I am not able to think straight at the moment. I am hiperventilating thanks to that french article...as @rrennie said....huge Huli footprint...but anyway, moving on...enjoy ;)
LITTLE EDITING sorry I wasn't functioning earlier :P I really need to thank @rrennie for this chapter, 'cause she truly helped me figuring out a few things...making some useful adjustments :) At risk of sounding like a broken record, she is amazing.
Thanks to @Belle, always. upendo wewe woman!
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Previously on December/December:
“Well, at least, I was the one who started it…” he alisema softly “[i]for real. I mean…the one who made the move. You’ve got to give me credit for that…” he jokingly pushed her lightly with his shoulder “I just wanted wewe to hear that. I am sorry.” he alisema softly.
And then, she just rested her head against him, telling all her fears and worries to go to hell for a moment. Just enjoying that feeling of protection that being with him gave her and she had never felt with any other man in her life, before moving away knowing even too well that just one zaidi sekunde of that proximity would lead to another huge mess. And for him, that was like having savoured heaven before suddenly falling back into purgatory, without even knowing whether it had been real au just another dream.
She gathered herself together, turning with her whole body one zaidi time, pushing herself upright and supporting her weight on her hands, smiling tensely at him.
“Well…I guess now that everything’s been said, we can just really be Marafiki after all”.
Hugh looked at the sky for a brief moment, thinking. Then, taking a courage he didn’t know he had until that moment he bit his lower lip, nodded and just lied.
“We can"[/i]
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December/December - Chapter XI
5 March 2010
Jess lay lazily on the kitanda of Lisa’s trailer, his arms stretched above his head. He had been repeatedly tossing a little ball in the air for fifteen dakika already, every time catching it right before it smashed itself over his face.
The ball slipped from his hands, dropping on the floor for the umpteenth time.
Lisa lifted her eyes up.
“Could wewe please stop that? I am trying to focus here…” she said, casting him a teasing reproaching look from the lounge room round meza, jedwali she was sitting at. She was barefoot, with one leg bent over the chair and the other one tucked underneath her.
He just winked at her and outstretched his arm to grab the ball that had rolled its way under the armchair.
“Sorry Ma’am, I’ll be zaidi careful. I am getting the hang of it”
Lisa scoffed amusingly.
“Don’t wewe have something better to do than goofing off in here…tossing a ball in the air?”
Jess kept his eyes fixed on the ball, as it went up and down over his head.
“Nope…” He threw the ball and stretched his arm out just in time to catch it before it touched the floor. He finally lifted his gaze up to her.
“This is a very sad season for poor Chase…as for poor Cuddy…so that makes two goof-offs, since you’ve been locked up in here for zaidi than an saa already”
Lisa stuck her tongue out at him and was about to reply in kind when he pressed on.
“Besides…you shouldn’t keep such fascinating toys in here if wewe wanted to prevent annoying males from sticking round at your place…”
She gazed at him over her glasses “Fascinating toys?!” she asked incredulous “A ball??”
Jess smirked “For your information Miss, balls enshroud an enduring, compelling, irresistible mystery for every man…” he alisema as if he was rattling off a real pearl of universal truth. The ball slipped off his fingers, ending up at Lisa’s feet. She grunted.
Jess looked at her with apologizing puppy-dog eyes
“Sorry, sorry! I promise…I’ll be quiet” he outstretched a foot to make it roll closer to him almost falling off the kitanda in the attempt to not songesha a single muscle zaidi than the ones that were strictly necessary.
She dropped her mouth open, shaking her head in amused resignation.
“Ok, fine. But just…STOP dropping it on the floor…” she admonished jokingly, going back to her business. Jess restarted his game off
“Anyway…” she alisema flipping absentmindedly back and forth through the pages of her agenda, picking up from where he had cut her off before “I am here cause I have work to do today….they should come and call me any minute…” This wasn’t exactly true. They were supposed to shoot her scene around noon, but she couldn’t sleep well last night, and had got up feeling slightly restless this morning, so she had thought she had better start her siku earlier and be on set in good time.
“…what’s your excuse?” she asked inquiringly, scratching out an appointment.
Jess peered sideways at her, trying to read her face. She was trying to place everything in the right order, to see whether she might find a hole in her schedule to sneak her John-guy in, rather than just leaving sooner for London as he had asked her to. Apparently, the guy had complained they would spend not enough time together and so she was trying to find a way to please him now.
Lisa lifted her head up, tilting it on one side.
“Aww, wewe were missing me…weren’t you?” she teased pouting slightly.
Jess ceased to play for a moment, turning to her with a smirk on his face
“You got me. I confess. I just can’t stay away from you…” he alisema melodramatically bringing his right hand up to his heart, as if was taking an oath “…I have gotten bewitched kwa your enchanting eyes my Lady. Please, doth me the honour of delighting my sight with your…”
But he couldn’t finish the sentence off, because Lisa had already took a cushions from on of kiti, kiti cha and thrown it at him. They burst out laughing and she was back working on her schedule.
“Here we go, have a nice siku sweetheart. I gotta rush. I have a meeting in a few minutes” Gabriella said, leaning over to kiss Robert on his lips. He kissed her back, peering over her head. Hugh was walking through the parking lot. It looks like he had slept in his trailer tonight.
“Thanks for driving me by” he said, averting his eyes from him, smiling at her with tenderness.
She smiled him back teasingly “You’re welcome. We both know cars are not your thing after all. It’s zaidi a matter of road safety than a personal favour”
He smirked “Very funny…” he saw Hugh stopping in front of the entrance. He was laughing at his phone screen.
Gabriella followed his gaze “Oh Hugh! Say hi to him from me…it’s ages he doesn’t stop by…you should invite him for chajio, chakula cha jioni sometimes…”
“He had been busy…” he alisema sharply.
She frowned. She knew about Hugh’s situation at home. In broad lines at least. “Doing what exactly?”
Robert stared at Hugh across the parking lot: he was leaning against the all, texting. He seemed like he was choking laughs back.
“He’s been…renewing old bonds, lately”
She moved her head away from his a little bit, staring into his eyes “Everything’s ok between the two of you?”
He sighed “Yeah…we are fine” he said, his eyes, always concernedly fixed on Hugh.
She turned her head looking at him too “How’s he doing? He looks better…don’t wewe think?” she asked turning to him with a little smile on her face.
“Yeah…yeah…he does look better…although…I’m not sure he really knows what he’s doing au where he’s going…”
“You worried about him?” she asked leaned backwards against her seatback, still looking at him.
Hugh wasn’t the only one he was worried about to tell the truth.
“I am his friend…I don’t want him to end up….” he paused struggling for the right word without finding it this time “…I don’t know…” he cut off shrugging.
He really don’t know what the issue was anymore, which one among all the things he had been noticing these days was bugging him the most au was triggering this inexplicable sense of annoyance he had been feeling towards his friend. He just felt frustrated.
She titled her head on one side “You should just talk to him” she alisema nodding knowingly.
He rolled his eyes scoffing lightly then he reached for the handle, pulling the door open and stepped out of the car, bending down to the window “You have no idea what you’re talking about…talking to Hugh it’s like running into the buffers most of the time. The guy needs to bang his head hard against something, before he even starts listening to you…” he alisema slightly exasperated already.
She started the engine, smiling at him “Give it a try. I know you’ll doing the right thing in the end”
“Do we really need to shoot all of these scenes…by today?” Hugh asked lifting his eyes from his agenda and giving a confused look around at all the different settings that had been already set up.
Straiton stretched his hand out to grab a doughnut from the box on the meza, jedwali “Yeah sorry about that man….I know it’s lots of scenes. This episode is a real drag for you…”
He quickly justified himself, clenching his teeth. That was not what he meant.
“No it’s not that…” Hugh alisema gesticulating “I swear. It’s a GREAT episode. I read it all and….and Doris and David did a terrific job, seriously…It’s just that….I hoped we might be finishing a little bit earlier today. That’s all…” he alisema rubbing his nape and looking confusedly around one zaidi time.
But Straiton wasn’t even listening already. Someone was calling him from across the room: a light seemed to be dangling off the roof in a way that didn’t look right. He snorted, throwing the doughnut away and he grabbed a napkin, cleaning his mouth.
“Apparently, I am urgently needed elsewhere…one can’t even have breakfast” he alisema springing on his feet and rushing away.
“You shouldn’t be complaining wewe know…” Robert alisema leaning against the table, calmly stirring his coffee “At least wewe didn’t have to get up at 7.30 and drive all the way to the set just to shoot one single scene on a bloody Friday morning of March…It’s 9 am for God’s sake…”
Hugh felt someone giving him a slap on his back.
“Someone’s feeling neglected around here…huh?” David alisema suddenly inaonyesha up at their backs. He cast a mocking look at Robert “Don’t worry Hugh he is just being an ass…he’s always like that when he is quitting caffeine cold turkey”.
Robert limited himself to scoff sipping his coffee. He realized that feeling of annoyance was already stirring inside him, with no apparent reason. Maybe he had been suppressing his thoughts for too long and now he felt like a time bomb ready to explode under the smallest strain, whatever Hugh did au said.
“Anyway…” David kept on” …FYI we are not gonna shoot all the moments in each scene you’ve got there today” he alisema pointing with his eyes at the agenda Hugh was holding in his hands “I just wanted us to have everything in its right place, so I made the guys set all the settings up beforehand. wewe know we have been slightly behind schedule this year, but we made it” he sighed with relief, looking around sort of proudly.
Hugh knew David had been quite stressed out all mwaka long: but maybe now he really had everything under control, so perhaps this schedule wasn’t as crazy as it looked like.
“…but all the same” David pressed on “…since wewe won’t be here this weekend… Just to play it salama – one never knows, wewe might miss your flight au something…” He had spoken too soon “…I threw some extra stuff in middle…I mean extra as in compared to your usual” David pressed his lips in a thin line nodding at him “…just to play it safe” he repeated.
Hugh stared down at the pages, quickly flipping through them all: it would take hours at the least. He probably wouldn’t make it on time to drop kwa Lisa’s tonight with some bila mpangilio excuse that sounded plausible. Not if he had to catch his plane for Canada at 6 am.
