Stressed

Meridia's husband, sitting next to me in the car, glanced at me quickly. He was the one driving this morning.

-Ready for filming?, he asked.

I took a deep breath, the sound of the engine drowning out my rapid heartbeat.

-Yes, ready, I replied.

We arrived at the studio, and as soon as we walked through the door, the atmosphere changed. The sounds of technicians bustling around, the animated discussions, all brought me back to the reality of the work that awaited me. My manager turned to me.

-I'm going to see the screenwriter I'll be right back, he said before disappearing into the crowd.

I stood there, a little lost, trying to get used to the commotion around me. That's when I noticed Nolan, one of the actors in the film, walking towards me with a smirk.

-Huyn, are you okay?, he asks me as he approaches

I smile back at him. "Are you okay? Ready for another day of filming?"

-As always, he answers with a lightness that makes me smile. He stops next to me, and we watch the people around us come and go for a moment. "It's crazy, all these people bustling around in the morning."

-Yes, it looks like a giant anthill, I say with a laugh. "Always on the move."

He nods, an amused look on his face.

-Ready for the day?

-I think so... well, I hope so," I answer with a shrug. Then, on a whim, I ask him: "And you, are you working on other films at the moment? Always so busy?"

Nolan pretends to think, then, with a mischievous smile, he replies: "Well, if you want to make a movie with me, I'm in. I'm sure we'd make a great duo."

I laugh, shaking my head. "Oh, I don't know if I'm cut out to be in front of the camera."

-Come on, I can see you as an actress. And who knows, maybe you'd get a taste for it,

-You think so?, I say with a smile, playing along. "I could steal the show from you, be careful."

-Ah, I'm up for the challenge, he jokes, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Our light conversation does me good, distracting me a little from my worries. But deep down, impatience grows. The idea of ​​seeing Koen again and giving him that watch still occupies my thoughts.

Nolan and I continue to chat, our voices mixing with the constant hubbub of the studio. The technicians pass by, adjusting the lights and setting up the sets, but we stay in our conversation bubble.

-You I know, Nolan begins, a smirk, something completely crazy happened to me on one of my old shoots.

-Oh yeah? What?, I asked curiously.

He burst out laughing as he remembered. "We were shooting a super intense scene, you know, the kind where everything hinges on a specific prop. I had to deliver a letter to another character, a letter that revealed a huge secret. We had rehearsed the scene dozens of times with the letter, and everything was going well."

-Okay, I get the idea, I said, already amused by what was to come.

-The day of the shoot, everyone was ready, the cameras were rolling, and then... I searched my pocket for the letter, and nothing. Empty. I swear, I felt the sweat running down my back."

I can't help but laugh, imagining the scene. "Oh no, and what did you do?"

-I improvised, of course! I took my empty hand out of my pocket, looking super serious, and said to the character in front of me: 'The letter is gone. Someone stole it.'

I burst out laughing. "No, you didn't do that!"

-Yes, I swear! The worst part is that the other actor played along. He had a moment of panic in his eyes, but he improvised too. He looked me straight in the eye and said: 'This can't be, it contained the whole truth!' We managed to finish the scene as if it was planned.

I shake my head, amused by the image. "It's incredible, and no one has noticed anything?"

-Not until we yelled 'Cut!' and the director came in yelling, 'Where's the damn letter?' The whole crew started looking everywhere. We finally found it under a chair. I still don't know how it got there.

-It could have been catastrophic, but you handled it like pros, I say, still laughing. "It's really the kind of story you don't imagine possible until it happens."

Nolan nods, a satisfied smile on his lips. "That's what cinema is all about. Always a little madness, a little improvisation. That's what makes this job so exciting."

-I don't know if I could have handled something like that, I said, still impressed. "I think I would have frozen in place."

-Nah, you would have done something great I'm sure, he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I can see you coming up with an even more dramatic solution, something that would have left its mark."

I smiled, touched by his encouragement. "Maybe. In any case, I hope I never lose such an important accessory!"

-I wish you the same

he says with a laugh. "But if it happens, remember: just keep calm and act like it's planned."

-I'll make a note of it, I say with a laugh. "I'll know what to do if I ever find myself in such a crazy situation."

Our laughter mixes with the background noise of the studio, and for a moment, all my worries seem to vanish.

-And you, have you ever had moments like that?, he asks me with a mischievous smile on his lips.

I think for a moment. "Not really... but I remember one time I almost missed a scene because I got lost in the maze of sets. It was so embarrassing!"

Nolan bursts out laughing. "Is that true? I can imagine you running around in a complete panic."

I blush slightly as I nod. "That was exactly it. Luckily, I was found in time, but I got amused looks all day long."

-Well, I think everyone has their little moments of panic. It's part of the charm of the job, he says with a shrug. "You're never safe from a surprise."

-I'm glad you like it, he replies with a genuine smile. "It's true that it's nice to take a break, to just... talk."

I nod, appreciating this moment of simplicity. But I barely have time to savor this break when someone interrupts us.

-Huyn, Nolan, we need you on set, an assistant announces his professional tone ending our discussion.

Nolan and I exchange a last knowing look before getting up.

-Huyn, he says, his smile turning into a more serious expression, "take care of yourself"

I look at him surprised before answering: you too.