Chapter 10: Julia

Julia wakes from a restless night, preoccupied with Emmett’s dread on camera, Evelyn’s forward approach, and the contradictions in Emmett’s character. Resolving to control what she can, she decides to make off-site dates comfortable and compelling, starting with Emmett’s idea: Prickle Point.

Unable to find it online, Julia texts Emmett. Their banter turns sharp and flirtatious—he labels her contact as “Julia Theo’s Hot Little Sister,” she fires back about him losing to Theo—and he finally drops a pin for Mount Bouchard. His teasing hint that he’s “trying to find a wife right now” unsettles her.

Julia drives to Stal Brandt to scout. Passing Emmett’s worn-but-charming cottage, she finds Emmett lounging on his porch in boxers, coffee in hand. They spar; he offers to guide her, but she refuses to keep boundaries and professionalism clear. A flicker of hurt crosses his face before he withdraws.

At the trailhead, Julia methodically documents logistics: parking, camera placements, a permit to secure, difficulty notes, and a midway bench for B-roll interviews. She climbs to the summit, capturing panoramic shots of the lake, vineyards, and the prickly pear-littered slope to brief production.

While filming a sizing video atop the crest, Julia snags her foot on a root and begins an awkward tumble down the hillside. The cacti explain Emmett’s nickname “Prickle Point,” and the chapter ends with her rolling, the mishap threatening both her safety and the neat plan she hoped would steady the show’s trajectory.