Larry Brooks stood in front of the bathroom mirror staring at the hideous image looking back at him. His reflection hadn't changed in the past 30 years but it still brought him great sadness every time he saw it. He wanted nothing more than to love and be loved, but the large scar on the left side of his face, which ran from his forehead to his jawline seemed to be an insurmountable barrier between him and true happiness.
His morning routine was like most everyone's except on days he needed to shave. A quarter Native American from his mother's side, he never could grow facial hair or even sideburns, and only needed to shave every other day. But clearing the sparse whiskers around his prominent scar without nicking himself was always a chore and one that he hated.
"FUCK!" he yelled in the empty efficiency as the red streak dripped from his cheek and blended with the white foam around his mouth. He quickly cleared the rest of the whiskers and shaving cream from his face and placed a scrap of toilet paper over the small cut, once it stopped bleeding like he had hit a major artery.
Today they were shooting scene 48 and Larry wanted to look his best. Sure nobody would notice him tucked behind his huge Panavision Genesis camera system, but it was scene 48. This meant it would be her, Lorraine Marie, the hottest young starlet in Hollywood, professing her undying love, while stripping out of her cheerleading uniform and offering him her virginity.
Well, not offering it to him, per se, but when he looked through the viewfinder, it always felt like she was talking directly to him. And Larry would have liked nothing more than to provide the love and security that the nubile young redhead's character so desperately longed for against the backdrop of the cliche one-horse bible-belt town.
Miss Lorraine Marie grew up in front of the country as the lovable imp on the long-running Disney channel family comedy series. Only 11 when the show debuted, she embodied the smart-mouthed tomboy character and quickly became the star of the show. In the seventh season, after her young body had fully developed, she had a racy cameo in her then boyfriend's rap video. The skimpy costume implied sex acts and apparent drug use triggered Disney to put an end to her contract citing their standard morals and family-values clauses.
America's sweetheart was now onto the Second Act of her young career. Rumors that her first feature film would contain a full-frontal nude scene were rampant, and the anticipation was sure to make this movie the next summer blockbuster. Larry had been looking forward to shooting scene 48 since he read the script and signed on to be the principal cinematographer, despite the fact that Sanchez had already been chosen to direct.
Hector Sanchez, or as he would prefer to be addressed, "Oscar Winning Director Hector Sanchez." Previously an unknown, Hector Sanchez grabbed the coveted gold statue for his documentary about Latino gangs in South Central Los Angeles. A child of privilege born to a Westchester neurosurgeon and his attorney wife, Hector was as authentic a Mexican as a Taco Bell Chalupa. His "minority" background and Oscar win had fast-tracked him to the Hollywood A-List, and he quickly developed the pompous attitude to go with it.
"SHIT!"
Larry glanced at the reflection of his bed-side alarm and took notice of the time. He wiped the remnants of the blood and shaving cream from his face and threw on his Tommy Bahama shirt, not bothering to tuck it into his jeans. He slung his camera bag over his shoulder and bolted from his 3rd-floor apartment as if it were on fire. If Larry were late he'd have to bear the wrath of "Dirty Sanchez," the nickname the crew secretly bestowed upon the diva director in reference to his foul mouth and the thin brown mustache below his nose.
The elevator of his shitty apartment building had been out of service for over a month so he bounded down the stairwell taking the steps two-at-a-time. As he turned the corner to descend the last flight, he nearly ran over poor old lady McIntosh.
"Good morning Marge," he greeted his down-the-hall neighbor while skillfully maneuvering around her and the two large grocery bags she was carrying. Larry checked his watch, then glanced impatiently out the front door of the apartment building, where he could see his bus already waiting at the stop. Then he looked back at the 82-year-old woman and he swore under his breath. He took the bags from her just as the bus pulled away, and helped her up to her apartment.
Larry's phone buzzed as he stepped off the later bus a block away from the studio, already a half an hour tardy for the day's shoot.
'WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU...HE'S IN A MOOD' read the text from his assistant.
He flashed his ID as he jogged past the security booth and arrived on the sound stage sweating, out of breath, and unaware that he still had the blood-stained piece of toilet paper stuck to his left cheek.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Tony Montana has decided to grace us with his presence!" Hector Sanchez sarcastically announced while pointing over toward Larry. He then broke into a thick accent and added the signature line from the classic movie, "Say 'ello to my l'il friend."
Larry opened his mouth to apologize, but Sanchez turned away from him and yelled, "NOW THAT THE TRAINED MONKEY HAS ARRIVED TO RUN THE CAMERA, LET'S MAKE A FUCKING MOVIE PEOPLE!"
