by Maya Hughes
Gabe went to the small white fridge that was covered in pictures of Alex and Jen. In most of them, they were horsing around, but there were a few formal pictures, too. He could tell they had known each other for a while. Opening the door, he spotted three bowls—one had chocolate chips, one had blueberries and the last one had some chopped-up bananas.
“Here you go,” he said, placing the bowls next to the griddle.
“Perfect. Do you have a preference?” she asked.
“I would like a big stack with two of each type, including plain,” Jen called out from the living area. Alex rolled her eyes.
“I know what you want. I was asking Gabe,” Alex called back.
“I know! I was only making sure that you remembered my order.”
“It would be hard to forget it in the ten minutes since you told me last,” Alex said, pulling her hair up into a bun and flicking her spatula at Jen. “She’s such a pain; let me get down to business before she tries to eat her own hand. So, what kind do you prefer?” she repeated.
“They all sound pretty good. Let’s start with one of each.”
“One of each coming up.” She worked efficiently, mixing in some batter with the extra ingredients and cooking the first batch to a golden brown on each side. Gabe’s mouth started to water as the aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate and fruit filled the air. He hadn’t even realized he was moving in closer to Alex until she accidentally elbowed him in the side as she went to flip the first batch of pancakes.
“Not you too,” Alex cried out. “Am I going to have to banish you to the couch along with Jen?”
“Sorry,” Gabe said sheepishly. “They just smell so unbelievable. What in the world do you put in these things?”
“Told you!” Jen called from behind a sketch pad on the couch. “They are so addictive. It’s how Alex keeps me in line. Just the mention of pancakes and I’ll pretty much do anything she asks me to do. Including, but not limited to ex-boyfriend disposal.”
“Don’t mind her,” she said as a plate of the most delicious-smelling pancakes he had ever smelled passed under his nose. She placed them on the counter and Jen vaulted up from the couch and nearly slid into the counter in her haste to get to them. Jen held the plate up to her nose and deeply inhaled the heavenly scent. Alex handed Jen a fork and knife. The bottle of syrup was already on the counter and Jen drowned her pancakes before digging in.
Gabe stared longingly at the plate when another appeared under his nose. He closed his eyes as he inhaled.
“I think you have another addict,” Jen said with her mouth full, before downing half a glass of milk. He turned to her and nodded his head. She stared at him as he took his first bite, waiting for his reaction. He closed his eyes and moaned at the explosion of flavor in his mouth. He got comfortable on the stool next to Jen and dug into the plate of heavenly pancakes with gusto.
After a few more minutes, she finished making the rest of the pancakes and pulled her plate out of the oven, then sat on the stool next to Gabe. He’d been skeptical of Jen’s obsession with Alex’s pancakes when he first walked in, but now he was a devoted convert and was inhaling them almost as fast as Jen was. She nudged him with her elbow and nodded at him.
“I told you,” she said with pancakes practically falling out of her mouth.
“These are literally the most amazing pancakes I’ve ever had in my life,” he said, shoveling in another fork full. “I’m not even joking. I’m completely serious.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying them,” Alex said with a grin as they finished up. He swore that his stomach would explode, but he didn’t want to waste his last few bites. Jen was collapsed on the couch clutching her stomach.
“So much pain, but it’s so worth it.”
Alex got up from her seat and moved to collect the plates. Gabe placed a hand on top of hers and she looked up at him quizzically.
“You can’t seriously expect me to let you clean up after all that you just did. I’ll get the dishes,” he said and kissed her on the nose. Gabe’s cheeks flamed at the impulsive move and he hoped that he didn’t overstep. She pulled back a little in shock and then a huge grin spread across her face.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I liked being able to cook for you.”
“Absolutely feel free anytime you want,” he said, moving toward the sink to begin washing the dishes. “Do you want to visit me on-set tomorrow? Maybe when you get off work?”
“I’d love to,” she said as she leaned up against the counter. Although he told her he would handle the dishes, she picked up a dish towel and helped him dry and put them away. They spent the couple of hours they had before she had to head to the restaurant just chatting. Jen kept lapsing into and out of a food coma. They lost track of time and he got a call from a production assistant who was looking for him.
“Oh shit, I’m late!” he said, jumping up from his chair and starting to put his shoes back on. “Sorry to rush out of here. I had a really great time.”
“No problem, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He paused beside her as she opened the door.
“I had a really great morning,” he said, touching the side of her face, caressing her smooth skin, and running his thumb over her bottom lip.
“I did too,” she said, looking up at him with her deep brown eyes shining. He leaned in and captured her lips. A shiver ran down his body as he delved deeper into the kiss. Her tongue was doing a dance with his own, causing a hardening in his jeans. This woman was driving him crazy.
“Get a room,” Jen grumbled from behind them. They broke apart with a laugh, breathing deeply. Gabe leaned his forehead on hers, heart pumping.
“I’ll send you a message when I get a chance and I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, walking out the door. “Thanks again for breakfast!”
“You’re welcome. See you tomorrow,” Alex said, leaning against the door and watching him walk down the stairs.
