Love on Location

by September Roberts

  “I need to stop having unrealistic expectations of people. I just can’t figure him out. One minute he’s nice and the next he’s a dick.”

  “With a capital D.”

  “Right.” Alex laughed. “I dreamt about him,” she added in a whisper.

  Maggie waggled her eyebrows. “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah, it was…interesting.” She was sure by the heat in her cheeks she had turned bright red. “I’m not sharing anything else, so tell me how you’ve been.” The admission had done the trick. Maggie didn’t press anymore about work, and Mr. Howard’s call didn’t come up.

  They talked about Henry for a while, but the later it got, the more difficult it became for Maggie to stifle her yawns. When her eyes began to droop, Alex said goodnight and headed for the door. Jim handed her a milk crate nearly full of beer bottles.

  “This is too—”

  Jim put his finger to his lips and shushed her. “You need to take it. It’s killing Maggie to have it around. It’s her favorite,” he whispered.

  “It really won’t keep?”

  He shrugged. “It’s better fresh. Besides, I’ll make her another batch when she can enjoy it.”

  “Thanks, Jim. Night.”

  “Goodnight.”

  A gentle chorus of crickets serenaded her and the waning moon illuminated the path between their houses. She inhaled the sharp scent of juniper and rain and vowed to put Blaze out of her mind.

  She ran into trouble that night when the vow-making part of her brain was overridden by the dream-making one.

  That time, she was the one waiting for him outside the saloon in an elaborate costume. He flew up the steps, not stopping until his face was inches away from hers. “This is for you,” he said, brushing her exposed chest with the delicate petals of a lily. When she took it from him, he kissed her and his hands migrated south, stopping only to navigate through the piles of fabric. He trailed his fingertips across the top of her stockings where he followed the taut elastic of the garter. She moaned and opened her legs, inviting him to keep going, which he did. He slid one long finger against her slit.

  “Come for me,” he said, his lips brushing hers as he pushed inside her in one fluid movement.

  She came hard, jerking awake with her hand buried between her legs. The residual pleasure washed over her and she sighed. “Damn it,” she ground out.

  ****

  As Friday afternoon approached, Alex realized she had almost survived her first week with the movie crew.

  Almost.

  It had been rocky in the beginning, but with each passing day, she had moments of confidence. Despite the pressure from Mr. Howard and her struggle to be kind to Blaze, she had lots of support. And with the first week coming to an end she wanted to celebrate.

  Alex surveyed the action sequence from a distance, watching the movement of the horses and the people.

  “What are you doing?” Blaze asked from behind her, entirely too close for her comfort.

  She wheeled around and faced him. “Why do you always sneak up on me?”

  The vest he wore opened when he shrugged, showing a little more skin than usual. “It’s easy. You’re always so focused.” In a pose that mirrored hers, he repeated, “So, what are you doing?” He seemed comfortable like he had been in town.

  “My job.”

  “Making sure no one harms the park. That sort of thing?” he asked without a hint of sarcasm. “I’ve never seen anyone take their job so seriously before. You manage to take care of everything and make it look effortless.”

  Trying to figure out if he was mocking her or not, she frowned. Was he complimenting her? If that was really how he felt, why had he filed a complaint with Mr. Howard? Now she really didn’t know what to think of him. All she could do was change the subject. She lifted her arm and pointed to a patch of shadowy earth around the base of the plants on either side of the arroyo where the horses trotted back and forth. “See that black stuff?”

  He squinted and nodded.

  “It’s cryptobiotic crust. It’s a living mat that prevents erosion and stabilizes the entire ecosystem. It takes centuries to grow. If one of those horses strays too far, or if one of those stunt guys takes a step up that slope, it could devastate the area.”

  “Did you tell Travis?” he asked, pointing to his stunt double.

  “Yes. I told them all, but I still need to be here watching, just in case. There are signs posted all over the place at the Visitor Center, but that doesn’t stop people from walking wherever they want.” It frustrated her to no end. “People are so entitled, you know?” A laugh erupted out of her. She expected outrage from the most entitled person she’d ever met.

