The last day with a crew is always nice. Everyone takes pictures, people are working and sort of relaxing. It looks to be a nice ending.
"I can't believe it's done," Stella said softly.
"Yeah," you nod. "going back to London?"
"Yeah, back to the restaurant," she sighs. "I'm just hoping that everything will turn out right, you know?"
You notice her looking sad. "What is it?"
"Stuart told me that Archer and Hannah broke up," she says softly.
"I thought they already did."
"I guess this time it's real?" she shrugs. "Since that happened a couple of weeks ago, I haven't heard a lot from Stuart."
You look in each other's eyes. Single brother dragging attached brother out to bars as a wingman doesn't make a good picture. "Stuart is a really good guy."
She smiles at you. "I know."
"Trust him?"
"Yeah."
You watch Emma walk by. She nods to you both politely in passing and you do the same.
As soon as she is out of earshot, Stella whispers, "Do you trust Henry?"
"I know he loves me," you nod. But how strong is he? Can he change an old habit?
You are surprised that Brock wants to see you on the last day, but you are because you want to say goodbye. You really appreciate all the time and attention he gave you. "Hey!"
"Hey," he smiles at you.
You see that he is wearing jeans. "No training?"
"No, not today," he gestures you to come sit by him. "Sit with me."
You sit with him, and feel like you're on a date. You tamp down the feeling and manage a smile. "Come a long way, huh?"
"Not as far as I'd like, but..." he trails off, but chuckles. "I wanted you to have something to remember me by."
He takes out a small velvet drawstring bag. You gasp as you take your gift out of it.
"Oh, Brock...." You breathe. "It's..it's beautiful."
"Moss agate."
"It's—" you stutter, thinking of Henry. "I-I don't know if I should—"
"You did a lot of training out here," Brock nods. "training like you'd never done before. You did great, we're friends, and I want you to remember me. It's not expensive—"
"But it's beautiful."
"I missed your birthday?" Brock shrugs, making you laugh. "Or I will, depending on how you look at it."
You laugh with him and look down at the bracelet again. "Agate."
"Every single kind."
You look at it in awe. "Oh, Brock—"
"Permission to speak freely?"
You chuckle, and brace yourself. "Granted."
"I hope he wakes up for your sake," Brock nods. "He strikes me as a man who is looking for treasure not knowing he already has it."
"All that glitters, huh?" you laugh humorlessly, hoping he is wrong.
"You shine, you glow, don't forget that," he smiles. He reaches over and takes your hand. "Promise me that when you get back to the States, whenever, that we have lunch."
"I promise," you smile. "And hey, it'll be on me."
"Gotta love modern women," he jokes softly. You hug and he kisses your cheek. Your breath catches, but you don't know what to say. It's Europe, right? The embrace lingers just a second too long, you feel the contours of his body against you. He breaks it, making you feel at a loss and then not. He rises to his feet, and looks down at you, shaking his head. "I guess I'll just leave you like I found you."
"But you didn't, Brock, thank you," you say softly, looking into his eyes. "I will miss you."
"And I'll miss you," he nods. "Keep in touch?"
"Definitely."
"We'll meet again," he smiles and gives a wink. "See you around."
He walks away, and you sigh. He was definitely boyfriend-if not more-material. You look at your bracelet. Not a diamond, a ruby or a sapphire, but because of its meaning-stones wishing strength, encouragement, healing, peace, and even victory, it is worth far more than that. And then you look at the ring Henry gave you. It's worth everything, hopefully to you both.
***********
Henry POV
I felt nervous and excited. Why?
Emma's last day.
I tried to tamp down those feelings. I really did. We had been talking, hugs hello and goodbye that would register as friends, but each one got a little tighter, each one got a little longer. I even got hard once, and all she did was smile.
