Role of a Lifetime
By: Kenneth Kirk
(© 2021 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

kkirk@tickiestories.us

Chapter 13

The cabins were beautiful.  Everyone was simultaneously tired and excited when we arrived at Clair Eagle Lake that evening.  We had time to get our room assignments and unload the car and SUV before we met in the main dining room.  Gianni produced a simple but tasty spaghetti and meatball dinner complete with antipasto salad and garlic bread within about 30 minutes of our arrival.  As we chowed down around the big table, I couldn’t help but notice how beautifully Italian our sexy chef is.

Over our savory meal, we all agreed we were going to enjoy this location shoot immensely.  Gianni ate with us, which he said was normally a taboo thing for a chef.  We insisted he take all his meals with us as much as he could.  He grinned and nodded in submission.

The cabin in the center was the largest of the three.  It had the expansive kitchen and dining room where we would take our meals and the biggest living room, where we would have all our general meetings and probably hang out a lot in our off hours.  David had the master bedroom upstairs with Tammy in a room down the hall where she will share a bath with Rita, the female sound tech.  Gianni was assigned to the one bedroom on the first floor nearest the kitchen.      

Brant got the master bedroom on the top floor of the cabin on the right.  I got the large “second” bedroom with bath on the other end of the house and Rachoud would have the downstairs bedroom.  Both our rooms had fantastic views of the lake and mountains outside.  The interior of the house was very pleasant and rustic, but was small compared with the center cabin.

The cabin on the left would house everyone else: Kenny, Max, Cole, and Valerie.  How David managed to find the cabins with the perfect number of bedrooms is a bit of a mystery, but it was truly a perfect fit for our group.

After dinner, I asked if anyone would like to stroll down to the edge of the lake.  Gianni said he would love to go on a different night, but tonight he had much to do to get organized so we could have a respectable breakfast in the morning.  David and Tammy were planning to organize our activities for the next day, so they begged off.  That left only Brant and me to do some simple exploring before we turned in for the night.  Tammy offered to help Gianni clean up the kitchen after dinner.

When we stood up to go, David said, “I’ll walk out with you while Tammy is helping Gianni.”

The front porch held a small settee, a side chair, and a couple of rockers.  I took the side chair, David took a rocker, and Brant took the other rocker.

“I just wanted to check in with you to see how you guys are feeling about the shoot.”

Brant tossed the ball to me. “Sky?”

“Oh David, I’m very excited.  My experience with location shoots has just been sites in the city, so coming to a gorgeous place like this for a dream job is, well, a dream come true, I guess.”

David smiled and turned toward Brant.

“I’m also excited about the whole shoot, David,” my co-star said.  “The lake looks beautiful and the accommodations are perfect.  Of course, I’m especially looking forward to the sex scenes.”

David grinned.  “So, are you…?”

“We’re committed to refraining from sex except on camera,” I pledged.

“I like hearing that.”

“But I do have a request, David,” Brant added.

“What’s that?”

“Could you, to the extent you can, be sure we have a sex scene every few days, so we don’t have a real long time without?”

David chuckled.  “I’ll see what I can do, guys.”

“That would help us keep our commitment without becoming grumpy and distracted,” Brant said.

“I have to agree, David,” I said.

“Okay.  I trust you and I will do what I can to make it easy.”  He stood and smiled down at us.  “Enjoy your walk and remember, please be on time for an 8:00 breakfast.”

Brant and I stood, too.  “Aye, aye, sir!” I saluted.

David chuckled and went back inside.

******* 

My friend, co-star, and, uhm, what-ever joined me for a breathtaking walk down to the shore, where there was a simple boat dock and not much else except a stellar view of the lake which was now black in the night.  Above us we could just make out the shapes of the mountains across the water and the trees on our side.  But the stars above us on this crystal-clear June evening were the best I’d ever seen, so incredible it looked more like a painting than reality.

“Wow!” I said simply.

“God’s masterpiece in the sky,” Brant intoned in a surprisingly awestruck voice.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Absolutely.  I feel washed by peace,” he said reverently.

“I know what you mean.  I want to see this every night all summer.”

“No reason we shouldn’t, babe.”

