Page 7 of You Had Me At Annyeong!
‘Hain? No way in hell!’
The producer shrugs and silently mouthswhat-to-do.
Timira stares at the green section in disbelief.
Talent (looking into the camera intensely): I love you. Will you marry me?
Vis: 360-degree shot of the Amarah solitaire
Voiceover: Amarah by Bejewelled, a promise of love, a token of forever.
Timira feels like she’s going to be sick.
* * *
Timira clears her throat a couple of times, hoping Rodrigo will notice without her having to announce her arrival. But he seems to be engrossed in conversation with the stylist, who is also apopular socialite by night and is rumoured to have dated the sons of Bollywood bigwigs. So she has to do what she has to do.
‘Er, excuse me. Hi, Rodrigo. Sorry to cut this up, but I need a couple of minutes, please.’
‘Ah, yes, of course, darling.’ He knows how much Timira hates being referred to as ‘darling’, ‘sweetie’, etc. at work. She has complained to him on multiple occasions of the ‘casually sexist’ nature of such nomenclature. She is annoyed, he knows, but doesn’t show it. Turning towards the stylist, who’s taken the opportunity to quickly reapply lipstick, he apologizes.
‘I’m sorry, love. Work needs me. I’ll catch up with you in just a bit,’ he says with a wink and touches her chin like he were lightly pushing a carom strike.
‘That’s a lovely shirt you’ve got on!’
Timira grits her teeth and silently prays for him to change the topic. With great difficulty, she manages to not roll her eyes.
‘Why have you been avoiding me?’ Rodrigo demands to know.
‘Avoiding you? What are you even talking about?’
‘Oh, c’mon. Anybody can tell that you’ve consciously tried to ignore me all day.’
‘If that’s how you wish to think, go right ahead. I won’t stop you.’
Timira is determined not to lose her focus. Or her cool.
But Rodrigo has other intentions. His tactic of trying to make her jealous may not have worked, but he has more firepower up his sleeve.
‘I didn’t think you’d be so childish. In any case, you did the dumping. All that confidence, where’s it gone? Why can’t you so much as look me in the eye?’
Nothing he says can rattle me. I will not let him have that pleasure. He knows he’s in the wrong. I expected this when I walked on to set this morning. Why should I be surprised? INNER PEACE INNER PEACE!
Timira takes a deep breath and replies in a low voice.
‘I hate to break this to you, but we are in the middle of work. I’d really appreciate it if we could focus a little here.’
‘I’m the talent here. You have to work around me, so don’t dictate. This is not our relationship that you can call the shots.’
Timira swallows her pride in a gulp and digs her nails a little deeper into her palms, clenched tightly into fists.
‘You are right, I can’t force you. But see all these people? They all want to wrap things up and go home. They’ve worked overnight and are exhausted. What happened between us is not their fault. So I’d request you to cooperate, not for me but for them.’
‘Unbelievable. Timmy, you’re unbelievable. How can anyone be so emotionless? Do you even have a heart anymore? Why did you wear this shirt today?’
‘Because it is no different from any other shirt I own. It’s just a shirt with no special meaning.’
‘Lies. All lies. You are lying to me and you are lying to yourself. Look at you, so childish and yet trying to make me look immature and inadequate.’
