Love in Focus

by Max Hudson

  When everyone was ready, August walked the cast and camera people through the scene to make sure everyone knew where they were going. There would be quite a few different shots because the characters were in different parts of the woods. As the light started to fade, August decided to cut the blocking short and shoot the sequences they needed first.

  “Are you sure about this?” Jared whispered in his ear as they hurried back to their starting points.

  “It’s either start now or pack it all in, and come back another night when we’re better prepared,” the director answered.

  Jared nodded and gave him a look that suggested he thought that was a great idea.

  “Look, you know we only have so much time,” August muttered, tugging at the waistcoat he’d donned that day. “If we don’t do it tonight, it means we’ll have to tack the scene on to another, already full day. Everyone will be tired; things will get sloppy. At least, today, everyone’s fresh and still on their toes.”

  “You’re the director,” Jared conceded, giving the man no indication whether he agreed or not, which made August slightly nervous.

  The sequence started with Jared and Margaret running into the woods, their characters trying to get away from the pursuing villain. As darkness falls, though, the two of them get separated, and the hero and the villain end up in a rather ridiculous and impractical shootout. Things went more smoothly than expected as they did the sunset scenes, but once all of the actors were separated, things became much more complicated. Margaret’s shots went fairly well, as all she really had to do was separate from Jared, spend a tiny amount of time trying to find him, and then stop at the base of a tree and hide as the shots started ringing out. The other two, on the other hand, had to run through a darkened wood they’d never been to before, trying to make sure to avoid one another, while firing prop guns. Most of their shots would be done separately, as part of the magic of Hollywood was that one wasn’t really chasing the other, except for one shot where the villain gets close enough to the hero that both are seen in the same shot.

  Lights were set up to illuminate the darkened wood enough for the camera to pick up the action and the audience to be able to see who was who, but not so much that the woods looked obviously floodlit. Jared put on his fedora, the one that August really loved, and went and stood by a tree.

  August shook his head. “No, we’re going to do Burt’s part first.” Burt was the villain, and was standing at a nearby tree, closer to the camera. August walked over to a confused looking Jared and said, “You’ve already got to this point, so since Burt’s chasing you, I need to shoot him getting to this point.”

  “Ah, gotcha. I’ll just go ahead and wait further down the line,” Jared said.

  August flashed him a smile and gave him a thumbs up. There was no greater victory for a director than having an actor understand what he wanted from them the first time around.

  Jared rolled his eyes, and then turned to traipse off into the darker part of the forest, shaking his head as he went. “Guess I’ll just wander off into the woods alone, in the dark, so Burt can have his moment. Wouldn’t want to spoil Burt’s moment.” He found a large tree that looked like it would be a good place for his character to stop and rest a moment, or perhaps turn and shoot, and he stopped, listening to the sounds of production behind him. There wasn’t really much to hear, other than August occasionally yelling “action” or “cut.” Either he’d walked farther than he thought, or sound didn’t carry very well in the forest. He could just make out the floodlights, shining his direction through the trees.

  After a few minutes, he began to grow impatient. “Oh, come on guys? How long could it take to shoot one guy running through a dark forest?” He was leaning against the tree, hoping he didn’t have to spend the night running through the same stretch of wood over and over, when the flood lights suddenly went out. Jared gasped, having not realized just how much light they were giving off. He gripped the tree as his eyes adjusted to the dark.

  “Hey! What’s going on over there?” he called out but there was no answer. He could hear other people yelling as well, and the crunching of frantic footsteps here and there, and figured they must have lost power to the lights. Suddenly, a different sound startled him, and something went crashing into the tree, splintering it. Jared ducked, realizing that what he’d heard was the sound of something flying toward him.

  “We can’t be doing the shooting scene in the dark, can we?” he called out again, but the only answer he got was another bullet hitting the tree. They seemed to be flying much faster and louder, and hitting with way too much force for blanks. This one splintered the tree right above his head, sending shards of wood into his face, and he cried out as one tore a gash in his cheek. “What the hell’s going on?” he screamed in frustration and pain.

  Footsteps came running toward him, and he stood up, preparing to defend himself, but as the figure came closer, he could see that it was August.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “What the hell is going on?” Jared growled.

  “I’m not quite sure. We lost the generator for some reason, but we’ll get the lights up soon, I’m sure. Everyone’s just...holding and passing out flashlights.” He handed one to the actor.

  “And what about the rest of it?” Jared asked, snatching the light from the director.

  “What?” August said with a frown.

  “This,” Jared growled again, and held his flashlight up to his face.

  August squeaked. “What happened?”

  Jared turned the light toward the tree, and the bullet holes that had splintered it. “I think someone’s been playing with the prop guns in the dark, and I’m not so sure your prop guns are prop guns.”

  August slowly walked up to the tree, his mouth agape at the holes in it. Then he quickly glanced back at Jared, and the bloody scratch on his cheek. The realization kept coming in waves, and he began shaking his head in shock.

  “Look, I’m all right,” Jared insisted.