“You ok with that?” David asked perplexed kwa his silence.
Hugh snapped his head up “Yeah of course…Sorry…I am still groggy today” he cleared his throat “…so in which order are going to go through all of this?” he asked sitting on the meza, jedwali inayofuata to Robert with one leg dangling off the edge.
David turned, pointing busily at the different settings “Ehm…yeah so…we are gonna start from some bila mpangilio moments in the hospital, X-Ray room, might be good for today….the others are at make-up already, so they should onyesha up any minute; then the Hilson dialogue, in the kitchen…”
Hugh froze, turning to Robert with an expression of pure horror on his face. Robert stifled an amused chuckle.
“What?” David asked.
“Hilson dialogue?? What is wrong with wewe David? Hilson?! I mean…seriously?”
Robert pulled the cup away from his lips, choking back a laugh.
“I find it cute, actually. I used to liked Chameron to be honest…but then the ship didn’t sail…too bad” he added sarcastically stifling another laugh “I would root for something like Chouse , though…I think House and Chase might have such cute blue-eyed, curly-blonde little boys….” he alisema teasing him with an very strange tone .
“Et tu Brute?!” Hugh asked scrutinizing his face. Was Robert razzing him? “What’s with this sudden nicknames mania now?”
David shrugged “I do like Hilson too, to tell the truth….I mean, if mashabiki feel like making up a ship about the two of you…” he alisema gesturing towards them “…as much delusional and….well disturbingly weird that might sound to me…so be it. The zaidi promotion, the better…”
His phone rang “…hold on a second. Yes?”
Hugh brought one hand to his face, hiding it in it with desperation and rubbing his forehead.
“I am surrounded…”
Robert brought the cup up to his lips, muttering “"I’d like to verify whether you’d advocate so strongly against Huddy if fanshipping somehow guaranted wewe a good quality make-out scene…”
Hugh kicked him sideways on his calf.
“Ouch….”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” He checked on David to see whether he had listened to him and gave a nervous look around. Noone seemed to have heard.
Maybe he was being unjust: Hugh hadn’t done anything today after all, but Robert couldn’t help himself. He had noticed things have changed between him and Lisa, once again, and he really didn’t like that. At least, not the way Hugh was handling it this time. He didn’t want all the hurting to start again He put on a smirk on his face and turned to him, arching his eyebrows. “What?!”
Hugh looked puzzled at him “What what?”
“Would you?!”
“Would I what?” This conversation was getting crazier and crazier.
Robert put his cup down, getting a doughnut “The answer to my last question…”
Hugh’s jaw hung open for a moment “No”
Robert sneered “You mean…No….you wouldn’t advocate against it so strongly au no wewe would?” he teased.
“Yes…no…I mean…YES” he rolled eyes at himself, snorting “Ohhh…whatever…I mean I am against these couples net-nicknames, as a general rule…they sound…I don’t know how they sound, forget it….but NO I wouldn’t advocate differently for a Huddy make-out whatever that might imply…” and he quickly talked his mind into not getting itself around that thought too much, because it might end up tripping his brain into overload in the process.
Robert peered sideways at him. Maybe Gabriella was right. This passive-aggressive strategy of his hadn’t been conducive at all, after all. Maybe he just needed to give vent to his worries. Talk to Hugh. After all, he wasn’t even sure things had really gotten out of control, right? Might well be that he had just being misinterpreting the signals all along, mightn’t he?
“Ok fine…but let me ask wewe something…” he put the cup down, supporting his weight on his hands against the meza, jedwali “What’s honestly the deal between the two of wewe exactly at the moment?”
“The two of you, who?” Hugh asked puzzled.
Irritation was already winning him over and he didn’t even know why yet “YOU and LISA. I am asking you…what’s the deal? What’s happening in Huliland?” he asked emphasizing the last word conveying much zaidi sarcasm that he intended to.
Hugh stared speechless at him for a moment.
“First of all…you and David are scaring the hell out of me with this sudden nicknames-mania you’ve been infected with…and secondly, what are wewe talking about?” he scratched his forearm “What land?!! We are just being friends…” he trailed off.
Robert lifted his eyebrows: interestingly enough Hugh was arguing over the land part rather than over the ship per se this time. Talk about unconscious deflections…But maybe he was exaggerating once again.
“Friends?! wewe sure this is the deal?” Robert asked still slightly perplexed. “‘Cause I…”
“Why are wewe suddenly…” Hugh cut him off, but David came back and they both had to hold their tongue for now.
“So where were we?” David asked.
“Hilson kitchen” Robert remembered him promptly, ignoring the killing stare Hugh was glancing at him.
“Right…so I was saying: Hilson kitchen” he resumed pointing again at the set “…then we are gonna songesha to the clinic….no wait, I meant the ER set….” he alisema checking his agenda “…where…you, Hugh, should have a scene with…?” he quickly scrolled the page down, looking for his notes.
“Lisa” Hugh answered right away. He sensed Robert’s eyes on him. “I mean…Cuddy. There’s a scene between House and Cuddy” He turned to Robert who had crossed his arms over his chest. Why was he looking at him like that?
“I checked…” Hugh justified himself “…a few dakika ago”
David was too busy in not freaking out over the size of the job he was realizing they have ahead of themselves for today to pay any attention to them “Yes, right. Perfect. She should be here already though….” He alisema lifting his head up to give a quick look around.
“She is in her trailer” Hugh said.
Robert eyed him up, wondering whether Marafiki usually gave each other constant sasisho on their locations in real time.
“She texted me” Hugh explained nodding and pressing his lips together and wondering in turn why Robert’s gaze today made him feel this insane urge to justify himself. What had he done wrong?
“Oh Perfect. Perfect…” David was totally absorbed in his reasoning, probably working on keeping his head from blowing up “Ok then…” he continued “…then we’ll switch to Nolan’s office setting” he alisema pointing at his left, eyes still glued to the page.
Worryingly, Hugh noticed David was starting to title his head from one side to another
“…and we will have left no zaidi than…a couple…” David kept on.
Bad sign
“…or maybe three…”
Here we go
“…four at the utmost scenes for today”
Just great…
“And that’s all!” he concluded shutting his agenda close and raising his gaze to smile widely and not at all reassuringly at him, as if he had just delusionally suggested to go out for an outing that took one siku of journey without taking into account that they had no zaidi than a bunch of hours at their disposal.
Hugh scratched the juu of his head “So let me get this straight…more au less, what time do wewe think…”
“David!!!” Straiton called “Please help me out here. How am I supposed to arrange these angles? wewe alisema wewe wanted something slightly different for some scenes…Shall we get started?”
“On my way” he yelled back, rushing away before Hugh might end his question.
He looked at Robert, sighing.
“It is going to be a long siku I suppose….”
Robert stared back at him sympathetically, lifting his cup up to his nose.
“Coffee?”
Maybe he was losing it, but Hugh could swear he had detected some veiled sarcasm in the way Robert had offered him some. He had this disrupting feeling Robert might be driven up the ukuta at anytime this morning.
Lisa was tapping the pencil on her lips, her lower one tucked in her mouth. Four zaidi weeks to go. Just two episodes left before the end of the season
“Just four weeks…” How come time had passed kwa so fast?
“Have wewe found the gap wewe were looking for?” Jess asked startling her a little. He hadn’t dropped the thing with the ball yet.
She sighed, flipping through the pages one zaidi time.
“Not yet. I am working on it”
Jess thought she didn’t look like she was making any progress. Every time he peered at her between catches he had this feeling her mind was wondering in a whole different direction. He had been slightly worried about her during the last few months to tell the truth. They have never really talked about it, because officially she had never told him a thing, but he had had this gut feeling the mashua had been rocked lately. He had been keeping an eye on her ever since that time at the club and although she hadn’t alisema a word, her eyes were swollen enough to let him guess something might have gone wrong.
He averted his eyes from her “Might wewe use some help?” he offered casually “I am good at slipping in guys on the sly in the ladies’ schedules….My specialty”
Lisa took off her glasses “I am NOT slipping him in on the sly!!” she snapped indignantly “I am just trying to find a way we can…” she paused looking for the right word “…reconcile our busy schedules…”
He lifted his eyebrows and started to toss the ball from one hand to another. If someone had asked him, he would have alisema she didn’t look thrilled enough at the perspective of taking this little vacation with the guy.
“Mmm….ok, as wewe wish…so, anyway what have wewe come up with?”
Lisa narrowed her eyes at him, slowly turning her head to check her agenda.
“Any convenient gap?” Jess prompted, smacking his lips on the last word.
“Well…” she started ignoring him “by the middle of April I am supposed to be in Madrid for sure…” If she remembered correctly, she had some interviews scheduled already for the Spanish TV. She flipped through the pages, looking for the rights notes.
“Here. April 15 – El Hormiguero. Apparently…” she explained “it’s some sort of funny Spanish Talk-Show in which I am supposed to be interviewed for half an hour” she scrolled down the notes, checking the details. Hadn’t they also asked her whether she knew Spanish? Maybe she’d better review some. She added a note on the juu of the page.
“Then April 16. Ehm…I have another interview for TeleCuatro. Where…” She narrowed her eyes trying to decipher her own handwriting “…fans will be allowed to read me their own questions…” she trailed off in a mumble, starting to chew the juu of the pencil. Maybe she’d better talk to the host about this. She added another little note on this page too.
“What are wewe uandishi down?” Jess asked lifting himself up.
She looked up at him “It’s just…ehm…I am not sure it’s a good idea me having mashabiki asking me whatever they want, that’s all. I mean… God knows what they might…right?” she alisema with a forced chuckle “…they always try to snoop into what I think about Hugh and…you know….I don’t want to say…something…I am not supposed to” she concluded nodding and shying away from his gaze.
