Dream a Little Scream Read Free

up with Sonia and pinned a tiny mic to the lapel of her pink linen blazer. She pretended to shout into the mic for comic effect and some crew members laughed and put their hands over their ears. Sonia has areputation for clowning around with the crew, but she’s all business when it comes to cooking.
    Lucinda nudged me and said, “Excuse me for a minute. I just spotted someone I haven’t seen in years.” Moments later, she returned with her arm around a thin brunette, who gave us a shy smile. “Leslie, these are my dear friends Taylor and Ali Blake. They’re new to Savannah and own the cutest little candy shop in the Historic District.” As Leslie shook hands with us, Lucinda added, “Leslie was one of my students at the Academy.”
    â€œI hope you enjoy Savannah,” Leslie said quietly to us. “It’s a beautiful city.”
    â€œLeslie’s husband works for Sonia’s company; isn’t that exciting?” Lucinda said in a bubbly voice. “And she has two beautiful little children. Do you suppose we could we meet your husband, dear?”
    Leslie hesitated. “He’s usually busy with last-minute details, but I can try to catch his eye.” She gestured to a tall, dark-haired man who was standing at the front of the room, chatting with one of the technicians. When he spotted Leslie, he frowned but made his way down the aisle toward us. By the time he reached us, he’d rearranged his features into a more pleasant expression.
    â€œI know you’re busy, honey,” Leslie said, “but this is Lucinda Macavy from the Academy and two of her friends.”
    â€œTaylor and Ali Blake,” I offered.
    â€œNice to meet all of you,” he said briefly. “Jeremy Watts.” He seemed tense and preoccupied, eager to get back to the business at hand. “A good crowd,” he added vaguely.
    â€œYes, everyone’s excited over Sonia’s visit,” I told him. He nodded, barely listening, and quickly excused himself when a cameraman called out to him.
    There was an awkward pause, and Leslie stared after herhusband, looking embarrassed at his brusque behavior. Ali and I exchanged a look. Jeremy Watts certainly wasn’t Mr. Congeniality.
    â€œI can’t wait to have a good long chat with you,” Lucinda said quickly, patting Leslie on the hand. “Do you want to follow me home or shall I give you directions?”
    â€œJust write down your address and I’ll use my GPS,” Leslie said. “Jeremy and I came in separate cars. I need to get home to the children tonight and he’s leaving right after the taping to do some advance work in Atlanta.” Leslie smiled her thanks when Lucinda scribbled a note and passed it to her. “I’m so glad we ran into each other,” she said with a broad smile. She returned to her seat near the front of the studio, and we settled back to enjoy the show. Sonia darted around the set, arranging flowers and crockery as the crew fumbled with the equipment, her raucous laugh bouncing off the walls. She seemed completely at ease and I remembered reading that the show was unscripted. The food was prepared ahead of time, and the recipes would flash on the screen as Sonia read the ingredients. She had a keen sense of theatrics and that, along with her sometimes bawdy sense of humor, was guaranteed to keep the viewers watching. Even people who didn’t like to cook enjoyed Sonia’s show.
    Sara Rutledge walked in a side door and I waved her over. “I saved you a seat right next to me.” I picked up the newspaper I’d placed on the folding chair next to mine. “It looks like a full house tonight.”
    â€œThanks,” she said, settling down next to me.
    â€œIt’s the least I could do,” I said with a grin. “After all, you’re the one who got us the tickets.” Sara is a freelance journalist who recently moved to Savannah.