Chapter 34
MICAH
Icalled wrap thirty minutes early. We had everything we needed. The footage was solid, the performances were stellar, and pushing the crew any further would just be cruel at this point. Everyone was exhausted, sunburned, and ready to get the hell off this beach.
But mostly, I did it for Grace.
I watched her walk back to her trailer with a dejected look despite the incredible work she’d just delivered.
She’d given me everything today. Dug deep into places I knew were painful and pulled out performances that were going to make audiences weep.
And she’d done it while the entire world was dissecting her personal life like she was some kind of specimen under a microscope.
It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair.
Her first big role kept getting overshadowed by who she was supposedly sleeping with. First Jack, now me. The woman couldn’t catch a break. People needed to get their own damn lives instead of obsessing over hers.
I made my rounds, thanking the department heads, checking in with Toby. The crew was already breaking down equipment. Everyone was so ready to get back to LA despite being in paradise. It was a little different when you were working and not sipping Mai Tais on the beach.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I ignored it. It buzzed again. And again.
I pulled it out and saw my father’s name flashing on the screen. Four missed calls in the last hour.
Great. Just what I needed.
I found a quiet spot behind one of the equipment trucks and answered before he could call again.
“Dad.”
“What the hell is going on over there?” His anger could be felt across the Pacific. “I’ve been fielding calls all day. Reporters asking me to comment on my son’s relationship with his lead actress. Do you have any idea how this looks?”
“I’m aware.”
“Are you? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you’ve lost your goddamn mind.” He paused, clearly reloading for another volley of insults and anger. “Is that why you chose her for the part?”
My jaw clenched. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Did you cast Grace Stone because you wanted to sleep with her?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“If I find out you’re using the old casting couch routine, I’ll disown you. I mean it, Micah. That kind of behavior destroys careers. It destroys lives. I didn’t raise you to be that kind of man.”
“I’m not that kind of man.” I kept my voice calm even though anger was coiling in my chest. “I cast Grace because she was the best actress who auditioned. Period. Whatever happened between us came later. After she’d already proven herself on set.”
“Be that as it may, I don’t like it.”
“Things just happened, Dad. We spent time together. We connected. She’s a nice girl. A talented actress. None of this was planned.”
“You’re still betraying the family. Have you forgotten who her father is? Gordon Sterling tried to destroy your mother’s career. He spread vicious lies about her. And now you’re involved with his daughter?”
“Grace isn’t Gordon.”
“How do you know? How do you know this isn’t some scheme she’s working with her father? Get close to the Blackwell kid, dig up dirt, use it against us?”
I actually laughed at that. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m deadly serious. You don’t know what that family is capable of.”
“I know Grace. I know who she is. She changed her name specifically to get away from her father’s shadow. She doesn’t want anything to do with whatever bullshit feud you have with Gordon Sterling. And neither do I.”
Silence on the other end. I could practically hear him processing, trying to find another angle of attack.
“Didn’t you and Mom meet on a movie set?” I asked.
He sputtered. “Well, yes, but?—”
“And you weren’t exactly uninvolved in the production, were you?”
“I wasn’t the director.”
“No, you ran the studio. Which is way worse.”
More silence. I could imagine his face, tomato red and the vein on the side of his head twitching. I’d made the man angry enough over the years to know that look very well.
“You’re making it sound sleazy,” he finally said.
“You’re doing the same thing with Grace and me.”
I heard him exhale heavily. The fight was going out of him, replaced by something that almost sounded like resignation. At the end of the day, my father knew me. He knew my character. I wasn’t some sleazy dude using my name and status to get a woman into bed. I didn’t need to.
“So you actually like this girl?”
“I do, actually.” I leaned against the truck, suddenly exhausted. “But all this bullshit might have wrecked things. She’s dealing with a lot right now. The press is tearing her apart. I don’t know where we stand after today.”
Dad was quiet for several seconds. “Finish shooting the picture.”
“What?”
“You heard me. You’re wrapping today, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then nail it. Focus on the work. Get the movie in the can.” He paused. “After that, you can figure out the rest. The girl, the publicity, all of it. But right now, you need to be a director first. Everything else comes second.”
It was good advice. Practical. The kind of advice my father excelled at when he wasn’t being a stubborn jackass about family feuds.
“I’m still not thrilled about you dating Gordon Sterling’s daughter,” he added. “But no matter what happens with the girl, you don’t want to get branded as problematic by dating your actors. That reputation sticks. It’ll follow you for the rest of your career.”
“I know.”
“Do you? Because right now, every casting director in Hollywood is going to think twice before sending their clients to audition for you. Every actress is going to wonder if you’re going to hit on her. That’s the reality you’re facing. You don’t want to get canceled before you get started.”
My stomach twisted. He wasn’t wrong. The optics were terrible, regardless of the truth.
“I’ll handle it.”
“See that you do.” He cleared his throat. “And, Micah? For what it’s worth, if she’s half as talented as you say she is, the work will speak for itself. Eventually. People have short memories in this town. Give them something new to talk about, and they’ll forget all about the scandal.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Don’t thank me. Just don’t screw up the movie.”
He hung up without saying goodbye. Classic.
I stood there staring at the ocean. Beautiful. Peaceful. Everything I wasn’t feeling right now. My father’s words kept echoing in my head. Figure out the rest later.
