Love's Dance

by Marianna Roberg

  "Oh, thank you." Jaina stood on her toes and gave him a smack on the lips. "But I can get you sloshed. That should be entertaining."

  He smirked. "For you, possibly. Until you have to nurse my hangover. Besides, we've got work tomorrow."

  "Blast," she said. "But... I have no curfew. Granted, Jasa would prefer me in by eleven, or not even over here... But Teniel doesn't mind as long as I don't wake everyone up when I come home."

  Colin sipped from his glass. "What, may I ask, was your brother's problem? I mean, aside from finding us on the sofa?"

  Jaina grinned. "Teniel's pregnant. I suspected as much, actually."

  "Mmm." Colin wandered into the living room. "Pick something, we can start it while we're waiting for the food."

  Nodding, she went to the bag of videos and pawed through them, finally deciding on one that had her giggling. Colin's brows drew together in puzzlement.

  "What?" he asked.

  "Nothing," she said sweetly, inserting the tape into the VCR.

  A few minutes later, Colin groaned. "Oh, please, no!"

  Jaina snuggled up against him. "Hey, I only watch Age of Heroes for one thing. There's this actor who's been on a couple times. Very hot. Also talented enough that he makes an otherwise hideous episode watchable."

  "And who would this be?" he asked.

  "Dominic Belleau," she replied, then laughed. "You, silly!"

  "Hmm."

  "Though I really deplore the American accent they forced you to have in this. Horrid." Jaina sat in silence for several minutes, watching the episode, then asked, "Does it make me a bad person if I want to shag the bad guy?"

  He shook with barely restrained laughter. "Yes, very bad. You'll have to be my consort," he said, leaning over to the end table to put down his wine glass.

  "That sounds fun. What would that entail?"

  "Well..."

  "Would it involve kinky costumes álá Princess Leia?"

  Remembering her bellydance outfit, Colin said, "Possibly."

  Jaina trailed her fingers down his arm. "Hmm. Tell me... Did they let you keep your costume?"

  "Screw the movie," he said, and grabbed her.

  ♥♥♥

  Jaina woke to an unfamiliar bedroom. The bed was queen-sized, with no headboard or footboard, the walls were white, the ceiling slanted on one side. Across from the bed, French doors that lead onto a balcony were closed tight against the winter chill.

  She sat up and looked around. A few photographs sat on the dresser, in a riot of mismatching frames. Jaina slid out of bed and her feet touched on a fur rug in a while and dark-brown cow spot pattern.

  A robe lay across the foot of the bed, apparently Colin's, and since she was rather scantily clad, she slipped into it. The scent of Colin's aftershave enfolded her and she closed her eyes, sighing. The terrycloth was warm, which was nice.

  Jaina wandered over to look at the photographs. She hadn't met any of his family yet, but she could tell immediately who some of these people where. One was of Colin and his parents at what appeared to be his high school graduation. She grinned, seeing him with the mortar board and tassel, skinny and gawky.

  Other pictures seemed to be of him and his older brother Benjamin, and his younger sister Mary-Jane. There was one of Ben and his wife, May, and their two children, obviously a Christmas portrait.

  The last one caught Jaina's attention. It was behind the others, a snapshot not in a frame, just leaned against one of the knickknacks on the dresser top. Jaina noted with some surprise that it was from early in the season, one of the behind-the-scenes shots a few of the crew members would occasionally take. In it, she and Colin were just outside the makeup trailer, discussing something. Jaina couldn't remember what it was, couldn't even remember the picture being taken.

  She looked at the back of the photograph. It said, "15 04 08". This had been taken in April? And he'd had it that long?

  Jaina shook her head. No, it had been developed in April. Judging by her attire, it could have been taken anywhere from mid-March to mid-April, because she had bought that t-shirt when she'd moved to New Zealand.

  Hearing sounds downstairs, Jaina gathered the robe close and left the bedroom. She was relieved to find herself on the second floor of Colin's home. She went barefoot down the stairs and found Colin in the kitchen, apparently cooking something. He was wearing only a pair of pajama bottoms.

