Page 7 of The Interview
THREE
GEORGIA
Makenzie Wild is one of those people whose name one hundred percent suits her looks and personality. She has long, wavy, blonde hair, sun-kissed skin, and dresses like she’s on her way to listen to Joni Mitchell or Bob Dylan at Woodstock. Given that hippie vibe she portrays, I was expecting a laid-back personality, but no. That’s where the ‘Wild’ side makes its appearance when the first thing she says as our eyes meet is, “Fuck me, no wonder Sean McCarthy, Cameron King, my dad, and my boyfriend all come in their pants at the mention of your name. Pictures and television don’t do you justice. You’re stunning!”
I don’t often blush, but I feel heat travel from my chest to my neck before my cheeks burn.
“Jesus Christ. Is Ash here?” Cam calls from somewhere I can’t see as I sit with my back to the room.
Standing, I hold out my hand to Makenzie. “Hey, nice to meet you.”
She shakes mine as she looks me over, then gives a wide, white-toothed smile. “I think we’ve met before, but I was just akid. Hey, I’m Makenzie Wild. Thank you for allowing my team and me into your home. I’m beyond honoured to be working with you.”
“Would any of you like a drink?” I hear Tallulah call and turn to see her holding up a bottle of Prosecco in one hand, a bottle of water in the other.
My first thought is to question whether or not she’s old enough to drink. I know, given my history, pot kettle and all that, but I’m a responsible parent these days, not a fourteen-year-old wild child of the eighties. My second thought? She said she met me when she was just a kid. Exactly how old is she now?
“Ohhh, a glass of bubbles would be nice,” Makenzie replies to Lu. “We can drink as we walk, and you give a tour. I’ve been thinking about this shoot a lot since I got the gig. What I’d really like to do is mix your past with your present if you’d be okay with that.”
“In what way?” I ask as Lu hands us both a glass. Looking down at mine, I realise she’s mixed my Prosecco with fresh orange juice. “Dad?” I question my daughter.
“Yep,” she replies with a huge smile on her face.
“What are you grinning about?” I ask her.
She pauses for a moment before reaching out to touch one of the big, bouncy waves my hair has been blow-dried into. Her head tilts to the side in a gesture so much like her dad’s, my heart feels like it’s about to burst. Eyes identical to mine slide from me to Makenzie, who I’m acutely aware is studying our interaction intently.
Tallulah’s gaze, once again, meets mine, and she shrugs. “I just love the way he loves you, and I love the way you know him so well.”
My tears are instant, giving me zero chance of blinking them away or saving my makeup.
“Do you know how lucky you both are to have what you have?”
“Baby girl, you don’t know the half of it. You have no idea.Nofucking clue,” I tell her as I attempt to catch more tears on the back of my index finger before pulling my daughter in for a cuddle.
“Love you, Mumma,” she says into my ear while squeezing me tightly.
“Did we get all that?” Makenzie calls out from beside us, interrupting our moment.
“Got it,” a voice responds from somewhere in the room.
“Don’t worry, you have full control,” Makenzie explains as Lu and I break apart but remain standing with our arms around each other. “We’ll capture all the moments, but we’ll work with you when deciding what to use.”
I nod because my throat still feels too clogged with emotion to speak.
Makenzie’s ‘past meets present’ concept is to have me dressed like a rock chick while posing in front of our log fire, while gardening, with my horses, and also doing other house wifey stuff. She did suggest baking, and oh, how Cam, Lu, and I all laughed.
I like the idea. Lu loves it. Cam scratched at the stubble on his jaw and told me he was heading out for a bit. A bit of what, I’m not sure. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him, but I’ve a feeling he wasn’t comfortable with so many people in the house, which now has me feeling guilty.
While the stylists Makenzie brought with her, aided by Tullulah, rummage through my wardrobe for outfits, I’m back in the chair having my hair and makeup redone.
I watch on as Makenzie paces the floor while talking on her phone. Daniel watches back the candid footage that’s been taken so far, calling out things like, “G, you’re gonna die!” and “Stunning, darling. Just stunning!”
I don’t get what he’s getting so excited about because I don’t feel like we’ve started yet, but I’m not the expert here.
My stomach grumbles loudly. Glancing at my watch, I realise it’s almost twelve o’clock and know that Cam has probably gone out for food. He only had the oats I insist he eats every morning for his heart health earlier, and is probably ravenous by now.
Once Chastity finishes touching up my makeup and steps aside, I catch my reflection in the mirror and get my first glimpse of what they’ve done with the instructions I gave on how I wanted to look for the shoot.
