School has finally wound down so I should be updating more. Hopefully I won't get into any ruts on my fics of other projects. Thanks for reading!
Chapter Two – Measurements
Esmeralda practically leapt over her machine to shake Eugene's hand.
"What a pleasure to meet you." She shook his hand a little too enthusiastically. "I'm Esmeralda, that's Cinderella, and the one hunched over her machine is Rapunzel."
"Yes, Rapunzel is our costume designer, and due the budget of the movie, she is also our wardrobe manager," said Milo.
"Rapunzel," said Eugene, and he said her name like it was the name of an exotic wine, or so Rapunzel felt. "Rapunzel…Not Rapunzel Moore? The Rapunzel Moore? The brilliant mind of Hollywood's most fabulous movie wardrobes? You've been nominated for Emmys!" Eugene almost sounded like he wanted to ask her why she was working for a low budget film, but he kept that to himself in just the nick of time.
Rapunzel suddenly felt naked. She wanted to shrink lower behind her machine.
"You've worked for so many directors and high budget movies. It is an honor." He extended a hand towards her. She took it sheepishly.
"I've never won an Emmy, you know."
"Oh, don't be so modest. The Hobbit has nothing on you. Seriously." He grinned at her and her stomach somersaulted. What a horrible feeling it was.
"Well, I'll leave you here, Eugene. You can find your way out, right?"
"Yes," Eugene assured Mr. Whitmore.
"Alright then, come on, you two. We've got lots more to do!" Mr. Whitmore ushered Meg and Milo out the door. He then turned to Aladdin. "Where's my coffee, boy?" Aladdin's bemused expression turned to horrified realization. He quickly scooped up Rapunzel's unclaimed coffee and offered it to the director.
"Right here, sir."
"Good." Mr. Whitmore took it and left.
Al turned to Rapunzel.
"I am so sorry. I will go buy you another coffee with my own money." Rapunzel waved away his concern.
"It's fine, Aladdin, I'll go get something later. Right now I have a person I need to take measurements for." She gestured to Eugene.
"Oh, don't mind me. You finish whatever it is you're working on there. I'll just meander around your quaint costume shop here."
"I could show you all the costumes," Esmeralda said, too eagerly.
"I'd like that." Esmeralda led Eugene over the z-racks full of clothes. She began to explain all the costumes to him, who they were for, what scene, what time era. Cinderella leaned over Rapunzel's shoulder.
"He's pretty, isn't he?" she whispered.
"I guess," Rapunzel said, shrugging him off, when in truth, she completely agreed with Cinderella. This Eugene Fitzherbert was definitely one of the prettier stunt men she'd ever seen. "But, Cinderella, we're in Hollywood. All the men here are pretty."
"Does that mean I'm pretty?" Aladdin had butted into their conversation.
"Yes, now bug off," Cinderella said, playfully shoving him. Aladdin laughed and waved to the girls as he left.
"Hey, Eugene," he called. Eugene turned, his hands in his pockets. "Let's hit the bars tonight."
"Sure, man."
Aladdin left.
"Do you know Al, Eugene?" asked Esmeralda.
"Sure. I know a lot of people. I've been on a lot of movie sets as a stunt man. I'm one of the best in the business."
"And obviously the most modest," Rapunzel mumbled just loud enough for Eugene to hear.
"I'm sorry, but did that snarky tone come from you?" Eugene sauntered over to Rapunzel's machine. He put a hand on her table and leaned over her. "Are we going to have problems in the work space, Rapunzel?" He was joking, but when Rapunzel was working, she was all seriousness.
"I don't know, but in you don't remove your hand from my work station I'm going to put a pair of sewing shears through it." Eugene brought his hand up quickly, laughing.
"Hoh, so, the famous Rapunzel doesn't play well with others?"
"Don't mind her, when she sews, she's not herself. Get her away from the machine and she's perfectly normal."
"Away from the machine?" Eugene locked eyes with Rapunzel. "Maybe I'll have to try that some night after work." He winked at her. Rapunzel squirmed.
