Forever and a Day (5 page)

In a very quiet voice, she responded and barely looked up at him, “Hi… I’m Tina.

“Nice to meet you Tina. Hey the worst part for me is the landing, how about you?”

“All of it. Especially take off.” She muttered.

“I see. If you would like, we can chat through the take off, might take your mind off of it? I’m cool with it if you are.” She nodded to him.

Vicki came over the speaker again, “As I mentioned before we have more exciting messages from your cabin crew, and our FAA mandated safety briefing is up next!” Vicki began her much practiced speech as excitingly as she could muster as Xander and Tina listened quietly. The plane began moving and Tina let out a gasp and stiffened in her seat.

“It’s all good Tina. We are just being pushed back and we will be rolling out to the runway.”

He got another nod from her as they listened through the final part of the safety review.

With a cheerful tone, Xander engaged his seatmate, “So Tina, you headed to LA on business?” He got an ever so small smile from her.

“Uh, no, I’m visiting my dad for his birthday. I usually fly, uh first class with Virgo Airlines, but it got cancelled and this is all they had.”

“Wow, first class and Virgo too, how cool is that! We are on rollout now… here we go Tina, it’s all going to be fine.” He smiled at her as she nodded nervously to him. The jet began to pick up speed, “Tina, did you get your dad anything special for his birthday?”

She swallowed hard and replied meekly, “Uh… yes, a golf shirt and a silly golf hat.” She managed, still gripping the armrests with intensity.

“Oh? What makes the golf hat silly?” Xander asked quickly.

“Uh, it’s really ugly and…” Tina abruptly stopped mid speech as the plane became airborne then two mechanical sounds came from under her seat.

He watched as Tina’s eyes went as wide as saucers and her shoulders cinched up, “Tina that was the landing gear retracting. What about the hat?”

“Uh, it’s uh a really ugly Trail Blazers trucker hat… he’s a Lakers fan.” Tina held her breath as the plane began to bank.

“Tina! Take a deep breath in like this.” He turned squarely at her so she could see him, he took a deep exaggerated breath, in then out, “Try that.” He insisted, and began deep breathing. Tina nodded and began taking deep erratic breaths, “Ok, count to three after you inhale then exhale, let’s do it together.”

Xander watched her breathe along with him, she began to slowly relax, “Good job, keep breathing. See, not so bad now. We are leveling off, a few more breaths ok?” She nodded as she kept up her breathing.

The Captain’s deep calm voice came over the plane’s speakers, “Good morning ladies and gentlemen…”

Xander watched some color return to Tina’s face and knuckles, “Tina, excuse me for asking, but do you usually have this much anxiety when you fly?” He saw a flush of red color her cheeks.

“Well, my mom usually gives me a Valium before I fly. The crews on Virgo kinda know me… um, I get really drowsy on the meds. Last time they had trouble waking me up. Since I was flying a different company I figured I would try without it… it’s not working so hot.” She gave him a shy smile.

“Well grats to you for trying. Doing better?”

She nodded again, “I think I’m ok now. Thank you, uh Xander is it?”

“Yes. Thank you for remembering. Hey, I have some work to attend to for a while, when we start to descend, we can chat some more if you would like. Or, I can try and switch seats with a lady if that makes you feel more comfortable?”

“No, it’s ok, stay here… uh, the talking did help.” She blushed.

“If you get anxious again just let me know. I’ve got a bunch of stuff I have to read.” He gave her an exaggerated eye roll and a quick grin. He saw her nod with a little smile then pull out her phone.

He lowered the tray table and set up his script then pulled out a pen from his carryon. He glanced to Tina who had put her Beats headphones on and decided she had a great idea. He pulled out his cheap ear buds and plugged them into his iPhone. He scrolled through his mix and decided on ‘Mello Groove’ that included Deadmau5, Supreme Beings of Leisure and All India Radio. The music began and he felt himself relax and soon was into reading his role.