Now it got tempting. She was a not a kiss and tell girl, which meant what happened in my trailer, stayed my trailer. She might see this as an audition to unseat the woman I already had...have...I sighed. Just give her the Netflix necklace and send her off, I told myself. But I could have just let others give her one. The necklace was inexpensive and a token of thanks, not to mention a pre-release, mini swag.
A knock sounds at the door, too light to be male.
"Come in," I say.
And there Emma is, looking like one of her pinups though in much more clothing. "Henry."
"Emma, hello," I say, swallowing a little harder than usual. "I hoped you would come by and say goodbye." I turn and give her the Witcher pendant.
She takes it with a small smile, barely looking at it. "Aren't you coming to the cast party?"
"Wouldn't miss it," I give her a poster grin. "but I do have a plus one for the party, of course, two if you count Kal."
"Ah," Emma shrugs. "so you are alright with her bracelet, then?"
"What bracelet?"
"Brock gave her a very nice bracelet, I hear."
"In friendship, I'm sure, and they became very good friends, from what I hear," I nod, sobering as she comes closer. "She wears my ring, Emma."
"She does?" She stands inches apart from me, designer perfume filling my nostrils, her makeup giving her skin a glow, her parted lips a shine that begged to be kissed.
"She does."
"Then there isn't much time—" she whispers, and kisses me.
At first, I felt like I was in a movie, that rush of new, that rush of feeling her surrender and open to me. My adrenaline jumped as I kissed her back and our mouths opened. I tasted...nothing, nothing on her lips. I usually taste honey...
"You said you're hungry, right? Ever heard of a Dagwood?"
"...there is this poem called 'Delight In Disorder? He talked about how our imperfections make us beautiful. I mean, men don't act that way, but I thought, if one can see it, maybe there was hope..."
"Can I have a little more time? More than three dates?"
"Lots of tension there...To be one so strong and in control, it only makes sense."
"Thank you for being there for me."
"So, when I game, you write?"
"Sounds good to me. I can run lines if you want..."
"I just wanted to be there for you."
"Did you just....Lion King me?"
"Do you feel like a king, Henry?"
"I write stories. You bring them to life, act them out."
"I just found you."
"You can get workouts on your phone, run, and I can take care of you, SMR and what not."
"Wanna work out with me?"
"Fidelity, honor, generosity, prowess, refinement. Knowing what I know about you, I have no doubt that you would have been a knight if you'd lived back then. I love you."
"No," I broke the kiss, pushed her away. The hell am I doing?
"What?" Emma was breathless, her cheeks flushed.
"I can't do this," I shook my head, catching her wrists in my hands as she tried to keep going. "I'm sorry." To my surprise, my throat was tight, tears began to form in my eyes. I took two steps back, giving her a slight push and releasing her.
"Why?" Emma frowns, her hands slowly going to her sides. "You like me."
"I do."
"You want me."
"You're right, I do, but not enough. Not enough to destroy what I have."
"What?"
"I just wanted to thank you—"
"You're welcome," I felt my heart begin to pound. I'd never turned it down like this before. Liaisons ended in media, text, over the phone but not face to face, and certainly not over so little. But she and I built the tension, we danced around each other for weeks. People saw the chemistry between us.
Emma shakes her head, her eyes filling with tears. She wasn't in love, I knew, she was embarrassed. I knew the look, just this second I knew the difference. She backs away and turns to leave.
A knock at the door breaks the tension. Emma opens it, facing my love. Oh, this isn't good. She bows her head, clutching the necklace and leaves.
"Saying goodbye?" she asks, stepping in front of me.
I nod, "She tried to make it difficult."
She caresses my cheek but then rubs her thumb on my mouth and shows lipstick. "I see."
My stomach clenched. "She wanted to keep contact."
"Obviously."
I stepped toward her, but she stepped back. I could see it in her eyes. She was hurt. "Nothing happened between us, darling, I swear it." Oh, God, don't do this, not when I'd made the right decision. "Darling?"
"We've got a wrap party later," she nods. "we should go back and freshen up."