"You know, you came in here for measurements. Let's take them so you can get out of my shop." Rapunzel stood, grabbing a tape measure. "Cinderella, will you write down the measurements?"
"I could measure him for you," said Esmeralda. She put out her hand, expecting the tape measure to be put in it.
"No, I can do it. You have repairs to take care of." Esmeralda sneered.
"So does Cinderella," she muttered. The other two girls didn't hear.
Rapunzel led Eugene to a different part of the costume shop in the back. It was a little corner with red curtains and a large window that over looked the studio's parking lot. Sitting on the tables in this area were potted aloes. Eugene looked at the well taken care of plants.
"Burn yourselves a lot, do you?"
"We work with industrial irons and steamers. It's hard to not burn ourselves," Rapunzel said matter-of-factly.
Cinderella took out a sheet of paper that had all the listings for measurements. She sat down and clicked a pen.
"Ready when you are."
Rapunzel put her hands on Eugene's arms and lifted them. It was second nature to just touch people without caring, but she could not help but notice how…well defined Eugene's arms were. Then again, he was a stunt man; he had to be in good shape.
Rapunzel threaded the tape measure around his chest.
"Chest, thirty-four." She slide the green tape to his waist. "Natural waist twenty-seven." She went down about an inch. "Modern waist, twenty-nine. Hips, thirty." Eugene was wearing a rather baggy button shirt and Rapunzel was surprised by how broad chested he was, yet still be so trim, even for being a stunt man. She tried to not let it play around in her head too much and moved on.
"Arm, twenty four. Wrist, eight." Rapunzel continued her professional exploration of Eugene's body, only letting herself be slightly impressed every now and then. Working in Hollywood, Rapunzel had seen a lot of body types and Eugene's really wasn't the most impressive one. Not unless he suddenly got a fifty two inch bust line and slimed down to a twenty-five and a half inch waist.
When Rapunzel measured Eugene's upper arm and called it at thirteen and a quarter inches, Esmeralda whistled at her sewing machine.
"Why, thank you," said a cocky Eugene. Rapunzel rolled her eyes. Eugene noticed.
"Not impressed?"
"Nope," she said simply in reply.
"What will impress you?" he asked coyly. Rapunzel didn't even bat an eye.
"Nothing."
Eugene thought that Rapunzel was just being work orientated and refusing to flirt back, but Cinderella and Esmeralda knew her statement to be true.
Rapunzel finished measuring Eugene and left Cinderella with the task of pulling costumes and patterns for his sizes. She went back to the sewing table where she finished pinning the blue shimmery, sequin garment. She wanted it done.
Eugene hovered over her.
"So, when can I see you again?"
Rapunzel sat back down at her machine with the costume. She didn't even look at Eugene.
"When we have costumes for you."
Eugene walked over to her and leaned on her table.
"I said, 'when can I see you again?'"
Rapunzel slowly looked up at him. She was used to this sort of "flirting." It was a thing all actors did, be it live theater or movies. All actors were flirts, and Rapunzel knew how to string words together so that they sounded like a bucket of cold water.
"The next time you come into the shop."
Eugene grinned like a wolf.
"Then I guess tomorrow." He left before Rapunzel could even tell him that she wouldn't allow loiterers in her shop. Esmeralda chuckled.
"He told you, didn't he?"
"I don't care." Rapunzel put her foot to the peddle and let her machine thrash her day's frustrations out. Sewing used to be relaxing for her.
When she stopped and the shop was quiet enough again, Esmeralda was still talking about Eugene.
"But seriously, that guy is built."
"He's a stunt man; you think they're going to blow up a toothpick," Rapunzel said dryly.
"They might if the toothpick could take it."
"When I think of thin people, I think of Milo," Cinderella stated matter-of-factly. "And I don't think he could take being blow up."
"Well no one with a diminished physic and large forehead can be a proper stunt man." Esmeralda did have a point. "But you've got to agree with me. That. Is. one. Well. Built. Man." Rapunzel rolled her eyes at Esmeralda.
"Get back to work."