Chapter 19: Alone

When filming a movie, sometimes scenes were shot out of order, depending on the needs of the film. That was why we’d shot one of the last scenes first. Now it was time to shoot the opening scene, where Anthony Ricci meets with his henchman to discuss a troublesome woman. Sean’s character, Luiz Ross, wore a similar fedora to Anthony Ricci as they stood in the rain outside an abandoned warehouse, which the mobsters had repurposed for their nefarious deeds.

It was just a stand-up background we’d painted to look like real brick. The interior would be shot inside our building, where we’d built several sets. The rain was fake, too. It drained into several grates on the floor just outside the camera range.

“Did you handle it?” Antonio asked Sean in a low voice. “Is it done?”

“Not quite,” Sean replied. “She’s evaded me so far. All I could find out is she wants to take down your empire.”

“See that it’s done, Luiz.” Antonio glanced up at the rain. “The weather’s ripe for blood.”

“It’s always ripe for blood, boss.” But Sean nodded slowly. “I’ll take care of the problem. She won’t cause us any more strife.”

“Good. I’d hate to have to punish you for any … incompetence.” Antonio turned to leave. Over his shoulder, he called, “And Luiz?”

“Yes, boss?”

“Make sure she doesn’t talk.”

Sean laughed. “She won’t be able to talk by the time I’m done with her.”

A smirk curved the side of Antonio’s lips. “This is why I like you.”

The scene ended, and we moved on to the next scene we had planned for the day: a shootout between Anthony Ricci’s gang and a rival gang. We had a lot of extras for this scene.

It involved a bank robbery gone wrong, where Anthony’s men exited the bank and ran into Gerry Thompson’s gang. There was supposed to be a shootout over the money and over their turf war. This scene would lead to Judge Kimberly Justice taking an increased interest in the two gangs.

We shot the scene, allowing for a ton of fake glass breaking, lots of fake blood, and many gangsters’ deaths. It went well, but one extra took it a little too seriously. He ended up getting sent home because his acting was too over the top and unrealistic. That was the problem with extras sometimes. They got a little too into the acting in hopes they could make it big, and it ended up ruining scenes.

After that, I called a break. We only had two more scenes to shoot today. The subs I’d ordered for lunch for everyone had arrived, and I was standing next to the sub table when Sky walked up. Her hair was up in a bun, making her look austere. But her character was supposed to be a no-nonsense judge, so it worked.

“Can I talk to you?” Sky asked.

“Of course,” I replied.

“I know this is none of my business, but I’ve seen in the tabloids that you’re going through a divorce,” she began. “I wanted to say that I completely understand what you’re going through. Three years ago, I got married to a man I thought I loved, and he ended up being a piece of crap. He cheated on me, and I left him. If you ever need to vent or to talk …”

“Thank you,” I said, genuinely surprised. “You know, Sky, there’s something … special … about you. Do you believe in past lives?”

She looked confused for a moment, her brow furrowing. “I guess it’s possible.”

I didn’t know how to tell her I’d known her before … in my past life. The situation was entirely too complicated to reveal her infidelity with Owen, not that she’d remember it. But I wanted to tell someone something, so I said, “When I met you, it was like my world restarted.”

Sky blinked. “Wow, I—I feel the same way. I really like you, Fay, and I think we could be good together. I’m so glad you said something.”

I was shocked by her declaration. She had completely misunderstood what I meant. I didn’t mean I had feelings for her, but how else could she have taken what I said? Frustrated, I stifled a groan, but I was saved from answering when Sean walked up.

“Fay, come settle something for me,” he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. He was a handsy guy, or maybe it was just with me.

“Excuse me a moment,” I murmured to Sky, allowing Sean to lead me toward Antonio and another man. I was relieved for the excuse not to have to answer her right away because I had nothing for that.

She stared longingly after me as I left the sub table, my turkey and provolone sandwich in hand. It was dry, but it was still tasty. When we reached the other two men, one of them a crew member whose name I didn’t know, Sean said, “Okay, I’ve found someone to settle this.”

Then he turned to me. “Fay, what would be worse: being buried alive or being drowned? See, I have this scene idea to add into the film, where Antonio has Luiz ‘take care of someone,’ but we’re trying to decide what would be more savage.”

“Well …” I pondered it for a moment. “Being buried alive would be scarier because you know there’s a possibility of escape, but you don’t necessarily have a guarantee of escape. So, you’ve got a fool’s hope and desperation. Being drowned would be scary and highly less likely you could get free before you ran out of air, assuming you were bound and weighted down. So, are we hoping the person can get free, or are we hoping for the maximum amount of damage?”

