Page 94 of Take It Till You Make It
When we approach Sally’s trailer, I’m surprised to see her, River, and Crispin standing outside.
“I thought you’d still be thanking crew members.” I stand on tiptoe to give my kind and generous boyfriend a kiss.
“They work really hard. I want them to know it’s appreciated.” Crispin’s cheeks are tinged red.
“I think it’s wonderful, and I’m sure it means a lot coming from ahugestar like you.”
Crispin and I trail behind the others on our way to the parking lot. I’m looking around the lot and taking it all in, in case I never end up making another movie. I want to remember absolutely everything.
“Are you glad you took the role?” Crispin asks.
I nod. “I am. Nothing was easy in the beginning, but in the end, I’m thankful for the opportunity.” I look askance at Crispin. “Are you glad you pinch-hit the role at the last minute?”
“I am. The writing in this movie is excellent. The cast is stellar. I’ve said it before, but I really believe this will be a sleeper hit.”
For some reason, his response disappoints me.
He bends forward as we walk to see my face. “What’s wrong?”
“That was just a very professional answer, I guess.”
He laughs. “Okay, there may be something else I’m glad about.”
I grin at him. “Oh yeah? What might that be?”
“She’s about 5’1” tall, but her brain is at least two feet of that. And traveling from here to Saturn wouldn’t give me enough room to measure her personality.”
I swing our hands. “Oh, that’s a very nice description. Anyone I know?”
“You may not know her yet, but watch out. She’s going to take this world by storm. She’s going to make people laugh and cry and think and dream.”
Now I’m feeling emotional. “Wow, she sure sounds great. You must really like her.”
He swings our hands back and forth, and his tone grows a little dreamy. “You have no idea. Everything reminds me of her. I wake up thinking about her. I dream about her at night. I want to make her eyes light with wonder or darken with desire.” He waggles his brows dramatically. Then brings my knuckles to his lips before adding. “I want to give her the world.”
At this moment, my heart is torn between saying goodbye to the movie set and all the wonderful people I’ve gotten to know and the thrill of possibility that Crispin’s words evoke. My future scares me to death. It’s no longer lined out for me. But it’s also not lined in. I have limitless choices to make with my old friend, some new friends, and a kind, caring, and generous boyfriend to help me navigate.
As our feet transition from the lot to the parking lot, leaving the known and entering the unknown, I squeeze Crispin’s hand and look up at him with eagerness sparking in my eye.
“Tell you what. Instead of giving me the world, how about you help me travel it so we can find our next adventure together?”
Crispin opens the passenger door to his car and bows. With a hand, he gestures for me to get in. “The world awaits.”
Epilogue
Staringat Crispin over the monitor of my laptop, I hit the publish button. Not even thirty seconds later, his phone dings, and his eyes light with interest before his gaze drops to his phone.
I get up and circle the table to stand behind him so I can watch the BellyLaughs episode featuring him. I haven’t let him see any of it. I was so sure the direction I was taking with the episode was perfect, but now, faced with watching it alongside Crispin and knowing it’s live on my site, I’m second-guessing all my life choices.
Nothing about the episode is like any of my others. This one starts with me, alone, making the introduction.
“Hello, BellyLaughs community. As we creep closer to the release of the family drama,Much Like Me,my “you knew me when” turning-point moment approaches and I’m honestly getting really nervous about it. Even though that perfume commercial has already started to air (“hi” new viewers! “Go away” you haters!) me playing a thirteen-year-old in the movie might be hard for even my loyalist BellyLaughs viewers to accept. And you guys have seen me as a blue-skinned alien!
“But enough about me. Becausethisis the day you’ve been waiting for. Ever since I revived my channel with behind-the-scenes interviews with staff and cast, you’ve been calling for an episode with Crispin Moore. Today is that day. But I don’t think it’s going to be what you expect. You see, near the end of filming, Crispin and I started dating, so I’ve gotten to know him better than anyone else I worked with. And let me tell you, there is so much more to that man than you see on the big screen or in the tabloids. So, this episode isn’t just a behind-the-scenes ofMuch Like Me, it’s a behind-the-scenes of Crispin Moore. You need to know the kind and generous and thoughtful man he is. Let me show you.”
The rest of the video is a montage of pictures and short video clips from the set, from his and my outings, from the time we spend together at his home, of Queen Brie curled up on his lap, the many sunsets we’ve now experienced together. I spliced in clips of me asking him goofy questions and his ridiculous answers. Of his entrance to the surprise party I threw for his birthday, of his sister totally annihilating him at slapsies, of his mom patting his cheek and him whining, “Moooom,” while looking like an adorable though miserable teenage son again. And even though I created the mosaic and have watched it several hundred times during editing, I still grin through my tears as I watch it alongside Crispin. I’ve grown to love this man beyond measure, and I feel this video shows why.
The video cuts back to me. “When I walked onto the set ofMuch Like Me, I found Crispin Moore conceited and dismissive.” I shake my head. “I wasted so much time thinking the wrong things about this man. Knowing him has helped me to grow as a human. To find a sense of self that I never possessed before. His generosity and thoughtfulness never cease to amaze me. Like my generous BellyLaughs community, he has helped me to heal from the loss of my father. He flew my mom and me home to recognize the one-year anniversary of his passing. On our very first date, he gifted my mom a locket with a picture of Dad and me so that she could always hold us close to her heart. He’s an amazing human. I may not like the way it happened, but I’m so thankful that our planets aligned so that we worked together on this movie. I hope you guys are excited to see it, because it’s going to be a special one. As you’ve discovered through this series, the people who put it together are all so amazing. But one in particular stole my heart.”
