Love Struck (3 page)

Tommaso walked past the spirited,
bouncing pool caught up in high festivity. Two attractive pool babes in their
late teens sprang out, wearing nothing but the tightest and expensive designer
bikinis that left little to the imagination and could only fit a sleek build
with a small figure, they wiped the water from their glistening eyes and
spotted the tantalizing older man clad in a presentable suit heading off.

“Hey handsome, jump in.” beckoned the
vivacious golden haired pool babe with the scant crimson bikini.

“We won't bite... yet.” called out
the rowdy raven haired pool babe with the scant sapphire bikini.

Tommaso played along, not wanting to
offend them with his lack of interest in their raunchy plans, they would have
to find another guy, he was positive it wouldn't be difficult for the pair of
them “Maybe later.”

The feisty blonde pool babe giggled,
she couldn't wait to have him in her cabin, nor could her equally raucous close
friend, “Don't take too long.”

If they couldn't have him, they'd set
their lustful sights on another.

Tommaso knew what he was missing and
unlike so many others in his position, he was perfectly ok with that. His
priorities were with his beautiful starlet.

Tommaso continued going on his way,
he was almost knocked down by a middle aged couple heading out their cabin
door. Luckily he held onto the top of the glass' rim, narrowly avoiding
spilling the drink, otherwise he would have been back to square one.

“I never knew bringing a drink
would have so many hazards.” he
gasped to himself.

Tommaso managed to step into the
splendorous, vibrant, elegant first class cabin without any accidents to the
glass.

He glanced around the neat and
fabulous cabin, the room was missing its true splendour.

“Sara?” he called out.

“I'm in the bathroom.” her angelic
voice billowed graciously out to him, smoothly caressing his ears. Whatever she
said was beautiful to him, he could have listened to her speak for hours,
taking in anything she said, no matter what it was.

He followed the soothing sound of her
voice, directing him to the bathroom door. “I've brought your iced tea.”

“Great, I'm parched.” her voice
heightened with its heavenly delight.

“Also, you have another autograph r
equest.” Tommaso reported, reaching
his hand in his pocket to add the scribbled note to the pile.

“Wonderful.” she said with cheerful
exuberance, that was another fan's name added to her beauteous collection “I'll
sign them all later.”

“It's another sexy photo job.”
Tommaso whipped out the scribbled note, looked at the name. “The bartender,
Luigi, wants one
to
drive his friends wild, and
himself, no doubt.” he placed the note down on the desk with the others.

Sara did not mind one bit, she was
used to the sexy photographs, she didn't become a sex symbol for wearing as
many clothes as she could. “I know just the photo.”

Sara's footsteps approached the other
end of the bathroom door. “It's so completely sexy, Luigi
and his friends will be took
straight off their feet.”

The door was opened, revealing the
one and the only Sara Sarracini, she was an immensely beautiful woman who was
forever young in appearance and spirit, she never let age bring her down, she
was absolutely timeless.

Tommaso never would have believed she
was turning fifty-three, she was and always would be youthful and radiant with
her immense girlish beauty and immense young energy flowing so gloriously and
so fully like a freshly bloomed flower. She looked like she had not aged a day,
like she was you frequently bathing in an ageless fountain of eternal youth,
making her forever a truly young woman in her early twenties to him and to many
who gazed upon her.

That was what she was, inside and
out, a truly youthful and truly energetic eternal and immortal goddess.

Her beauty and sexiness was
intensified by her slim, radiant bikini showing off her perfectly trimmed and
preserved figure. Tommaso's professional demeanour faltered, he was succumbing
to her womanly excellence. All he could do was let out a breathless “Wow.”

Stunned beyond words, Tommaso's hand
accidentally lost its grip of the glass, without any warning he flinched at the
intrusive calamity of it hitting off the carpet. He did not have to look down,
he could tell he had blundered and spilled her drink all over the burgundy
carpeting.

Sara was understanding and
sympathetic towards the accident, the iced tea could be replaced, Tommaso could
not.

