Part 1 (2/2)
”Yeah, I do. It's a two-month commitment at best, Addison. You know she has to be missing it.”
”Acting?” Addison asked for clarification.
”Yes, of course, acting!”
”Maybe,” Addison conceded. ”But, I don't think Em has any roles on her mind except being Mom right now.”
”Okay, but it's not like she won't still be Mom,” he pointed out the obvious. ”Strike while the iron's hot! If Sandra is on board for an Off Screen movie, then we've got a window that we...”
Addison held up her hand. ”I hear you.”
”So? Just talk to Emma. Jesus, Addison-think about it. You know, no one wanted to end the show when we did.”
Addison groaned. Off Screen had been at the height of its popularity two years ago. An unexpected car accident had left one of Emma's co-stars dead and the other facing an uncertain future. Addison let out a heavy sigh as the memories of that time flooded her mind. She looked back at Jeff and shook her head. ”Jeff,” she started cautiously. ”I hope no one has been pressuring Sandra about this.”
”You know me better than that,” he replied immediately.
”Yeah, I do. I don't have that same confidence in everyone else,” Addison explained.
”Look, Addison, I know that you and Bellson have had your issues over the years. Granted, the guy can be a serious pain in the a.s.s, but he's not heartless.”
Addison ma.s.saged her eyes in frustration. Don Bellson had been a thorn in her side over the years that she and Emma had filmed Off Screen. More than once, Addison had considered writing a crime thriller and making Bellson her victim. She snickered softly at the idea and shook her head. Jeff was right, Bellson did-much to Addison's great surprise-possess a conscience of some sort. That did not change the fact that Bellson was a business man to his core. He was less concerned about creative endeavor or personal conflict than he was with the bottom line of any production. She had little doubt that her old nemesis had put some amount of pressure on both Jeff and Sandra to agree to sign on to a movie. Off Screen had served as Sandra's first big break into film. She had become an overnight star playing opposite Emma. The bonus to working on the show had been the personal friends.h.i.+ps that developed among the cast and crew. The most surprising of which had been Sandra's romantic relations.h.i.+p with their male co-star Dan Starr. Shortly after the accident that had claimed Dan's life, Sandra had confessed to Emma that she was pregnant. Life was upside down in less than a heartbeat for everyone. Emma and Sandra remained close. Addison was certain that Sandra had not told Emma that she had any inclination toward taking on another major project. Addison also knew that Sandra was feeling a bit like a sail without a boat blowing in the wind. She was a single mom whose career had hit an abrupt and violent halt. Addison suspected that Sandra was likely looking for a tether.
”Tell me something.” Addison looked directly at her friend. ”How was this brought to Sandra's attention without my knowledge?”
Jeff frowned. ”It was an open-ended conversation, Addison. We had dinner a few weeks ago, and the topic came up.”
”The topic came up or you deliberately brought it up?” Addison questioned.
”Look...”
Addison shook her head. ”Jeff...”
”Come on, Addy. I saw Emma last week. My G.o.d, she spent over an hour reminiscing about the time we spent together on Found and Off Screen. She misses it. I could tell. Seriously, what is the harm in just talking to her? The worst she can say is no.”
Addison nodded. ”Let's hope so,” she thought.
”Hey,” Addison called into the kitchen as she closed the door behind her.
Emma turned and smiled. ”Hey, yourself,” she greeted her wife. ”How did it feel to be back in an office?” she teased Addison. Addison offered Emma an uncomfortable smile. ”That good?” Emma asked lightly. She opened her arms to Addison. Addison entered them willingly. ”Want to talk about it?” Emma asked.
”Not really,” Addison mumbled into Emma's neck. ”I can think of things I'd rather do,” she flirted.
”Is that so?” Emma playfully bantered. She pulled back from their embrace and kissed Addison tenderly. ”Missed me?”
”More than you know,” Addison replied. Emma grinned and let her lips trail over Addison's neck. Addison's eyelids fluttered and closed against Emma's sensual a.s.sault. ”Where's the munchkin?” Addison managed to ask through a ragged breath.
