The Perfect Location

He felt his cock start to move. Nooooo, he thought, barking at her to cover his embarrassment. ‘Hurry up, you ready yet? We’re waiting.’

Calypso looked at Helen, the costume head, who shook her head slightly as if to say, I don’t know what bug got up his ass.

Calypso slipped on denim shorts and a pink singlet, and sliding into her sandals, she stomped out of the trailer. ‘Isn’t it kinda hard to be behind when you haven’t started shooting yet?’ she retorted to TG.

This was going to be a nightmare, she thought as she walked towards the set.

TG wanted to kick himself. He knew he was being an asshole; he was always an asshole when he was nervous. Walking towards the set, he headed towards Calypso, wanting to apologize, but she was deep in conversation with Kelly. No doubt telling her what a prick he was, he thought, as he saw Kelly turn and throw a death stare in his direction. Fuck, now he was going to face the wrath of ‘Kali’, as she called herself when she got mad.

Rose and Sapphira came on set, perfect in their costume and make-up. He called the women over. ‘So, this is where we meet you all. Sapphira, your character is already at the villa. Calypso, you have just turned up, with no idea where you are, lost and looking for help. Rose, you know what you are doing?’

Rose nodded.

‘Let’s run it a few times and get the feel,’ TG said.

While the actors walked through the lines and found their marks, the crew were busy, fixing the lighting and the sound. Props were moving items to work with the actors’ marks, and make-up stood by waiting to do touch-ups if needed.

The actors had a natural chemistry and looked like a dream through the camera. TG felt they were ready to shoot. Four takes later and they had it in the can. There’d been a spark as soon as TG yelled ‘action’ and each of them brought their own specialness to the roles. Calypso was perfect, her flustered comedic timing brought lightness to the sadness of Rose’s character who was mourning her husband. And Sapphira brought the right amount of enigmatic pathos to her role, balancing out the others perfectly.

‘Fucking excellent!’ yelled TG as he watched the playbacks. The crew all clapped, as was the ritual when the first shot was done on the shoot.

The morning went like a dream, all of the actors being pleasant and professional. Rose and Calypso instantly bonded and even Sapphira was seen joking with some of the guys in the crew. The assistant director called ‘lunch’ and the actors and crew walked over to catering. Every imaginable sort of food was laid out in front of them. American, Italian and even some French. TG grabbed a tray and stood while Kelly helped herself to salad, cheeses and bread. Without looking up at him, she asked, ‘Why are you being a dick to Calypso?’

‘I didn’t think I was,’ he said, knowing it was an outright lie.

‘Well, you are, and it’s stressing her out. She thinks you think she’s fat and stupid. What the hell did you say to her?’

‘Nothing. Oh you know, I said something and it came out wrong and then every time I see her I say something even more stupid than the last time. It’s like I’ve got Tourette’s or something. I’ll apologize.’

‘You better, ’cause the acting you just saw was bloody good from her and the more relaxed she is the better she performs. I worked with her on the Bazaar shoot and when she’s chilled she is a dream,’ she said, waving the salad tongs at him.

TG put down his tray and walked towards Calypso’s trailer. Rose and Sapphira were eating with the crew, but Calypso had headed off for time by herself – never a good sign. This film was only going to work if the crew became like a family and right now he had a problem. He saw her door was open, and as he climbed the step he heard her talking.

‘He is so mean to me, Mom. He yells at me and I swear he thinks I’m fat. I said I ate a pastry and then he saw me in costume today and looked at me like I was a freaking elephant.’

She paused. ‘Mom, it was one pastry! I know, I know, I’ll go for a run. Yes. No, I don’t want you to come over. I’m fine. Rose is nice and Kelly is sweet to me. I’ll be fine. I’m a big girl now. I just hate him. I hate him all the time!’

Calypso sounded like a small child and TG felt awful. Now was not the right time to see her; he would wait and try to make it up to her on set that afternoon.

The afternoon shooting went better but Calypso didn’t speak to TG unless he spoke to her first. Any questions she had about her character she ran by Sapphira and Rose, who were really helpful and ran lines with her off set. Rose was great at helping Calypso dissect the script to find the hidden clues about the character, and Sapphira offered different ways to say the lines, which Calypso found inspiring.

‘There is no one way. I think finding the right reaction is a process. There is no immediate right response. You can explore and then if you want to use the original choice, then great, but it’s worth finding out,’ Sapphira explained as she and Calypso sat in Calypso’s trailer talking.

