Hearts' Desires (11 page)

             
“If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility.”

             
Still, the boy only shifted his weight uneasily.
             
“What if I give you an autograph?”
             
Now the boy’s black eyes began to shine. “Oh really, you would do that? I could trade it for one of Carl’s rugby cards!” He stretched his hand.
             
Vance forced a smile. Being exchanged for a rugby player was not what he had in mind. But… shortly after, he was in the saddle of the same horse he had been riding during the starting scene. When he had left the little ‘camp’ behind his muscles relaxed. His body adjusted, remembered, and his head did the same. It was as if the distance separating him from his childhood days was suddenly shrinking. The smell of the air was the same, and the landscape, and the sounds of the birds echoing from the near water course…
             
With every step of the horse, the storm of anger and di
s
satisfaction in his thoughts settled down a little more. Vance patted the horse’s neck and nudged it with a little kick to run faster over the cushions of pink and orange spring flowers. Yes, it felt good. Free. Free from everything!
             
A bit later, a green-yellow spot in front of him had r
e
solved into some Sweet-Thorn-trees in full bloom and some bushes near the water. When he had reached the little ‘oasis’, Vance dismounted and wrapped the reins around a thick branch. This was definitely a better place to wait for the start of today’s filming –if it would start at all! He sat down and leaned back against the tree, observing the light sparkles the sun produced on the water. Some flowers grew next to him. He picked one and snipped the broad flower’s head off. It flew like a little UFO and landed on the water, where it peacefully sailed away. A game, Vance and his friends had played often during their childhood days.
             
I should have come
back
,
he thought and closed his eyes.
I
n
stead of trying to make a movie career!

             
Vance smiled sadly.
In all those years, a part of him had r
e
mained here, and now the missing part was suddenly back, knocking at the door of his mind. Vance looked at his own blurred image in the water. Had it been worth the sacrifices?

             
The only time I can use some of my acting skills are when I have to show up at an official event with Carolyn!
And even those have become scarcer with the years….
He searched for his cigarettes and realized he had left them in the vest, which hang over the chair in the camp.
Let's face it, you're over the hill
,
he
said to himself and
leaned back
.
             
The sun danced through the leaves, touching his face now and then with its warmth like the hands of a graceful goddess. Maybe the ma
g
ic of his childhood was still there, hidden somewhere and waiting to be revealed? Maybe not all the dreams
, not all the joy,
had withered?

             
--”Vance?”

             
The voice blended so perfectly into his dream’s lan
d
scape, that it didn’t wake him. However, the hand shaking his shoulder the next moment did.
             
Still slightly disorientated, he turned around, blinked, and di
s
covered Alison standing at his side. “Ah… sorry… looks as if I was quite tired…” He cleared his throat and stood up. “Guess all are searching for me, because it is time for work!”
             
“No,” she answered. “No filming today. The stuntmen have arrived, but it is too late already. A hunting party at night wasn’t what I had planned. Fortunately, there was no need to search for you; Jake saw you leaving on your little joy-ride.”
             
“And so you hit the road to dump a full load of reprimands over me…” Vance reached out for the reins of his horse.
             
“Actually… I took the opportunity for a little ride myself. My father had a horse farm, and I-“

             
A sudden breeze snatched her hat. She made a hasty
step forward to catch it, forgot the wet ground near the water – and already was down, simultaneously with Vance’s cry to watch out.
             
She covered her face with her hands.
             
“Alison? You’re alright?” He ran to her, ready to help. Now she looked up, and he discovered that she was not crying but laughing. Moreover, her right hand, with which she had tried to prevent her fall, had been full of brown mud and therefore had left a mark in her face.
             
Vance had to laugh as well. He just couldn’t help himself.
             
“My God,” Alison managed under tears, “this is exactly like the stupid scene in that movie… you know… the one with the English lady in the Everglades…” She tried to pull herself together and get up. “Sorry, you must think
I
– ah!”
             
She would have fallen again, and this time right into the w
a
ter, had Vance not caught her in time.
             
“Aw… crap! My foot… Thank you.”
             

             
Leaning
on his arm, Alison hobbled to safe ground near the trees, where she inspected the damage.

             
“I stumbled out of the cab in L.A., on the day of our depa
r
ture. I’ll need a bandage now, I suppose...”
She tried in vain to wipe the mud from her skirt and glanced to Vance, who did not look better than she. “I have ruined your suit as well. Sorry.”
             
“What can I say…
”
His gaze wandered down his body and then back to her.
“Can’t deny it.
Come on. Or Max will send a search party after both of us!”
             
“Yes.” She massaged her foot again. “And I don’t want to read that story in the tabloids!”
Saying that, she looked up again and tossed her hair back.
Despite the annoyed sound of her voice, a little smile crossed her lips.
             
