by Young, Luke
They shared a chuckle. Natalie closed her eyes melting away to the fantasy that her costar was now sporting a sizeable chub in his shorts. It took everything she had not to pull it out and give him the relief he seemed to desperately need.
After the crew member left them, she whispered. “I promise I’ll stop touching it.”
“You probably should, it’s getting hard, I mean, difficult to concentrate.”
“I don’t know how you actors stay focused during these scenes. My head is spinning.”
“You’re doing great.” He frowned. “I wish I could say the same for the body you’re doubling for.”
“What?” Natalie asked, confused.
Paul reappeared. “Ready.”
She turned her attention to her secret director boyfriend. “Oh, Yes.”
After looking back to the camera man and sharing a nod, Paul said. “Action.”
It took three more takes before Paul was satisfied. Unfortunately Natalie found herself anything but. Feeling Chance’s level of commitment to the scene increase with every try, she felt like she wasn’t the only one who was about to explode.
When the lunch break was announced, Chance held his robe out in front of his shorts as he walked a little funny toward his dressing room. Natalie told Paul to meet her in her dressing room and when he did, she jumped on top of him in order to expel a tremendous amount of pent up energy.
Nine minutes later Paul and Natalie went to the craft service table for something to eat. Paul was called away and Natalie ended up eating with Chance. In the middle of their lunch, he asked if she would help him out by running lines with him in his dressing room. They took their plates with them and in between bites they worked on a scene. Afterward Chance told her she had a future in the business. Convinced that he was going to make a pass at her, she was a little disappointed when he did not. Although she was oddly relieved and not at all sure how she would have reacted. She was actually starting to fall for Paul and not only because he was a high powered Hollywood director, but because she found herself actually liking him. Something she didn’t plan, but was a pleasant bonus.
As the production resumed with Chance and Lindsey shooting a scene together, Natalie was no longer needed for the day. Paul had a driver return her to the hotel, where she spent the afternoon pouring over the script.
That night, Natalie thanked Paul for giving her the opportunity to get over this horrible event in her life. Actually, she thanked him twice, once in the limo when they returned from the restaurant and once more after they climbed into bed. At midnight, she curled up in his arms and sighed. “Paul, are you sure you’ll be able to get Jillian to be okay with this? I mean, she’s an executive producer and she could really—”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it. I have a meeting scheduled with her for first thing in the morning.”
23
At 7:05 a.m. Paul and Jillian sat down with their coffee at a table in Starbucks.
“Thanks for meeting me here,” Paul said. “I just didn’t want to do this on the set.”
“What’s going on? Is everything okay?” She asked with her concern growing.
“You weren’t on the set yesterday.”
“No, but I heard you had some excitement.”
“We did. Um, we have a new body double for Lindsey.”
“How is she? You think she can handle it?”
“Oh, she can handle it. She was great. Amazing, really.”
“Good.” After blowing on her cup, she took a tiny sip. “So what do we need to discuss?”
“Well, you know her, actually.”
“Who?”
“The body double. Her name is Natalie Fox.”
She narrowed her eyes, confused. “Doesn’t sound familiar.” She brought the cup to her lips once more.
“You might know her as, um… Natalie Brookhart.”
Caught mid sip, Jillian coughed, dribbled liquid out of her nose then choked, and blew coffee shrapnel all over Paul. Immediately they were the center of attention as those around them looked on in surprise.
He moved back from the table and looked down at his shirt, frowning.
Gasping, Jillian struggled to compose herself. “Did you say Brookhart?”
“Yeah.” He wiped his face and dabbed his shirt.
Noticing eyes still on them, she leaned over the table and whispered, “How is that possible?”
“She changed her name and I hired her for the job without realizing.”
“Okay, well, replace her.”
“Really?” Lifting his palms up, he sighed.
“Yes, you have to replace her. Just get someone else.”
“We already have the scenes shot and they were perfect.”
“I don’t care.” She folded her arms.
“Come on. It couldn’t be that bad could it?”
“You don’t know any of my history with her do you?”
“Not exactly, but is this really a big deal?”
“Huh… is this a big deal?” Putting her finger to her chin, she put on a calm controlled expression. “Um, well, let’s see… she tried to ruin my wedding, she… um, took me to court.” She widened her eyes. “Oh, yeah, she tried to have sex with my husband in the courthouse in the middle of the trial. So, um, I’d say that yeah, this is a big deal.”
Slumping back in his chair, he took a deep breath. “That was more than a year ago.”
“It was, but I don’t care if it was ten years ago.”
“Well, I think she really works well for this movie.”
“Hold on.” She shook her head. “We’re not talking about replacing Amanda or Chance or even a supporting role in the film. We’re talking about a body double. Just get another pair of tits with legs that can spread apart like this.” She held her arms out wide for effect and made a goofy face.
He sighed. “Just let me show you the dailies. I think you’ll—”
“Wait a second…” Her jaw dropped open and she scoffed. “You’re sleeping with her aren’t you?”
“Well, I, uh…”
She glared at him with disgust. “You’re having sex with her. I can’t believe this.”
