Love on Location

by September Roberts

  “You,” he said. In his mind, he was inside her while she kissed him with those luscious lips. Euphoria spread through his entire body when he came.

  He was already looking forward to work the next day.

  Chapter Four

  Alex woke when the first rays of sun crept over the horizon and pushed through her windows, surrounding her with dim light. Koko stirred next to her, her body vibrating as she stretched. Early September air spilled in through her open window, carrying the scent of rain with it. Alex rolled onto her stomach and peered out the window. Sure enough, water had carved tiny valleys in her sandy backyard.

  The morning was cool and her bedroom had developed a chill. Fall was approaching and the vast Utah desert seemed to sigh with relief. The end of summer was her favorite because of the spectacular monsoons that brought life back to the parched land. The potholes that dotted the rocky eastern trail had begun to fill in August and teemed with triops and fairy shrimp, in a rush to grow and mate before the water evaporated.

  Koko enjoyed walking in the wet sand after a stormy night, and wiggled with anticipation next to Alex. “Sorry, baby. I can’t take you out today; I need to be on the set.” With her face buried in her pillow, she groaned.

  A minute later, her phone rang. Jim’s anxious voice said, “It’s happening.”

  “The baby? Is Maggie in labor?” She wanted nothing more than to be with her friend but knew she couldn’t leave.

  “We’re at the hospital. I’ll call when I have news. I gotta go. The doctor just came in.” Jim’s words gushed out of his mouth.

  “Give her a hug. I’ll talk to you—”

  The line disconnected.

  “Later,” she finished. Koko looked up at her with an expectant face. “You’re going to be a big sister. I hope you’re ready. Come on, let’s go get Pelli; she’ll be staying with us for a few days.”

  Locking two rambunctious dogs in her house all day didn’t seem like the best plan, but she didn’t have much choice. The bin full of toys would have to keep them busy for the day.

  Alex’s mood didn’t improve when she found Blaze waiting for her at the edge of the overflow parking lot.

  “I’ve been waiting twenty minutes for you,” he said. A stupid smile tugged up the corners of his mouth.

  “It’s seven fifty-five. I’m five minutes early,” she snapped.

  “We can’t do anything without you on the set,” he said.

  “That’s right. It’s part of the contract I signed. I have to be here to make sure you don’t harm the park. I know how much you enjoy taunting birds.” That got the response she was after, but he looked even better when he was embarrassed. Life just wasn’t fair. She pulled her wet hair into a low ponytail and tugged her hat over her head, not because the sun bothered her, but because he did.

  “You have a weird attachment to this place.”

  She glared at him. “No, I don’t.” A snappy comeback got stuck in her throat and then her phone chimed in her back pocket, announcing the beginning of her workday. “Time to work. Are you coming?”

  He slid his hands down his bare chest. “Not yet.”

  Instead of slapping the smug, suggestive smile right off his face, she shook her head and walked away.

  All day long, she stood like a statue in the background; staying out of the way yet close enough to supervise every movement in and around her area of the set. No news about Maggie came, despite how many times she checked her phone. It was the perfect distraction from her anxious mind. Worrying about Maggie was much less stressful than worrying about screwing up without her. As the day wore on, it didn’t distract her enough. A guy holding a boom mic slipped and almost fell off a fifteen-foot cliff, making her heart nearly stop. In her first month at the park a tourist had fallen off a much bigger overhang, ignoring warning signs and trying to get the perfect selfie. Alex had never been afraid of heights before, but after she and Maggie found the woman’s mangled body, cliff edges made her nervous. After his close call, her shirt was saturated with sweat.

  Beth handled a large group of extras being outfitted in the costume trailer while Todd and Brandon watched over the stunt team practicing a fight sequence farther away.

  When everyone took a break for lunch, Alex lined up behind a group of extras, her mouth salivating when she got a whiff of the aroma coming from the makeshift restaurant. Blaze flirted with the women at the head of the line and she rolled her eyes. It was easy to assume he was the kind of guy who had sex with a different woman every night since he hit on anything with boobs.