It was solid advice. The only advice that made sense right now. I couldn’t control what the press was saying. I couldn’t control what people on social media thought. I couldn’t even control whether Grace would still want anything to do with me after all this chaos.
But I could control the work. I could deliver the movie I’d promised the studio, the cast, and the crew.
Everything else would have to wait.
I found Toby near the production tent, his tablet clutched to his chest like a security blanket.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine. Just ready to wrap this thing.”
I wasn’t fine. But I would be. I had to be.
The vans were loading up, crew members filing into the seats. I scanned the crowd for Grace but didn’t see her. She’d probably already left, retreating to her hotel room to lick her wounds in private.
I wanted to go to her and promise her we’d get through it together, but I couldn’t. Not tonight. Tonight, she needed space. Time to process everything that had happened and decide for herself what she wanted.
“I think we’re done for the day,” Toby said. “I got that B-roll you wanted. I’m going to put the drone up and get some more. Anything specific you want me to look for?”
I thought about it. “Show me what you’ve got.”
The vans were pulling out. Toby and I often hung back, getting more footage without the crew and equipment.
The footage was stunning. Toby had captured shots of the coastline that looked like something out of a nature documentary—sweeping aerial views of the cliffs, the water crashing against volcanic rock, but the sunset backdrop was the money shot.
“This one’s my favorite,” Toby said, swiping to a new clip. “I was thinking we could use it for the behind-the-scenes package. Maybe the opening credits?”
“It’s beautiful,” I said. The kid had real talent. Under different circumstances, I would have been over the moon about what we’d captured today.
“You should be proud,” I told Toby. “Seriously. This is incredible work.”
His face lit up like I’d handed him a golden statue. “Thanks, man. This whole experience has been… I don’t even have words. Best job I’ve ever had. I have learned so much.”
I wished I could share his enthusiasm.
We packed up the drone equipment and caught the last van back to the hotel. I would have loved to go to my room, rather Grace’s room, but I couldn’t. I had the wrap party. It wasn’t something I could skip.
Every production ended with a party, a chance for the cast and crew to decompress and congratulate each other on surviving another shoot.
I had zero desire to celebrate.
“You going?” Toby asked, not needing to specify where.
“I have to.” Directors didn’t get to skip wrap parties. It would be noticed. Commented on. People would assume I was hiding because of the scandal, which would only make things worse.
“I’m definitely going.” He grinned. “There’s going to be a pig roast.”
Of course there was. Nothing said Hawaii wrap party like a pig roast.
I went to my room to shower and change, taking my time. The party didn’t officially start for another two hours, but I knew people would be trickling in early. The bar would already be open. The gossip would already be flowing.
I dressed in dark jeans and a casual button-down, the unofficial uniform for these kinds of events. I checked my reflection in the mirror and saw a man who looked about ten years older than he had at the start of this production.
The sunset terrace was already packed when I arrived.
Tiki torches lined the perimeter, their flames dancing in the evening breeze.
A live band was set up near the pool, playing something vaguely tropical.
The pig roast Toby had mentioned was indeed happening.
The smell of roasted meat filled the air.
I scanned the crowd for Grace.
She wasn’t there. Or if she was, I couldn’t find her in the sea of familiar faces.
“Micah!” Someone clapped me on the shoulder. I turned to find Rick, the stunt coordinator, grinning at me with a beer in hand. “Hell of a shoot, man. Hell of a shoot.”
“Thanks, Rick. Your team did incredible work.”
“That cliff sequence is going to be talked about for years. Mark my words.”
I smiled and nodded and said all the right things. This was my job now. I needed to circulate, accept congratulations, and make sure everyone felt appreciated.
I made my way to the bar and ordered a whiskey, neat. The bartender poured generously, probably recognizing me as someone who needed it. I took a long sip and kept scanning the crowd. Still no Grace.
“There he is!” Jack’s voice boomed across the terrace. I closed my eyes briefly, summoning patience, before turning to face him.
He was already halfway drunk, his arm slung around Chantilly’s shoulders, a tropical cocktail in his free hand. Something with an umbrella and a chunk of pineapple impaled on the rim of the glass.
“The man of the hour!” Jack continued, oblivious as always. “Micah Blackwell, everybody! Give it up for our fearless leader!”
A smattering of applause from nearby crew members. I forced a smile.
“Great party,” Jack said, steering himself and Chantilly toward me. “Really great. Love the pig thing. Very authentic.”
Chantilly’s eyes met mine over the rim of her champagne glass. Unlike her husband, she was perfectly aware of the awkwardness of this interaction. She knew exactly what she’d done when she’d told Jack about Grace and me. She knew he’d blab. She’d probably counted on it.
Smart enough to avoid me now, though. I saw her tug subtly on Jack’s arm, trying to redirect him.
“We should go say hi to Buzz,” she murmured.
“In a minute, babe.” Jack waved her off and stepped closer to me. “Micah, I gotta tell you, this has been one of the best shoots of my career. And I’ve had a lot of shoots. A lot. But this one? Special. Really special.”
“I appreciate that, Jack.”
“Jack! Now!” Chantilly pulled him away. If I got the chance to direct another film and Jack was attached, there would be rules about his wife being on set. No more. Never again.