Page 20 of (La)Crosse My Heart (Sweet Sports Kisses #7)

Jessa

W hat the crap just happened?

Did I really kiss Clark Denton? I guess technically he kissed me. And it was the best kiss I’ve ever had, although short.

It wasn’t some kind of routine done out of obligation, but there was a promise in it.

I'm in a sort of fog as I walk toward the cameras and get into position so I can be the background support Clark needs. I'm not really sure I'm doing a good job of anything right now.

Was there a moment I thought we would kiss on my couch at the new house? Yes. But I hadn't even given it a thought for today being a good kissing day.

And we didn't even get that much into the kiss. Like it was a good, simple kiss.

But it was way more impactful than any kiss with Dan ever was.

So much for keeping things strictly professional. Or was that just a knee-jerk response to him being nervous about being up there in front of the camera?

My stomach sinks as I rationalize the kiss away. That has to be the thing.

I try to paste on a smile and am as supportive as possible when they guide Clark through the next several spots.

"What's your name?" the cameraman asks during a break when the director walks Clark through his next movements.

"I'm Jessa."

"Steve. We're glad you're here. I'm not sure what you did, but this has been thousands of times easier than the last time he was here."

I chuckle and shake my head. "I doubt I had much to do with it."

"I don't know," Steve says, glancing between me and Clark. "I'd have to say you're calming his nerves. The way he looks at you is something else, too."

I see nothing different in how he’s looking at me, but my brain is good at changing reality to make it easier to digest.

Clark struggles with a couple parts, but he’s looking more relaxed than I’ve seen him yet with a camera in his face. Even the director seems to be patient, which I wasn’t expecting after what Clark had shared on the plane over here.

“Cut,” the director says and claps. “One down, a few more to go.”

Clark’s shoulders slump, as if relieved to even have gotten that far. When he looks up at me, I can see how drained he already is and we’re not even at the halfway point of the day.

“What’s the next spot to film?” I ask Steve.

“It s like the one he just did, but with some more of the lacrosse gear added.”

They set it all up and Clark is still there in the warm lights, looking like he’s going to melt at any moment.

“Action!” the director calls.

“When I’m on the field, I need gear that—” Clark pauses again before saying, “That gives me... uh... what’s the word again?”

He either needs a break or to do something different.

I walk up to the director and say, “Can I make a suggestion?”

The guy turns to me, raising an eyebrow. He’s probably not happy to be interrupted, but Clark is going to spiral and shut down if we don’t do something different.

“How about we do an informal question session? We can incorporate the brand into the spot, but that way he doesn’t have to act for every spot you’ve planned?” It’s a long shot, but I’m hoping he’ll understand why I’m asking.

The director turns to Clark. “What do you think?”

Clark blows out a breath. “I’m here for whatever you need. A break from acting out the parts would be nice.”

The director nods and waves to some people behind him. “Let’s set up all the equipment behind Clark. We’ll have him sit in a chair and get one for the lady. I hope this works.”

“Why don’t you have him stand?” I say. “He could play with the ball and stick. That way, we’re displaying some of the equipment while he’s answering questions.” If he’s got something to do, it takes some of the pressure off.

The director nods and waves to take the chairs away.

I stand just off camera, holding the script. I scan through it, trying to make mental notes on what I can change to make it workable material.

I point to him, and he says, “When I’m on the field, I need gear that, that gives me?—”

“Confidence. Comfort. And hopefully a functioning memory,” I deadpan.

Clark laughs and says, “I knew there was a C-word in there somewhere.”

“I’m thinking the C stands for ‘Can’t act under pressure.’” I try to keep a straight face, but crack, especially when I think of us laughing together in the sand.

He leans his stick against his shoulder and says, “Harsh, but valid.”

“Let’s chat,” I say, throwing the script over my shoulder. He watches the papers as they fall to the ground and even I’m a little nervous. Maybe that was too over-the-top?