Jess leaned backwards against the back of the couch, sprawling on it. Bottom line: he was right. Something was on. Not that this was exactly a spoiler for him: he had figured it out on his own for a long time now that between Hugh and Lisa there had always been definitively something zaidi than just a friendship. Everybody inside their little crew had actually - although they had been kindly pretending not to notice how obvious they were. Everybody knew Hugh’s marriage had been surfing very dangerous waters for years and, truth to be told, he had thought he had been on the verge of filing for a divorce zaidi than once. Last summer, he had been almost ninety-ninety-nine percent sure about it, especially judging kwa the way Hugh had started uigizaji around Lisa, and she in turn around him, with much zaidi openness than usual. He could swear to God, he had never seen two people gravitating to each other the way they did: like opposite charges attracting one another, no matter who happened to have the misfortune to be in between au where they were. But then, something must have gone very wrong, because they had been clearly avoiding each other all last fall. And so, he had ended up witnessing helplessly her beautiful inner light dying out siku after day, since she had probably reached the bottom and miraculously just recently emerged from it.
He would have liked to talk to her so many times, see if he could help her out au just comfort her, but it was pretty clear she wasn’t ready to talk about it au didn’t feel free to share something with anybody. As much as things might have went amiss with Hugh he would bet Lisa had been extra-cautious in not causing him any harm - of whatever kind - and that included keeping her secrets for herself, at risk of neglecting her unconfessed need to vent au just ease her pain a little, kwa talking to someone.
Jess leaned mbele resting his elbows on his knees. He folded his hands
“So…we were in Spain, what else?” he asked trying to figure out her real mood about this little trip to London. There must be something restraining her. Might it be Hugh, once again?
“Well, after Spain I should be free, zaidi au less, ‘till…” she flipped through the pages “…May the 3rd. I need to pose for the cover of Prevention Magazine. I have a Photoshoot session scheduled for that siku and I need to talk about healthy eating and so on…”
When would Hugh finish shooting his movie kwa the way? She was almost sure he had talked about the first days of May too. She needed to check that out. Maybe they might do something when they both came back, before he left for Texas…
Her phone rang. Text message.
“Do wewe happen to know whether in the States butcheries on the job-post due to a high level of emotional stress combined with slightly elevated dosage of caffeine are punished with the death penalty au if there are some sort of mitigating circumstances for any chance? Hugh”
She smiled widely at the screen. He must be exhausted. It was just 11 am and who knows how many takes they had shot already, over and over again…
“What are wewe smiling at?” Jess asked, noticing the huge, open smile that was noticeably curling her lips up.
She shook her head “Nothing…it’s just Hugh” her eyes softened “he is fed up with it already and conceiving a massacre” she explained rolling her eyes “I am talking him out of it…”
She was almost surprised at how fast their relationship had gotten right back on track. The latest weeks had been quite pleasant she must admit: a true blast from the past. Maybe the best part of their past, after all….no zaidi doubts about the nature of their relationship, no zaidi insecurities concerning her role in his life, no zaidi deadly embarrassing moment of silence au piercing, paralyzing stares on his behalf that made her feel like she was back being seventeen again…Everything was good. Back to normal. Just the two of them. Friends, as it was supposed to be. After all, they could still spend a whole saa chatting on the phone with no purpose at all but taking down the TV crap of the moment au chit-chatting about any bila mpangilio topic available. Just for the sake of it. They had even been able to brush up the infamous WordBox without disastrous consequences. Although the fact that she had happened to beat him again had lead to some brief moment of mild embarrassment as both their minds had probably raced in the same direction. She lifted her head slightly up, biting her lower lip: it had been fun, though that time. God it had been ages since she had had fun like that. She mostly remembered his eyes, the way they were smiling down at her, their shade growing lighter and shiner making it zaidi and zaidi impossible to break the spell they were capable of casting upon you. He had bent down to her, kissing her neck, tracing his way down to her belly and then he had worked his way up again, placing himself on juu of her, glowing all over…A sudden rush of heat flushed her body, bringing her back to the present. She shook her head, giving a nervous cough and quickly went back going through all the rational reasons why this was infinitely better than they was it used to be, far less overwhelming and much zaidi comfortable…
Jess in the meanwhile watched the way that dreamy smile, still so unconsciously dancing on her lips, was slowly fading away and turning into a zaidi and zaidi rapt expression with a hint of faint sorrow. Recently she had looked much zaidi peaceful for sure, almost happy sometimes. But there were times, like this one– although it was hardly noticeable to the ones who didn’t know her like he did - in which there was like a wingu of gloom that suddenly showed up on her face, darkening her mood and smothering that inner blaze that instantly lighted her eyes up in some occasions. Such as when Hugh was the subject.
She sighed without even realizing it and shook her head ever so slightly.
Her schedule. She needed to find a hole.
“I don’t remember…” she alisema mostly talking to herself “…where this Prevention Magazine thing is supposed to take place…” It kept slipping her mind. She grabbed her i-phone, checking on her personal page: Malibu.
“No way!! I can’t skip this one” she alisema enthusiastically.
Jess goggled at her vehemence “Why??”
Lisa giggled “Well, Malibu is always….Malibu”
He rolled eyes at her “Oh well….”
“No, no, no: Malibu is untouchable” she said, noting the word down inayofuata to the tarehe with a little smiley. She moved on to the following week.
Robert put the glass on the counter and looked at him. Hugh took a sip out of the machungwa, chungwa juisi can, ignoring him and finally put the can away waiting for him to start.
“Sam’s moving in” Robert started off out of the blue with a concerned expression on his face.
Hugh brought a muffin, mkate ule ulikuwa mtamu to his mouth, looking at him with an impassive expression.
“If it’s before Friday, you’re assistant wins the pool”
Robert crossed his arms over his chest, pressing on “I was just wondering what your plans were” he alisema looking at him with the look of a parent in the mood for some serious-talk-time with his kid.
“Tonight?” Hugh asked chewing his muffin.
Robert sighed conveying a slight exasperation.
“In life” he started tilting his head from one side to the other, justifying himself “Sam likes you…”
“But she wants me to songesha out”
“No”
Hugh looked calmly up at him.
Robert tightened his lips “I want wewe to songesha out” he sighed, staring back into his eyes “I didn’t know things with…”
“Cut!!! Wait guys!!! Wait wait wait! We have a problem with one of the cameras…hold on! Damn it!!” Straiton yelled looking into the mini-screen “Guys what’s happening there!!” he alisema turning to the cameramen. They shrugged over the cameras, trying to fix the problem. Apparently it had gotten stuck. Again. And kwa the look on their faces it didn’t seem likely that the camera wouldn’t keep jamming up like that.
“Ok ahem…Hugh, Robert I’m sorry we’ll fix it right away. Hold on”
The moment he alisema that a thunderous crash resounded in the air making them all turn simultaneously: the dangling light had drawn its last breath, smashing onto the floor.
Straiton was sort of panicking already, most probably fearing David’s upcoming unrestrained nervous breakdown Ok, right…” Straiton alisema slowly, keeping his wide-opened eyes blindly fixed on the remains of the light “This is gonna take a bit longer than we had originally planned…”
He jumped on his feet whispering to Katie as if he was trying to let sleeping mbwa lie, just in case David was around “Where’s David?” he furtively searched the room with his eyes.
Katie didn’t even avert her eyes from her blackberry.
“Katie…where’s David?” he repeated.
She just gestured vaguely towards the exit “He rushed out two dakika ago…he was on the phone…Calm down Straiton Everything’s gonna be ok. Don’t let yourself be sucked down David’s whirl of negative forces…” She alisema calmly. She had notoriously adopted an anti-panic-strategy all mwaka long. The zaidi David Lost his wits, the zaidi phlegmatic she became. It was her way to cope. “Everything’s good…we’ll sort it out” she alisema smiling reassuringly, but totally unconvincingly.
Hugh and Robert looked knowingly at each other.
“Yeah…no Katie. Don’t worry for me…I won’t get…downward any…spiral of any sort” he alisema trying to refrain from delivering a little too much irony.
He began to walk quickly away from the set and turned to them one zaidi time keeping on walking backwards “We’ll rehash it all later…ehm…take a break in the meantime. Have a coffee maybe…” he glanced at his watch “Damn it!!! It’s 11.30 already. Maybe you’d better take a long one….have lunch…whatever…this is gonna take a while I fear” he alisema about to rush to the exit.
“Wait Straiton!” Katie called. He froze “Let’s not waste zaidi time than necessary. Someone go and call Lisa. We’ll switch to the ER set…”
Robert dropped his shoulders down in resignation. Hugh instead stuffed his hands inside his jeans back pocket, getting his phone out. He smiled crookedly at it and started texting.
Robert leaned over the counter, outstretching his hand to grab the machungwa, chungwa juisi can . He filled the glass in front of him, lifted it up and started rolling it in his hand frowning suspiciously.
“Is this…drinkable, for real?”
Hugh didn’t take his eyes off the phone, still smiling “Sort of”
“What are wewe smiling at?” Robert asked putting the glass down making all sorts of grimaces at the taste of the machungwa, chungwa juice.
“Nothing” he alisema dismissively. He read Lisa’s last reply and couldn’t help but stifling a laugh. “She just offered me apple cider as a consolation…have fun trusting a teetotaller”
His face lit up as it always did when she was the subject.
Robert goggled, staring at Hugh in disbelief. She? Were they TEXTING between takes?!?! The hell he has misinterpreted!!
He snorted, closing his eyes. He needed to calm down.
“Apart from the fact that I have no idea what you’re talking about…” he started rather calmly. Hugh opened his mouth to explain, but he shushed him with a quick movement of his hand “But anyway…that nothing is making wewe smile like a naughty child who just happened to spot a chokoleti box he is not supposed to eat but that he is thinking on snatching up and running”. He alisema that in one breath, pointing his right index knowingly at him with the air of a parent in the mood for some serious I-know-what-I-am-taking-about-kid talk with his boy.
Hugh dropped his jaw slightly open, a little bit confused. Was he still in character? And he was also quite Lost in his metaphor. ‘Cause that was a metaphor, wasn’t it?
“Ehm…I don’t know what you’re talking about…” he confessed.