“We are seeing each other, yes.” Closing his eyes, he exhaled.
“And when…” Speaking slowly, she gave him a condescending look. “…you gave her the job she didn’t happen to mention her, let’s call it, intimate knowledge of the project?”
“She had no idea that this was the movie I was working on.”
“Uh-huh.” She chuckled. “Wait… So, she took a job without knowing what it was called or what it was about. She just went in blindly?”
“Exactly. She was doing me a favor and we—”
“I’ll bet she was.” She rolled her eyes.
“You should have seen how devastated she was when she found out.”
“I’m sure,” she mumbled in a sarcastic tone.
“She was literally shaking. She didn’t think she could continue. She actually wanted to walk off the project.”
“Good, let her.”
He sighed, exhausted. “Look, Jillian, I convinced her to stay on. She wants to put this behind her and I think this is a good way for her to finally do that. This whole situation… the trial, the book and all the publicity has been causing her emotional distress for a long, long time.”
“Terrific! I’m glad.”
He closed his eyes, curled his lips together frowning. Then he took a deep breath before making two tight fists with his hands and placing them under his chin. “Look… Here she can finally stand up to it and come to terms with it and it seems like you are still harboring some feelings that may be—”
“Harboring feelings?” She chuckled, angrily. “I’m harboring feelings? Yeah, maybe just a little bit.”
“What I mean is maybe this is a great way for you to put this behind you as well.”
“I don’t need to put this behind me.”
“It sounds like you do.” He nodded confidently,
frowning.
“When exactly did you and miss flexibility start dating? Was it after the announcement that you were directing this movie?”
“It was after, but—”
“And you think it’s just a coincidence.”
“I do.”
She looked at him pointedly. “Where did you meet?”
“Um, it was a yoga class.”
“Yoga class.” She scoffed. “I’ll bet she came up to you and—”
“No, our mats were next to each other.”
“Uh-huh.”
He took a sip of coffee then looked at her offended. “So are you saying that a woman as attractive as she is, could not be interested in me unless she was after something?”
“No, but it wouldn’t be the first time an actress slept her way into a movie. And you don’t really know her do you? You don’t know what she’s capable of, but I do. She’s conniving, manipulative… she lies, she’s—”
“She was really young when all that happened and I believe there are two sides to every story.”
“Wait, back up a second. Exactly how did she replace the original girl?”
“Well Meghan got this amazing opportunity and had to take it.”
“Amazing opportunity. What Amazing opportunity?”
“With Playboy, she had to fly to L.A. to shoot a—”
“Playboy.” She broke into a chuckle. “Playboy.”
“Yeah, so.” He shrugged.
“I would think the Playmate of the year might have some really strong connections over at Playboy and could somehow arrange for an…” She made quote marks with her hands. “…amazing opportunity to present itself.”
“Oh, come on.” He sighed. “You’re being paranoid.”
“I want her off this movie.” She looked him directly in the eye.
“Listen, Jillian I chose to meet with you here as sort of a courtesy. Howard and Liz are in agreement with me that she’s working out.”
“Really, so my opinion doesn’t matter here?”
“It does, but we all want to make the best movie, right?”
“Right.” She sighed. “There isn’t anything I can say to get her off this movie, is there?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Okay, fine, I won’t say another word. I’ll stay away from the set on days she’s shooting. Just send me her schedule.”
“Okay, maybe that would be best. It’s only a couple days.”
“You want my advice…” Rising up from the table, she shook her head, looking at him, pointedly. “Start thinking with the brain you have up there a little more and stop listening to the one in your pants.” With that nugget dispensed, she turned on her heels and rushed out the door. Once outside, she pulled her phone from her purse, dialed her husband and told him every detail of the entire shocking development.
24
In the large soaking tub in their hotel suite, Natalie lifted her leg languidly from the bubble bath and placed her foot on Paul’s chest. He took hold of her heel and rubbed it sensually.
She sighed. “Oh, that feels incredible.”
Guiding it to his lips, he gave the bottom of her foot a kiss then took her pinky toe into his mouth and sucked it for a moment.
She pulled it away. “Stop that tickles.”
“I didn’t realize you were so ticklish.” He smiled.
“Well, I am.” She gave him a hesitant look. “So how do you think I’m doing?”
“Oh, you’re doing great,” he began sincerely then he smiled. “You’re a perfect roommate. You don’t hog the bathroom or mess it up. You’re a lot of fun and, um—”
“No, I mean on the set.” She tossed the loofa sponge at him.
“Oh, that…” Catching the sponge, he looked her in the eye. “Seriously, I think you’re fantastic. Amazing. You’re perfect.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “In fact, I’ve got some dailies to show you. Where did I put my iPad?” He scanned the large bathroom and spotted it on a chair near the tub. Leaning out of the tub, he grabbed a towel, dried his hands then stretched a bit further to pick up the tablet. “It’s really incredible.”
