All This Time (Golden Coast State University Series Book 1) by Julie Nang Gavin

Author:Julie Nang Gavin [Gavin, Julie Nang]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-01-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

“You have to smile really big and speak louder.” Lily is directing me as we film our first video to post on Sticky Rice’s social media account.

“I can’t smile any bigger. I’ve been smiling for the last three hours,” I whine back at her. I’m grateful for my sister’s help, but we still need to go back to work.

“Let’s do this last shot, and then we’ll be done for the day,” she tells me.

We are filming in front of the restaurant during the slow hours so that we can start putting the video together. We started in the morning before the restaurant opened, and now we are back at it after rush hour while Brianna and my mom watch over the restaurant. Not only is my face hurting from all the smiling, but I have been wearing heels while shooting, and now my feet are swelling up and throbbing. I can’t wait to change back into my sneakers.

Lily was able to get some of our regulars to say nice things about me so she can edit those into the video. Mr. Vanh was interviewed, along with my two aunties, when they stopped in for a late breakfast. My aunties knew about the shoot ahead of time, so they came in wearing bright colorful dresses, and their hair was teased to perfection. Their makeup was layers thick, and their blushes and lips were much brighter than usual. “You have to put on lots of layers so that it shows up on the camera,” Auntie Linda told me.

“You look like a clown,” my mom said as she passed by with dirty dishes.

“You don’t know what it’s like to be a star on camera,” Aunt Linda said to my mom.

“What star were you, Auntie?” I asked her.

“I was second runner-up in the Lao New Year beauty pageant, remember?” she said to me.

I guess it must’ve been from the stories she’s told me and the pictures she’s shown me, since I wasn’t born yet when she was in the pageants. Although my mom complains about how much of a diva my aunt is, she entrusted her with preparing me for the pageant, because she knows what it is like to compete in one.

I smiled. “That’s right, Auntie. And you were one of the prettiest girl in the neighborhood at the time. You were even voted Most Likely to Become a Hollywood Star in the yearbook.”

“That’s right.” She nodded proudly. “So if anyone knows what it takes to be in front of a camera, I do.”

“Ready to start from the beginning?” Lily asks me.

“Alright. Let’s do it,” I reply.

“In 3, 2, 1,” Lily counts down with her fingers in the air.

“Sticky Rice has been in my family for three generations,” I recite. “It represents the Lao community in San Diego by serving authentic Thai and Lao dishes, like papaya salad and laab. Our customers find a sense of community here, as we are the only restaurant in the area that serves Lao food.”

“Sarah! Lily!

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