Laguna Nights (14 page)

J
osh’s hands were shaking, and he hadn’t been able to finish his first cup of room service coffee, afraid he’d spill the hot liquid on his navy button down.
What is wrong with me
, he wondered, looking at his reflection in the mirror. Makeup would cover the circles under his eyes, he knew, but he had no idea what to do with this unplanned case of the nerves.

This had never happened to him, not on
Laguna Nights
,
Hollywood Nights
or during any of the hundreds of auditions, big and small, he’d been on during or since. He checked the clock next to the bed and realized it was nine a.m., and he was late for his call time.
Why am I such a mess
, he wondered. He checked his outfit – khakis, navy shirt, nervous smile – one last time in the full-length mirror, pulled on his sunglasses and baseball cap and hurried out the door.

Once outside in the fresh sea air, he began to relax a bit. He’d be fine, he told himself, just fine. He was the star. This was his dream, well, at least the start of it, he reminded himself. He rounded the corner from the wing of hotel rooms and spotted the shoot already set up at the fire pit. Camera, lighting and Madison were already in place.

Madison?

Josh stood transfixed as he watched Madison glow in the spotlight. She’d been through makeup and was microphoned, standing on the taped x next to the Adirondack chair where he had been sitting last night. She had a warm smile and she was the undeniable center of everyone’s attention on the crew, from Roger to Marty to the makeup artist.

Josh walked up to Marty touching him on the shoulder. “Hey, what’s going on?” Josh asked.

“Well your ex-girlfriend is wowing them, that’s what is going on,” Marty said, his aftershave beginning to sting Josh’s eyes even in the ocean air. “Isn’t that great? You guys will be really good together.”

“Sure, right, this segment will be awesome with her,” Josh said, turning his attention back to Madison. Her hair was glowing in the light, both from the sun and from the lighting pointed at her by the crew. She wore a bright red dress, tailored and classy, hitting her at mid-thigh, showcasing her gorgeous legs. Behind her, the birds-of-paradise nodded their approval as the blue ocean complimented the color of her eyes. It was a spectacular shot, he had to admit. Josh hoped he would look that good when he stood next to her.

“Ready for makeup?” a woman said and led him to her makeshift trailer – a director’s chair set up on the lawn, in the shade of the hotel building. Josh noticed her tools of the trade were propped up on a cocktail table. “I’m Sharon. Have a seat.”

Josh gladly complied, hoping that sitting would stop the trembling in his hands, a phenomenon that had spread to his knees. His mouth felt dry and his heart was racing. He wondered if he was having a stroke.

“Honey, you need to calm down,” Sharon said, patting his hand, her long red fingernails somehow a calming presence. “You’ll be great out there. Just like she is. She was a nervous wreck, too, and now look at her. She’s shining. No stage fright for her.”

Josh wondered if Sharon really thought talking to a person in a full-on performance anxiety attack about another person’s perfect performance was helpful. He wanted to say something but his throat had closed tight. When Sharon began applying foundation to his face, Josh closed his eyes, trying to breathe deeply. He tried to get a picture in his mind of himself, standing next to Madison, talking about their love of this resort, the cameras rolling. But all he saw was Madison.

“Ok, hon, you’re all set,” Sharon said, and Josh opened his eyes. “They’ll want you on set over there.”

Josh nodded to Sharon and slid out of the chair. It felt good to walk. He shook his hands out at his sides, and when he was sure all eyes were still on Madison, jumped up and down twice, trying to return normal feeling to his body.

Marty turned and Josh stopped jumping, hurrying over to stand next to him.

“Everything ok?” Marty asked, dropping his sunglasses to the edge of his nose and peering at Josh.

“Fine,” Josh said, his voice a thin squeak. He was doomed, he realized.

“What’s wrong with your voice?” Marty said. “You’re on in five, can you handle it?”

“Sure,” Josh squeaked.

Marty looked at him again, and then hurried to where Roger was standing with the director of photography and the cameraman. Josh couldn’t hear what they were saying, but all four men turned and looked at him, and then looked away.

“That’s a wrap,” Roger said, loud enough for the entire crew to hear. “Great job, Ms. Alcott.”

Josh watched in panic as the crew began dismantling the shoot. What was going on, he wondered, but he was frozen in the place where Marty had left him. And then Madison appeared in front of him, the air around her glowing with energy. He squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them slowly, but she still had that weird aura.

“Hey,” she said, smiling. “What did you think?”

“Great,” Josh said, his voice had changed from a squeak to a whisper.

“What’s wrong with your voice?” she asked, her eyes seemed concerned but Josh couldn’t be certain with the glow pulsing around her.

Josh shrugged by way of an answer.

“We have an hour break before the next shoot. Let’s eat breakfast, ok?” Madison said. “They’re setting up in Fisherman’s Cove for our first co-hosted segment. Ironic huh?”

Memories of their first kiss all those years ago came flooding back into Josh’s mind. Fisherman’s Cove was a secluded beach, the perfect make-out spot, with cave like pockets. He felt the sun on his back, her body beneath him, the waves crashing on shore.

