Mirror Images Ch. 03

"I hadn't realized that the other primary roles had already been filled. I'm glad to have the opportunity to try out for Love. Yes, I'm confident I have what it takes."

"That's excellent Brennan. You have an interesting last name, it's Scandinavian correct? Can you help me with the pronunciation? I'd like to be able to introduce you correctly."

"Yes, I'm part Swedish. But I'm also Irish and German. Or my ancestors were. And Bjorklund isn't really difficult to pronounce. Just pronounce the 'j' as if it were a 'y'."

Brennan had been waiting to ask Bill something that had been troubling her since she learned that she would be flying to LA to audition. "Bill, I hope this doesn't sound rude, but I was curious about other work you've done. I googled you and did an AI search and didn't find anything."

"Ha. Good for you. That's right. This is my first sojourn into TV or screen play as a director. I've been in the movie industry for quite a while but behind the scenes. But I do know the industry inside and out. I was finally given the chance to try creating and directing a series. A benefactor recognized my creativity and gave me this opportunity."

"Oh, that's really nice. I hope I have the chance to help make your goal, this series, a reality."

Bill Carler smiled, "I'm so optimistic about that Brennan. I was promised a bonus by the producer, which will be shared with the actors, if we're able to be successful with this project. I hope you're the missing piece of the puzzle.

"Alright now Brennan B(y)orklund. I don't mean to be abrupt, but you have work to do. I'd like you to memorize your part for the screenplay and be ready for a run through tomorrow with the other three actors. I believe you know the premise of the pilot episode. Two couples on honeymoon meet each other. But it quickly gets complicated."

---

The following morning Bill Carler walked up to Brennan as she was sipping her latte. Three other people stood a short distance behind him. Brennan had been running through the screenplay in her mind, going over her lines and imagining that she was Love, the character she would be playing.

"Good morning Brennan. I hope you were able to get some rest. Think you have the screenplay down?"

"Yes, thanks Bill. I hope so. I'm usually pretty quick learning my lines."

"Fantastic. I'd like you to meet the other three you'll be working with today. Jason, Lily, and Travis I'd like you to meet Brennan Bjorkland. She's trying out for the part of Love. Brennan has been doing theater in NYC. Brennan, Lily is from right her in LA, Jason works out of London, and Travis is from Chicago."

"Hey Brennan. It's so good to meet you," said Lily. I've been putting up with these two for the past week. It's nice to have another woman on board."

"Yes indeed," said Jason. "I'm your husband you know," he joked. "So I'm glad to make your acquaintance."

"You sound like you're from Scotland rather than England, Jason," remarked Brennan.

"Yes. Good ear, or shell-like. Bu' i can play a bri' if i really ave' 'o," he spoke, changing to a strong Cockney accent. "Or I can even play one of you Americans as I've been asked to do for this upcoming production," he said in a flat American accent." He smiled at Brennan. Brennan laughed in amusement.

"And I can't change my accent at all I'm afraid." Said Travis. "I'm Just a guy from Chicago."

"Don't believe him Brennan," Bill smiled. "Travis has truly special talents. I hope you'll have the chance to experience them."

"It's so nice to meet all of you," said Brennan happily. All three actors seemed so nice, and they made such agreeable first impressions.

"Brennan, I know you haven't worked on a screenplay before. Your colleagues here weren't experienced either, but they've become remarkably adept over the course of the week. Just start as if you were working in theater. Of course when we shoot for real, we'll have to coordinate time of day and other prerequisites of setting. But for now, just use your imagination and go with it.

"We'll be recording as we go, partly so that you get used to the cameras. The camera in front will be used to capture an overview, the larger scene, and the two on the sides will generally be used for closeups of faces during dialog. Also, I'll be going over the footage later and see whether you fit in the role of Love.

"I know this is formally an audition, but I'd like it if you can just go with it, relax, and not worry too much. Based on what I heard from Diana, I have high confidence that you'll do superbly. Sound good?"

"Yes. I'll admit that I'm a bit nervous. But I'm ready."

"Fantastic. Oh, I almost forgot to have you sign the release form before we start." The director took a small stack of papers out of his briefcase. "This describes payment rate, should you be selected for a primary role. It's initially $50K/episode but could be more if we're successful, gives your permission to release footage that might be useful for promotion and production, and there's the usual disclaimers about risk, etc. that the lawyers make us put in. Would you like to read through it?"