She couldn't help finding his
reaction to her bikini both flattering and funny.

“Just like that.” She giggled at his
enthralled clumsiness. Sara could plainly see he had been taken off his feet.

She grabbed herself a towel from the
bathroom. Tommaso protested, “I'll do that.”, it was his mess, he would take
care of it. He kindly relieved her of the towel and its responsibility, he took
it upon himself to wipe up the iced tea from the carpet. “I'm so sorry.”

Sara looked at him sweetly. “Don't
worry about it.”, it was a minor hassle, not a major catastrophe. It was easily
cleaned up, as Tommaso showcased with drying the carpet.

“There we are, nice and clean.” Sara
smiled like the angelic deity she was.

He looked up at Sara, the sparkle in
his eyes, the infatuated smile, it meant one thing, a detail he knew too well
in his heart: he was in love with her.

“See you by the pool.” Sara said,
offering him a personal invitation to join her in some sun, sea and relaxation.
There was no one else she would rather spend it with.

She left the cabin, she had a public
to see and astound with her glorious presence. His enamoured eyes followed her.
He marvelled at her stunning elegance, he was so glad to have been born a man
to fully admire, fully appreciate and fully adore a true perfect creation of
beautiful womanhood.

Gone, he looked down at the glass on
the floor, clicked his tongue disapprovingly at himself. He could not fathom
why he constantly lost control of his professional front and degenerated into
an uncoordinated mess whenever he was around her. Every time he looked at his
darling Sara, he frequently let himself slip up, going from a man with nerves
of steel to a pile of wobbling jelly. His composure went straight out the
window and only returned when she was not close to his proximity, it was like
he became an entirely different person with her.

“Nice one dropping the glass, real
professional.” he scolded himself
hard. He was often tough on himself, he was his own demanding boss and
unforgiving enemy in a sense. “How am I ever going to impress her?”

Sara walked by the pool, everyone was
compelled to stop and gaze at her graceful magnificence on display for their
viewing pleasure. They were all left breathless and speechless by her immense
presence. Several snapped pictures of her, many recorded her on their video
phones and camcorders. She loved the attention and devotion, it was thrilling
to be back in the limelight, she had been away from it for too many years.

“It's great to be back.” she grinned
to herself, it was just like old times. History had a knack for repeating
itself, as it was right by the pool. She was getting a glaring case of serious
deja vu.

Back in the eighties, Sara, a
dazzling rising superstar in her twenties, breathtaking in every way, no matter
the year, walked by the pool of an elaborate producer's mansion in an equally
stunning bikini. The guests reactions were exactly identical. Reporters were
snapping endless photos, crews were recording her every movement, gaining
excellent coverage.

Sara climbed onto the diving board,
she stood over her adoring public, so beautiful and so breathtaking that
astounded all with her true glorious and true captivating presence, standing
over all like a truly tremendous and a truly wonderful monarch that she was.
The crowd watched in silence, enthralled to watch her latest spectacle.

Sara's younger self looked at the
pool below, a towering and spectacular queen to her adoring public, then and
now. The crowd watched in equal silence. She gathered her balance and prepared
to jump.

Tommaso stepped outside to see Sara
getting ready to dive, he watched in his regular quiet admiration. It brought
on memories of his past, working with her all those wonderful years ago, of all
the stars he was employed by, she was the best star he ever found himself
associated with, it was the best job he ever had. It was miraculous to be her
personal assistant again, it was where he belonged, at her side, there for her
beck and call, to do everything in his power to make her pleased, it gave him
such gratification to know he was making Sara Sarracini happy.

Tommaso, a twenty five year old young
personal assistant recently hired personally by Sara, he was as charming and
kind back then as he was now, watched her in the same admiration. Revelling in
her company, loving every second of her prestigious employ. He had no interest
in finding another client or working his way up to a higher position in the
agency, he had found his calling and his purpose, he was content where he was,
serving his spectacular diva who sent his body numb and tingly just thinking of
her divine name, Sara Sarracini.

