The End

Chapter 1: The Whole Summer

July 2014

The red light above the soundstage door illuminated the dark lot alley. A warm July breeze sent Ellen's fresh blowout swishing against her shoulders. The promise of the morning sun kissed the sky in the distance.

Ellen was undoubtedly exhausted but the first day adrenaline burned through her veins. Every nerve on high alert, waiting for the faintest sign of him. His name on crew walkies, the sound of his voice, the rush of his skin, the rumble of his extravagant car.

They had been, well, them, for as long as she could remember. Despite the marriages, and the babies, they somehow always stumbled back into each other's arms. She was the Katharine Hepburn to his Spencer Tracy. This was year eleven of their show. Year ten of their "relationship." She knew there was a more accurate word for it but she hated that word. It felt trashier than what they were. Their connection was somewhat indescribable. It had to be witnessed, experienced, to be understood. They fought hard, and they loved hard. They challenged each other.

In some ways, what they had here at work didn't affect their home life. At least  that was the truth they often settled on. Here, they were best friends, co-workers, partners in crime. What they did behind the locked door of their trailer was their business.

Unlike Hepburn and Tracy the truth of what they shared was kept as quiet as possible. So much so that they had been lying to themselves for years. Their intimacy a mere side effect of their deep friendship and chemistry.

They spent summers, evenings, and weekends apart. Never, not once, had they met at a hotel or crossed the line into home territory. They were extraordinarily careful and though many of their co-workers had their suspicions, they could never prove it.

Ellen tapped her foot against the pavement. To the world it looked like she was impatiently waiting to go through the sound stage door but beneath the surface, she was anxious to see him. The light turned off and then, "Thanks for waiting for me." He appeared behind her. His voice sending tingles down her spine.

"Please," She rolled her eyes and quickly settled into their flirty banter.

"That's it?" He smiled, "I don't see you for two months and not even a hug."

She could tell from his tone that crew members were passing by with open eyes and ears. Ellen giggled her signature laugh and leaned into him.

"God,  you smell good," he whispered in her ear as her body gave into him. She felt her breath shallow. The adrenaline continuing to build inside of her. Their chemistry bubbling hard against every seam. His hand traced her entire back as they separated. It hovered briefly along the top of her butt.

"Bad news," Alexis, a cute twenty-something crew member popped out from behind the sound stage door. "They pushed your scene an hour."

"Ah," Patrick feigned disappointment, "That's ok. I could stand to run my lines anyway. Elle?"

She knew him well enough to know the look in his eyes. His plans for them had nothing to do with running lines. "I guess," she kept up her cool act.

"Sounds good," Alexis nodded. "I'll grab you when you're needed."

Patrick put an arm around Ellen and turned her to the direction of the trailers. They picked up their pace a little. The dawn turning into blue skies before their eyes. "It's literally 6 in the morning," Ellen laughed.

"The whole summer Ellen," a sense of desire strong in his voice, "It's been the whole summer."

"Really? That long?" Ellen smiled as she made her way up the metal trailer stairs.