I heard the girl next to me say to the person on the other side of her. I was tuned into their conversation because I had heard one of them say the name Alex. I wondered if they were talking about him making a cameo.
I took a deep, calming breath, trying to keep my face neutral. The people around me had all been instructed on what to do. It was a lively scene in a dance hall, but the volume on everything, including the musicians, was quiet—maybe half volume, but full motion. From the corner of my eye, I saw the big camera on its track, coming in the door. I kept my hand on the table where I was told, glancing onto the dancefloor, casually looking for James.
Worst-case scenario, I would just stand there the whole time, and he would never come up to me. They could film the scene without us dancing. I smiled a little, thinking that might not be the worst-case scenario.
After a minute, the actors came into the room. I could see the movement and I was aware of the general shapes, but I didn't want to turn that way because I thought Cameron had said for me to stare at the dance floor. Or maybe that was James. I glanced toward the door, but not all the way. I sawmy niece, who was positioned near another little girl. I didn't stare long enough to see my sister or the group of actors who had just come inside.
The band was playing, and the murmuring was going on all around me. People were behaving naturally. I told myself to do the same. I glanced at the dancefloor again, looking for James. I figured it was almost time for him to come over to me, and my heart hammered at the thought.
Chapter 12
I had been volunteering at a large church in Denver for years. I had been around cameras and production equipment before. But I had never experienced anything like this. There were at least a hundred people in costume and all seemed to know what they were supposed to do. I glanced around, trying to look like I belonged there.
The music was real, and it was good. I stared at the musicians who were playing a folk song on period-appropriate instruments. I breathed in, imagining what life must've been like back then. I heard a woman next to me say the name Alex, and at that moment, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned just in time to see Alex Stockton standing there. I started to show my true surprise, and then I kept my expression more neutral, giving him a shy smile.
He was dashing. His hair was combed back with some kind of product that made it shiny and held it back, away from his face. He offered his hand to me, and I breathed inward as I smiled and put my hand in his. He pulled me toward the dance floor. I moved like I was on a cloud because I felt like I was. He led me onto the edge of the dance floor and then fluidly pulled me into his arms and began to dance. He did a turn with me that was in view of a camera before leading me further onto the dancefloor.
I was so overtaken with emotion that I forgot to think about what I was doing. I just moved as gracefully as possible, letting him pull me along with utterly no resistance. I realized Alex was a good dancer, and I smiled at the fact that I did not know what to do, and yet still felt like I was doing fine.
"Hello there, Josie Wells," he said to me.
I was so overcome, I forgot we could talk. "Hello, Alex."
He held me a little closer as we moved along with the other dancers.
"I thought I was dancing with a guy named James."
"No, you're not. You're dancing with me."
"Is that okay?" I asked.
One corner of his mouth turned upward in a sly smile. "Is it okay with you?"
"Of course, it's okay with me. I was asking about the show… if James is going to go looking for me."
"James is fine. He did what I asked him to do. You can just relax."
"Ihaveto relax," I said. "That's the only way I'm making it. I feel like Peter with the walking on water right now. I'm blindly trusting you to carry me around this dance floor. If I think about it, I might sink like a stone."
"Then don't think about it," he said, pulling me into another slow turn.
"How do you know these moves?" I said, letting my weight be pulled along with his. "You must have been practicing with them."
"No, I haven't," he said with a smile.
"Then how do you know what to do?" I asked, showing my own vulnerability.
He gave me a reassuring smile as we continued to move. "This is my baby, this film. I know what the camera's catching right now. I know where we are in the crowd and what I want to see. I'm making this couple look exactly how I want us to look."
He took a few more steps, and we glanced at each other.
"Of course, you're contributing a great deal," he said. "You're making my job easy. I thank you for that."
I smiled. "I'm just holding on for dear life."
He stared at me calmly. "You don't seem like it."
"What do I seem like?" I asked, genuinely, not fishing for a compliment.
