What Happened In Thailand Stays In Thailand

Chapter 9: Dreams are Free

Álvaro heard the click of his phone and knew that Itzi ended the call. He closed his phone and was thinking if he should get that latte she was sure he would buy. She knew him like the back of her hand. He smiled to himself sadly.

He got up, went to the counter and ordered for a tall latte to go. He paid the bill and waited at the counter for the cup to arrive.

The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. God, what was wrong with him?! Saying he liked El Profesor to end up alone as he was in the beginning? And his favorite scenes? With Tokio at that Buddhist temple in Thailand? De verdad?!

Holding the cup of latte in hand, he went out of the cafe and took his time going home. The 3-minute-run distance to his house is actually a 10-minute walk, when you are walking in leisure.

Huh, leisure your ass. You are walking as if you do not want to go home. To your own house. Not yet.

He made a detour and headed for a bench near a newspaper stand beside a barbershop he frequented. He decided to sip his coffee there. He would take his time and maybe get a beard trim.

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"Álvaro! Look, we're in the papers! Here!"

Álvaro got his latte and Itziar's decaf from the catering crew, and was careful not to spill any drop on his Salva outfit while walking swiftly to where she was sat, reading one of the country's top dailies ABC. They were on a production break in one of their Hanoi scenes, the postcards scene.

"A ver?" He got the paper and read.

"This part, read from there," she pointed a column on the paper.

"...Solo cabe esperar que los guionistas tengan algo preparado que vuelva a dejarnos sin habla con sus tramas y secuencias, las cuales han logrado un constante 15% de share cada martes...," he read not too loudly.

"Wow! This is great news! Did Álex and Jesús know about this?"

"Yup, they're the ones who gave the paper to me," she was beaming.

Álvaro hugged Itziar after placing their drinks on the table on one of the booths. They then sat across each other. His eyes were almost crinkling from smiling so widely. He almost always felt light when they share these small victories on the show. Not that it was any of his choice--most of his mid-season to latter-season scenes are either with her or alone at the hangar set. His prep scenes with the other cast members, except for the soon-to-be-filmed finale, were all done. His rare scenes outside were also shot mostly with just the crew.

"Who would've thought?" he said after a few coffee sips.

"Exactamente!" She sipped hers as well. "I've never been more excited about doing a TV show. I mean, all shows are different and great in their own right, but..."

"I know what you mean. This show is special, isn't it?"

"It is. It is very special." She almost whispered.

They continued to sip their coffee in silence. Thinking about how they developed their friendship over the few months they've been together on the show.

"Hopefully, the ratings keep up then we'll have a couple more seasons," Álvaro blurted.

"Yes, hopefully. But I heard Álex actually only planned for the two-season series."

"New stories can be made. We have a good pool of writers."

"I quite agree."

One of the production assistants approached them on the booth. "Álvaro, Itziar, here are your sides. Jesús said we'll be rolling in about 15. And, he told me for you to take a look at these," he handed them the prop postcards. "Don't lose them okay? I will recheck them later when I get your sides."

"Gracias." Álvaro and Itziar said in unison. The assistant left.

Both of them looked at the postcards of beaches. The scene would call for them to meet at the cafe, still as Salva and Raquel, then have another date. This would be the last 'Salva y Raquel' date. After this, Álvaro would be Sergio in Raquel's eyes. They would film those hangar scenes a few days later. They stared at the postcards one by one.

"These look heavenly!" Itzi's eyes rounded in wonder at the beach and island photos from each of the postcards -- Denpasar, Palawan..."It would be great to have a location shoot for this." She laughed.

"Si, dreams are free after all." He laughed too. He was looking at her while she was staring at the postcards. He could almost read what she was thinking, having known and talked to her lots of times during breaks like these. She has "itchy" feet, her mother would say. Funny that in English, her shortened name sounds like itchy too.

She has been in some South American countries and has traveled various tourist spots in Europe. But she would like to explore the world more, said that she's never been to Asia. Hopefully after getting her fees from the show, she'd saved enough to travel again before another project comes along.

He envied her. He envied her free spirit. He has been far too serious for years now, having been "forced to grow up" after his fight with cancer. He has been taking life too seriously as an obvious effect of having taken life for granted before becoming ill. He never traveled because of the kids and told himself that family mattered more than any leisure that costs waste of limited time and resources. Now, his soul was yearning for that adventure denied and buried too long. Maybe someday...

Jesús then went to the set. "All ready for the take? Props please. Itziar, stay where you are. Álvaro, head to the entrance where you will come from. Okay, everyone, positions por favor!"

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Álvaro finished his latte and looked at his watch. Half past eight. Soon it would be sundown. Maybe he was ready to go home. He got up on the bench, threw the empty cup in one of the bins and walked to his house.