"I'm here, babe, we're done for today. I'm sorry I'm late... Fuck, look at the time..."Ruby rushes into her trailer shivering with cold, she's still wearing the Batwoman suit but didn't need the mask today, and I jump from the couch in order to help her to get rid of it so she can put some warm clothes on.
"Don't worry, you know I do some of my best work at night and I don't mind going to bed at 5 am... are you hungry?" After several days visiting this set I know where all the zippers, buttons and Velcro of this suit are and my fingers work fast to release her despite it's so tight it feels like a second skin. My mate flops down on the couch next to my laptop and she raises a foot so I can help her with her boot.
"I don't know, I have so much coffee running through my system that my stomach is doing somersaults inside me..." Her pout is lovely despite she looks exhausted and her makeup was done by professionals but it can't hide her dark circles completely. I nod while collecting my stuff and she rummages in a duffle bag.
"We'll wait till arriving home then, I left a veggies cream ready and we only need to heat it in the microwave..."
"I only want to go to bed..." she whispers desperately while putting on a T-shirt and a warm sweater.
"With all that caffeine in your veins? I'd label it miracle if you manage to sleep at all this week, honestly... Let's go, babe, the driver is waiting." I grab Ruby's arm, pulling it after collecting our bags, and drag her to the car: my mate flops down on the backseat and closes her eyes while we travel from the studio in Burnaby to the West End. I wish she could rest during this 40 minutes but her concern for me is stopping her from falling asleep, I can feel her anxiety echoing through our bond: Ruby fears pressure is too much for me.
We arrived to Vancouver some weeks ago and my mate was thrilled showing me her gorgeous, and massive, apartment. Wide windows let the bright sunlight in, the same sun that was being reflected by the sea in the distance, views are breathtaking and the kitchen looks exactly how she promised me: modern, with clean lines and state-of-the-art appliances where I could make delicious vegan lasagnes. We spent some wonderful days together while she showed me where the best supermarkets and shops around the buildings were, we took the dogs for a walk to the park and then watched some movies and shows eating popcorn lying on her couch, we took a nap in her big bed and a relaxing bath with scented oil in her beautiful bathtub.
But next Monday Ruby had to be on set and I soon realized that the pace of work was going to be like hell and only a strict discipline would allow me to adjust to the situation. The schedule is hectic, sometimes they film in the mornings but most of the time my mate stays awake all night long, so I had to plan carefully when I could go grocery shopping and how much food I should cook according to her work schedule in order to have something ready to eat in the fridge before going to bed every night. I've made a huge effort to remember the names of all people I've been introduced to, from members of the cast to makeup artists, producers, cameramen, directors, scriptwriters and dozens of people in charge of the set and security... I never thought a show like this would require the collective effort of so many workers.
Unfortunately, I also found out about the main problem I was facing: long hours waiting. Waiting for Ruby to get her makeup done, waiting for her to get her hair done and get dressed, waiting for the set to be ready, waiting for the lighting technician to fix a little problem, waiting for the extras to get into position... Lot of idle hours and my only task was to sit down in a corner, watching her and trying not to disturb the staff while my mate checked the script obsessively, ate a bite quickly and rushed to the makeup trailer. I've learnt how to work on free chairs scattered around with my laptop on my knees, sat behind the cameras while Ruby filmed, in her trailer while she learnt her dialogues, focused on typing while the cast drank coffee around me during a break. My books are being adapted into screenplays but I must read and check the writers' work and I keep writing and publishing because I don't want to leave my readers in a cliffhanger. Luckily, Ruby's workmates have become her friends too and they support us both unconditionally.
