We've been shooting for the movie for a few hours now and my head is in the clouds. All I can think about is our boat trip in a few hours. Some scenes were in the port of Oslo, so I could feel a bit of anxiety. Rami is shooting some scenes with the extras from his core. I'm exchanging messages with Garrett, who stayed in London.
me: it was magical -- he gave me a wonderful gold necklace and he got us a boat trip to this afternoon
gat: enjoy love, really enjoy it because in the beginning, it's all a total bliss..... then you'll be married for seven years in pure boredom
me: no one is talking about marriage lol
A voice in the distance shouts instructions to us, and in one of those instructions, Cary speaks my name, making me get up from my chair. I walk to the yacht moored near the pier, where some scenes are being recorded. My makeup today needed some special effects, because in this scene I was beaten by some goons, making me return to the villain's arms.
"Let's shoot the scene that Harriett goes back to the yacht" he says entering the cabin "Rami will be waiting here," he says, taking Rami's arm and putting it in the designated place, "and Dominique will come in all bloody, looking for comfort in the maître's arms.
He walks out of the cabin and we all get positioned. The men in the cameras also position themselves, always pressing a few buttons before standing still for a few minutes.
"Ready? Action!" The director shouts.
Harriett walks into the yacht, euphoric and painful, with bruises and cuts through my face. She just needs to have the courage to tell the maître that she has failed with her mission. I walk, defeated. The maître, standing next to connected computers, turns to see me. With sunglasses, I can't see his expression, but his lips are pressed against each other in anger.
"I have failed you', I say, ashamed. A drop of blood falls on the white floor of the cabin. He takes off his glasses and with one movement of his hand, everyone around us goes down the stairs beside me.
He walks slowly, holding each step to the ground. My eyes begin to tingle, tears fighting not to roll down my cheeks.
His body's a few inches from mine. His breathing is controlled, but too strong. His eyes tremble a little, but trapped in mine, without even blinking. His hand slowly rises, his fingers touch the corner of my mouth softly. He touches the hematoma to my jaw and finally to the cut on my temple. His finger burns my skin by touching my bruises. I think he will kiss me now and say everything is okay.
At his fingertips, my still fresh blood colors his pale hand. He sucks them without breaking eye contact. When I see his fingers clean when I take them out of his mouth, we both look at his hand, while the maître seems to taste something.
With a sudden movement, he slaps me in the face (in fact, only acting, because Ana is behind the camera, she who beats a single palm, to simulate the sound of a slap... Hollywood stuff!). With the strength, I throw myself on the ground.
My body collides with the ground and right now, I feel vulnerable. The adrenaline is running in my veins and with the intensity of the scene, all I want is to cry. You can't cry. I raise my face, my hair covering my eyes, my face hot and wet by the tears that fell unintentionally. He keeps looking at me in the same position as before.
"It tastes like incompetence," he says, putting his hands together behind his body.
I put my hand where it would be burning with the slap. My eyes are sad but angry. He walks to the computers behind him and sits in the chair. I feel the camera close to my face, but I keep staring at him with anger and disgust. The sound of sea waves fills my ears until a voice echoes in the background. "Cut."
We shot that scene three more times until we got a good camera game. I'm mentally exhausted and my face is a little swollen from crying. I took my makeup off before I got to the hotel, so I wouldn't look like a nut in the lobby. Rami told me to put on the necklace he gave me at our meeting tonight. I'm almost ready. While I wait for Rami to arrive, I check my Instagram (it's been a long time since I've put anything on).
A message appears on my cell phone screen. It's Rami.
rami❤️ : come to the lobby, i'm waiting for u here
I get out of bed and put on my shoes. I take my purse and put my phone inside. Before leaving, I check through the bathroom mirror if my clothes and hair are acceptable. All I can see is the gold chain shining on my chest.
I lock the door.
The elevator goes down quickly. The door opens and I see Rami standing right in the front door of the hotel, wearing a white social shirt and gray pants. In his hand a plastic bag. He hasn't seen me yet, so I sneak up behind him and kiss him on the neck.