  “What’s so funny?”

  She stared at him. Because he was so blissfully unaware, she wished she could educate him, just a little, about what a self-involved prick he was, but she couldn’t risk another call to Mr. Howard. It could cost her job. “Nothing.”

  “Do you live in Dembi?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “I never see you drive anywhere, except when I saw you in town a couple of days ago, so you either live close or leave for work really early.”

  “The park provides housing for all the rangers. We’re too far from the city.”

  “You get to live here?” His eyes widened.

  “Yep.”

  “I have to be honest. I didn’t think much of the desert when we landed at the Dembi airport, but it’s kind of growing on me.” He shielded his eyes as he took in the sights near and far, his face completely open.

  Alex looked at him closely, his sharp jawline covered with the perfect amount of scruff, the tiny scar on his eyebrow, and his beautiful blue eyes. As soon as he turned his attention back to her, she looked away. “It’s my favorite location so far.”

  “Do you move a lot?” he asked.

  “I guess.” Avoiding the climb up the federal jobs ladder meant moving to different locations, which meant never becoming too attached to any one place. “Do you live in California?” She leaned against a boulder, the cool rock helping diffuse a little of the heat that had crept up her back.

  He nodded. “It’s noisy and crowded.”

  “Must be beautiful, too,” she added as she looked across the desert and imagined trading junipers for palm trees.

  “I guess. Everything is so perfect and fake, just like the people. Not like here.”

  When she turned to look at him, he was staring at her so intently it made her fidget. A wisp of something tickled her forehead. She froze. “What? Do I have something on my face? Is it a spider?” Pushing away from the rock, she brushed her skin instinctively, her pulse pounding in her ears. “Widows love the desert.” She swiped at her face repeatedly before feeling satisfied that she wasn’t about to be bitten by a venomous spider. “There’s one that lives inside the frame of my front window. I’ve never been able to catch her. It makes me nervous since Koko is too curious for her own good.”

  “You have a black widow living at your house?”

  Alex nodded. “At least they stay off the ground. I can’t say the same for scorpions.”

  “Can’t you call an exterminator?”

  “To come spray poison in a state park?” she asked. “No. So I just keep an eye out and make sure they stay outside while I’m inside.”

  He shivered. “I don’t like spiders.”

  The idea of a macho movie star, rippling muscles and all, crouched on a chair screaming for help made her chuckle. “Looks like they’re finishing up for the day.” She motioned to the cast and crew as they started packing up.

  “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” He gave her one last smile. In that moment she actually believed he sought her out, maybe even enjoyed her company. Something along the lines of what Maggie had said. And then he rejoined the cast and just like that, he shifted to his usual noisy, obnoxious self, mentioning how boring that day’s shoot had been. He had obviously been using Alex to pass the time.

  It
made her hate him a little bit more.

  ****

  On Saturday afternoon, Alex stood in an area where she had at least one bar but could still see the set so she could keep a constant eye on the weather forecast—thundershowers moving in with a hundred percent chance of rain. Clouds rolled across the sky, bumping into each other as they blotted out the sun, but the film crew continued working anyway, much to her dismay. Steve, trying to reassure her, stated that the shots would be easier without the direct sun, that it was, in fact, a perfect day for shooting. She didn’t want to file another injury report; especially one where lightning killed someone.

  Travis and Blaze took turns on the same horse as they filmed parts that would be spliced together later, each with identical costumes and props. They laughed and joked around the whole time, engaged in a game of “anything you can do I can do better.” The villain in the movie, an actor named Jake, and his stunt double rode on another horse, but they didn’t seem to be having any fun. The fight sequence seemed choppy with carefully placed punches and perfect positioning of arms and legs. Nothing like the fluid scene she imagined. It was beyond her how the crew would turn fragments of dialogue and bits of movement into thrilling action.