”Napping,” Emma replied as her hand slowly traversed the expanse of Addison's back. She lifted Addison's s.h.i.+rt and let her hands drift to Addison's hips and around to her stomach. As she felt Addison respond to her touch, Emma considered the reality that it had been far too long since they had engaged in an impromptu lovemaking session. She missed those moments with Addison. Life with a toddler seemed to quell their romantic playfulness measurably. Emma loved to seduce Addison without warning. She found her thoughts drifting to an encounter before Vicki had arrived in their lives in the very spot that they now stood.
”Em,” Addison sighed and pulled Emma closer. She desperately wanted to lose herself in Emma's touch. Emma had a unique way of being both commanding and tender at the same moment. Feeling Emma close was intoxicating, but it simultaneously sent Addison's thoughts spinning. She needed to talk to Emma. They had never kept secrets from each other, and she was certain that Emma would sense her tension. As if on cue, Emma pulled back from her explorations and looked at Addison with concern.
”Want to tell me what's going on up there?” Emma tapped lightly on Addison's forehead. Addison sighed heavily. ”Addy?” Emma urged gently. Addison pulled away to put some distance between them so that she could gather her thoughts. ”Something happen with Jeff today?” Emma inquired.
Addison nodded. ”He brought a new project to my attention. Something he and Bellson have been talking about,” Addison said. Emma waited. Addison took a deep breath and released it slowly. ”They want to revive Off Screen,” Addison told Emma. She watched as Emma leaned back against the kitchen counter and folded her arms across her chest. ”Start as a movie,” Addison clarified. ”Or a T.V. movie. A one-shot,” Addison explained. Emma made no response. Addison continued, sensing that she needed to dig herself out of a growing hole. ”I guess Jeff had lunch with Sandra and she expressed an interest in...”
”I see,” Emma said. ”He didn't react well when you told him about our plans?” Emma asked. Addison grimaced. Emma nodded. ”You didn't tell him about our plans.”
Addison tried to back pedal. ”I didn't know if you would want me to,” she said. Emma raised her eyebrow in challenge. ”Em, I wasn't sure you wanted everyone to know about...”
”About what, Addy? About us trying to have a baby? Why would I care if people knew that? We're not on a set anymore. I don't have any contractual obligations that I am aware of,” Emma replied.
”That's not what I mean, and you know it,” Addison slipped into defensive mode.
”I'm listening,” Emma said. ”I'm a.s.suming there is something more you wanted to tell me.”
”No... I just,” Addison fumbled. ”Jeff thought that since Sandra...”
Emma nodded knowingly. ”Jeff a.s.sumed that because Sandra is on board, I would consider signing on,” she guessed. Addison's soft sigh confirmed Emma's guess. ”I see,” Emma said. ”And, you thought you would-what? See if he was right?”
”Em, come on,” Addison tried to smooth things over. ”You do miss it.”
”What do I miss?”
”You miss working. You talk about Sandra and Dan all the time.”
”I miss a lot of things, Addison,” Emma said dryly.
”Emma, it's not as if this project would stop our plans,” Addison tried to reason with Emma. Emma lifted her brow again in obvious displeasure. ”You and I both know that it could take some time before we add another baby to this family,” Addison said. Emma made no response. ”If it gets the green light, it'd be fast tracked to filming. A year at most to release, start to finish.”
”I see.”
”Em, I'm not saying we should do it or not. But, if you wanted to do it... It would only mean putting things on hold temporarily.”
”I don't want to do it,” Emma said bluntly. Addison sighed. ”If you want to do it, Addison then be my guest. Write the best screenplay you can about Jack's life and give Sandra the spotlight. I am not on board. I thought we were on the same page about things.”
”We are,” Addison said.
Emma shook her head. ”Apparently not, if you actually thought I might say yes.”
”Em...”
Emma pushed away from the counter and started toward the living room.
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