Screen Play (26 page)

“I’m so naive. I’m only here because it’s what I think I’m suppose to be doing.”

“That’s why they call it your first day.”

Joseph approached us wearing a white short-sleeve shirt with a V-neck T-shirt visible underneath. He removed his Louis Vuitton sunglasses to talk with us both with his words and his eyes.

“Okay, finally we are to begin shooting this scene. Elijah, you are complimenting Meredith on her beauty, encouraging her as a friend, but Angel feels more than that. Harper, you are responding to his message, but realize you have fallen in love, so there is conflict in the story.”

“She’s in love, so there’s conflict?” I asked.

“Darling, where there is love there is always conflict. Okay, let’s shoot the scene.”

Joseph returned to his seat on a movable camera jib. I’d heard he was a martinet when it came to filmmaking, that the entire direction was chiseled in his head on a stone storyboard. I could see the intensity in Joseph’s eyes now. This film was the focus of all his concentration.

“Action,” Joseph yelled.

Angel:
Why so sad? You’ve succeeded when everything around you said you’d fail. You have a new life, a new career. I’d say my work here is done.

Meredith
: Remind me to never ask an angel if he understands a woman. If you knew what I know, you wouldn’t think everything’s so wrapped up.

Angel:
What don’t I know?

Meredith:
Do angels have hearts? Can you feel pleasure or pain? Have you ever longed to be with the object of your affection, knowing they’ll never return your love? I think a better question is, what do you know?

Angel:
Angels have hearts, Meredith. I can feel love and hate, compassion and apathy, but I have only one purpose ever present in my mind—carrying out the work I’ve been entrusted with, which means seeing you revived.

Meredith:
You’re so faithful to your work, you don’t see how leaving might destroy rather than revive me.

Angel:
Meredith, if I should go away, you won’t be destroyed, you’ll only be made stronger.

Joseph called for a second take. I shivered as a light spray of mechanical rain fell from the sky. A makeup woman touched up my face and hair, combing the mist from my bangs.

We filmed for two hours, changing camera angles, lighting, and varying the emphasis Elijah and I placed on words in the script. The assistant director called for a half-hour break while the crew changed camera lenses and I tiptoed back to my trailer through an archipelago of small puddles. A crowd of tourists and onlookers had formed, watching us work from behind a barricade across the street. A young boy waved to me, and I waved back.

Then a face appeared from out of the crowd, and out of my past. At first I couldn’t place him, seeing him so out of context. But that only lasted a moment. Even after more than a year, a slight weight gain, and a dramatic shift to the California look, I’d know Sam anywhere.

He offered a slow wave to say he wasn’t just any onlooker but someone who knew me and knew me well. I stepped to the edge of the production lot, staying inside the security barriers. Sam raised his cell phone, suggesting in pantomime that he needed to talk to me. I raised my hands to say, “No phone.” Then he mouthed three words: “I miss you.” He smiled, an attempt to reassert his charm, and I thought of all the hurt I’d gone through and what I thought I’d say if I ever saw Sam again. I searched my feelings, raking over my heart with a fine-toothed comb, and found nothing. The pain was gone. I watched as Sam lifted his phone one more time, waving it in his hand like a treat he was tempting me with.

“Sorry,” I mouthed back, then turned and walked away.

Once inside the trailer, I kicked off my shoes and ransacked my tote bag looking for my cell phone. There were two new texts, one from Luke.

Let me know when you’re ready for another ride in my plane. Luke

And one from Avril.

Harp, call me. avril

~
Twenty-nine
~

I punched Avril’s number on the speed dial and held the phone against my ear. It rang four times before switching over to message. I spoke after the tone.

“Hey Avril, it’s me. Just calling you back. Want to have dinner tonight? It’s a rainy first day of shooting, and I don’t think we’re scheduled to go that long.”

I hung up. After more than nine hours on the set, I was tired and wanted to curl up for a nap on the bed in my trailer. I thought better of it. Instead, I took my phone with me to the catering trailer and asked the friendly ladies working inside for a cup of tea. I sent Luke a text while I waited for it to cool.

Where could we fly to? Somewhere beautiful i hope where we could be alone.

harper

The sun was California perfect, though much of the street was wet from our rain machine. I stepped through the jungle of electrical cords and cables snaking over the street. The
ET
media tent was gone, folded up like a traveling newsstand and off to chase the next day’s feature story.

“You must be on a break,” Sydney said.

“Yeah, I’m just calling because I got your message. Have you spoken to Avril today?”

“I haven’t seen Avril since the two of you moved into your apartment. How’s that going?”

“It’s beautiful, a place on the beach. Avril’s doing so well. No one knew how exhausted she really was. When she’s ready to get back to acting, she’ll be breathtaking.”

“I hope that’s soon. People are asking about the both of you. I’ve never had it so easy.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “I feel like I’ve been going a hundred miles an hour for the past two months. When do I get a break?”