  When the sky rumbled, the horses danced in place, but Steve and Mr. Reid needed a little longer. The clouds hung heavy overhead.

  Alex paced back and forth in her spot where she could see everything. She wanted to call it quits for the day, but that would mean going against the director and putting them even further behind schedule. Neither sounded appealing, so she waited.

  When the first drops fell, it was easy to make her decision. If the storm was bad enough, the riverbed could flood.

  “We need to be done for the day,” she called out as she approached the crew. Mr. Reid looked up from his seat behind the camera and reluctantly nodded in agreement.

  The call went out and people scurried in every direction, packing equipment and starting the trek back to the overflow parking lot. Everyone moved except Blaze and Travis, who continued to goof around despite the storm gaining momentum by the second. Travis stood on the back of the horse, balancing carefully on the saddle before dismounting. Blaze repeated his movements, perching on the rear end of the horse, but just as he was about to stand up, lightning streaked through the sky followed by a clap of thunder. The horse whinnied and surged forward, launching Blaze into the air. He fell, arms flailing, and landed hard on the dense sand.

  The wrangler rushed over and took control of the horses, leading them to the trailer.

  A group of people closed in on Blaze and backed away just as quickly. Alex joined them and discovered immediately what had happened. When the horse got spooked, it also voided its bowels, and as luck would have it, Blaze landed in the fresh pile of shit.

  Chapter Nine

  “Joe?” Alex hollered loud enough for her voice to travel over the storm.

  The wrangler stopped and looked back at her.

  “This waste needs to be cleaned up.”

  He nodded. “I’ll send Mark to take care of it while I get these girls taken care of.”

  The rain would make things messier, so when Blaze tried to get up, Alex stopped him. “Wait. Please. You’re shielding it with your body. If it gets wet, it’ll be that much harder to clean up.”

  He glared at her and his friends who couldn’t stifle their laughter. “You want me to hang out in horse shit until Mark gets here?”

  “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m asking.”

  “It’s still warm,” he growled.

  “Horses don’t digest all the seeds they eat. The last thing I need is an invasion of noxious weeds. Please?”

  He glowered but didn’t move.

  Mark arrived with a shovel a minute later and asked, “Where is it?”

  “Under me,” Blaze spat.

  “Good thinking keeping it covered.” He offered a hand to Blaze and when he got to his feet, Mark scraped Blaze’s clothes with the side of the shovel, smearing it into his vest and pants.

  “Glad I could help,” he mumbled.

  Alex supervised the cleanup while Blaze tried to keep his disgusting costume off his skin. They were the last ones to leave the set, and as they walked into the parking lot, only one van remained.

  The driver looked Blaze up and down and said, “No offense, but you smell like shit. You’re not getting on here like that.”

  “Javier is gone, so I can’t change. Do I have to walk back to town?” he said, throwing his hands up in the air.

  “I’ll take you,” Alex offered, not looking at him. The driver nodded, Mark got onboard, and they took off.

  The rain drummed against her hat as she started walking toward her house. “You did me a favor, now let me do one for you. Are you coming?”

  He grumbled but finally followed her.

  “You need to shower.”

  “I will as soon as I get back to the hotel.”

  “No, at my house. You’re not getting in my car without cleaning up first.” She turned down the walk and unlocked the front door. Koko came out to greet them, paying particular attention to the fresh scent coming from Blaze. “Get inside,” she said to her dog, but Blaze moved past her.

  “Not you. You reek. Koko get inside. Blaze get undressed.”

  “If you want to see me naked, just say so.” He smiled, exuding sex and confidence.

  It wasn’t easy, but she had to pretend his words didn’t shake her. “Give it a rest, cowboy. Hang on, I’ll go get you a robe or something.”

  “For what?”

  “To change into.”

  He shrugged and stepped out of his boots, dropping them against the house. Next came the vest, which he draped over the stone wall that lined the walkway. “Carol, the prop mistress, will kill me if these get ruined,” he said as he handed her his gun and holster.

