We film on the picnic blanket for over an hour, until my legs ache from the position and my back starts to complain. Jessie comes forward with water and pain relievers, then Gigi fixes my lipstick.
“Sunset is coming,” Devon says. “Let’s reset in the side yard.”
The crew begins moving, and Blitz and I carefully extricate ourselves from the blanket.
“This date is going to go way longer than our real first date,” I say, relieved to know the cameras aren’t on us at this moment.
“They always do,” Blitz says, helping me off the blanket.
Kendra approaches with the shoe box. “You’re switching to these now,” she says firmly.
I sit on a bench and put on the stiletto heels. Blitz passes the flats back to Kendra.
“What do you think of how it all works?” Blitz asks me.
“It’s interesting. I keep imagining people watching me, though. It’s very surreal.”
Blitz nods and takes my hand as I stand up in the heels. “You get used to that feeling.”
“I keep second-guessing everything I say.”
“Just be you,” he says. “If you try to imagine how they will cut and splice every sentence, you’ll go crazy.”
I hadn’t even thought of that. They could rearrange parts, take them out of context. My face blazes hot. Would they do that? They could make me look crazy, or stupid, or angry. They could take one yes and switch it with a later no.
“Do you trust these people?” I ask as we follow the last of the stragglers out to the yard.
“As much as you can trust anyone in Hollywood,” Blitz says. “But I never forget they forced me here.”
Devon motions us over to a grassy area. Another blanket is spread here.
“It’s the date of picnics,” I say, not really looking forward to sitting on the ground again.
This time, we’re arranged from the beginning. Blitz leans against a tree and I curl into him. I like this, and immediately go to lay my head on his shoulder.
“The hair!” Kendra says, leaping forward to smooth it down.
“This is tedious,” I say.
“Welcome to television,” Blitz says.
Eventually we get to another little period where they leave us alone and let us talk without interruption. Like Gigi said, we don’t actually eat or drink anything from the set. It’s just there to look pretty.
We break for a brief dinner, Shelly showing up with meals from Blitz’s chef, light salads with nuts and berries.
“We need some walking, some kissing,” Devon says next. “Now that it’s dark, we’ll be hand-lighting.”
I set down my salad, and Gigi rushes up to me to fix my makeup and lipstick. “I’m giving you some hardcore stain so you don’t smear,” she says. “But expect that every kiss, we’ll have to fix you before we can move forward.”
“Okay,” I say.
We head back outside. The path is narrow through the heavy foliage.
“Follow the lights,” Devon says. “Places!”
Blitz and I stand at the end of the walkway, holding hands. We follow a string of lighted globes, although the real brightness comes from big lamps strapped to the trees overhead.
As we walk, I start to hear the sound of music. We pass a large leafy bush and there stands a lone violinist in rolled-up sleeves, giving us a charming smile as he plays a waltz.
“I believe he is playing our song,” Blitz says.
“I think every waltz is our song,” I say, then think, that’s a promo moment.
I’m right, because just as Blitz takes my hand to lead me in a few steps, we’re stopped and asked to repeat those lines several times in a row.
“I’m going to see a commercial with this on it, aren’t I?” I ask Blitz.
“I hope so,” he says.
Finally, we’re released to dance along the path. The lights whirl into a blur as Blitz turns me on the narrow sidewalk. It’s not easy to navigate the way in flimsy heels on concrete, but Blitz keeps the steps simple. Mostly we try to smile at each other, which isn’t hard. The setup is truly lovely.
“I think it’s time for kissing,” Blitz says.
“About time,” I say.
He makes the steps smaller and slower. The music has faded as the violinist stops following. But when Blitz leans in, we’re still dancing, turning. I have an inspiration and pick up the side of my dress, letting it sweep out as we turn, faces together, lips brushing lightly.
I can see the image onscreen, the blue dress lifted out, the soft grass, the lighted path.
I have to believe the audience will root for us.