When Stars Align

Chapter 2

Gertie

I fully expected to be staying in a trailer for the next three months. Or sharing a cabin with other people. I wasn't important. So, when they handed me a key to my very own cabin, I was pleasantly surprised.

My cabin was perfect. A cozy little one bedroom hideaway, right on the water. It wasn't fancy. There was a kitchenette stocked with drinks and snacks, a small living area, a bathroom and a bedroom. The walls were covered in knotty pine, exposed rafters in the ceiling making it feel a lot larger than it was. There was even a wood stove. I couldn't wait to make a fire. It probably got downright chilly at night. We were in the Canadian North, after all.

I took a bunch of pictures and tried to send them to my family, but the cell reception was terrible. I'd have to try up by the store, where there were fewer trees.

A wave of homesickness washed over me. I'd been gone over twenty-four hours. The longest I'd ever been away from home in my entire life, with the exception of my short-lived honeymoon.

Actually, not true.

My honeymoon trip to Boise was over in less than twelve hours. And this was definitely the furthest I'd ever travelled. I'd never been outside the state of Idaho before yesterday. Never flew on an airplane.

I unpacked my suitcase, stowing it away in the closet before I settled at the table with my three thousand piece puzzle.

My agent said the director was kind of vague about what I would be doing while the movie was filming. I didn't write the script. Somebody else did that, adapting the story for the big screen.

Richard Uttridge was one of the most powerful directors in Hollywood. When he decided he wanted me on the set, he wouldn't take no for an answer. He said he wanted the movie to be as close to the book as possible, and he felt the best way to guarantee that, was to have me present to offer my insight into the scenes.

It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and I was getting paid very well for my services, whatever they might entail. I packed lots of books, my puzzle, and my laptop, to keep me busy when I wasn't working.

I chuckled to myself. My definition of working was probably very different from that of my current co-workers. Especially the big man himself.

Grove Goodwood was an ass. I already knew that prior to meeting him, but my initial encounter with the movie star confirmed what the tabloids said about him.

I was engrossed in my search process for edge pieces when someone knocked on my door. Elwood was on the other side of the screen, his hands pushed deep in the pockets of his cargo shorts.

I rode with him, his assistant, and another cameraman, from the airport in Pickle Lake. He was the still photographer. I didn't really understand what that meant, but it must've been important, since he required an assistant.

"Hi, Elwood," I said. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm on my way to dinner. Do you wanna eat together?"

"Sure. I didn't realize it was supper time already."

"Your cabin looks nice and cozy," he observed, peering over my shoulder. "You're lucky. I'm stuck sharing a trailer with my assistant all summer."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad," I said, pulling the door shut behind me before I joined him on the path.

"Any idea who your neighbour is?" he asked, glancing at the cabin next to mine.

"No," I replied just as the front door swung open.