“Are you all right?” he whispers, glancing nervously over to where the director is probably standing.

“You’re not a script guy. You’re a people guy… underneath all that tightly wound, camera-shy, silent-sports-hero energy. It’s just me asking you questions. You answer like we’re not filming. Or better yet, like you’re hanging from the monkey bars.”

“Monkey bars?” the director asks, and I’m sure he’s ready to step in and stop this process. But with the visible changes in Clark’s body language, we’re making progress.

“Batman?” Clark asks, grinning.

“Maybe not that far,” I say, laughing. “Okay. First question: Favorite pre-game snack?”

Grinning, he says, “Peanut butter straight from the jar. Don’t judge me.”

“Ew. I was expecting trail mix, not a spoonful of desperation. You know they make bread for a reason, right? Put the peanut butter on there and add bananas or honey or some kind of jam.” I wrinkle my nose. “Remind me to never let you near my peanut butter.”

“The question is, do you like creamy or chunky?” he says, and the banter is in full swing.

“Chunky all the way.” I can sense the unease in the people behind me, so I switch to a question we can tie into this spot.

“Okay, next one: What’s the most underrated piece of gear in your bag?”

Clark throws the ball into the air and says, “My backup mouth guard. It’s mint flavored.”

“That’s disgusting and weirdly specific.”

“You’re the one who wanted actual answers.” He tilts his head, as if challenging me.

I nod, glancing at the stick in his hand. “What stick is your favorite and why?”

His grin fades the tiniest bit, but he looks at the stick in his hand. “This one is good, but my favorite is the STX Stallion 900. It’s lightweight and stiff, which helps me as a middie when I’m battling for the ball. It’s light and makes scooping ground balls easy.”

I turn and look at the director, who’s got his jaw on the floor right now.

Giving Clark a wide grin, I say, “For those of us who don’t know a lot about lacrosse, what is a middie?”

Clark laughs and says, “I play in the middle of the field, meaning I have to run back and forth several times, whether we’re on offense or defense. I take the face-offs, or the starting battle for the ball.”

“What are some of your pre-game rituals or superstitions?” I’m sure fans of Clark Denton would love to hear about some of these.

“I make sure I’ve eaten enough before the game and then I have a few high protein, high-carb snacks to keep my energy up for the rest of the game. As far as rituals, I usually go through the same routine and make sure I’m dialed in mentally.”

“Do you wear the same pair of socks every game?” I ask, trying to be serious.

The horror in his eyes causes me to laugh. “Absolutely not. I own at least a dozen pairs of the same type of socks, so I’m always wearing at least one of them, but I do know how to do my own laundry.”

“What made you want to partner with STX?”

He’s able to answer without any hesitation. “It’s a brand I’ve been able to trust since I was a kid. Sure, the quality of the stick I have now is way different than the one I used when I was eight, but I think the company makes a great stick that’s durable and can grow with the player.”

“Would you ever let someone use your stick during a game? Maybe they broke theirs and need it for a few minutes.”

Laughing, Clark says, “As long as it’s not Burton, probably. That guy breaks sticks like they’re toothpicks.”

The room laughs, and I’m grateful we’ve been able to make it to this point.

“Okay, last question. How does STX help support your game on and off the field?”

This one takes him a moment to think about, but I couldn’t be more proud of his answer.

“When I’m in the game, I know I can rely on the stick to do what it needs to do.

The fact that the stick is so reliable means I don’t have to do all the research to make sure it’s the one that will help me with my job.

That gives me more time to train, to get my body to the point that the stick is an asset instead of a liability. ”

I grin at him, so excited that he’s able to get through all that.

“Let’s take a few minutes break before we get to the next spot,” the director says. He walks over to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. “I’m not sure what you just did, but is there any chance you can help us with the next campaign?”

I chuckle. “Whatever helps us get through everything Clark needs to film by the time we’re scheduled to leave, I’m game.”