With promises to return in two weeks, they left Megan waving good-bye in Linda MacKendall’s driveway, loudly reminding Daddy not to be late next time.
They spoke little on the drive back, and at last Mac broke the silence.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"Just remembering Meggie asking about how seagulls kiss."
Mac smiled. "She’s pretty precocious. I dread her becoming a teenager." He shook his head in mock panic. "She’s very fond of you."
Jessica grinned. "I’m certainly not much of a role model."
"Don’t sell yourself short."
"By the way, what does Linda do? Is she a career person?"
"Yes. She teaches at the University."
"Oh." Jessica was again quiet. Something was on her mind, and it would not go away. "Mac, Dane said the strangest thing last night."
"Yeah? What pearls of wisdom did he impart now?"
"You really hate him, don’t you?"
"No. I just don’t like him. There’s a difference. Now, what amazing thing did he say?"
Jessica swallowed. "He said…you were…involved with someone."
Mac narrowed his eyes. "What? Was he talking about Lauren? I knew the tabloids picked that up, but Pierce doesn’t seem the type to--"
"No. I don’t think so."
Mildly annoyed, Mac shrugged it off. "I don’t know what he’s talking about. I haven’t enough room in my life to get a haircut, much less entertain a lady." He unconsciously ran his fingers through his long, shagged hair. "With Mom sick, and Megan, and the show, and that damned house…" He shook his head as his voice trailed off. "You know, it took me a long time to get used to being single. And I’m pretty comfortable with it. I wasn’t expecting to get tangled up with Lauren, and it taught me the value of being in control of my life. Pierce’s life is so screwed up, he expects everyone else’s is, too."
Jessica reached across the cab and squeezed his arm. "Hey, relax. You certainly don’t have to explain your life to me. He’s mistaken, that’s all." She smiled warmly and wouldn’t let go of his arm until he glanced her way.
"He’s not mistaken, he’s lying. He’s pulling your chain, Jessica."
Oddly, she rather liked his defensive demeanor, and decided to tell him the rest. "He also thought we were sleeping together."
Instead of getting angry, Mac threw back his head and laughed.
"What’s so funny?" she asked, confused. Mac shut the engine off. They were home.
"Well, I guess we have, haven’t we?" A smile spread across Jessie’s lips, and they laughed together as they entered the house.
~ * ~
It was eight days before they truly saw each other again. Other than a few personal items and an occasional bump in the night, each hardly knew the other existed. The demands on Jessica’s time increased steadily as Pierce Productions began preliminary filming in the studio; Mac’s season would be winding up in a few weeks and the pressure was on to finish a quota of episodes. Jessica nailed up a small corkboard in the kitchen, and it was here that they left communication for one another, pinned up their schedules and tacked up reminders. Jessica began to miss talking with Mac, and one evening decided she’d do something about it.
She was up at 4:30 the next morning, baking croissants and brewing coffee. Brewed coffee was a luxury, she was coming to find out, and the smell of it and the rolls were not lost on Mac, now emerging from his room and dressed warmly for an early morning’s location shoot.
"Jessica? Is that you?" He laughed, shaking her hand in mock surprise that they did, in fact, still live under the same roof. "Oh, Jess, this is wonderful."
They chatted brightly while devouring the rolls and coffee.
"What are you up to today? Rehearsals?" he asked.
"No. I’ve demanded a day off. Rox and I are going to the beach."
"Lucky. Watch that you don’t get fried." He stuffed the last of a croissant into his mouth, then stood up. "I’ve got to tell you, this is working out so well, I’m selling my house and buying this one."
Jessie laughed. "I wish. The owner called last week, he’s sold the house and it’s in escrow."
Mac frowned. "No," he moaned. "Will you have to move?"
"Don’t know yet. They may keep it as a rental, and if so, they may keep me as a tenant."
Mac sighed and carried plates to the sink. "Gotta go, dear, I’m late for the office."
"Don’t forget your coat," she grabbed his jacket and followed him to the door to the garage. "Bye, dear." Walking back to her room to fall back into bed, she turned as he stuck his head back inside.
