Even though staying in the middle of nowhere on her own could have left her feeling a little on edge, that was furthest from her thoughts as she drove back to the cottage along narrow lanes at dusk. Despite looking forlorn and in desperate need of some TLC, the cottage was surprisingly inviting, particularly once the front door was closed and the lamps in the living room were switched on.
Jenna drew the flowery curtains on the darkness descending over the garden and settled in the armchair with a book. She’d craved this absolute peace for such a long time. Relationships had become too hard over the past year, and it wasn’t just the romantic ones. Even though men weren’t the main issue, she was quite happy being single. It was complicated friendships and being let down by the one person – besides her immediate family – who was closest to her. It was a situation she needed to face at some point, but being on location in Cornwall for the summer was the perfect way to avoid a huge amount of awkwardness and tension.
Chapter Six
The signs pinned to trees and telegraph poles gave away the fact that a movie was being made. Even though Jenna had the postcode plumbed into her satnav, she followed the ‘BASE’ signs, rather than risking the satnav leading her down a scarily narrow lane. She was used to city driving and some of the roads in this part of Cornwall seemed impossible for two cars to pass each other and she didn’t fancy trying. It was early in the morning on a Monday and it wasn’t like rush hour back home, when the road outside her flat was choked with cars, buses and lorries for at least two hours. Here, in the middle of nowhere, she seemed to be the only person around.
She always got a nervous buzz rocking up to set on the first day of filming, particularly to a film set. Although her mum accused her of flitting between jobs and careers, acting had always been at the top of her list and that excitement never diminished. Even though her job wasn’t as glamorous as her non-actor friends and family assumed – long hours, often lots of waiting around, shooting in all weathers – she still felt the thrill of working in the industry and being a part of a group of like-minded people.
The ‘BASE’ signs led her off a lane and into a farmer’s field. A parking area had been cordoned off and trailers had been set up with signs like ‘Hair’, ‘Make-up’, ‘Production Office’, along with a couple more set back for the lead actors. There was also a huge marquee where Jenna assumed most downtime would be spent and where meals would be served. A handful of the crew were already gathered around the catering van, with steaming cups of coffee in one hand and bacon sarnies in the other. It was the lifestyle she loved; the excitement of working on different projects, getting to meet new people all the time, seeing old friends, making new friends, and not feeling tied down by a traditional job. Exams hadn’t been Jenna’s strong point, but anything creative had been: drama, art, music, woodwork, gardening – she enjoyed anything practical and was good at it. Drama school had been hugely competitive to get into, and yet she never felt her parents regarded it as quite the same achievement as her brother studying law at Cambridge.
~
The make-up truck had enough space for four actors at a time, and even early in the morning with the door wedged open and a fan whizzing around what little air there was, it was warm inside. Jenna sat in the first empty chair and looked in the mirror at her make-up free face.
One of the make-up ladies, a pretty round-faced woman with a dark-brown bob, smiled at Jenna through the mirror. ‘Well, don’t you look lovely and fresh-faced this morning.’
‘It’s all the fresh Cornwall air and a good night’s sleep.’
A slender woman around the same age as Jenna came in and sat in the chair next to her. The other make-up artist swept the woman’s auburn hair off her freckled face and into a band.
‘I’m Lily,’ the redhead said and smiled at Jenna. ‘I think we’ll be working together a lot. I’m one of the three friends.’
‘Yeah, me too. I’m Jenna.’ She looked at Lily through the mirror and then at herself. The make-up lady did the same with Jenna, twisting her hair back into a band.
‘That’s a lovely face to work with.’ The make-up lady smiled at her and dabbed a sponge into a creamy foundation. Jenna always felt like it was a treat having her hair and make-up done. Even if it was part of her job, it felt like she was being pampered, with the added bonus of getting paid.
‘This is the first major film I’ve worked on. How about you?’ Lily asked.
‘I’ve worked on films before – all bit parts. This will be the longest shoot I’ve ever done.’
‘The whole summer in Cornwall. Pretty exciting. I’ve not seen you at the hotel?’
Jenna closed her eyes as the make-up lady dabbed the sponge on her cheeks and forehead and swept it across her face. ‘I’m not staying there. My parents have a cottage down here, left to them by my mum’s aunt, so I’m staying there.’
‘Oh nice.’
‘What’s the hotel like?’
‘A-maz-ing. Right on a clifftop with sea views. It’s lush. You’ll have to come and see it.’
~
Jenna was comfortable with the routine of a day of shooting, even if it differed slightly from project to project. Hair, make-up and costume kicked the day off with filming in-between a lot of downtime. People new to the film or TV industry were always surprised by how much waiting around there was: waiting for scenes