  Jaina slid her arms around his waist, giggling when he jumped. "What's for breakfast?"

  "French toast," he replied. "One thing I can actually make."

  "Mmm." Jaina kissed his shoulder. "So was that your bedroom I woke in?"

  "Yeah. You fell asleep halfway through Sweet November, so after I finished the movie, I carried you upstairs."

  "What'd you think?" Jaina went to the cupboard to get the powdered sugar and cinnamon out.

  Colin shrugged. "The ending was weak."

  "That's what I thought." Jaina got plates out and set them on the counter. "I like your house a lot more now."

  He smiled, and Jaina smiled back.

  "Hurry up with the food," she said. "We've gotta get going."

  ♥♥♥

  The first person they ran into was Sara. She looked at them with interest.

  "Car trouble," Jaina said by way of explanation. "Colin gave me a lift. I'm going to have to shoot the thing and put it out of my misery."

  "Colin?" Sara deadpanned.

  Jaina tried not to laugh at the expression on her lover’s face. She shook her head.

  Sara nodded. "Cars are more trouble than they're worth."

  Jaina got to her workroom and set up her stuff. Colin went off to get that day's script pages. Sara had followed Jaina and planted herself in the makeup chair.

  "What did you do over the weekend?" she asked.

  "My brother and sister-in-law were out of town until last night, so I spent the weekend playing Star Wars Monopoly with Colin. You?"

  She smiled slyly. "You spent the weekend with Colin?"

  Jaina rolled her eyes. "You're acting like my family, when they came into the house and found me in my bellydance costume and Colin in his boxers, holding my bellydance veil. It's not my fault Klutzo spilled orange juice on his clothes."

  Sara burst out laughing. "What did your brother say?"

  "I believe it was, 'Kids, go to your room.'"

  "What were you doing?"

  "I was dancing." Jaina motioned to Sara's clothing. "Is that today's costume?"

  "No, I'm wearing the red shirt."

  "Asymmetrical one?"

  "And black jeans."

  "Okay."

  Jaina was just finishing Sara's blush when the director appeared.

  "Jaina! he called.

  "Yeah?"

  He walked over, Colin trailing with a mildly guilty expression. "You know we're filming the Festival of Romance? Well, our lead dancer just called in. She broke her leg yesterday."

  Dreading where this seemed to be going, Jaina asked, "And?"

  He held out a red bellydance costume. "Colin says you bellydance."

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Jaina stood on the bar set, listening as the director explained her role.

  "Now, we're going to need Alex to kiss the bellydancer," he was saying.

  Jaina blinked in surprise and her eyes darted to Colin, who looked just as shocked.

  "I thought you just wanted me to dance," she said.

  "No, Alex goes home with the bellydancer," the director said. "It's in the script."

  Colin rapidly flipped through the script, which he'd just been given. "He's right."

  "I know this could be awkward," the director said. "I know you two are friends, and pretending to have sex could create... awkwardness..."

  Jaina barely managed to keep in a derisive snort.

  Inwardly, a little voice in her head was giggling almost hysterically. She was going to get to kiss Colin... And no one would be the wiser. Maybe.

  "Do I have any lines?" she as
ked.

  "A few. Just a page. Or... two." The director handed her two sheets of paper. Then, after a moment, a third. "First page is your dance number, second is talking to Alex, third is your, uh, scene."

  "Got it." Jaina's green eyes skimmed over the dialogue. "Now, am I supposed to talk like me, or do you want me to speak like you people?"

  The director blinked. Halfway through her question, she'd switched from her American accent to a near-flawless imitation of Sara Whitman.

  Sara laughed, shocked. "That was cool. I vote for the second."

  Jaina laughed. "Me, too."

  "How did you do that?" the other woman asked.

  She shrugged. "Dunno. I just pick up accents. Especially really strong ones."

  The director looked Jaina up and down. "You can wear that for your 'street clothes', and then we'll have you put on the costume."

  "Do you have zylls and bells?" Jaina asked.

  "Do we have what?" He looked at her blankly.