“I knew Fay would have the answer. Although, I’m a little concerned you know so much about this.” Sean arched a brow before laughing at his own joke.

Then he spoke again. “I think we could write the scene either way, but you’ve made me think being buried alive would be so much more dramatic. Thank you. They all said being buried alive, but they couldn’t give me a good enough reason as to why. I stand corrected, gentlemen.”

I continued to eat my sub while the men brainstormed how the scene would play out, what props we would need, and where we could shoot it. The script had already been written, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t add extra scenes we felt would benefit the film.

The matter settled, I glanced around the set, hoping to evade Sky for the moment. But I didn’t see her anywhere right then. I breathed a sigh of relief then immediately felt guilty about it. I didn’t want to make things any more awkward than they already were, but it seemed inevitable.

After we ate, it was time to shoot the final scenes for the day. These were much less intensive. There was a love scene between Anthony Ricci and Courtney Hobbs, a woman the mafia boss had fallen in love with. We were shooting the scene where she finally gives in to him.

Courtney was played by one of the women from “Love to Make,” and she did an excellent job playing the part of damsel corrupted by the mob boss. Her character would go on to commit crimes with Anthony Ricci, ultimately leading to Anthony’s capture.

But we weren’t shooting those scenes today. After the intimate scene, we shot a part where Luiz betrayed Anthony because he was in love with Courtney, too. The two men had a face-off, but Luiz escaped, causing Anthony to question where his men’s loyalty lay.

After that, we called it a day. We’d accomplished a lot today, and I was satisfied with how the first day of filming went. There were minimal errors during filming, and overall, it was a success.

So, why was I filled with a wave of apprehension? It all boiled down to Sky’s declaration. She’d tried to speak with me a few times since she’d said what she did, but thankfully, each time, she caught me when I was needed elsewhere. I knew that eventually, I would have to face her and address the situation.

I wasn’t sure how I felt, but I didn’t think I felt the same way. Over the past few weeks, I’d come to grow fond of her, but I didn’t think I had any romantic feelings toward her.

I meant what I said; there was something special about her, something different. She was genuine, not like a lot of women who were one way to your face and another behind your back. Instead, Sky said what she felt, no hidden meanings or ulterior motives, and I thought that was refreshing.

It didn’t mean I wanted to be with her in the romantic sense of the word. But I could see myself becoming friends with her. In time, anyway.

She did find me before we left for the day. “Fay,” she called, and I stopped and turned.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” she repeated. “I didn’t get to finish what I was saying earlier. I don’t know what it is about you, but I feel drawn to you. You make me feel things I didn’t know were possible. You make me feel alive, like I had been sleeping my whole life, and now I’m finally awake. I’m not sure how else to say it.”

Speechless, I couldn’t respond. I didn’t know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that she continued. On the one hand, it gave me more time to think of an answer, but on the other hand, it allowed her to dig a deeper hole for us.

“Fay, I’d really like to get to know you better. You don’t have to say anything now; I can tell I’ve surprised you. Just … think on it, okay?” Sky gave me a half-shrug and a bashful smile. “I’ll let you leave. See you tomorrow?”

I nodded, still unsure of what to say. When she walked past me to leave the studio, I was still standing there, speechless, alone in the building. The different props and sets were the only witnesses to the strange encounter. What was fate up to now? Was fate even to blame for this at all? And what was the real motive for pushing Sky and me together like this?

I didn’t understand any of it, and maybe there was nothing to understand. I couldn’t claim to know what fate intended, but when I was so surrounded by suitors, I wondered if Lady Fate was trying to give me a second chance at love. If she was, she must either not know who I would like or was giving me enough options to choose for myself.

I still didn’t feel ready for a relationship, but I was getting there. It helped that my marriage had been dead long before it ended. That made it easier to move on quickly. But I refused to date anyone until the divorce was finalized. I wouldn’t bring myself down to Owen’s level.

That reminded me. I pulled out the slip of paper I’d been carrying and dialed the divorce lawyer’s number. Their office was closed, but I left a message with my information. I was ready to put Owen and his cheating self behind me because I deserved happiness. I deserved to be loved and cherished, something that would have happened in our marriage if he believed in our vows.

But I’d come to realize that vows meant nothing to him. He was an oath breaker, a liar, and he was just scum. It made me angry that Dad wanted me to stay with him, that he would even suggest such a thing.

Even though I was surrounded by people, I’d never felt so alone. And perhaps being alone was exactly what I needed to figure things out.