Comedy of Erinn by Celia Bonaduce

heads back shouted that it wasn’t fair for these “movie people” to cut into line.
    Erinn stared the man down.
    â€œFor your information, we’re TV people, not movie people. Furthermore, we have a problem to solve and it will save everyone—including you—time if we solve it once, instead of three times. So I’ll thank you for your patience.”
    Turning back to the problem at hand, Erinn detected a look of respect shoot from one production crew member to the next. Erinn, feeling empowered, turned to her cohorts.
    â€œThe problem seems to be that the camera cases are too big for the plane . . . not the cameras themselves. We all have carry-on bags. Let’s re-pack. We’ll put the cameras in our carry-ons and pack our carry-on things in the camera cases.” She turned to the check-in attendant. “Does that work for you?”
    â€œYes, ma’am,” he said as the crew got busy stuffing and shuffling belongings.
    Gilroi gave Erinn a quick, approving squeeze.
    â€œGood work, Sawyer! You started out a youngster, but you came back a star.”
    â€œThanks, Gilroi. But that quote is wrong.”
    â€œIt can’t be. I know my movie quotes. It’s from 42nd Street .”
    â€œYes, it is from 42nd Street ,” Erinn said. “Nineteen thirty-three. But the quote is ‘You’re going out a youngster, but you’ve got to come back a star!’ ”
    Gilroi smiled, impressed.
    â€œLouie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
    Erinn smiled back. Slowly, she was making inroads. Although impressing Gilroi was easy . . . ten years in the theater meant she could match movie and Broadway play quotes with the best of them.
    When the equipment had been checked in to everyone’s satisfaction, the group managed to get through security without incident and headed toward the gate. Erinn looked at her co-workers and was pleased that they had turned to her in a time of crisis. Clearly, her unruffled demeanor and authoritative persona were a calming influence. Carlos fell in step with Erinn and put his arm around her shoulder.
    â€œThanks, Momma,” he said. “It’s always cool to have the old guard around when things turn to shit.”
    Erinn blinked in surprise. Momma? She looked up at Carlos, who loped along easily beside her.
    Maybe it’s a Latino thing .
    She stole another look at Carlos as he checked out every pretty young woman who walked past them.
    No, it’s an old thing.
    It wasn’t until everyone was clustering around the boarding area that Erinn realized they were one director short.
    â€œHas anyone seen Jude?” Erinn asked.
    â€œHe’ll be here. He always does this,” said Gilroi.
    Erinn boarded the plane with the others. She tried to settle in to her aisle seat. She looked over at Carlos, who was sitting by the window, flipping through United’s in-flight magazine. The empty middle seat, where Jude was supposed to be sitting, yawned between them. The rest of the Apple Pie crew was ready to fly to Philadelphia where they would spread out and conquer the entire Revolutionary War in a span of ten days. Could they shoot without a director? Erinn looked around the plane and saw Gilroi calmly reading a newspaper and listening to his iPod a few rows ahead. No one seemed alarmed that Jude was not on the plane. Erinn tried to shake thoughts of a coup from her brain.
    â€œPassenger Raphael, please report to gate forty-six. Passenger Jude Raphael.”
    Erinn listened tensely to the flight attendant making her loudspeaker announcement. She thought the flight attendant sounded magnificently bored asking Passenger Jude Raphael to get himself to the plane. Erinn was wondering if the attendant just added a plaintive plea to her voice, maybe that would inspire him to get a move on, wherever he was.
    Stop thinking about this scenario, Erinn admonished herself. Jude’s the director, not