Just as I went downstairs, Riley came home carrying a fast-food bag. He toasted me with a soda and said, “Thanks for giving everyone the afternoon off by being awesome!”
“I’m pretty sure it was a fluke, but you’re welcome.”
“No, it wasn’t. I was there, remember? What I saw was impressive as hell. I’ve never understood how actors can cry on cue like that, and your expression and body language totally made me believe your heart was broken.”
“I’m just glad I pulled it off.”
“You’re too modest. Then again, it’s nice to find an actor without a huge ego, so I shouldn’t complain.”
Lorenzo was making lunch when we joined him in the kitchen, and Phoenix was out on the patio, talking on the phone. As Riley and I sat down at the kitchen island, Phoenix ended his call and sent a text. Lorenzo’s phone beeped in the next instant, and he glanced at his screen. When Phoenix came back inside, Riley asked him, “Is it my imagination, or did you just text someone who was ten feet away?”
“They’re hatching a plan, and I’m not allowed to know what it is,” I said with a grin.
Lorenzo put a colorful spinach salad in front of me and tried to look innocent as he asked, “Would you like to go flying this afternoon?”
“I’d love to. Do I get to know where we’re going?”
“Ashland, Oregon. Don’t worry, it’s just over the California border, so it’s not as far as it sounds. Since we’re flying, it’ll take maybe an hour and a half each way, and I’ll have you back here in the early evening.”
“What’s in Ashland?”
“You’ll see.” I didn’t push, since it obviously meant a lot to him to surprise me.
* * *
After lunch, Phoenix dropped us off at the tiny local airport. I’d brought along the script and read over the rest of the week’s scenes while Lorenzo ran through his time-consuming preflight checks. When he was ready, I took my spot beside him, fastened my seatbelt, and put on the headphones. Then I sat back to watch him as he effortlessly guided the plane down the runway and into the air.
Once we levelled off, I murmured, “That’s still just unbelievably sexy.”
“What is?”
“You, flying this plane.” He chuckled, and I said, “I’m serious. I’d find this terrifying if anyone else was at the controls, but you do it so competently and confidently that you make me feel safe.”
“I’m glad you feel that way.” I watched his profile as he had a brief conversation with someone through the headphones, and then he glanced at me and asked, “How are you feeling about the scenes you have to shoot tomorrow?”
“Great. I think doing well on set today gave me some much-needed confidence.”
“That’s terrific. So, what’s coming up?”
“The next two days are scene after scene with the four lead actors and me, and Alex doesn’t have many lines. He’s the type of person who’d feel alone in a crowd. Even when he’s with his friends, he’s most likely to just watch what they’re doing and react in subtle ways to what’s going on around him.”
“It must be challenging to play such a quiet character.”
“It can be. I worry he’ll just disappear in these group scenes, especially since the four lead actors are all so charismatic.”
“Isn’t it the director’s job to make sure that doesn’t happen?”
“You’re right, it is.” After a pause, I said. “If you want to watch me during filming tomorrow, we could definitely arrange that. I mean, you don’t have to. It’d probably be pretty boring to watch us do take after take. But if you wanted to—”
“I’d absolutely love to watch you work.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
I felt so good in that moment. The plane’s engine produced a low, steady hum, and I sat back and relaxed. Outside was nothing but wide open sky, and in the little Cessna everything was safe and solid and just how it should be.
* * *
We took a cab from the local airport into downtown Ashland. Because the day was cold and windy and we had some time to kill, we wandered into a charming bookstore and browsed through every section.
When I spotted a Dr. Seuss book called Oh the Places You’ll Go, I ran my fingertips over the cover and said, “This was my favorite book when I was little. I must have checked it out from the library ten weeks in a row, before my mom decided we should let someone else have a turn. I guess the next person lost it, because I never saw it again.”
Lorenzo was already holding an armload of books, and he grabbed that one off the shelf and said, “I’m buying this for you,” before heading to the register.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Oh yes I do,” he insisted. “You need this.”
After he made his purchase, which filled two canvas tote bags, we went upstairs to the coffee bar, and I bought us each a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie. Then we sat at the railing overlooking the ground floor, and he handed me one of the bags. I pulled out the children’s book and smiled delightedly as I leafed through the pages. I didn’t even care if it looked silly, especially compared to the thick tome Lorenzo had taken from the other bag.