"Oh," Jeannine blinked a few times, a teasing glint quickly replacing her surprise. "You should have told me we were skinny dipping. And here I went through the trouble of changing into my bathing suit."
"I'm so sorry, Jean," I said. "It's just that, during my last film, I used to skinny dip a lot in the ocean. I got used to the freedom of it. And since no one else was coming…"
I stopped mid-sentence as she pulled off her bikini top and threw it directly into my face. I hurriedly pulled the damp fabric away, but my view was already spoiled. She was neck-deep in the water, her bikini bottoms a small, discarded pile on the shore, just beside my own set of clothes.
"You are such a tease," I joked, tossing her top to land near the rest of her pile.
She shrugged, the movement causing small ripples in the dark water. "I thought if we are to film a sex scene together, we should not be too shy to show each other a little skin, right?"
"Sure?" I half-asked. "By that logic, you should have invited the other girls as well, since I will be doing those scenes with them, too."
"Yeah, but I don't care about the others' scenes," Jeannine said, as a matter of fact. "I will have left the set long before that. I just want my scenes to be perfect."
I snorted. "Spoken like a true actress."
Jeannine placed a hand on my chest and pushed me back lightly. The contact was warm against my cool skin. "So, care for a race? I should warn you, I am a good swimmer. I could beat your ass any day."
I resisted the urge to laugh at the challenge. I hadn't told anyone here about my swimming abilities, so I wasn't surprised that Jeannine didn't know. Keeping a straight face, I asked, "Alright. What's the wager?"
She thought about it for a second before swimming closer. The water lapped softly between us. "How about this: the loser has to do whatever the winner wants. It could be anything, including something naughty."
She placed a finger on my collarbone, tracing it slowly down my chest until it reached my happy trail. As she lifted her hand, she forgot to cover her breasts, giving me an unobstructed look. She had round, perky breasts with pink nipples. Her body was mostly tanned, except for her pale breasts, which made them stand out even more. She wasn't as gifted in that department as my roommate Julie, but she was a beauty nonetheless.
"Hey! No peeking," she teased, quickly covering herself with her hands.
I looked away from her, toward the far end of the lake where a large pine tree leaned over the water. I pointed at it. "First one to swim to that tree and back wins."
"I will totally smoke your ass, Hunter," she challenged.
"I will do so many other, better things to your ass, Taylor," I teased. The ensuing blush that spread across her cheeks was worth it, in my opinion.
"On the count of three," she announced, her voice competitive. "One, two, three. Go!"
She shot off like a speedboat. But then again, what was the speed of any vehicle compared to the speed of sound? Out of sheer curiosity, while on the beach shooting for The Blue Lagoon, I had experimented with my top speed. I found that in seawater, I could swim just a little slower than the speed of sound.
If I had wanted to, I could have ended the race as soon as it began. But I didn't want Jeannine to feel helpless. It is always better to let someone have a little hope. I also didn't want to boast about my swimming career, especially when it was becoming more and more likely that I wouldn't be allowed to participate in the Olympics because of my film work.
Jeannine swam with single-minded focus, not sparing me a glance. I decided to give her a generous head start. When she was halfway across the lake, I began at a leisurely pace, at least for me. We reached the far shore together, and then I carefully modulated my speed, staying just a fraction behind her. We were neck and neck for the return trip, and I could have won with ease, but at the very last moment, I pulled back and let her touch the shore first.
"Ha!" She pumped a fist in the air, sending water droplets sparkling in the evening light. "Told you I'd win, didn't I?"
"Of course, you are a good swimmer," I conceded, catching my breath for show. "So, now that you have won, what do you want me to do?"
A mischievous glint lit up her eyes as she swam toward me. I half-expected a kiss or some other intimate gesture, but her plan was entirely different.
I hadn't paid much attention to where we had swum, but Jeannine clearly had. Behind me was the spot where we had left our clothes. She quickly emerged from the water and scooped up the entire pile, both her garments and mine.
"Here is what you have to do," she said, her grin widening as she held the clothes hostage. "Come back to the cabin without these."
"Oh, come on!" I groaned. "That is just unprofessional. We are working here!"
She shrugged, clutching the bundle to her chest. "I don't care. I will throw you a bone, though. Do it without finding anything to cover yourself, and I will give you a surprise that I am sure you will enjoy."
With that, she turned and ran in the direction of our cabin. The movement gave me an unobstructed view of her shapely backside, the cheeks wiggling with each step. I felt a strong urge to spank them red until she was unable to sit or walk properly for a week, especially after the trick she had pulled.
I sighed, the sound lost to the vast, quiet lake. "Why did I have to throw that damn race?"
I wanted to swim for a few more hours, perhaps the entire night, but I knew I had to return for dinner. On a film set, especially one located far from a city, meal times were the primary way to socialize with the cast and crew. It wasn't an event I wanted to skip. With reluctance, I stepped out of the water, instinctively covering my groin with my hands.