Larry settled in behind the Panavision camera, still seething from being publicly embarrassed and called the nickname he hated. He glared down at Sanchez and tried to work up the courage to stand up for himself, something he never learned to do despite his large frame. Over the left shoulder of the director, Larry saw his assistant who was eyeing him and rubbing her cheek in an exaggerated motion. Further embarrassed, he peeled the pink scrap of toilet paper off his cheek and set his focus and frame on the interior bedroom set.
"When No Means Yes, Scene 48, Take 1!" shouted the flunky before clicking the wooden hinge at the top of the sign he held in front of the camera.
Sanchez yelled, "ACTION!" and Larry lost himself in the whir of the big camera as the actors recited the cheesy dialogue which preceded the long-anticipated unveiling of the newest star of his late night fantasies.
Larry held the frame and fought the urge to zoom in on her heaving breasts encased in the overly tight cheerleading sweater as she perfectly delivered her lines. The handsome young actor in the role of the star quarterback stepped toward her on cue and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Larry subconsciously licked his lips as he felt his dick harden in his jeans.
The actor broke the kiss and began peeling the orange and black sweater off the young starlet. This was the time for the close-up and Larry expertly panned in on the white cotton bra and her ample cleavage.
"OUCH!" cried out Lorraine from under the material of the sweater which still covered her face.
"CUT!" yelled Sanchez at the off-script remark as he bounded from his director's chair toward the pair who were frantically trying to disengage the sweater from Lorraine's earring.
Sanchez launched into a loud diatribe at the young actors about professionalism and ad-libbing. Larry could see the look of fear on their faces and wished he could do something to spare them this undeserved tongue-lashing. Just as it appeared the tantrum was over, Sanchez turned back toward Lorraine and said, "I'm sure this isn't the FIRST time you've had to take a sweater off to further your career, honey, so just do what comes naturally."
With his camera's focus still zoomed in on the young actress, Larry saw the brief look of pain on her face at that unnecessary insult, before she shook her head and got back into character.
The kid with the sign reappeared and said, "When No Means Yes, Scene 48, Take 2!"
"ACTION!" yelled Sanchez.
This time Lorraine stumbled over her lines, undoubtedly still flustered from the director's earlier comment, and Sanchez stopped the scene and launched into another tirade. Unfortunately for Larry, this was nothing like the idyllic love scene he had so looked forward to shooting, and the only emotion he felt was unbridled anger toward the diminutive director. By Take 12, Sanchez said something about her growing up as trailer trash in Ravena, New York, and the young starlet stormed off the set in tears and locked herself in her trailer.
Larry felt something dripping down his cheek. His blood pressure was at such a level that he thought his cut had started bleeding again. But when he wiped it with the back of his hand, he realized it was a tear.
"THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY PEOPLE!" shouted Sanchez as the crew silently started to pack up. "Except for YOU!" he added, and once again singled out Larry in front of the group.
Larry folded his arms and braced himself for an ass-chewing, enjoying the six-inch advantage he had over the younger man. Instead, Sanchez lowered his voice and admitted, "I kinda fucked up back there."
Before Larry could agree with the obvious, Sanchez explained that he was giving the cast and crew the long weekend, but he wanted Larry to leave immediately to re-scout the location and make sure everything was set for the following Monday.
The film was supposed to be set in the Midwest, but they had found a town about 45 minutes from the studio that was passable as middle America. The producers were thrilled not to have to fly the cast and crew halfway across the country since there were only three days of exterior scenes to be shot, and a deal was quickly struck with the Heatherington Common Council.
Larry arrived in Heatherington by late afternoon. He got himself checked into the Strathmore Arms, the only hotel in town. He threw his camera bag over his shoulder and walked down to the river where many of the exterior scenes would be shot. He was happy to see that the construction of the new boat launch had been completed as promised by the town, and he took several pictures of the area to send back to the studio.
He attached his long lens to the camera body and slowly panned from the river through the town, following the planned shoot for the opening sequence of the movie. The rustic building that held City Hall, the quaint post office, and the large white Methodist Church were the main reasons they selected this location. He continued to pan, pleased that the conversion of the old shoe factory into apartments had also been completed, which meant the planned shot could continue full circle back to the river.
As the camera swept past the four-story red brick building, a movement on the top floor caught his eye. He panned back and with a press of his finger, zoomed in on the illuminated figure that gracefully danced between the floor to ceiling windows. The raven-haired woman was dressed in black leotards and struck quite a contrast against the backdrop of the stark white walls in the well-lit apartment. Larry's finger remained pressed on the shutter button as the woman pirouetted, leaped, and glided to unheard music, her elegant form digitally captured in staccato stills on the internal SIM card. The screech of a gull startled Larry and he realized he was invading this beautiful woman's privacy from over 500 yards away thanks to his Canon 1200 mm zoom lens.
