Hearts' Desires (8 page)

             
“True, but I want to hear your side of the story.”

             
Vance shrugged. He had nothing to hide. “
Harker
dumped some shit over one of the crew members who didn’t deserve it, you know what I mean. He was just in the mood and
loo
k
ing
for a vi
c
tim. Well, I stepped in and told Mr.
Harker
that the times of slavery are over. He answered I should not stick my nose into other people’s business - and so on. It got nasty; he kicked me and I fought back. We
both
landed in hospital, I
had
a broken rib, and
Harker
some
bruises
that
he threatened to sue me
for,
if
any visible scars
remain
ed
. When he was back on the set,
he refused to
co
n
tinue to
work with me
. Of course the producer gave him the bird - if they had fired me, it would’ve meant to shoot a couple of scenes again, and they did not want that. So he had to stick it out with me! I bet he really enjoyed that final scene, when his character finished off my character! - You don’t believe a word I’m saying, do you?”

             
“I absolutely do. I know Robert
Harker
. He uses to annoy me with his chauvinist small talk on every major event!” Alison smiled wryly. “This could have cost you your career, Vance.”

             
“Maybe it has.
Harker
got his third Oscar last year. And what do I get? Jobs like ‘Ten Days’!”

             
Hearing this, Alison had to smile. Hadn’t that been exactly her thoughts? Their eyes met and wove a thin band of mutual
unde
r
standing.

             
Vance smiled back. “Well, at least it paid off and I could afford an apartment in L.A. instead of sleeping in the car any further!”

             
“Why have you never clarified what exactly happened?”

             
He shrugged. “
Robert
Harker
was Robert
Harker
already, and I nothing but a newcomer who should have been glad to get a part next to a celebrity like him
.
And then… I’ve always been the black sheep of the family anyway, since I joined a theatre group! – Well, this was my revenge for being dragged to a cold unfriendly place named Canada!”

             
His slight grin and the sparkle in his eyes softened the words, but Alison could hear old regrets shining through non
e
theless
. “
So your parents emigrated?”

             
He nodded. “I was barely 17. I don’t say I liked the politics in my home country back then. I just didn’t give it a thought, you know? I was a kid, and I was mad at my parents, damned mad! No one asked me – I just had to leave everything b
e
hind; my friends, my plans… Ah, don’t want to bother you with my personal crap.”
             
He discovered Nora Mendez walking through the garden, talking into her cell phone. Without noticing the other two people, she leaned against one of the oak trees and caressed her belly while speaking, as if she wanted to transmit som
e
thing to her child. Pe
r
haps she was talking to her husband. His mood sinking again, Vance rose. Reality always stood weapon at the ready to blast magic to hell, it seemed!
             
“I think I’ll get some sleep now. We start at five, after all. Good night, Alison.”
             
"Good night.” She watched him walk away and then sat down herself on the wooden steps.

             
Homesick
, she recalled his words. She had certainly not been homesick. She didn’t think
that word
ever occurred to
her during the last years.

Lauren started the day doing a few stretches outside her bu
n
galow, not only because there was more space, but more so because she hoped Vance would get the chance to admire her. Instead it was Thabo who greeted her with a friendly Good Morning and – to her annoyance – installed himself on the bench next to where she was exercising.

             
“I thought we could go over to breakfast together,” he said after some moments, sounding as if asking this question had taken a huge amount of courage. He couldn’t see her disa
p
proving face, because she just had bent low to the ground in another exercise.

             
“Oh, just go ahead, I’m not finished yet. And I have to stay in shape.”

Up and down again. Her hair touched the sand. “As a pro, you a
b
solutely have to stay in shape,” she added.

             
From the other side of the yard, Vance showed up. Shielded by the veil of her hair, Lauren took
in
the sight for some seconds.

             
“Have you done a lot of movies?”

             
I hate him! How can someone be this annoying and NOT notice it, for heaven’s sake?!? 
“Yes. I didn’t keep track exac
t
ly.” She made it sound as if these had been international, award winning produ
c
tions, and not TV-series, an R-rated crappy horror film and a five-minutes-appearance in a dance show.