Then I remembered Jeannine's last words. I didn't know what kind of surprise she had in store, but my curiosity was piqued. Besides, walking back from the water without clothes was not a new experience for me. During the shoot for The Blue Lagoon, after a few initially awkward days, I had grown accustomed to the nakedness. Now, I didn't particularly care if anyone saw me in the buff.
Decision made, I dropped my hands to my sides and began walking back to the cabin with deliberate confidence.
Luck seemed to be on my side, as I didn't run into anyone on the path through the trees. At least, not until I reached the cabin door. It swung open before I could even reach for the knob. On the other side stood Adrienne, Laurie, and of course, Jeannine. The last of the trio looked unbearably proud of herself and opened her mouth to make a smart retort, but the words died on her lips. All three women fell into a stunned silence, their eyes wide as they took in my full, unabashed appearance. For some reason, their gaze seemed to be locked right between my legs.
"Holy shit!" Laurie exclaimed, her eyes wide. "I didn't know those things could get so big."
"Or so defined," Adrienne added, fanning her face dramatically.
I ignored them both, my focus entirely on Jeannine. Her expression was a mixture of shock and admiration. "I fulfilled my end of the bargain," I said, my voice low. "I will be waiting for you to do the same."
She gulped and gave a slow nod as I moved past her. Kevin and Harry watched the scene with broad, knowing grins as I walked to my bunk bed, where Jeannine had already placed my clothes.
"Dude," Kevin laughed, high-fiving me the moment I was dressed. "I don't know what happened between you and Jeannine at the lake, but if you keep coming back naked, guys like Harry and I will have no chance with any of the girls."
I laughed along with him. "It's not like I wanted to. She stole my clothes. I had no other option."
"So you were skinny-dipping?" Harry asked, his curiosity plain.
I gave them a mysterious shrug, letting my silence answer for me. "Let's go for dinner," I said instead, changing the subject. "It is getting late."
(Break)
The next few days were among the most hectic of my life. The whirlwind began on the second day of filming when the director, Sean, asked me to meet him alone before we started shooting.
"I will be honest with you," Sean said, leaning forward in his chair. His tone was blunt and direct. "You are good. Very good."
"What are you talking about?" I asked hesitantly, though I had a strong suspicion. I still wanted to hear him say it.
"That scene you shot yesterday," he explained, gesturing with his hands as if framing the memory. "It was perfect. I may be many things, but I am not arrogant. Your suggestions improved the scene significantly without escalating the budget. I don't think I could have achieved that on my own."
"Of course you could have," I said, still confused about where this conversation was headed. "You have far more experience than I do. I still don't know how a lot of the special effects are achieved."
"I hire people for that," he replied with a wave of his hand. "Most directors don't bother with the technical specifics. But that is not what we are here to discuss. I asked you here because I see a real talent in you, and I want to nurture it. So, if you agree, I want you to co-direct this film with me."
He paused, seeing my shock. "The Directors Guild does not allow two directors on a film, so you won't be officially named a director. However, I can give you an associate producer credit."
I opened and closed my mouth a few times, utterly speechless. "I don't know what to say."
"Say yes," he said, a broad grin spreading across his face. "Direct this film with me. As a name director, I will have the final say, but other than me, you will have the most authority on set."
I thought about it for a moment, the weight of the offer settling in. "Alright," I said finally. "I will agree to it, but I have one condition. You need to increase my salary."
He visibly winced at my request. "I cannot. I have already invested everything I have into this film. If it fails, I will be broke. I want to pay you more, because I know you deserve it. I just cannot."
"Then give me a percentage of the gross," I proposed. "10%. And we can add a condition that I only get paid after you have recovered your initial investment. That way, if the film fails, you will not have the burden of paying me."
"Come now," Sean said, shaking his head. "10% is preposterous. I was prepared to offer 2%, and even that is generous. And because I am not the distributor, I can only offer you a percentage of what I receive, not the film's total earnings."
I nodded slowly, processing his terms. "Alright, 10% of your revenue, then. I know it is a fair deal considering the effort I will be putting into this film, both as the lead actor and as your co-director."
"Fine," he countered, his voice firm. "5% of whatever I receive, but only after the remaining ninety-five percent has covered my costs. That is my final offer. I don't want to waste our time haggling. Take it or leave it."
I knew it was a very generous offer from Sean. So, I accepted it and sealed the agreement with a handshake. "Okay, we have a deal. But I will need a revised contract dictating these terms."
Sean's grin was the widest I had ever seen on him. "You will have it by tomorrow."
(Break)
The following days of the shoot were wild. We were filming on a moving vehicle, followed by a series of intense action scenes. My concern spiked during the setup for one particular stunt, where the actress was supposed to jump from the moving vehicle.
"That is insane," I said to Sean, my voice serious. "She could get seriously hurt. Or worse."
Sean looked guilty. "We don't have a body double for her. All her other scenes are already shot. This is the only option."
"You do realize that if she gets injured, your liability will be far greater than the cost of hiring a professional stunt woman, right?"
