The Colonel's Daughter [Elvis]

Chapter 14 - End of Filming Party

I'm so sorry for the delay! The holidays were crazy, and I'm trying to iron out some wrinkles in my out-of-town trip that I'm going on to visit my family. My mind has been so occupied on those things. I'm anticipating maybe two more parts to this story.

~ ~ ~

Filming was all wrapped up, and one thing was on my mind: Rainie going back to Germany. People were talking about it on the set on our final day, and it was grating on my nerves. I just didn't want to hear it. Of course, Rainie was there, and we didn't have much time to talk since everyone was so busy and planning an "end of filming" party. She mentioned, though, that she talked to the Colonel, and they were on good terms now. Well, good enough.

And she let her father know how determined she was to be with me. But would we last long? She told me she planned to go back to Germany mid-August, so we had about two months. I hoped that determination would coerce her to stay here... or at least come back after she graduated.

I had to get her alone tonight to talk about all this.

Someone slapped me on the shoulder as I stood there, gazing around at everyone on the set, working to wrap it all up for good. Of course, there was a lot of work to be done after this, like putting the film together like a puzzle, since everything was shot out of order, and adding music and so forth. That would take a few months, and then we would be able to release the film in theaters this upcoming November.

I hoped to bring Rainie to the premier. But that would mean she had to come back from Germany, which was unlikely.

"Hey, EP, glad that the filming's done?" asked Charlie as he stood with me.

"You kiddin'? I've been waitin' for the final day since we started workin' on this picture, but I admit... it's bittersweet."

We both glanced over at Rainie as she was helping gather chairs from the set, which was the scene for the end of the film. Parts had to be reshot since Norman wasn't pleased with the other takes.

"She really got to you, didn't she?" asked Charlie.

I let out a breath through my nose as my chest pinched. "We're in love, but I don't know if it'll last. She's headin' back to Germany in two months."

"At least you have those two months. Just go and talk to her when you both have a long moment, like at the party tonight. Pull her away and talk."

"That's the plan."

She looked over at us, and she smiled, her eyes glittering. Charlie remarked, "Wow, it's amazing that you can almost literally see the love in a person's eyes. I don't think you have anything to worry about with her, EP. She loves you. And from the sound of it, you have the Colonel off your back."

There really was a sliver of hope that Rainie would forever be my girl.

~ ~ ~

I let out a grown in frustration. I wasn't doing it right! Some of my curls were sticking out, and others were going the other direction that I wanted. I set down the curling iron on my makeshift vanity table in my suite, the same one I sat at when Marilyn did my hair.

"You know, Elvis is going to think you're beautiful no matter how you do your hair," Brenda remarked as she sat on the edge of my bed, watching me. She was already all done up for the party, wearing a very flattering blue dress. Friends and family of the crew and cast were welcome, so there would be a lot of people there.

"I just can't get how Marilyn did my curls," I complained. "Could you try and do this for me?"

She chuckled and stood up and took the curling iron. "I may not be all that great at this, too, you know."