Behind The Scenes

104. Hero

We are in a luxury restaurant in New York. Jazz music that relaxes the nerves is the background to the voices of people and the noises of cutlery. It is a very beautiful place. The lights are dim and each table has its own candle in the centre. Josephine and I are sitting next to each other, Anna's facing us. My hand is on Jo's bare thigh and I draw abstract figures absently with my fingers, as I always do.

"So... are you finally back together?" Anna asks after taking a sip of white wine.

Jo and I look at each other and I lightly squeeze her thigh. "Yes, that's it," I tell her and Jo shows me a smile so bright it would light up the city. She's gorgeous.

"I'm glad." I know she is. She also fought with us, she is a point of reference both for me and for Jo, our best friend you could say.

"Here you are!" the very cordial waiter from before and who probably attended courses to do his job better serves us our meals.

"Mhm," — Jo begins to say with her mouth full, covering it with her hand — "it's delicious."

"Definitely," I agree with her.

We continue to enjoy our meals prepared with the utmost commitment and the utmost precision. They are simply perfect. After about an hour and a half we ordered dessert and we are waiting for it. I remember that time in Hollywood at Providence, unforgettable. The way she came under my touch, moaning between my lips so as not to be heard by others. It was amazing. Also what we did next when we fucked on the counter. Can't wait to go back to the hotel to tear off that—

My indecent thoughts are interrupted for the millionth time by Anna. "If After is successful and we have the funds to shoot the second... you would be willing to shoot it, right? Have you thought about it?" she asks us.

Jo and I glance at each other again. Then she takes the floor, "Yes, I've thought about it. It would be wonderful, really!" she exclaims.

Anna looks worried when she says to me, "You, Hero?"

I sigh. "It would be such a pleasure to give Hardin life a second time," and I smile at her.
She claps her hands a few times, spurting happiness from every pore. "Perfect! It's fantastic!"

Jo looks at me, and her gaze moves from my eyes to my lips and she kisses me as Anna takes a sip from her goblet. "I love you," she whispers to me.

"I love you, too."

She pulls the chair closer to mine, but it doesn't seem to be enough and she sits on my lap catching me by surprise. "Baby—" I begin to say softly, but am interrupted with a kiss.

Anna is clearly uncomfortable seeing the scene in front of her eyes. As if to distract us — especially Jo, who can't stand the wine and is almost certainly drunk — she tells us, "Anyway, you're the best Hardin and Tessa I could ever find, I'm serious."

Jo runs a hand through my hair when she thanks her without looking her in the face, staring at my lips. She tells me something in a way that I can barely hear.

"What?" I ask her.

She pecks me on the nose and giggles. "I want to leave," she repeats.

I look at her confused. "Why?"

She takes my lip gently between her teeth. "I want your tongue—"

I cut her off by putting a hand over her mouth. "You're wasted!" I tell her laughing and she looks at me badly.

Anna laughs with me, I almost forgot about her. "You see it!"

Jo rolls her eyes. "Yes, I'm wasted and under there I'm—"

I interrupt her again. "Hey! Stop it!" I can not stop laughing. I love the way she is cheeky in this restaurant too, but that's definitely not the case.

"That's the truth. And it's your fault because you're so handsome and kind of turning me— " I stop her in time before the waiter can hear her.

"Enjoy your dessert," and he leaves.

Anna and I look at her amused. She is putting on a small show.

"What's up?" she asks irritably.

I try to hold back the laughter, but I snicker. "Nothing, eat the dessert so we could go back to the hotel and—"

She interrupts me. "And fuck!" she says as she bursts out laughing, in a slightly loud voice.

I open my eyes and my cheeks are hot. I feel embarrassed when the gentlemen sitting at the next table with a little child turn to look at us, shocked. "So sorry," I turn to them, mortified.

Anna looks at Jo, not knowing what to say. We are lucky that no one knows us in here, because they are all grown-up people.

"What did I do? Why are you looking at me like that?" she fakes a pout.

"I was going to say we could go to sleep," I tell her.

She grins and puts her lips to my ear. "So you don't feel like fucking me in bed?" she says softly, in the most turning on way possible.

It is impossible to resist when for once she is the one to say these things.

"So?" she tries to get a response out of my head, and to do it she ball one hand between my thighs until she gets there, while the other in my hair.

"Jo..." I say breathlessly.

She chuckles seeing me like this and still insists, "Answer me."

I take a deep breath and slowly breath out. In her ear I whisper, "You know that every time you do this you make me want to fuck you, so why are you asking me?"

She smiles satisfied and prints me a kiss on the cheek, then she squeezes it slightly and gives me a wink. "Here is my good boy!" and she bursts out laughing.

Suddenly Anna clears her throat. "Hero, maybe we'd better leave," she says, addressing me directly.

I nod my head yes. "All right. Jo, let's go." I put my hands on her hips and help her up. She staggers a bit on stiletto heels.

"A second." She sits down on her chair and pulls out some snickers from her bag. She wears them and holds her heels in her hand. "Ready."

We split the bill and leave the restaurant.

"Mhm..." Jo makes a sort of moan while we're in the car, with her head resting on my shoulder.

"Everything good?" I ask her.

She snorts and flies with one hand. "I feel hot." She starts to take off her jacket, but I stop her. If she feels hot flashes due to alcohol it is good that she covers herself, otherwise it gets worse.

"I feel hot, let me take it off!" she says in the tone of a child who throws a tantrum.

"No, you have to wear it until we get to the hotel, which is a heated environment," I explain.

"I can not stand you!" She rolls her eyes and pouts, breathes heavily as she keeps fanning herself. She makes me laugh a little but I understand her, it has happened to me quite a few times too.