"Alright, cut!" Randal called for the last time that day. "We're done with today's shooting. If everything goes well, tomorrow will be our last day here in Fiji."
The crew burst into applause at his announcement, and honestly, I couldn't have been happier myself. I had had enough of this island and just wanted to go back to a life of normalcy. Beside me, Julie Anne Smith, better known by her SAG name Julianne Moore, clapped with everyone else.
"I can't wait to get back to New York," Julie said conversationally as we walked down the beach toward the row of low huts where the cast and the crew were staying. "What about you, Noah?"
I shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know. I planned to stay away for four months, maybe five, so shooting could stretch into July. But May is not even halfway over, and we're done with the movie."
"Isn't that a good thing?" she asked.
I had no easy answer. Part of me wanted to run to my siblings, to sink into their familiar bickering, but another part of me dreaded returning. Sure, I was tired of the island, but for me, nothing could beat taking a dip in the ocean whenever I wanted. But the sea wasn't the only reason for my hesitance.
Ever since I left Dad's place, my life hadn't been as stable or easygoing as it had been for years. I felt conflicted. Jordan had given me a place to stay, and I was grateful, but it was Jordan's place. I didn't want to intrude longer than necessary, especially now that I could afford my own apartment.
"What's the matter?" Julie stopped and looked at me, frowning.
I sighed and shook my head. "Nothing. I'm just thinking about the future. I'll have to find a new place now. It will be a hassle to rent somewhere, then leave again in a few months."
Julie hummed, and we started walking again, her pace slowing as she thought about my dilemma. Suddenly, she turned to me with a bright expression. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we room together?"
Her suggestion surprised me.
"It makes sense if you think about it," she said. "My roommate is going back to stay with her folks for the summer. You can help split the rent until then. When summer is over, we can find a place in Boston, somewhere near the university area, so we won't have to move when classes start."
It was a smart plan, but one obvious issue came to mind.
"You don't mind rooming with a guy?" I asked. "Would your parents be okay with that?"
She shrugged. "We don't live in the 1950s. My parents might have a problem, but since they're already not talking to me, what does it matter? We will stay in separate rooms, so that shouldn't be an issue. Also, I trust you."
"You do?" I grinned.
"With all kinds of shit we got up to on this island for the movie," Julie said, gesturing to our half-sandy, sunburned bodies that were still barely covered by ripped costumes. "If you had bad intentions, you could have taken advantage of me long ago. So yeah, I trust you more than any other boy I have trusted."
I stopped and playfully pulled her closer until her upper body pressed against my bare chest. "What if I had bad intentions? What if I wanted to take advantage, but didn't, only because of the crew and what they'd think of me and, more importantly, you?"
Her face lingered just inches from mine. The fact that she didn't pull away, the way she caught her lower lip between her teeth, almost pushed me past the point of control. For a moment, under the humid night air and the faint crash of waves behind us, I nearly did something I would regret.
Her vibrant green eyes locked on my blue ones until she finally broke the silence. "If that were the case…"
She jabbed a finger at my chest, just hard enough to sting, then traced it downward in a slow, deliberate line. My breath hitched as she slid her hand lower until she cupped me through the flimsy loincloth. A shudder rolled through me. Then, without warning, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips, brief but searing, the kind that branded itself into memory.
Before I could gather my thoughts or kiss her back, she pulled away.
"If that were the case," she repeated, her voice low and teasing, "then I'm sad I missed out on such a great opportunity just because you were chivalrous."
She let go of me, turned, and began walking toward her hut. Her hips swayed with deliberate grace, the loose sarong around her waist barely clinging to her frame.
After a few steps, she looked over her shoulder. "I'm looking forward to rooming with you, Noah."
Then she continued as though she hadn't said anything at all, leaving me frozen where I stood, eyes glued helplessly to the sway of her retreating figure.
"Fuck," I muttered, adjusting my raging erection as I tried to calm the pounding in my chest. "This girl will be the death of me."
(Break)
"What's wrong with you two today, Julie, Noah?" Randal's voice carried sharply across the water from the director's boat, which rocked a few feet away from ours. His frustration was obvious. "I love the chemistry between you, but the byplay is coming off lustful instead of filled with love and worry. I know this is the last day, but that doesn't mean you can slack off."