  The woman ordered a sandwich with everything, and Blaze replied, “I like a woman who can take it all.”

  “Oh, Blaze,” she said, putting her hand on his chest.

  Alex’s stomach churned, but not out of hunger. “Pig,” she muttered.

  Blaze’s public display of disgusting behavior continued as he found a seat with the woman.

  With her sandwich tucked safely in one hand, she slipped through the crowd toward her house. After changing into a clean, sweat-free shirt, she let Koko and Pelli out for a bathroom break and sat in the shade of her house while she ate. The furry sisters sat patiently at her feet, waiting for their share of her lunch.

  With a few minutes of her break remaining, she walked back toward the set. En route she stopped at a cluster of weeds: Russian thistle, the bane of her existence.

  The sharp barbs on the stems dug into her fingers as she yanked them up, making her wince as the pile of weedy remains grew.

  “I thought we weren’t supposed to harm the park,” Blaze said.

  Alex tilted the brim of her hat up and found him leaning over her. She sighed. “This is an invasive species. Part of my job is monitoring invasives to make sure they don’t get out of hand.”

  “They’re not as important as stupid birds?” He sneered.

  “No.” Why wouldn’t he just go away? Instead, he stood there, looming over her while she worked. Eventually, her inner ranger took over and she began to explain the process while she gripped a spiny plant and tugged, grimacing as it bit into her palm. “The trick is, you have to grip it by the base and pull.”

  “Do you twist, too?” he asked.

  “Sometimes,” she started, preparing to launch into an explanation of how you have to get the whole plant, roots and all when she looked at him again. A stupid, sexy smile played at the corner of his mouth. “That may work on your fangirls, but it won’t work on me.”

  “What?” he asked innocently, his eyes sparkling.

  She stood, squared her shoulders, and squinted at him. “You know what.”

  “No need to get angry,” he teased.

  “Listen, buddy,” she said, poking his chest in the little section covered by his vest. “I’m trying to work. If you want to get laid, you could ask any one of those women.” She nodded toward the set. “They seem more than happy to oblige, but you need to leave me alone before I report you.”

  “You’re going to report me?” He puffed out his chest and stared down at her.

  “Just because you’re a movie star doesn’t give you the right to harass your coworkers.”

  “Coworker?” He let out a sharp laugh. “You work for us.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “We’re your bread and butter and you’re threatening me.”

  “I didn’t—” her reply got lodged in her throat.

  “Twice. You’ve threatened me twice.” His jaw tightened into a firm line before he turned and walked back to the set. After a few stunned seconds, she jogged after him but stopped short when she found him deep in conversation with his lackey, Nate.

  While Blaze spoke, Nate stared at Alex, his face impossible to read. Her heart sank. Why didn’t she tell someone about his comments? Now it would be her word against his.

  ****

  “Who does she think she is?” Blaze said. “Talking to me like that. You’d think she would be more careful. After what you said about the donation and letter and all that shit.”
/>   Nate nodded and glanced at Alex where she stood nearby.

  “She said she was going to report me,” Blaze said scornfully.

  “What would you like me to do about it?”

  “I don’t know. Take care of it.”

  “Okay.” Nate typed something into his phone. “By the way, the director wants to see you.”

  Blaze took a deep breath. Getting Alex out of his head was hard since she stood glaring at him a few feet away. Why was she so being difficult? That’s not how it was supposed to go. Teasing shouldn’t end with threats. What was he supposed to do? Stand there and take it?

  He made his way to Mr. Reid. “You asked to see me?”

  Mr. Reid looked over the top of his glasses. “You missed the meeting I called after lunch. Where were you?”

  “I took a walk,” he said.

  “Listen, we’ve been working together for months now. I know you’re a good kid, but you can’t miss any more meetings. What you do on your time is your business, but don’t waste mine. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir.” Blaze looked at his dusty boots. It felt like he had been sent to the principal’s office, half expecting his mom to show up so Mr. Reid could explain all the trouble he had been causing. But who needed a mom when Nate was standing there, waiting to remind him what a screw up he was?

