Page 58 of Take 2
“It’s not clout. It’s being a stubborn asshole.”
“Well, I couldn’t get away with that, so it’s also clout.”
“Sure, you can. You do stubbornreallywell.”
I flick him off as I sit a safe distance out of the shot. He continues past to speak with the cast and crew. I pull my legs up under me and turn to face the water. Shadows of masts are sprinkled over the water, and to the left, the boulders end and a small beach stretches around the curve of the bay. It doesn’t seem like much time passes before Preston sits next to me without a word.
“Why here?” I ask. “Why not a sunrise over the water?”
“That’s the same anywhere. The landmass takes longer to be overtaken by sunlight. The west-facing hills will be dark until the sun gets all the way past them. It’s like the day has another obstacle to get through, but once it does, the whole bay transforms.”
“So, worth the effort?”
“Absolutely.”
I feel his eyes on me, and even though the thought of what I’ll find there makes my throat tighten, I turn to meet his gaze. They’re warm and deep and make me want to get back the feeling of curling up against him. “Not everything is … worth that kind of effort,” I say.
“Usually, you don’t know until you’ve put in the effort.”
“Usually.” I nod and scoot closer to him. He wraps his arm around me, and I lean my head on his shoulder.
The sun rises with all the majesty a movie demands, painting the sky and spilling light over the hills, just like Preston said. His vision for the story is incredible, but I wonder which story it’s really for.
“I’m going to go see if today’s attempt is usable.” He squeezes my shoulder and lets go.
“Have fun with that,” I say as I straighten up.
Alone, I turn to face the waterfront town that looks like a set designer dreamed it up. Awnings cast shade over balconies and first-floor patios. The buildings’ façades range from near-white pale yellows to terracotta, and blue and mint green shutters adorn some windows. Tables across from the restaurants are set by the water, and colorful umbrellas open over them at the hands of servers. This is exactly what people expect of the French Riviera. No wonder Preston set his story here.
“Croissant?” Chris pops up behind me, brandishing a paper bag.
“Yes, please.”
He takes out a tissue paper-wrapped pastry and hands it to me. It’s warm, and flakes flurry from it when I tear a piece off. Butter and magic melt in my mouth, and I moan. “This is divine.”
“My trainer is going to murder me when I get home.” He takes a big bite and speaks with his mouth full. “It’s totally worth it.”
“I concur. Do you think you got the shot? You didn’t screw up your lines to stick us with another early morning here, did you?”
“If this has to be redone, it won’t be my fault.”
“I wish I could bottle your confidence.”
He flashes a leading man smile at me and laughs. “I keep trying to boost your ego, but you always roll your eyes.”
“That’s just me trying to keepyourego from over-inflating.”
“A service to the world.”
“I was never one for science, so curing cancer was out,” I say. “This is a good backup.”
“What are you up to the rest of the day?”
“I don’t know. I’m at Preston’s mercy.” Although, that sounds like it could be fun.
“Aren’t we all?” Chris’ eyebrows bob.
Preston and Rafael approach from the hotel where they’ve set up shop for today. Rafael points to Chris. “Congratulations, you didn’t fuck it up.”