“I know you’re kidding when you say that because you’ll be going that speed for the next two years. We want you to make three films a year. That means about ninety days per film and a couple of months for publicity, and of course, some time off here and there, for good behavior.”

“Yikes, I don’t know if I can do that, Sydney.”

“If I know you, you can. You’re worn out now because it’s the first day, but you’ll find your rhythm. Movie star is not a bad career choice, Harper. Believe me when I say, no one’s ever turned it down.”

Maybe not, but I bet more than a few had been chewed up by it.

I saw my phone light up with a new message. It was an understatement to say I was enjoying flirting with Luke.

Too bad you aren’t coming on my trip to a lonely, beautiful island.

Perfect. Luke

Back in my trailer, I opened my MacBook and logged onto LoveSetMatch.com. Since Luke and I were communicating entirely via cell phone these days, there was no activity on my personal page, with the exception of a one new message from James. I clicked to open it.

Dear Harper,

Thanks for your message about being in California. Yes, I’d love to meet you sometime. Any plans to come to San Diego, or as my six-year-old calls it, “Sandy Eggo”? Remember I have a large house on the ocean, five bedrooms, and you’d be a welcomed houseguest.

I’ll give you my home number, as my membership to LoveSetMatch.com expires this week. No love connection! But I think you know why. After much prayer, and I know you understand this, I’ve decided to stay unmarried indefinitely. So if we ever do meet up, you’ll know without a doubt I mean it just as friends.

Take care of yourself, Harper. I hope your match in Alaska works out. I pray you find love.

–James

I opened up a reply window and sent a response.

James,

I’m writing down your contact information because I’d really like to meet you and your boys in person. As for LoveSetMatch.com, I’m signing off as of today. It’s been the most unexpectedly wonderful experience getting to know you, and Luke, who I’ve told you about. But I’m so ready to be done with the online dating world.

–Harper

PS, I once told you I wouldn’t pray for your romantic life, but I think I may if you wouldn’t mind. You’re too special (and too young) to live the rest of your life without love, and if the right woman does come along, well, why not?

I pushed Send, jotted down James’s telephone number, then closed out his match. I then closed out Luke’s profile, taking one last look at his picture. Finally, I canceled my subscription to LoveSetMatch.com. How strange it was saying good-bye to an Internet dating site God had used to change my life.

I shut down my computer, ready to move on. A moment later, there was a knock on my door. They were ready for me on the set. I closed my eyes, drew in a long breath, and blew it out, resolving to work hard at the privileged position I’d been given. Before leaving my cell phone in my trailer, I texted Luke one last time.

You’ve sold me.

Harper

At six that night, we marked our first twelve-hour day. I really did believe Joseph would wrap up, sending us all home for a good night’s rest, but that’s not what happened. They added more lights, simulating daylight, and continuing shooting until almost nine. We did at least twenty more takes because of some technical glitches or because the performance wasn’t quite right.

Afterward, Joseph asked Elijah and me to come back to watch dailies underneath the tent that served as his shade and production awning. A half circle of us, the crew in jeans and baseball caps, Elijah and me in costume and makeup, stood transfixed on the large production monitor. Joseph wasn’t pleased.

“This I like,” he said, pointing at the screen and using a voice hoarse from talking most of the day. “But, look at this, Harper. Too much head movement. It’s distracting. Listen to what I’m telling you, you must keep still on camera.”

He drew imaginary circles on the screen with the end of a capped ink pen. “Elijah, your energy is down in one take and too frenetic in another. I need you to find consistency. We can salvage our shooting today, but we’ll save time over the weeks if you both can correct the mistakes.”

A different driver brought me home to my new apartment, a short five miles from where we’d been shooting. I entered to find Avril watching cable television and eating a bowl of cherries.

“So how’d it go?” she said, holding a cherry by the stem before biting into it.

I fell on the sofa next to her as if dead. “I have neither the energy or the focus to even attempt summing up my experience today for you. You’ve done this before so you know.”

“Oh, yes, only I think I went out after a day’s shoot. You look like you need two night’s sleep.”

I picked out one of the cherries from the ceramic dish, suddenly hungry. “I have to be back early in the morning. You wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes, it’s not urgent, but I felt like it was when I sent you the text. I was just lonely,” Avril said. She stared, the bowl of red cherries resting on her chest. The TV made noise in the background, but it was the silence from Avril that told me what she was thinking.

“Thank you,” she said, adding nothing more. I nodded, because I understood what she’d been through.

“Sydney wants me to tell you to go back to work,” I said, admiring how rested and good she looked. “But I’m not going to do it.”

“Good, because I’m enjoying these cherries right now, and tomorrow I’m thinking of buying a mango.”

“I’m going to bed,” I told her, smiling. “Enjoy your vacation.”

“I am, thanks.”

Luke sent one last message that first day of shooting. I read it when I got into bed.

Harper, just thinking of you.

thought you’d like to know that.

Luke

I plugged the phone in the charger and was asleep in minutes.