get kissed by me.”
“I was trying to be funny.”
“And, another thing. She’s my ex-girlfriend.”
Haven
Shit, did I piss him off? I couldn’t tell sometimes. I thought we were having fun with the anal joke. I had difficulty navigating boundaries with new people. Somewhere Harry, or Jake, or whoever he was, had stopped being a new person in my head. I’d forgotten myself. I certainly wasn’t asking to get kissed. Well, that wasn’t quite true, but I didn’t want it to happen because I’d offended him. And ex girlfriend? That was new information.
“Sorry—”
The crowd started mumbling. I pulled my eyes from Jake and focused on the crew. People were breaking for lunch. That meant my time to speak to Sandy was up. Phil came over and I hopped off my chair.
“Haven, sweetie, I think Sandy might be coming down with something. She’s not going to be able to do lunch. Mucho apologies.”
“He knows that was Italian not French right?” Jake said as Phil disappeared.
“Do you think she’s really sick?” I asked.
Jake shrugged. “Let’s go and get some lunch.”
When we came back to set an hour later, there were a few people milling about, but it was very quiet. “I wonder what’s going on,” I said to Jake. “Something seems off.”
“Let me go investigate.”
He strode toward one of the people I’d seen operating the camera. They chatted as if they were old friends. I watched as Jake charmed the pants off him. God, he was dangerous. My heart quickened as I thought about our kiss and how easily I’d given in to him, like he had some unseen power over me. It was frightening. I liked to be in control, to be able to predict what was going to happen next. My pants needed to stay firmly on. As he made his way back to me, Jake stopped and chatted to a number of other people, laughing and making them laugh. It seemed he was old friends with all of them.
“Sandy and the director are fighting apparently,” Jake said as he returned.
Phil came over to us, more red faced than usual. “I’m sorry guys. I don’t think there will be anything else happening today. I suggest you go and enjoy Paris.”
“Really?” I said. “What’s happened? Is Sandy upset? I thought she was having a hard time this morning.”
Phil pursed his lips. “I can’t say anything. There’s been a few creative differences.” He threw his hands up in the air. “I’ve said too much already. Please assure me I’m not on the record.”
I shook my head. “Your secret is safe with me.”
When Phil left, I turned to Jake. “Poor guy. Who’d have his job?”
“I think it sounds like fantastic news. Let’s do what he says and go and enjoy Paris.” Jake grinned.
“I can’t, this is a working day. I should go back to the hotel and catch up with some of the work I’m missing.”
“Over my dead body. You’re in this amazing city, Haven. Let your hair down. Literally and figuratively.”
I grinned at him. What was his obsession with my hair?
“I can’t. I have a million emails to send,” I said.
“No one will ever know. They think you’re on set. For me?” he asked.
I started to chew the inside of my cheek. I wanted to go with him but I really should be working.
“I’m going to take you to my favorite place in Paris,” he said, and I knew I had to go with him.
“So basically, you could have brought us anywhere in Paris, and you chose The Gates of Hell ?” I asked, glancing up at him. We had arrived at the Rodin Museum and we were staring up at one of his most famous works.
Jake threw his head back and belly laughed. “I suppose.”
I followed the sinewy bodies up and down, trying to make sense of the shapes as they merged into each other. “Is it a metaphor?” I asked.
“The door?” he asked.
“No, our trip here.”
“A metaphor for what?”
“For what’s next,” I replied. Were we at the start of something between us? Did he think it was going to be difficult? Was this a
“I was trying to be funny.”
“And, another thing. She’s my ex-girlfriend.”
Haven
Shit, did I piss him off? I couldn’t tell sometimes. I thought we were having fun with the anal joke. I had difficulty navigating boundaries with new people. Somewhere Harry, or Jake, or whoever he was, had stopped being a new person in my head. I’d forgotten myself. I certainly wasn’t asking to get kissed. Well, that wasn’t quite true, but I didn’t want it to happen because I’d offended him. And ex girlfriend? That was new information.
“Sorry—”
The crowd started mumbling. I pulled my eyes from Jake and focused on the crew. People were breaking for lunch. That meant my time to speak to Sandy was up. Phil came over and I hopped off my chair.
“Haven, sweetie, I think Sandy might be coming down with something. She’s not going to be able to do lunch. Mucho apologies.”
“He knows that was Italian not French right?” Jake said as Phil disappeared.
“Do you think she’s really sick?” I asked.
Jake shrugged. “Let’s go and get some lunch.”
When we came back to set an hour later, there were a few people milling about, but it was very quiet. “I wonder what’s going on,” I said to Jake. “Something seems off.”
“Let me go investigate.”
He strode toward one of the people I’d seen operating the camera. They chatted as if they were old friends. I watched as Jake charmed the pants off him. God, he was dangerous. My heart quickened as I thought about our kiss and how easily I’d given in to him, like he had some unseen power over me. It was frightening. I liked to be in control, to be able to predict what was going to happen next. My pants needed to stay firmly on. As he made his way back to me, Jake stopped and chatted to a number of other people, laughing and making them laugh. It seemed he was old friends with all of them.
“Sandy and the director are fighting apparently,” Jake said as he returned.
Phil came over to us, more red faced than usual. “I’m sorry guys. I don’t think there will be anything else happening today. I suggest you go and enjoy Paris.”
“Really?” I said. “What’s happened? Is Sandy upset? I thought she was having a hard time this morning.”
Phil pursed his lips. “I can’t say anything. There’s been a few creative differences.” He threw his hands up in the air. “I’ve said too much already. Please assure me I’m not on the record.”
I shook my head. “Your secret is safe with me.”
When Phil left, I turned to Jake. “Poor guy. Who’d have his job?”
“I think it sounds like fantastic news. Let’s do what he says and go and enjoy Paris.” Jake grinned.
“I can’t, this is a working day. I should go back to the hotel and catch up with some of the work I’m missing.”
“Over my dead body. You’re in this amazing city, Haven. Let your hair down. Literally and figuratively.”
I grinned at him. What was his obsession with my hair?
“I can’t. I have a million emails to send,” I said.
“No one will ever know. They think you’re on set. For me?” he asked.
I started to chew the inside of my cheek. I wanted to go with him but I really should be working.
“I’m going to take you to my favorite place in Paris,” he said, and I knew I had to go with him.
“So basically, you could have brought us anywhere in Paris, and you chose The Gates of Hell ?” I asked, glancing up at him. We had arrived at the Rodin Museum and we were staring up at one of his most famous works.
Jake threw his head back and belly laughed. “I suppose.”
I followed the sinewy bodies up and down, trying to make sense of the shapes as they merged into each other. “Is it a metaphor?” I asked.
“The door?” he asked.
“No, our trip here.”
“A metaphor for what?”
“For what’s next,” I replied. Were we at the start of something between us? Did he think it was going to be difficult? Was this a
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