Take One

by Karen Kingsbury

  “Pretty big God.” Again Keith smiled. A couple of electricians from the set walked by and nodded in their direction. When they’d passed, Keith’s expression became more intense. “Here’s the deal. I don’t want to make even one movie unless the message at the core helps our culture find its way to daylight again. Back to truth.”

  Chase thought about the film they were making, The Last Letter. Jake Olson’s character was like a lot of college guys, given over to a wrong relationship with his girlfriend and drifting along in a shallow stream of activity without purpose or passion. He had no connection to family, no faith, and no reason to believe in his future. But after his father dies, he receives a letter advising him that he’s the last of the men in his family’s line, the last one who can restore a sense of character and godly principles for future generations. Chase had always seen the movie as good and wholesome.

  But until now, he hadn’t seen it as restoring truth. He took a long drink from his cider and studied his friend. “That’s why you’re so passionate about this one.”

  “Exactly.” Keith finished his coffee and stood. “I’m turning in. I need to call Lisa and give her the update. She’s been praying all day.”

  “You sure?” Chase laughed lightly. “Maybe she got distracted.”

  Another easy smile lifted Keith’s lips. “We found the salmon, didn’t we? And the new light came in from Indianapolis.”

  “Yeah. I guess.” Chase was tired of his cider. He pushed it toward the center of the table and crossed his arms. No point reminding Keith about the three scenes they didn’t shoot, or how far they’d fall behind tomorrow if they couldn’t keep up with the schedule. “Thanks for the talk.” Chase sat at the table with his cider, thinking about what Keith had said. They’d come through much to get where they were, and they’d done it all for one reason—to bring change to the current culture. Keith was right. God had seen them through dire situations in the past. He would see them through this.

  He was about to turn in when Rita Reynolds walked through the front door of the lobby, fixing her hair and pulling her sweater tight around her middle. She was headed for the elevator when she spotted him and stopped. Her expression became humble and apologetic, and for a few seconds she only stood there. Then she released her hold on her sweater and let it open to reveal a white tank top, tight against her middle. Chase crossed one leg over the other and nodded at her, same as he would to any of the cast or crew who might pass by.

  But clearly Rita had something to say. She came closer, pulled out the chair where Keith had been sitting, and lifted one eyebrow cautiously. “You got a minute?”

  “Sure.” Chase had no idea what she wanted to talk about, but here in the public lobby he had no reason to fear her intentions. After her earlier tirade, she was probably only checking on her breakfast order. “What’s on your mind?”

  “You, I guess. You and Keith.” She sat down and rested her forearms easily on the table between them. “I had no right blowing up this morning.” She made a face that suggested she was embarrassed by her actions. “Yes, I like salmon, but the scene I made? Really?” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m sorry, Chase. I was out of line.”

  Something in Rita’s tone kept Chase on his guard. She was volatile and difficult, just like they’d been warned. If this was a true apology, it would likely be followed by some other request, something she still wanted and hadn’t gotten. He remained unmoved except for a polite smile. “Apology accepted.”

  “Really?” In the shadows near the fireplace she looked younger than her thirty-seven years, more like a school girl seeking attention. “I felt bad all day.”

  “Let it go.” It hit Chase that he was sitting across the table talking to one of the country’s favorite movie stars. Rita was blonde and willowy with the ability to play a decade younger or older than her age—depending on the role. She’d won an Academy Award for supporting actress in her teens, and she’d raised the bar in every movie she’d been in since. Chase still wasn’t sure what she wanted. “Tomorrow’s a new day for all of us.”

  Rita tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her eyes searching his as if she was trying to see past his position as producer. “So who are you, Chase Ryan? You’re awfully young to be making movies.”

  “I’m more the director on this one.” He felt his guard drop a little. Maybe she only wanted to make small talk to repair the damage from earlier. “Keith and I are a team.” He gave a look that said he couldn’t be sure about anything. “We hope this is the first of many movies to come. Our dreams are pretty big.”

