The Jaguar Star (Tales of the Were: Jaguar Island Book 4) by Bianca D'Arc (e book reader android .TXT) 📗

“So, what did you think of your first day on set, Kat?” Clive, the giant of a man who was playing Little John asked her, drawing her attention away from Ren and firmly changing the subject. He was seated next to her at the large round table, and he seemed to know everyone else from previous projects.

“I really enjoyed myself,” she told him honestly. She didn’t want to gush, so she left it at the simple truth and hoped she didn’t sound too naïve. “I could see a little of the fight scene you all were working on when we blocked my window scene. That looked like quite a workout to me.”

“Oh, we all enjoy a physical challenge once in a while,” Clive said, his eyes shifting almost evasively as he looked at the others at the table. “Most of us have worked with Greg before. He knows what we can do, and he likes to set the bar a little higher each time we do a new project.”

“It looked like most of you were doing all your own choreography,” she observed between small bites of salad. “Are there stunt men for the dangerous parts?” It had occurred to her that nobody had yet been introduced to her as someone’s stunt double.

Clive’s eyes again shifted around the table. “I don’t think there’s anything Greg’s put in this film that’s truly dangerous,” he said after a moment’s hesitation. “It might look dangerous in the final cut, but the actual shoot isn’t, so I don’t think any of us have doubles. Of course, if there’s something really tricky, Greg can always do the scene dressed as whoever, and they’ll shoot him from an angle where the audience will never know it was him and not Ren, for example.”

Katrina tilted her head, considering. “I can see where Greg could probably be mistaken for Ren or some of the others from a distance, given the right costuming, but there’s no way he could fill in for you, Clive. You’re a head taller than everyone else.” She meant her observation to be amusing, but he seemed to withdraw, so she changed the subject. “I’m just glad I don’t have to do anything too athletic. I tend to be a bit of a klutz, sometimes.”

“I don’t believe that for a moment,” Dennis said, gallant as usual.

“You should,” Katrina went on, hoping to ease the tension further. “I managed to fall off the stage in one of my high school productions and had to perform wearing an air cast on my ankle and hobbling around because I’d torn ligaments in my ankle. Luckily, my part was mostly singing, and they re-staged it before opening night so that I didn’t have to dance or move around too much.”

“You did musical theater?” Dennis asked, seemingly interested.

“A bit, but only when I was in school. Strictly kid stuff,” she replied dismissively. She didn’t want these professionals to think she thought more of her own experiences than she should.

“What shows have you done, dear?” the older woman, Kara, asked kindly.

“Oh, just some of the standard Broadway stuff and a little Gilbert and Sullivan,” Katrina said quickly, wanting to change the subject.

Surely, her amateur attempts at musical theater weren’t interesting to professional screen actors with years of experience? She didn’t think so, but it could all be some kind of cruel joke being played on the new girl. Whatever the motivation, she really didn’t want to talk about herself and her so-called experience.

“Your speaking voice has a lovely tonality,” Kara went on, much to Katrina’s dismay. “I suspect you have quite a nice singing voice, and you have to have at least some skill to do Gilbert and Sullivan. Those scores aren’t exactly easy. I know. I was in a troupe that did the whole Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire when I was younger.”

“You were?” Katrina heard her own wide-eyed wonder and almost winced. She tried for a more mature tone. “That must have been quite an experience.” She hoped Kara would take that conversational gambit and move the focus away from Katrina’s past, but it wasn’t meant to be. Kara asked, instead, which parts Katrina had played and went on to compare notes about their common experiences with particular roles.

After a while, Katrina realized the men had gone on to other topics while she and Kara talked about Gilbert and Sullivan. The conversation found its natural end when the servers came around to clear the dinner plates and take orders for dessert and drinks. Rather than the usual coffee or tea Katrina had expected, the serving staff laid out champagne flutes and took orders for cocktails.

Sonia stood and received everyone’s attention as she gave an encouraging little speech about how great the film was going to be and how hard they were all going to work in the next weeks to make it so. She was funny and mockingly stern in spots, but she got her point across. She also said a few things about the schedule that made Katrina hastily scribble some notes on a cocktail napkin. Sonia closed her remarks with a humorous warning to not drink too much because they all had early calls the next day and then completely ruined the prohibition with a champagne toast to the film.

That started what seemed to be a party. Music came over the sound system, and within moments, the small dance floor in the fully-equipped restaurant, which was also used for banquets and wedding parties, was full of people dancing enthusiastically. Dessert was served, and Katrina allowed herself one small scoop of sherbet to go with the champagne. She’d already had wine with dinner. She wasn’t sure how much she’d had. Ren had been playing the gallant, even when he seemingly wasn’t paying attention to her, and had kept her glass topped up from the bottles on the table.

Katrina thought she’d be all right, considering she’d been eating, which should counteract the effect of the alcohol a bit, but