Sinful Pleasure. A Henry Cavill Story

12 Come with Me

I daren't look up to face Rick... until a short, deafening silence later, 

"Come with me... both of you," he finally said, his face unreadable. And so, Henry and I quietly followed. I was so confused and my heart was thumping from the insane nerves, I was sure both of them could hear it. Henry did not say anything though I could tell he was just as confused as I was. Eventually, we found ourselves in Rick's studio office.

"Take a seat," Rick said, taking one himself behind his messy desk full of papers and books. Henry and I settled into the chairs available. I was mentally trying to calm myself as I watched Rick dig through a pile of papers on his desk, searching for something specific. Soon he found it; a large stack of papers bound together, he looked at it, and threw it in front of Henry and myself. I inched forward to attempt to read what the cover page said but soon jumped in my seat as Rick slammed his hands loudly onto the desk, even Henry wasn't expecting it and he too jumped a bit. 

"It's 'Friedrich and Tanya'," He said triumphantly as Henry and I looked at him confused, "The script; rewritten," he took up the script he threw at us and opened it to a page passing it to me directly this time, this man from what I have learned of him thus far clearly had a flare for the unnecessary dramatics. I took it cautiously from his hands.

"Read it," He said leaning back into his seat. I looked over the page and it was a scene familiar to me, one that Henry and I acted out that fateful day, only thing was Tanya's lines... they were mine. Word for word. They rewrote it and copied what I did that day exactly, I looked up confused as I registered this. 

"Yes, we copied what you said and did. That day after Henry's audition I was too curious to know what you darling were saying and so I got our translators to translate it for me," He paused, pensively, I and Henry waited patiently for him, "so no, I was not chasing you to fire you for your impertinence, I want to hire you! I want you to be my Tanya!" his eyes glistened with a scary fire as my jaw dropped and I was speechlessly staring back at him. Henry was still silent and probably thinking the same thing. Eventually, I couldn't help it and giggled at his words.

"That's funny, um, you know I really must go and find Ruth so I will leave you two," I said getting up, wanting to be out of this room. I did not know what was happening, I just assumed it was a cruel joke he was playing. 

"Sit, down!" Rick's voice brought me back down to my chair.

"I am not joking! Poor Henry had to read lines with every possible Russian speaking actress in this country and they all looked pathetic after you, I even began to doubt in Henry even though he was my first choice to begin with! Until, I re-watched the tape from that audition, the fire, the chemistry, you are what Tanya is, Tanya shouldn't be a model looking girl with the perfect face, skin, legs, etc, etc. Tanya is perfectly unperfect! We added in so many more scenes to further develop the story, you have no idea the ball you started rolling! We fired our translators and hired new ones, the screen play writers now want a sequel if we could get it," he finished his speech and I once again was, well, speechless. Finally, I cleared my throat and said,

"That's all very nice, I am happy for you, have fun using my lines but I am not acting! This is absurd, Henry this man is not serious right?" I looked over to Henry who just shrugged at me as he too did not know what to make of this.

"Oh come on, you were made to be an actress, you only further proved it in that scene with Dan," Rick added.

"The scene with Dan?" Henry finally spoke for the first time.

"You would be perfect! I have the entire committee on board with this from that one video of you and Henry! It is going to be fire," Rick clapped his hands together and wore a giant grin that soon I wiped right off with my next words,

"That will not be happening. I mean, not with me, I am not an actress!" I say.

"Oh please, so many actresses cannot act and so many regular people can, you only prove the point," Rick further relaxed into his chair, good thing I am not an actress otherwise I would have been offended at his words and this is a man who works in this industry, crazy! 

"Setting aside all of your absurd arguments, my answer is no! As of yesterday I am a homeless, passport less, penniless foreigner and therefore have too many other problems to deal with. Find yourself a proper actress but I really must be going. Excuse me," I said shaking my head and getting up. My anxiety has officially decided it is time to run. 

"Oh no, you won't," Rick stopped me just in front of the door, "first you make me chase you all over the studio and now you want to make me beg?"

"I see you are not a fan of doing things that are beneath you, I feel it was a good thing for you. The audacity; you continue to press me even after I tell you I am unable to do this for reasons so obvious. Who do you think you are?" I look at him, now he was making me mad, like any man he thinks that persistence will get him what he wants.

"You're not afraid of me," is all he says and lets out a laugh, "we must fix that!"

"Very funny, have fun fixing whatever you want, without me!" I reach for the door handle and he blocks it again.

"If I may interrupt?" Henry's voice breaks up the quarrel so stupid between Rick and myself, we both look up at him.

"Rick, if Maria says yes to your offer, can you pull some strings and get her a passport and everything else needed for her to stay and work?" he looked at Rick who was thinking this all through.

"What happened that you need a passport?" He asks. I am still confused at what is happening though I see Henry finds this as an opportunity to help me, I on the other hand want to scream at him and say how can I of all people act beside you? He wants my nerves to kill me, I am too afraid to do this Henry, can't you see?

"I got robbed... but I was wanting to go back home to Russia," I explain.

"Oh tough luck, but not for me, of course I have friends in the right places who can help with all this," Rick smiles and adds, "if you say yes, that is." The smirk on his face makes me want to punch him.

"This is blackmail," I say at the two of them, it almost feels like by wanting to help, Henry took his side, I want to scream at him and ask why are you doing this to me? 

"No darling, it is a fair exchange!" Rick says. I look at the two of them who stare back awaiting patiently for my response. I quickly understand I have no choice, this would mean a job, money, most importantly a passport, basically the opposite of my hopeless current situation. Fuck, Henry is right.

"How long is filming usually?" I ask.

"Depending how it goes, we are hoping for 3 months," Rick says. 3 months, why is it always 3 months for everything? Is this fate telling me maybe I will find my father after all? And so, it is only because of that thought that I say,

"Ok, I will do it."