going to the chapel: chapter 4

put up your dukes!

i have a feeling that i might be wearing that saying out.  brad dukes.  i am going to be jessica dukes.  it will be funny the first two times i say it, then i have a feeling the "jessica, really?" will be coming my way and after saying it a thousand more times, i will realize no one is laughing anymore.

well, S.O.R.R.Y.

several people have asked me how brad and i met.  today i will tell you.

if you know me, i am not boy crazy.  i am not the girl that says, "oh he is HOT."  or "oh, look at him!"  that's just not me.  however, i did think brad PITT was rather nice looking in that boat with the white shirt on in "the case of benjamin button."  i might have said, "he is HOT."  in a dreamy, matter of fact kind of way.

because.

i am not BLIND.

in march, almost two years ago, my friend jen was getting her degree in film making and was working on her final project.  i had just finished (dropped out) of hair school and since hair and make up were fresh on my mind, she asked me to do hair and make up on set for her film.  the film was set in the 1930's and was her grandmothers love story.  i was gung ho (do people say that anymore?  gung ho?  is that even a word?  or two?) to be the hair and make up girl because that sounded so hollywood and big deal.  however, i was not excited about the four a.m. meeting time.

as the date drew closer and closer, (sorry if you are reading this jen!) i was thinking, 'how can i get out of this?'  not only because i was going to have to get up at three a.m., but also because she called the night before in a panic saying one of her actresses had died her hair hot pick and i was going to have to cover it and a hat would not do.  and also that might not make the 1930's look-a-like cut, so there was another reason and the biggest reason was my house was in turmoil, my two roommates and best friends and i were struggling and it was just a hard time in life in general.  i did not want to go.  i wanted to go, but i was tired, mentally.  and emotionally spent.

but because i could not back out on my friend the night before, i knew i had to go and that it would be fun.

jens boyfriend (fiance now!), ryan, was meeting all the crew and then we would all drive to the location. my best friend was also an extra, so she and i rode together.  we pulled up and saw ryan sitting in the van waiting for the crew about 3:30 a.m., and i hopped out of my car and ran to the van and told ryan that bessie and i would follow him, because we had to leave early because we had plans for the evening.  as i was talking to ryan, i noticed a rather good looking guy in his passengers seat.  he introduced me to his friend brad and myself being the funny gal that i am said, "hey, i am going to need as assistant today, do you do hair and make up."  he laughed and said "no."  

when i got back in the car with bessie, i will never forget, i said, "i know it is 3:30 in the morning, but ryans friend is HOT."


i didn't see ryan or his friend until much later in the day after i had gotten everyone ready.  until jen yelled at me from set, "hey, can you do something about his hair."

since i was on set and had done everyones hair and make-up already, i just had touch up essentials like hairspray and make up.  lots of red lipstick.  so i grabbed the nearest can of aqua net and grabbed ryan's friend, brad, and went to spraying that wild head of hair and making it flat, 1930's style.  and i think i might have used the whole can, because the boy does not have flat hair.

we started talking about a lot of nothing, just small talk.  i, of course, thought he was attractive, but genuinely was not interested because well, i had no idea who this guy was and doubted i would ever see him again, but he seemed nice enough.

this is how not interested i was...as we were talking, he asked me how old i was.  i said, "i am thirty-two, i need to get married and have babies."  last i checked, that is not a come on line.

the day progressed like any other day, any time there were breaks between sets, we would tend to migrate toward each other, but i was friends with his friend ryan, so it seemed to be a natural migration.

but we talked.  and talked.  and talked and talked.  and talked some more.

and if you know me, i can talk to anyone, so that also didn't seem weird.  and because he was a willing participant in my chatter, i continued talking.  i even told him i had just started a blog.

because nothing like a little good self advertising.

the day ended as quick as it began.  bessie and i had to leave early before the film wrapped for the day, we let in the middle of a scene, didn't wave, didn't tell anyone bye, nothing.

but leaving that day, i thought to myself...i could have sworn that guy brad winked at me when i left. 

to be continued...