Brennan had been thinking about her upcoming lines, about not looking directly at the cameras, and hoping that she would jive well with the other three actors. She was anxious to start.

"It's okay," she replied, taking the papers and quickly signing. "I'll have a closer look later."

"Please, please, please let me do well and be selected for the part." she thought.

Brennan was thrilled about the possible money. She had been scrapping by for the past two years. But more importantly she knew that this could be the start of something bigger if she did well.

"Any questions?" the Director asked.

"Yes, I have one. After meeting you guys, Jason, Lily, and Travis, I realized that your parts in the script are all your actual names. But my part is 'Love'."

The director laughed. "Good catch. Yes, I had just given preliminary names for my characters and then it occurred to me, why don't we just go with actual first names, as long as they don't clash with the script. You can think of Love as a filler if you like. Should you be selected for the part we can consider going with your real name as well unless you'd prefer something else."

"Oh, I see. Alright."

"Okay everyone, let's start. This is just an informal shoot. So the camerawork doesn't have to be exact. We'll just start on 'action'. Action."

FADE IN:

INT. OF BEACHFRONT RESORT - LOVE AND JASON'S ROOM - EVENING

WE OPEN on a room adorned with tropical flowers, and a soft ocean breeze rustles the curtains. Love and Jason sit on the balcony, overlooking the beach, sipping champagne.

LOVE: (smiling) Can you believe we're here, Jase? Our own little slice of paradise.

JASON:(nodding) It's surreal. I still remember our high school days in Sonoma. Who would've thought we'd end up here?

LOVE: (chuckling) Remember when we used to dream about the future? I never imagined it'd be this perfect.

JASON: (taking her hand) You were always the dreamer, Love. I just wanted to keep up.

LOVE: (looking into Jason's eyes) Life has taken us on quite a journey, hasn't it? From those teenage dreams to this beautiful moment.

JASON: (adoring) And it's only the beginning. I can't wait to see what our future holds.

LOVE: (whispering) I feel so lucky, Jase. Lucky to have met you, grown up with you, and now, to spend my life with you.

JASON:(kissing her forehead) The luck is all mine, Love. Here's to our forever.

FADE OUT:

"Alright, cut. Brennan, fantastic start. I love the way you used your body language along with the dialog. You really made me believe you were in love with Jason. Jason, excellent work as usual. Brennan, you'll note the discourse is intentionally overly emotive and a bit sappy here. The idea is to set a contrast with what's to come later. I thought you did a wonderful job. You actually made the scene seem sincere rather than maudlin. I didn't think that would be possible. Impressive.

"Okay. Let's try a couple additional scenes down on the beach."

---

Bren: OMG I'm so excited. I think I aced it.

Court: ILY Bren. I'm so happy for you.

Bren: The director, Bill, seemed so encouraging and enthusiastic. We worked all day.

Court: When do you know for sure.

Bren: I hope tomorrow. The other actors are so nice.

Court: Who are they?

Bren: I hadn't met them before. They're like me. They haven't made it yet but have a lot of potential.

Court: Have you talked with Sum yet. She was supposed to arrive there today.

Bren: No, I was going to, but I ended up talking with one of the other actors. We talked for almost three hours this evening out on the balcony of my room.

Court: Lol. I'm sensing "heart emoji"

Bren: Court, he has such deep blue eyes. I almost felt hypnotized when I looked into his eyes.

Court: I was kidding. R U serious?

Bren: I know. It sounds like I'm joking.

Court: NFW.

Bren: He has something. An unusual charisma. His name is Travis.

Court: What does he look like?

Bren: pict 1

Court: You took a selfie of the two of you! He is nice looking. I like his dark hair. And he looks athletic and tall. He has a nice smile.

Bren: It's weird. We have so much in common. I feel connected to him even though we just met.

Bren: NGL. It's strange. He checks all my boxes.

Court: I know you. I'm having trouble believing this.

Bren: When he's not acting he travels around the world to climb mountains and explore. And he's a competitive triathlete. He just got back from climbing Aconcagua in Argentina. He comes from a wealthy family but had a falling out with his dad.

Court: What!!!

Bren: I know. And he's an actor so he understands me and why it's important to me. But the strangest part. I'm not sure how to say it without sounding silly.