He had a good forty-five minutes of reading and working out in his mind how he should play his part. He rubbed his eyes, yawned and decided to take a break. Good timing he thought as he saw Vicki with the drink cart up head. He glanced sideways at Tina and caught her reading his script with her eyebrows gathered together in consternation.

He took a moment to take her in. She was adorable, big blue eyes, shoulder length dark brown hair. She had a perky little nose, a few blemishes were hiding under some light tasteful makeup. She wore what looked like to him were stylish and expensive clothes. He guessed she might be fourteen or fifteen, a few years younger than Athena for sure.

She looked up and met his look, “I, uh, sorry?”

“Tina, not a problem.” He chuckled.

“You’re an actor.” She blurted out matter of factually, “You are auditioning for that role, right?”

Big change of attitude from earlier he thought. He motioned with his finger to his lips, “Yes. Have you seen a script before? These are called ‘sides’.”

Tina nodded emphatically with a wan smile, “I know.”

“Did you read the whole thing?”

Tina nodded again, “I’m sorry if that upset you. Are you angry?” Tina asked very businesslike.

Xander was suddenly taken aback. A short while ago he thought she would have a huge panic attack and now she seems like some executive speaking with him, “No Tina, I’m not angry. I would appreciate it if you would keep this and what you read private. I’m not sure of what I’m allowed to disclose.”

“Yes I will… I have seen plenty scripts, I know the rules…” She smiled at him, “So, how are you going to play the bad guy? That is your part, right? You’re not the dumb thug type by far, so that won’t go over at all. You seem more…” She stared at his face then looked him over, “you are more the intelligent type, but I think I can see you as getting really angry. So how are you going to play him?” Tina said taking her headphones all the way off.

Whoa! Thought Xander to himself, who the hell is he sitting next to? Best to figure this out and quick like, “Tina? Are you in the film industry?” He closed up the script and watched her.

“Uh, well I’m not really supposed to talk about it to strangers, but I guess I can say you’ve probably seen me on TV and on screen.” Tina said matter of factually.

Ok, this is getting interesting he thought. He did not want to press her but he was itching to know what she could reveal, “I understand not talking about it, now that I look at you, you do seem familiar…”

“Well, I think I can tell you this: I’ve read that script before… I think it was last year. It’s been re-written, so you know.”

“What?” Xander exclaimed.

“It’s ok!” Tina assured him, “Ok, I’ll tell you what I think I can, but you have to keep it quiet, promise?”

Uh, you have my undivided attention, Tina.” Xander heard a voice next to him; it was Vicki with her drink cart.

“Sir? Miss? Would you like anything to drink?”

Xander opened and closed his eyes and stared off for a second, “Uh, yes I think I need something strong.”

“We have alcoholic beverages available for a small charge.” Vicki replied.

Xander looked to Tina who gave him a disapproving look. Hell, he thought, Tina went from basket case to executive to his mother…

Vicki voice was beginning to sound impatient, “Sir is everything ok?”

Tina chimed in, “Ma’am, we just found out we are in the same business.” Tina nodded to the script with the title on the front, “I’ll have a Coke or whatever, please.”

Vicki saw the script and nodded, “Small world. Sir?” Vicki asked.

Xander looked up at Vicki, “My apologies, I’ll have whatever the young lady here is having.” Xander shrugged his shoulders and stared off, thinking of what the odds were? Very low, very low indeed he decided.

“Hey Xander you didn’t promise.” Tina said breaking him from his thoughts as Vicki handed him his plastic cup of some vague Cola drink.

“Oh, just a sec Tina.” Xander put the script away in the seat front pocket and set down his soft drink then Vicki handed Tina hers, “I promise.”

Tina giggled and held out her hand to him and they shook, “Ok! My dad reads tons of scripts. I get to read some, and some I sneak peeks at when I’m visiting him. Sometimes he asks me what I think, and I tell him. Let me tell you, I’ve read over some really bad ones. This one isn’t half bad. It’s definitely going to be an “R” rating.”

Xander nodded and took a moment, then asked, “So, what type of work have you done? Uh, that you can tell me about.”

