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 17

Our weekend off was a truly great time. 

David said he would have driven us all back for a weekend in L.A. had it not been for COVID.  “We can’t take 2 weeks for another quarantine before we come back together.  I’m afraid we’re stuck with each other in our own little bubble until filming is complete.”

“We completely understand,” Brant responded as the rest of us nodded or said, “Yeah.”

“This is a great substitute for a weekend in L.A.,” Cole said with a sideways glance and a smile aimed at Valerie.

He was quite right.  The boat was very comfortable.  The captain and first mate took care of all the details of sailing us peacefully around the lake and anchoring us in a beautiful cove when it was time for lunch.  We made sandwiches from Gianni’s supplies, but David forbade him from even making his own drink.  After a slow and relaxing lunch, the captain took us on a leisurely circuit down the lake (it’s about 15 miles in length). We went all the way to the dam and into some side coves and back. 

For our part, the 11 passengers lounged around, enjoying the calm lake and magnificent views, talking in small groups and even engaging in some board games.  A rousing game of Risk kept Kenny, Max, Rachoud, Tammy, and Rita screaming and yelling at one another for most of the afternoon.  Rachoud finally ruled the world from his headquarters in North Africa, which he selected because some of his ancestors came from that region.

Meanwhile David, Gianni, Brant, and I played a couple of games of Clue.  Of course, I wound up being Miss Scarlett, which I decried as type-casting, much to the amusement of Brant, who was Colonel Mustard.  Cole and Valerie eschewed the opportunity to hang with the rest of us, opting instead for some quiet time cuddling in a corner of the boat on a chaise lounge built for two.  I admit I was a little bit jealous.

Brant and I had decided we needed to spend our time focusing on getting better aquainted with the others since we are together a lot every day.  I couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous after our game when I noticed Brant and Gianni in a long, quiet conversation while dangling their feet over the side of the barge.

After the Risk game, Cole showed off his tats and his impressive abs as he decided to get some late afternoon sun before dinner.  Seeing the crew without all their normal clothing was quite interesting.  Even the girls were getting attention from everyone except Rachoud and me with their bikinis.

Eventually, the captain piloted us into a quiet cove on the east shore where we would have a great view of the sun as it dropped behind the mountains to the west of the lake.  David and Brant manned the grill while Tammy and Rita popped the potatoes into the oven to bake them and set about preparing a gigantic bowl of salad.  Lovely steaks and a few chicken breasts filled the grill to capacity.  In the minutes before the steaks were ready, Valerie slid a couple of loaves of garlic bread into the oven, too.

When it was all served up, we enjoyed a great dinner set off with our choice of some superb California Pinot Noir or a delicate Sauvignon Blanc to go with the chicken.  I had a glass of the red with dinner and then a glass of the white afterwards.  That’s backwards to recommendations, I think, but I didn’t care.  Both were excellent.  We all agreed the studio was taking great care of us.

As soon as he was finished with his dinner, the first mate, a mixed-race kid of 19 or 20, began quietly playing his guitar, which gave us yet another reason to be peaceful and relaxed.

The sunset was one of the most beautiful I had ever seen with a clear sky peppered with fluffy clouds that went through a kaliedoscope of colors for our enjoyment.  The mountains and the lake created a feeling of awe in everyone.  People who had been boisterous a few minutes earlier began speaking in hushed tones as everyone’s attention went to the spectacular natural show we were witnessing.

We were all glad Kenny had had the foresight to bring his camera.  He captured some beautiful footage that actually made it into the final cut of the film.

I leaned against the railing as I watched the sun begin to pass behind the craggy peaks to our west.  I was startled when a hand slipped quietly into mine.  Turning in that direction, I was treated to a look on Brant’s gorgeous face that was so naked and vulnerable my breath caught in my throat.  I swear it was a look of pure astonishment not in the unparalleled astronomical spectacle before us, but at…me.   If I didn’t know Brant is straight, I would think he had fallen in love with me.

Neither of us smiled.  We stared into each other’s eyes with a soft openness that completely unnerved me.  After several seconds, he squeezed my hand and slowly turned to look at the sun.  By the time I looked back, the sun was halfway hidden by the mountains and the bright orange on the underside of the clouds had morphed into a deep rust.  We only had about 2 minutes more of direct sunlight and we didn’t look at each other or speak except to oooh and ah at the sunset.  When it passed out of sight, several people began to applaud, so we disengaged our hands to join in the show of appreciation to Mother Nature.  I noticed that Cole and Valerie were standing together in a quiet, loving kiss, doing exactly what I wanted to be doing with Brant at that moment.