‘You’re so smart. How do you know all this?’ asked Calypso admiringly. Sapphira was not quite as weird as she had first thought. Calypso had broken through Sapphira’s defensive attitude with sheer persistence and by the end of the first day Calypso hugged her. ‘You’re a saint, Sapphira. I would have been lost today without you and Rose.’

‘You’ll be fine, sweetie. You just gotta believe it,’ Sapphira said with a casual wave as she walked to her car.

TG was so busy he didn’t have time to speak to Calypso and before he knew it they had wrapped for the day and the crew had packed up.

Kelly and Chris walked over. ‘Dinner at yours tonight?’ asked Chris.

‘Sure, sure, make it a bit later though. I have to go through today’s rushes and call LA.’

Kelly glared at him; he was not looking forward to tonight’s date. He watched Calypso walk over to her car. She turned and looked at him; he felt sick in his stomach. ‘Don’t hate me,’ he said under his breath. He smiled and waved goodbye at her.

Calypso looked at him blankly, and then slipped in the back seat and the car drove off. On the drive to her hotel, she was confused. Maybe he was one of those uptight directors who was a tyrant on set and a teddy bear off. Too hard, she thought, as the car sped along the dusty roads towards the main highway. He wasn’t worth thinking about, she thought. Closing her eyes, she let the day and TG slip from her mind.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Calypso waited in Sapphira’s trailer while the set was readied for their scene. Sapphira had asked her to run lines, which Calypso was grateful for, although she thought that Sapphira had the lines down fine. It was Calypso who needed the practice. Marco was taking up most of her time outside of filming and yesterday TG had yelled at her when she flubbed a few lines.

Sapphira had watched with interest. There was no doubt TG had a crush on Calypso but he decided to play the school-yard card and treat her unfairly, thought Sapphira. He was so conscious of not playing favourites that Calypso was being bullied in a way.

‘Don’t worry about him,’ said Sapphira quietly as the focus puller measured them for the next shot. ‘He’s just a bit uptight, big pressure on him from the studio, no doubt. But I’ve worked with worse directors, at least he’s not Jerry Hyman, what a cunt.’

‘That’s terrible word,’ she said shocked.

‘What, hyman?’ asked Sapphira, being deliberately ignorant.

‘No, the other one, the C word.’

‘The C word, Jesus, you’re uptight,’ laughed Sapphira and Calypso felt very unsophisticated and young.

‘TG is so weird around me,’ whispered Calypso. ‘The other day he saw me in costume in my bra and panties and he yelled at me.’

Sapphira made a face.

‘What?’ asked Calypso at the sight of Sapphira’s face.

‘Let’s make a deal, you don’t say the word panties and I won’t say the word cunt. They’re both equally offensive in my book,’ Sapphira stated.

Calypso laughed. ‘What’s wrong with panties?’

Sapphira shuddered, ‘Horrible word.’

‘So is the C word.’

Sapphira sighed, and Calypso changed the subject.

‘I shouldn’t have done this film, I was offered an action movie for much more money. I wish I’d done it.’ Calypso sounded forlorn and Sapphira felt sorry for her.

Sapphira laughed quietly. ‘Been there, done that. It’s all bullshit, babe, don’t get stuck in that genre, so hard to break out of.’

Calypso said nothing as Chris came and checked the measurements of his assistant and then went back behind the camera.

‘You know why I think he’s being a fuckwit?’ asked Sapphira.

‘Why?’ said Calypso grumpily.

‘I think he’s got a crush on you,’ she said as Kelly walked onto the set to adjust Sapphira’s powdered face. ‘That’s why he yelled at you in your underwear,’ she said, emphasizing the last word.

‘No way!’ Calypso shrieked. ‘He hates me. I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m Malibu Barbie. I’m surprised I haven’t been replaced yet.’

‘He’s got a crush on you, he likes you,’ Sapphira found herself singing softly in Calypso’s ear to try make her laugh.

Kelly laughed conspiratorially with the girls. ‘Yeah, I reckon he’s got a massive keeny,’ she said.

‘A keeny?’ asked Calypso. ‘Gross.’

‘A keeny, he’s keen on you. A crush,’ said Kelly.

‘No way. Anyway, I’ve got Marco,’ said Calypso defiantly.

‘Marco Schmarco,’ Sapphira said.

‘You gonna come and do a reading after?’ Kelly asked Calypso as she adjusted her hair.