She
is
beautiful
. The realization hit Vance like a shock. He glanced back over his shoulder, as if he had heard som
e
thing behind him,
then
turned around again, suddenly watc
h
ing his expre
s
sions and actions very carefully, before he lent her a hand.
The unbearable heat of the last day had built up to give birth to an immense thunderstorm. The film team had barely reached their accommodation in the old hotel, when it broke loose. For nearly all, there was no way to find sleep. Only Jake snored – he had drained a few glasses of Bourbon after a telephone call with his lawyer concerning his pending d
i
vorce.
             
Vance sat at the half-opened window, delighted by the u
n
leashed forces of nature
and
smoked his fourth cigarette. He couldn’t get the image of Alison out of his thoughts, how she stood there with dirty face and loose hair and smiling… This affected him even more than Lauren’s obvious advances. He pulled the chair back, to get himself and his cigarette out of the suddenly changing direction of the smashing rain. Somewhere in the close distance, lightning struck again; for the fraction of a second the sky was i
l
luminated in a strange yellow white.

             
Vance felt lonely. Not in the way that would make him go over and knock on Lauren’s door, though. It was not exactly that kind of loneliness… Or was it, after all? At least… it would take his mind off other things… He threw the butt out of the window.
             

             
What are you thinking, man? Want to get in trouble like Jake?
No, a fling with this chick was certainly not worth it. It would not fill his loneliness with anything; only numb it for a few minutes. Wit
h
out looking, Vance fumbled for his pack of
Luckies
and found it empty.

             
Shit… Maybe Carolyn is right. I’m going to kill myself with this.
Carolyn. This night in particular reminded Vance of her.
How they first met, 10 years ago. She had been the real e
s
tate agent who managed the sale of that condo with ocean view. A beautiful place, oh yes. And after the inspection, a thunderstorm broke loose and he sat with the likewise beaut
i
ful agent in his not-yet-new-home. It was a hot clash of nature outside – and became a passionate night within…
             
Where had that passion and everything else gone, he wo
n
dered. How was it possible for these things to slip away unnoticed until Carolyn and he just shouted at each other? Was aging the reason? The fact that his wife almost desp
e
rately tried to conserve the appearance of thirty-something, with the help of surgery,
botox
and diets, and with every pas
s
ing year became more jealous some chick could snatch him from her? If there was anything pus
h
ing him away, it was this obsession, this possessiveness.

             
Another thunder roared over the landscape. Vance stood up and reached for his cell phone, still hesitating for a m
o
ment. Then he dialed the number of his apartment in L.A. A
f
ter some time, a voice answered. He recognized the Chinese housemaid.
             
“
Maylin
, this is Vance. Is my wife at home?”
             
“No, I’m sorry. Misses Van Sorel is at a conference. Do you want to leave her a message?”
             
“No. Thank you. It’s not important. Bye.” He hung up and sighed. Automatically, he grabbed the empty cigarette pac
k
age, realized his mistake and frustrated threw it into the trash bin. The thunderstorm was slowly moving away. Maybe he could get some rest. He went to the window and closed the shutters.

             
Alison was worried. Max’ news about the rebellion in Zi
m
babwe had been a shock. She had
got
some
more information
via the installed TV set.
The uprising against the corrupt go
v
ernment had at first been supported by the military, but now it
seemed as if the government had
cut
a
sinister deal. Fights between loyal troops and rebels took place everywhere, but the focus of the action was the south of the country. Tho
u
sands of refugees were a
l
ready under way to the neighboring countries.
Then a lightning
strike on
an antenna tower in the vicinity terminated the TV program
prematurely
. Alison
r
e
ceived nothing but interference
an
y
more
. And given the heavy rain, she did not want to go over to the RV or the bus, where they had an on-board radio. She sighed, fee
l
ing the urge to walk around a bit to ease tension, but was hindered by her aching foot. Well. She took a deep breath. Max had pro
m
ised to take care of the problem and to check with the producers about rescheduling or relocating. She had to trust him. Max was a reliable old friend and partner. However, it was hard to let go off her responsibility, even for a moment!

             
Alison leaned back against the pillows. Her eyes fell on her still dirty dress. Heavens, what a silly situation had that been! Why did she have to fall into the mud right in front of Vance van Sorel?! Nonetheless, Alison smiled. At least, they had been in the outback of South Africa – thank God – and not in L.A. where half a dozen paparazzi immediately would’ve taken a picture!
             
And he has proven himself perfect gentleman; even lifted me up into the saddle…
Noticing the way her thoughts had wandered, she shook her head. No, she wouldn’t start roma
n
ticizing, would she?! This was simply too ridiculous. Of course she would not! Romanticizing was something the people should do while watching her movies, and in order to achieve that a cool and collected mind was first priority! But she had to admit that, contrary to her first op
i
nion, Vance seemed to be not only a formidable actor, but a decent man and a reliable friend, too. Someone, with whom she could get along well
…