I loved it when he called me that.  It always took me by surprise.  I had to fight down the impulse to assume we might be becoming a couple.  It’s just for the shoot, my mind cautioned me.  Don’t get your hopes up.

We slipped our shoes off and plopped down at the end of the wooden pier, letting our feet dangle into the, ohmigawd, frigid water.  Simultaneously we cried out and pulled our feet back.

“Shit!” he said.

“Hell!” I said.

We laughed as we started rubbing our feet to warm them up again.

“I guess we just learned our first lesson on location,” I moaned.

“A butt-headed lesson if I do say so,” he grossed.

I giggled.  “I never heard that expression, Brant.”

“I’m proud of my extensive vocabulary.”

“You may have many hidden, uhm, characteristics that aren’t obvious to the naked eye.”

“Or the naked ear.”

I chuckled as I inspected the starry sky once again.

Brant lay back onto the wooden planks, so I did likewise.  That point of view brought the sky into predominance over the few trees near us.  Even without a clear view of the mountains, the night was magical and romantic to the max.  A gentle breeze blew across our bodies not so much to cool us but to caress us.  Spontaneously, we reached toward each other, clasping our hands when they touched.  We lay like this without speaking for several minutes.  I felt my spirit centering within this time and this place.  Inside I knew the next couple of months would be among the most important times of my life and I simply knew I didn’t need to force anything but just go along with the flow in my life.

“Ready to check out our cabin?”  Brant’s voice broke the silence and the spell, but it was good.

“I am,” I said, “assuming this majesty will still be here tomorrow night.”

“I think that’s a safe bet,” he said as he stood.  He offered me a hand as I rose, so I accepted his kindness with a small heart palpitation at his generous and nurturing spirit.

Slowly, we walked in peaceful silence to our cabin, hand in hand, enjoying the final moments in the brisk night air of our new home.

As we reached the porch, Brant stopped and turned me into him, planting a gentle kiss on my lips. 

“I’m thinking a beer or some wine would be the perfect ending to the day,” he said.  “What do you think?”

“Do you think we have any?”

“I’ll bet a top chef like Gianni Rosselini would be well stocked, at least with wine.”

“Hmm.  Maybe some nice white or pink.” I suggested.

He chuckled.  “I’ll see what I can score.”

I watched him as he walked across the 80 feet or so separating the two cabins.  At the door, he looked back at me and waved, then walked inside.

I visited my bathroom and went back downstairs to see if there were supplies to make coffee.  There was a pot and some sugar packets, but no coffee.  I’d remedy that tomorrow.

Brant returned with a nice Riesling.  We filled two wine glasses and placed the rest in the empty refrigerator after we turned it on.  We took our wine up to his balcony to enjoy the night view a bit more. 

“Praise Jesus!” Brant shouted and raised his glass in salute.

I laughed and heard the sound drift out over the water.  We sat down in the chairs placed facing the view.

“I ordered this just for you,” Brant said with a sacchriney sweetness.

Giggling, I responded, “It must have cost you your entire salary from Royal Sex Wars.”

“It did,” he chuckled, “but not the royalties.”

I loved our banter. 

Again we quietly held hands, content to soak up the spectacular ambience of the mountain night. 

After a while, I whispered, “I almost feel like we are the only people in the whole world.”

“We are, if only for this brief moment.”

“It’s a very beautiful moment.”

“It is, Sky.”  He paused before continuing, “You know from this moment forward whenever I see an amazing night like this, I will always remember sharing this one with you.  Your name will always remind me of this moment.”

What tender, loving words!  My resolve to not let myself fall for him felt as if it was about to shatter.  How could my heart resist such blatant romanticism?  Such sweetness?  Oh, God, he turns me on so much!

My boner had gotten so rigid it was hurting inside the confines of my briefs.  I adjusted its aim to decrease the pain, then crossed my legs to conceal it a bit better from his eyes.

We sat in near silence for nearly an hour, slowly sipping the excellent wine, sometimes holding hands for a few moments, sometimes squeezing, always soaking in some incredible calming vibe from this heavenly environment so unlike the hustle/bustle, noise, and fumes so prevalent in Los Angeles.  By the time we said goodnight and shared a sweet kiss, I felt positively renewed in mind, heart, and spirit.

To be continued...

Posted: 09/17/2021