Robert pinched his voice higher ever so slightly “Don’t fool with me” but then he lowered his tone, widening his stance and sliding over closer to him “I know what’s happening here…you’re dancing around each other AGAIN. This is dangerous Hugh…” he alisema pointing his index at him in the very same admonishing way he had done before.
Hugh leaned over the counter to reach for his finger and push it down “Would wewe please stop that!? I am not a kid for God’s sake…put that thing down!”
What was his problem today? “May I know what have I done wrong? Now what have we done?” Hugh asked oblivious.
“Here wewe are…”
Gabriella showed up at their side, kissing Robert on the cheek and seizing him kwa one shoulder.
“Hi Hugh…” she cheered him.
“Hi Gabby ”
Robert looked like having been caught kwa surprise “Hi…what are wewe doing here?” he asked kissing her back.
She smiled lovingly at him “I just thought about dropping kwa after my meeting and giving wewe a hug before going back home”
“Where’s Eleonor?”
“Still with my mum. I need to pick her up in half an hour…”
She looked at the two of them “So what’s up here…anything exciting?” she asked with liveliness darting her eyes back and forth from Robert to Hugh. They both stood silent.
She scrutinized their faces, sensing something was wrong “What about you, Hugh? How’s life going?”
He looked at Robert, then back at her “Fine thanks. I am tired, mostly, but I am fine. I’ll be imba with the band tomorrow so, hopefully I’ll recharge my batteries this weekend…”
“Oh good…” she waited for Robert to say something.
He did look like he was in a mood today, but Hugh has no idea why au anyway what that has to do with him.
Gabriella suddenly clapped her hands together “I have a wonderful idea! Why don’t wewe come over for chajio, chakula cha jioni tonight? Before wewe leave I mean…It’s been ages since wewe have stopped by…” She alisema peering sideways at Robert.
Hugh rubbed his nape “That would be lovely…but…I…ehm…” he looked at Robert once again, no sign of reaction on his behalf. What about Lisa anyway? “I don’t know what time we will…”
“Oh don’t worry about that…” she reassured him patting his arm “Just come and have a decent meal for once…We’ll be waiting for you. Right Robert?” she asked lightly kicking his calf.
He stifled another ouch “Yes, yes of course…” he muttered without looking at Hugh.
Gabriella smiled satisfied “Ok, great”
“Has someone kwa any chance thought about making a call to Lisa?” Katie suddenly asked looking at them reproachfully “Do I have to do everything kwa myself??” Sometimes her ascetic composure cracked up.
Hugh jumped on his feet, without paying any zaidi attention to Robert.
“I am on it. She is in her trailer…I’ll go and get her” he alisema rushing off before having time to notice the look of astonishment on Robert’s face. He narrowed his eyes, fuming and tapping nervously with his fingers on the counter.
“Nice work. Very subtle…”
Gabriella turned to her husband, smiling “My pleasure dear…I figured wewe might need some extra time, before coming up with a decent speech…how’s it going so far?”
He snorted, pushing himself upright nervously and looking at the spot where Hugh had disappeared “I am telling you, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I don’t like it…I don’t like it at all”
“So then…there’s May 6th…I have to attend a Save the Children event. No, no” Lisa alisema sharply.
Jess sat up on the edge “What about it?”
She shook her head in denial “No, I can’t skip this one either. Absolutely not. Too important…I might skip the DANCETERIA Anniversary Party in New York on May 9th, but then…” she alisema as if she were reasoning out loud “….I am supposed to be on the Wendy Williams onyesha the siku after, anyway so…”
Jess threw himself backwards on the kitanda once again, crossing his arms behind his head. He pressed his lips in a tight line. Judging kwa the amount of time she was spending on this and kwa the wide ranges of reasons why she supposedly couldn’t skip this au that, he was zaidi and zaidi convinced she was making up excuses to herself. The swali remained why .
“Besides, it’s been ages since I’ve gone to New York…”
He sighed trying to make up his mind over the impossible choice that brought him here in the first place .
One side of him wanted her to be happy whatever it took, but the other half wasn’t sure the happiness she craved for was exactly what she needed au might have at the moment. He was just wondering whether it was his place au not to step in and speak his mind.
“What’s so special about New York, anyway…you’ve been plenty of times already…” he pointed out, buying himself some extra time to think it through a little longer.
“Well…. “ she started off already chuckling to herself and casting him a teasing look “…turns out the 5th Avenue enshrouds an enduring, compelling, irresistible mystery a woman can’t really resist to” she alisema sticking her tongue out at him one zaidi time.
“Why do my people keep setting me up for those kind of things instead?! Space Shuttle lunch in Florida?!May 14th…” she snapped, “I need a word with my PR”
“Well…anyway I don’t have so much time left then. Hugh and I have to be at the fox, mbweha Up Front on May 17th and then…” She flipped through the pages getting to June “…One…Two…Three…there are just a couple of weeks, three at the utmost, and we need to be back on set” she alisema tapping the juu of the pencil on her lips.
“Oh! And I also have two other events I need to attend on May 25th and May 27th …” She pressed her lips in a tight line. She was confused to say the least. This was a waste of time. She didn’t have enough time for this…
Jess leaned mbele “So…we are back to my original question: where do wewe slip your guy in on the sly? Looks like wewe don’t have time for him…”
Maybe he had already made up his mind after all, otherwise he wouldn’t have been there.
She rolled her eyes and let the pencil fall down on the table. She slid out her other knee from under her bottom and curled up on the chair, crossing her arms around her legs. She softly pointed her eyes at him.
“May I ask wewe what’s your problem exactly with holiday plans? BECAUSE I sense some sarcasm in there…”
Jess reached for the ball and started tossing it in air once again “I have nothing against those. But my swali is…” he paused for a sekunde stopping the ball. He’d better be direct about it. It was no use beating about the kichaka “Do you have something against it? I mean do you want to fly over to London to see your boyfriend?”
Lisa dropped her jaw slightly open, and no sound came out at first.
“I am on it…Jess” she finally managed to say “But as wewe can see…” she reached for the agenda springing it open it in front of her, as she was trying to take stock of the situation “I am basically busy ‘till May 14th. I mean, my only real hole is between May 11th and this tarehe but….but I can’t fly over to London for just 3 days!!!” she looked up at him, noticing he was staring at her with a knowingly expression on his face “…are wewe serious?? 3 days??”
“What about the weeks between the end of April and the first of May?” he pointed out tossing the ball from one hand to another “You are event-free in those…”
She scoffed, clearly feeling a little bit framed “I though we were supposed to go hiking …don’t wewe wanna go anymore?”
He stopped the ball mid air and put it down on the couch, leaning mbele “I do. But I won’t complain if wewe decide to dump me for your four-eyes Brit” he sneered.
Lisa frowned, smiling warmly at him. A hint of amusement in her voice “I thought wewe liked John…is somebody jealous kwa any chance?” she implied with a teasing tone, throwing herself on the kitanda inayofuata to him.
Jesse lay down again on his back, resting his head over her lap and locked eyes with her, deadly serious.
“The swali shouldn’t be whether I like him…”
She started playing with his hair avoiding his gaze “I do like him. Why do wewe think I don’t?”
He shrugged reaching for the ball “Well…you’re not exactly making things easier…”
She lifted her head up, rolling her eyes “I am not making up excuses…The only gap I have is this one, seriously and…anyway he can’t in that period, cause he has some important stuff to deal with anyway….” she paused, rubbing the back of her head “…I told you, I am gonna fly over before Spain anyway”
Jess lifted his torso up, sitting straight. He bent over resting on his knees, the ball tightly clenched into his hands, squeezing it. He turned his head to her, staring into her eyes
“You sure wewe really want to go? I mean…” he kept on, leaning closer to her and holding her hand tentatively “….you sure wewe really want to do this thing? wewe sure this is what wewe truly want…to settle for?”
He was desperately trying to pursue the reason he had been here for all along, but somehow words kept choking in his mouth. How could he possibly talk openly to her if he wasn’t even sure about what was really going on? Should he ask her a direct question? Snoop in? Force her into being sincere with him? He wondered what his role as a friend was meant to be, which were the lines he could kuvuka, msalaba au was supposed to preserve. Lisa on her behalf looked back straight at him, unsure about the meaning she was supposed to attach to his words, but she had always wondered how much about her life Jess had guessed right and figure out on his own. She finally dropped her gaze, searching inside herself for an answer, wondering whether there was really anything she was still sure about.
Jess lifted her chin up gently and looked into her eyes, sighing, “Who are wewe really saving your time for, Liz?” he finally asked softening his tone reassuringly.
Someone knocked on the door, interrupting them. She gently slid her hand out from his, stood up and went to the door.
She beamed widely the moment she pulled it open and Jess didn’t need to see who was on the other side to make a guess this time.
“Hi!”
“Hi” Hugh answered with in a faint voice. He always sounded out of breath when he saw her .
“Come on in…What’s up?” she asked enthusiastically.
Hugh took a step closer “No, thanks I have to rush back on set….I mean we have to rush on set…together” he alisema “I just…” he spotted Jess sitting on the couch, waving silently at him “Oh hi Jess….I just…I mean Katie asked me to call you…we are having some problems with some lights and we are switching sets….”
“Oh sure…let me grab my keys…”
“I’d better go Liz. I have some errands to do…” Jess alisema getting closer to kiss her goodbye.
He started to go down the steps of her trailer.
“Jess…” She called.
He turned looking at her.
She smiled a warm, thankful smile at him “Thank you”
Jess looked up at Hugh before answering.
“Sure. Anytime wewe want”
“What was that all about?” Hugh asked as soon as Jess had gone away.
He leaned on the doorjamb, stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets. Lisa looked up at him. He was wearing a blue t-shirt today. His hair was pretty tidy today, not as ruffled as it used to be at times, but it was a lighter shade. They must have done something to it at make-up. He had a ealthy beard, though and his leather koti, jacket already on….all of this hardly conducive to be able to hold his gaze, not in the way he was staring at her, anyway, with another of those looks she didn’t feel herself strong enough for. She wondered whether it was really the stare per se, having that effect on her au it was all in her mind.
