Came the day.

  Ripshit. 

  Mad? 

  Ripshit mad. 

  Each artist took no more than three potato chips from the bag.  "Did you sleep?" A sip of the coffee.  An uh-huh nod and admission, "Sort of."  A photographer came down the Subway stairs and straight to the pile of rucksacks and dufflebags.  "I was 'the guard'," the woman said.  "Did it pay?" Someone asked.  "That I would not have to tell you." 

  "Why mad?" 

  "Apparently accreditation hung in the balance when some, and I quote, 'obnoxious motherfuckers' rallied to bulldoze the arguments about what is okay, and what is not with ART IS LIFE, LIFE IS ART.  I mean, I get hungry and all that, but it was a last straw." 

  "So she felt like the world's gone insane and those people are taking advantage."  She took the coffee. 

  "Not me." 

  "Of course not." The photographer had changed lenses and was offered the coffee as she came over.  "No tanks, I had tea." We milled about as the peak commuter hour waned.  "What's on the agenda for today?" A couple guys had joined us.  "Stillshots of movie sets." 

  "Broadway?" 

  "These are all over the place." 

  An office building.  Elevator to a top floor.  "The investors pulled out."  Elevator doors opening. 

  One guy.  Jumpsuit half off.  White tee shirt.  Introductions. 

  "So this is it?" 

  A whole water bottle drank in a sip of water.  "Not judging." 

  A four foot 2x4, 2x6 platform and gymnasium mat.  Had been practicing since, no stunt doubles. 

  "Give it a whirl." 

  The man stood and dove in perfectly slow motion.  The digital camera took 492 pics in the twenty-three second "scene".  

  I put the stopwatch back on top of the clipboard and handed it back.  The actor wanted to know, "Can I see?" 

  "Of course." 

  "Amazing."  Absolute quiet of a busy city outside of glass.  "The capacity." Another water.  "Amazing." 

  Back into the elevator.  "Can I ask a question?" 

  "Okay, shoot, but I like to think 

  "Not judging what? 

  "To myself in between 

  "I can't go with you to another. 

  "Weight.  Why not?" 

  "I've a temp job to get to." 

  Floors and floors of stories flicking by in numbers and lights. 

  "What is it?" 

  "Okay, supposed to have an elevator speech prepared, but I'll ask another question." 

  "He's shinny, why is he worried about his weight?" 

  "I'll ask him sometime." 

  "What's the job?" 

  "Medical coding." 

  A rooftop.  Cheek "kisses" just a brush up close of a hug.  "How's Texas suiting ya?" The man paused for a second to stop and smell the roses, then said something like, Texas is Texas.  

  A tiny herd of suits peered out at the roof.  "Time to eat," someone said gleefully.  "Why don't you two do lunch.  I brought mine," a walkie talkie announced, She's reaching into her pocket, and, pulling something out.  "Peanut butter and jelly." 

  "Now that's refreshing." 

 

  "What's the name of it?" 

  "Ocean's Eleven if they stick with that 

  Working Title 

  "I want you to see it when it comes out." 

  "Like I can afford to see a movie nowadays." 

  "Just rent it on one of these." A man shirked the discs from his hand like they were germs.  "What is it?" Others wanted to understand.  "A technology called Blu-Ray.  I think I will go to lunch.  Haven't eaten since dinner." 

  "Can you grab us a couple Reubens?" 

  "Can.  Will do."