The next morning, the incessant ringing of someone's phone woke the ladies. A groggy Abigail answered; seeing the time, she jumped up. "Hey, you didn't set the alarm!"
It was an unknown number. Abigail paused, then answered. "Good morning, Ms. Quinn," a woman said gently. "We're the crew members attending to your needs during filming. Work is about to start, but you and Ms. Smith haven't had breakfast yet."
Abigail heard background noises. "Oh, um, sorry. We'll skip breakfast and go straight to the set," she said, pursing her lips awkwardly. Great. First day, and they were already late. She hung up.
She had actually woken earlier, thanks to her circadian rhythm, but seeing it was still dark, she'd happily gone back to sleep. Upon waking, she realized the curtains were drawn, blocking the sunlight. Had she not checked the time, she would have thought it was still the wee hours.
Chapter 46: The Official Start
"What? I did," Luna mumbled, reluctantly getting up and rubbing her eyes. She yawned, picked up her phone, and then realized it was dead. "Oh, crud. My phone's dead, and I didn't charge it."
"Get up. The production team just called. Say goodbye to your breakfast," Abigail sighed, getting out of bed. She chose a comfy white dress from her suitcase and quickly changed. They had no time for makeup, only managing to apply sunscreen before heading out.
Fortunately, the set wasn't far, and they arrived on time after a hurried dash. Two dining halls stood at the location, with ushers waiting at the entrance.
"Staff ID, please."
Luna quickly produced her ID. When the ushers saw their names, their stern expressions softened into looks of deference. They directed them to the dining hall on the left.
Chapter 46: The Official Start
"Ms. Alana! The designers' hall is this way. Please follow me."
The perk of being late? Undivided attention. Everyone in the hall was already seated, but even though Abigail was prepared, she still felt awkward under their stares.
"Ms. Alana and her assistant, Ms. Quinn, correct? We were just waiting for you. Come in. Here are your seats." The host quickly seated them in the front row, noticing their dazed state.
The mention of Alana sparked a buzz. Most people had only heard her name; few had seen her. If they weren't constrained by the "no moving around" rule, they'd likely have surrounded the ladies.
Things were getting lively. "Please, everyone, be quiet," the host, Twylla Summers, announced, clearing her throat. "Good morning, guests. I'm Twylla Summers, the host of the show. Now, it's time to go over the rules."
The moment Abigail sat, she noticed a long cabinet covered in red velvet on the left side of the stage, its contents hidden from view.
As the rules were about to be announced, Abigail discreetly took out a notebook, affecting the air of a professional assistant.
"First, we'll be dividing you into teams of designers and models. To ensure fairness, we'll be drawing lots," the host said, holding a remote control pen. She then picked up a prop from a table, indicating where the drawing would take place.
"That's a fair arrangement," Luna nodded, pleased. She whispered, "We won't get on the same team as Joan unless we're incredibly unlucky."
Chapter 46: The Official Start
"Don't jinx it," Abigail muttered, a mention of Joan giving her a headache.
A crew member brought a transparent box containing colored balls onto the stage. "To make things interesting, we'll draw another lot to determine the competition format," the host explained.
She drew a ball, opened it, and showed the contents. "The model of each team will draw lots; each ball contains a slip of paper with a scene number. The designer must then design the makeup and décor for that scene. A professional panel and the audience will judge the results. The team with the highest score after all rounds wins."
She then showed the audience slides detailing the competition process and important considerations.