Court:??

Bren: When I look into his eyes I don't even care about anything else.

Court: Be careful Bren. This sounds too good to be true.

Bren: I know. But I hope it's not. Or that it is. You know what I mean.

As she lay in bed that night, Brennan listened to the sound of the waves through the partially open door of her bedroom overlooking the ocean. She felt relaxed and happy. Happy to have made it through the day. Excited about the possibility of being part of the cast for the series. Thinking about her potential future as a successful actor. She would work in both theater and TV. Maybe she would even be cast in a movie. Travis' image floated in her mind. Why did he make her feel so... ecstatic. What had Bill said exactly -- something about him having special talents and that he hoped she would experience them. "I hope so too," she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

---

"Hi Bill. How did the audition go?"

"She did really well. I was surprised. She's a strong actor," Bill exclaimed enthusiastically as he spoke on his cell.

"Yes. She's talented. But I'm not sure that really matters so much. I suppose it could be a bonus."

"It's more than a bonus. It will make the lead up scenes to the climax so much more convincing. And wow. She's just beautiful. If this works out she'll be a topnotch performer. I'm glad you put me on to her."

"Did you let her know that she has the part?"

"Not yet. But I'm going to let her know first thing in the morning. She knows she did well, so I doubt she'll be surprised. She was extremely bubbly when we finished up. She fit right in with Lily, Jason, and Travis. The four of them spent a long time laughing and talking at dinner.

"Yes, the bubbly part sounds like Brennan. How did it work out afterwards?"

"As expected. Travis worked his magic apparently -- wish I could bottle whatever it is he has. He and Brennan were together in her room this evening. Travis told me the two of them just spent a long time talking out on her balcony, watching the surf and sunset. Brennan talked about her childhood on Long Island and her life in New York City, and Travis told her about his life and included the key details you suggested."

"So things are on schedule?"

"I believe so. I'll have a better idea tomorrow."

"Great. It's important that you remain flexible and not rush things. If Travis doesn't work out for some reason, maybe consider Jason, or.."

"Well, you're the producer," Bill laughed. But no, I'm pretty sure we're on track. I chose Travis for a reason. This isn't the first time he's been involved in helping me acquire new talent. I'll let you know so that you can be here when she's ready. Still the same deal, correct?"

"Yes, you already have half the money. The other half at the end. But if it turns out you need some of the money sooner let me know. I asked you to be flexible. I can be accommodating as well."

"You know," Bill chuckled, "if this works out, I almost feel as though I should be the one paying you. Brennan has the potential to be at the top of the industry."

"Well, I know you're joking -- at least the part about you paying me. Anyway, yes, our original deal still stands. Talk to you tomorrow."

As Summer hung up her phone, she looked over the extensive sparkling vista, the twinkling lights of nighttime LA, from the deck of her hilltop rental apartment. She felt the cool, dry night air swirl over her skin.

"Maybe tomorrow then, or perhaps the day after," she thought. It had taken such a long time; it had even taxed her unusually deep capacity and reserves of patience.

"I wonder whether I'll be able to eventually find my way back to myself. I hope maybe at least a third of the way back in the near future."

She slowly walked back into the apartment.

---

"I can't tell you how excited I am. It almost feels as though I'm soaring through a dream, being cast as one of the leading characters. It's been so long coming." Brennan had just spent the morning and early afternoon shooting scenes from the "Villas of Sunset" pilot episode.

"I'm so happy for you. You deserve to be here though. That's the main thing. Your run through audition yesterday was perfect. I'm excited too, about having the chance to work with you," Travis replied smiling at Brennan.

"Thanks Travis. I was confident last night and had a good feeling about it. I..hey, last evening, I enjoyed being with you. Out by..on the balcony last night."

Brennan felt herself blushing as she looked up at Travis. "Stop it Bren. You're being such a putz," she thought, scolding herself.

"I enjoyed being with you too Brennan -- I liked learning about you. Don't take this the wrong way, but it felt as though we had an immediate rare link, a union of our minds, when I was talking with you. Honestly, I know that sounds like a line, but that's not the way I intend it. I'm sincere." Travis looked directly into Brennan's blue eyes with his own deep blue eyes.

"Travis...," Brennan fought for words, but nothing more came out. She felt her face turn brighter red as he held her gaze.