He gives a lively laugh and turns to me and his eyes can only look at the bright pendant. "Wow, whoever gave you that has great taste in jewelry," he says, bragging.
"He's got a great taste in women too," I say, now bragging.
"Of course he has" his arm wraps me in body and his lips kiss the pendant on my chest, followed by a kiss on my lips.
"I thought we could go walking so we could get to know the city," he says, holding my hand.
"Sure," I say, leaning toward him.
We walked together through the streets of Oslo. There are streetcar supports on Stortingsgata Street and some cars passing by us. We passed a busy square, cobblestone streets, gardens and historic buildings. Sometimes I get distracted from the city around me to enjoy Rami.
After about seven minutes of walking, we arrived at the place. The pier is full of boats and yachts moored and a large area of gardens. People seem to have fun, with some shops and restaurants nearby.
The sun is setting slowly and I see that Rami seems to have met someone he knows. He nods.
"Joe?" he asks, excited.
Joe Mazzello. Of course, I know him. He starred with Rami in Bohemian Rhapsody. He must have talked about him a couple of times and of course, from the rest of the cast. He walks up to Joe almost bouncy.
"I thought I'd jump into Norway to see you," Joe says, in a debauched and funny tone.
"Come here," Rami says cheerfully, opening his arms for a hug.
I'm on their side, too shy to introduce myself to Rami's friend. I wait shyly, with my arms behind my body, twisting my fingers at each other.
"Is she the lucky one?" Joe asks, now with a big smile for me.
"I think it's me" a shy laugh escapes my mouth, hoping he likes me.
Joe gives me a shy hug, so I try to control the situation. I hug him with confidence, passing my hand on his back before we move away. "Joe" he says, introducing himself.
"Dominique" I answer, with a friendly smile.
Rami hugs me by the shoulders, bringing my body close to his. With a silly smile on my face, I surround Rami's body. I see a yacht in the distance, marching.
"It's ours," he says, near my ear.
He walks a slope as I stop to enjoy the sunset and the historic buildings around us. I quickly take my cell phone out of my purse.
"Make a pose" I shout to Rami, who's already out front. I take the picture and open the gallery. A photo I'll keep forever.
Joe walks beside me. "He sent me crazy messages to find something interesting to do with you since on your first date he took you to McDonald's," he says, laughing at the end.
"I know, actually he was taking me to Alyn Williams, a fancy restaurant in London, but we ended up going to McDonald's, which was really sweet of him, because I was a little nervous about sitting at a table reserved for two in an expensive restaurant in Mayfair," I confess, chuckling from time to time.
"I've never seen Rami like this... nervous and excited at the same time," he says, touching my arm. We're slowly going down the slope and Rami is already at the end of the pier, waiting for us.
"What do you mean? Is that good?" I ask.
"That's good, it's like this is the first time you know, he talks about you almost fascinated" he emphasizes with his hands.
I'm fascinated by you, Dominique. I couldn't sleep last night because my head was all over the place, because of you. I couldn't stop thinking about you. That's what he said in his hotel room that day. He actually meant that.
I smile just to remember. The yacht comes close to the tip of the pier and we go aboard. The yacht is spacious, with two floors, but what most caught my attention was the end: the uncovered area just behind, with the padded floor, suitable for sunbathing.
"That's wonderful" I whisper, admiring everything around me.
Rami comes from behind, hugging me at the waist and leaning his chin on my shoulder.
"You like it?" he asks, with hope in his voice.
"I loved it." I turn to him and wrap his neck in my hands. I love you. "I-" I can't tell him that. I keep saying that I don't want to speed up or pressure him into anything. I have to slow down, or I'll get hurt.
"You...?" he says, waiting for me to complete the sentence.
"Nothing, it's nothing. I just... I loved it." I kiss your lips tenderly, trying to absorb every moment of pure bliss through his mouth.