PDA

"Of course, let's talk about the film. Let's go." Tommy motioned towards the open door and the two budding auteurs made their way for a drink.

*

The pub was a little busier than the previous week, but Liv was still able to find a table. The same surly barman was behind the bar, but at least the music had jumped forward a decade, a recent Gang of Youths track coming out from the speakers placed at the top of the bar. Once they had their drinks Liv opened a notepad, took out a pen from her bag and tapped it on the table.

"Okay, Tom, what are we going to film?"

He had some ideas, one he knew would go close to the bone with Liv, but he was willing to try.

"Well," said Tommy, "I like the idea of some guerrilla style filming, handheld, raw, taking it to the people. Did I ever tell you about the time I shot a film for PDM at school with the screamers?"

Liv looked at him, a perplexed look on her face. "No?"

"See, I had this idea of taking my camera and walking down the street asking random people to stop and scream at the camera. I had no idea if anyone would be game to do it, but it was unbelievable. In less than an hour I had thirty, forty people who had done it, screamed their lungs out, must have been quite cathartic for them."

"Nice", said Liv, "but what does that have to do with our little project?"

"Well, I had the raw footage and then could add whatever effects I wanted. We could do something similar, you don't need any sets, no actors as the public does the work for you. Then we can add in some location shots, music, play around with the look - even have a montage."

Liv pulled a face. "A montage. How very eighties of you."

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I reckon we could do something like that, but instead of screaming, have people kissing." Tom watched Liv's face carefully. "I've always wanted to catch people in that intimate moment, you reveal something of yourself when you are lip to lip, don't you think?"

"What, like the Kiss-Cam at the football? That's so awkward and forced! No-one's going to do that, it's too personal. Besides, what about the cultural sensitivities, a lot of people won't like you shoving a camera in their face. Personal displays of affection? Ugh."

"Then we go somewhere cosmopolitan, progressive. Where there are plenty of people our age. How about the city, Circular Quay and the Botanic Gardens? Or markets - Glebe or Everleigh or Bondi. Bondi! There, let's go to Bondi, plenty of lovers down at the beach."

Liv was unsure of Tommy's idea. She didn't like the thought of intruding in a couple's personal space, didn't like the voyeuristic feeling it gave her. Personal space was just that - personal, and she wouldn't want to feel pushed or even goaded into publicly demonstrating affection for someone else. Not that it mattered to her personally, given her steadfast position on love, but she felt for others.

"Not sure, Tommy, not sure you'll get the buy in from the people. Too intimate a request and these days with social media, people need to be careful."

"I know, but I'm not taking names and addresses, it'll be up to the people to say yes. Please don't overthink this, it's just meant to be a bit of fun and a chance for us to muck around on video."

Liv agreed with that point, the filmmaking was meant to be fun. She was thoroughly enjoying the course and was looking forward to creating a video, she was lacking a creative element in her life, with her studies being quite dry. And Tommy was right, she did tend to overanalyse situations. Maybe this time she could let it slide, see if Tommy was right.

"Okay, big shot, I still think you'll have a lot of people refuse and I want that footage kept as well. But let's give it a try."

Tommy broke out into a huge grin. "Well, well, there is a heart in there, who'd have thought it?"

Liv waved a finger at him. "Don't push it wise guy, I might still change my mind."

"All right, all right, thanks for relenting. I promise this will be fun." Tommy thought he'd chance his arm. "Now we've sorted that problem out, do you fancy a bite to eat? Rocketboy's up the road, their garlic pizza bread is nothing short of awesome"

Liv shook her head. "Easy, Tommy, I agreed to a film subject, not to be wined and dined. You're a friend, but you know it stops there."

The young man sat back in his seat and ran his fingers through his short brown hair.

"Liv, it's just pizza, not an episode of The Bachelor. Besides, with the amount of garlic on those breads there's no way I'd be getting close to anyone." He smiled back at Liv, hoping his light-hearted response would suffice. He just didn't want the night to end, he was enjoying her company and Liv was such a lovely person.

"Sure, but maybe not tonight. I've an 8 a.m. meeting so need to be getting home. Thanks for the drink Tommy, it, it's been good to catch up with you these last two weeks. Just friends, though, okay?"