Slipping back into the water, he carefully held it up and navigated to the proper app. Together they watched as the fantasy sequence began with the nude body double raising her leg into the famously sexy position. The camera panned down her exquisite body and when the screen faded to black, he turned to look at her. “See.”
“That does look pretty good.”
“I think I just got hard watching that and so will every man in America.” He flashed her a sexy grin.
“Let’s see.” Sliding her hand into the bubbles, she took hold of his equipment. He gasped then the iPad slipped from his hands and into the water.
“Oh crap,” he said.
“Sorry.”
“No, it was my fault.”
Both rising to their knees, they blindly searched the bottom of the tub through the bubble-covered water.
“Found it.” Pulling it out dripping wet, she gave him a sympathetic smile.
He took hold of it, dried it with a towel and tried to get a response. “Well, I was going to get a new one anyway.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Really, don’t worry about it.” He placed it on the side of the tub. “But there is another problem you could help me with.”
“What’s that?”
He motioned with two head nods down to his lap.
She spotted his undying erection and smiled. “I think I can help you with that.”
She took hold of it with one hand and with the other cupped his soapy balls. After using her hands to wipe away the suds, she bent over and took him in her mouth.
His eyelids drifted closed and he placed his hands behind him on the edge of the tub for support. “Oh, Natalie.”
Reaching over with one hand, he gently massaged her breasts before sliding his fingers down between her thighs. She rose up and kissed him hard on the mouth.
He pulled back from her. “You want to take this to the bed?”
Smiling, she gave him nod.
25
Chance and Lindsey lounged in a single bed on the dorm room set; her fully clothed and him shirtless with his Adonis like body on display. Lindsey looked disinterested and Chance looked to be at the end of his rope. The Camera Assistant stepped in front of them with his clapboard. “The Leg Thing— scene eight take ten.”
Paul rolled his eyes and said in a tired voice, “Action.”
Natalie watched from the shadows as the two actors kissed. Chance moaned then pulled back from her placing his hands on the waistband of her jeans. Lindsey covered his hands with her own.
“God, you feel amazing,” Chance said.
“Oh, so do you,” Lindsey said in an excessively dramatic tone.
Chance seemed to fight the urge to roll his eyes at her delivery. “I’m so hot for you right now.”
“I can tell.” Breaking character, Lindsey pushed him off of her. “Ewwww… He’s totally hard.”
Paul yelled, “Cut.”
“What?” Chance moved from the bed, first glancing down to this groin then glaring at her. “I am not.”
“Well, it was hard.”
Paul stepped onto the set and sighed. “Lindsey, he doesn’t really look hard to me.”
“Are you calling me a liar? I think I know an erection when I feel one.”
“You’ve got to give her that.” Chance smiled. “From what I heard she does know erections.”
Most of the crew burst into laughter.
“Screw you pretty boy.” Lindsey scowled. “I don’t need to put up with this shit.”
“Hey, maybe if you could actually remember your lines we could have wrapped this up eight takes ago.”
Lindsey shot him an evil look. “You know… I saw that Nicholas Sparks movie you were in and it sucked.”
Chance looked to Paul utterly dumbfounded. “Okay. Yeah. Look, either
control miss headcase or, uh, we’re going to have a real problem here.”
“I’m the headcase. You’re the—”
“Shut up both of you!” Paul shook his hands violently then covered his face.
The two stars exchanged dirty looks.
After taking a deep breath, Paul sighed. “Why don’t we break for lunch?”
“Fine!” Lindsey stormed off toward her dressing room.
“Great,” Chance muttered.
The director and the young star shared a look and held back a laugh. “I swear dude I didn’t have a boner… Not even close. She doesn’t do it for me.”
“I believe you.”
“Hey, you got a minute? Can we talk in private?”
“Sure.”
Chance followed Paul to a small room used to review film and they took a seat. Chance cleared his throat. “Look, is it just me or does it seem like Lindsey doesn’t want to be here? Did she lose a bet or something?”
Paul chuckled. “Yeah, she’s, at the very least, off her game.”
“I heard she has a development deal with the studio and she needed one more project to wrap it up. I think she’s just phoning it in.”
“Huh… Really?”
“You know she’s done nudity before and what… she refused to do any of it for the movie, right?”
“Yeah.” Paul frowned.
“She just went full frontal in that Tarantino movie.”
“I didn’t know that.” Paul scoffed. “I couldn’t even get a nipple out of her.”
Chance moved to the edge of his seat. “Look, I think we should replace her.”
Paul nodded in agreement. “I’d love to get another actress for the part, but the studio wants her and she’s got a contract and we’re on a tight shooting schedule.”
“I think if you gave Lindsey a way out, she’d jump at it.”
“But that leaves us with a big problem. I mean, maybe I can shoot around her until we found someone, but—”
“What about Natalie?”
“Natalie?” Paul narrowed his eyes.
“Yeah, I’ve been running lines with her and she’s… there’s something about her. She’s got some talent… I mean, it’s a little raw but it’s there.”
Looking past Chance, Paul took a moment to think. “I can’t say I haven’t thought about her in the role, but I just never thought it would fly with you or the studio.”