Before They Were Stars - Amy and Ali

"While you are staying inside the villa itself?" Amy asked with a slight hint of suspicion in her tone. Ali gave a "be careful" glance at her friend but didn't interrupt her.

I nodded and said, "Yes, while I would normally stay in the guest house if I was here by myself, I will be in the main house and allow you two to use the guest house. I was actually planning to stay in the main house anyway since I am expecting to have another guest for a couple of days."

"How much will you charge us to stay in the guest house?" Ali asked.

I smiled and said, "The operative word in guest house is 'guest'. If you choose to stay there, you will be my guests and no compensation from you would be accepted. You could either eat meals in the main house with me, or we could go shopping to allow you to prepare your own meals in the guest house kitchen."

"Will you excuse us for a minute?" Amy asked, and I knew as she and Ali stepped away from the table and moved to the other side of the rooftop that she wanted to have a private conversation with Ali concerning my suggestions on their accommodations.

When they returned to the table, they didn't take their seats. Amy asked, "Who else will be at the villa beside the three of us and possibly one other guest? I mean, are their staff there or other members of your family?"

I motioned towards their chairs, encouraging them to retake their seats. Ali did so willingly, but Amy was a bit more hesitant. When they were both seated and paying attention to me, I told them, "An old acquaintance of mine, Andrea Tafi is one of the favorites to win the Giro di Lombardia this year. He has asked if he could stay at the villa before the race, but he hasn't committed to that plan yet. There is a full-time housekeeper who also serves as the cook, as well as a full-time groundskeeper. They both have separate living quarters above the garages."

"So only six people will be there," Amy confirmed, "if your friend shows up."

"Actually staying at the villa, yes," I said. "However, the villa is a popular location for filming movies and I use it as a backdrop for many of my photo campaigns for clients. I will have an assistant dropping by frequently over the next several days as I work on the photos for the Ferrari campaign and scenes for a movie are being filmed on the property at various times."

"Will they need any extras," Ali asked excitedly.

I debated how much to share with Amy and Ali about the type of movie that was being shot around the villa. I was certain that once they found out that the director was Lasse Braun and that the name of the film he was working on was "Diamonds are for Pleasure", they would do everything possible to avoid the film crew entirely. I tried to divert their curiosity.

"Do you aspire to be an actress?" I asked Ali.

"We both do," Ali said, nodding towards Amy. "We plan to move back to Los Angeles together in a few months to try breaking into either television or movies. Amy already has some contacts that will help line us up with an agent."

"Going back to us possibly staying at the villa's guest house," Amy said, "we would like to find some way to repay your generosity. We're more than capable of paying you something for letting us stay there."

"I'll tell you what," I said. "Let me discuss it with my assistant when I see her and I might be able to find a way to use you both in the Ferrari campaign. You don't have any exclusive contracts that would prohibit you from being in one of my photoshoots, do you?"

"No," Amy said, "we're completely open in that regard. Use us how?"

"I'm not sure just yet," I confessed. "However, it might involve you wearing a variety of outfits, including swimwear. Are you both okay with that?"

"Amy rocks a bikini," Ali giggled.

Amy smacked her friend's arm and said, "And like you don't."

Turning to me, she added, "Topless is okay as long as it is artfully presented and is completely integrated into the concept of the image."

I chuckled and said, "I find very few requests for topless images from my corporate clients. They feel it tends to detract from the product they are trying to sell."

Amy glanced once more at Ali, who nodded in reply to some silent communication between them. "Okay," Amy said. "We'll check out this guest house of yours."

Ali nodded again and asked, "Can we get the check so that we can pay for lunch?"

"There is no check," I informed them. "I am a significant investor in this wine bar so my guests and I eat here for free. That's why I chose it when you insisted on paying for lunch."

Ali laughed, but Amy just grinned and said, "Maybe we should give your invitation some more thought. You can be a sneaky one."

I let the two girls follow me down the stairway in case one of them slipped on the way. Fortunately, everyone made it to the bottom safely. After retrieving their bags and packs we all bid farewell to Mario and Sophia. I carried each of their duffle bags as they donned their daypacks and followed me back to the ferry terminal.