She breathed in deeply.
“Let’s just go”
LITTLE EDITING sorry I wasn't functioning earlier :P I really need to thank @rrennie for this chapter, 'cause she truly helped me figuring out a few things...making some useful adjustments :) At risk of sounding like a broken record, she is amazing.
Thanks to @Belle, always. upendo wewe woman!
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Previously on December/December:
“Well, at least, I was the one who started it…” he alisema softly “[i]for real. I mean…the one who made the move. You’ve got to give me credit for that…” he jokingly pushed her lightly with his shoulder “I just wanted wewe to hear that. I am sorry.” he alisema softly.
And then, she just rested her head against him, telling all her fears and worries to go to hell for a moment. Just enjoying that feeling of protection that being with him gave her and she had never felt with any other man in her life, before moving away knowing even too well that just one zaidi sekunde of that proximity would lead to another huge mess. And for him, that was like having savoured heaven before suddenly falling back into purgatory, without even knowing whether it had been real au just another dream.
She gathered herself together, turning with her whole body one zaidi time, pushing herself upright and supporting her weight on her hands, smiling tensely at him.
“Well…I guess now that everything’s been said, we can just really be Marafiki after all”.
Hugh looked at the sky for a brief moment, thinking. Then, taking a courage he didn’t know he had until that moment he bit his lower lip, nodded and just lied.
“We can"[/i]
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December/December - Chapter XI
5 March 2010
Jess lay lazily on the kitanda of Lisa’s trailer, his arms stretched above his head. He had been repeatedly tossing a little ball in the air for fifteen dakika already, every time catching it right before it smashed itself over his face.
The ball slipped from his hands, dropping on the floor for the umpteenth time.
Lisa lifted her eyes up.
“Could wewe please stop that? I am trying to focus here…” she said, casting him a teasing reproaching look from the lounge room round meza, jedwali she was sitting at. She was barefoot, with one leg bent over the chair and the other one tucked underneath her.
He just winked at her and outstretched his arm to grab the ball that had rolled its way under the armchair.
“Sorry Ma’am, I’ll be zaidi careful. I am getting the hang of it”
Lisa scoffed amusingly.
“Don’t wewe have something better to do than goofing off in here…tossing a ball in the air?”
Jess kept his eyes fixed on the ball, as it went up and down over his head.
“Nope…” He threw the ball and stretched his arm out just in time to catch it before it touched the floor. He finally lifted his gaze up to her.
“This is a very sad season for poor Chase…as for poor Cuddy…so that makes two goof-offs, since you’ve been locked up in here for zaidi than an saa already”
Lisa stuck her tongue out at him and was about to reply in kind when he pressed on.
“Besides…you shouldn’t keep such fascinating toys in here if wewe wanted to prevent annoying males from sticking round at your place…”
She gazed at him over her glasses “Fascinating toys?!” she asked incredulous “A ball??”
Jess smirked “For your information Miss, balls enshroud an enduring, compelling, irresistible mystery for every man…” he alisema as if he was rattling off a real pearl of universal truth. The ball slipped off his fingers, ending up at Lisa’s feet. She grunted.
Jess looked at her with apologizing puppy-dog eyes
“Sorry, sorry! I promise…I’ll be quiet” he outstretched a foot to make it roll closer to him almost falling off the kitanda in the attempt to not songesha a single muscle zaidi than the ones that were strictly necessary.
She dropped her mouth open, shaking her head in amused resignation.
“Ok, fine. But just…STOP dropping it on the floor…” she admonished jokingly, going back to her business. Jess restarted his game off
“Anyway…” she alisema flipping absentmindedly back and forth through the pages of her agenda, picking up from where he had cut her off before “I am here cause I have work to do today….they should come and call me any minute…” This wasn’t exactly true. They were supposed to shoot her scene around noon, but she couldn’t sleep well last night, and had got up feeling slightly restless this morning, so she had thought she had better start her siku earlier and be on set in good time.
“…what’s your excuse?” she asked inquiringly, scratching out an appointment.
Jess peered sideways at her, trying to read her face. She was trying to place everything in the right order, to see whether she might find a hole in her schedule to sneak her John-guy in, rather than just leaving sooner for London as he had asked her to. Apparently, the guy had complained they would spend not enough time together and so she was trying to find a way to please him now.
Lisa lifted her head up, tilting it on one side.
“Aww, wewe were missing me…weren’t you?” she teased pouting slightly.
Jess ceased to play for a moment, turning to her with a smirk on his face
“You got me. I confess. I just can’t stay away from you…” he alisema melodramatically bringing his right hand up to his heart, as if was taking an oath “…I have gotten bewitched kwa your enchanting eyes my Lady. Please, doth me the honour of delighting my sight with your…”
But he couldn’t finish the sentence off, because Lisa had already took a cushions from on of kiti, kiti cha and thrown it at him. They burst out laughing and she was back working on her schedule.
“Here we go, have a nice siku sweetheart. I gotta rush. I have a meeting in a few minutes” Gabriella said, leaning over to kiss Robert on his lips. He kissed her back, peering over her head. Hugh was walking through the parking lot. It looks like he had slept in his trailer tonight.
“Thanks for driving me by” he said, averting his eyes from him, smiling at her with tenderness.
She smiled him back teasingly “You’re welcome. We both know cars are not your thing after all. It’s zaidi a matter of road safety than a personal favour”
He smirked “Very funny…” he saw Hugh stopping in front of the entrance. He was laughing at his phone screen.
Gabriella followed his gaze “Oh Hugh! Say hi to him from me…it’s ages he doesn’t stop by…you should invite him for chajio, chakula cha jioni sometimes…”
“He had been busy…” he alisema sharply.
She frowned. She knew about Hugh’s situation at home. In broad lines at least. “Doing what exactly?”
Robert stared at Hugh across the parking lot: he was leaning against the all, texting. He seemed like he was choking laughs back.
“He’s been…renewing old bonds, lately”
She moved her head away from his a little bit, staring into his eyes “Everything’s ok between the two of you?”
He sighed “Yeah…we are fine” he said, his eyes, always concernedly fixed on Hugh.
She turned her head looking at him too “How’s he doing? He looks better…don’t wewe think?” she asked turning to him with a little smile on her face.
“Yeah…yeah…he does look better…although…I’m not sure he really knows what he’s doing au where he’s going…”
“You worried about him?” she asked leaned backwards against her seatback, still looking at him.
Hugh wasn’t the only one he was worried about to tell the truth.
“I am his friend…I don’t want him to end up….” he paused struggling for the right word without finding it this time “…I don’t know…” he cut off shrugging.
He really don’t know what the issue was anymore, which one among all the things he had been noticing these days was bugging him the most au was triggering this inexplicable sense of annoyance he had been feeling towards his friend. He just felt frustrated.
She titled her head on one side “You should just talk to him” she alisema nodding knowingly.
He rolled his eyes scoffing lightly then he reached for the handle, pulling the door open and stepped out of the car, bending down to the window “You have no idea what you’re talking about…talking to Hugh it’s like running into the buffers most of the time. The guy needs to bang his head hard against something, before he even starts listening to you…” he alisema slightly exasperated already.
She started the engine, smiling at him “Give it a try. I know you’ll doing the right thing in the end”
“Do we really need to shoot all of these scenes…by today?” Hugh asked lifting his eyes from his agenda and giving a confused look around at all the different settings that had been already set up.
Straiton stretched his hand out to grab a doughnut from the box on the meza, jedwali “Yeah sorry about that man….I know it’s lots of scenes. This episode is a real drag for you…”
He quickly justified himself, clenching his teeth. That was not what he meant.
“No it’s not that…” Hugh alisema gesticulating “I swear. It’s a GREAT episode. I read it all and….and Doris and David did a terrific job, seriously…It’s just that….I hoped we might be finishing a little bit earlier today. That’s all…” he alisema rubbing his nape and looking confusedly around one zaidi time.
But Straiton wasn’t even listening already. Someone was calling him from across the room: a light seemed to be dangling off the roof in a way that didn’t look right. He snorted, throwing the doughnut away and he grabbed a napkin, cleaning his mouth.
“Apparently, I am urgently needed elsewhere…one can’t even have breakfast” he alisema springing on his feet and rushing away.
“You shouldn’t be complaining wewe know…” Robert alisema leaning against the table, calmly stirring his coffee “At least wewe didn’t have to get up at 7.30 and drive all the way to the set just to shoot one single scene on a bloody Friday morning of March…It’s 9 am for God’s sake…”
Hugh felt someone giving him a slap on his back.
“Someone’s feeling neglected around here…huh?” David alisema suddenly inaonyesha up at their backs. He cast a mocking look at Robert “Don’t worry Hugh he is just being an ass…he’s always like that when he is quitting caffeine cold turkey”.
Robert limited himself to scoff sipping his coffee. He realized that feeling of annoyance was already stirring inside him, with no apparent reason. Maybe he had been suppressing his thoughts for too long and now he felt like a time bomb ready to explode under the smallest strain, whatever Hugh did au said.
“Anyway…” David kept on” …FYI we are not gonna shoot all the moments in each scene you’ve got there today” he alisema pointing with his eyes at the agenda Hugh was holding in his hands “I just wanted us to have everything in its right place, so I made the guys set all the settings up beforehand. wewe know we have been slightly behind schedule this year, but we made it” he sighed with relief, looking around sort of proudly.
Hugh knew David had been quite stressed out all mwaka long: but maybe now he really had everything under control, so perhaps this schedule wasn’t as crazy as it looked like.
“…but all the same” David pressed on “…since wewe won’t be here this weekend… Just to play it salama – one never knows, wewe might miss your flight au something…” He had spoken too soon “…I threw some extra stuff in middle…I mean extra as in compared to your usual” David pressed his lips in a thin line nodding at him “…just to play it safe” he repeated.
Hugh stared down at the pages, quickly flipping through them all: it would take hours at the least. He probably wouldn’t make it on time to drop kwa Lisa’s tonight with some bila mpangilio excuse that sounded plausible. Not if he had to catch his plane for Canada at 6 am.
