The next day when I wake up, I see have a text from Joe.
Joe
Did you get the part???
Charlee
I don't know yet Joe, I only just woke up 😂 it hasn't even been a day yet
Joe
Okay okay but don't forget you promised to tell me first
Charlee
Yes I know! I promise I will. I think you're more excited than me
Joe
I'm just excited to work with someone so talented :)
Charlee
Technically we do work together :p speaking of which, I need to get ready. See you there.
Joe
Haha okay, see you later!
I put my phone down so that I can get ready for work, but I keep forgetting things because I'm so distracted thinking about the audition and wondering if I have got the part... and, maybe because of the way my body reacted to Joes touch yesterday.
Once I am at work and settle into my trailer office, I start going through the notes for our last writers meeting, and working out what I need to do.
Half the day goes by before I hear a knock on my door, and the creak of it opening. I turn to look at who it is, and see Joe standing there with a big smile on his face.
"You guys need help again? Why didn't they send Robert?" I ask, confused.
"No, they're doing alright. Actually, I came about the audition," Joe says, eyes twinkling.
"I still haven't heard anything Joe," I say with a laugh.
His excitement is cute, and kind of contagious. I had know idea he believed in me so much. We hadn't really talked a lot before.
"I have," He says to me, his smile widening.
"You have?" I say.
"Yes, I asked Shawn to let me give you the news!" He says excitedly.
"So what is the news?" I ask.
"You got it of course!" He says with a laugh.
"Really?!" I squeal with disbelief, "Oh my god!"
"Do you think I'd come in smiling if you didn't?" Joe asks.
"Hmmm, I don't know," I say, putting my finger on my chin, pretending to think.
"I guess, to be fair, we don't really know each other that well. We've never really talked much have we?" He says, as if reading my mind.
I shake my head.
"We should start hanging out more then, you're going to be playing my love interest now. We've got to build a rapport," Joe tells me with a smile.
"We hadn't really talked much before... So why did you push so hard for me to do this?" I ask.
"I told you, I could see your talent," He answers.
When he can see that I'm unsatisfied with that answer, he continues as he looks at me.
"I admire you Charlee. You're a great writer, you perform so effortlessly, you're great with the kids and, you're funny and kind. I wish we did talk more before," Joe shrugs, "I think you're going to be great at this, and great to be around."
I smile at him, but don't say anything.
"You're still second guessing yourself aren't you?" He asks me.
"Maybe," I say looking down at my fingers, picking at my nails.
Joe comes over to my desk and squats down in front of my chair. He takes my hands so that I stop fidgeting, and I look up at him.
"You've got the part. You deserve it. You should be celebrating, not worrying," He says softly.
I look at him in the eyes, and all the thoughts that were swirling inside my head start to calm down.
"Thanks Joe." I say with a small smile.
"Come on, let's go do something to celebrate!" Joe says to me grinning.
"I've still got work to do..." I tell him.
"And how far ahead of schedule are you on that work?" Joe asks me knowingly.
"How did you know I'm ahead of schedule?" I ask.
"Everyone knows how hard you work Charlee," Joe says with a chuckle.
I bite my lip and think about where I'm at with my work, and if I can handle an afternoon off. I look back at Joe and his big cheesy grin convinces me.
"Okay, let's do it" I tell him.
"Really?" He asks, mild disbelief clouding in his eyes.
I smile at him and nod. Joe pulls me up by my hands, and starts pulling me out of the door. I laugh at his eagerness.
"Hang on! I've got to get my stuff. Where are we going anyways?" I ask him as I pick up my phone and purse.
"Somewhere with a different perspective," Joe tells me mysteriously.
I raise my eyebrows, and follow him out the door.
* * * *
"The lake? Is this really where you took me to celebrate?" I ask Joe as we pull up to the lake in his car.
"This isn't the end yet, sheesh," Joe says, rolling his eyes at me.
"Okay, so where are we going then?" I ask, getting impatient.
Joe points out to the lake.
"Huh?" I ask, more confused than ever.
"Come on, you'll see soon," Joe tells me, getting out of the car.
I follow him as he walks down a path, when I notice a small building with a sign outside with the words "Em's Boat Hire". I turn to look at Joe, who is smirking at me.
"We're going on a boat?" I ask.
Joe points to a small, blue row boat.
"A row boat" He says excitedly.
"Isn't that, like... Exercise? Exercise is your idea of celebration?" I say to him, starting to wonder if this was going to be worth taking an afternoon off to do after all.
Joes gently takes hold of my shoulders, and looks into my eyes.
"Just trust me, okay? It's gonna be worth it. And, if you get too tired I'll do most of the rowing." He tells me sincerely.
I bite the inside of my cheek, and look back up the path we came from. If I want to back out, now's the time. But, when I look back at Joe, there's something in his eyes compelling me to stay and find out what has got him so excited. To see what he wants me to see.
"Okay, fine. I trust you," I say to him finally.
Joe let's go of my shoulders, the heat from his touch disappearing quickly while he talks to the boat hire owner and pays for the boat.
When he comes back to me, he walks over to the boat and grabs the oars before throwing one to me.
"Let's go," He grins.
We don't talk much as we row out onto the lake. I'm not sure which direction exactly we are headed, but I decided to just trust him instead of to keep questioning.
After some time, Joe yells out to me to stop and picks the oars up out of the water, and places them in the boat.
We are in the middle of the lake. I can see the shore lines all around me, and can kind of make out faint outlines of the people. Yet, it seems so far away from everyone. So quiet, besides the gentle sound of the water hitting the side of the boat.