Chapter 6
Alex’s heart was beating a mile a minute as she walked the couple of blocks to Gabe’s set. She hadn’t wanted to waste time changing after work; it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her in her uniform anyway, as much as jeans and a branded t-shirt could be considered a uniform. She was happy that Ben was lax about things like that when it came to the restaurant. She’d thrown her sweatshirt on for the walk over, since the chilly breeze coming off the water made everything a little bit colder.
The restaurant had been a little busy that night. It wasn’t as busy as the night before when everyone had just arrived, but there were certainly a few crew members there grabbing a bite, along with townies who wanted to look at all the outsiders. Once again, her pockets were heavy with tips and she was excited to see just what Gabe did on-set. She showed up to the location he’d specified in his text.
There were tons of people wandering around in headsets, carrying equipment and props from one place to another. There were even a few golf carts whizzing by. The place was a flurry of activity. One of the guys in a headset approached her.
“Are you Alex?”
“Yeah, I’m Alex,” she said, a little uncertain.
“Okay, I’m Greg. I’m a PA on the set and Gabe sent me to come and get you. Come with me. I’ve got a few things for you to sign and then I’ll take you to Gabe; he’s doing some lighting setups now.”
“Okay,” she said, following her escort through the frenzy of activity. She followed the PA to a trailer, where they had some non-disclosure agreements for her to sign. They also took her phone. She was taken aback at how intense they were about the project. She was happy they’d let her on set at all at this rate.
After signing all the paperwork and getting the locker key for her phone’s temporary prison, she had to have her picture taken for her visitor’s badge. Finally, Greg motioned for her to follow him to a golf cart and took her to an area of the set that wasn’t quite so busy. Two rows of trailers lined the entire walkway. The PA knocked on the third one on the right and Gabe popped his head out.
<
br /> Her heart gave a little flip and she couldn’t contain the smile that spread across her face. She was happy to see that he looked as dopey as she felt. She stepped out of the cart and the PA smiled and nodded before he sped off, already talking to someone else through his headset.
“You made it,” he said.
“I did,” Alex said, suddenly a little out of breath and lightheaded. He extended a hand and helped her up the two steps into the trailer.
Alex was surprised when she looked around the trailer; it wasn’t at all what she expected. There was a small kitchenette area with a fridge, toaster oven, and sink. A small seating area with a big leather couch ran along one wall with a flat screen TV opposite it. She was looking around and he asked if she’d like a tour.
“Sure. I’ve never been in a film-set trailer before. Hell, I’ve never been on a film set before!”
“I look forward to being your guide.” He showed her all the little amenities such as the stocked cabinets and fridge, then pointed out the tiny bathroom with a toilet and a shower. It verged on luxurious.
“Why do you even stay at the hotel when you have this thing on-set?” Alex asked, plopping down on the huge leather couch that spanned half the length of the trailer. She could definitely live here.
“The studio orders these for every set. I guess they don’t take into account how close the filming is to the hotel. This covers the bases for when you’re a bit further out. When we were doing principal photography, it was a twenty-minute ride to get to the hotel and back, so these trailers were a godsend.”
They spent the next couple of hours relaxing in the trailer. Lesley, his romantic interest in the movie, stopped by. She was immediately jealous of the leggy blonde who had a smile that could rival the sun, but her mind was quickly put at ease with the friendly, but not sexually charged, rapport the two seemed to have with one another.
“And then there was the time when Gabe nearly boiled his dick off when we were filming that water scene in Bulgaria!” Lesley exclaimed, laughing so hard that there were tears running down her cheeks.
“Hey! That wasn’t my fault,” he said. “The PA didn’t mix it with the cold river water. Why would you hand someone boiling water to pour down the front of their wet suit? Who does that?”
“You seriously nearly burned your penis off?” Alex asked, horrified.
“He had to have gauze wrapped around it for a week!” Lesley said, doubled over and gasping for breath. He picked up one of the pillows off the couch and threw it at her, knocking her off her chair. Lesley clutched the pillow and used it to muffle her laughter.
“Sorry, Gabe,” she said, wiping the tears out of her eyes. “Sorry, I know it’s terrible to laugh, but it was so damned funny! You should have seen your face!”
“Lesley, I hate you,” he said, glaring at her, though he could only hold back his smile for a few seconds.
“I’m sorry Gabe. I’m sorry,” Lesley gasped, swallowing the last of her giggles. Alex couldn’t help but smile at their interaction. She was glad that he had a friend on-set and enjoyed the half an hour or so that they spent talking about a little bit of everything.
There was a knock at the door; a PA was there to shuttle both Lesley and Gabe off to wardrobe and makeup. They all hopped in a golf cart, then made their way through trailer city until they reached a much larger trailer. Gabe held the door for Lesley and Alex, then followed them inside, where it was cool but well-lit.
“What happened to your nose?” The makeup artist screeched the moment her eyes landed on Gabe. She pulled him into the trailer. Lesley gave Alex a ‘you’re in trouble’ look before climbing the steps to the trailer. They replayed the entire parking lot non-mugging mugging to Lesley while they were chowing down on popcorn and watching a random movie in the trailer. Ducking her head, she walked in to the trailer and looked anywhere but at the makeup artist while Lesley choked back a laugh.