  ****

  The earlier dread had solidified into a knot in Alex’s stomach. Disaster loomed around every corner, which left her exhausted. At the end of the day, she barely had the energy to drag herself off her couch to answer her land line. The number wasn’t one she recognized, but she answered anyway because it might be news from the hospital.

  “Miss Mitchell?” A harsh voice squawked through the phone.

  Her stomach lurched. “Mr. Howard, how can I help you?” She sat up straight and gripped the phone. He had never called her at home.

  “I received a complaint today.”

  “A complaint?” Alex asked, her hands shaking.

  “Yes. I received a call from,” his voice trailed off as he rifled through papers, “Blaze Johnson said you have been very difficult to work with.”

  “I can assure you I’m doing my job.” The meager dinner she had eaten earlier threatened to evacuate at any moment. “I… He…” It was too late to tell him about the sexual comments and the way he followed her around trying to get a rise out of her. Now it would seem like a distraction from Blaze’s complaints.

  “He said you threatened him.”

  “I threatened to fine him,” she replied quickly. “He was throwing rocks at a protected bird. My job is to protect the park and make sure no one gets injured.” That was the truth.

  Mr. Howard didn’t respond. The phone creaked in her hand as she strained to listen. He exhaled slowly before finally saying, “This needs to be a slam dunk, remember?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “The next time I hear from the crew it better be to schedule their next film. I have no intention of letting someone remain in their position if they can’t do their job. I’ve made that mistake before and I don’t intend to repeat it. Are we clear?”

  “Yes, sir,” she repeated in a whisper.

  “Good,” he said before disconnecting.

  When she dropped the phone, it clattered against the counter. Hot tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Koko and Pelli nudged her legs and whined.

  She sank to her knees and put her arms around the dogs, comforted for the moment knowing someone loved her, no matter what. They licked her face while she nuzzled Koko’s soft fur. “Thanks, girls. It’s been a shitty day. How am I going to survive the next twelve days? It doesn’t matter what I do. It’s never good enough. I’m never good enough.” A sob shook her body.

  On her first solo day, she had screwed up. Maggie shouldn’t have trusted her with such a large responsibility. Alex was supposed to charm the movie crew, but she ended up getting reported. The worst part was she would have to tell Maggie all about it…eventually.

  ****

  “Remember last winter in New York?” Blaze asked Travis, his stunt double. A bunch of the crew sat around sharing drinks and stories in the bar attached to the hotel. It doubled as a restaurant and had been the go-to destination for everyone involved in filming.

  Travis was among the crowd at the bar in the hotel that night. They had worked together for years. Good stunt doubles were hard to come by. Travis laughed and the rowdy group that filled the bar laughed with him. “When we raced on set and both ended up on our asses? That was a hell of a storm.”

  Blaze rubbed his butt. “It still hurts.” Tailbone bruises took forever to heal.

  “What about Seattle?” Travis said. “Earlier last year, we had been filming near an open market and during a break, we decided it would be fun to lend a hand at the fish shop.”

  “They made it look so easy,” Blaze added. “I smelled like halibut for days.”

  “What happened?” a woman asked as she leaned closer to Blaze. Before he could answer, Travis piped in.

  “Have you ever been?” Travis waited for the woman to respond with a shake of her head. “It’s a great place. Right on the water. There’s one of the most famous fish markets in the states. If you want something, they shout your order, get into position, and proceed to throw the fish back and forth. Blaze and I decide to give it a shot after watching for a few minutes.”

  “I duck into the middle,” Blaze said, taking over. All eyes swiveled toward him, everyone waiting for the rest of the story; everyone except Nate. Nate had heard it before and didn’t hide his boredom. Blaze ignored him. “Travis grabs this big ass halibut. It must’ve been fifteen pounds.”

