CHAPTER 4

   The week after she had lunch with Drake, Emma spent two days at an important shoot. The cinematographers were shooting  videos and taking photos for an advert for a company and her present was needed. The shoot was fabulous, and Emma was sure that everything would turn out perfect. One of the models had fainted after eating nothing for the two days they were on set. She claimed that she was 'fasting' although the paramedics suspected that she was also suffering from something else.

   They shot some scenes at the beach, despite the relentless heat that was close to killing everyone. Emma stood watching them, with her hips deep in the water, it's coolness a sweet relief. Her phone rang for the hundredth time that afternoon, and she got out of the water, heading towards her bag.  They had a lot of shoots lined up, and they had an ad to be delivered by October. And this time when the phone rang, she was tempted not to pick it up. She nearly didn't, until she saw who it was.. It was her boss.

"Hello there, how are you?" She wished that she could sound so relaxed and cheerful like he sounded, but she was anything but. Drake wasn't someone that let his emotions and frustration show, no matter how hectic and aggravating his day was. He had been fighting all morning to convince the owner of a huge company to account with them. He did finally, after a lot of convincing from his end. "Is this a bad time?" He asked, making Emma chuckle.One of the actors passed out due to the scorching heat, and the other one just threw a bottle of water on one of the cinematographers  for talking to her 'with such language'.

"No, perfect time," she replied, laughing. If she had a pistol, everyone would have been dead at the moment. "My actors are being extremely aggressive and throwing tantrums. One of them just threw something at one of the graphers, and we are really close to having a heat stroke. Just another  ordinary day at a shoot."

 Drake laughed at this, but to Emma it was aggravating and very real, although it sounded like she was just exaggerating,she was used to it though.

"So how about you though, how was your day?"

"It is sounding really splendid now that I have heard your horror story. I have been trying to convince a potential client and trust me, it wasn't easy at all. Then i had this wonderful idea  to call you. I was thinking if we could get sandwich together on your way home."

"I would love to, but I'm in a godforsaken location, somewhere on a beach, getting my ass roasted by this stupid ass sun. The way it is going, we will be here till tomorrow afternoon, otherwise I would have loved to. I'm really sorry though."

"No problem, we will just do it some other time then. What time are you guys going to wrap it up for the day?"

"Probably after sunset. I know this is going to take really long, considering the fact that one actress just slapped another, and this fucken guy won't get his line right. I still have to check in for sites and channels we could advertise through. Magazines, TV stations, newspapers,e.t.c."

"Sincerely, I'm super glad that I'm the boss. Your job be doing the most."

"This is the tip of the iceberg honey, it can be way worse. But we have to make do with what we have,good luck to me I guess."

"You don't have to go to every shoot, you know that right?" He asked.

"Not really, I can just get everything from the head of cinematographer after the shoot, but sometimes it is necessary if I want everything to be extra perfect. Most of the times, the associate creative director goes instead."

"Okay, that is really nice."

"Well we are trying, so far no one has died from the heat so that's a good sign."

  She noticed that one of the models was screaming again, and Brian signaled to her, seeking her intervention. "Look I have to go before my favorite guy gets killed. I will call you back," she said, sounding distracted. "Probably tomorrow though." It was already five-thirty, she realized as she glanced at the screen of her phone, and she was shocked that he was still at the office.

 "I will call you tomorrow then," he said, but she already hung up. He sat at his desk, deep in thought. He liked everything about her, she was fascinating to him.

                 *        *         *        *      *

    It was already seven-thirty when they began to pack up. Everyone was resting, and soaking in the water, while some were threatening to quit, claiming that no one told them how long  it was going to last, or that it would be so stress filled. It was another hour before they were fully setup in the last location,half a mile down the beach.

  The sun was already setting, but they had just enough time for the last shoot, and Brian was apprehensive,shouting at everyone to get in position, while he instructed the graphers. Emma was extremely exhausted as she watched the last shoot. It was around eight that everything was rounded up and they were ready to go. Once everyone was ready to go, she called a cab, and headed home. It was already nine-thirty when she got home. But despite the hassle, everything had gone pretty well. She knew that everything would come out perfect, after some finishing touches and editing of course. As she climbed the stairs to her bedroom, she realized just how tired she was.

