day.”
“I could use a glass of water.”
“Oh. Ok.” I went into the little kitchen and brought a bottled water out of the refrigerator. When I handed it to her, I tried my best to look like I wasn’t paying attention, but of course I was. I watched with complete fascination at the water entered her mouth and then flowed down her throat to disappear beneath the collar of her T-shirt.
“Do you want to go for a drive maybe? See some sights?” I asked, still pretending to be uninterested in her see-through body.
“Shouldn’t we keep working?” she asked. “I know we don’t have much time before shooting begins.”
I plucked a strawberry from the dining cart, popped it into my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Once I’d swallowed, I said, “Not even the tiniest break?”
For the first time, Rabia gave me a genuine smile. “I was warned you might try this.”
“Oh? By who?”
“Lots of people. They say you can be quite a handful.”
“Ah. Well, they’re right. I can.”
I couldn’t believe I was flirting with her. I never flirted with anyone, ever.
“Ok,” she said. “We can take a break. But only a short one.”
“Excellent!” I immediately began hunting around for the keys to my rental car.
“We’re staying here,” she said firmly. “If we go out, who knows when we’ll get back to work.”
“Damn. Ok.” I sat at the table while she reached into her bag and pulled out a granola bar.
“I have two,” she offered.
“No, thanks.”
She ate her bar and drank her water while I fiddled with this and that, waiting for her to finish. Maybe ten minutes passed and she was done. Rising to throw away the foil wrapper, she also used the bathroom and when she emerged she said, “Ok, back to work.”
I gaped. “What? That was our break?”
Consulting her watch, she said, “We stopped for a good fifteen minutes. That’s how long breaks are.”
“On what planet?”
“Planet Earth,” she laughed. “I realize you movie-star types don’t really live here, but in the real world, that’s how long the average break is.”
I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or not so I said, “I’m not a movie-star type, whatever that’s supposed to mean.”
“Oh, you’re not? Then why are you here?”
“Here? Here where?”
“Here on this island. In this hotel. Talking to me.”
Meekly, I said, “Because I’m in a movie?”
“Exactly. Now let’s get back to work, shall we?”
I rolled my eyes dramatically, playing the sullen, spoiled ‘movie-star type.’ “Oh, fine then!” I sulked as I made my way back to the sofa and sat down beside her.
I felt like a major idiot but I was still getting her to smile.
42
All through preproduction and into the actual shooting, my relationship with Rabia remained professional, albeit playful. But when the movie wrapped, I finally felt it wouldn’t be inappropriate to ask her for a date.
Naturally, she didn’t make it easy for me.
“What do mean? We’ve gone out before.”
“Yeah, I know, but—-”
“We’ve been to restaurants a dozen times. And remember all the times we sat on the beach while you practiced your dialogue?”
“But that was just for scenery. We were still working.”
Suddenly, understanding shone in her eyes. “Oh. You mean… ohhh .”
“Yeah, ohhh .” I tried to smile.
“Well, I…uh…” She stammered around for a minute before I decided to let her off the hook.
“It’s ok,” I said. “Just forget I asked. No big deal.”
“No. No, wait. I didn’t mean…”
I stared at her, my heart thudding in my chest.
“It’s just that I’m surprised. I didn’t think you were…you know… gay , I guess.”
Speechless, I continued to stare. The thought had never occurred to me. “I don’t
“I could use a glass of water.”
“Oh. Ok.” I went into the little kitchen and brought a bottled water out of the refrigerator. When I handed it to her, I tried my best to look like I wasn’t paying attention, but of course I was. I watched with complete fascination at the water entered her mouth and then flowed down her throat to disappear beneath the collar of her T-shirt.
“Do you want to go for a drive maybe? See some sights?” I asked, still pretending to be uninterested in her see-through body.
“Shouldn’t we keep working?” she asked. “I know we don’t have much time before shooting begins.”
I plucked a strawberry from the dining cart, popped it into my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Once I’d swallowed, I said, “Not even the tiniest break?”
For the first time, Rabia gave me a genuine smile. “I was warned you might try this.”
“Oh? By who?”
“Lots of people. They say you can be quite a handful.”
“Ah. Well, they’re right. I can.”
I couldn’t believe I was flirting with her. I never flirted with anyone, ever.
“Ok,” she said. “We can take a break. But only a short one.”
“Excellent!” I immediately began hunting around for the keys to my rental car.
“We’re staying here,” she said firmly. “If we go out, who knows when we’ll get back to work.”
“Damn. Ok.” I sat at the table while she reached into her bag and pulled out a granola bar.
“I have two,” she offered.
“No, thanks.”
She ate her bar and drank her water while I fiddled with this and that, waiting for her to finish. Maybe ten minutes passed and she was done. Rising to throw away the foil wrapper, she also used the bathroom and when she emerged she said, “Ok, back to work.”
I gaped. “What? That was our break?”
Consulting her watch, she said, “We stopped for a good fifteen minutes. That’s how long breaks are.”
“On what planet?”
“Planet Earth,” she laughed. “I realize you movie-star types don’t really live here, but in the real world, that’s how long the average break is.”
I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or not so I said, “I’m not a movie-star type, whatever that’s supposed to mean.”
“Oh, you’re not? Then why are you here?”
“Here? Here where?”
“Here on this island. In this hotel. Talking to me.”
Meekly, I said, “Because I’m in a movie?”
“Exactly. Now let’s get back to work, shall we?”
I rolled my eyes dramatically, playing the sullen, spoiled ‘movie-star type.’ “Oh, fine then!” I sulked as I made my way back to the sofa and sat down beside her.
I felt like a major idiot but I was still getting her to smile.
42
All through preproduction and into the actual shooting, my relationship with Rabia remained professional, albeit playful. But when the movie wrapped, I finally felt it wouldn’t be inappropriate to ask her for a date.
Naturally, she didn’t make it easy for me.
“What do mean? We’ve gone out before.”
“Yeah, I know, but—-”
“We’ve been to restaurants a dozen times. And remember all the times we sat on the beach while you practiced your dialogue?”
“But that was just for scenery. We were still working.”
Suddenly, understanding shone in her eyes. “Oh. You mean… ohhh .”
“Yeah, ohhh .” I tried to smile.
“Well, I…uh…” She stammered around for a minute before I decided to let her off the hook.
“It’s ok,” I said. “Just forget I asked. No big deal.”
“No. No, wait. I didn’t mean…”
I stared at her, my heart thudding in my chest.
“It’s just that I’m surprised. I didn’t think you were…you know… gay , I guess.”
Speechless, I continued to stare. The thought had never occurred to me. “I don’t
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