  She hesitated, and her eyes found the ring on his left hand. “You’re married, of course.” A grin eased the embarrassment that had colored her expression since she sat down. “The best looking ones always are.”

  It took Chase a few heartbeats to register what she’d said. Even then he figured she was still only looking to make a connection, trying to erase the impression she’d made at breakfast. “Making points, huh?” He laughed and leaned his head back, trying to read her intentions. On the handful of movies he and Keith had worked over the past few years, he’d been hit on here and there. He couldn’t tell about Rita.

  When he didn’t say anything else, she leaned a little closer across the table. “So tell me about Chase … what’s behind those deep brown eyes?”

  “You had it right.” He kept his tone easy, but he had no intention of letting her see past his professional exterior. “I’m happily married to Kelly. We have two little girls—Molly and Macy, four and two. Other than missing my family? I love God and my wife and the idea of making movies that pack a message.” He felt his smile cool some. “That’s about it.”

  “You know why I took this movie?” She seemed anxious to move on. “I mean, I get a lot of offers.”

  “I’m sure.” Chase was curious. They’d put the script out to twenty-some actresses, and all of them turned the part down because of the budget or because Keith and he were untested. Then one day when they were running out of time, a call came into their small office from Rita Reynolds’ agent. She wanted a shot at the lead role. At the time, the phone call and the interest from Rita was one more miracle allowing them to move forward with a movie that would hopefully wind up on the big screen. But they never really knew why Rita had sought them out. “Tell me why.”

  “I research the unknown people in this business. Through IMDB’s website and on a handful of blogs and chat groups I check up on.”

  Chase remembered the first time he saw their work on the Internet Movie Database, and the thrill that came with feeling like that made them legitimate producers. The warmth from the fire felt good and lent a slow pace to the conversation. “We didn’t have many credits.”

  “No, but I caught a few people agreeing that you and Keith could be the next big thing—a pair of producers with talent in directing that was fresh and cutting edge in the industry.” She’d backed off on the flirty eyes and body language. Now she seemed intent only on telling her story. “I got a hold of your direct-to-DVD movie—Finding Mercy. Watched it alone in my house one night, and you know what?”

  Chase raised his eyebrows subtly, waiting.

  “I was blown away. The quality and camera work, the music and acting. The direction.” She angled her head. “You couldn’t have had much of a budget, but one thing was clear. You and Keith hadn’t compromised on quality.” Her eyes sparkled. “I called my agent the next morning and asked him to find out what you were working on next.” She lifted her hands a few inches off the table and lowered them again. “Just like that, here I am.”

  “Well.” He gave a slight nod in her direction. “You did your homework.”

  “I get tired of working with the same people, hearing the same names.” Her eyes tried to find a deeper connection, and even when she didn’t find one she didn’t look away. “You and Keith are going places. I saw it in your work, and then today … watching you with the cast and crew. The two of you are different, somehow.” The emba
rrassed look flashed on her face again. “Even after my tirade.”

  Her compliment hit its mark. Especially after a day when they’d finished little more than half of what they intended to get done, and when their finances were so dire there was no guarantee they could finish the film. He clasped his hands and studied her, choosing his words carefully. He didn’t dare tell her how much he needed her kind words. Not when to say so would be an open invitation for whatever else she might have in mind. “I appreciate your feedback. Keith and I have big dreams.”

  “You’ll reach them. I can feel it.” Admiration filled her tone. “Three years from now, I have a feeling the whole world will know.” She reached out and patted his hand. “Just remember I told you first.”

  Chase almost couldn’t believe this was the same woman who had threatened to walk off the set earlier. He stood and smiled at her. “I’m expecting great things from you too.” He pushed in his chair. He allowed a hint of teasing in his voice. “Especially now that you’ll have your salmon every morning.”