Tina rolled her eyes with a little smirk, “Remember the detergent commercial with the little girl in pony tails and her white messy dog? That’s me.”

Xander’s eyes popped open in surprise, “That’s you? Wow, I do remember those! You really have grown up since then! Anything current?”

“Uh yeah… some TV work and some parts in a couple of features. One came out last summer, and one is in post-production. Having a dad in the business helps.” She said sheepishly.

“Wow, the odds of two actors from Oregon meeting on a plane is really low, who would have thought.” Xander shook his head in disbelief.

Tina nodded at Xander’s statement, “So… how are you going to play your bad guy?”

“That’s a good question. To be honest I’ve only done small parts until this one. Would you believe I got the call at about five this morning?’ Xander saw Tina waiting for him to answer her question, “Ok then, I agree I’m not the thug type, but I still need to have that as a backup. I was thinking about playing him quiet with a very dangerous air about him and unpredictable. Or, aloof and uncaring, maybe very money oriented.” He watched as Tina gave him the once over again.

“Yeah, play the quiet dangerous type. I think that really fits you, have you done any characters like this one?”

Xander chuckled, “Yeah, kind of. I played a Russian bad guy on an episode of the show Fables. Screen time wasn’t very long but it was intense. Good editing too.” Xander winked.

Tina nodded knowingly, “I’ve heard of it, haven’t seen it though.” Tina frowned, “Which episode?”

“Uh, 308 season three.”

“I’ll check it out!” Tina replied happily. She then pursed her lips and furrowed her dark eyebrows at him. Her disposition turned critical, “Yes, I think you can pull it off. Your eyes are too nice though. Make sure you make them look distant. Like you could care less when you read for them… like you could kill them all right there and it wouldn’t matter. That’s what I would do.”

Xander nodded his eyebrows arched high, “Very good advice! Thank you for that Tina, I really appreciate it. You really seem to know your stuff.”

Tina giggled, “I hope so! My dad has spent enough on acting coaches!”

“Lucky girl!” He glanced at his diver’s watch, “I’m going to read some more. We have about an hour left until we land, sound ok?”

Tina smiled, “Of course!” She picked up her Beats headphones and selected a song on her phone.

Xander sat there reading and re-reading the sides. When he finally stopped, he closed his eyes… he knew he needed to make an impact right away for the casting agent in his first few lines of his delivery. There is nothing worse on an audition than to bore the casting agents, a big waste of everyone’s time. He opened his eyes and made some notations on the script about possible hand gestures and facial expression at each line.

He was forty minutes into his reading and making notes when his eyes started to burn once more. He decided he had done as much as he could. He packed up the script in his carryon and pushed it back under the seat. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands and rolled his broad shoulders, that is when he saw Tina watching him expectantly.

“Hey Tina, how are you doing?” Xander asked.

“So far so good…” Tina drummed her fingers on the legs of her expensive jeans, then leaned close to him and spoke softly, “I want to tell you something, uh I mean about the script.”

Xander leaned close to her as if he was listening in on a secret, “That attempted rape scene wasn’t in the one I read.”

“Oops!” Xander exclaimed, “Sorry about that. It’s a pretty bad scene, I uh, am having a hard time with it… sorry you had to read that too.”

Tina waved him off with her hand, “Ha! I’ve read worse, you know Fifty Shades and all…”

Xander almost sputtered, “Oh… ok then.” He should have expected as much, even Athena had read it. Kids, these days… he mused.

“You know who is playing the lead, right?” Tina asked with her eyebrows moving up and down, as she smiled.

“I see that you know too…” Xander closed his eyes and gave her a nod, “Halo Raines.”

“She is awesome Xander! She is so sweet, unless she wants something. Then watch out. I want to be just like her, business wise and acting wise! God she is so beautiful, I wish I looked like her too.” Tina sighed.

“Excuse me? I can’t believe you said that. You know what? I bet that when you come of age you will be giving Halo a run for her money in the looks department! Heck, you are already smart. One day other girls will be saying the same thing about you, trust me.”