather had already dressed and was gathering the chef jackets and aprons they would use for the shoot. This video was Kai’s idea. Marina would use it for publicity and the Coral Cafe website.

After Kai finished, they made their way to the cafe. A lighting technician from Kai and Axe’s outdoor amphitheater was already there, lighting the space with the necessary brightness.

Kai brought out several tripods designed for phones and began to set them up. “Marina, I need your phone. Brooke and Heather, yours, too.”

Marina looked on with interest. “What are you doing?”

“I picked up tips and techniques when we filmed routines for promotional pieces on my last tour,” Kai replied. “I watched what the camera operators and the director were doing. When I edit this piece, I can pull different camera angles. I’m also filming vertical clips for social media. That’s what we do for our stage productions. It’s easy on the budget, and we adjust everything in post-production.”

Behind them, Cruise finished wiping down the stove. “I’ll get out of your way, ladies.”

Kai held up a hand. “Not so fast. I’ll want a few shots of you, too. You’re the food truck chef.” She twisted her lips to one side and opened her makeup bag. “Men need powder, too. Heather, would you take care of that while I set up the shots?”

Cruise grinned while Heather whisked a brush across his nose and cheeks. Then, the two of them posed for Kai.

After Kai finished the shots, she turned to Cruise. “I’ll need your help with filming,” she added, adjusting the settings.

Marina looked doubtful. “Are you sure these small devices can produce a good video?”

“As long as you know what you’re doing and have good lighting,” Kai replied.

Marina relaxed. After finishing a season at the outdoor amphitheater she ran with Axe, Kai was an experienced director with a good eye now.

While they waited, Cruise twirled Heather around, and she laughed. Quickly, Kai caught it on video. “Love the energy. Keep it up, everyone.”

Marina was pleased that she’d brought Cruise back on board after their disagreement earlier in the year. Their working relationship had improved. He listened to her and followed directions now, and she worked with him on new dishes and recipes, drawing on his training in top hotel kitchens.

Together, they developed a new food truck menu featuring specialty items and standards that could be prepared quickly in the small space. These included gourmet hamburgers with sweet potato fries, fish tacos with crunchy vegetables, and shrimp pizza with pesto sauce.

Kai turned to Marina. “Now, I need a few shots of you and Ginger.”

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