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Sean
I canāt get the phrase Ross is a merperson out of my head. After I drop Ross off at their bungalow, I walk home and the words punctuate every step. Ross. Is. A. Mer-person. Iāve floated in through my front door without even realizing it, running on autopilot while my mind tries to wrap itself around the fact that Iām dating a person who lives under the water and has a fin. Fake dating, I should say, but still.
āOh, I know that look.ā
āHoly shit!ā I jump and whack my shin against our credenza, rubbing the spot over and over while Mom and her boyfriend, Raul, try not to laugh on the couch in the family room. An episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is on, something theyāve repeatedly tried to get me to watch with them, Raul most of all. But I will never stoop that low. Reality shows are a slap in the face to the art form that is scripted storytelling.
āNothing holy about us, but itās nice that you think so highly of us,ā Mom says. āWant to watch?ā She motions toward Lisa Rinna having an intense convo with Garcelle Beauvais. Okay, so maybe Iāve watched a few episodes to try and figure out why so many people love these ladies, but I still donāt get it.
āSorry, I canāt, I just . . .ā I drift off, my mind still too stunned by the truth that a merperson washed up on a Santa Monica beach and is now a solid part of my life.
Raul gives me a knowing smile. āI knew it. You always get that look on your face when youāre planning one of your movies. Martin Scorsese has some work to do.ā
āItās really more a Jon Chu, Nora Ephron, Nancy Meyers kind of direction,ā I say. Sure, the Scorseses and the DuVernays of the world make great work, but whatās better than watching something that makes you want to fall in love and laugh all at the same time? Rom-coms are Godās work.
Speaking of which, Raulās right. I may not be planning out my next movie, but Iāve got to plan the setups and shot list that will create the perfect scenarios for Dominic to see me and Ross together. If I get this right, D will be running back to my arms while Ross runs back to the sea.
āI made inspiration strike, didnāt I?ā Raul says. āBasically, Iām your muse.ā
āIf my life ever gets made into a movie, youāll be listed in the special-thanks credits,ā I say, then book it to my room and open my laptop. For the first time in weeks, pulling up the Love Shot List feels hopeful instead of hurtful. It paid off not to listen to Kavyaās advice to forget D altogether and delete the document. Now I have a shot at making some of these moments a reality again. Maybe the first year of our relationship was the setup to our rom-com, the opener when everything was fine until it wasnāt. Then life literally threw the unexpected at us to make the two of us realize weāre meant to be together. What is more unexpected than a literal merperson washing ashore?
Itās time for a new shot list, the second act, so to speak, of Dominicās and my journey to being together forever. A series of events set up to run into him and Miguel as much as possible without making it feel forced, being that ever-present reminder of what D left behind, pressing the jealousy button that I know is waiting just under the surface. With any luck, weāll get to the finale fast, Dominic will end things with Miguel, and my original Love Shot List will be our happy ending.
So, where to run into him? Swim meets will be easy. There are two coming up, the last of our season and then state qualifiers. Dominic will definitely be there to cheer Miguel on. He never missed a home meet for me, and would even move shifts around at work so he could always be there.
Workāwhere he leads bus tours at the Hollywood Walk of Fameāis definitely another spot where he can āaccidentallyā see me and Ross together. Itās a huge tourist attraction, so it would make sense that Iād show Ross from āIndianaā what the Walk of Fame is all about. When Dominic and I first met, this was one of my favorite things about him. His dad owns the tour company, so Dominic has grown up his whole life having a passion for movies and movie stars, specifically. Heād let me go on and on for hours about the best rom-coms and could fire back with facts about his favorite celebrities, hoping some of these actors would be his publicity clients in the future. He was the one who introduced me to the LuxeFlix Theater and their romance movie night the second Tuesday of each month.
Which just happens to be tomorrow. He never missed a showing, so I bet heāll be there. It can be the first of our Win Dominic Back scenes.
| Scene | Shot | Location | Framing | Description | Actors |
| 1 | a | Ext. LuxeFlixābox office | Mid-shot | Ross and I are buying tickets for Romance Tuesdays when we hear O.S. āSean?ā and I turn to see . . . | Ross and me |
| 1 | b | Ext. LuxeFlixābox office | Close-up | Dominic, looking crestfallen that Iām here with someone new | Dominic |
| 2 | a | Ext. Hollywood Walk of Fameābus roof | POV shot | From on top of a bus, we see Ross and me holding hands and laughing as I point out the stars | Ross and me |
| 2 | b | Ext. bus roof | Close-up | Dominic, looking crestfallen that Iām enjoying this street with someone new | Dominic |
| 3 | a | Ext. Shoreline High pool | Wide shot | A slew of swimmers speed through their heat; I win, beating Miguel | Me, Miguel, Shoreline and competitor swim teams |
| 3 | b | Ext. Shoreline High pool | Two shot | Ross runs and kisses me in congratulations | Ross and me |
| 3 | c | Ext. Shoreline High pool | Close-up | Dominic, looking crestfallen that Iām kissing someone new | Dominic |
| 4 | a | Int. Palisades Theater | Two shot | Me and Ross snuggled next to each other while we watch my short submission and I get showered with praise | Ross and me |
| 4 | b | Int. Palisades Theater | Close-up | Dominic, looking crestfallen while heās no longer the center of attention with me | Dominic |
| 5 | a | Ext. Shoreline High parking lot | Wide shot | Me and Ross swarmed by congratulatory on-lookers during the Swim Tailgate after I dominate state qualifiers | Me, Ross, swim fans |
| 5 | b | Ext. Shoreline High parking lot | Two shot | Me and Ross climbing into my car to celebrate on our own | Ross and me |
| 5 | c | Int. Dominicās Jeep | Close-up | Dominic, looking crestfallen as he remembers how we celebrated last year after qualifiers | Dominic |
| 6 | a | Ext. Santa Monica PierāPre-Prom Pier Fundraiserācarnival games | Mid-shot | Ross wins an epically huge stuffed animal and promposes with it | Ross and me |
| 6 | b | Ext. Santa Monica PierāPre-Prom Pier Fundraiser | T... |