‘Yeah, I guess,’ said Calypso.

‘What reading?’ asked Sapphira, feeling left out for the first time in her life.

‘Kel’s teaching me to read tarot,’ said Calypso.

‘When you gonna give me a reading?’ she asked lazily, as though not caring.

Calypso perked up. ‘Really? That’s so exciting! You want one from me? I mean, Kelly will be there to interpret as well ’cause I’m just learning,’ Calypso said, her words tumbling over each other. ‘Is that okay, Kel?’

Kelly smiled. ‘Of course.’ She watched Sapphira as she stood still, perfect but soulless somehow, as though a piece of her was missing. She would have loved to read her cards and this opportunity, although through the innocent Calypso, was too good to pass up. ‘Maybe later we can come to your trailer?’

‘Great, don’t forget your magic wand and broomstick,’ laughed Sapphira as the assistant director called places for shooting.

During the lunch break, Kelly and Calypso descended on Sapphira’s trailer with tarot cards in hand. Calypso took her role as tarot reader very seriously and was almost ceremonial about the cards, which were wrapped in a purple Pucci silk scarf.

‘Okay, so shuffle and think about what you want to ask and then pull cards till I ask you to stop,’ Calypso instructed intently.

‘You’re not serious about this, are you?’ laughed Sapphira as she shuffled the cards like a Vegas croupier.

‘We are,’ said Calypso, looking to Kelly for agreement.

Kelly laughed. ‘Ah, Little Grasshopper takes things very seriously.’

Calypso was looking at Sapphira’s hands flying over the cards. ‘Okay, so now you just spread them in a line and pull them out.’

Sapphira started to pull the cards as Calypso ordered them into a cross formation in front of her on the round table, Kelly helping her.

Calypso stared at the cards. ‘Okay,’ she started. ‘This formation here is the issues your life is centred around at the moment. Is that right, Kelly?’

‘Yep,’ said Kelly nodding encouragingly.

‘Justice and the Knave of Cups. This is the card of …’ Calypso took the book she had brought with her and started to leaf through the pages to get to the right section.

Kelly looked at the two cards. The cards of dependence, she thought. Sapphira seemed not to depend on anyone, she imagined.

Calypso found the right page. ‘You need to stop smoking, Sapphira,’ she said, looking with disgust at her cigarette smouldering in the ashtray. ‘Justice is the card of dependence. Whatever you are doing to your body is bad. This card is about coming out of a bad place and trying to find balance in your life, health, mind, body, spirit. I’ve got some books I could recommend,’ she said earnestly.

Sapphira defiantly picked up the cigarette and took a long drag. ‘Tell me something I don’t know,’ she said good-naturedly.

‘The card which covers it is the Knave of Cups. Maybe you are thinking about a baby? Maybe you want to be pregnant?’ asked Calypso, confused. Sapphira appeared to be the least nurturing person she knew. Not mean, but not at all motherly.

Calypso looked to Kelly for guidance. Kelly looked at Sapphira. ‘The Knave of Cups is a child, a child of psychic means. Perhaps in the spirit world.’ Kelly looked at Sapphira’s face for any sign of recognition. It remained impassive but Kelly saw the tiniest twitch of her left eye.

Calypso spoke quickly, thinking she was off the track. ‘Anyway, this next card is the card of unconscious – the Knave of Swords.’

Sapphira sat, her eyes smiling at Calypso’s absolute conviction.

‘The card of unconscious suggests you’re playing tricks with yourself. Using your sword unwisely. You fly planes, don’t you? You should be careful,’ she said, her voice filled with concern.

Kelly looked at the card – the Knave of Swords was about safety. Sapphira lived as though she was a cat with nine lives; that was something everybody knew, but Kelly intuitively knew it was more than just planes. She wondered what Sapphira was playing with which threatened her safety.

Still Sapphira said nothing, so Calypso continued. ‘The past card is the death card – someone has died who had a huge impact on you. This could be one of your parents, perhaps?’ She looked to Sapphira for affirmation but Sapphira was smoking another cigarette and shrugged.

Kelly spoke up. ‘The death card does not mean that it’s bad, though. This card suggests the person who died has travelled and has transformed. Reincarnated, if you like. When this person died, something else changed in your life. I don’t know what that is, only you do, but it influences everything you do now, good and bad.’

Calypso looked at Kelly and then at Sapphira. ‘How is she? Crazy, huh? She’s so wise!’

