Page 79 of Christmas off Script
‘Mom?’ Henry gritted out. ‘Mammy? We’ve only got two and a half weeks till opening night.’
Dervla’s eyes were sparkling and Vivienne was struggling to hold back a smile. ‘Arthur, honey,’ she began. ‘Try the snow machine first.’
His shoulders deflated a little, then he nodded. ‘Okay, okay.’ He clambered onto the stage and stood to one side. ‘Righty-ho, I’m ready to snow! Ha ha!’
Libby gave Ella and Zach a bright smile. ‘Are you happy to try this? No worries if you’d rather not.’
‘Sure thing!’ Zach leapt onto the stage with the grace of a panther. He extended a hand to help Ella climb up, and Leo gritted his teeth.
‘Connor?’ Libby asked. ‘You ready?’
He was sitting to the side behind an electric piano and gave her a thumbs up.
‘Okay, why don’t we go from just before the song?’ Libby continued. ‘Ella, can we go from the bit about Zach being your dream man?’
Leo levelled a death stare at the back of Zach’s head.
‘Can I start the snow?’ Arthur asked.
‘Go for it,’ Libby replied.
There was a whirring sound, then tiny flecks of foam shot out of the end of the machine into the air.
‘And cue Ella!’ Libby cried.
‘Yes!’ Ella said to Zach. ‘You are…’
‘Your dream man?’
‘Yes. Oh yes!’
Was she acting, or was it for real?
‘And cue music,’ Libby continued.
Connor played the opening bars of ‘Endless Love’ by Lionel Ritchie, and Zach and Ella held hands and began to sing to each other as fake snow fell gently around them.
‘This is bally brilliant!’ Arthur yelled from the side of the stage, waving the nozzle of the foam machine in the air.
Zach suddenly pulled Ella into an embrace and began waltzing her around the stage. She looked shocked, but didn’t stop singing.
Libby clapped her hands. ‘Fabulous! Love it!’
‘I’m going to turn it up a notch,’ Arthur called out. ‘See what it can do!’
‘I think it’s perfect as it is,’ Libby replied loudly. ‘We don’t need any more.’
He ignored her and the machine stepped up a gear, throwing larger flecks of foam into the air.
Zach and Ella were now whirling in circles, singing about endless love in a flurry of fake snow.
‘Dad!’ Henry shouted. ‘Turn it off!’
But as the music swelled and Zach and Ella crescendoed, Arthur didn’t appear to hear his eldest son.
Panic flashed through Leo as Ella slipped.
Zach held her up, but his own foot began to slide.