  She fell in beside him as they walked to the elevators and waited when Chase pushed the button. “I’m not really tired.” Her smile seemed intentionally innocent-looking. “Do you want to watch a movie in my room? There’s a drama showing and I’d love your feedback.”

  “No thanks. Gotta call my wife and turn in.” Chase didn’t let his surprise show. She really was coming on to him, and if he didn’t have his faith, if he didn’t love his wife, then tonight he could make choices that would ruin him. He felt sick at the thought. They stepped into the elevator together. “What floor?”

  “Six.” She didn’t look disappointed, but almost humored.

  He pushed the six, and the four. Before he stepped off, she gave him a smile that left no guessing at her intentions. “Maybe some other night. We have four weeks to get to know each other.”

  “Goodbye, Rita.” Chase smiled, but his tone was cool and impersonal. “Thanks again for the apology.”

  “I enjoyed it.”

  The last thing he saw as the doors closed behind him was a smile that told him she believed one thing about their time together. He might not be willing to accept an invitation to her room tonight. But he would change his mind.

  Chase put the entire conversation out of his mind and hurried into his hotel room for the call to Kelly. They were using a video chat system, one that allowed them to talk through their laptop computers and see each other at the same time. Skyping, it was called. Almost as if they were looking through a window, or sitting across from each other.

  The call from Chase was supposed to come half an hour earlier, but the talk with Rita had sidetracked him. Even so, Kelly wasn’t angry. She didn’t even mention it. “I love this.” She must’ve been looking straight into the built-in camera at the top of her computer screen, because her eyes looked deep into his. She’d done herself up for the conversation. Her hair was curled, and she wore enough makeup that her green eyes looked gorgeous—even on his laptop screen.

  “You look beautiful.” He longed to reach out and touch her, feel her soft hair beneath his fingers and take her into his arms. “I wish you were here.”

  “Me too.” The intimacy between them was far stronger than it had been when he left. “The girls have been talking about this call all afternoon.” Kelly smiled. “We all miss you.” She stood and her orange sweater came into view. “I’ll get them. They’re upstairs.”

  Chase waited, glad that the offer from Rita hadn’t even been tempting. He and Kelly were doing better than ever, and this was the only way he wanted to spend his late nights. He couldn’t imagine living like so many in Hollywood, where every movie, every location, brought with it a different affair, a different set of people sneaking into each other’s hotel rooms.

  The squeal of his little girls’ voices sounded in the distance, followed by the staccato taps of their feet racing across the floor toward the computer. All at once their faces appeared, each of them vying for a better position as their voices ran together. “Hi, Daddy … love you, Daddy …”

  Again Chase’s heart ached that he couldn’t lift them up in his arms and swing them around, the way he would if he were there in person. A lump formed in his throat, but he found his voice anyway. “Hey, girls … you being good for Mommy?”

  “Yes, Daddy … yes.” Molly, the older of the two, pushed her way to the center of the screen. “I made you a card today. It has the best ballerina on it, Daddy. The best ever.”

  “Me too.” Macy wouldn’t be outdone. She might be only two, but she did everything in her power to keep up with her sister.

  “How did the movie go?” Molly blinked her big eyes. “We prayed for you.” She looked up at Kelly, who was almost entirely out of the picture. “Right, Mommy? We prayed, right?”

  “We did.” She tilted her face so that only her eyes joined the crowded picture. “Was it a good day?”

  “Very good.” Chase laughed at the picture they made, crowding in around the laptop. “I can’t wait to see your card, Molly.”

  “Yeah, me too.” She reached out and touched the screen. “I like seeing you, Daddy. I wish you could give hugs through this thing.”

  “I know, baby.” The ache in his heart spread. “Me too.”

  They talked a few more minutes, and then Kelly asked the girls to go back upstairs. “Bedtime in ten minutes,” she told them. “Brush your teeth, and I’ll be up in a little bit.”

  When the girls were gone, Kelly took her place in front of the screen once more. “Really, Chase? How was it?”

