Page 48 of The Location Shoot
She sniffled and looked at him through her tears. “I’m sorry. I . . .”
“This is hard for you. I know, baby. It’s okay. Now I see just how much this is for you.” He held her close, rubbing the back of her head. “I’m never leaving. I’m not perfect and I’m sure I’ll make mistakes, but I’ll never betray or abandon you,” he whispered. “I should have left a note. I thought you’d still be asleep when I got back.”
A moment passed, and she pulled back and said, “I thought maybe you didn’t feel close to me anymore.”
He smiled compassionately. “Sex isn’t what makes us close. It’s merely an expression of that closeness.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.”
“I can’t imagine what you think of me. I’ve never acted like this before. I’m usually completely independent and carefree. I must seem needy and unhinged.”
He chuckled. “Nonsense. Love can make people do all sorts of things. You’ll learn to trust what we have.”
She pressed her mouth to his and then took a calming breath.
“That’s better,” he said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
She ran her fingers through his hair. “When I woke upand you weren’t here, I realized just how much I want you here with me. I love you. I really do. It’s terrifying.”
He kissed her again with increasing intensity to meet her passionate response. She rose and they undressed each other, tumbled to the bed, and made love intimately. After, as they cuddled under the blanket, Finn said, “Vulnerability is beautiful. It only makes me love you more. You don’t have to hide your fears from me.”
She took a breath. “It’s so cozy here with you. This closeness is the best thing I’ve ever felt. I’m just worried about what it will feel like to lose it.”
“Sweetheart, you’re not going to lose anything. If you want to get rid of me, you’re going to have to kick me to the curb, because I’m not going anywhere willingly.” He kissed her and added, “You can’t let your mind go to such a dark place. I can’t promise I’ll never be out of bed before you to take a run or something, but I do promise to always leave a note.”
“Is that where you were? Running?”
He shook his head. “Hang on,” he said as he leaned over and grabbed his jeans off the floor. He retrieved his cell phone from his pocket. “Come, sit with me,” he urged, stacking pillows behind them. He slung his arm around her. “Yesterday when we were in town, you said you didn’t know anything about where I live or what my life is normally like. A friend is house-sitting for me, so I called and had him email me some photos of my place. I live in Beverly Hills—I know how that sounds, but it’s convenient when I’m filming in LA. I’m not into the Hollywood scene at all, just the work. See?” He scrolled through the photos, pausing to explain a few and describe his favorite parts of the house.
“Wow, it’s gorgeous,” she said.
“Thank you. It’s about twelve thousand square feet, but I’ve tried to make it feel homey.”
“You have a pool?” she remarked.
“Uh-huh. The outdoor space is my favorite. I have an outdoor kitchen with a few grills and a firepit, which is fun when friends come over. You’d love it. This is the garden,” he noted, zipping through the photos. When they finished looking, he put the phone on the nightstand.
“It really is spectacular. It’s so different from how I live.”
“You said you’re renting an apartment in Paris. Tell me about it.”
“It’s a loft, tiny, all one room. Only about six hundred square feet. The light is gorgeous, though. It has high ceilings with old wooden beams and huge windows. There’s a small balcony where I have tea in the morning.”
“It sounds charming,” he said.
“I only ever cared about the location, really. It’s in the eighteenth arrondissement, near Montmartre, and the whole area is just full of creative energy. You’d probably find it cramped now that I see what your house is like. I . . . I . . .”
“What?”
“Well, I don’t have a lot of money, nothing like you or Jean. I just happen to have some wealthy friends who have splurged on me, like Jean, but that isn’t my daily life. I’ve never really cared about that stuff. I own very few possessions, which works well since I move around so much. Living modestly has suited me just fine. My career has been successful and my work is well-known, but even still, writing philosophy books isn’t exactly the path to great prosperity.”
“I never expected it was. None of that matters to me. People should do what they love. It just so happens that successful actors are grossly overpaid.”
“Finn . . .”
“I was hoping you’d come to Los Angeles and move in with me when the film wraps. Money isn’t an issue. I’ll take care of everything.”
