The day of the stunt dawned chilly and bright, the sky blue and cloudless – perfect flying conditions. It would look superb on camera, the Grand Canal sparkling like diamonds as it wound its way past the majestic palazzos, La Serenissima at her most dazzling.
Marco arrived early as usual. He was always punctual, but on the day of a complex shoot, with so much at stake, he preferred to get there before the team, to walk himself through everything and prepare mentally for the important job at hand.
He strode through the hotel, unable to stop himself looking out for Gina. In truth, Marco couldn’t stop thinking about her. No matter what his head was telling him, his heart was saying something different. But it had to be Gina’s decision, and until the ice queen thawed out, he would have to try and put her from his mind. Especially today. He needed to be 100 per cent focused on the task at hand. Any slip could prove fatal.
‘Edoardo,’ Marco remarked in surprise, as he saw his brother-in-law on the helipad, the sleek, black chopper gleaming in the February sun.
‘Marco,’ Edoardo said coolly, looking equally shocked but quickly recovering.
‘I didn’t expect to see you today,’ Marco said, remembering their vicious argument.
Edoardo shrugged. He was dressed in overalls, his toolkit open on the ground. ‘This is my job, let me do it, Marco, OK?’
‘Of course,’ Marco said, noticing that all of the bluster was gone from Edoardo who now seemed subdued. ‘Everything OK?’ He nodded towards the helicopter. It had been flown over yesterday from the Elicotteri Conti hangar to the White Palace, which boasted the nearest helipad to central Venice. A few other members of the crew were busy making final checks as well.
‘I’m checking again,’ Edoardo responded tightly. He answered Marco’s quizzical look, explaining, ‘When Salvatore brought it over yesterday, he thought he heard some rattling coming from the tail rotor. I checked it over already, made sure everything is as it should be, but I want to be sure,’ he said, tapping the side of the helicopter with his spanner.
‘Great. Thanks.’
‘No problem,’ Edoardo replied without looking at him.
‘Look, about yesterday—’
‘Forget it.’
‘Edoardo, I—’
‘Everything on track?’
Both men turned around to see that Nicolò had arrived. He looked relaxed in a polo neck and grey slacks, his grey hair slicked back.
‘Thanks for coming,’ Marco smiled.
Nicolò nodded, and a look of understanding passed between them.
‘Edoardo,’ Nicolò began, turning to his son. He put a hand on each of Edoardo’s shoulders and scrutinized his face. ‘Are you OK?’
Edoardo nodded, meeting his father’s eyes. ‘Yes, Papà, I’m OK. We all have a job to do.’
‘Good,’ Nicolò nodded. Then he turned to Marco. ‘I am here too, to help. We are a family, remember. Good luck today boys – remember we are the best.’
‘Thank you,’ Marco replied, though he was beginning to feel the pressure of the situation. But he was used to that; the adrenaline gave him an edge and kept him sharp. He glanced around to see that the gardens around the helipad were beginning to fill up as more members of the crew arrived, bundled up in puffer jackets and beanie hats. Marco knew that it would be swarming with people across the lagoon, where Brad would be prepping for his own part in the stunt, which would take place in St Mark’s Square. Only Brad Redford could shut down Piazza San Marco in the middle of Carnival, Marco thought with a smile, and which reminded him to put his blue contact lenses in.
The two crews were in constant radio contact, and he could hear the bursts of static as messages were relayed back and forth. He felt the familiar churn of nerves in his stomach, and he strode back towards the hotel, hoping the activity would dissipate the nervous energy.
As he reached the White Palace, the door opened and Gina walked out. She was swathed in a camel-coloured woollen coat, her shapely legs encased in sheer tights, teamed with a pair of nude-coloured heels. Her hair was swept up, a few strands falling loose around her face, and she wore a light dusting of make-up to accentuate her natural beauty. Marco felt his heart contract in a way that had nothing to do with the upcoming stunt. Regardless of Lucia’s warnings, it was impossible to deny the way he felt about Gina.
She glanced up and saw him, and he thought he saw a flash of pain. But then it was as though the shutters had come down, her face closing off.
‘You came,’ Marco said instinctively.
‘It’s my job, Marco,’ Gina explained coolly. ‘I’m the liaison between the hotel and the film crew, remember?’
‘Yep, strictly business.’ Marco felt like an idiot. ‘Well, it’s good to see you anyway.’
Gina hesitated, as though she wanted to say something more, but all she said was, ‘Good luck today.’
‘Thank you,’ Marco said. They looked at one another for a long moment, a cool breeze blowing off the Adriatic, the taste of sea salt on their lips. Seagulls wheeled high overhead, calling their mournful cries, as the water lapped incessantly at the rocky island. Then Gina seemed to gather herself, walking off towards the helipad, as Marco balled his hands into fists, releasing the breath that he didn’t realize he’d been holding.
‘Gina, wait,’ he called after her. He thought she might just keep walking, pretend she hadn’t heard him, but she stopped and turned around as he tried in vain to read her expression. He jogged to catch up with her, unsure what he was going to say, but knowing he needed to speak to her.
‘Please, Marco,’ she said. ‘Don’t make this any harder than it is.’
‘Why does it have to be so hard? I don’t understand.’
‘You don’t need to understand. You just need to respect my wishes.’
For some reason her words felt hollow, like she didn’t really mean them, and he needed to have one last try. He would never forgive himself if he let her slip through his fingers, and he needed to tell her how he felt. ‘Gina, please, just one request. Later, once all of this –’ he gestured vaguely at all the commotion behind them – ‘is out of the way, can we speak?’
‘There’s nothing to talk about, Marco.’ She was unreadable.
‘Please. Look, you said your piece the other day. I’d like to say mine, and if you still feel the same afterwards, then fine, I won’t bother you again. But it’s only fair to hear me out.’
Gina hesitated, but eventually said, ‘OK. We can talk later. Come to my office, and don’t … don’t let anyone see you.’
Marco frowned, wondering why the need for secrecy, but he would have agreed to any conditions to meet Gina.
She was about to leave, then touched him lightly on the arm. ‘I really mean it, stay safe out there, OK?’ she said softly, before walking away.