  "I'll be right back." Jaina sprinted out to Colin's car and from her overnight bag, fetched her zylls, bells, arm bands, and headdress. Then she came back and held up the tiny cymbal-like bells.

  "These are zylls," she said. "And these are bells."

  "And you just happened to have this stuff with you?" Colin asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Jaina shot him a look that clammed him up instantly.

  The director--and Sara--were oblivious to the brief exchange. "We'll film the bar scene first, the scene in Laurie's room, then the dance, get it out of the way."

  "Okay." Jaina steeled herself.

  "It'll be okay," Colin said.

  She wished she believed him.

  ♥♥♥

  Jaina was nervous. This felt very weird.

  She gave herself a shake, to relax and get into character. She was already at the bar, already held a glass of "beer"--apple juice and club soda--and just had to sit there until Colin came up to her. Her lines were easy, and she'd already run through the scene in rehearsal, several times.

  Why was she so nervous?

  Jaina sipped the apple juice. Part of her wished it was real. Then she wouldn't be so freaked.

  She sat still as everything was set up and the actors, the real actors, took their places.

  "Speed!" someone called.

  "Rolling!" from another.

  "Action!"

  Jaina lifted her glass and took a healthy swallow, then glanced down the length of the bar.

  She heard the door behind her open, somehow felt Colin approach. She glanced up briefly as he reached the bar and asked for a beer. She gave him a slight, friendly smile, and let it deepen a little as her gaze lingered. Then she turned back to her drink.

  A moment passed, then Colin moved over. "You're one of the dancers, aren't you?"

  "I am, yeah." She looked over. "You saw the performance?"

  "Yeah. I liked it. You're very good."

  "Thank you." Jaina didn't feel at all nervous now. The instant she'd looked into his sapphire eyes, it had all bled away. She was thrilled that neither of them had flubbed any lines yet.

  "So, uh, where did you, uh, learn to dance like that?"

  Jaina let a tiny smile curve her lips. He was so good at playing the adorable dork. "Auckland."

  She offered her hand. "Laurie Stover."

  Colin shook her hand. "Alex Noble."

  "And what do you do, Alex?"

  "I'm a doctor."

  "Oh, a doctor!" Jaina let a hint of her playful side peak out. "What a coincidence! I'm in need of a doctor."

  He looked a little worried. "Are you ill?"

  She shook her head. "No, I've got... a mole I need checked out."

  Her eyes moved over him. No one knew the heat in them was real. One brow lifted. "That is, if it's not too much of an... imposition?"

  Colin swallowed. "Uh, no. Not at all. Should we, uh, find somewhere..."

  "Private? By all means, Dr. Noble. Where do you suggest?"

  She stayed there, smiling suggestively, until the director called, "Cut!"

  When the man came over, he was effulgent. "That was brilliant! Perfect! And in one take! Do you often help him with his lines?"

  "Uh, yeah. Kinda." Jaina broke eye contact with Colin and looked at the director.

  "Now, we need to get reaction shots, and maybe some close-ups..."

  Jaina sighed.

  ♥♥♥

  Colin dropped Jaina off at home, since he was having his sister over for dinner. Jaina didn't feel she could deal with anyone new at that moment, so she spent the evening with her family, who were having a pseudo-birthday party for the twins, since Jaina hadn't been along on the trip.

  After dinner, they had cake and ice cream, and Jaina gave the twins their presents: a toy lightsaber for Christian and a doll for Clarissa.

  Jaina was playing with the twins when the phone rang. She stopped and listened to Jason as her brother answered it, hoping it was Colin. When he didn't call for her, she knew it wasn't, but still, she got up and went to inquire, since Jason didn't sound too happy.

  "Yeah," Jason was saying when she reached the kitchen, where Jason had gone. "She didn't- She wasn't- Dad, you can't!"

  Jaina wondered what it was their father was doing.

  Jason glowered at his sister, but she knew he wasn't really angry with her, it was their dad. "I have my hands full with Jaina! And my kids."

  He sighed. "Yeah... Sure... I guess I can. When?

