Crossed Paths

I was reading a book when Charles came into the room, my clothes piled on the crook of his arm. He placed them on the bed. He brought them in from the lines in the backyard, where I had hung them to dry that morning. I washed my clothes before leaving for training.
"Thank you, man, i was about to bring them in," I said, getting up to fold the clothes. I didn't want him to do that for me as well.
"A drizzle is coming. I did not want them to get wet. Anyway," He said down beside me. "Williams called me."
I stared. He kept mute for some seconds. "You're waiting for me to ask you for the completion of the information?"
He laughed. He would always do that to me when he had important information to tell me.
"Chill. He has a job for us."
I stopped going for jobs last year. Charles knows why I stopped going for jobs. That's why he was not sure of how my reaction would be when he disclosed the reason why Williams called him. He has seen me turn down so many producers and directors who enjoyed my way of rendering my services as a script supervisor. There was no need for me to continue since I didn't obtain revenue from the craft. But this time seemed different, I could see the confidence in his eyes.
"I know, this is not what you want to hear. But this is really what you need to hear. Come on, man, you have passion for this. What happens to NEVER GIVE UP you would always say to me, huh? Don't give me that face, please."

I was staring at him. He doesn't like it when I stare. I was perfectly happy with who I became and how I stayed away from filmmaking. But there were moments I wanted to go back to it. I just needed someone to give me a little push. "What kind of offer did he talk about? You know you haven't told me anything, right? You just kept me between the devil and the deep blue sea."

He smiled. I know that was what he wanted to hear before saying what he had to say. "He needs you and me to work with him in a production owned by HIGH FLYERS." I was shocked when he called the name HIGH FLYERS. I taught in the same lesson center years ago, and I never believed that the owner of that lesson centre bought the idea I gave him about making a movie since he always talked about his love for filmmaking.

"I'm in! What does he want from me? Script Supervision?" Charles nodded his head when he heard that question from me. "Okay, good. Tell him to write me on WhatsApp, and let me know how it would be done."

I could see the joy on his face when I agreed to join him on the project. He had wished I could come back to the field. He would always tell me how much he missed my supervision. I checked my phone afterwards and saw Williams's text. He told me everything I needed to know about the project. He pleaded with me to at least visit their first audition day to see the kind of artists and crew workers I would be working with. I walked in there with Charles on their first day of audition. I had already told Williams that I wouldn't want the special treat he had planned to give us. I just wanted to be free and comfortable. I gently sat on the empty seat at the back in between two persons, a guy at my right hand and a lady at my left hand. Williams was already directing and talking about the need for an artist to look wonderful on the camera.

"As an actor, you need to have your own that looks good on you. Guys, you must not buy expensive clothes like ladies before you come on set." Ladies started murmuring. Some were laughing in agreement at what he said. "Yes. Some clothes are less expensive and still decent when properly taken care of. Ladies are the ones who always go for flashy things and can do anything to get them." We heard a voice immediately, attacking that line.

"Please don't generalize it, sir." Everyone became silent for some seconds before they started opposing and proposing what she said. I turned and saw a beautiful young lady beside me. She was the one who said that.

"Are you trying to say that your outfit is not more than #20,000?" Williams said to her.

She laughed. "Sir, my outfit is just #1500, and I still look decent." Everyone was surprised when she made that statement. And for the second time, I turned and looked at this beautiful young lady with a few questions on my mind. I was like, "Who is this lady?" I looked at Charles to see if he could see the look on my face.

We got home that day, and I couldn't just stop thinking about that lady. "Guy, did you see that girl that sat beside me today? The one that talked about how cheap her outfit is?" I said to Charles when I could no longer keep it to myself.

Charles smiled at me when I said that. "Yeah, so what about her?" He stared at me.