He looked like he might shout, but then he closed his eyes, exhaled, and turned toward the DP beside him. "Nestor, why don't you talk some sense into them this time?"
Julie's cheeks flushed as though she'd been scolded at school. I, on the other hand, couldn't stop laughing under my breath.
She shot me a glare. "Will you stop laughing for God's sake? I'm not the only one ruining this shot."
I leaned closer, tucking a loose strand of her hair gently behind her ear. "It's all because of you. Last night, when you—"
"Shh." She cut me off quickly, eyes flicking toward the hidden microphone strapped to the boat. Her warning glance was clear. "Later. For now, let's forget everything else and focus on the scene."
"Guys!" Nestor called out, clapping his hands for attention. "Remember the emotion here. Your baby has just ingested poisonous berries. Keep that thought in mind."
I bounced little Bradley on my knee. He was playing our son in the movie, and for the moment, he was the only other person on the boat with Julie and me. Bradley was a lively, restless boy, and he proved it by grabbing a long strand of my golden hair as the wind whipped it across my face. He yanked hard, making me wince.
Yeah, I'm not having kids anytime soon.
"Brad," I said in my sternest voice. "What did I tell you about pulling my hair?"
"No," he answered with confidence before babbling something in his baby-talk that made no sense to me. His mother probably would have understood, but she was on another boat nearby, and I had no intention of shouting across the water.
I sighed and turned to Julie. "Let's get serious this time. I want to get this over with as soon as possible."
She nodded in quiet agreement, her expression sharpening with focus.
Catching the sincerity in her eyes, I turned toward Randal and Nestor and gave them a thumbs-up. They understood. A moment later, Randal called out to the crew and gave the word.
"Action!"
I gently set Bradley down in his starting spot at the edge of the boat. Then I slid back beside Julie, wrapping an arm around her as she rested her head against my bare chest. My eyes closed as I let myself sink into the scene.
The boat rocked suddenly, just enough to trigger Julie's cue.
"No, Paddy!" she cried out, voice cracking with panic as she sprang forward. Bradley was happily munching on a handful of berries.
I jerked upright. "Where did you get those?"
"Get those out of your mouth!" Julie pleaded. She pulled him into her lap and tried to pry his mouth open with trembling fingers.
I inspected the berries left in his tiny hand. Most of them were already gone.
When I looked up, Julie's face told me everything. Her eyes brimmed with anguish.
"He swallowed some," she said softly, clarifying for the audience but speaking with such raw pain that it pierced even me.
I shifted closer, wrapping her in a side embrace. It wasn't in the script, but it felt right, an instinct a young father might have when he saw his world falling apart. Julie leaned into me, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed.
I didn't cry, but my chest ached. Months on this set had taught me that acting was not always about skill but about surrendering yourself to an emotion until it took root. Despair like this was easy to draw on, because I knew the shape of it.
It comes from realizing nothing you do can stop what's coming.
And in my own way, I was living that truth. My thoughts drifted. To my mother, who left me before I ever regained my memories. To my father, who despised me for not being his blood. No matter what I did, I doubted I would ever have a normal family.
The island had been an escape. Here, I was free. No rent to worry about, no groceries, no burdens, only the work in front of me, the strange comfort of performing.
But now, with filming nearly done, reality waited on the other side.
And I hated it.
The emotion surging through me was powerful, but not nearly enough for the scene. I took that raw pain and multiplied it tenfold, closing my eyes as if crushed by grief, clutching Julie and little Bradley against me as though I could shield them from the world.
"Cut! And we're done here," Randal called out, his voice filled with excitement. "That was wonderful, you two. That emotion was exactly what the scene needed, and none of us realized it until now. Great job!"
"Thank you, Randal," Julie said brightly, her face glowing with relief and pride.
As she straightened, the realization hit me. My first film was officially finished. No more takes, no more long days on set. It was over.
I turned toward Julie just as she turned toward me. After last night, and with the smoldering glances she had been giving me all morning, I knew exactly what she wanted. And my desire wasn't much different than hers.
Almost in unison, we leaned forward, our lips colliding in a hungry kiss. This was no tentative peck; it was a full, desperate French kiss, my tongue sliding against hers as my arms locked firmly around her waist.