“You ok with that?” David asked perplexed kwa his silence.
Hugh snapped his head up “Yeah of course…Sorry…I am still groggy today” he cleared his throat “…so in which order are going to go through all of this?” he asked sitting on the meza, jedwali inayofuata to Robert with one leg dangling off the edge.
David turned, pointing busily at the different settings “Ehm…yeah so…we are gonna start from some bila mpangilio moments in the hospital, X-Ray room, might be good for today….the others are at make-up already, so they should onyesha up any minute; then the Hilson dialogue, in the kitchen…”
Hugh froze, turning to Robert with an expression of pure horror on his face. Robert stifled an amused chuckle.
“What?” David asked.
“Hilson dialogue?? What is wrong with wewe David? Hilson?! I mean…seriously?”
Robert pulled the cup away from his lips, choking back a laugh.
“I find it cute, actually. I used to liked Chameron to be honest…but then the ship didn’t sail…too bad” he added sarcastically stifling another laugh “I would root for something like Chouse , though…I think House and Chase might have such cute blue-eyed, curly-blonde little boys….” he alisema teasing him with an very strange tone .
“Et tu Brute?!” Hugh asked scrutinizing his face. Was Robert razzing him? “What’s with this sudden nicknames mania now?”
David shrugged “I do like Hilson too, to tell the truth….I mean, if mashabiki feel like making up a ship about the two of you…” he alisema gesturing towards them “…as much delusional and….well disturbingly weird that might sound to me…so be it. The zaidi promotion, the better…”
His phone rang “…hold on a second. Yes?”
Hugh brought one hand to his face, hiding it in it with desperation and rubbing his forehead.
“I am surrounded…”
Robert brought the cup up to his lips, muttering “"I’d like to verify whether you’d advocate so strongly against Huddy if fanshipping somehow guaranted wewe a good quality make-out scene…”
Hugh kicked him sideways on his calf.
“Ouch….”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” He checked on David to see whether he had listened to him and gave a nervous look around. Noone seemed to have heard.
Maybe he was being unjust: Hugh hadn’t done anything today after all, but Robert couldn’t help himself. He had noticed things have changed between him and Lisa, once again, and he really didn’t like that. At least, not the way Hugh was handling it this time. He didn’t want all the hurting to start again He put on a smirk on his face and turned to him, arching his eyebrows. “What?!”
Hugh looked puzzled at him “What what?”
“Would you?!”
“Would I what?” This conversation was getting crazier and crazier.
Robert put his cup down, getting a doughnut “The answer to my last question…”
Hugh’s jaw hung open for a moment “No”
Robert sneered “You mean…No….you wouldn’t advocate against it so strongly au no wewe would?” he teased.
“Yes…no…I mean…YES” he rolled eyes at himself, snorting “Ohhh…whatever…I mean I am against these couples net-nicknames, as a general rule…they sound…I don’t know how they sound, forget it….but NO I wouldn’t advocate differently for a Huddy make-out whatever that might imply…” and he quickly talked his mind into not getting itself around that thought too much, because it might end up tripping his brain into overload in the process.
Robert peered sideways at him. Maybe Gabriella was right. This passive-aggressive strategy of his hadn’t been conducive at all, after all. Maybe he just needed to give vent to his worries. Talk to Hugh. After all, he wasn’t even sure things had really gotten out of control, right? Might well be that he had just being misinterpreting the signals all along, mightn’t he?
“Ok fine…but let me ask wewe something…” he put the cup down, supporting his weight on his hands against the meza, jedwali “What’s honestly the deal between the two of wewe exactly at the moment?”
“The two of you, who?” Hugh asked puzzled.
Irritation was already winning him over and he didn’t even know why yet “YOU and LISA. I am asking you…what’s the deal? What’s happening in Huliland?” he asked emphasizing the last word conveying much zaidi sarcasm that he intended to.
Hugh stared speechless at him for a moment.
“First of all…you and David are scaring the hell out of me with this sudden nicknames-mania you’ve been infected with…and secondly, what are wewe talking about?” he scratched his forearm “What land?!! We are just being friends…” he trailed off.
Robert lifted his eyebrows: interestingly enough Hugh was arguing over the land part rather than over the ship per se this time. Talk about unconscious deflections…But maybe he was exaggerating once again.
“Friends?! wewe sure this is the deal?” Robert asked still slightly perplexed. “‘Cause I…”
“Why are wewe suddenly…” Hugh cut him off, but David came back and they both had to hold their tongue for now.
“So where were we?” David asked.
“Hilson kitchen” Robert remembered him promptly, ignoring the killing stare Hugh was glancing at him.
“Right…so I was saying: Hilson kitchen” he resumed pointing again at the set “…then we are gonna songesha to the clinic….no wait, I meant the ER set….” he alisema checking his agenda “…where…you, Hugh, should have a scene with…?” he quickly scrolled the page down, looking for his notes.
“Lisa” Hugh answered right away. He sensed Robert’s eyes on him. “I mean…Cuddy. There’s a scene between House and Cuddy” He turned to Robert who had crossed his arms over his chest. Why was he looking at him like that?
“I checked…” Hugh justified himself “…a few dakika ago”
David was too busy in not freaking out over the size of the job he was realizing they have ahead of themselves for today to pay any attention to them “Yes, right. Perfect. She should be here already though….” He alisema lifting his head up to give a quick look around.
“She is in her trailer” Hugh said.
Robert eyed him up, wondering whether Marafiki usually gave each other constant sasisho on their locations in real time.
“She texted me” Hugh explained nodding and pressing his lips together and wondering in turn why Robert’s gaze today made him feel this insane urge to justify himself. What had he done wrong?
“Oh Perfect. Perfect…” David was totally absorbed in his reasoning, probably working on keeping his head from blowing up “Ok then…” he continued “…then we’ll switch to Nolan’s office setting” he alisema pointing at his left, eyes still glued to the page.
Worryingly, Hugh noticed David was starting to title his head from one side to another
“…and we will have left no zaidi than…a couple…” David kept on.
Bad sign
“…or maybe three…”
Here we go
“…four at the utmost scenes for today”
Just great…
“And that’s all!” he concluded shutting his agenda close and raising his gaze to smile widely and not at all reassuringly at him, as if he had just delusionally suggested to go out for an outing that took one siku of journey without taking into account that they had no zaidi than a bunch of hours at their disposal.
Hugh scratched the juu of his head “So let me get this straight…more au less, what time do wewe think…”
“David!!!” Straiton called “Please help me out here. How am I supposed to arrange these angles? wewe alisema wewe wanted something slightly different for some scenes…Shall we get started?”
“On my way” he yelled back, rushing away before Hugh might end his question.
He looked at Robert, sighing.
“It is going to be a long siku I suppose….”
Robert stared back at him sympathetically, lifting his cup up to his nose.
“Coffee?”
Maybe he was losing it, but Hugh could swear he had detected some veiled sarcasm in the way Robert had offered him some. He had this disrupting feeling Robert might be driven up the ukuta at anytime this morning.
Lisa was tapping the pencil on her lips, her lower one tucked in her mouth. Four zaidi weeks to go. Just two episodes left before the end of the season
“Just four weeks…” How come time had passed kwa so fast?
“Have wewe found the gap wewe were looking for?” Jess asked startling her a little. He hadn’t dropped the thing with the ball yet.
She sighed, flipping through the pages one zaidi time.
“Not yet. I am working on it”
Jess thought she didn’t look like she was making any progress. Every time he peered at her between catches he had this feeling her mind was wondering in a whole different direction. He had been slightly worried about her during the last few months to tell the truth. They have never really talked about it, because officially she had never told him a thing, but he had had this gut feeling the mashua had been rocked lately. He had been keeping an eye on her ever since that time at the club and although she hadn’t alisema a word, her eyes were swollen enough to let him guess something might have gone wrong.
He averted his eyes from her “Might wewe use some help?” he offered casually “I am good at slipping in guys on the sly in the ladies’ schedules….My specialty”
Lisa took off her glasses “I am NOT slipping him in on the sly!!” she snapped indignantly “I am just trying to find a way we can…” she paused looking for the right word “…reconcile our busy schedules…”
He lifted his eyebrows and started to toss the ball from one hand to another. If someone had asked him, he would have alisema she didn’t look thrilled enough at the perspective of taking this little vacation with the guy.
“Mmm….ok, as wewe wish…so, anyway what have wewe come up with?”
Lisa narrowed her eyes at him, slowly turning her head to check her agenda.
“Any convenient gap?” Jess prompted, smacking his lips on the last word.
“Well…” she started ignoring him “by the middle of April I am supposed to be in Madrid for sure…” If she remembered correctly, she had some interviews scheduled already for the Spanish TV. She flipped through the pages, looking for the rights notes.
“Here. April 15 – El Hormiguero. Apparently…” she explained “it’s some sort of funny Spanish Talk-Show in which I am supposed to be interviewed for half an hour” she scrolled down the notes, checking the details. Hadn’t they also asked her whether she knew Spanish? Maybe she’d better review some. She added a note on the juu of the page.
“Then April 16. Ehm…I have another interview for TeleCuatro. Where…” She narrowed her eyes trying to decipher her own handwriting “…fans will be allowed to read me their own questions…” she trailed off in a mumble, starting to chew the juu of the pencil. Maybe she’d better talk to the host about this. She added another little note on this page too.
“What are wewe uandishi down?” Jess asked lifting himself up.
She looked up at him “It’s just…ehm…I am not sure it’s a good idea me having mashabiki asking me whatever they want, that’s all. I mean… God knows what they might…right?” she alisema with a forced chuckle “…they always try to snoop into what I think about Hugh and…you know….I don’t want to say…something…I am not supposed to” she concluded nodding and shying away from his gaze.
