Lucky

Knock! Knock! Knock! “Mr. Way, sir, you are needed in hair and makeup now!” a voice shouted from outside of my trailer. I was on set for my next film. It was a drama about something. I never really knew anymore. I just went and did my job.

“Yes, coming!” I shouted back. It was about time as well. I was sick of sitting in a trailer that was heavily decorated with the most expensive trailer furnishings you could find. I always told them not to make a fuss with me. Yet they always came back saying, “Oh but Mr. Way you deserve the best! Being the luckiest and best actor of our time you deserve the best!” I just went with it, if it got them to shut up. Was asking to be seen as a normal human being too much to ask? In this industry it sure seemed like it.

My hands fumbled for my sunglasses as I opened the door to the trailer, letting the hot California sun hit me. A tall man waited at the bottom of the steps to the trailer door. I smiled at him as I placed the sunglasses on my face. “Good afternoon,” I greeted him, when reaching the bottom of the stairs.

We seemed about eyelevel and it was then I noticed the man had prominent high cheek bones. They stood out on his face. They did even more so when he smiled. “Good afternoon Mr. Way. You’re needed in hair and makeup room six. I’m your new assistant until the film is released,” he spoke. His voice contained an accent I was very familiar with. He had a New York accent.

“You’re from New York,” I said. I began to walk, my new assistant walking along side me.

“You could tell? I shouldn’t be surprised you’re from New Jersey so you’ve must’ve been exposed to hearing it whenever you were in the city for work,” he said.

“Indeed I was,” I began, “It came in handy for a few roles as well. Say, by a chance, new assistant do you have a name? It would make me feel horrible for not asking.”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Oh, oh yes! Yes, I forgot that. How stupid of me. The name’s Gabe, Gabe Saporta.”

I smiled. “Gabe,” I said. I let the name sink in and roll around in my mouth. It was short and sweet. Good for an assistant. “Gabe?” I asked.

“Yes, Mr. Way?”

We’d entered the building where hair and makeup was located. “My first request as your boss is to please stop calling me Mr. Way. You can call me Mikey. I don’t like feeling like you’re serving me. So I guess to add on to that request you’re not my assistant... at least not in my head anyways. In my head you’re an acquaintance who just happens to help me at work.”

“Yes, Mr.—erm Mikey,” Gabe fumbled in reply.

We continued to walk through the building. The halls were busy with people running about with set pieces and costumes. My eyes all watched through my sunglasses. Even indoors I still wore them. It was a sign that I was not to be bothered supposedly. I rolled my eyes at the thought of it. I just liked wearing my sunglasses.

“Mikey, it’s right through here,” Gabe guided. We walked into an empty room with a vanity table and assortment of cosmetic products. “I guess Monica isn’t here yet, but um no worries you have time. I’ll just stay here until she shows.”

For a tall New Yorker, Gabe sure was quite self doubting and skittish almost. Did my presence shake the man that hard? I hoped not. I didn’t want to be feared. I took a seat in the chair in front of the mirror and took my sunglasses off. “Gabe after work, are you free?” I asked. After all he was my new assistant and I thought we should go out so we could get to know each other.

“Yes, Mikey I am. Do you need me for something?” Gabe asked. His head turned and he started playing with his hands. He looked so nervous.

“I was thinking we should get to know each other. I mean you are going to be working with me up through the movie release. So I was thinking it would be nice if we went out to dinner. I know just the place too,” I tried to persuade him. My lips tried to form an encouraging smile.

“You sure Mikey? I mean aren’t you busy or have stuff to do with your actor friends? I wouldn’t want to be a bother by being just an assistant.” He’d said it. He’d put himself below me. I grit my teeth and Monica walked in.

“Good afternoon, Mikey,” Monica greeted. “Sorry I’m late. The boyfriend just wouldn’t let me go.” Monica had been doing my hair and makeup for many films. She was short, curvy girl with auburn hair in the shape of a bob. She’d also been dating my brother for a few years. She danced around the vanity table grabbing various products and then began working on my hair. She stopped when she saw Gabe in the corner. “And who are you, tall drink of water?” she asked warmly to Gabe.

“I’m Gabe, Mikey’s new assistant,” he answered shyly.

“Well, no need to be shy dear as you’ve probably been told I’m Monica. Me and Mikey have known each other for years. His older brother and I have been going steady for a few years now,” she said to him. Her hands were still messing with my hair. She was gentle with me since I was a bit tender headed.

“Oh that’s very nice,” Gabe said back to her. He moved slowly into the corner and leaned against the wall. His hands went quickly into his pockets and his eyes looked from the ground to my hair back to the ground again.

“So Gee just wouldn’t let you go?” I asked Monica as she continued to fix up my hair. A smirk graced my lips and one of my eyebrows arched up. “Can I expect nieces or nephews too?”

“Mikey,” she yelled and lightly slapped my cheek. It was all in good fun though. “You know me and Gee are safe. Anyways I don’t want any kids until your brother puts a ring on my finger!” Monica then began fiddling around with the makeup.

“Aw, but I want to be an uncle while I’m still young! Maybe I’ll talk Gee into having you run to Vegas and get hitched so I can be an uncle,” I said, laughing.

Monica sighed and began powdering my face. “I refuse to get hitched in Vegas, Michael. I want a nice traditional wedding not one in a chapel with an Elvis wannabe saying we’re man and wife,” she sighed again, “Now close your eyes so I can put on some neutral shadow.”