   Cherry was snoring loudly on her bed and she smiled. She was too tired to make some quickie, or even eat dinner. She was about to lay down on the bed when her phone rang. She stared at her bag, too tired to reach out and fish the phone out. She knew it would eventually go to voicemail, but she didn't care. And then at the last second, she  realized that maybe it could be Brian, or one of the workers with some problem after the shoot. Quickly, she reached for the bag and quickly fished her phone out.

"Yes," she said in a harsh tone,she  was too tired to care.

"Okay, you sound dead, is everything alright?" She hadn't recognized the voice yet.

"Well i feel dead. Who is this, and why are you calling me by this time?" At least she was relieved that it wasn't anyone from the shoot.

"It's Drake. I'm sorry Emma, are you asleep already?"

" I'm sorry, I was scared that it had something to do with the shoot. I just got home."

"You work really hard, hope everything went well?" He genuinely felt sorry for her, she sounded really tired.

"I know right? That is what I get paid for I guess. Anyways, the shoot went well. We'll be selecting the videos and pictures that'll be best for the ad, and then we will be sending them for editing. How are you by the way?" She asked as she stretched out on the bed, and closed her eyes. Cherry rolled over and snored louder, she smiled at the noise, and Drake heard it too.

 

"What the hell is that?" He asked, it sounded like she was standing close to a semi wrecked generator.

  "Cherry."

"Cherry? Who is that?"

"He is my dog."

"Your dog sounds like that? Jesus, is there anything wrong with him?"

She laughed. "It is part of his cuteness."

"You don't sleep with that kind of noise, do you?" He asked, but it was very obvious that she didn't. How could she be able to sleep with all that heavy snoring?

"Of course I do, he's my bestie. We have been together for fifteen years, he is the best relationship I have ever had, and the longest too."

"Now that is a topic I would love to discuss when you are not half dead. I actually called you to see how you were faring after the whole stress, and also ask you if you could do dinner with me tomorrow night." He was determined to see her again, probably before she left for France. She  was constantly in his mind, ever since he set his eyes on her.

"What day is tomorrow?" She asked, her mind was blank, she was truly really tired.

"Twenty-second I think. I know its short notice, and we both had a crazy week, but we could really use a night out," he said.

"Damn," she suddenly remembered, "I have plans tomorrow. I'm having  people over for dinner tomorrow, it's very informal and pretty last minute. I have a few friends coming in from dragol, and some artists I haven't seen in ages. I'm just doing something simple, maybe pasta and salad."

"Don't tell me you cook too." He sounded surprised, and she laughed.

"I can, but I don't do it often. I have someone do it." This time, she was going to let Siddharth prepare the dinner.She had told everyone that if the heat wasn't too much, they would dine in her garden. During summer it would've been relaxing, plus Siddharth makes some killer pasta. He wanted to do something more fancy like paella, but she refused, she just wanted something simple. With varieties of wine, people wouldn't really pay mind to the food. "Would you like to come? Just wear something casual."

"Of course, I would love to. Do you do this kind of stuffs very often?"

"When I have time. I like hosting my friends whenever they are around or when I'm  less busy. What about you, do you entertain guests?" She didn't even know much about his personal life, except the fact that he had kids. He didn't disclose much.

"Business meetings mostly, never at home though, just at restaurants. Its more of an obligation than for pleasure though. I haven't had a dinner part since my wife passed away.  She always loved entertaining acquaintances from work, and business associates." Emma had that in common with her, he thought, although they had different styles. His wife had been the one to do all the preparations before she got sick. "It's just hard to entertain a lot of guests when you're single," he said, and then felt foolish for the comment. She was single, always had been, but yet she still hosted dinner parties. Nothing really stopped Emma from doing what she set her mind to accomplish, he liked that about her... She was very determined.

"Truth is, people never expect much from single men or ladies socially, so whatever you do comes out good. The trick is to just be simple, and never go overboard. So dinner tomorrow?"

"What time should I be there?"

"Nine o' clock. I'll be in a meeting till about six.  So that would give me enough time to rush back home and get ready."

"Should I bring anything? A bottle of wine maybe?" He offered, although he was quite sure that she had everything set for the party.

She laughed. "Just bring yourself boss. See you tomorrow night then?"

" yeah, see you tomorrow. Goodnight," he said gently, and hung up. She headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth after that, thinking of him. She was attracted to him, and there was no doubt that about that, although he was totally different from the kind if men who appealed to her in the past....the ones that she couldn't see a future with. She was still thinking of him when she laid on her bed beside cherry. And as always, she slept until her alarm went off the next morning.