Tommy nodded, eyes downcast. "Okay, Liv. Just happy to be seeing you again. See you next week then?"

"Of course. Night, Tommy." With that the pretty brunette slipped from her seat and walked slowly out of the pub. Tommy's eyes followed her the whole way, wishing it was next week already.

*

The third and fourth lessons were hands on and the class was a babble of noise as the budding filmmakers got right into their work. Tommy and Liv were no different, scoping out their film plan, trying out their mirrorless cameras and getting to know their functions. The couple had agreed to meet at Bondi Beach the following Sunday morning to start filming their project. Liv passed on drinks that night, in part so Tommy would be forced to take a step back. The young man was disappointed but eager to begin filming on the weekend.

*

Sunday morning dawned. It was a beautiful spring day, early September was one of the best times of the year in Sydney. The days were getting longer, the morning air cool and the humidity of summer was at least a couple of months away. Liv and Tommy had agreed to meet at Gusto on Hall Street for coffee, then start to film. As the two film makers sat and drank, the Sunday morning crowd grew in number. A couple of surfers walked past, away from the beach, their morning routine complete, board under one arm, their wet suits pulled down to expose their chests and ripped abdomens. Several people hurried on their way to a yoga class, mats over their shoulders. They watched a few young families, tourists hand in hand, a lone suit striding down the pavement.

"Don't real estate agents stand out on a beach?" mused Tommy. Liv raised an eyebrow at him and continued to drink her coffee. She still wasn't sure that this was a good idea.

"Let's get this over with, Tommy," she said, draining her cup. The young man stood, grabbed his backpack and headed down the street to the beach.

As they approached the intersection of Campbell Parade, the wind picked up a little. It was a broad, open thoroughfare, with sweeping views of the beach. Tommy could see the water through gaps in the trees, a deep blue flecked with white crests. Crossing the road and walking down towards the promenade, the two saw families at picnic tables, several people lying on the grass slope and the car park filling up with day trippers. Tommy grinned and turned to Liv.

"Plenty of people here already, Liv, I reckon this is the place to be. Ready to film?"

Liv scowled at him. "Like I said, let's get this over with. I know you think Bondi is the melting pot of all things progressive and loving, but it is Sunday morning and you're about to shove a camera in people's faces. Not sure I'd want that, least someone I've never met asking me to make protestations about love."

Tommy shook his head. "No, you've got it all wrong. I just want to ask two people to kiss on camera, that's all. I'm hoping, well, trusting that there will be some people here who are happy to join in. You take out of it what you want - I know you have a problem with personal displays of affection, but this is just meant to be a bit of fun."

It was Liv's turn to shake her head. "Whatever," she muttered. The two continued walking down to the promenade. There were a good number of people out walking, several people standing looking out to the water. Tommy had taken the camera out of his backpack and had turned it on to the video setting, checking the light as the sun was shining off the water, causing him to squint a little.

"Let's do this, Liv," said the young man. Tommy pressed record and walked up to a couple standing by the edge of the promenade, looking back up at Bondi Pavilion. They looked a similar age to Tommy and Liv and were holding hands. Tommy assumed they were tourists, given the boyfriend was wearing a Bondi surf school t-shirt, not usually the fashion for locals.

"G'day," said Tommy, hamming up his Aussie accent. Liv punched him in the arm.

"Sorry to bother you, but we're film students making a movie and I've bet my beautiful friend here that people in Bondi like having a bit of fun and they would love an opportunity to kiss on camera. Am I right?" Tommy smiled at the couple, hoping they'd take his request in good faith.

The young man looked at Tommy for a couple of seconds then gave a small smile and shrugged his shoulders. He turned to look at his girlfriend, who replied to Tommy, "sure, why not," in a latino accent. The two began to kiss, softly and tenderly, when they stopped after a few seconds the couple touched their foreheads together and closed their eyes. Tommy stood, transfixed, staring into the viewfinder of the camera. Liv felt a strange feeling, a mix of awkwardness and happiness - awkward at watching a couple she'd never met be rather intimate in front of her, and happiness in that she liked that the two were clearly content together. Which made her feel even stranger.

The young woman turned to Liv and Tommy. "Was that okay for you?" she said, smiling.

