Something Like Box Set

Chapter 4-1

Chapter 4

I hadn’t seen much of Lucas since he’d brought me home a few days before, and that was okay with me. We hadn’t been on set at the same time, but we’d passed each other as we went about our jobs. He didn’t acknowledge me further than a head tip in my direction, and I returned the gesture. I couldn’t be sure what had actually happened that night and what my compromised brain had made up.

I asked the cat, but Optimus had no answers.

It didn’t matter anyway. At least, that’s what I told myself. Lucas and I were coworkers, nothing more, and he obviously still had a problem with me. While I was sure he had been nice when he brought me home, it was probably just because I was out of it. I had to give him credit for that. He could have left me to my own devices. I would have thanked him, but he wasn’t interested in talking. I put Lucas out of my mind and focused on the job.

It was a closed set today. Just Dan and me and the necessary crew members. Today we were filming the big kiss, the first kiss, and they had closed the set to try to keep it from leaking out. It was the scene that would end the second episode, the cliffhanger that would cause an uproar. I thought there would be a lot of support for it, but I wasn’t so naïve that I didn’t think there’d be backlash. The conservative groups would go nuts. The media would be in a frenzy.

I was looking forward to the day when a kiss between two men on TV was the same as any other kiss. But it wasn’t that day yet.

Dan and I had spent the morning in rehearsals with Connie. We’d gotten the blocking down and worked on the kiss itself. It had taken a few times for Dan’s nerves to settle, but I thought he finally had it. My lips were swollen and a little chapped. At least I’d finally been able to shave off the beard I’d been growing, and neither of us had beard burn. We were ready to begin shooting.

Connie called for places and quiet. I lay down on the couch in the set for Geary’s apartment, propping my head up on the arm. My character had been whisked back to Frank’s apartment for his recovery. With no one at home to take care of him, Riley had agreed to let Frank do it. I liked that my character was still a little wary of Frank’s intentions. We were shooting a scene later in the week—though it would come before this one in the actual episode—where Riley explained he had a hard time trusting Frank’s seeming about-face. It really ramped up the drama of the season. I had always appreciated the way the show perfectly straddled the line between drama and police procedural.

A hush fell over the set. A PA came to stand before me with the clapper, called mark, and snapped it shut. She moved off. I tried not to fidget. Waiting for Connie to call action was always a tense moment for me, but I did my best to stay in my character’s headspace.

“Action.” Connie’s voice was unnaturally quiet.

The door to the apartment opened and shut. I blinked my eyes open and gave a soft smile at Dan.

“Hey,” I said, sounding sleepy.

“Hey there,” his voice was quiet and full of affection. “You look better.”

I nodded as I sat up. “I feel better. I’m sure when I go to the doctor, he’ll say he can take the stitches out. It doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”

“Good. That’s really good.” Dan crossed the floor, skirting around the table to sit next to me. His body was turned so the camera could see us both clearly. He lifted a hand to my face, his thumb gently stroking along my cheekbone.

I sucked in a small breath, keeping the motion shallow to show that a deep breath would hurt. “Frank?” I did my best to convey all the question and confusion my character felt.

“I told you things were going to change, Riley. I care about you.” His voice was quiet and filled with emotion. And then he leaned forward, kissing me gently. His lips moved against mine and I let myself fall into the kiss, reaching up to take hold of his wrist. He kept it soft, in deference to my character’s injuries, but it was still hot and filled with emotion.

“Cut!” Connie yelled, her voice sounding happy. Dan immediately pulled back, and I swayed toward him for just a second before I caught myself. I turned to look at Connie. She was grinning at us.

“Let me watch the playback, but I think we got it.” She focused her attention on the monitor in front of her.

I looked at Dan. He was grinning. “Guess all the rehearsal paid off,” he said playfully, giving me a gentle shove on the shoulder and then standing up. He headed for the small craft table and picked up a bottle of water.

I didn’t move, just in case Connie called for another take. Instead I sat back and waited, glancing around. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and then saw Lucas standing just off set. He wasn’t supposed to be here because he wasn’t in the scene. And the thunderous look on his face spoke volumes. Jesus, he was pissed. Was witnessing a kiss between two men really that horrible?

Disgust rose in my gut. I’d never heard even a whisper of a rumor that he was a homophobe, and I thought that the media would have pounced on it if it had been out there. But his actions and behavior—except for the night he took me home—said otherwise. What an asshole. If he had such a problem with it, he shouldn’t have shown up!

Dan wandered back over to me, opened his mouth, but then shut it when he saw my furious glare. He took in the scene, then sighed heavily and sat next to me. Lucas spun on his heel and stomped off.

“I’ll talk to him.” Dan’s voice was low and resigned.

“Don’t bother,” I snapped. Then I shook my head and released a breath. I didn’t need to take my anger out on Dan. “It’s not worth it. If he’s going to be a homophobic jackass, nothing you can say will change his mind.”

Dan blinked at me. “He’s not. A homophobe, I mean. He supports LGBT rights and Marriage Equality.”

That didn’t erase the scowl from my face. “Then what the f**k is his problem?”

“I don’t know,” Dan said slowly. “But whatever it is, it’s not that.”

Whatever I would have said next was cut off by Connie standing up. “This is good, guys. We’re done. Y’all were perfect. Let’s break for lunch and we’ll move on. Aaron, you’re done for the day.”

“Awesome,” I said, not really feeling it. I stood and left the set with little more than a wave to the people who were smiling at me. Anger still roiled in my gut and I just needed to get out of here. I couldn’t even be pleased with a job well done. Lucas f*****g Logan had ruined that.

I just made it to my dressing room and had barely gotten into my street clothes, when the door banged open with enough force to bounce off the wall. I gasped and turned, my heart pounding, to see Lucas breathing hard in the doorway. His face was set, his blue eyes stormy, and he looked angry beyond reason.

“What the f**k?” I growled.

He reached behind him and slammed to door closed. Then he stalked toward me, his motions jerky. I back peddled fast, but I had nowhere to go. I bumped into vanity and gripped the edge with one hand while I raised the other to ward him off. If I screamed, would security get to me before I was beaten too badly?

I opened my mouth to do just that, but then Lucas was on me, his big hands cradling my head. His lips came down on mine, hungry and biting. I sucked in a breath, shocked, and he thrust his tongue into my mouth.

This was no gentle, easy kiss. This was devouring need and pent-up lust in its truest form. It was an all-out sensual assault, lips and teeth and tongue. I succumbed to it, my own lust rising to meet his. Lucas readjusted his grip on my face, slanting our mouths together in a different way. It was raw and hard and full of s*x.

I was pretty sure I whimpered.

The sound broke through whatever was driving Lucas, and he suddenly pulled back. His eyes were glazed as he stared down at me, the pupils blown. He was breathing hard. And then, shock crossed his face, and I know I saw his cheeks turn red. There was surprise there and then something else. Revulsion maybe?

Lucas took a giant step back, his gaze fixed on mine. And then he turned tail and ran from the room.

What in the actual f**k?

I didn’t have an explanation. There was nothing I could come up with that would clarify what had just happened. Lucas had kissed me. No, kiss was too tame a word to describe it. I’d never been devoured like that—as if someone had needed me more than air.

Okay. I needed some perspective and I couldn’t get it here. I stood on shaky legs and gathered my things. I needed to get out of here.

Less than five minutes later, I was in the parking lot. There was not a hint of yellow to be seen, and that made me relieved. Lucas was gone. Good. I wasn’t in the mindset to listen to him try to justify his actions.