  “Someone was shooting at you!” August hissed.

  “Yeah, well...”

  “I knew there was someone on that plane that shouldn’t have been there.”

  “We’ll get to the bottom of it, but maybe we should, you know, call it a night? I don’t think it’s safe out here, for any of us.”

  August nodded. “You’re right. You’re...absolutely right.”

  The small, white-haired man still looked shaken, so Jared put a hand on his shoulder as the two of them walked back toward the production site. He cleared his throat as they reached the cast and crew.

  August looked up from his daze and smiled, even though they probably couldn’t see it in the dark. “Everyone, I think we’re going to pack it in for the evening. It’s late, everyone’s getting tired, and we already have some really good footage for the day. Let’s pack up and head back to the hotel, shall we?”

  Everyone seemed just fine with that, and quickly packed away all the gear, while the actors went to change in the trailer. Luckily, there was still power in there.

  “What happened to your face?” Margaret asked as she walked by Jared and August. She almost sounded genuinely concerned.

  “Just a little accident in the dark,” Jared said casually.

  “Make-up is not going to like having to deal with that.”

  “She’s right,” August pointed out. “We should get that attended so it doesn’t get any worse than it already is.”

  “Well, I’m glad to see you worried about the make-up people,” Jared quipped, though the joke fell a little flat, especially once he saw August’s reaction.

  “Of course, I’m not worried about the make-up department. I’m worried about you, and...what could have happened.” Jared smiled, which only served to fluster him further. “What are you so happy about?”

  “You, being worried about me this time.”

  After Jared let the medic take a look at his face, he rode back to Bucharest with August. The
two of them were quiet over the hour-long drive, each thinking about what they could do to mitigate the ongoing crisis. Plus, though drivers generally kept what they heard to themselves, they didn’t want to risk the news getting out. So far, the rest of the cast and crew didn’t seem too disturbed by what they thought were regular production accidents. They even thought that The Poisoning had simply been something August ate. Not to mention, there was always the possibility that anyone, even August’s driver, could be involved in the sinister events plaguing their movie.

  Once they were at the hotel, the two of them went straight up to August’s room, not caring who saw or what rumor it might cause. August quickly through open the door, and then closed it behind them like they were being chased by someone. Now that they were in proper light again, he looked over Jared’s cut, quickly bruising face.

  “Well, I know what Jameson’s going to be worried about,” he grumbled.

  “Not being able to film because of my face?” Jared answered, pulling a couple of tiny bottles of liquor out of the mini fridge.

  August looked at them, bewildered.

  “We could have them bring up some real drinks from the bar.”

  “No, that’s fine. I don’t want to have anything to do with...” He waved his arm around, as if trying to take in everything that wasn’t his room.

  “I know what you mean,” Jared replied, and handed him a glass. “If only we could figure out how to jog your memory. You seem adamant that you recognized someone.”

  “I did.”

  “And that this person wasn’t supposed to be on the plane.”

  “They weren’t!”

  “Yes, but why? I mean, it’s one thing to recognize someone on a plane that you didn’t know was going to be there, it’s another to say that they’re not supposed to be there.”

  August nodded, understanding what Jared meant. “I can’t explain it. I just know that this person shouldn’t have been there.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I know,” August sighed and downed his drink in one fell swoop. He was shaking again, and could barely put his glass down on the hotel table without dropping it.

  “Doesn’t feel good, does it?” Jared pointed out. “Worrying about someone you love.”

  August’s gaze shot in his direction, his face a mask of surprise. He blushed as Jared came closer and took his shaking hands. “You love me?” he squeaked out.

  “You know I do. I always have. How could I not?” He leaned in, his kiss soft and warm this time, and felt August melt into his arms. He could feel the wetness of tears on his lover’s cheeks, and it made his throat tighten. He deepened his kiss, trying to make the director forget about the stresses of the night. Their tongues entwined, and he felt a small moan come up from August’s throat.

  He moved back after a while so they could catch their breaths, and he smiled gently. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.

  August nodded, a little too enthusiastically. “Mmhmm. I’m fine,” he answered but his voice was shaky. He frowned, feeling weak, and then finally sighed and shook his head. He felt like spilling everything he was feeling, but he found he didn’t know what to say. It was an unusual feeling for him, so he was grateful when Jared simply smiled and began unbuttoning his waistcoat.

  “Don’t worry about,” the actor purred. “You’ll be thinking about something else soon enough.”

  August chuckled nervously but as Jared deftly undid buttons and zippers, and then slipped his hands against his bare skin, he felt the weight begin to lift. His lover’s hands were soft and warm, and the heat made him shiver. As his hands moved to his back, and pushed off his pants and underwear in one smooth movement, August closed his eyes and let his head fall back.

