Jean handed me the script and opened her sketchpad.
“You’re going to really like what we have planned. Some of these designs are downright sexy.”
I laughed.
“She talks like that sometimes,” Taylor said.
“You can’t deny how sexy these blueprints are.” Jean pulled up a design for a collapsing bridge.
Taylor nodded. “They are pretty sexy.”
I nodded in agreement. “Extremely sexy.”
Moments later the plane was in the air and my excitement grew by the minute. If I had any worries about making friends or fitting in, they were all gone now.
The rest of the flight I spent talking to Jean and going over the designs. It felt wrong reading the script before watching the movie, but I was excited knowing I’d help a Mike Shadow production come to life.
***
Stepping off the plane in Bora Bora felt like stepping into a swimming pool. The oppressive humid heat surrounded me, dampening my clothes and skin. After collecting our luggage, we made our way to the hotel. Lush, green forest extended in all directions, and in the distance I could see the blue of the ocean. The smell of fresh rainwater filled my senses. Cicadas buzzed in the heat.
The hotel itself was an open concept design with large patches of grass and plants open to the sky. It almost felt like we were in the forest.
“I’m going to need two showers.” Taylor sniffed his armpits as we made our way to our rooms. I was staying with Jean, while Nelson and Taylor shared a room.
“We know, we were sitting next to you,” Jean said. I giggled.
“The humidity is higher than expected.” Nelson inspected a device in his hand.
“Is that bad?” I asked.
“It might have an effect on the wooden structures we designed,” Jean said. “Nothing we can’t work around. Ah! Here we are. Room twenty-three. This’ll be our room.”
Waving to the guys, who were stationed across the hall, I followed Jean. Our room was cute, made of beautiful honey-colored wood, with two beds and a window looking out towards the forest foliage. Through the leaves I could see a small corner of the ocean.
“It’s beautiful here.” I gazed out the window.
“Mike Shadow movies are always filmed in the most beautiful locations. If you work hard at your job, you might be able to keep working on big movies in beautiful locations,” Jean said as she started unpacking her things.
I smiled.
After unpacking my clothes, I laid back on my bed.
“I’m going to explore the hotel a bit,” Jean said. “Care to join me?”
I shook my head. “I think I’m going to catch up on some sleep. That plane ride really took a lot out of me.”
“If you say so.” Jean headed out.
I had never been so far from home and I was starting to feel homesick. The palm trees here didn’t look like the ones in California.
Wondering where Johnny was, I sighed. It sure would’ve been nice to see a familiar face. I closed my eyes.
***
I was drifting off to sleep when I heard a knock on the door. Jean still wasn’t back yet.
What time was it?
That airplane ride had completely messed up my sense of time. The knocking on the door persisted.
“Okay! I’m coming.”
Jean must have forgotten her key.
I opened the door and was surprised to see Johnny standing on the other side. He was wearing shorts and a fitted t-shirt. He looked a bit undone and tousled because of the heat, but the look suited him right.
“Madison.” He looked behind me into my room. “Is there anyone else here?”
I shook my head.
A smirk crossed his face and he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Pushing me up against the wall, he mashed his lips against mine, kissing me ferociously. He grabbed my hands and lifted them above my head as he pressed his body against mine.
Though it all happened so fast, I made sure to appreciate his lips because I wasn’t sure when I’d get to kiss them again.
“Johnny!” I was out of breath once he pulled back. “I didn’t know you were here yet.”
He let go of my hands and I automatically touched his chest, which had become a familiar feeling. Familiar, but no less exciting.
“I just got in. I didn’t want to wake you up or anything, but I had to see you.”
“I’m glad you did. I missed you.”
He smiled. “I missed you too. Are you excited for tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?”
“Shooting begins. We’ll be working on our first scene together.”
“Oh, yes!” The jet lag really took a lot out of me. I didn’t even know what day of the week it was.
