“We don’t get on.” I didn’t know whether it was the hangover or what happened last night, but our antagonism was starting to feel miserable rather than invigorating.
“Ah. Enemies to lovers, my favorite trope.” Releasing the salad spoon, Trystan rubbed his hands together. “Start thinking about the details now, Tabitha. I’ll come back to you for each beat. In the meantime, you should head to my friend and flatmate, Poppy, in her wardrobe, hair, and makeup trailer, which is already set up in the garden. Also, a rom-com aficionada. And she is almost as much fun as me.”
My hands flew under my eyes, where I’d seen dark circles this morning in the bathroom mirror.
“That bad?”
“You do look a bit pale, but everyone needs makeup for the shoot,” he said.
He put a sprinkled donut on a plate, glanced at me again, then added another one. “You are lovely, however many cocktails you had last night. But let’s just say, it’s a donut kind of a day.”
“Ah. Here she is. I’ve been waiting for you. Come on up. I’m Poppy.”
Poppy was standing at the top of the stairs to her trailer, her hand held out to shake, black nails, her arms colorful with sleeves of tattoos.
“Hi, Poppy. Lovely to meet you.”
Inside her trailer, I put down my donuts on the bench in front of the mirror. “Would you like one?”
“No, you need them both, apparently.”
“News travels fast with this crew.”
“Sweetie, you have no idea.”
Poppy patted her hair, teased high into a black pompadour, smoothed her black dress with a white Peter Pan collar, and motioned for me to sit in her swivel chair.
“I love your whole look,” I said.
She rocked from side to side. “Thank you. You know, I can see you wearing this dress too.”
“Yes, I think you’re right.” I wouldn’t be brave enough for the tattoos or the coif, but I could do the dress.
I relaxed into my seat, immediately more comfortable.
“I’m sorry. I look pretty tired and puffy,” I said, wincing.
She looked at my reflection and rested her hands on my shoulders. “Trystan just texted and said you were out on the turps last night and to ready the blusher.”
I laughed. “Yes, truckloads of brightening needed. Go big on the fairy wand.”
She giggled. “I’m just glad you were out having a good time.” She swooped a black cape around me with a flourish and Velcroed me in. “That’s what life’s about.”
I said nothing.
“Youdidhave a good time?” she pressed, staring into my eyes.
I took a breath and winced. “In the end, not really. I won’t bore you with the details.”
“You’ll realize Trystan and I will always, forever until the end of time, need the details.” She fluffed out my hair. “I’ll do a minimal makeup look, which I warn you, will take me far longer than the more obvious red lip and cat eye. And what about a loose braid? It will look like you’re properly working but keep it soft.”
“Sounds great to me.”
“Perfect.” She started by cleaning my face, put new moisturizer on, primed my skin, and then applied foundation.
I bit my lip. “What are you thinking about wardrobe? I’m going to help Tim, wheelbarrowing out the debris and carrying in materials and fixtures, so I need to move around. Could I just wear my own clothes? I’m not that comfortable in trousers.” Loose skirts and dresses were my thing. Even though I loved home design, and fashion too, I didn’t experiment much with clothing. Hardly at all. And after last night’s debacle wearing the new red dress, I was wary of striking out again.
“I got you.” She turned to pull her makeup trolley closer and dipped a brush into the array of powders displayed on the top tray. “I lean into what people already wear and just double down on that vibe. I looked at the very few photos of you on your Insta. Girl, you’re like a granny, how little you post. Actually, my gran posts all the time. She’s a bit of a menace. But back to you. Let’s ease into it. I thought I’d go with a floral Liberty look except maybe, er, younger and fun.”