Sara bent down, perched over the deep
end of the pool below her toe nails. Her muscles tensed, the board curved under
her applied pressure. She rose up, released her muscles. The board flipped
upward, propelling her as she dived majestically into the air. The crowd gaped
at her majestic grace and flawless form like a crane soaring through the sky.

The crowd gaped at her equal grace
and perfect performance all those years ago when she pulled the same
sensational stunt. The youthful Sara landed into the water with perfect finesse
and a big splash to top it off.

Sara landed in the water, her form
was still flawless after all those years. She emerged from the azure water,
like an enchanting goddess of the sea. The crowd let out a rip-roaring round of
applause.

Sara in her early years of twenty
emerged from the water with the same elegance and majesty, she was and always
would be a goddess of any terrain, the land, the sea and the air. The crowd let
out the same kind of rip-roaring round of applause. She looked at the adoring
crowd and blew them a kiss.

Sara observed the crowd, still as
adoring in their fevered devotion as ever, it was just like old times. In the
same manner, she blew them all a kiss.

The youthful Sara climbed out the
pool. Her young and lively personal assistant watched her approach a sun bed.
He was smitten by her then.

Sara approached a sun bed. Tommaso
watched her, his admiration for
her was still as strong, he was still smitten by her now.
Sara lay down onto the sun bed, ready to bask in the glory of the beautiful
day.

The admirable and respectable Captain
of the renowned star celebrity cruise stopped by the sun bed to speak to Sara,
both formally as a professional captain and informally as a long time fan.

“Ah, Ms. Sarracini, you make the
brightest of days that extra
bright.” his accumulated mass of
greying fuzz around his mouth and face were pulled back to form a smile with
the exposed pair of purple lips.

Sara beamed at him more dazzling than
the sun above shining on her golden blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. “How
kind of you to say, Captain.”

“Having you on board has been a
true honour for us all.” he said with
his pleasant, posh tone, speaking on behalf of the ship and himself.

Sara was flattered by such a
heartfelt compliment. “The honour is all mine, Captain.”

The Captain stood proudly at her
words, he was complimented greatly.

“It's a true pleasure being on your
wonderful ship and meeting
all you beautiful people.”

The Captain was astoundingly
honoured. “The pleasure is all ours, Ms.
Sarracini.
”

“Please, call me Sara.” she sweetly
requested. Sara preferred to be treated informally by her fans, it made the
conversations feel more relaxed and real, she wasn't above others, she was a
down to earth kind of woman, there was no requirement for any pretences or
formalities.

“Certainly, Sara.” it seemed strange
using a first name but he would get used to it “Forgive my formality. An old
habit that
comes with
the job.”

“No need to apologise, I know how it
is, being formal is key in my
line of work too.”

The Captain's beard widened as his
smile grew in size, Sara's kindness was unmatched.

“So, what brings you Captain? Have we
reached land or do you want an
autograph?” she giggled adorably.

The Captain couldn't help breaking
his professional front and chuckling in delight. She was making him feel more
casual and comfortable than he had ever been in his demanding and serious line
of work to make his luxurious celebrities pleased on his cruise and recommend
using his vessel again in the near future, his heavy responsibility was a lot
lighter since meeting his favourite celebrity of them all in the flesh, she was
even more wonderful than she gave off on the silver screen and in interviews.
He had watched every film, caught every interview on the smaller screen and
printed on magazines to have been painted a pretty clear image of the real Sara
Sarracini. The actuality of her was grander than any painting could convey. “I
just came to let you know that we should reach land in an hour.”

Sara sat up from her sun bed,
overjoyed at the news, she could hardly wait “Great.”

“There is one more thing.” he
interjected.

“Yes?”

The Captain pulled out a photo of
Sara from one of her movies out of his clean white and gold uniform.

He held onto the image of Sara
Sarracini's star-studded days in his fingers, she was wearing a classy
reporter's suit wielding a six shooter, standing next to a swat officer loading
his pump action shotgun, surrounded by a hoard of rotting zombies, craving the
warm taste of flesh, and the refreshing nectar of blood to satisfy their
ravenous hunger and rampant thirst which knew no relief or any end, it just
kept going on like their undead existences.