I couldn't say anything again. I didn't want him to think about the incident. I just wanted to be the one thinking. Anyway, I waved it off that night, but I knew something had registered in my mind that made me think about her even when I knew I shouldn't. We walked into the hall again for the second audition. I still sat at the back, but this time, I wanted to see if the lady would sit beside me. I'm just making some imagination, though. Funny, right? I saw her at the front. I couldn't stop looking at her. I looked at her throughout the audition. It was as if I had known her for years. I didn't know what was getting me attracted to her, but I knew the last incident had something to do with it. I came back that day and still made mention of the lady.

Charles noticed this time, "Guy, are you sure you are not interested in this girl?"

I opposed it immediately. "Are you okay? How can I be interested in an artist? Did I not tell you that I would have nothing to do with any female artist?" I said this to make him feel I don't feel anything for her.

He laughed when I said this. "That's your business. I'm seeing something and perceiving love in the air. You should utilize the opportunity. She might be single, you know."

I got up from the bed immediately, and he said, "Guy, are you sure she is single?" Charles burst into laughter. "I thought you said you have not time for female artists, eh? Seems reverse is now the case."

I ignored him and stepped outside to catch some air. Two weeks before the camp commences, the production manager made a post about picking their form for #5000, and a guy countered the post saying the money is too big and the rest. I felt his approach was wrong, and I countered the guy's speech. A certain girl tried defending the guy, and we ended up having a little misunderstanding in the group. I later wrote directly to the strange lady to at least settle and be her friend. Later on, I discovered it was the same girl I was hoping I could talk to, I had to utilize the opportunity. I started texting her. She snubbed my messages countless times, yet I kept I just couldn't stop texting her. One of my colleagues at the office needed a service I knew she could render, I texted her about it, and she finally replied. I engaged her in a lot of conversations to make sure we got along before the camp.

The camp finally started, and Charles and I were given a separate room to stay. We had to invite male artists who would love to stay with us. We did the project the first day, and I couldn't speak to her that day. She was one of the lead characters, I was working on her scene throughout the day. On the second day of the shoot, the person in charge of the still photo had an emergency and pleaded with me to help him take some photos to cover his absence. I took it up and took excellent photos of everyone artist who acted on set, which she was my main focus. After the shoot, I went into the room and started editing. Someone knocked at the door, and it walked in.

" You're busy?" She said as she walked close to where I was. I looked up, "Not really, just editing some pictures."

"That's one of the reasons I came here. Have you done anyone?"

This was how we started talking physically. I could see the connection. We gradually became close. I perceived she was into me. Two days before we left the camp, a friend of mine who was very close to her told me that she liked me. That night, I had to start a conversation with her , I made it clear to her that I had fallen for her. Although I have been deceiving myself because of the fact that I don't want to have anything to do with female artists, I had already gotten attracted to her. The next day, which was the last day of the camp, I told Charles that I was waiting for her reply over what I told her last night. Charles went to her and indirectly started a conversation concerning me and the way we get along these days.

"He hasn't really told me what I want to hear. He just said he likes me. I hear that all the time." She said to Charles.

Charles related back to me, and I had to take up the courage to tell her what she needed to hear. That night, I told her everything I had planned to say.
"Thank you for not wasting the night again." She smiled when she said this. You guys needed to see the smile on my face. I couldn't believe it. I went inside the room after she went into their room to have some rest, and I lay down on the floor. My guys were laughing at my excited self, I didn't even care about what they were doing.

At times, we plan our lives, but we don't know the scheme we should follow. We are happy together. She is a very hardworking lady, and I am a hardworking guy. We are just perfect for each other, and together, we are building a future.

@MR PRINCE
@DEMEGAPEN

Hello @mrprinxcee, welcome to The Ink Well!

Your story was very nicely developed and had a lovely balance between narrative, action, and dialogue. What a great love story. It's a good thing that you set aside your bias against dating a woman in the arts ;-) You had a few missing words and strange inclusions which suggested that there needs to be a little more attention to detail when editing and proof reading, but otherwise this was a pleasure to read... and thank you for supporting other writers in the community. Please could your provide image sourcing for the photo you have used. If it is your own photo, which I suspect it is, please simple state so at the bottom of your post.

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