Page 58 of The Location Shoot
Everyone smiled and nodded their agreement, and Willow asked, “Do you think we’ll all ever be together again?”
“What do you mean?” Charlotte asked.
“Well, I haven’t done as many films as you guys have, so I’m not sure what it’s usually like. We’ve all become such good friends. It’s hard to imagine not seeing you all every day. The film wraps in a couple of weeks, and I was just wondering if we’ll still be in each other’s lives.”
Finn sighed. “The truth is, you often get close to people on a film set. Sometimes you stay in touch, but usually you’re on to the next project and, well . . .”
Willow looked down.
“But this is different,” Finn added. “I’ve never had an experience like this before. I think we’ll stay in each other’s lives. The film centers on a big celebration, and something tells me we’ll all be together one day for a real one.”
Ella looked at him and smiled.
“Absolutely,” Michael said. “We’ll stay friends. We’ll make a point of it.”
“Indeed,” Charlotte agreed.
Willow smiled. They spent the next few hours eating and talking about everything from travel to art to philosophy. When the restaurant finally closed, the group strolled around the island for a bit before catching the boat back. Finn and Ella found a cozy spot near the front of the boat where they could be alone.
“Did you mean what you said to Willow, that we’ll all stay in each other’s lives?” Ella asked.
“Sweetheart, you’re stuck with me. But yes, I think we’ll stay friends with the others. I predict that one day, not so long from now, we’ll all reunite at a huge bash and dance the night away just like we did back at the inn for Albie’s birthday.”
“I hope so,” she said.
“I loved hearing about the parties you’ve thrown. I like entertaining too, though I usually keep it to barbecues out back. There’s that great firepit I told you about too. It’s a fun place to sit around, drink, talk, and toast marshmallows. My friends are cool. I think you’ll like them.”
She smiled.
“You seemed less than enthusiastic when I mentioned my chef.”
“It’s just . . .”
“What, baby?”
“Well, you have a whole life that’s all set up, obviously the way you like it. It’s nothing like what I’m used to, nothing like my life. I’m just not sure how I would fit into that.”
He squeezed her tightly and kissed her forehead. “Sweetheart, when we live together, it won’t be my house, it will be ours. And if it’s a problem, we can buy a new house together, one that’s just ours.”
“But . . .”
“As for the staff, we can make any arrangement you want. You can do however much cooking you want to do.Hell, you might like having a sous-chef. We’ll figure it out. I’m not married to anything the way it is. That was my life alone; this would be our life together. Naturally, some things will have to change. Please don’t think you’d have to fit into my old life. That’s not what I want. I want us to build a new one together.”
“You do?” she asked, gazing into his eyes.
“Of course I do,” he replied, kissing the top of her head. “All that matters is that we’re together. We can figure out what works best for us. That’s part of the adventure.”
CHAPTER 14
The next morning, Ella and Finn were hanging out in his trailer when he was called to set. As they were walking toward the estate, the door to the makeup trailer flew open and two small children burst out and ran across the grassy field, their blonde ringlets blowing in the breeze. Maja raced after them, hollering in a mix of Swedish and English. Ella and Finn sprinted over to help just as Maja caught up with the kids.
“Who are these little ones?” Ella asked sweetly.
“These are my kids. Astrid is four and a half, and Lars is nearly two. My babysitter had an emergency and sprang them on me fifteen minutes ago. I’ve tried calling everyone I know, but I haven’t found anyone who can take them. I don’t know what to do. I’m expected to be on set all day for touch-ups. If Mr. Mercier finds out, I’m sure I’ll lose my job.”
“I’ll watch them,” Ella said. “And don’t worry about Jean. I can handle him.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t impose on you. I’ll figure something out.”