Both of the sole survivors were ready
for action, to fight to live or die trying in the film's gripping and shocking
climax which left many movie-goers in the audience stunned during the end
credits and after leaving the cinema. The Captain himself, when he wore a
second-in-command's uniform, was one of them, he could not get the ending out
of his head for many days after seeing the zombie film to end all zombie films.
Her stand-out performance made it more than just a low budget exploitation
movie, she gave it a touch of class and grandiloquence not seen in other movies
of the same genre.

It was a cut above the rest, the
crème della crème. Without her sensational presence, the movie would have been
another dime-a-dozen zombie film, but with her enigmatic portrayal of a woman
searching for the truth to a chemical outbreak infecting the living and
mutating them into the living dead, it was a much more powerful film with an
important message of never giving up, no matter the cost or how hard the
obstacle may be, in this case a hoard of flesh eating monsters. It was a cult
classic for her sincere and dynamic performance that made it so unique, much
like herself.

He was instantly a fan of the
upcoming talent Sara Sarracini, it was only fitting that be the photograph he
would choose for her.
“May
I have the privilege of your
autograph?”

“What kind of an actress would I
be if I said 'no'?” she gently took
the photo, looked at the captured scene, nostalgia came over her. “I haven't
seen this photo in a long time.”

It brought back a ton of memories of
shooting the film in the sun soaked, lush plains of Barcelona during a
beautiful and radiant summer in 1980, she was having the time of her life along
with the cast and the crew.

It was rough to begin with, the
beginning of an educational experience that moulded her into the compelling
actress she was. Her nerves of carrying the weight of a film by herself in the
leading role was intimidating at first, her first few roles were supporting
parts, she was at the side while someone else had the responsibility, this time
it was her turn, her one shot to prove her worth as a leading lady. She could
hardly sleep a wink in her hotel prior to the first day of the shoot. But when push
came to shove and she stepped in front of the camera, it was all washed aside
by a sense of duty and commitment to everyone working on the movie and the
people who would pay good money to dedicate their time to see it.

It was her first feature as the main
protagonist and she was determined to give it her all to make a lasting first
impression to the public eye, she sure did that. After gaining her confidence
during the first day of filming and the rest of the momentous days that
followed, it was safe to say she was a natural talent in the acting business
who kept getting better and better with each film that came her way. She even
amazed herself on several occasions at breaking the barriers of acting to
deliver a convincing and passionate portrayal, making the character anything
but cardboard, she turned any name on the script into a three-dimensional,
genuine human being, believable and credible every time, in every film.

Sara looked up to the Captain, “Do
you have a...” she paused, had no need to ask, he was one step ahead of her.

The Captain was holding a pen at the
ready for her. He handed the ballpoint to her. Sara gratefully took the pen and
looked back to the photo of a grand debut.

“Ah, Inferno of the Zombies, I had
quite the time working on that one. It's where I discovered the beauty
of Barcelona. And most of all, left
my mark in the world of cinema.” Sara said reminiscently as the experience
unfolded before her, living it out for a second time.

She signed the photo with a brisk
ease, she had written so many in her time, it was a part of her every day
living. She admired her handwriting, it was another perfect masterpiece. It was
what Sara's fans' deserved “There we go.”

She handed the signed photo to the
Captain, he cheerfully took it off her. “Much appreciated.” he thanked her with
a combination of professional restraint and informal jubilation.

He had to look at what she wrote to
him, to wait until later would have been an insult.

To my dear Captain, many kisses, love
Sara Sarracini xxxx

The Captain loved it, she turned a
great photograph into an extraordinary one. He looked back to Sara, his
reserved front was giving way to the avid fan within him. “It's great to have
you back.”

Sara's incredibly expressive eyes
glistened with an intensity like the ocean all around them. She was glad to be
back, and fans like him made it all the more worthwhile.