Johnny pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “Before you see me on set, there’s something I should tell you.” He took my hands in his.
“I’m listening.”
“Remember a while back when I said I can be unconventional?”
“…yes.”
A part of me was scared. What was he about to tell me? With Johnny Logan it could be anything. Whether he was admitting he was into hardcore BDSM or he was proposing to me, I wouldn’t have been shocked either way.
“I’ve scared off a lot of women in the past and I think it’s because they never understood who I was. But I feel like you know who I am.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand. What’s unconventional about you? Besides, you know, everything.”
He chuckled as he rubbed my hands in his.
“Sometimes, when I act, I like to play games.”
“Play games? Like poker?”
He chuckled again and shook his head.
“I get so absorbed in my work, and my characters, that I like to have fun with it. I have a tendency to take my characters seriously. Some say a little too seriously. I just want to warn you that the next time you see me, I might be… different.”
“Oh. Okay.” I nodded, even though I still wasn’t exactly sure what he meant. He let out a breath of relief as if he just told me a deep secret.
“You’re really going to like being on set,” he said. “I’m glad you’ll be there with me.”
“I’m excited to be there with you, too.” I pulled him closer. “Thank you for this.”
“Well, I half did it for me, too.” He smirked his devilish smirk and kissed me again. A noise out in the hallway startled us. “I should go.” He touched my chin. “I’ll see you on set.”
Kissing me one last time, he peeked out into the hallway and slipped out into the darkness just in time for Jean to show up.
“You alright?” She asked. “You look confused.”
“I’m alright,” I said, making my way back to my bed. Jean was right, I was confused. What was Johnny trying to tell me?
I barely slept and before I knew it, my alarm went off. It was five in the morning on the first day of filming. After showering and getting dressed, Jean and I carried our equipment out to the front of the hotel and met up with the rest of the crew. Everyone from lighting, sound, and filming was there.
Jean handed me the shooting schedule for the week. The first scene was a dramatic escape scene which required a scaffolding structure and a collapsible bridge. Mike Shadow would climb down the scaffolding from the top of a mountain, making his way to the bottom where he’d cross the collapsible bridge.
“Do you guys usually do such intense scenes right away?” I asked.
“It’s not up to us to decide which scenes get shot first,” Taylor said. “The director usually chooses that, and because of Johnny’s unique acting style, he likes to do the intense stuff first.”
I liked that word: intense. That was exactly the word I’d use to describe Johnny.
“Unique acting style?” I asked.
“Johnny Logan’s a method actor,” Taylor clarified. “Anything hardcore like this to get him in the right mindset for Mike Shadow, the higher likeliness we’ll do it first.”
“You can’t say you aren’t getting your education’s worth.” Jean smirked and nudged me in the ribs.
“That’s for sure.”
We made our way to a clearing which already had a few tents set up. As we got closer, I looked at the mountain, which was about thirty feet tall. A waterfall poured off its edge, falling into a river which flowed out towards the ocean. The area was gorgeous.
“Alright everyone, four hours until the actors are on set!” The second unit director, Timothy, called out.
“Come on guys, let’s get working.” Nelson trudged forward with the equipment and we followed along. We had a construction crew who could help set things up exactly the way we wanted them to be.
Nelson assigned Taylor to help the construction crew with the scaffolding, and Jean and I to help build the bridge. Jean gave me some direction, and I gave some of my own advice on how it could fall apart.
“How’s it going?” Nelson came by to check up on us.
“Great!” Jean said. “This one’s not so bad. She’s getting the hang of things.”
Nelson looked at me. “Great!”
“Madison suggested we put a switch in the middle of the bridge that will cause it to fall apart if someone steps on it.”
“Excellent idea, Madison.” Nelson gave me a hint of a smirk and I felt like I had just been given the key to Los Angeles.
“Thank you, Nelson.”
“Now finish it up. Johnny and Dan will be here in less than hour. We don’t want to lose this light.” He trudged away.