"Fantastic!" said Tommy, "more than okay. You have a great day and thank you for being such good sports." He couldn't believe that the very first couple he had walked up to had been so into it. This fired up the young man and he grabbed Liv by the arm and started walking quickly down the promenade.

"How good was that!" he said to Liv.

Liv thought for a few seconds before replying. "That, that was strangely satisfying. Against my better judgement it was nice to see two people who are clearly in love. What are you doing to me, Tom?"

Tommy laughed. "See, I told you you'd come around. Let's go ask some more people." He spotted another young couple standing by the barriers. Tommy went into his spiel again, before he could finish the young man looked at the woman next to him then back to Tommy.

"Sorry mate, I'm afraid I don't know this lovely woman. Can't help you," he said. The woman looked at Tommy and laughed softly. "True, I don't know him either. Sorry."

Tommy felt foolish that he had assumed the two were a couple. Emboldened by the first pair, he tried again.

"Okay, sorry about that, but I saw the two of you together and you looked so natural that I assumed you were a couple. Sure you won't reconsider?" He raised an eyebrow at them and put on a hopefully cheeky grin.

The woman turned to the man and looked him up and down. He wore a tight fitting Billabong t-shirt and board shorts, a surfer judging by the bleach blonde hair puffing out from under his baseball cap. The young woman smiled and held out a hand.

"Hi, I'm Rose."

The young man started. "Oh, hi Rose, I'm Jackson. Good to meet you." The two shook hands rather affectedly, then Rose leaned into Jackson and kissed him for a few seconds. Tommy was amazed.

"Thanks Rose, thanks Jackson, have a great day!" The two turned back to Tommy and smiled. "No worries," said Jackson," that's made my day."

Liv couldn't believe what she'd just seen. Maybe Tommy was right after all and people were just relaxed and happy on a beautiful Sunday morning. She thought she'd better get in on the action.

"Okay Tommy, my turn to shoot now." She held out her hands for the camera, which Tommy gave to her.

"Wow, how about those two, weren't they great!" Tommy was buzzing now, happy that the people he'd spoken to were so open.

"Sure, Tom, that was odd but fun. Let's get moving, a few more people and then we can take some scenic shots of the beach. We can get some good shots from the reserve at North Bondi."

For the next half hour, Liv ran the camera work. They had a fair level of success, some couples shyly declining but another five happy to join in. The more couples they had filmed, the better Liv felt. It was somewhat cathartic to see people being free in their feelings and okay with it being in public. She still felt it unlikely that she would ever feel so open, but she could at least begin to see Tommy's point of view. Not that she'd be admitting it. Yet.

By ten a.m. the two film makers had captured fifteen couples on video and were secretly very pleased with themselves. They agreed to try for one last pair and then go to North Bondi, to take some shots looking back across the beach. As Liv scoured the people in front of her, she suddenly felt her chest tighten and she began to shake. Walking towards her were her own parents, hand in hand. Liv stood still and gave a small cry. Tommy looked at her.

"Hey, what's the matter, you look like you've seen a ghost," he said. Liv pointed towards her parents, who were about twenty metres away and hadn't yet seen their daughter.

"Tom...it's...it's my parents!" Liv turned to Tommy, a distraught look on her face. Tommy quickly put an arm around Liv. He looked towards where she was pointing and spotted her parents straight away.

"Okay, let's take this easy. There will be a good explanation for this, let's go ask them."

"No! I don't want them to see me! I'm so confused, what are they doing together?" Liv's face was twisted in apprehension.

"Come on, Liv, this is no time to hide. I'll go and ask them." He began to walk towards Liv's parents.

"No, Tommy, no," Liv hissed. He didn't stop so Liv gave up and ran after him. A few steps later and she was standing in front of her parents, who oblivious to the world around them, were looking into each other's eyes and smiling.

Slowly, her mother seemed to sense that someone was looking at her. She turned her head and was suddenly looking directly into her daughter's eyes. Liv's mother was startled, her hand flew to her mouth and covered it.

"Liv, darling, what are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you two the same question," Liv said, coldly.

Liv's father reached out a hand and put it gently on Liv's arm.

"It's okay, sweetheart, we can explain."

Liv crossed her arms in front of her. "Okay, this better be good. I thought you two hated the sight of each other, wasn't that what you've been telling me, Mum?"