Jess leaned backwards against the back of the couch, sprawling on it. Bottom line: he was right. Something was on. Not that this was exactly a spoiler for him: he had figured it out on his own for a long time now that between Hugh and Lisa there had always been definitively something zaidi than just a friendship. Everybody inside their little crew had actually - although they had been kindly pretending not to notice how obvious they were. Everybody knew Hugh’s marriage had been surfing very dangerous waters for years and, truth to be told, he had thought he had been on the verge of filing for a divorce zaidi than once. Last summer, he had been almost ninety-ninety-nine percent sure about it, especially judging kwa the way Hugh had started uigizaji around Lisa, and she in turn around him, with much zaidi openness than usual. He could swear to God, he had never seen two people gravitating to each other the way they did: like opposite charges attracting one another, no matter who happened to have the misfortune to be in between au where they were. But then, something must have gone very wrong, because they had been clearly avoiding each other all last fall. And so, he had ended up witnessing helplessly her beautiful inner light dying out siku after day, since she had probably reached the bottom and miraculously just recently emerged from it.
He would have liked to talk to her so many times, see if he could help her out au just comfort her, but it was pretty clear she wasn’t ready to talk about it au didn’t feel free to share something with anybody. As much as things might have went amiss with Hugh he would bet Lisa had been extra-cautious in not causing him any harm - of whatever kind - and that included keeping her secrets for herself, at risk of neglecting her unconfessed need to vent au just ease her pain a little, kwa talking to someone.
Jess leaned mbele resting his elbows on his knees. He folded his hands
“So…we were in Spain, what else?” he asked trying to figure out her real mood about this little trip to London. There must be something restraining her. Might it be Hugh, once again?
“Well, after Spain I should be free, zaidi au less, ‘till…” she flipped through the pages “…May the 3rd. I need to pose for the cover of Prevention Magazine. I have a Photoshoot session scheduled for that siku and I need to talk about healthy eating and so on…”
When would Hugh finish shooting his movie kwa the way? She was almost sure he had talked about the first days of May too. She needed to check that out. Maybe they might do something when they both came back, before he left for Texas…
Her phone rang. Text message.
“Do wewe happen to know whether in the States butcheries on the job-post due to a high level of emotional stress combined with slightly elevated dosage of caffeine are punished with the death penalty au if there are some sort of mitigating circumstances for any chance? Hugh”
She smiled widely at the screen. He must be exhausted. It was just 11 am and who knows how many takes they had shot already, over and over again…
“What are wewe smiling at?” Jess asked, noticing the huge, open smile that was noticeably curling her lips up.
She shook her head “Nothing…it’s just Hugh” her eyes softened “he is fed up with it already and conceiving a massacre” she explained rolling her eyes “I am talking him out of it…”
She was almost surprised at how fast their relationship had gotten right back on track. The latest weeks had been quite pleasant she must admit: a true blast from the past. Maybe the best part of their past, after all….no zaidi doubts about the nature of their relationship, no zaidi insecurities concerning her role in his life, no zaidi deadly embarrassing moment of silence au piercing, paralyzing stares on his behalf that made her feel like she was back being seventeen again…Everything was good. Back to normal. Just the two of them. Friends, as it was supposed to be. After all, they could still spend a whole saa chatting on the phone with no purpose at all but taking down the TV crap of the moment au chit-chatting about any bila mpangilio topic available. Just for the sake of it. They had even been able to brush up the infamous WordBox without disastrous consequences. Although the fact that she had happened to beat him again had lead to some brief moment of mild embarrassment as both their minds had probably raced in the same direction. She lifted her head slightly up, biting her lower lip: it had been fun, though that time. God it had been ages since she had had fun like that. She mostly remembered his eyes, the way they were smiling down at her, their shade growing lighter and shiner making it zaidi and zaidi impossible to break the spell they were capable of casting upon you. He had bent down to her, kissing her neck, tracing his way down to her belly and then he had worked his way up again, placing himself on juu of her, glowing all over…A sudden rush of heat flushed her body, bringing her back to the present. She shook her head, giving a nervous cough and quickly went back going through all the rational reasons why this was infinitely better than they was it used to be, far less overwhelming and much zaidi comfortable…
Jess in the meanwhile watched the way that dreamy smile, still so unconsciously dancing on her lips, was slowly fading away and turning into a zaidi and zaidi rapt expression with a hint of faint sorrow. Recently she had looked much zaidi peaceful for sure, almost happy sometimes. But there were times, like this one– although it was hardly noticeable to the ones who didn’t know her like he did - in which there was like a wingu of gloom that suddenly showed up on her face, darkening her mood and smothering that inner blaze that instantly lighted her eyes up in some occasions. Such as when Hugh was the subject.
She sighed without even realizing it and shook her head ever so slightly.
Her schedule. She needed to find a hole.
“I don’t remember…” she alisema mostly talking to herself “…where this Prevention Magazine thing is supposed to take place…” It kept slipping her mind. She grabbed her i-phone, checking on her personal page: Malibu.
“No way!! I can’t skip this one” she alisema enthusiastically.
Jess goggled at her vehemence “Why??”
Lisa giggled “Well, Malibu is always….Malibu”
He rolled eyes at her “Oh well….”
“No, no, no: Malibu is untouchable” she said, noting the word down inayofuata to the tarehe with a little smiley. She moved on to the following week.
Robert put the glass on the counter and looked at him. Hugh took a sip out of the machungwa, chungwa juisi can, ignoring him and finally put the can away waiting for him to start.
“Sam’s moving in” Robert started off out of the blue with a concerned expression on his face.
Hugh brought a muffin, mkate ule ulikuwa mtamu to his mouth, looking at him with an impassive expression.
“If it’s before Friday, you’re assistant wins the pool”
Robert crossed his arms over his chest, pressing on “I was just wondering what your plans were” he alisema looking at him with the look of a parent in the mood for some serious-talk-time with his kid.
“Tonight?” Hugh asked chewing his muffin.
Robert sighed conveying a slight exasperation.
“In life” he started tilting his head from one side to the other, justifying himself “Sam likes you…”
“But she wants me to songesha out”
“No”
Hugh looked calmly up at him.
Robert tightened his lips “I want wewe to songesha out” he sighed, staring back into his eyes “I didn’t know things with…”
“Cut!!! Wait guys!!! Wait wait wait! We have a problem with one of the cameras…hold on! Damn it!!” Straiton yelled looking into the mini-screen “Guys what’s happening there!!” he alisema turning to the cameramen. They shrugged over the cameras, trying to fix the problem. Apparently it had gotten stuck. Again. And kwa the look on their faces it didn’t seem likely that the camera wouldn’t keep jamming up like that.
“Ok ahem…Hugh, Robert I’m sorry we’ll fix it right away. Hold on”
The moment he alisema that a thunderous crash resounded in the air making them all turn simultaneously: the dangling light had drawn its last breath, smashing onto the floor.
Straiton was sort of panicking already, most probably fearing David’s upcoming unrestrained nervous breakdown Ok, right…” Straiton alisema slowly, keeping his wide-opened eyes blindly fixed on the remains of the light “This is gonna take a bit longer than we had originally planned…”
He jumped on his feet whispering to Katie as if he was trying to let sleeping mbwa lie, just in case David was around “Where’s David?” he furtively searched the room with his eyes.
Katie didn’t even avert her eyes from her blackberry.
“Katie…where’s David?” he repeated.
She just gestured vaguely towards the exit “He rushed out two dakika ago…he was on the phone…Calm down Straiton Everything’s gonna be ok. Don’t let yourself be sucked down David’s whirl of negative forces…” She alisema calmly. She had notoriously adopted an anti-panic-strategy all mwaka long. The zaidi David Lost his wits, the zaidi phlegmatic she became. It was her way to cope. “Everything’s good…we’ll sort it out” she alisema smiling reassuringly, but totally unconvincingly.
Hugh and Robert looked knowingly at each other.
“Yeah…no Katie. Don’t worry for me…I won’t get…downward any…spiral of any sort” he alisema trying to refrain from delivering a little too much irony.
He began to walk quickly away from the set and turned to them one zaidi time keeping on walking backwards “We’ll rehash it all later…ehm…take a break in the meantime. Have a coffee maybe…” he glanced at his watch “Damn it!!! It’s 11.30 already. Maybe you’d better take a long one….have lunch…whatever…this is gonna take a while I fear” he alisema about to rush to the exit.
“Wait Straiton!” Katie called. He froze “Let’s not waste zaidi time than necessary. Someone go and call Lisa. We’ll switch to the ER set…”
Robert dropped his shoulders down in resignation. Hugh instead stuffed his hands inside his jeans back pocket, getting his phone out. He smiled crookedly at it and started texting.
Robert leaned over the counter, outstretching his hand to grab the machungwa, chungwa juisi can . He filled the glass in front of him, lifted it up and started rolling it in his hand frowning suspiciously.
“Is this…drinkable, for real?”
Hugh didn’t take his eyes off the phone, still smiling “Sort of”
“What are wewe smiling at?” Robert asked putting the glass down making all sorts of grimaces at the taste of the machungwa, chungwa juice.
“Nothing” he alisema dismissively. He read Lisa’s last reply and couldn’t help but stifling a laugh. “She just offered me apple cider as a consolation…have fun trusting a teetotaller”
His face lit up as it always did when she was the subject.
Robert goggled, staring at Hugh in disbelief. She? Were they TEXTING between takes?!?! The hell he has misinterpreted!!
He snorted, closing his eyes. He needed to calm down.
“Apart from the fact that I have no idea what you’re talking about…” he started rather calmly. Hugh opened his mouth to explain, but he shushed him with a quick movement of his hand “But anyway…that nothing is making wewe smile like a naughty child who just happened to spot a chokoleti box he is not supposed to eat but that he is thinking on snatching up and running”. He alisema that in one breath, pointing his right index knowingly at him with the air of a parent in the mood for some serious I-know-what-I-am-taking-about-kid talk with his boy.
Hugh dropped his jaw slightly open, a little bit confused. Was he still in character? And he was also quite Lost in his metaphor. ‘Cause that was a metaphor, wasn’t it?
“Ehm…I don’t know what you’re talking about…” he confessed.