For the next hour, everyone was quietly chatting and sipping more wine as the first mate hauled anchor, the captain started the engines, and the party barge moved across the lake towards our little dock and our temporary home.  As the boat maneuvered up to the dock, I reflected on the day and decided it was one of the most relaxing and fun days of the past year, probably longer.  We thanked the boat crew profusely, gave each of them a couple of bottles of wine, collected our gear, and went ashore.  By the time we were up to the cabins, the boat had departed the dock on its way back to the marina.

Everyone was lost in serenity as we took our stuff back up to the cabins, cleaned up and put away the food and utensils we had taken with us.  Most of us were ready to wind down and take a little time for some solitude before bed.  Even Rachoud was subdued as he, Brant, and I walked the short way to our cabin.  We exchanged some warm hugs with him and said good-night before Brant and I headed upstairs to our separate rooms. 

At the top of the stairs, Brant producted a couple of frosty Amstel beers from his bag.  “Can we sit on my balcony for a little while and chat?” my studly co-star asked.

I smiled and patted his shoulder.  “Of course, babe.  Especially with an Amstel as an enticement.”

We settled into his two chairs and took in the night scene of mountains, forests, lake, and stars.

“What a beautiful day it has been,” I said appreciatively.

“Yes, indeed.”

We each took our initial sips of beer and he continued, “It’s been beautiful in the obvious visual way,” he said quietly, “but it’s also been beautiful in the great social interactions we’ve had.”

“Uhm-hmm,” I nodded as I enjoyed my contentment.

“I don’t think I’ve experienced this much of a sense of camaraderie on a set before.”  He smiled and reached for my hand.

Grasping his hand, I nodded.  “I haven’t been on many sets yet, but the feeling of connectedness and extreme support on David’s set has been phenomenal.”

“Yes, it has.  Especially when you consider the subject matter,” he noted.

“A fine group of non-bigots we seem to have here,” I agreed.

“David was very careful in his recruitment effort to point out that it would have a lot of gay sex and must be a very gay-positive film.”

“I had wondered because I haven’t felt for an instant any prejudice from anyone.  The guys even seem to get off in a way on our sex scenes, don’t they?”

Brant laughed.  “I think everyone else except for Rachoud is 100% straight, but, yeah, they seem to get a little turned on to what we do.”

“For the record,” I noted, “I think the Kinsey 1’s are a rare breed, especially among men.  But, that said, my gaydar doesn’t ping on anyone either.”  I thought now was a perfect opportunity to ask a question I’d long had about our director.  “So, Brant, do you know why David is so dedicated to doing this movie?  It seems a little out of his normal genre.”

“Yeah,” Brant nodded solemnly.  “He had a gay son.”

The way he said it was chilling.  “Had?”

“I don’t know the details, but when the kid was 14, I think, he experienced some terrible bullying and wound up taking an overdose of his mother’s sleeping pills.”

That news answered my question thoroughly, but it also brought such an immediate lump to my throat I couldn’t speak. 

Sensing my response, Brant squeezed my hand tightly and said, “It was horrible for David and his wife Lindsay.  She just about went off the deep end and David had to drop off his current project and take a year off.  I think they spent that entire year with Lindsay’s family in Edmonton.”

“Fu-uck,” I whispered as tears streamed down my face.  “I wish I had known his son.”

“Yes.  So, showing positive gay characters is David’s first priority now.”

“Is this his first project since…”

Brant nodded.   “It has to be a hit.”

“I think it will be.  Gay guys young and old will love it.”

“The ones in the closet and out?”

“Absolutely.  Maybe it’ll help some kids like him.”

We sat in silence for a minute or two.  I watched the sky and hoped I would someday meet this unfortunate boy when I get to Heaven.

“I wanted to talk to you about something else,” Brant said quietly.

“Of course.”

“Today was an eye-opener for me.”

“How so?”

“It was so romantic to be on the lake on such a beautiful day, especially to have dinner and then watch the sun go down while Ray played the guitar.”

“Ray.  I didn’t catch his name.  He was good.  And yes it was very romantic.”

“Uhm, Sky, it also affected my thinking a lot, helped me realize something very important.”

This was certainly an attention-getting statement.  I refused to let my mind go down the road it immediately went to.  “Go on,” I said quietly.

“When I saw you today, I kept seeing you as my … uh … boyfriend.”

“Wow, boyfriend.”  My heart almost stopped.

He grinned.  “I’ve never used those two words together before: my and boyfriend.”

“How do you feel when you say them together?”

“Good question.”  He thought for a moment.  “A little frightened.  Less confused.  Pretty peaceful.  Lucky.  Very excited.”

My tears returned, but not the sad ones from a few minutes ago.  These were happy tears mixed with a few tears stemming from my own fears.

“Honey.  Sky.  I’m falling in love with you.”

Holy fucking shit!

To be continued...

Posted: 10/01/2020