I did as I was told until Monica was all done. Standing up from my seat, I glanced over at Gabe so see that he was still leaning against the wall. Yet now his eyes were closed and breathing appeared slow. He looked a little bent too.

I approached him quietly, turning back and shushing Monica. She understood and began to tidy up quickly and quietly. My eyes went back to the sleeping Gabe. I didn’t know whether to wake him or not but I had a feeling that he wouldn’t eat me alive for waking him up. I’d noticed how timid Gabe was around me ever since he came to get me from my trailer. He seemed like a ball of nerves. I felt the want to untangle this ball of nerves as my hand reached out to touch his shoulder.

“Gabe,” I spoke softly, rubbing his shoulder in circles. “Time to wake up. Nap time is over.” I got even closer to him in attempts to wake him. I saw how he had a full head of curly black hair and between his high cheek bones a slightly point nose lied. I also saw how two dimensional he was. He was almost scarily thin. “Gabe, wake up please. I’m done with hair and makeup.”

Gabe suddenly stood up straight and his eyes were directly looking into mine. “S-sorry, I fell asleep didn’t I?” He honestly looked scared of what I what answer. His breathing was a little more rapid than normal.

I smiled. “Yeah you did, but it’s okay,” I spoke. Gabe seemed to relax. “Don’t worry. We all need a cat nap sometimes. Didn’t get much sleep last night?”

Gabe nodded shakily. “I should take you to the set now. They’ll be needing you soon,” he hurriedly said. He moved quickly to the door and I followed closely behind. He walked with his head down as he lead me to the set.

“Are you okay?” I asked concerned. An unhappy assistant can lead to an unhappy actor. It’s a bit of an emotional sharing system between actor and assistant. You become very close at times almost too close. Yet I felt that getting close to Gabe might not be so bad.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he answered lamely. He made a turn. “We’re here. I’ll be waiting to the side. When you’re finished I’ll direct you back to hair and makeup where Monica can fix you back to normal again.” He sounded almost robotic and I was worried.

“Thank you Gabe. Umm I hope you’re really okay. Hell while I’m filming you can go back to my trailer and take a nap. I think you might need it,” I said, trying to give him a warm smile. “It might be hours until I’m done and I think I can make my way back to Monica and then my trailer to find you.”

Gabe’s eyes were bright again. “Really?” he asked. I nodded. “Thank you Mikey! Thank you!” He rushed in and gave me a hug before he ran off. I went over to the director and began work for the day.

ᵜ ᵜ ᵜ

“Wakey wakey sleepy face,” I said to Gabe. He was sound asleep when I got back to my trailer. We had filmed to close to five hours now so it was about close to dinner time.

I watched as Gabe’s face contorted as he was slowly coming out of dreamland. It was pretty funny actually to watch his face scrunch up in all these odd positions. He began to groan and mumble as his eyes began to blink open. I felt happy watching this. Made me feel normal after being treated like a majarahja for five hours.

“Good morning,” Gabe mumbled groggily. He rubbed at his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. Poor guy must’ve been really tired. “You’re done for the day, Mikey? “ he asked sitting up.

“Yes and now I’m inviting you over to mine so we can get to know each other. I’ll get my brother to cook. He owns a restaurant not too far from here, but since you seem to be quite the sleepy one we wouldn’t you to just conk out on the table,” I explained. I really didn’t want him to fall asleep in Gerard’s diner. It would be kind of odd and it would probably draw attention. I absolutely loathed paparazzi.

“That’s very kind of you, but I don’t know. Aren’t you busy?” Gabe asked. He looked nervous again.

“Nope not all and you did say yes before so I won’t take no for an answer! Let me just get a hold of Gerard and then we can leave for mine. I parked my car somewhere out there,” I said, pulling out my cell phone and pointing towards the door of the trailer.

I really did want to get to know Gabe. I really did. Maybe if I was lucky enough he could stop being so nervous around me.

ᵜ ᵜ ᵜ

“So why'd you come to Cali?” I slurred in question. It was hours after Gerard had made us dinner and ate with us. Monica was there too. Gabe and I were now sitting on my couch drinking. He could hold his drinks better than me. We’d both downed at least six and I was beginning to slur my words and feel reckless. Gabe still spoke perfectly yet was slowly becoming less shy.

“Needed a job, a change of scenery. Also one of my favorite actors lives out here,” he answered.

I slowly began to sink to my right. “Oh really?” I asked. “Do I know him? Maybe I’m friends with him.” My words were still slurred and my eyes saw how Gabe looked almost nervous again.

“Maybe you do,” he began, sounding almost hopeful, “Most people say he’s the luckiest man alive.” He smiled warmly, sipping from his glass.

I laughed, shaking my head. “It’s not me then. I’m not lucky at all. I have almost everything I could want yet I don’t feel lucky,” I spoke. Things were getting a little blurry when it came to vision and I swore I could feel my face heating up. It was almost as if my body wanted me to cry, but I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t like to cry. It always made you seem weak if you cried and you were a grown man.

“What’s missing then?” Gabe questioned. Why wasn’t he slurring like me? Why wasn’t he as drunk as me? His eyebrows knitted together. He had pretty eyebrows. They were shaped nicely.

I knew what was missing. I knew instantly what was missing. Yet I wasn’t just going to say anything. I stood up and slowly staggered over to Gabe. He wasn’t too far from me. I took his glass from him and put it down. My bottom found a comfortable spot on his lap and my lips found a comfortable spot on his.

That’s what was missing.