Robert pinched his voice higher ever so slightly “Don’t fool with me” but then he lowered his tone, widening his stance and sliding over closer to him “I know what’s happening here…you’re dancing around each other AGAIN. This is dangerous Hugh…” he alisema pointing his index at him in the very same admonishing way he had done before.
Hugh leaned over the counter to reach for his finger and push it down “Would wewe please stop that!? I am not a kid for God’s sake…put that thing down!”
What was his problem today? “May I know what have I done wrong? Now what have we done?” Hugh asked oblivious.
“Here wewe are…”
Gabriella showed up at their side, kissing Robert on the cheek and seizing him kwa one shoulder.
“Hi Hugh…” she cheered him.
“Hi Gabby ”
Robert looked like having been caught kwa surprise “Hi…what are wewe doing here?” he asked kissing her back.
She smiled lovingly at him “I just thought about dropping kwa after my meeting and giving wewe a hug before going back home”
“Where’s Eleonor?”
“Still with my mum. I need to pick her up in half an hour…”
She looked at the two of them “So what’s up here…anything exciting?” she asked with liveliness darting her eyes back and forth from Robert to Hugh. They both stood silent.
She scrutinized their faces, sensing something was wrong “What about you, Hugh? How’s life going?”
He looked at Robert, then back at her “Fine thanks. I am tired, mostly, but I am fine. I’ll be imba with the band tomorrow so, hopefully I’ll recharge my batteries this weekend…”
“Oh good…” she waited for Robert to say something.
He did look like he was in a mood today, but Hugh has no idea why au anyway what that has to do with him.
Gabriella suddenly clapped her hands together “I have a wonderful idea! Why don’t wewe come over for chajio, chakula cha jioni tonight? Before wewe leave I mean…It’s been ages since wewe have stopped by…” She alisema peering sideways at Robert.
Hugh rubbed his nape “That would be lovely…but…I…ehm…” he looked at Robert once again, no sign of reaction on his behalf. What about Lisa anyway? “I don’t know what time we will…”
“Oh don’t worry about that…” she reassured him patting his arm “Just come and have a decent meal for once…We’ll be waiting for you. Right Robert?” she asked lightly kicking his calf.
He stifled another ouch “Yes, yes of course…” he muttered without looking at Hugh.
Gabriella smiled satisfied “Ok, great”
“Has someone kwa any chance thought about making a call to Lisa?” Katie suddenly asked looking at them reproachfully “Do I have to do everything kwa myself??” Sometimes her ascetic composure cracked up.
Hugh jumped on his feet, without paying any zaidi attention to Robert.
“I am on it. She is in her trailer…I’ll go and get her” he alisema rushing off before having time to notice the look of astonishment on Robert’s face. He narrowed his eyes, fuming and tapping nervously with his fingers on the counter.
“Nice work. Very subtle…”
Gabriella turned to her husband, smiling “My pleasure dear…I figured wewe might need some extra time, before coming up with a decent speech…how’s it going so far?”
He snorted, pushing himself upright nervously and looking at the spot where Hugh had disappeared “I am telling you, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I don’t like it…I don’t like it at all”
“So then…there’s May 6th…I have to attend a Save the Children event. No, no” Lisa alisema sharply.
Jess sat up on the edge “What about it?”
She shook her head in denial “No, I can’t skip this one either. Absolutely not. Too important…I might skip the DANCETERIA Anniversary Party in New York on May 9th, but then…” she alisema as if she were reasoning out loud “….I am supposed to be on the Wendy Williams onyesha the siku after, anyway so…”
Jess threw himself backwards on the kitanda once again, crossing his arms behind his head. He pressed his lips in a tight line. Judging kwa the amount of time she was spending on this and kwa the wide ranges of reasons why she supposedly couldn’t skip this au that, he was zaidi and zaidi convinced she was making up excuses to herself. The swali remained why .
“Besides, it’s been ages since I’ve gone to New York…”
He sighed trying to make up his mind over the impossible choice that brought him here in the first place .
One side of him wanted her to be happy whatever it took, but the other half wasn’t sure the happiness she craved for was exactly what she needed au might have at the moment. He was just wondering whether it was his place au not to step in and speak his mind.
“What’s so special about New York, anyway…you’ve been plenty of times already…” he pointed out, buying himself some extra time to think it through a little longer.
“Well…. “ she started off already chuckling to herself and casting him a teasing look “…turns out the 5th Avenue enshrouds an enduring, compelling, irresistible mystery a woman can’t really resist to” she alisema sticking her tongue out at him one zaidi time.
“Why do my people keep setting me up for those kind of things instead?! Space Shuttle lunch in Florida?!May 14th…” she snapped, “I need a word with my PR”
“Well…anyway I don’t have so much time left then. Hugh and I have to be at the fox, mbweha Up Front on May 17th and then…” She flipped through the pages getting to June “…One…Two…Three…there are just a couple of weeks, three at the utmost, and we need to be back on set” she alisema tapping the juu of the pencil on her lips.
“Oh! And I also have two other events I need to attend on May 25th and May 27th …” She pressed her lips in a tight line. She was confused to say the least. This was a waste of time. She didn’t have enough time for this…
Jess leaned mbele “So…we are back to my original question: where do wewe slip your guy in on the sly? Looks like wewe don’t have time for him…”
Maybe he had already made up his mind after all, otherwise he wouldn’t have been there.
She rolled her eyes and let the pencil fall down on the table. She slid out her other knee from under her bottom and curled up on the chair, crossing her arms around her legs. She softly pointed her eyes at him.
“May I ask wewe what’s your problem exactly with holiday plans? BECAUSE I sense some sarcasm in there…”
Jess reached for the ball and started tossing it in air once again “I have nothing against those. But my swali is…” he paused for a sekunde stopping the ball. He’d better be direct about it. It was no use beating about the kichaka “Do you have something against it? I mean do you want to fly over to London to see your boyfriend?”
Lisa dropped her jaw slightly open, and no sound came out at first.
“I am on it…Jess” she finally managed to say “But as wewe can see…” she reached for the agenda springing it open it in front of her, as she was trying to take stock of the situation “I am basically busy ‘till May 14th. I mean, my only real hole is between May 11th and this tarehe but….but I can’t fly over to London for just 3 days!!!” she looked up at him, noticing he was staring at her with a knowingly expression on his face “…are wewe serious?? 3 days??”
“What about the weeks between the end of April and the first of May?” he pointed out tossing the ball from one hand to another “You are event-free in those…”
She scoffed, clearly feeling a little bit framed “I though we were supposed to go hiking …don’t wewe wanna go anymore?”
He stopped the ball mid air and put it down on the couch, leaning mbele “I do. But I won’t complain if wewe decide to dump me for your four-eyes Brit” he sneered.
Lisa frowned, smiling warmly at him. A hint of amusement in her voice “I thought wewe liked John…is somebody jealous kwa any chance?” she implied with a teasing tone, throwing herself on the kitanda inayofuata to him.
Jesse lay down again on his back, resting his head over her lap and locked eyes with her, deadly serious.
“The swali shouldn’t be whether I like him…”
She started playing with his hair avoiding his gaze “I do like him. Why do wewe think I don’t?”
He shrugged reaching for the ball “Well…you’re not exactly making things easier…”
She lifted her head up, rolling her eyes “I am not making up excuses…The only gap I have is this one, seriously and…anyway he can’t in that period, cause he has some important stuff to deal with anyway….” she paused, rubbing the back of her head “…I told you, I am gonna fly over before Spain anyway”
Jess lifted his torso up, sitting straight. He bent over resting on his knees, the ball tightly clenched into his hands, squeezing it. He turned his head to her, staring into her eyes
“You sure wewe really want to go? I mean…” he kept on, leaning closer to her and holding her hand tentatively “….you sure wewe really want to do this thing? wewe sure this is what wewe truly want…to settle for?”
He was desperately trying to pursue the reason he had been here for all along, but somehow words kept choking in his mouth. How could he possibly talk openly to her if he wasn’t even sure about what was really going on? Should he ask her a direct question? Snoop in? Force her into being sincere with him? He wondered what his role as a friend was meant to be, which were the lines he could kuvuka, msalaba au was supposed to preserve. Lisa on her behalf looked back straight at him, unsure about the meaning she was supposed to attach to his words, but she had always wondered how much about her life Jess had guessed right and figure out on his own. She finally dropped her gaze, searching inside herself for an answer, wondering whether there was really anything she was still sure about.
Jess lifted her chin up gently and looked into her eyes, sighing, “Who are wewe really saving your time for, Liz?” he finally asked softening his tone reassuringly.
Someone knocked on the door, interrupting them. She gently slid her hand out from his, stood up and went to the door.
She beamed widely the moment she pulled it open and Jess didn’t need to see who was on the other side to make a guess this time.
“Hi!”
“Hi” Hugh answered with in a faint voice. He always sounded out of breath when he saw her .
“Come on in…What’s up?” she asked enthusiastically.
Hugh took a step closer “No, thanks I have to rush back on set….I mean we have to rush on set…together” he alisema “I just…” he spotted Jess sitting on the couch, waving silently at him “Oh hi Jess….I just…I mean Katie asked me to call you…we are having some problems with some lights and we are switching sets….”
“Oh sure…let me grab my keys…”
“I’d better go Liz. I have some errands to do…” Jess alisema getting closer to kiss her goodbye.
He started to go down the steps of her trailer.
“Jess…” She called.
He turned looking at her.
She smiled a warm, thankful smile at him “Thank you”
Jess looked up at Hugh before answering.
“Sure. Anytime wewe want”
“What was that all about?” Hugh asked as soon as Jess had gone away.
He leaned on the doorjamb, stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets. Lisa looked up at him. He was wearing a blue t-shirt today. His hair was pretty tidy today, not as ruffled as it used to be at times, but it was a lighter shade. They must have done something to it at make-up. He had a ealthy beard, though and his leather koti, jacket already on….all of this hardly conducive to be able to hold his gaze, not in the way he was staring at her, anyway, with another of those looks she didn’t feel herself strong enough for. She wondered whether it was really the stare per se, having that effect on her au it was all in her mind.
She breathed in deeply.
“Let’s just go”