Her body softened against mine. For a moment, it felt as if the entire world had narrowed down to just us—
"Maa-maaa! Uuuhhh—waaah!"
We broke apart instantly. Little Bradley's wails pierced the air, reminding us we were not as alone as we thought. His tiny face crumpled, red and tear-streaked.
I scooped him up and bounced him gently on my knee, murmuring soft words to calm him down. Across the water, his mother was glaring daggers at me from her boat, arms crossed in disapproval. I avoided her eyes, glancing instead at Julie, who wore a guilty little smirk. We were definitely in the same boat, both literally and figuratively.
Still, I couldn't help but think how much I was going to enjoy rooming with her in the months ahead. Maybe even longer, if fate were kind.
(Break)
"Here's to a well-made movie that wrapped under budget and ahead of schedule." Randal Kleiser raised his champagne glass high, the golden bubbles catching the glow of the setting sun. Following his lead, everyone present on the scene lifted their glasses, laughter and applause rippling through the group. Even Julie, who rarely touched alcohol, joined in for the occasion.
It was almost unbelievable how quickly we had finished the shoot. Of course, I knew the truth—I had been the reason behind much of that efficiency. But the others didn't. They thought it was the product of good planning and teamwork. Better that they believe that than suspect anything supernatural on my end.
"So, what's your plan once we're back in the States?" I asked Peter, my closest friend.
He grimaced and shrugged, staring down into his glass. "I have no plan right now. I thought I'd figure something out before filming wrapped, but I'm more confused than ever. Honestly, I fucking hate this."
I clapped him on the back, offering silent understanding, before turning to the third member of our little group.
"I know exactly what I'm gonna do," Ash said with a grin. "I'll head back to waiting tables. Not much else lined up for me, unless you're looking for an assistant again?"
I laughed at Ash's enthusiasm and slung an arm around his shoulders. "As much as I'd love to, I don't have anything lined up either. I mean, I wrote that film, but I have no idea what happened to it."
The island in Fiji where we'd been shooting was so remote it might as well have been cut off from the world. There were no phones here, and the internet was nonexistent, so no emails from Doug about my script either. There were weekly letters that arrived on the island, but no correspondence for me in all my months there.
Ash, ever the optimist, brightened at the mention of the movie. "Oh, I'm going to come with you to that one for sure," he said eagerly. "I know Risky Business will be made. It's a masterpiece."
Peter smacked the back of Ash's head playfully. "Of course you'd think that, idiot. That's the first and only story you've read in years."
"Hey! I read… stuff," Ash shot back, defensive as always.
"Comic books don't count," Peter shot back.
Sensing the start of another pointless argument, I stepped in. "Why don't you ask Randal or Nestor for a job, Peter?"
He sighed. "I did. No one was interested. They told me they'd reach out if something came up, but it doesn't make sense to drop everything and move to Hollywood on flimsy assurances until I have a solid offer in hand. At least in New York, I don't have to worry about rent."
Peter was always the practical one among us. As kids, we used to tease him for being a cheapskate, always reluctant to spend a dime. Later, I realized it wasn't stinginess, it was survival. He had been saving for the future, because books had never been his strength, and while he was a solid swimmer, he hadn't been good enough for a scholarship. That closed the door on higher education for him, and he'd been planning around that reality ever since.
"If I get Risky Business greenlit, I'll definitely hire you," I promised. "Both of you."
"I know you will," Peter said with quiet certainty.
Across the room, Julie caught my eye. She was chatting with our makeup artist, but she paused long enough to wave. I waved back, then turned to Peter and Ash with a sudden thought.
"Just so you guys know, back in New York, Julie and I will be rooming together."
The two of them exchanged a look. Without a word, Peter grumbled, pulled out his wallet, and handed Ash a twenty-dollar bill.
"You bet on me rooming with her?" I asked, incredulous.
"No," Ash replied with a triumphant grin. "We bet on you two becoming an item. Guess who won. I had full faith in you." He slapped my back playfully.
I was about ninety percent sure Julie and I weren't dating. At least not yet. But I didn't correct my friends. Better to let the matter rest for now. Only time would tell what Julie and I really were.
______________________________
AN: Read up to 40 advanced chapters on my website, or check out my other story, Dreams of Stardom.
Link: www(dot)fablefic(dot)com