"Jess, thanks for breakfast." She waved him off and he was gone.
~ * ~
She was surprised upon entering the house that evening to find Mac again sitting at the kitchen table, script pages spread out in front of him.
"A little late for you to be up, isn’t it?"
"I got a problem with this scene, and we’re shooting it tomorrow. I’m not sure I should have opted to direct this one…How’s Roxie?"
"Okay…" She put down her things and went to look over his shoulder. He described the problem as she absently began massaging his neck. She responded immediately. "Have the girl wait on the roof while Doctor Jim goes down the chimney. That way she’ll be able to warn him when the bad guy comes, instead of being stuck in the chimney with him. And," she added, "your camera can then stay on the roof, looking down at you."
He thought it over. "You’re brilliant, and I’m brain dead, and don’t stop what you’re doing to my neck." He made a note, then put down his pencil and closed his eyes as her fingers pushed the tension from his muscles.
"I’m not surprised, after twenty hours. At least I went back to bed." She turned away from him and he sighed his disappointment comically.
Mac considered her as she took off her black leather jacket. "You’re sunburned. So what’s wrong with Roxie?"
"How did you know something was wrong?"
"Because you always say ‘great’ when I ask how she is. You didn’t this time." Mac opened the refrigerator. "Hungry?"
Jessica sighed and sat down. "No! I’m filled to the brim with popcorn, Junior Mints, Pepsi and Red Vines." She crossed her arms on the table and lay her head down.
"Ah, you went to the movies. You’ll be dead by morning." He poured them each a glass of sparkling water instead.
"Roxie’s breaking up with Zachary. He takes drugs, sleeps around and she’s worried about HIV."
"Sounds about right," Mac responded with disgust.
"I feel so awful for her, Mac. She’s so sweet, so worthy of someone nice. Why does the world have to be so messed up? So much pressure. Too much pressure. She shouldn’t have done it."
"Done what?" he asked, pausing to sip the water.
"Slept with him." Jessica looked at her hands.
"Aren’t you being a bit harsh? What did you expect her to do, play Scrabble with him instead?"
At that remark, she looked up at him in exasperation. "It shouldn’t be like that, Mac, women shouldn’t feel like they have to have sex in order to get a second date from a guy! It’s disgusting."
"I agree. But I also believe women, and men, have choices."
Jessica stared at him questioningly, but refrained from prodding him. His eyes told her his statement was not just an idle comment.
After a thoughtful pause, she calmed down. "We’re both going in for an AIDS test."
Mac looked alarmed. "Jessie, you don’t think--"
But before he could finish, she raised her hand. "Just to make her feel better."
He accepted her response. They sat in silence for several moments, each reflecting on their discussion.
Finally, Mac reached to the counter. "Here’s your mail."
She shuffled through the envelopes, then with a groan, selected one. Sure enough, it was a letter from the landlord. She would have to move out. She left it on the table and stood up. This was more than she could handle tonight.
<
br /> "Good night, Mac," she said softly, "you should go to bed." She walked to her room in despair.
Five
Departures
Rehearsals and filming continued in sporadic, make-shift spurts. Jessica felt some improvement in her skills, but she also knew that location shootings and time itself would change her perspective. She carefully put aside any thoughts and fears she had about facing Dane, hoping that time would also help her reorganize her feelings about him. She purposely avoided opportunities that might lead to an encounter.
Roxanne had made an abrupt exit from her relationship with Zachary, and the girls had both tested negative to the dreaded HIV test, a major relief to Roxie. Jessica made efforts to contact her friend more frequently, living up to her offer of helping Roxie through the despair of breaking up. Roxie, however, seemed happier than ever, free of the worries she had built up with Zachary as her lover.
At home, it had been five weeks since Mac had moved in, and things had settled into a comfortable, if haphazard, routine. They continued to leave notes for each other, and it became almost a game to leave something whimsical or witty for the other a couple of times a week.
