Ch 37: Sink or Swim

Despite the fact that Luke and I worked all week on his swimming and then I came home to quiz and prep Michelle for the LSATs, I managed to maintain my energy. Both Luke and Michelle were nervous about the challenges that lie ahead for each of them. Helping them gave me a sense of satisfaction and left me too busy to even fret about my relationship status with Luke. Besides some flirting and a few stolen kisses, we kept it pretty professional. Plus, my excuse of needing to help Michelle study, provided me a reason for not staying the night or planning any dates with Luke.
While I would have loved to cozy up to Luke in his big bed, he didn’t need any more distractions – at least not until the movie started filming. And Michelle needed me too. I’d been spending so much time with Luke that I neglected to help Michelle, and I owed her my attention too. After all, she helped me hook up with Luke in the first place.
Luke, worried about the start of filming, which the director determined would begin with the water scenes, he insisted I accompany him to the set. I had never been to a legit, working Hollywood set before. My plan was to sit in the corner, be quiet, and hope no one noticed me while I provided moral support for Luke.
Luke and I sat in his vibrant red Ferrari as he pulled up to a gate behind a couple of tall buildings on the studio’s lot. A guy in a booth waved at Luke, and the gate opened. As we drove to the back, I saw a makeshift city street complete with storefronts and streetlights. Along another corner a road with houses surrounded by white picket fences created a residential backdrop. The scenery looked clean and orderly, creating a perfect little bubble of suburbia.
After Luke parked, a production assistant, PA for short, showed Luke to his trailer. The PA, Claire, looked about 15, but informed us she was 19 and working on her first feature film. She made sure to tell Luke she could get him anything he wanted - twice.
I flopped down on the small seating area as Luke paced up and down the trailer.
“Is this what you’re like all the time?” I asked. He even started biting his nails.
“No. It’s this damn water scene. What if I can’t do it? What if I start to drown or look like a dead fish or something?”
I stood up and hugged him. “Don’t worry. I’ll be right there to save you. You’ll be fine. They just need a few shots, right?” He nodded.
The movie was about a fisherman who saves another fishing vessel in a storm. As part of Luke’s heroic scene, he rescues a woman who has fallen overboard, and they develop a romantic relationship. Luke’s co-star for the film, Alicia Styles, is an actress well-known for her professionalism and grace. She often played regal roles and even studied with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Because she was married and a serious actress, I didn’t consider her a threat to my relationship with Luke. I was glad Luke would be getting the chance to work with such a seasoned actress as opposed to some fame hungry up-and-comer.
After wardrobe came in and decided on Luke’s clothes for the scene, a make-up artist worked on Luke’s face and hair. I thought it pretty odd since he’d be getting wet anyway, but the make-up artist insisted she darken Luke’s eyebrows and heighten his features to look stronger.
About an hour later, Claire came to escort us to the set for filming. Days ago, Luke had already met the cast and crew for an introduction and a table read, but this would be the first time they were all getting into character for some real action. And the first time they would all be working in the water tank.
All in all, once we reached the set, it looked fairly funny actually. The crew planned to film outside footage of the boat in a different location, so the scene that day was all about Luke diving in the water and rescuing his co-star. The set consisted of a tank that looked like a huge above ground pool with lights and cameras scattered around on a large deck attached to poles both above the tank and to the side. The water was dyed a murky green to mimic the water of the lake where they planned to shoot the boat scenes. I stood on the corner of the deck, watching the set-up.
After some small talk and additional introductions, the director, a middle-aged balding man with glasses whom I’d never seen before, suggested Luke and Alicia get in the pool. Alicia appeared more stunning than I remembered onscreen, a bit taller, her skin creamy, the top of her breasts peeking out of her shirt. She looked slim and delicate, like a china doll about to be thrown to a bunch of sharks as she eyed the tank with suspicion.
The set director had installed a platform under the water on one side of the tank so Luke and Alicia could stand above the water in one spot. Otherwise, the water appeared about 10 feet deep. Two divers also entered the tank with water proof cameras, set to shoot underwater footage. Luke swam around for a bit, while Alicia, in her graceful nature, floated on her back along the top.
The director reminded them of what they needed to do, then someone stood in front of the camera with a slate outlining the scene and take number and snapped it shut. “Action,” the director called. Luke dove under the water and swam toward Alicia, but she wasn’t ready. Take two. Again, Luke dove down and swam around to Alicia. That time Alicia surfaced too soon. Take three. Luke started, and before he could get very far, Alicia called “cut.” She lost a contact. Once that was fixed, they tried again, and again, and again.
Every time, Luke started fine, gliding under the water, but something always became a problem once he met up with Alicia. By the 20th take a few hours later, Luke looked both exhausted and annoyed. He’d been so worried about his own performance in the water, he hadn’t considered his co-star wouldn’t be up to snuff. At one point, Luke groaned, “Come on, Alicia. My whole body’s shriveling.”
Besides looking ruffled and frustrated too, Alicia started shivering. Luke exited the tank and walked over to the director, quietly talking to him while Claire, the PA, draped a warm, robe around Luke’s shoulders. Huddled in conversation, Luke and the director looked like a coach and the star quarterback cooking up the next play in a big game. After a minute or two, Luke nodded and strode over to me.
“Stella, you need to show Alicia what to do,” he said.
“Huh?” That was obviously not what I was expecting. I thought I was there to help Luke, and knowing he no longer really needed my help in the water, I just figured I’d blend in with the background. Clearly, Luke had devised another scheme. “I can’t,” I said.
“Sure you can.” Luke pasted on a big smile, once again drawing me in with his movie-star good looks. “Claire will take you to wardrobe for something to wear in the tank. You give Alicia some tips, show her what to do, and we’ll be good to go.” He gave me a double thumbs-up, trying to convince me of his plan.
I shook my head in fear. Being in the limelight was Luke’s thing. Not mine. I didn’t want so many people staring at me, especially when I wasn’t prepared. “Luke, no. I can’t.”
Luke took a deep breath and grabbed my hand. “It would mean a lot to me.” His eyes drooped a bit, making his face look sad and genuine. I knew how important this role was to him. He wanted to make the movie work.
“OK,” I said. “But you owe me.”
Luke’s face brightened, a big smile radiating across his lips. “You know it,” he said. I couldn’t bring myself to replicate his optimism. For some reason, I had a sinking feeling something was about to go wrong.
Fit for Love
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