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ROSIE

“Can you change this to the wide shot?” Kathleen asks, pointing over my shoulder at the screen hung on the wall behind my desk.

“Sure.” I drag the replacement shot onto the timeline.

It’s a non dialogue scene, so it’s an easy fix to slot it into place.

The film is coming together nicely. I’ve been working on it in the evenings when I can, although this is our one and only in-person editing day.

Thanks to Christmas and my full-time job, this is my first time even sitting down with Kathleen.

I press play and we lapse into silence again as we rewatch the scenes. I lean back in my comfy, new chair and take a sip of my third L&P of the day. Ella bought a box of the fizzy drink over in her suitcase, and it’s quickly become my new addiction.

“Let’s cut the last frame of this shot.” Kathleen taps her pen on her notebook before sliding it in her curly bun.

We’ve been at it for a few hours now, holed up in my dark office. When she first walked through the door, Kathleen made the appropriate admiration of the new house, but has largely has remained unfazed by the dramatic changes in my life since I last worked for her.

We let the film run through one final time and I practically hold my breath until it ends. There are always things I normally notice, a continuity error or some noise in the audio, but we pass the twenty minutes and I don’t spot anything.

I haven’t added the credits in yet, so the screen abruptly cuts to black. I glance at Kathleen, and she stretches her arms over her head. “We did it.”

I laugh as she swings back in the over sized chair Jackson sits in when I hole myself up in here.

I scoot closer to the screen, flicking through the edit frame by frame, thrilled that she’s happy with my work.

Kathleen tilts her head back on the chair and closes her eyes.

“Do you want a coffee or something?” I ask.

“I need to sleep for a month, I think.” She peeks one eye open. “But yes. Especially if it’s from the fancy coffee machine I saw on my way in here.”

I push my chair back and stand, desperate to stretch my legs.

“Wait, no,” Kathleen says, jumping up. “I’ll get it myself. You should stay off your feet.”

“I have to pee anyway,” I tell her with a laugh as I open the door, the brightness of the kitchen causing me to blink behind my glasses.

The house is quiet, a first since the family left yesterday.

It’s the awkward time between Christmas and New Year’s, where the days bleed together and time ceases to exist, and it’s more discombobulating without the clamor of voices echoing throughout the house.

From the moment they left I missed it all.

I missed the laughter and the fact that there was someone to talk to in every room of the house, someone offering chocolates and entertaining Nanny when I couldn’t be by her side every second of the day.

That being said, I can’t deny it’s been nice to have some privacy.

When I told Jackson that Kathleen was coming over to review the fine cut, he made himself scarce in the gym, and I can hear the faint sounds of his music reverberating through the floor.

By the time I finish in the bathroom and return to the kitchen, Jackson has reappeared, his sweaty shirt clinging to his chest and his head tilted back as he gulps water over the sink. I watch the veins in his neck as he swallows and feel heat rush between my thighs.

“Enjoying the show?” Jackson says in a low voice, as he catches me staring.

I cross to his side. “Always.”

He tugs me forward and presses a kiss to my lips.

“Oh! Sorry,” Kathleen announces as she wanders into the kitchen.

We jump apart.

“Coffee, yes, coming up.”

“Hi,” Jackson says politely. “I’m Jackson.”

“Kathleen.” She waves, creeping closer to the counter. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“How’s it going in there?” Jackson says, nodding his head towards the office.

“We’re finished,” Kathleen announces, throwing her hands in the air in celebration.

Jackson laughs as he leans against the counter. “Nice. I’ve seen bits and pieces, and I think it looks like a great film.”

Kathleen’s mouth drops open. “You do? ”

Jackson nods. “Yeah. I obviously haven’t seen your latest cut but I like what I’ve seen so far.”

Kathleen sends me a frazzled look. It’s easy for me to forget that Jackson is famous.

I faced the media whirlwind when we were outed, the statement that was picked up by multiple tabloids and the overwhelming increase in follow requests on social media, but the news cycle has almost faded by now.

When we’re just us at home, or with our friends and family, he’s just a normal guy, but in reality, he’s one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood.

Him saying that he likes a film carries a lot of weight.

“Would you like to see the whole thing?”

Jackson rubs his hands together as I finish Kathleen’s coffee. “Hell yes. Let me jump in the shower, and I’ll be with you.”

Forty minutes later, the film has finished, and Jackson leans forward from the seat he’s pulled in from the kitchen. “Have you got a screening arranged yet?” he asks Kathleen.

“Not really. We used all of our funding on actually making the thing, so it’s definitely not in the budget to host a screening. We’ve opened up crowdfunding for the festival push though, so maybe we’ll have some luck.”

“Send me the link,” Jackson tells her.

Later, when Jackson and I are curled up on the sofa, my feet in his lap and a blanket thrown over both of us, my phone buzzes.

Kathleen

ROSIE TAYLOR

Me

***

Kathleen sends me a screenshot of the crowdfunding link with a row of exclamation marks.

One hundred percent of the goal reached from a single donation.

I dig my foot into Jackson’s side, pulling his attention away from the Christmas film playing on the TV.

“Did you really just fund Kathleen’s short?”

He sends me a wink. “It’s your short too, no?”

I nudge him again. “I can’t believe you.”

“I’m a patron of the arts, Rosie. What can I say?”

I quickly respond to Kathleen before I pull up my text thread with Anya.

Me

I think I’m a nepo baby :(

Anya

HAHAHAH

The first step is acknowledging your privilege.

(That was Danny btw)

Me

Thank you for your support

ANYA

If anything you’re a nepo baby-mama

Me

I think that’s wors e

“Are you upset?” Jackson asks, tugging my foot gently. “I’m sorry, I thought I was helping.”

I laugh as he wiggles my socks off. “Am I upset that you just funded an indie short film with the click of a button?”

He looks unsure until I tug him closer by the arm so he’s hovering over me.

“Thank you,” I tell him. “I love that you did it.” I press a kiss to his lips, my hands exploring the warm skin under his shirt.

“You do?” he murmurs against my mouth.

“So much.” I nod as I pull at his waistband.

“If there’s anything else you need funded, just say the word.” He presses a featherlight kiss to my jaw.

“As a patron, of course,” I tease.

“Of course,” he says as he tilts my head back, and I show him just how grateful I am.