Chapter 36 Surprises
Surprises
LANIE
“The dailies all came back great,” Leah said. “Honestly, it’s coming along well.”
“I am still able to sell myself as a brooding, straight earl?” Harrison joked.
“You read sexy as fuck,” Leah joked. “And Lanie, you’re good?”
“I am,” I said. “I’m ready for this scene.”
Today was another love scene. It was awkward.
I never practiced my lines and blocking in my head as much as I did in the makeup trailer before one of these days.
Love scenes took forever to shoot. The more accurate you were before in how you visualized it, the faster it went.
By now, Harrison and I had good rapport.
We trusted one another. Moreover, I had the added benefit of him never popping an accidental boner.
He was gay as a post. Also in my corner this time was the fact that I would not need to be coated in body makeup to make it through.
After my time in London with Baz, I ended up with some very large handprints on my ass.
The entire crew got to have a bit of a laugh at my expense.
Sam, of course, did not laugh. I didn’t know if that was Baz’s plan, but my black and blue butt cheeks had to be carefully covered between the bedspread, lighting, and body makeup.
If anyone thought our marriage of convenience was fake before, they weren’t doubting it now.
By now, they assumed Baz and I had the kinkiest marriage around. Which, to be fair, was mostly true.
“Okay, so, are we ready?” Leah looked at us as well as our intimacy coordinator.
She only saw nodding heads.
“Let’s do it,” I sighed.
“It will be great,” Harrison said.
The scene began with Harrison arriving unexpectedly in my bedroom.
I’d been sleeping, so I stirred. He dipped into bed, and we made out for an almost uncomfortable amount of time—far more than Baz and I ever would have.
In all honesty, Baz and I didn’t often kiss.
We got down to business. Harrison was not a bad stage kisser.
He was tender and kind, but we needed to really sell it.
We set some strong boundaries here. Thankfully, Leah was happy with everything and moved on.
We cut for a minute, readjusted, and moved onto the second part.
I started on bottom. Harrison gently rolled me onto my back, but I gained agency, flipping on top of him.
Normally, I’d lose myself at this moment and pull through it, but I struggled.
In front of me—with a handheld—was Sam. I was about to take my top off with him inches away from where we lay. It made my tummy flip in a nervous way.
“No,” I shook my head. “No.”
Harrison looked at me, nervously.
“Not you,” I rolled off to the side. “I’m… I’m not comfortable. It’s not anything you did.”
Harrison immediately helped me into my robe, concerned. Leah rushed over.
“What’s happened?” She whispered.
I climbed out of bed and rushed to the side. Our makeup person followed.
I paced, then said, “Why is there a handheld?”
“We’ve had the handheld before,” Leah said. “You didn’t—”
“I don’t like it now,” I said. “And it was from behind before. It’s right in my face as I’m about to take my nightdress off. I don’t want that. I’m not comfortable.”
“What if…” Leah said, “I switch with Sam? So the DP would be back there, and I’d be up here. Is that comfortable for you?”
I nodded. “That would work.”
“I am really sorry,” Leah said. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“I know. I should be a professional and just roll with it, but he’s right in front of me and it feels odd.”
We went back to where we began, our bodies diagonal on the bed.
We did the roll, then the flip. I took my nightgown off slowly.
Harrison pretended to be mesmerized by me.
I did not have to pretend to be self-conscious, as I was very much feeling this way.
I leaned into the shyness, pretending to gyrate against him.
Just as I thought we were selling it,” I heard “Cut!”
The assistant direct called it.
“What?” Leah looked over. Her approach to sets was very horizontal. She wasn’t offended by the call, just confused.
“You’re in our shot,” Sam laughed.
“Oh, shit,” Leah said. “Well, fuck.”
We reset, taking a minute so hair and makeup could deal with Harrison’s t-zone. The smell of the powder felt stronger than ever. And, as I settled back into place atop him, the powder remained strong smelling—to the point I felt it all around me.
I couldn’t handle it anymore. I felt as though I might puke. So, without thinking and without anything but a stringless G-string affixed to me, I rushed off to the side of the set and lost my breakfast on the floor about two feet away from a PA.
“Let’s take thirty,” Leah said.
I sensed frustration, but it was more worry.
Her tone went maternal, “Is anyone else feeling sick?”
Everyone stared at craft services. The set was closed—so we had a skeleton crew today. All I’d had was a croissant, jam, and an orange. I didn’t like to eat much on stressful shooting days.
“What’s wrong?” Harrison asked as someone cleaned up my puke. “Did I do something?”
I cringed, feeling terrible.
“The powder is really overpowering,” I said. “The smell. I think it just hung in the air.”
“Can we get a fan to air it out?” Leah called before turning back, worried. “Are you sure it’s not food poisoning?”
The more I thought about it, the less likely that was. No. As I did the math, the timing was ripe for the one thing you couldn’t catch or get from a bad thing of lox. I sensed soon, there would be no lox for me.
BAZ
Leaving Lanie became more difficult over time.
Normally, traveling pleased me—new places, new people.
Instead, I found myself wishing to be back in Wales with Lanie.
I cursed her schedule—and mine. We were too busy to enjoy one another.
I should have been grateful for the distraction.
She was my wife on paper, right? I promised her little else, but couldn’t bring myself to think about anything other than Lanie.
And the more I thought about how her ex was seeing her naked on set, the more it angered me. I should let it go.
I needed to get my head out of the clouds and back to the wonderful game we started.
We had fun. She’d been remarkably good at getting me off in the most deviant ways.
Now, Lanie left me wanting more than just a release or images for the spank bank.
I suddenly desired lazy mornings and late-night chats.
I didn’t do those things. This was a business arrangement.
It surprised me to receive an invite to the American state dinner at the last minute, but I figured that being newly married to an American heiress who was now in the “squad” of Her Majesty’s favorite niece earned one such accolade.
Usually, I’d ignore it. I’d instead do anything than engage in aristocratic bullshit but lacked that protection right now.
We were selling it. I agreed to take Lanie on her one break in however long.
“Sir, you asked for updates.” Jeremy stood at my door.
I nodded. “Yes?”
“Lady Osgoode has arrived back home, and the tiara is ready at Garrard. They have offered to send a courier to bring it by.”
“Have it delivered to her,” I said. “Let it be a surprise.”
“Very well, sir.”
“Thanks.”
Jeremy disappeared. I drummed my fingers on the desk.
I hoped Lanie would love this bit. The family tiara was available, so I asked to have it sent to me and have it cleaned for her.
Lanie was as beautiful as any woman to wear it.
If there was ever an occasion, it was now.
It would buy me a bit of goodwill. I hated to admit I loved spoiling Lanie.
Jeremy poked back in. “Do you want me to make dinner reservations somewhere?”
I shrugged. “You don’t need to.”
“You have the wife home for the first time in weeks, and you don’t want me to make a reservation?” Jeremy’s face—rife with judgement—said it all.
“Fine,” I said. “I will take her out.”
“Is it so difficult to treat her to dinner?”
It wasn’t, but it made everything feel genuine. The more I took her places to converse, the more I wanted to keep her to myself—for all the wrong, most complicated reasons.
“No. She’s fine,” I said. “Go ahead.”
He rolled his eyes, leaving me to my own devices.
I thought about plans all the way home—even after he landed a Hail Mary reservation at a Japanese place she’d find suitable.
How could I have it both ways? How could I manage to keep this woman I adored at arm’s length?
I needed to bring us back to how it all began.