Before Sean could answer, the actress in question, Robbi, turned to me. Her expression was resolute. "It is okay, Noah. Before I got this role, I was a stunt double. I have done many scenes like this, and I can definitely handle one more."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Sean said with glee, his worry instantly vanishing. "Then it shouldn't be a problem. Since all her other scenes are done, we can shoot this without any more worry."
I sighed in defeat. I had no real power to overrule Sean's decision. In the end, he primarily used me for my sense of camera angles and scene composition; everything else, he did on his own.
One thing I had learned about this era of filmmaking was that some directors placed the importance of a scene above the safety of their actors and crew, which was insane. Sean certainly did. Randal from The Blue Lagoon could also be considered in that category, as he had us perform our own stunts. However, he had at least hired stunt doubles for both Julie and me. The fact that we didn't need to use them, thanks to my water powers, was an entirely different matter.
The jeep was in position, with our stunt supervisor in the driver's seat. His job was to drive at a very slow, controlled speed. Robbi sat in the passenger seat, preparing to jump from the moving vehicle into a cluster of bushes where a few cushions were hidden to cushion her fall. The scene would be sped up in post-production to create the illusion that she had jumped from a vehicle moving at high speed.
I stood behind the monitor, my muscles tense as the jeep began to creep forward. I held my breath, knowing that even a minor miscalculation could lead to a terrible outcome.
The camera mounted inside the car recorded the action clearly as Robbi began to struggle with the actor beside her, who was standing in for the female killer who would not arrive on set for several weeks. Then, she pushed the door open, glanced out with a flash of genuine fear in her eyes, and jumped.
I gasped as I saw her miss the bushes entirely. She landed hard against the base of a tree, then quickly rolled onto her back and pushed herself up. But she immediately clutched her leg, which was clearly injured, at the very least strained.
She limped away from the scene as the script required, her face tight with pain, until Sean's voice rang out, "Cut! That was genius, Robbi. We are done with your scene."
I didn't care about the shot. I quickly rushed over to her, sliding one of her arms over my shoulders to help support her weight.
"So, how was the shot?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"Are you insane?" I asked, bewildered. "You most likely broke your leg, and you are asking me if the scene was okay?"
"It is just a sprain," she stated as a matter of fact. "I have broken it before, and that was much worse. And of course I asked about the scene. I don't want to do this again."
"You didn't have to do even one take," I countered. "I was trying to give you an out so Sean would hire someone else and re-shoot this in a few weeks, but you had to act all macho. Think about whether this sprain was worth it."
She let out a pained laugh. "Aww, you are worried about me. I am touched."
I shook my head in frustration and helped her to a nearby chair. One thing was certain in my mind: whenever I direct a movie on my own, I won't include an action scene unless I have the budget to execute it safely and properly.
(Break)
I walked back to my cabin, exhausted after a hectic day. The worst part was knowing that tomorrow we would begin shooting my scenes, making the schedule even more demanding. I had stayed late on set, spending the extra time cramming my lines for the next day.
I had hoped the lake water would rejuvenate me like seawater, but it didn't. However, I knew this tiredness was mostly mental, not physical. My capacity for physical labor is far superior to that of an average human, so ordinary chores don't wear me out.
With these thoughts in mind, I quietly opened the cabin door to find everyone else already fast asleep. I felt a pang of regret that my busy schedule had prevented me from bonding with my fellow actors as I would have liked. While they spent their days relaxing together, I was always working. Even Jeannine had only visited the set on the first day; since then, it had just been the other crew members and me.
I moved toward my bunk to see Jeannine completely covered by a sheet from head to toe. It was a little strange, but not unheard of; some people prefer to be fully covered while they sleep. I undressed in silence, leaving me in only a pair of boxer briefs, just how I like to sleep, and climbed into the upper bunk.
I had just settled my head on the pillow when a hand gently covered my mouth.
"Don't make a sound," a voice whispered. "Or you'll wake the others."
Normally, I would have panicked, but I recognized the voice immediately and relaxed.
"Are you crazy?" I whispered back the moment she removed her hand.
"No," Jeannine said, her grin just visible in the dark. "I am fulfilling my end of the bargain. Remember?"
Only then did I realize she was completely naked beside me. My eyes widened at the sight, and my hands instinctively moved toward her, only to be caught and held above my head as she straddled me.
She placed a searing kiss on my lips, her ample breasts with their hard nipples rubbing against my bare chest, making me intensely aroused. Her tongue darted into my mouth, inviting me to reciprocate, which I did. The kiss ended far too early for my preferences.
"It's your surprise," she reminded me, pulling away just enough to speak. "Just lie back and enjoy."
Before I could even call out her name, she had freed me from my briefs and taken my little brother fully into her mouth, or at least as much as she could, sending me into a world of bliss.
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AN: Read up to 40 advanced chapters on my website, or check out my other story, Dreams of Stardom.
Link: www(dot)fablefic(dot)com