The humidity was not doing us any favors as we dripped with sweat. A part of me wished Johnny wouldn’t see me sweaty and dirty like I was, but a part of me wanted to see him, badly. A thrill ran through me knowing I’d get to see him as Mike Shadow. I wondered if he’d really become Mike Shadow, like the crew said he would.
My teenaged self jumped up and down with excitement knowing I’d see him soon.
Jean and I added some finishing touches before testing the bridge collapse twice.
“Beautiful,” Jean said.
“Director on set!” Someone called out.
Jean, Taylor, Nelson, and I, as well as all the rigging guys and stand-ins, moved off camera so the director could set up the shot.
“Get something to eat, Madison,” Nelson mumbled to me.
“But I want to watch them film.”
“It won’t happen for a little while. Go on.”
I made my way to the food table which had everything I was craving: sandwiches, pasta, croissants, bagels, cheese, and more. I sidled up to the table and ate unapologetically. The renewed energy was refreshing after being up for almost six hours.
I took my spot off camera and watched Dan Lee, the renowned director, as he set up the shot.
“Alright,” he said. “Let’s get this going. Actors on set!”
My hands trembled with excitement.
Johnny walked out of the jungle and onto the set wearing Mike Shadow’s signature outfit: black riding pants, a white fitted t-shirt which showed his physique off nicely, and an adventurer’s hat, not much different from the hat Indiana Jones wore.
My body couldn’t help but react to him in a visceral, physical way. He was gorgeous. There was something different about Mike Shadow compared to Johnny Logan. Of course, they both had the same rugged looks, the same piercing dark eyes, and the same scar on their upper lip. But Mike Shadow stood taller and walked with an air of confidence.
I watched him hike up the mountain and stand by the waterfall where he posed like a Greek god. The wind blew through his short dark hair and his toned body rippled in the sun. He was everything I thought he’d be and more. Even though I’d been intimate with Johnny Logan, this was the first time I truly felt like I was looking at Mike Shadow. I was star struck, to say the least.
“And… ACTION!”
Someone held a large microphone next to Johnny as he said something. He looked back, presumably at the man who was chasing him, and, ran to the edge of the cliff. Instead of climbing down the scaffolding that Taylor set up, like the script said he should, he jumped from the craggy rocks and dove into the water.
“Aw, shit. Johnny,” Taylor complained.
“Does he do that often?” I asked. “I mean, go off script?”
“All the fucking time.” Taylor shook his head.
“He’s always been a daredevil.” Jean smirked.
I smiled to myself, knowing exactly what she meant.
Craning my head to make sure he was okay, I saw Mike — I mean Johnny — poke his head up from under the water. Realizing he didn’t have his hat, he went back under the water and retrieved it, then swam back towards the shore. Once on land, he ran along the rocks. Several people were chasing him now, including the villainous actor Dominic Bass. My heart beat fast in my chest as I watched in suspense.
“Come on, Mike,” I said under my breath.
Mike Shadow ran across the bridge that Jean and I spent all morning setting up. This was unreal! My handiwork was being used in a major motion blockbuster. I couldn’t help but smile.
Mike Shadow stopped at the end of the bridge and looked back to see how far his captors were.
Run, Mike! I urged.
Just as Shadow’s captors ran onto the bridge, a poof of smoke billowed between them, sending the bridge and the captors tumbling into the water. Mike jumped from the collapsing bridge and made his way onto the shore. The captors all fell into the water, where the current took them away.
The camera zoomed in on Mike’s face.
“Nobody messes with Mike Shadow.”
I mouthed along as he said his famous words. Chills ran through my body as I watched the water drip off his. He turned and ran off into the jungle.
“CUT! That was great everyone, but we’ll do a couple more takes while we still have the light. Just the bridge part. I don’t think we need Johnny jumping off that cliff again.”