  He sighed, and in it he heard how worn out the day had left him. “Tough. Rita Reynolds needed salmon before she would work, and then a neighborhood cat chewed up our lighting wires.”

  “Salmon?” Kelly looked baffled. “For breakfast?”

  “Yep.” He ran his hand over his hair. “Supposed to be in her contract. Salmon every morning or she doesn’t work.”

  “Yuck.” Kelly laughed and wrinkled her nose at the same time. “Did you make your goal?”

  “Not even close.” He didn’t want to end the day worrying about the budget, but the reality remained. “We need to make up time tomorrow.”

  For an instant, worry darkened her eyes, but then she let it pass. “You will. The girls and I will keep praying.” Her smile was genuine and warm. This was where they’d struggled far too often, and Kelly seemed determined to be an encouragement now—however difficult day one had been. “You look tired.”

  “I am.” He considered telling her about the conversation with Rita, but he changed his mind. He wasn’t taken by her interest.

  No need to worry Kelly about it. “Listen, babe. I need some sleep. Let’s talk longer tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” Again if she was disappointed by the shorter call, she didn’t show it. “I’m proud of you, Chase. You’re doing what God wants you to do.” She reached out and put her fingers against the screen. “I can’t wait to see you in person.”

  “Me either. If we get on track, I wanna come home over the weekend—not this one, but maybe the next.”

  “Okay. Until then I’m here for you.” Her eyes looked shinier than before, and she blinked a few times. “I love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  The call ended and Chase shut down his laptop. As he brushed his teeth, he studied his look in the mirror and celebrated the great feeling of knowing he wasn’t open to compromise. Sure, he and Kelly had struggled at times. But they loved each other, and no movie shoot was going to change that. Not for him, and definitely not for Keith. They would show the world that a couple of married men could go on location for a month and not be swayed into having an affair. God had given them strength;Chase had felt it keenly in his earlier talk with Rita. He might not be sure about tomorrow’s film schedule, or whether they’d have enough money to complete the project. But no one was going to make him compromise the vows he’d made to Kelly.

  He was sure about that.

  Seven

&n
bsp; TWO HOURS INTO THE MORNING, KEITH was thrilled with how much ground they’d covered. Already they were a scene ahead of where he’d wanted to be at this time today, so maybe they really could make up lost time. This was why he hadn’t wanted Chase to worry last night. God knew how much money they had and how many days they could afford to be on location. All morning things had been going right, with Chase moving people in and out of the house and celebrating the quality of acting they were getting on only a few takes.

  Before arriving on set, Keith had placed a call to Ben Adams on the West Coast. Word around town was that the billionaire was looking to help fund movies with a moral message, and Keith had the feeling Ben was the answer to their problems. The trouble was, he and Chase weren’t on Ben’s radar, and though Keith had called the man four times in the past two weeks, there’d been no return call.

  “May I take a message?” Ben’s secretary sounded almost bored with the process. She probably took phone calls from a hundred would-be producers every day.

  “Yes, I’ve called before. My name’s Keith Ellison. I’m working with Chase Ryan, and the two of us are already on the set of a movie we’re making called The Last Letter. I think Mr. Adams would be interested in helping finance the film.”

  The secretary sounded a little more interested. “Mr. Adams is out of the country until the end of the month. I’ll give him the message.”

  Out of the country. Keith had worked to keep his frustration at bay. The one man who might help them wasn’t in town and so he couldn’t help if he wanted to. Keith was still thinking up ways to get word to him overseas, ways that the message might become urgent enough to pass along to Ben Adams regardless of where he was or what he was doing.

  Now it was a five-minute break and Keith was looking over his notes for the next few scenes when Rita Reynolds walked up. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, but the trees provided enough shade that she didn’t have on her sunglasses. “Hey,” she came up against his elbow and looked at the clipboard. “We’re making good time, huh?”