voice burst out of the radio. It was ear-shattering and beyond irritating.
"Gah!"
Stabbing recklessly at the radio buttons, shuddering involuntarily, he searched for something, anything other than that.
Then something eerily familiar reached his ears, and he paused.
It was the song she had been dancing to.
He grinned all the way home.
♥♥♥
"Hey, J, you still looking for work?" Jason called into the kitchen from the dining room.
"Yeah, why?"
Jaina didn't take her eyes off the blade in her hands, even as she wondered what Jason was up to. She'd been in Auckland two weeks, and nothing had come of her search for employment.
Teniel rolled her eyes. “ I was gonna do that, Jase!"
"Do what?" Jaina asked with vague amusement.
"Well, my cousin's a hairstylist on a program for TV One. She said they're looking for a new makeup artist before they start filming the new season," Teniel said.
"Really? What show?" Jaina abandoned all pretense of slicing bread and set down the knife.
Jason looked at Teniel, and smirked. Teniel gave him a sly look.
"We'd keep it a secret to torment you, but you're pretty sma rt. And obsessive," Jason said.
"So what is it?"
Teniel grinned. "It's set in a little town called Waybridge."
Jaina's mouth dropped open. "No! You're kidding!"
"Not kidding," Teniel laughed. "We can see about it tomorrow, eh?"
♥♥♥
Two days later, Jaina showed up on the set of Waybridge Health Centre, her makeup kit in hand. Her brown hair was braided, the stray hairs held with tiny barrettes. She'd tried to dress in something nice, but that she wouldn't mind getting makeup on. It had been a difficult decision.
She'd ended up in black pants and a forest green knit shirt with a draped neck. She felt a little odd, showing up here, dressed like this. Jaina had the vague thought that it was like something Nora Stevens would wear. She had the briefest of temptations to turn around, run home, and change into something less dressy.
"You look like a doctor."
Jaina shrieked and jumped, dropping the makeup kit. It hit the linoleum, popped open, and makeup scattered in every direction. Cursing, she dropped to her knees and began gathering containers of every size and shape.
The man who'd spoken also knelt. He dropped several lipsticks into the case. Jaina spared him the briefest of glances- then did a double-take.
The man held out a tube of mascara. It was too bad his dark hair was too short to fall in his blue eyes. The effect would have, maybe, been weak-knee inducing. More than this, she amended mentally.
Jaina hoped she wasn't flushing. She was afraid that she was. Her skin felt hot. Of all the people to do something stupid in front of... "Uh, thank you."
She straightened, brushing at her pants. Without looking at him, she gathered the remaining escapees.
"I take it you're the new makeup artist."
Jaina nodded. "I am. I think. Yeah."
'Brilliant!' she thought to herself. 'So articulate and eloquent! IDIOT!'
She noticed he held her case. When she met his gaze, he was grinning. For an instant, her heart stopped. Jaina took the case from him, put all the makeup in, and set it on a nearby chair.
The man cleared his throat. Finally, Jaina turned to him.
He stuck out his hand. "Colin Pierce. I play-"
"I know who you are. Dr. Alex Noble. And Hedridan in Sea Of Swords ." She took a deep breath and put her hand in his. "Jaina McGregor. Late of Sydney, Australia, and before that, Los Angeles."
"Sydney, hmm? And what were you doing there?"
"Production on a movie. I'm not at liberty to discuss it. Confidentiality clause and all that."
"Ah. Intriguing. Like spies."
"Sure."
Colin looked at something in his hand. "'Brazen Temptress'," he read.
Jaina held out her hand. "It's a bright red, wet look finish, with gold and silver glitter, best on medium to dark complexions, and has a matching polish."
Amused, he handed her the lipstick. "Do you know all your lipsticks that well?"
"Have to." Jaina
"Gah!"
Stabbing recklessly at the radio buttons, shuddering involuntarily, he searched for something, anything other than that.
Then something eerily familiar reached his ears, and he paused.
It was the song she had been dancing to.
He grinned all the way home.
♥♥♥
"Hey, J, you still looking for work?" Jason called into the kitchen from the dining room.
"Yeah, why?"
Jaina didn't take her eyes off the blade in her hands, even as she wondered what Jason was up to. She'd been in Auckland two weeks, and nothing had come of her search for employment.
Teniel rolled her eyes. “ I was gonna do that, Jase!"
"Do what?" Jaina asked with vague amusement.
"Well, my cousin's a hairstylist on a program for TV One. She said they're looking for a new makeup artist before they start filming the new season," Teniel said.
"Really? What show?" Jaina abandoned all pretense of slicing bread and set down the knife.
Jason looked at Teniel, and smirked. Teniel gave him a sly look.
"We'd keep it a secret to torment you, but you're pretty sma rt. And obsessive," Jason said.
"So what is it?"
Teniel grinned. "It's set in a little town called Waybridge."
Jaina's mouth dropped open. "No! You're kidding!"
"Not kidding," Teniel laughed. "We can see about it tomorrow, eh?"
♥♥♥
Two days later, Jaina showed up on the set of Waybridge Health Centre, her makeup kit in hand. Her brown hair was braided, the stray hairs held with tiny barrettes. She'd tried to dress in something nice, but that she wouldn't mind getting makeup on. It had been a difficult decision.
She'd ended up in black pants and a forest green knit shirt with a draped neck. She felt a little odd, showing up here, dressed like this. Jaina had the vague thought that it was like something Nora Stevens would wear. She had the briefest of temptations to turn around, run home, and change into something less dressy.
"You look like a doctor."
Jaina shrieked and jumped, dropping the makeup kit. It hit the linoleum, popped open, and makeup scattered in every direction. Cursing, she dropped to her knees and began gathering containers of every size and shape.
The man who'd spoken also knelt. He dropped several lipsticks into the case. Jaina spared him the briefest of glances- then did a double-take.
The man held out a tube of mascara. It was too bad his dark hair was too short to fall in his blue eyes. The effect would have, maybe, been weak-knee inducing. More than this, she amended mentally.
Jaina hoped she wasn't flushing. She was afraid that she was. Her skin felt hot. Of all the people to do something stupid in front of... "Uh, thank you."
She straightened, brushing at her pants. Without looking at him, she gathered the remaining escapees.
"I take it you're the new makeup artist."
Jaina nodded. "I am. I think. Yeah."
'Brilliant!' she thought to herself. 'So articulate and eloquent! IDIOT!'
She noticed he held her case. When she met his gaze, he was grinning. For an instant, her heart stopped. Jaina took the case from him, put all the makeup in, and set it on a nearby chair.
The man cleared his throat. Finally, Jaina turned to him.
He stuck out his hand. "Colin Pierce. I play-"
"I know who you are. Dr. Alex Noble. And Hedridan in Sea Of Swords ." She took a deep breath and put her hand in his. "Jaina McGregor. Late of Sydney, Australia, and before that, Los Angeles."
"Sydney, hmm? And what were you doing there?"
"Production on a movie. I'm not at liberty to discuss it. Confidentiality clause and all that."
"Ah. Intriguing. Like spies."
"Sure."
Colin looked at something in his hand. "'Brazen Temptress'," he read.
Jaina held out her hand. "It's a bright red, wet look finish, with gold and silver glitter, best on medium to dark complexions, and has a matching polish."
Amused, he handed her the lipstick. "Do you know all your lipsticks that well?"
"Have to." Jaina
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