Kelly laughed out loud. ‘Easy there, grasshopper, don’t worship me. I’m as human as the next person.’

Calypso looked at the next card and opened her book again to the correct page. ‘This is the card of the future. The Ace of Cups. A baby perhaps!’

She seemed relieved finally to have something good and tangible for Sapphira’s future.

Kelly looked at Sapphira’s face, which appeared as though a shadow had crossed it.

Calypso looked at Sapphira excitedly. ‘Perhaps you’ll find a new lover.’ Calypso was unsure whether Sapphira was straight so thought it best to remain gender neutral.

‘Perhaps,’ said Sapphira noncommittally.

Calypso continued, slightly self-important in her role as esoteric messenger. ‘The card of work is the Eight of Cups, which indicates a break from work for a while. Yes, Kelly?’

Kelly nodded.

‘Perhaps you’ll take a break after this film?’ offered Calypso.

Sapphira shrugged again, thinking of the projects slated for her for the next two years. ‘Maybe.’

Calypso thought she was boring Sapphira, so hurried through the rest of the cards. ‘The card of home and family is the Seven of Swords. This card indicates deception and betrayal from an unreliable person in your life. Someone with a careful plan.’ Calypso rushed over this card, not sure what it meant, but Kelly looked at it with interest. Whatever Sapphira was about to face she needed some damned good protection.

‘The card of how you expect things to turn out is the Hanged Man – this is seeing things from a new perspective. Clearer and changing your mind.’

Kelly interrupted. ‘It’s also about dreams, dreams of the future which indicate you will be released from what keeps you in suspended time.’

Sapphira sat still, saying nothing.

Calypso looked at the last card. ‘This is the card of how things will actually work out. The Queen of Coins. This is you. This is the card of the mother, someone who is generous to others. It also tells of charity and aid to those who cannot help themselves. Using your energy for the greater good.’

Sapphira butted out the cigarette.

‘Did it make sense? The reading?’ Calypso asked, her eyes wide.

Sapphira looked as though she was about to speak but stopped herself. Finally she smiled. ‘Spot on.’

Calypso breathed a sigh of relief. Sapphira seemed unimpressed but Kelly pondered the cards. Whatever was in Sapphira’s past, present and future was murky and painful and made her feel uneasy. Calypso was called to the set for a close-up and Kelly and Sapphira sat in the trailer.

‘Is there anything you need to talk to me about, Sapphira? I know we’re not close but I worry about you sometimes,’ said Kelly, kindness radiating out of her.

Sapphira sat debating whether to share her secrets with Kelly and then quickly put her mask back up. ‘I’m not sure I get the tarot, no disrespect meant,’ she said in a low voice.

‘Nah, that’s fine,’ said Kelly, getting the message that Sapphira was as guarded as she ever was.

‘Just know I’m always around, here or in America, if you need me,’ said Kelly getting to her feet.

Sapphira grabbed her arm lightly as Kelly went to walk past her and out of the trailer. ‘The card about deception …’

‘The Seven of Swords.’

‘Yes, that one. What does it mean exactly?’

Kelly spoke slowly. She knew there was something Sapphira was hiding but she wasn’t sure what it was; it was up to Sapphira to explore and confront what the card meant. ‘It’s a fear card. It can mean there is something you fear, someone or something.’

Kelly placed her hands on Sapphira’s thin shoulders. The energy from Kelly’s body resonated through Sapphira and she felt herself involuntarily shudder.

‘Good to know,’ she said laughing as Kelly walked to the trailer door.

‘Be safe, okay?’ Kelly said as she left the trailer.

Sapphira nodded and smiled. She was trying, God knows she was trying.

CHAPTER EIGHT

‘Hey Slapper, you want to come over and play?’ asked Rose down the phone.

‘Who is this?’ asked Kelly.

‘Haha, funny,’ said Rose. ‘Really, entertain me, let’s go out.’

‘I can’t, I feel so sick,’ said Kelly. ‘In bed, sorry, and then I have to shoot the night scenes with Calypso tonight,’ she moaned.

‘You’re a shit friend,’ said Rose.

‘I know. I aim to disappoint.’

‘You’re succeeding,’ said Rose sulkily.

‘Go out and do something, you loser,’ said Kelly.

‘I know. I will, later,’ lied Rose as she hung up.