Jessica stared at today’s note in wonderment.
Jessie,
Any chance you could come down to the set tomorrow at lunch?
If so, leave me a note & I’ll leave instructions. I’m going on location--we have to talk--Mac
She picked up the pack of sticky notes and carefully penned a reply.
Mac--Can do, should I bring food?--Jess
Late that night she found a reply:
Jess--No food, take this card to the front gate, they’ll direct
you to where I am. 12:00 or ?--Mac
It was a Wednesday morning. Jessica put the top down on the Mazda and drove to Castle Studios where Doctor Jim was being filmed. She had to smile to herself, remembering her first visit to the studio, her first encounter with the man she had mistaken as a production assistant. The gate guard pointed the way and she nodded.
"Wait until the red light is off, miss," he advised.
Jessie rolled her eyes. Was there anyone left in this city who didn’t know that a red light meant filming was in progress?
The light went off. She crept inside and silently joined the group of people on the dark side of the room. Her stomach tightened involuntarily when she caught sight of Mac, who was discussing the scene in progress with others involved. Highly animated, in make-up, she had never witnessed him at work before, and found it exciting.
Soon, the cameras were rolling. Jessica’s heartbeat picked up; she was thrilled to watch Mac in action. The scene was apparently in a living room, and Doctor Jim was confronting two rough looking characters with obviously sinister motives. There was a scuffle, and a bag of jewels was accidentally emptied on the floor. Jessie watched the action closely as they stopped and repeated the take several times. Each time, the jewels had to be retrieved and re-bagged. She could feel Mac’s frustration with the scene, for it was he that stopped the action, unsatisfied with the take. Near twelve, the director called lunch, and people began cleaning up and wandering away. Mac was still engrossed in conversation with a technician, but broke it off abruptly when he caught sight of Jessica waiting. He strode across the room toward her.
"Good to see you. C’mon." He led her quickly out of the sound stage and across an alley to another building, where Mac maintained a small apartment-style dressing room.
"Mac! This is cute!"
"My home away from home, away from home."
Jessica looked around, and noted all the amenities: small refrigerator, sink, microwave, bed, bathroom, dining and dressing tables; lots of photos of Megan; weights.
"You lift weights too?"
"When I’m bored. Let’s eat, I’m starved." He brought out a delectable salad from the fridge, a bag of rolls and sparkling cider.
"This looks great! Where did it come from?"
"The studio deli. They deliver." She walked around while he dished out the lunch.
"So. You’re leaving me?" she asked in mock humility.
"‘fraid so, darlin’," he responded in kind. She sat down and they consumed the lunch together, bringing each other up to date on their individual plans.
"When are you going?" she asked.
"Next Tuesday, the thirteenth."
"To the mountains somewhere?" she assumed.
"Not exactly." He swallowed, wiped his mouth with a napkin, then announced, "Berlin."
Jessica’s eyes widened. "Really? Gosh…" She hadn’t thought that he would be going so far. "How long?" she asked softly.
"A couple of weeks. And you’re off to the Caribbean?"
"Yes…Amande." She closed her eyes briefly. "It’s a tiny island, in the Grenadines. Amande is French for almond. They grow there, apparently. We’re leaving…the 26th, I think." At her response Mac reached to his dressing table for a piece of paper.
"Let’s see…my return trip is…February 27th." They stared at each other for a moment, then he folded the paper and tossed it back to the table.
"How long will you be gone?" he asked.
"A month, at least." her voice was almost a whisper. She cleared her throat. "A good part of the film happens on the island, you know…they say a lot depends on the weather."
Mac said nothing at first, slowly chewing his food. He seemed to be working something over in his mind. Finally he spoke. "Good salad, huh?"
"Yeah, it’s wonderful."
"When do we have to be out of the house?"
"Two weeks. Today’s the…" she looked around for a calendar.
"The 7th. We have six days." Soon his face cleared, and he spoke decisively. "Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do. Are you off on Sunday?"
"I’d better be."