I look over to Joe, and he's smiling a small contented smile.
"Why did you take me here?" I ask him, curious as to why this would be a place in his mind when thinking of somewhere to celebrate.
He licks his bottom lip as he thinks, before deciding to speak.
"You're always working on something, or helping someone. You're always doing something. So, I thought I'd take you somewhere that you had no choice, but to take a break, and relax," He tells me.
I smile at him and then look around the lake again, before looking back at him.
"I guess it is pretty relaxing," I say, agreeing.
"Come over here," Joe tells me, reaching out his hand.
I hesitate for a second, before reaching back and grabbing his hand. My breath catching for a moment, as the familiar heat of his skin touches mine once again. He pulls me over to his side of the boat and sits me down next to him.
"Now lay back like this," Joe says, before demonstrating.
I lay down inside the boat next to him, and let myself start to relax. I close my eyes and begin to listen to the sounds of the water moving in the lake, and the birds flying over us. I try to distract myself from how close our bodies are and focus on getting my breathing under control.
"Why do you work so much?" Joe asks me, breaking the silence and catching me by surprise.
I look up at the clouds above us and start to see shapes in them. I imagine there's a cloud up there that looks like the two of us laying in the bottom of a boat somewhere, waiting for someone to find it.
"I like to keep busy," I answer vaguely.
"Busy from what?" He asks, turning his head and looking at me.
I turn my head, facing him too.
"I don't know. Maybe working so much takes the pressure off of trying to make friends and have a social life," I say with a laugh.
"That's right, you've only been here about a year haven't you?" Joe asks me.
I nod.
"Yeah, I knew no one when I moved here. My only friend here really, is Robert." I say to Joe.
"And me," Joe says softly, with a smile.
I look at his brown eyes, twinkling like they do when he's happy.
"And you," I say quietly.
"Why writing instead of acting?" He asks another question.
It's like he's been holding these in for some time, waiting for the perfect moment to ask all of his questions.
"Well acting was never something I wanted to do really," I answer him.
"Bullshit," Joe says.
I open my mouth in surprise, ready to protest.
"I've seen you perform. I've seen you read lines. You're not just good, you want to be good. You try. There's passion, and a fire in you. I can see you want to do it well." He says to me, stunning me.
"I just don't think that kind of passion comes from nowhere," He finishes.
"I guess, I have thought about it before. All the times I've ever put on a performance has basically been me reading what I had written, to other people. Plus, I'm comfortable being in the background." I say to him.
"Why acting over music?" I ask before he can get another question in.
Joe puts his arms behind his head to rest on.
"That's not the same," Joe says.
"Why not?" I ask.
"Because I still make music." He tells me simply.
"Yeah, but you still clearly focus on one more," I point out.
"Acting is about doing what someone else is telling you, music is creating. I can focus on acting without losing anything. But, if I focused on music I'd be trying to get signed and a contract, having to be following someone else's rules and I wouldn't be able to create the way I want to." Joe explains.
I think about it for a minute. That does make sense.
"It could be the same for you too, you know." He says.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Acting can be a passion you pursue, while writing can be a successful hobby you do at the same time. You have more freedom when you're writing for you," He says as he looks at me, before turning his head and looking back at the sky.
"Think about it," Joe says.
I look up at the sky as I think about his advice. I like writing for Stranger Things, but what would it be like if I wrote for myself?
"I like that we both like to create something," I say to him.
"Me too." He says.
Joe moves his arms from behind his head and places them by his sides. The back of his hand is now touching the back of mine, and that hot feeling runs from the skin on my hand to the rest of my body.
All I can feel is his skin on mine, and the progressively heavier beating of my heart. It's beating so hard, I'm sure he must be able to hear it, but he doesn't seem to notice.
I turn to look at Joe, and he turns and looks back at me. We stay there quietly for a moment, looking at each other. Our hands barely touching. The only sound that can be heard, is the sound of our breathing and my heart.
Joes phone makes a ding sound, indicating a text message. We break away from looking at each other, and he sits up to check his phone. I sit up too.
"Everything okay?" I ask him.
"Yeah, uh... It's my girlfriend. She's just checking we're still on for dinner." He tells me, pressing his lips together.
I swallow. His girlfriend? For a minute there, I'd thought we had a moment. But, maybe I was just reading into things.
"Your girlfriend? What's her name?" I ask, doing my best not to sound disappointed or jealous.
We'd only been getting to know each other for a few days. He said he wanted to be my friend. Why did I have to make this weird?
"Gemma," Joe says to me and smiles.
"Come on, we better get going back. I'll drop you off at your car at the studio," Joe says, reaching for the oars and handing one to me.
"Oh, um. Thank you" I say, before helping him row back to the shore.
* * * *
Quick authors note!
Just wanted to mention that Gemma is completely made up. I didn't want to bring his real ex girlfriends/girlfriends into it, it just feels a bit weird to do that idk. If he has ever dated someone called Gemma, I'm sorry I don't really know his dating history and that's just the name that came to me 😂.
Also, I am aware this chapter is quite a bit longer than the others. It got to an awkward point where if I cut it down the first chapter would have been way too short, so hopefully longer is better and you don't mind, haha!
Anyways, since I'm here, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I tagged this slowburn, as it's going to be a very angsty and slow one. I don't know why, but those romances always get to me, I love them haha. So if you don't like those, it MAY get frustrating!
I hope everyone had a good Stranger Things day! I liked the trailer, but I was of course disappointed with the lack of Steve. What did you guys think?
Thanks again to everyone reading! If you like the story, please remember to vote. Bye!