  “A fifteen-pound slimy, cold torpedo,” Travis added.

  “Right.” Blaze put his hands up. “I shout, I’m open, and Travis throws.”

  Travis held his right hand up like he was about to throw an imaginary football. “I let go a little too early,” he admitted.

  “Bam,” Blaze shouts as he mimes getting hit on the chin. “Halibut to the face.”

  “Oh,” the woman said, worry creasing her forehead. “That must’ve hurt.”

  “Nah, just smelly.”

  Everyone laughed again. Nate yawned as Travis started a new story. Blaze didn’t have many friends, but he always had a good time with Travis. Shooting the shit with him had taken the edge off his humiliating encounter with Mr. Reid.

  Nate had overheard the whole thing and then lorded it over Blaze all day. Just like he always did. No matter how much he protested his agent wouldn’t fire Nate. Nate was a safeguard. A babysitter. That gave Nate power.

  Luckily, Blaze had discovered the key to distracting his guardian: women. And he was up to his eyeballs in women. Fans, coworkers, you name it. The only way he would be able to spend time alone was if he found someone to entertain Nate.

  While Travis recounted another adventure, Blaze leaned toward the woman sitting between him and Nate. “Have you met Nate?” he asked.

  She followed his line of sight and then shook her head. As much as he knew he would enjoy her company, he had a strict rule against dating in Hollywood. If his career had taught him anything, it was to keep his dick in his pants. Working with someone after a failed affair was always uncomfortable.

  “Nate and I went to Paris earlier this year,” Blaze said. Nate perked up at the mention of his name.

  “Really?” Her face brightened. “I’ve always wanted to go.”

  “Nate speaks French.”

  “I don’t, not really—” Nate began to protest.

  “He’s being modest,” Blaze added. “French is such a beautiful language, don’t you think?”

  The woman nodded and turned from Blaze to Nate and pushed her hand toward his. “Charlotte.”

  “Bonsoir, Charlotte,” Nate said in a thick accent and then he kissed the back of her hand.

  Charlotte swooned and Blaze congratulated himself. After another half hour, he would be as good as free. He jumped bac
k into the conversation with Travis, keeping a careful eye on the blooming romance to his left. Just as planned, Nate forgot all about Blaze.

  When he was sure the coast was clear, Blaze excused himself from the table and slipped away. Instead of going back to his room, he walked outside.

  With his hoodie pulled tight around his face, he followed the road down into town, walking into the first restaurant he found. He waited for the recognition, but none came, so he ordered and ate in peace. That was one good thing about being in a small town.

  It had been a while since he’d been able to infiltrate the public. Listening to conversations around him was a luxury. They talked about their kids, work, and everything in between. No one mentioned agents or publicists or rehab. No one talked to him besides his server, who only asked if he wanted a refill on his drink and how his meal tasted. Feeling like a regular person would change when he went back to work. In the spotlight, he was a star and no one let him forget that.

  Chapter Five

  Alex didn’t want to get out of bed. Work had never conjured dread like it did now. Nothing cheered her up—not a hot shower or either of the sweet dogs that greeted her. Maggie and Jim didn’t answer their phones, either.

  She lingered outside her house as long as possible before making the short journey to the set. Just like the day before, Blaze waited for her, but instead of giving him the confrontation he wanted, she stopped to talk to Travis, his stunt double, who was standing with the rest of the stunt team.

  Blaze strutted over and inserted himself into the conversation, and as soon as they started talking shop, she excused herself and got in position at the edge of the set. Before too much longer, the crew filtered in around her. The actors rehearsed their lines while the set decorators worked tirelessly to prepare for the long day of filming.

  An hour later, when Blaze sidled up next to her, she had to turn away. It was impossible to be nice to him, which was the most important part of her job. Mr. Howard wouldn’t let her forget that. Maggie had been wrong to trust her with so much responsibility.

  Before she said something she would regret, she walked toward Dana, who was on stunt duty for the day.