When we reach the Ferrari, I opened the trunk and we stored all of their belongings amongst the camera equipment already there. When I opened the passenger door, the two girls stood and looked at the interior of the car with questioning expressions.

"How's this supposed to work?" Ali asked. "There are only two seats."

"You're both skinny enough," I teased, "and we only have to drive a few miles. Ali, why don't you get in first and spread your legs, and then Amy, you sit between Ali's legs. The seatbelt will fit around both of you."

Ali simply shrugged her shoulders and climbed onto the seat, spreading her legs as I had suggested. Amy watched her friend get settled and then negotiated placing herself between Ali's legs without any difficulty. Their biggest challenge came with finding room for their four feet on the narrow floorboard. I pulled the seatbelt out so that Amy could bring it around her body and fasten it on the other side of the seat.

I closed their door and walked around to the driver's side. Once situated, I put the key into the ignition and heard both girls gasp when the engine roared to life. Driving the Ferrari 550 Maranello on the streets of Bellagio was akin to walking a Cirneco Del Etna around a Greyhound track on a leash with the rabbit lures constantly being launched. The car strained to race as if it knew instinctively what it was designed and built for. I could see the disappointment in the eyes of bystanders as I navigated the narrow, curving streets with restraint.

"That's Miralago up here on the right," I informed my passengers as we approached the Bed and Breakfast on Via Pescallo. I didn't expect them to still be interested in the place, but I did want them to know that had been truthful with them when describing its proximity to my family's villa. This became even more evident as I turned left almost immediately after passing Miralago and pulled up to a security gate. I entered a code using the ten-key pad and waited for the gates to swing open.

I drove around the long circular driveway, passing several trucks, vans, and cars that had been pulled off and parked on the grass beside the drive. The drive forked just before rejoining the entry drive, with a right taking me to the parking pad and the carriage house with five garage bays and three apartments above them. None of the film crew were visible on the exterior of the house, so I assumed that they were filming interior scenes today. Good.

After exiting the car, I went around to open the door for Amy and Ali. Amy already had the seatbelt unfastened when I offered her my hand to assist her with climbing over Ali's lap to exit the car. Since her feet were essentially wedged between Ali's on the floorboard, swinging them out and standing could not be easily accomplished. I took a chance at offending her by placing my hands under her arms and easily lifting her out of the car. She couldn't have weighed more than one-hundred and ten pounds and I could feel her toned body beneath her blouse. I set her down beside the car and proceeded to assist Ali by simply giving her my hand and helping her rise out of the seat to stand on her own.

"If we go anywhere else as a group," I said, "we can take the Mercedes sedan in the garage. Let's get your stuff to the guest house and then I'll show you around."

Ali and Amy once again each took their respective daypack as I shouldered both of their duffle bags and led them across a flagstone path to the secluded guest house. I pulled a key out of my pocket and unlocked the door, holding it open for my guests to enter. I pocketed the key and left the door open as I followed them inside.

"There are two bedrooms through that door, each with a queen-size bed and its own private bathroom," I explained. "There is a private courtyard that overlooks the lake through the door on the other side of the kitchen. There is a table and chairs so that you can view the lake while taking your meals out there if you'd like."

Amy and Ali gazed around the guest house with their mouths agape. "It's beautiful," Amy said.

"Oh, man! This place is spectacular," agreed Ali.

The furnishings were a carefully selected combination of empire and neoclassical styles. The paint on the walls was a neutral palette that provided the perfect background for the various painting and photographs of Lake Como and the Lombardy region. When open, the large windows allowed for ample light and breezes from outside, so the entire house made a person feel constantly connected to the lake and its natural surroundings.

"Let me open the windows while you two select which bedrooms you want to stow your stuff," I told them. "Then I'll take you on a tour of the rest of the villa."