  Jason started digging through one of the drawers, what they called the "junk drawer", for a paper and pencil. She plucked both out of the mess and handed them to him. He took them without a word and started scribbling.

  "Yeah, no problem. Tell her to pack warm clothes."

  Jaina's curiosity got the better of her. "What's going on?"

  Her brother covered the mouthpiece and said, "Dad caught Em."

  "Doing what? Messing with the intercom system?"

  "Naw, she was..." He stopped and turned back to the phone. "Yeah, Dad, I'm still here. Yeah, I got it. The third, 5 PM, flight 743, on Air New Zealand. That's it? Okay. Yeah, tell Mom hi for me. Bye."

  A moment later, he hung up. Turning back to Jaina, he said, "She was..."

  "Spit it out already," she said with exasperation. "On the couch with her boyfriend's face in her cleavage?"

  Jason dropped the phone with a clatter. "She was with a boy! She's a baby! She's too young!"

  The pieces instantly fell into place. "So Dad's shipping her out here?"

  "Yeppers," Jason said, then stopped, grimacing, as he realized he'd used one of their sister's favorite sayings.

  "Man." Jaina shook her head. "It sucks to be you."

  Plaintively, he whined, "Why must you insist on doing these things to me?"

  His sister shrugged. "Me? You're the big brother. We're the sisters. It's our job."

  She randomly picked something out of the fruit bowl and started to leave the kitchen. "At least now I have an excuse to move in with Colin..."

  "Oh, no, you don't!" Jason exclaimed.

  "Dude, you need the space," she said calmly. "Besides, where else are you gonna put the nursery?"

  ♥♥♥

  Jaina honestly wondered why they were shooting these scenes when they didn't take place until much later. The continuity on the show--or lack of it--was driving her crazy. Like they were filming three episodes at one time.

  They were in Warkworth now, and would be until the next week. The producers had even gone so far as to get them motel rooms. Except Rebecca. She didn't get one. And by a sheer stroke of luck, Jaina's was right next to Colin's. With an adjoining door.

  Not that they were in the motel right at that moment. No. They were on one of the sets, just outside the room that was going to be Laurie's. And Jaina had to walk into the room with Colin, rip her shirt off, and grab him. All things she'd do normally, but to do them in front of everyone else?

  Colin came up to her with a cup of hot cocoa. "I got the directo
r to send most of the crew away. It's only the absolutely essential crew here. And then it'll be over."

  "There's still the dancing." Jaina held her cup, but didn't sip from it. "And you've still got to film several scenes like this with Rebecca.""

  Colin glanced around, and pulled her further down the hallway, away from any crew that might overhear. "Okay, you can't tell anyone, but I'm the one that pushed to film these scenes now. When I found out the dancer had broken her leg, I pushed Rachel like you wouldn't believe. Technically, this episode isn't supposed to film for another two weeks, but I thought, early into this as we are... delaying the rest of the scenes with Rebecca would be a good idea, and you and I could... do this."

  Jaina could have kissed him, but refrained. "You are too sweet. I don't deserve you."

  He sighed heavily. "I don't deserve me, either."

  Jaina snorted and poked him. "Dork."

  He made a grab for her hand. Laughing, she dodged and said, "Nuh-uh-uh! Ne me touchez pas!"

  Colin's expression said that was distinctly unfair. He didn't get to say anything though, because the director popped out the door then and beckoned for them.

  "Well, here goes nothing," Jaina sighed.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  In "Laurie's" motel room, the camera was being set up facing the door. Jaina and Colin stood just outside the closed panel.

  "You all right?" he whispered.

  "Yeah, I'm fine. I don't relish having to take my shirt off..."

  "You'll do fine," he reassured her. "You've been doing great."

  "Thanks."

  "You survived your brother, you can survive this."

  Jaina laughed. "I'm just glad I'm not wearing one of my lace bras today."

  He gave her a lopsided grin.

  All too quickly, the director called, "Action!"

  Jaina pushed the door open and walked in. Colin followed her across the room. So did the camera.

  "This, uh, mole," Colin stuttered.

  Jaina took a deep breath, turned her back to the camera, and pulled her shirt off.