Her mother shook her head. "Liv, we certainly used to feel that way, for a long time. But we bumped into each other at the shops a couple of weeks ago. Instead of running in the other direction, your Dad, for once, decided to be polite and asked if I wanted to get a coffee. So we had a coffee, fell into a calm and sensible conversation and realised what we'd both been missing. We're not back together, but we're taking tiny steps to see if we can recapture some of what we lost through the breakup."

Liv was silent. Inside her head was spinning with this revelation. For years now she had been using her parents' divorce as proof that love was not enough. That life could be compartmentalised, emotions kept in check, hurt and betrayal fenced off. After all, why waste thirty years of your life loving someone who turns around one day and hurts you terribly. And now, was her emotional cocoon for naught?

"Liv, I know this is hard for you to process, which is why we hadn't told you anything," said her father, softly. "But the reality is that life is too short to hold hatred in your heart, especially after we meant so much to each other for so long. Like the old song goes, it's a thin line between love and hate. We've just crossed back over that line." He smiled at Liv. "We'll work it out, all of us."

Liv dropped her hands by her side and looked dumbly at her parents. "I...I just don't know what to think," she said, quietly. "But I guess I'm happy for you both, if you're happy."

"Right now, we are," said her mother, who took a step forward and embraced her daughter.

"I'll call you later this afternoon, okay? Give you some time to work this out in your mind. Take care, darling." With a peck on her cheek, her mother began to walk down the promenade. Her father gave a short wave and followed.

Tommy had been silent during the whole exchange, standing several metres away, not wanting to intrude. The video camera dangled from his right hand, unused. He now walked towards Liv, put an arm across her shoulders.

"Liv, are you okay?" he asked. His friend nodded, biting her lip.

"What, what just happened?" she said, plaintively.

"I think that was proof that Love is Enough," Tommy replied, squeezing her shoulder.

*

The two friends slowly walked back towards South Bondi, each lost in their own thoughts. Several times Tommy started to say something to Liv but couldn't think of the right words to express what he was feeling. Liv trudged painfully slowly down the promenade, head down. They reached the start of the mural wall when Liv stopped and put out a hand, as though bracing herself. Her long brown hair shrouded her face, as she took a couple of deep breaths. Finally, she spoke.

"You know, Tommy, I don't think what's going on with my parents changes anything, it doesn't change my point of view. I still don't see the point of deliberately putting yourself at risk of being hurt. I don't need it," she said, waving a dismissive hand towards her friend.

Tommy stood still for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He could stay the stable, understanding friend and agree to disagree with Liv. But what he had just seen and heard did change things. He decided to confront Liv, once and for all.

"Liv, don't you see, this is why your insistence on love is not enough is wrong? Your own parents, who made you, they're telling you it's okay to be vulnerable, to experience hurt. Everyone goes through it, everyone. And the more you experience, the better the highs of knowing true love. You can, I know, I know you." Tommy's words were quiet but firm, holding Liv's eyes for as long as he could. Deep down, he hoped she had connected with his words, but he could see Liv tense, her nostrils flare. This wasn't going to be the soft landing he wished for.

"Tommy, you don't know. You can't know! And any character assessment of me by you is a waste of time, it's foolish!" Liv was angry, she felt under attack from him which was disorienting - he had always been the listener, prompting her to discover her feelings but never forceful in his opinions. Now that he'd seen her parents attempting to resolve their differences it seemed as though Tommy felt he could now criticise Liv for her strong, till now unwavering views.

Tommy turned to Olivia, shaking his head slowly.

"No, I'm not being foolish. I know you better than you think, and there is a real, beating heart in your chest that is crying out for someone. You've spent years pushing people away, insulating yourself from perceived harm. But it isn't real. You've padlocked a steel door over your heart and dared the world not to care. Well, I care. I really care."

Liv looked back at Tommy, her eyes glazing over. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear this, not from Tommy. She walked slowly to the metal barrier and leant on it, head bowed. The blood pounded in her ears and she struggled to keep her breathing calm. For one, two minutes, Liv held onto the barrier, still. Tommy stood and stared at her back, not daring to move. Finally, she turned to face him. A few strands of brown hair fell over her cheek, she squinted to see him in the mid-morning glare.