"Okay. Sunday we move out, we have the house cleaned, you get your deposit back and it’s done. That way neither of us has to worry about it. How much of that stuff is yours?"
"Not too much…" she began, "your bed belongs to Roxie. I have my stereo, TV…the kitchen stuff is all mine…and my rolltop desk; but, I don’t understand, Mac. How can we move out?"
"Forgot to tell you. The house is being finished today. They’ll inspect tomorrow, and I should have a clean move-in permit by Friday. So…"
"Great! I’ll bet you’re excited to get back to it. I’d better call Roxie and ask her to clear out her guest room. Her brother’s been visiting, but I think he’s leaving tomorrow." Her mind raced to absorb what Mac was telling her.
"Well, if she doesn’t have room, we’ll just store the bed in my extra bedroom. Tell her not to go to any trouble for now."
"If he’s still there, I could sleep on her hide-a-bed." Jessie was still working through the details. Mac stopped eating and looked at her.
"No, you’re not getting it. You’ll stay at my house."
Jessica’s eyebrows shot up. "Huh?"
"Sure, just stay there until you leave. It’s only two weeks, and anyway, I need you to inspect the roof and test the faucets." He grinned at her. Now Jessica’s head was really spinning, but Mac was adamant. "It’s crazy to drive to North Hills and back every day, when I live so close to the studio."
"Gee…are you sure?"
"Don’t be silly. Of course I am. We’ll just move your stuff back with mine, and it can stay there while you’re on location. When you get back, if you come back, you can look for a place at your leisure. You’ll be making tons of money by then, and you’ll probably buy a big fancy mansion and two or three more Miatas."
This made her relax, and she laughed. "What do you mean, ‘if’ I come back?"
Mac glanced at the clock. Just then a heavy set woman burst into the room with several garments on hangers.
"Oh! So sorry Mr. Mac, I didn’t know you had company." She put her hand over her mouth.
"Ruby, no problem. This is my roommate, Jessica." Jessica marveled at the way he had introduced her. Was he really that casual with others about th
eir arrangement?
"Oh, how do you do, Miss Jesseeca. Here’s your wardrobe changes for today and tomorrow, Mr. Mac. Anything you need?" she asked while hanging the clothing in the closet.
"Naw, everything’s under control, Ruby. Thanks." With his dismissal, Ruby left the bungalow as quickly as she had arrived. Mac then signaled that lunch was over as he picked up their plates and put them into the sink. "You’re welcome to stay as long as you want. I have to get back early and make a change or two before we roll this afternoon."
They walked back to the set, and before he could become too involved with the on-going action, he turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"So, this will work out fine, right? Are you okay with the plan?"
Jessica nodded slowly.
"Good. I’m trying like hell to get Saturday off so I can take a closer look at the house." He motioned with his head toward the set. "But if things don’t straighten out with this scene…" He squeezed her shoulders then released her. "See you…sometime…" She smiled as he rushed off toward the set, calling out to several technicians for an impromptu meeting. Her time becoming more precious daily, Jess decided to go home and start cleaning out her closets.
~ * ~
Mac’s house was an authentic, "old Hollywood estate," and at first glance, it seemed right out of Sherwood Forest. Indeed, there was a veritable woodland of trees and shrubs, mature but well maintained, cradling the storybook abode, resplendent with fieldstone fireplace chimneys and ancient ivy tendrils claiming ownership of its exterior walls. Jessica’s breath had stopped short at the sight of the home as they drove Mac’s pickup over a deep carpet of leaves, twigs and gravel that Saturday evening.
The basic structure appeared to be a rambling, single story California ranch style frame. But the finished design had been painstakingly crafted to resemble an English country home, complete with cobblestone walks, exposed wooden beams, and a formal English garden near the entry, now overgrown with weeds and untended perennials. Jessica sighed, taking it all in. Off to the side and angled to the house was a garage, large enough for four vehicles and designed to look like an old carriage house; it was connected to the dwelling by a breezeway construction, through which one could walk to a small orchard, adjoining the backyard.
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