Opening the refrigerator, she picked at the leftover spiced apple and cream but it didn’t make her feel better. Instead, she felt restless. Slumping into a kitchen chair, she decided to ‘take charge’, as her therapist said, and head into town to see what entertainment could be found there. Pulling the Frommers Guidebook to Italy from her handbag, put there by Lauren and which had remained unopened so far, she looked up Perugia. Leafing through, she spotted the Galleria Nazionale, the home of the finest collection of Umbrian art in the world. Why not, she thought and rang her driver and asked him to be ready for her in 30 minutes.

Climbing upstairs, she had a shower and dressed in a black linen Phillip Lim sundress and a pair of black and white Chanel ballet flats. Pulling her hair back into a low bun, she applied tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 and sun block on her arms and legs. Running downstairs, she threw on her Fendi sunglasses and her panama hat, grabbed her green Lavin tote bag and jumped in her car.

Driving through the countryside, Rose was enthralled by the timeless quality to the houses, olive groves and vineyards. She waved at an elderly man pushing a wheelbarrow down the road. He tipped his cloth cap at her as she sailed past in the Mercedes.

Pulling up the Corso Vanucci, the car stopped and the driver told Rose she would have to walk the rest of the way on foot, as there were no cars allowed on the old roads and pathways. Entering the Galleria, Rose was soothed by the quietness and the coolness of the building. Taking a map from a sleepy guard, who did not seem to recognize her, she stood and decided what route to take.

As she stood assessing the map, she heard voices in the quiet space and looked up to see a man with three little boys trailing after him. Rose smiled as she watched the smallest one with a blue drink bottle in his hand stop and touch a marble statue in the entranceway. She watched his small hands feeling the cold stone as she looked up at the statue of a woman on her knees. The boy’s father and brothers walked away but the small boy stayed at the side of the statue. Rose walked over to him.

‘Do you like the feel of the marble?’ she asked him in a gentle voice.

‘It’s cold,’ said the boy, looking at her, and Rose felt her heart open at the sight of his little face, so earnest and trusting.

‘Yes,’ said Rose, reaching out to touch the woman.

‘Why is she so sad?’ asked the boy.

Rose read the description of the statue. ‘Assetata,’ she said aloud. ‘She’s thirsty,’ she explained.

‘She needs a drink,’ said the boy, looking at the drink bottle in his hand.

‘She does,’ said Rose gravely.

‘Milo, hurry up.’ Rose turned to see the boy’s father in the distance of the gallery standing impatiently.

Milo ran towards his father and Rose watched him run, carefully hanging onto his drink. Rose walked in the other direction of the family, wondering where the mother was. Hopefully getting some much needed rest from the challenge of three boys and a grumpy father, she laughed to herself as she wandered the rooms.

In Room Three, the earliest paintings and artifacts were housed, showing the start of 13th century Perugian art. Wandering through the rooms, drinking in the history and creativity was Rose’s idea of heaven. Her knowledge of European art was extensive, but not Italian art and certainly not as far back as the 13th century.

Facing Duccio di Buoninsegna’s depiction of the Madonna and Child, with the six tiny angels watching them from above, Rose wondered if she would ever have a child of her own. She was aware time was running out for her on the fertility front. It didn’t matter what medicine did to stop the aging process, the plain fact was that if you wanted to get pregnant naturally then you had to do it when you were young. Facing her fortieth birthday in six months, Rose was keenly aware of her biological clock ticking like a time bomb inside her.

As she turned to walk into the next room, she heard the sound of running feet. Milo ran into the room, his little round face streaming with tears. As he ran towards her, he tripped on his shoelace and went sprawling in front of Rose onto his face, landing at her feet.

‘Oh dear, what a big fall! Come on, let’s get up.’

The child was sobbing quietly, a sound Rose recognized from her niece and nephew, one that a child makes when they have really hurt themselves.

‘Ups a daisy. Come on now.’ Rose sat on the wooden bench in the centre of the room and lifted the child onto her lap. ‘Come on, let’s have a look at you then.’

Assessing the child, she saw he had blood coming out of his mouth. Opening his mouth gently she saw he had bitten his tongue but no teeth seemed to be damaged. Rose waited for his parents to arrive, assuming they would be chasing after him, but the room stayed silent. The child nestled his head into her neck and she heard his breathing slow down and his sobs quietly ease away.

‘There you are, getting better? I have just the pill to make you tip-top in no time,’ she said, remembering the packet of barley sugar she had in her bag that she had brought to suck on when her plane took off. Taking out a piece she unwrapped it. ‘Open wide,’ she said and the child obediently did so.