Cherry Mountains

(XXVII) End Game

     In six days, I would be in New York City, acting in my first movie. My stomach was in knots. Since New Year's Day, I had been in and out of the gym, so many dance rehearsals, so many vocal lessons, so many meetings. And now, the time was finally so close.  Mostly everyone was already in New York. But I, the star of the film, was still in Los Angeles. Why? Because I was being pathetic.

Prince never called me back. And he never answered my call the next day—the supposed private line. One missed call was enough for my ego. I never tried again.

Sheila was filming for her first movie, Krush Groove, and we kept in touch because both the films we were doing were considered 'Hip Hop films.' We had a little friendly competition going on. And during one of our chats Prince slipped into our conversation.

She said she hadn't seen him but their recent phone call went left when he began to complain about the fictional intimacy between her and her co-star, Blair Underwood. Sheila said she was pissed and kept telling Prince he wasn't her man so how could he be mad?

Livid, I said the same thing. Then Sheila said, "he just can't live with himself if he's not dictating someone's life! He mad at you, and taking it out on me. I told him, 'I'm not the one. You better call Susannah.'"

And now, I was in L.A., hoping he would call me.

Sometimes, my desperation got to me and I'd pick up the phone and let it ring about two times. Then I'd hang up.

"Nahni, you're so childish," Tiani would say. "Lala, just leave him a damn message on his machine," Mykell would say. And I was just like, 'nope, nope, nope.'

But I guess something told Prince to try just one more time. It was around nine at night, and he finally called me when I was just walking through the door. I heard him on the answering machine.

"...calling me. So, I'm reaching back to you-"

"Hello?!" I answered.

"Hey..."

I cleared my throat. That hello sounded desperate as hell. "I just walked in. Sorry."

"Why have you been calling me and hanging up?"

"I have not..."

"You're the only one who has the number to that phone. Who else would it be?"

I sat down on my couch and rest my purse beside me. "The phone rang like ten times on my end."

"Sure it did. What's up, though?"

"Umm..." I rest the phone between my shoulder and ear. "I just wanted to say 'hi.' You know..."

"When do you start filming?"

"On the 18th. I'm so nervous." I clasped the phone and sat back on the couch. "I'm freaking myself out."

"Why? What's it about, anyway?"

"Well, I'm the lead actress. It's about this girl, named Victoria, and she works at this club called Body where she performs erotic dances or whatever...you know about that part."

"Mhm."

"And she meets this rapper, Doug E. Fresh, and gets involved with his crew-"

"You have to rap?"

I sighed. "I was originally going to have a scene where I had to sing. But they changed it to a rap."

Prince started laughing.