“I knocked myself in the nose with my carry-on bag on the plane yesterday,” he said, covering for her.
The artist tutted as she covered it up. Just as she was finishing up with Lesley, another PA with a headset came and knocked on the door. “Five minutes to set,” he called.
He stood and clapped his hands together. “That’s my cue. Come on. Let’s go; you’ll get to see where the magic happens.”
Chapter 7
Gabe, Alex, and Lesley were quickly ushered out of the trailer and into a golf cart. They whizzed past the trailers and more crew. The heavy salt air was even thicker as they wet everything down for whatever scenes they were filming. There must have been miles of cables running all over the area, as they were bumping over them what seemed like every other second.
The PA was giving Gabe some last-minute information about the scene and what he would be doing. They pulled up to the set, which was abuzz with crew members. Tons of cameras hung about from every angle, cables were running everywhere, and there were huge lights all over the place. She thought it was funny that they chose to shoot the scene at night, but ran enough lights to simulate a landing on the surface of the sun.
There were PAs wetting even more things down with hoses and sprayers. The cold mist was hitting Alex on her face, making her shiver as she wrapped her sweatshirt tighter around herself. Gabe hopped out and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before he was hustled off by yet another PA. Lesley slid out of her seat and turned to her.
“It was so nice meeting you!” she said, giving her a bear hug. “Gabe’s been talking about you non-stop since we got to town. And we’re going to have to make a date for one of your pancake breakfasts sometime soon. Gabe practically had me drooling as he was talking about those things!”
“It was nice meeting you too, Lesley, and I’ll be sure to add you to the next pancake-breakfast invite.”
“Excellent!” Lesley said before being led away by the same PA that took Gabe to who-knows-where.
The golf cart PA showed her to the production set-up area, where she sat in a director’s chair behind a bank of monitors with feeds coming from the camera. There were so many screens and people and chairs; Alex tried to sit as still as possible, not wanting someone to call her out for being in the wrong spot. She made sure that her lanyard was clearly visible lest she get kicked out.
Without her phone, she was reduced to people-watching, which wasn’t that much of a chore given all the activity buzzing around her. She couldn’t see Gabe anymore, but there were a bunch of extras crowded around on the set looking properly disheveled for the post-apocalyptic type of setting it looked like they were going for with the movie.
Suddenly, tons more people that arrived. They came from all different directions and the production tent where she was sitting became standing room only for the new arrivals. Sinking down in her chair a bit, she watched as the monitors lit up with activity and the cameras rolled.
Watching him film the scene was like nothing she’d ever seen before. There were so many moving parts—so many angles and so many takes to get everything just right. All of this was compounded by the extras and the running scene that they were doing. It was almost an hour before the first break and, as far as she could tell, it didn’t look like they’d filmed more than a couple of minutes of the movie.
He grasped her hand when they finally made it back to the trailer. “Come with me to LA when I leave next week,” he said, just out of the blue, while they were eating some food they’d grabbed from the craft services table. She froze, completely unable to believe what she’d just heard.
“What?!”
“Come with me to LA. I think it would be a great time. I have some local press stuff to do for the movie. It’s not much because, apparently, the studio absolutely hates this movie. They are rushing to cram in all of the new stuff for when the movie premieres in two months, but we have to start the press tour now.”
“I can’t just pick up and go with you to LA,” Alex said.
“Why not? You said the diner is closing as soon as we leave. Yo
u don’t start school until January. What were you going to do for the next couple of months?”
“I have to …” Alex grasped for something to say. But truthfully, her plans were to hang out with Jen before she left. Do some studying and spend as little money as possible to save up for the upcoming semester.
“Gabe, we just met. I can’t fly off to LA with you.”
“Alex, think of it as an adventure. I feel something between us. I really do, and I don’t want this to end when I leave. I think that spending some time together in LA would be fun. You don’t have to answer me now. Just think about it,” he said, holding onto her hands. She started to talk again and he placed a finger over her lips.
“Just promise me that you’ll think about it. That’s all I ask.”
“Okay, I’ll think about it, promise.”
Gabe pulled her to him, threaded his fingers through her hair, and crushed her mouth to his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her as she deepened the kiss, tasting the traces of the peppermint candy that he’d just eaten. She grabbed onto his collar and pulled him on top of her on the leather couch. He began peppering her neck with kisses, and she moaned as she ran her fingers through his hair.
He ran his hands under her shirt and skimmed the bottom her of her bra. She sucked in her breath as his hands pushed the cups of her bra up and over her breasts, then ran her hands under his shirt and caressed his muscled back as he continued to cup her breasts and pinch her nipples.
“Oh, yes,” she gasped. He moved his lips back up to her mouth as he continued his ministrations on her nipples. She reached down to his belt buckle, undoing it, panting in her haste. Managing to get her hands further down between their bodies, she undid his jeans and pushed them over the curve of his butt.
He moaned against her neck and rested his head against her shoulder.
“I didn’t ask you to come here for this,” he said.