  “Okay,” she said, her voice a little wobbly. When he peeled his skin-tight pants off and arranged them on the wall with his vest, her heart raced. He stood in front of her in boxer briefs that didn’t leave much to the imagination. The words written across the front read: #1 JOHNSON.

  “What? They’re from a fan.”

  “Your fans send you underwear?”

  “Among other things.” He grinned again. “Can I come in now? I’m getting cold.”

  “Sure. Yeah. Come on in.” She stepped inside, hung her hat on the doorknob, and scanned the living room quickly to make sure it wasn’t too messy. “Can I get you something to drink, coffee, tea, or—”

  “A beer would be great.”

  “I thought you said you were cold.”

  “A little.”

  Who was she kidding? A beer sounded amazing. “I’ll be right back.” In the kitchen, she pulled two summer ales out of the fridge, lingering long enough to cool her heated skin. When she returned to the front room, Blaze was squatting and talking to Koko. The light near the door made his skin glow and his face lit up when Koko licked him. “Here you go,” she said, opening it before handing it to him.

  “Thanks,” he replied as he stood. His muscular legs drew her attention to the curve of his perfect ass.

  Alex opened her beer, took a long draw, and gripped the bottle tight to keep her hands from shaking.

  “What is this? It doesn’t have a label.” He smacked his lips together. “Damn, that’s tasty.”

  “Summer ale. Jim is the brewmaster for the pub in town. I get to sample all the goods.”

  “Who’s Jim?”

  “Maggie’s husband. They just had a baby and this is Maggie’s favorite, so he asked me to take it home so it wouldn’t make her sad anymore.”

  “Score.” He clinked his bottle against hers and smiled before taking another drink. Even though she was beginning to sweat, he seemed completely at ease standing in her living room in only his underwear. He stretched from side to side and then rubbed his low back.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, a little sore, but nothing that
won’t heal on its own. I have an old injury.” He slid his hand down toward his ass. Her eyes followed.

  The thought of filing another injury report made her want to die. Were there always that many accidents during filming or was it because of her negligence? “Do you need to see the medic? I should’ve asked before. Sorry I didn’t. I’m new at this.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said and smiled. When he stepped toward her, the smell came with him.

  “The bathroom is down the hall,” she said, hoping he would take the hint.

  “Right. Can I take this in with me?” He motioned to the beer.

  “Sure. Follow me.” They walked down the hall, through her bedroom, and stopped in the bathroom doorway. Because she’d never had company before she didn’t even think about how weird it was that he would have to go through her room to use the shower. But it was too late to back out since he was standing right behind her, looking around. “There’s body wash and shampoo. I could get you a fresh bar of soap if you want.”

  When he slid past her their bodies were inches apart. “I’ll use whatever is in there. I’m not picky.” He put the beer down on the sink and then hooked his thumbs over the waistband of his boxer briefs. “Are you going to join me, or…”

  “Sorry.” She squeezed her eyes shut and backed out of the room, closing the bathroom door behind her. The water turned on and she sighed. “Shit. I forgot to get him a fresh towel.”

  After a quick trip to the linen closet, she knocked on the bathroom door. “Blaze?”

  “Yeah?” he called, his voice wet and warm.

  “I’m putting a towel on the sink for you, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  With the door cracked just enough for her to reach inside, she averted her eyes from the shower since the curtain wasn’t closed all the way. “Here’s your towel,” she mumbled. The mirror hadn’t fogged over yet so as she put the towel on the sink, she got a spectacular view of his ass. It was better than her dreams. “Damn,” she whispered.

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” she said and then she ran, slamming her bedroom door behind her. Under no circumstances should she go back in there. It was far too dangerous. Maybe she should’ve locked it, too. She took a swig from her beer and then put it down. If she was going to take him to town, she shouldn’t drink anymore. The bottle was more than half full and would keep until she got home.