Powering Through: A Sequel to Learning To Swim For Real

Chapter 11: Speaking Frankly

Jack had to go to class in the afternoon. "Sorry," he said to Kelsey, his arm around her waist.

"Great," she replied with a laugh. "I need you here, and you're off to carouse with the Three Skankiteers."

"The what? The who?" Marian asked, nearly spitting out her iced tea.

They were sitting in the bleachers, taking a union mandated break.

"Man, one of these days you're going to meet them and call them that to their faces," Jack foretold, shaking his head. "You're going to be so embarrassed, and I'm not going to be even a little bit sorry for you." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "And for the record, no carousing of any kind is going to be happening, I want you to know. It's all going to be note taking and answering questions about how laws and society changed after the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire."

He turned to Marian. "So I'll see you at six?" They were going to meet for dinner. Kelsey had to stay and film until well into the night, because they only had the venue for a limited number of days.

Marian nodded.

Jack took off, hopping lightly down the steps, balancing effortlessly on the balls of his feet, his athlete's reflexes propelling him to the bottom as if flying. He turned and waved before heading to his car.

Kelsey, who was sitting on the bleacher above Marian, watched uneasily as the other woman smiled and waved to the man she loved. Her smile seemed awfully broad, her wave very enthusiastic, to be giving to someone else's boyfriend. But maybe this was common in RW. RW stood for "Real World," and was something Kelsey frequently said in her head to remind herself that Hollywood and the craziness that surrounded it wasn't how most people lived.

Marian turned to Kelsey, her smile remaining in place. "He's such a nice guy. You're lucky, Kelsey."

Kelsey nodded. "I know," she said. "I didn't even know guys like him existed, you know? I've only been around show business types for so long."

Marian put a hand on Kelsey's knee. "When I said you were lucky, I didn't mean--I wasn't trying to imply--about last summer--I--"

Kelsey put her hand on top of Marian's. "I know," she said again. "It's okay. I know what you meant."

Someone called the break over the PA, and the two women rose to head back to the pool deck.

Kelsey got her cap on and jumped in the pool to get wet again before filming began. She reflected as she got out that it was a good thing she'd spent all those years modeling, if for no other reason than she was now nearly immune to how she looked to most other people. Part of being an actor was being willing to put yourself out there, being willing to go there, without shame or embarrassment.

Even after her assault, Kelsey was able to put aside her self-consciousness when it was time to work and lose herself in her part. It was only when she saw or felt Jack's eyes on her that she landed back in her body again, and considered how she looked to him as a woman, as a female creature with a curvy body.

"Lookin' good, Kels," one of the crew called as he walked by.

"Stop, Frank, you'll turn my head," she returned cheerfully, waving a dismissive hand at him.

****************

"So how was our girl?" Jack asked after they'd placed their orders. They were in a small Italian bistro on Sunset.

Marian took a sip of her wine and nodded. "She was doing great when I left," she said. "Starting to get a little pruney, maybe, from all the time she spent in the water, but otherwise okay."