Ali and Amy both came over to me and took their respective duffle bag from my shoulder and scurried giggling towards the bedrooms. I made quick work of opening and securing the drapes at each window before opening them and feeling the cool mid-Autumn breeze from the lake. I waited by the front door for the girls to return and handed them a set of keys for the guest house before leading them out. I was surprised when Ali took my right hand in hers at the same time that Amy took my left.

I nodded at a different flagstone path than the one that we had taken from the car and said, "This path leads past the gardens to the lakeshore. Let's walk along the lake so you can see what is there for your enjoyment should you choose to partake of any of it."

Beside the wooden floating dock with a small sailboat tied to it stood a brick-walled boathouse. I explained, "Inside there, you will find two jet skis, paddleboards, life vests, and an assortment of other water sports paraphernalia. Feel free to use anything that interests you."

"The scenery here is so beautiful," Amy said.

"And very peaceful," added Ali.

"The eastern side of the Larian triangle is the least populated area of the lake," I explained. "Much of it has been owned by the aristocracy of society for centuries."

"The Larian triangle is the peninsula like piece of land that separates the two southern branches of the lake, right?" Amy asked. "My Italian isn't that good, but I think that is what I understood from the brochures about the lake."

"Very good," I told her. "The water level in the lake is pretty high right now, so there isn't much room on the shore, but the dock makes a good place to sunbathe if you wish to do so by the lake. Otherwise, if you'll follow me, I'll show you the pool area."

I felt both girls squeeze my hands in agreement with my suggestion. We walked up a short, gravel paved path until the ground leveled out onto another flagstone path that led to the large pool area at the back of the villa's main building. Several people were sitting around tables who appeared to be reviewing some sort of documents and I knew instantly that they were part of the film crew or cast for the movie scenes being shot inside the villa. I saw someone that I recognized and headed in that direction.

"È bello vederti, Anita," I said in greeting to the masculine-looking woman sitting alone at one of the tables. "Come procede il film?"

Anita Bellusco glanced up and smiled, "It's good to see you too, Stephan. We are a bit behind schedule, but otherwise, the film is progressing nicely. Who are your beautiful guests?"

"My apologies," I said. "Amy, Ali, this lovely lady is Anita Bellusco. She is one of the most prominent film producers in Italy. Anita, this is Amy," I nodded to the girl on my left, "and this is Ali," I nodded to the girl on my right."

"You're both very beautiful," Anita said as she lowered her sunglasses and examined each girl very closely. "Please sit and join me, all of you."

I turned to Amy and she simply shrugged. I received the same response from Ali, so I pulled out chairs for both of them before taking the final chair at the table for myself.

"I met Amy and Ali this morning on the ferry from Mennagio and have invited them to use my guest house for as long as they desire," I explained. "I was just giving them a tour of the villa when I saw you sitting here and wanted to say hello. Is Lasse inside?"

"Yes," Anita said. "We're going to be wrapping up for the day in a couple of hours so he is getting all the continuity checks completed. We film the party scene tomorrow and it will be a full day of shooting so he doesn't want to waste any time with mistakes that might delay things further."

"What is this movie about?" Amy asked.

Anita became excited as she gave a synopsis of the film, "The story is about Isabella, a sensual, upcoming Italian-American rock star, who lives in London. Isabella's steady Canadian boyfriend Brian is extremely jealous and he thinks he possesses her. When they split up, a disillusioned Isabella leaves for Amsterdam and she becomes a famous escort-girl in a well-known brothel. Beside the excitement of the new experiences Isabella gains, she saves money to start a travel agency with her Dutch girlfriend, but when Isabella gets involved with the smuggling of diamonds, her former boyfriend helps her. We're filming the brothel scenes inside the villa over the next several days."

"What is the film going to be rated?" Ali asked.

Anita smiled warmly at Ali and said, "We are filming with the intention of having both European and American distribution agreements. Certain scenes will need to be edited out for the American market in order to attain an 'R' rating. There won't be many gratuitous sex scenes, but there is both male and female full-frontal nudity, some bondage, and other fetish-type scenes that wouldn't make it past the American censors."

"Oh," Ali said with obvious disappointment in her voice. Anita noticed this and glanced at me.