  Jared pulled him closer, his hands roaming along the director’s ample backside. He gave the round cheeks a hard squeeze, causing August to chuckle. Jared growled playfully in his ear, and then rubbed up against his cock. Then he stepped back and stripped off his own clothes. He chuckled as his lover stared in happy anticipation at his hardened cock. He gave his hand a bit of a lick and then reached down to tease himself, never taking his eyes off of August. He smiled, mischievously, as a blush crossed the man’s cheeks, and then he slid his gaze down to watch the man’s own cock hardened with desire.

  He stepped closer again, reaching out to take August’s cock in his other hand. Then he leaned in to kiss the man again as he teased them both.

  August felt himself getting weak in the knees, and he wasn’t sure how long he was going to be able to hold himself up. He tried to kiss back as well as he could but all he wanted to do was throw his head back and thrust against his lover’s hand. Before he knew what was happening, he felt the back of his legs push up against the bed, then disappointment as Jared stopped what he was doing, and laid down.

  August gave him a pout. “I’m about ready to pop,” he complained. “I don’t think I could take going through...you know,” he said, waving a hand to indicate the slow, gently process of readying his body for entry.

  Jared grinned. “Come on then. We’ll just finished what we started.”

  August grinned back, a bright sunny smile, that filled his whole face, and then he practically hopped onto Jared’s lap. Once he’d got himself in a position that was comfortable for them both, they pushed together, and then his lover put his long, thin fingers around them both. Then he gave them both a good tug.

  August’s head dropped down, as a long moan escaped his lips. He buried a hand in Jared’s dark, thick hair, and the other grabbed for the bed’s headboard. He thrust his hips forward, feeling his cock slide against his lover’s and Jared’s skilled hand twisting and pulling. He moaned again, his voice getting higher, and his hips faster.

  Jared buried his head against his lover’s shoulder, using his free hand to grab August’s ass, and try to pull him even closer. He felt the man reach in between them and put his hand on top of his, pulling down harder and faster. He squeezed his eyes shut, and groaned out August’s name, his hips bucking up wildly, threatening to knock them off them bed. Finally, his back arched, and his head flew back, hitting the wall hard enough for him to see stars. He cried out, over and over, as he came between their hands. His hips lifted up, again and again, until he heard August’s high-pitched cry as well. He looked up to see his lover’s face in ecstasy, his mouth open and his eyes closed. He kept tugging and pulling as August’s hips kept thrusting, and he smiled when the man’s head finally fell forward.

  A little while later, when they’d basked in each other’s warmth for a while, Jared rolled over and put his chin on August’s shoulder.

  “Do you want me to stay this time?” he asked.

  August looked a bit nervous. “No one really knows we’re...you know.”

  Jared smirked. “I don’t see how they couldn’t. I seriously doubt there’s anyone left on this production that doesn’t know we’re a couple.”

  August blushed at the word and smiled sheepishly. “Still, it might be best to get some sleep. If you stay, we might end up...” He drifted off prudishly, and then giggled at Jared’s hungry look.

  “You’re right. It’s probably going to be a long day tomorrow, especially if you can’t remember who you saw. We’ll have to just soldier on because you know Jameson isn’t going to shut production down.”

  “No,” August agreed, the smile sliding from his face. He had no idea how he was supposed to keep these people safe. He watched as his lover got up and dressed, all the while wondering if he should simply tell everyone their suspicions or if it would even make a difference. They might not even believe the two of them. And if they did, and everyone up and quit without any real evidence of anything, he knew that he and Jared would probably never make another movie in Hollywood again.

  Even after his boyfriend left, August sat and stared at the door for a long time. He wondered why anyone would want to sabotage the project. They didn’t seem to be targeting anyone specifically, and though
the incidents could have proven deadly, none of them had. Someone was either very bad at what they were doing or very, very good. As he started to drift off to sleep, he tried thinking back to the plane. The entire trip was fuzzy, like a dream he couldn’t quite remember, but he tried as hard as he could to focus on the person in the seat near the bathroom. All he managed though, was to give himself a night full of bad dreams.

  Chapter Nine

  Early the next morning, August woke with a start. He’d had yet another dream, and felt more tired than he had when he went to sleep. He sat up, though, realizing with a gasp that something else had happened, he’d remembered something. He threw off the covers, and quickly dressed. Not even bothering to put on his shoes, he rushed to the door, and crossed the hall to Jared’s room. The hallway was quiet, but as he went to knock on the door, someone else came around the corner. He turned to see who it was, and his eyes widened.

  “You!” he hissed. Before he could say or do anything else, he felt a pinch in his neck, and a bag was thrown over his head. Blackness quickly came, and the last thing he was aware of was his knees buckling under him.

  A couple of hours later, Jared yawned and rolled out of bed. As he did so, he looked at the bedside clock, and frowned. They were supposed to be doing afternoon and evening shots again, but there was a lot to discuss, and then there was the drive out again. He was surprised that no one had been sent to wake him up yet, and a bit disappointed that August hadn’t done it himself. He quickly freshened up and dressed, alarm rising in him exponentially each moment that went by. When he finally threw open his hotel room door, he was surprised to see a small group of people across the hall, one of the crew members knocking on August’s door.