The Holiday Swap(63)
She sat back in the chair, hoping Priya would return soon and Austin would slink back into the hole he had come out of. Cass had no idea how Charlie worked with such a weasel, day in and day out.
But Austin wouldn’t leave, and instead stood in the door watching her. “We should probably let Sasha know you’re sick. You know how freaked she gets about germs on set, with all the food and everything.”
Austin put his hands in his pockets as he scrutinized her in the mirror. “You’re not going to fool anyone. So, are you going to tell Sasha or should I?”
“Tell her what?” For a moment Cass was panicked, thinking he was referring to the swap. But then she realized he simply meant about her being ill. He looked far too happy at the prospect of being the one to rat Cass and her wobbly stomach out. Suddenly she couldn’t stand to let Austin feel like he had the upper hand for one more second.
She frowned, put a hand to her stomach. “Wow, I really feel awful all of a sudden.” Then she turned toward him. “You probably shouldn’t be in here. I might be contagious.”
He took a small step back, but his smirk remained. “I never get sick.”
Just then Cass slapped a hand over her mouth, and looked at Austin with wide eyes, lurching forward in her chair. That did the trick. Austin jumped backward.
“Don’t you puke on me, Goodwin!” Then mumbling something about needing to get on set, he turned and left the room in a flash.
Cass took a deep, satisfied breath and settled back in the chair just as Priya appeared in the doorway, watching Austin retreat down the hall.
“What did you do to him?” she asked, handing Cass the steaming mug of tea.
“Nothing he didn’t deserve,” Cass replied, blowing on the surface of the hot tea. “Thanks for this.”
Priya put clips in the front of Cass’s hair, to hold it back before she applied her makeup for that day’s show. “You look less ghastly. So, what happened this morning?” Priya mixed two foundations together on the back of her hand, then took a brush and started on Cass’s forehead.
“Nervous stomach, I guess.” Cass shrugged.
“Hmm. Anything you want to talk about?”
She wished she could. Priya was a good listener and an enthusiastic advice giver. But Cass didn’t need advice, because there was really no other option than to end things with Miguel. Now she just had to keep her chin up and finish these final episodes and get back to Starlight Peak. Where she would hopefully be able to forget all about the surfing physician assistant who had somehow worked his way into her heart in a matter of days.
“Not really. And please don’t take that the wrong way. You’re a great friend to Charlie, and to me, too.” Cass smiled at Priya. “But I’ve created a mess, and now I have to set things right.”
Priya squeezed her shoulder, giving her a gentle smile. “You know, Charlie has that ‘nervous’ stomach thing, too.”
“She does?”
Priya nodded, then said, “Chin up, please,” and proceeded to dab under Cass’s neck with the pink sponge. “Our first day on set she threw up, like, six times. I had to redo her makeup more than once.”
“Seriously?” Cass couldn’t imagine it. Charlie was always so confident and self-assured. She couldn’t picture her getting nervous enough about anything to throw up once, let alone that many times. Though, to be honest, Cass had to admit she and Charlie had drifted apart recently and that she didn’t know her twin as well as she used to. With their workaholic schedules they hadn’t made time for each other like they should have, something Cass was regretting more every day. She missed her sister.
“I thought she was done for, especially when she got sick in her assistant’s take-out soda cup about five minutes before they started shooting. You should have seen the poor kid’s face. The horror. He didn’t last long.” They both cringed, then laughed. “But then she went out there and pulled it off somehow. She was flawless.”
Cass smiled, proud of her twin. Charlie was a force, and not much could hold her back.
“I know I’ve already said this, but the more time I spend with you the more I see how alike you really are. Even with your differences, like the tattoo, and the whole drinking thing. You both have that unstoppable energy thing. An eternal flame, I always say to Charlie.”
“That’s nice of you to say,” Cass said. Too bad she felt like a smoldering pile of ash, after a bucket of water had been poured on a fire.
“It’s the truth.” Priya took out the clips and fluffed up Cass’s hair. “And . . . done. Gorgeous, as usual.”
Any signs of sickness were covered up, and Cass looked refreshed and healthy. “Thanks, Priya. You’re a miracle worker.”
“I have an excellent canvas, friend.” Priya gave her a quick hug from behind. “Now, go show Austin who’s boss, okay? He needs to be brought down about a hundred notches.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“You sure will,” Priya said. “You’re a Goodwin twin, after all.”
* * *
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Cass’s sugarplum cake, with the spiced cherry and citrus ice cream layer in its center, was the first to be plated and brought forward for judging. One of the finalists, a chef named Justin who was talented but suffered from time management issues, stood by anxiously.