Jean went ahead got the bridge back into position. As I moved ahead to help her, a soaking wet Mike Shadow crossed my path. I was struck still with a combination of fear and excitement. He gave me a steely-eyed and powerful look before walking by.
My legs trembled as I walked and I feared I’d lose my footing. Mike Shadow just looked at me! I blushed fiercely.
“Madison! I need you!” Jean called out.
I watched Mike Shadow disappear as I hurried to help Jean.
As I worked, I thought about what I just saw. It didn’t feel like I interacted with Johnny at all. There was something different about Mike Shadow. There was an extra sparkle in his eye, an extra weight in his step. He was mesmerizing to watch. No wonder I had a crush on him.
Pulling the pieces of the bridge back out of the water, I thought about how strange it was to feel such an intense reaction to a fictional character. A part of me felt guilty, as if I was betraying Johnny.
***
After work, I sat in the hotel room, trying to open the window in order to get a good breeze, but it only opened halfway.
“Forget it,” Jean said. “I’ve tried everything.” She lay back, holding a small fan near her face. The pathetic fan sputtered, blowing barely enough to disturb a fly. The heat was inescapable.
“I bet Johnny and the rest of them have the most refreshing air conditioning,” I said.
“The rest of them, maybe. Not Johnny.”
I furrowed my brow as I propped myself up onto my elbows. “Why not?”
“Johnny could easily stay in a deluxe room like the rest of the cast, but knowing him he’s probably staying in a mountain cave or the stables or somewhere equally as weird.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s part of the method. That’s where Mike Shadow would sleep if he didn’t have money for a hotel room, and knowing Shadow, he wouldn’t have much money on him.”
I nodded. “That sounds like Mike Shadow.”
“About this whole method thing — does he do it for every movie?”
Jean shrugge
d. “He never used to. In the past four years or so he started learning the method, and now he stays in character all the time. He says it helps him work.”
“So he stays in character even when he’s not filming?”
Jean nodded. “Heck, he’ll be in character for the rest of the month!”
“Seriously?” This was starting to explain a lot. I finally understood what he meant when he said he was unconventional.
“Just you watch.”
In character for the whole month? Was he going to ignore me during the entire shoot because he was in character?
Jean turned off the light so we could get some sleep. As I lay with my eyes open, I wasn’t sure if I should feel excited that I got to watch Mike Shadow all month, or alone because I was here without Johnny.
Every day I woke up, I felt more and more like Mike Shadow. I was sleeping in the stables with the horses, and bathing in the river, just like Mike Shadow would. Dan Lee told me they set up a trailer for me, even though I knew I’d never set foot in there. I told him it was useless, but he did it anyway.
I explored the jungle after hours, climbing trees and eating the fruits nature had to offer. In the script, this was how Mike Shadow was living, and since I was Mike Shadow, that’s how I was living.
Some people, especially the production staff, thought I was insane, but this was the only way to truly live the experience of the movie. It was the only way I could get into the character’s mindset. Sure, I had the skills to “just act” (as directors always scolded me to), but where was the fun in that? Life was a game and what was the point if you couldn’t have fun?
Getting into the groove of being Mike Shadow was a smooth transition, smoother than any other character I became. He was like an old pair of shoes that fit me perfectly. I felt more confident and I walked with more swagger. I felt myself becoming wilder, more reckless. I was doing my own stunts and neglecting safety precautions. Mike Shadow wouldn’t use them, therefore neither would I.
Mike Shadow was a rebel.
The only thing getting in my way of a perfect performance was Madison. She was always there during the day, lurking, watching. It didn’t help that she was so handy and good at what she did. Watching her work was an art in itself. Whenever those bright green eyes flashed at me and grabbed my attention it was hard to look away. Normally I was so good at ignoring distractions, but she was so attractive, so curious, that I had to increase my discipline.
The Blind Date Series (Three Romance Stories: Blind Date, Role Play, Pure Fate) Page 9