Dreams Can Come True

81. Video recordings

The morning sun streamed through the large windows of the hotel restaurant, bathing the space in a warm glow. Gustav and I sat at a table by the window, enjoying our breakfast. The tranquil ambiance was suddenly broken when Georg, with his typical energetic demeanor, appeared at our table.
"Good morning!" he greeted us cheerfully as he took a seat across from me. "You're up early today, Bill," he noted, his gaze full of curiosity.
I nodded as I took a sip of my steaming coffee. "Yeah, my Skype call with Elise didn't happen," I mumbled, barely hiding my disappointment.
Georg leaned back in his chair, a grin stretching from ear to ear. "Oh, I spent the whole night chatting with Valerie," he shared enthusiastically, his eyes twinkling at the thought.
A light sigh escaped Gustav's lips, a sign that he took Georg's remarks about his nocturnal escapades with a grain of salt. "You need to get some sleep, Georg," I remarked, giving Georg a concerned look.
"I live on love," he proclaimed with an exaggerated romantic tone, which sounded almost comical in this matter-of-fact setting.
"I'm serious," I reiterated a bit more sternly. "These shoots are important, Georg, and you need your rest too."
Georg waved off my concern with a nonchalant gesture. "Jeez, who bit you this morning," he teased me with a grin.
"Gustav, have you been secretly biting me again?" I asked, giving him a mischievous look, raising my eyebrows at him.
The laughter at our table filled the room, a welcome change from the serious conversations that often dominated. It was as if the light-hearted atmosphere allowed us all to relax and ease the tension of the upcoming filming day.
Not long after, Tom joined us, his smile a reassuring sign that we were ready to start our shooting day.

After breakfast, we got into the cars that would take us to the location of the first shoot: a vast desert plain, perfect for the spectacular scenes planned. The sun stood high in the sky, warming the sand under our feet as we prepared for the first take. Today, we were set to film a spectacular scene racing cars through the desert, one of the highlights of our music video.
The sun's heat burned on our skin as we got ready for the shoot. The sound of roaring engines filled the air as the crew made the final preparations. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I took my place behind the wheel, ready to race against my bandmates.
With a loud "Action!" from the director, we hit the gas pedal and tore across the vast expanse, kicking up sand in our pursuit. The sensation of speed and freedom was overwhelming as we moved through the breathtaking landscape. The cameras followed us from all angles, capturing us racing through the desert at stunning speeds.
But just when we thought everything was going perfectly, the sky suddenly changed. Dark clouds quickly gathered overhead, and before we knew it, a torrential downpour of epic proportions began to fall on the desert.
Stunned, we looked around, our speed slowing as we tried to navigate the suddenly muddy and slippery ground. The sound of the rain mixed with the roar of the engines as we made our way through the storm.
With the cameras still rolling, we desperately tried to complete the scene, but the downpour was too intense. The sand turned into muddy puddles, and the cars slid all over the place, increasing the chaos of the shoot.
"Cut! Stop the filming!" the director shouted above the sound of the rain, and we abruptly stopped, our cars coming to a halt in the soaked desert.
Baffled and confused, we looked at each other, wondering what had happened. This was not how we had envisioned our filming day. The director called us together, his face twisted in a grimace of frustration.
"Sorry, guys, we'll have to postpone the scene," he announced, his voice barely audible over the sound of the downpour. "It's too dangerous to continue in these conditions."
Disappointed and shivering, we returned to the set, leaving our race cars in the muddy desert. It was an unexpected setback, but we knew we had to be flexible in the world of filmmaking.
Back on set, we were greeted with warm towels and cups of hot coffee, a welcome comfort after the disappointment of the rained-out scene. We gathered around the catering table, our minds still buzzing with adrenaline and excitement from the canceled race.

The atmosphere at the table was tense as the rain tapped against the window and we were trapped in our disappointment. Tom's sigh cut through the silence, his frustration evident. "Pff, we already had such a tight schedule. Now we're going to have to stay here longer," he grumbled, his voice dripping with disappointment. I rolled my eyes; the prospect of staying in South Africa even longer was far from appealing.
Gustav tried to stay optimistic, a trait I often admired. He suggested that the rain might stop and we could still finish our filming. His words brought a glimmer of hope, but I couldn't shake my doubt.
My gaze shifted to Georg, who was once again engrossed in his phone, his fingers flying over the screen. "Shouldn't Valerie be sleeping?" I asked him, my tone lightly mocking. He looked up, his expression tired and irritated at the same time.
"I can't help it that your girlfriend doesn't text you all day," he shot back, his words like a jab to my side.
A wave of frustration washed over me. "Elise is busy building her career," I quickly defended her, my voice determined. "Maybe you should show a bit more understanding for her situation."
But Tom didn't want conflict and immediately stepped into the conversation. "Guys, please, let's not fight," he pleaded, his voice a calming force amid the rising tension.
Georg rolled his eyes but seemed to relent under the group's pressure. "I was actually going to ask if you guys wanted to meet her when we're back in Berlin," he mumbled, his words almost inaudible above the sound of the rain.
The idea of meeting Valerie brought a mix of emotions. On the one hand, I was curious to meet the girl Georg spent so much time with, but on the other hand, I felt uneasy after our clash.
With a deep sigh, I tried to control my emotions. It was clear that there were some things that needed to be cleared up between us, but now might not be the right moment. I nodded at Tom as a sign of appreciation for his intervention and decided to let the matter rest for now. There was enough to focus on without getting caught up in personal struggles.