Page 26 of The Location Shoot
Finn, Albie, and Michael tried to muffle their laughter.
“Do you think that what you wrote about the half-hard, pity thrust is true? Do other women feel this way?” Jean asked.
“I don’t know. Let’s ask one of your three ex-wives,” she joked.
Everyone burst into laughter. Albie nearly fell off his chair. The waiter delivered Ella’s tea and asked, “Would anyone like breakfast?”
“We waited for you,” Finn said.
Ella smiled. “A soft-boiled egg and some fruit, please.”
“Same for me,” Michael said, winking at her.
“Oatmeal and berries, please,” Finn said.
Jean and Albie, having already eaten, shook their heads.
As soon as the waiter walked away, Jean handed her the manuscript and said, “I made some notes in the margins.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “You’re a good friend, lascivious though you may be.”
“The vignette about slut shaming was hysterical. I laughed out loud. Oh, but the funniest section was the part about group sex,” Jean said.
“Group sex?” Michael asked, his eyes like saucers.
“It’s very clever,” Jean said. “She wrote it as a scene in a satirical screenplay. At first, the director tries to give gentle, appropriate notes, but by the end he’s barking out vulgarities and ordering them to do outrageous things all while insisting they mind the camera. It’s wickedly funny.”
Ella giggled. “I thought you’d appreciate that.”
“So, Ella,” Michael said, his eyes fixed on her, “what made you interested in writing about sex?”
“She theorizes about pleasure. It’s not done in an effort to be scandalous or salacious. It’s intelligent,” Finn said. He glanced at Ella, who was smiling at him with her eyes. “She’s interested in things that people experience with a oneness or wholeness. Sex is just one topic. She also writes about art, food, and nature; she explores fundamental questions about how we as human beings experience pleasure, and by extension, how we may arrive at the true feelings of joy, peace, and belonging that so often elude us. Or so I imagine.”
Ella smiled softly. “Yes, that’s right. At least, it’s what I’m attempting to do.”
“Well, I can’t wait to read it,” Michael said. “It sounds, uh, enlightening.”
The waiter delivered their breakfast, and the conversation moved on while they ate. Eventually, Jean said, “We should all head to set. Ella, would you like to join us?”
She shook her head. “I’m going to have more tea and catch up on some work. I’ll pop by later.”
He pecked her on each cheek and said, “Brava, ma chérie. It’s a wonderful book. With any luck, I’ll be able to get it out of my mind and focus on the damn shoot.”
She giggled.
The four men all said goodbye and left. A moment later, Finn darted back into the room.
“Hey,” she said softly, surprised to see him.
“Hey. I told them I forgot something, and they’re holding the van for me. I’m sorry about breakfast this morning. I was hoping to spend some time alone with you. I had no idea they’d all be here.”
“That’s okay. It’s my fault. I should’ve known I’d get an earful from Jean when he read the book. Figures he started with that one and not the one about art.” She rolled her eyes playfully.
Finn smiled. “After dinner tonight, will you take that walk around the grounds with me?”
“I’d love to.”
“I really have to go,” he said. “Have a great day.”
