Page 58 of The Close-Up
“Are you sure I can’t help with anything?” I ask.
“Positive,” Barbara and Miriam say in unison.
As I settle in, I take in the scene, how Simon’s mom and grandma work busily at the stove while he sets the table.
“You kids want some wine?” Barbara asks.
“Oh, no thank you,” I say.
“Naomi’s a bit of a lightweight,” Simon says.
I roll my eyes at him when he nudges me with his elbow.
“Good for you, honey. Alcohol’s no good for you anyway,” Barbara says. “It completely dries out your skin. I still can’t say no to my Friday night glass of wine, though.”
“That’s understandable,” I say.
Barbara joins us at the table. Miriam follows with a ceramic tub of ravioli covered in red sauce, then sets it on the table with a heavy thud.
She beams at us. “Hope you’re hungry!”
A half-hour later, I’m patting my aching stomach. Miriam starts to scoop ravioli out of the pan. “More?”
Holding up a hand, I shake my head. “I wish I could, but two helpings were more than enough. It was absolutely delicious. Best ravioli I’ve ever had, no question.”
She beams. “I’ll pack you leftovers to take with you. And dessert too. I made tiramisu.”
Simon and I thank her.
“So!” Simon’s mom claps her hands. “Can we talk about how exciting it is that our Simon is a TV star because of Naomi?”
“I’m not on TV, Mom. It’s an online web series.”
She waves a hand, as if that’s some insignificant detail. “Same thing, sweetie.” She turns to me. “I’ve been enjoying the show so much, Naomi. It’s so exciting seeing him in action, what he does in his seminars and in those counseling sessions. And the way you edit the footage, it’s so slick! It’s like I’m watching a movie.”
“That’s kind of you to say, thank you. But really, Simon is the reason why it’s so good. All the slick editing and filming in the world wouldn’t make a difference if I didn’t have such an engaging and charismatic star.”
I look at Simon when I say the word “star.” He rolls his eyes, flustered smile on his face.
“I just wish you could include some more real-life stuff,” Barbara says. “Like, baby pictures or something like that.”
Miriam claps her hands. “Oh that’s a lovely idea! Simon was the cutest baby you’ve ever seen.”
“No way you’re airing baby photos of me.”
“We’re just so proud of you, honey. My baby boy!”
Simon sighs, though he’s smiling. “Thanks, everyone.”
Barbara and Miriam chat about how excited they are for me to film their family weekend trip to Napa for the series. After a few minutes, Simon stands up from the table to clear the dishes, then disappears to the other end of the kitchen.
Barbara turns to me, beaming. “So! How are you and Simon getting along?”
I clear my throat, suddenly nervous now that I’m the focus of Miriam’s and Barbara’s unblinking stares.
“Pretty good. He’s been so fun to work with. And he’s become a really great friend too.”
“Just friends?” Barbara says with a hopeful smile.