Travis smiled warmly, "So what do you think of the script? Pretty wild."

Brennan looked out at the ocean, relieved to be able to focus her thoughts on something she could easily discuss. "It's different than the theater, moving around to different locations to shoot different scenes, and some scenes are such short snippets.

"And the script? It's hard for me to judge. It's definitely dramatic. Though it seems a little over the top -- a wife on her honeymoon having an affair with the husband of another honeymooning couple? And to have the other wife encourage it? My method is to always try and place myself in my character. In this case, it's a challenge to switch rapidly from a wife infatuated with her husband to a woman who would go off the rails like that. Almost like I have to play two different characters. But I'll do my best."

"Hey kids," Lily came up between Brennan and Travis, her attractive face framed by her short blond hair. She stood between them and placed her arms around their waists. "You ready for the rest of the episode?"

"I'm a little nervous," Brennan admitted with a worried laugh. "How about you Lily? Have you ever done a scene like mine before?"

"Oh yes. Many times. It's routine in the LA theater. Or at least in the roles I've been selected to play. Just put yourself in the place of your character and don't be self-conscious. Anyway, this should be easier than in theater, since we know that there can be extensive editing after the shoot."

"That's true."

"I assume you spoke with the intimacy coordinator. You told her about your limits? You're not going to have to do anything you're really uncomfortable about?"

"Yes. She was very reassuring. And you're right about the editing."

"Hey, why did you decide against changing your character's name to Brennan?" asked Travis.

"No, actually I wanted to do that, but Bill suggested that it would be better to stick with Love. He thinks Love sounds more feminine. Not a big deal either way. I'm just happy to work with all of you.

---

"Alright you four. I want to make some headway here. We'll shoot the scene in Jason and Love's room first, then the scene with Love and Lily on the beach, and then the last scene with Love and Travis.

"Brennan, you're doing so well. I'm so pleased with how you've been able to jump into this. You mesh well with the other actors."

Brennan smiled brightly at the compliment. "Thanks Bill. Lilly, Jason, and Travis are so easy to work with. I enjoyed doing the nice romantic wife and husband dinner scene on the beach with Jason."

"Okay. Let's do this. Action."

FADE IN:

1 INT. VILLAS OF THE SUN RESORT- LOVE AND JASONS' ROOM -- DAY 1

Love lies on the bed in a red bikini, staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. Jason enters wearing patterned board shorts. He senses something is off.

JASON (concerned) Love, is everything okay?

LOVE (hesitant)I don't know, Jason. I just... I'm questioning things.

JASON (irritated) What's to question?

LOVE (hesitant) I wanted to have fun on our honeymoon. To do new things and have spontaneity.

JASON (impatient) You seem more interested in spending time with Travis and Lily rather than focusing on me. Our honeymoon is supposed to be just about the two of us.

Love rolls over onto her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows.

LOVE (teary) But they're both so much fun and spur-of-the-moment. I can't get you to do anything other than go to dinner and sit by the beach. I want to do other things.

JASON (angry) You better straighten out your priorities Love.

LOVE (teary eyed) Jason, I'm starting to question things. Is this really what our life is going to be like?

Jason smashes his drink against the wall.

JASON (angry) I don't have to sit here and listen to this shit. Get it together.

As Jason leaves the room Love starts to cry.

CUT TO:

2 EXT. BEACH -- SUNSET 2

Lily meets Love walking along the shore in the other direction. Lily is wearing a white string bikini and Love is still wearing the red bikini. Lily has a drink in her hand.

LILY (friendly) Love! I was just thinking about you!

LOVE (friendly with an undercurrent of sadness) Hi Lily. I'm just out for a walk. I needed to get out for a bit.

Love confides in Lily about her doubts and her fight with Jason.

LOVE (becoming teary-eyed) I thought I knew what I wanted, but now I'm not so sure. Did I make a mistake?

LILY (supportive) Are you talking about Jason? It's normal to have doubts, Love. Marriage is a journey, and it's okay to question things.

LOVE (voicing her uncertainty) But Lily this is serious. I'm worried. And Jason knows I'm having trouble right now. I told Jason that I questioned whether we might have made a mistake. He was so angry that he threw a glass and stormed out without speaking to me. How do you and Travis manage things?

LILY (supportive) We have our problems just like everyone else. But, gee, Jason should have been willing to talk with you at least.