"Amy and Ali are both currently fashion models working in Milan," I explained. "They aspire to eventually become actresses, but I believe they are afraid of accepting roles that might get them labeled as something other than serious mainstream performers."

Anita nodded her head in understanding and said, "I am very familiar with the moral stigmas that American society places upon certain types of roles. Here in Italy, we have progressed well beyond those immature judgmental beliefs. For example, there have been dozens of former pornographic performers elected to every level of public office once their film careers ended. Even so, producers and directors still are forced to make accommodations to performers from time to time."

"You mean like using body doubles for performers who don't feel comfortable with nudity or sex scenes, things like that?" Amy asked.

Anita nodded and laughed, "I don't know of an instance where a body double has been used for years now, but those are the types of accommodations that have been done in the past. These days, the accommodations are more likely to be things like ensuring that condoms are used when requested by the actress or obscuring the performer's face through either digital post-production techniques or the use of a mask while performing if it can be integrated into the scene."

Amy looked at Ali again and the two once more seemed to be sharing some silent communication between them. Anita and I sat quietly and watched the two friends.

Finally, I said, "Well, I need to finish the tour with my guests before Deidre gets here."

Amy and Ali stood, and I joined them. Anita stood and shook the hand of both girls and said, "You're both very beautiful. If you are serious about a career in films, come see me while you are here and we'll discuss your options."

"Thank you Miss Bellusco," the girls said in unison.

The tour of the house was abbreviated due to the filming taking place, so we ended up back at the guest house in about fifteen minutes. The girls did get introduced to the housekeeper, Francesca, and came away with a basket full of fruit, cheeses, assorted rolls, and a bottle of Pinot Grigio to sustain them until dinner.

As I helped them unpack the basket in the kitchen of the guest house, Ali asked, "Is it okay for us to use the pool with the film crew still working in the villa?"

"Of course," I assured her. "The filming is all taking place in specific rooms of the main house. Anita and some of the cast or crew might hang around the pool area when they're not needed inside, but it is not part of their temporary domain while they're here. You two are my guests, so you have free rein on the pool and anyplace else where active filming isn't taking place."

Opening cupboards and checking the inventory in the kitchen, Amy asked, "Do you think Francesca would mind if me and Ali cooked dinner for all of us here. You know, you, me, Ali and your racing friend if he shows up? We'd like to do something to show our appreciation."

"No, I'm sure that Francesca wouldn't mind," I said. "I'll mention it to her when I get back to the villa. However, don't include Andrea. If he shows up at all, it won't be until tomorrow."

"So, just the three of us?" Amy confirmed with a smile at Ali that I'm certain once again conveyed some secret communication between the two of them. "How does six-thirty work for you?"

"Perfect," I said as I headed for the front door. I stopped beside the telephone sitting on a small table and pointed, "There is a card here with a list of extensions for various locations around the villa. Just dial the extension for the location you want to reach and you'll be connected. The extension for this phone is on the dial as well, so if one of you is at the pool, let's say, you could use the phone there to call this phone."

I wasn't surprised when Ali came out of the kitchen and hugged me, but receiving the same from Amy was not expected. She had seemed much more reserved where I was concerned, but maybe she was warming up to me and letting down some of the guard that she had kept in place all day.

Leaving the girls to their own devices, I returned to the main house and to the study where my assistant, Deidre, was waiting for me. While her name might conjure up images of a sultry, blonde Aryan goddess with a heavy Germanic accent when she speaks, my Deidre was a feisty Jamaican with strong Creole features. She was over six-feet tall and weighed somewhere in the range between two-hundred to two-hundred-twenty-five pounds. She also had developed a loyalty to me that every boss dreams of from an assistant.

I spend almost three hours sequestered in the study as Deidre and I reviewed our strategy for the Ferrari campaign. We thought that we had already captured all of the stop motion shots of the car being driven on various roads around the Lombardy region, but several of the shots we had would require significant editing if we were going to be able to use them. Excessive glare on the windshield or unwanted items being reflected in one or more of the windows were the most common issues that we would have to either edit out of the image files or retake the shots.