Page 26 of First Love, Second Draft

While Noah poured her a glass, Rachel dug into another pancake. “So what’s the issue? The characters forget where each other’s lips are or something?”

“Oh, they know where their lips are,” Noah said, handing the glass to Rachel. “They’re just going to need to take a road trip to get there. Matt? Coffee? Orange juice? Milk?”

“I don’t understand,” Rachel said to Gracie.

“Maybe some milk,” Matt said to Noah. “But I’ll get it.”

Gracie started explaining the scene to Rachel—something about an old Cary Grant movie, leg issues, and a bunch of porch steps—as Matt went to the fridge for the milk.

After more explanation, Rachel said, “Why can’t you put the girl on the top step and have him pull her down onto his lap? Might be easier?”

Gracie clunked her orange juice to the table. “You too? Really?”

“Told you,” Noah said with a satisfied air.

Before Matt could return to the table with his milk, Gracie was making pirate sounds and directing everyone out to the front porch. “Put down the pancakes. We’re doing this.”

“Can I at least finish my milk?”

“Nope.” Rachel took his glass away and started shoving him toward the front door. “Didn’t you hear? Your aunt’s on a tight deadline.”

“She’s been on a tight deadline for years.”

“I heard that,” Gracie shouted from the kitchen where Noah was still assisting her to her feet.

A few minutes later, Matt found himself seated on the top porch step, Rachel two steps below him, while Gracie watched on like a movie director from the kitchen chair Noah had brought out to the front yard for her.

“Okay, so you’re talking, right?” Gracie said, making talky motions with her hands. “Act like you’re talking.”

“Cut,” Noah immediately responded. “I don’t think our porch steps are average height. Are the steps in your story average height?”

“I don’t know. What’s the average height of a porch step?”

“See? These are the logistics I’m talking about.”

Meanwhile Rachel hadn’t stopped opening and shutting her mouth without making a sound. “We’re not background actors in a movie, you know,” Matt said.

“She said toactlike we were talking.”

“Well,actlike you’re not a lunatic while you’re at it, please.”

She giggled. “But I don’t know what my character’s supposed to be saying.”

“Hey, what’s the dialogue in this scene?” Matt asked Gracie, but she was still too busy arguing over the average height of a porch step with Noah.

“If Mr. Broad Shoulders built his own house, can’t he make the steps any size he wants?” Gracie said.

“Fine, but I still say he can’t deadlift Ms. Horse Hater up two of them. Not without throwing his back out.”

Rachel frowned at Matt. “Lifting me wouldn’t throw your back out, would it?”

Matt wagged his head side to side in amaybe-maybe notgesture. She smacked his leg.

“They’re kissing,” Gracie shouted at Noah. “Why is it so hard to believe he pulls her onto his lap?”

“Because you said he was cupping her face,” Noah shouted back. “What does he do? Drag her by the jowls?”

Rachel belted out a laugh.

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