“Josh? Come on, I think you need breakfast,” she said, taking his hand. He knew it must feel clammy, and he hoped it wasn’t shaking, but he couldn’t be sure. He followed her across the lawn to the outdoor restaurant, where they’d had coffee just three days before. They were seated at the same table, at the glass railing with a perfect view of the Pacific. Instead of being beautiful, though, all Josh could hear was the sound of a seagull squawking and all he could see was a pulsing glow around Madison.

He was certain he was having a stroke.

He heard a voice through the fog. It was hers and she was talking to a waiter who had appeared at the table. “He’ll have a breakfast burrito, two eggs over easy for me, two coffees, two waters,” Madison said. Once the waiter disappeared, she said, “Josh, I’m worried about you. What’s going on? You need to take some deep breaths.”

Josh did as he was told and felt a little better. The water arrived and he was able to take a big gulp. That was a good sign, he thought. His hands seemed to have stopped shaking. “Geez, Holls, I don’t know what happened back there,” he said, and his voice was in the normal range although a little faint.

“Maybe it was hypoglycemia or something? Low blood sugar?” she said. The halo was disappearing and she just looked like herself again, albeit with a lot more makeup than usual. Then he remembered why and his stomach turned.
You can’t do this, you’re not good enough
, said a voice in his head that sounded like his father. Josh looked around the restaurant to be sure his parents hadn’t sat down near their table. His parents weren’t there. He was fairly certain he was losing his mind, and beginning to believe his father had been right all along.

“I wouldn’t get stage fright after all these years, right?” Josh said, taking another deep breath, hoping Madison could reassure him just as she’d done during high school. She was the solid rock in the storm of his privileged life, even while she seemingly had nothing and he appeared to have it all.

“No, of course you wouldn’t,” Madison said. She was staring into his eyes, and Josh was certain she knew exactly what was going on, whatever it was. “But I’m sorry you won’t be in my segment with me. I really went out on a limb today. I hope I didn’t make a fool of myself, like before.”

“I think you’re going to have a lot more segments where that came from. Roger was enthralled with you. All the crew was. I could tell, even through my low blood sugar thing,” Josh said, and he was starting to believe Madison was right. He was hungry, that’s all.

“Oh no, my Mondrian segment is all I’m doing. I made that clear. I’m going to shoot an intro at Fisherman’s Cove, with you, and then get back to my real life,” Madison said as their food was served. “My life is perfect just the way it is. Bon appetite!”

Josh smiled and then dove into his breakfast, taking a big bite and hoping somehow the meal would fix whatever was wrong with him. They ate in silence for a few minutes, and Josh felt himself beginning to relax. Madison had been right. All he’d needed was a good meal with his best friend; his incredibly beautiful, forever sexy best friend. Well, truth be told, he needed her back in his life. Not just as a BFF, but as his life partner, his forever love.

After he made it through today’s filming, he decided, he was going to win her back. The surfer dude Dolby wasn’t right for her, Josh was. He’d always been.

“Feeling better?” Madison asked. Her hands were wrapped around a glass of water with lemon floating on top. Her eyes were a deep blue, and she flashed him a big friendly smile. She could be a movie star, he realized.

“I’m always better when I’m with you. It’s true. Always has been,” Josh said. His hands had stopped shaking and his breathing was back to normal. His stomach, now filled with a hearty, healthy meal, felt better, too. He was ready to tackle the day. “Can we, you know, start over again? Sally is moving out, your surfer guy seems like he is too.”

“Josh, let’s get through today, ok?” Madison said, and then waved the waiter over for the check.

“Put it on room 235, please,” Josh said. And when the waiter left, added, “Sure, one day at a time. But I’m sure being at Fisherman’s Cove again might stir some good memories for you, too.”

He saw Madison blush, even through the heavy makeup, and knew she remembered that make-out session as much as he did. Josh looked up towards the restaurant entrance, just in time to see Marty as he crossed the patio headed towards their table.

“Marty’s coming over here,” Josh said as Marty appeared at their table.

“Good, there you are, it’s time to go,” Marty said, a thin shine of perspiration on his upper lip, his green eyes flashing between Josh and Madison. “Madison, my dear, you can either change here or on location, although I’ll tell you it’s pretty primitive down there. We’ll have a tent, a port-o-john but that’s it. Josh you have your bathing suit, right?”

“It’s over there with the stylists,” Josh said, pointing to the crew assembled on the grass.

“I wasn’t aware there was a wardrobe change.” Madison said as Marty walked behind her chair and slid it back. Madison stood, her eyes locked on Josh.

“We’re in bathing suits, at the beach, get it?” Josh said, standing. “Unless you aren’t cool with that.”

“I’m not,” Madison said, crossing her arms at her chest. “But again, you can shoot without me. I’m really fine with that.”

Marty exhaled loudly as the three of them stood around the breakfast table.

“How about a compromise? Madison puts on the bathing suit but adds a cover up. I’ll still wear my board shorts, but I’ll add a T-shirt. Good?” Josh looked at Madison as he asked the question.

“As long as I have wardrobe approval, I guess so. Does that work for you Marty?” Madison said.