             
Vance walked past them, his mind already busy with t
o
day’s work. He had gone through the decisive scenes of the script again and felt a lot closer to the man he was supposed
to play. A person who had almost lost everything he cared about, including his own perspective. Sounded a bit familiar, didn’t it?

Shortly after, he
had taken position on the porch for scene 29. A
l
ison watched him with a sharp line between her brows and su
d
denly halted the procedures.

             
“Vance, could you put that hat on I saw you with at our arrival in
Cape Town?
”

             
“Sure.”

             
“That antique will probable add the flair I’m still missing for this scene…”

             
Vance hurried to his bungalow to
get
the
hat
.
Why does every woman have to bitch about the hat,
dammit
?
He thought, slightly amused. Okay, it
wasn
‘
t new, and it
wasn
‘
t in mint condition e
i
ther, but hell, it had accompanied him for over 30 years and through ups and downs! When he came back, Alison nodded her approval at last.
             

             
Behind the camera, Jake grinned. Yes, Vance looked definitely
‚
daring
‘
! Lauren waited for her signal,
then
walked to her position as well, enjoying the sight of her acting colleague. She loved it, when Vance had to wear
his
shirt half open and she could see the oh-so-sexy hair on his chest!

             
-
“
Picture is up!
”

             
“
Action!”

             
Marens
stepped down the stairs.
“You have been seen with him again. Let me tell you something: Louis is a
farmboy
, a C
O
LORED
farmboy
.”

             
A hasty sign from Alison to the second camera.
They moved in, in an angle showing clearly the threatening air b
e
tween father and daughter, even before the next words were spoken.

             
“He is a
farmboy
, and you are my daughter! You won’t
see him again, or I’ll send you back to Belgium
on
the very next plane!”

             
“You are a backwards racist! A tyrant! And I hate you!” She swirled around.

             
Alison kept her eyes fixed on Vance. The transition from p
a
triarchal anger and display of power down to shock and desper
a
tion in the blink of an eye! Wonderfully captured…
Vance
‘
s performance was skilled and flawless, and she watched him acting with growing amazement.

             
“Camilla!”
Marens
caught his daughter by the shoulders; she turned around—

             
“Cut!” Alison spread her arms and shook her head.
I bet she did this on purpose! It’s the second time!
“We have to shoot that last scene again! – Lauren! When you turn around, you raise your hand! You do NOT place it on his chest! He’s your father, not your lover!”

             
Someone from the crew laughed.

             
Lauren displayed repentance. “I moved too
quickly
, I think. Shall I leave my hands at
my
side?”

             
“No, I want that message of surprise and fear in this s
e
quence,” Alison answered. “Camilla is afraid her father is e
x
actly the violent person, Louis’ father described! If you leave your hands at
your
side, it would destroy the impact of the scene! – Okay, once
more
!
Positions
everyone!”

The crew had gathered around the dinner tables, except some younger guys including Thabo, relaxing in a football match with the village children.

             
“Look at those youngsters,” Jake said to Vance, leaning back with a glass of beer in his hand. “They never get tired! I tell you, my back is killing me! - By the way, I heard you’ve made quite an i
m
pression on Alison already?”

             
“I do my work.”

             
“She labeled your performance as ‘intriguing’. That’s close to an Oscar nomination, you know?”

             
Vance shook his head with a little laugh.
“Rumors on a set, Jake.
Even more treacherous than a mirage in the desert.”
But he felt good. He had impressed her? Mission
a
c
complished
!

             
He focused his attention on his plate, when Nora showed up, looking quite exhausted. With a sigh, she put her dish down and closed her eyes.

             
“Can I get you something to drink?” Vance asked.

             
“Oh,
that
would be very kind! But your meal-”

             
“I’ll be back in a second, don’t worry!” He was up already. “What can I get you?”

             
“Just some cold water, thank you.
… Wow, he’s a real gentl
e
man,” Nora continued, when Vance was on his way.

             
“That he is!” Jake confirmed.

             
“You’ve known
him
for a long time,
haven’t
you?”