We're going to need more than five minutes

And? Did you like it?

She kept wondering about it until her afternoon coffee break, when she found herself back in the rec room, this time alone with another colleague – Lana, who was looking almost unrecognizably bland as Rita in this penultimate episode of the season.

She had added some milk and sugar to her coffee and was now desperately trying to seal the lid back on top of the to go cup, a simple enough task, today however, unachievable. „What the... oh, come on!!"

She slapped her hands on her thighs with an impatient exhale of surrender when BK came to the rescue. „And voilà, there you go!"

She smiled apologetically and took her cup. „Thank you! I so need coffee... by injection, ideally, but I guess the cup's gotta do."

„Yeah, I have to say, the folks in hair and make up really did a number on you today, I almost didn't recognize you! I never thought you could look so... normal."

She laughed. „Oh, you have no idea! I'm always one to give props where props are due, but I'm afraid today they almost had nothing to do with it." She waved her hand across her face. „This beauty is all me, a mild level dehydration and lack of sleep."

„Didn't sleep last night?"

„Not at all."

„That's so funny, I was just speaking to Jordane earlier, and he also couldn't sleep last night", she grinned, „Only he was actually with a..."

She watched Lana look at her and take a sip from her coffee, the white paper cup held by slender fingers with those long, cream colored, well manicured and sharp fingernails.

Then she remembered the words her colleague said to her earlier about his mystery woman. ‚I'll tell you some time', he had said, ‚You might even laugh about it!' She recognized the line! As well as... ‚She's a fucking lady.'

„Rita...", she whispered.

Lana frowned. „Excuse me?"

She looked at her almost in shock and stumbled: „Did... did you have sex with Jordane last night?"

Lana choked on her coffee and had to cough. „I beg your pardon?"

„It's true, isn't it? It's you?"

„What is me?", she feigned ignorance, but her face had already turned a deep red and she had started nervously playing with her hair. She knew it herself. It was over.

She could tell by her younger colleague's beaming smile, visibly proud of herself. „That's incredible! You and Jordane? You're the woman who..."

Now she waved her hand fervently and whispered: „Shhhhh, not so loud! Please, I beg you! Yes... yes, he was with me last night. Please don't tell anyone."

„OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod!!", she could barely contain her excitement as she sat down at the table opposite of her, „That's amazing!"

„Is it? Did he... talk to you about it?"

She nodded, then added quickly: „No worries, he didn't say it was you! I just figured it out. But he did tell me that he spent the night with someone. I didn't know you two had something going on?"

„Well, we didn't, until yesterday. I'm surprised myself, I can't even tell you. Like... mind-blown." She gestured with her hands as if her head would explode. „I mean, the guy is twenty-eight, did you know that? He could be my son, technically."

„Then how the hell did it happen?"
„I really don't know! I was staying late yesterday because I had to take care of the flowers and gifts. He passed by and saw me and he suggested to help me drive some of the stuff home. So we did, then we had coffee in my backyard, then the thunderstorm started and we went inside. By then it was clear that he wouldn't drive home anymore and we were getting ready for him to spend in the night in the guest room and then... well, as it so often happens, one thing led to another. It just felt so good, being around him, you know? Effortless, somehow... organic. There was an instant connection. Without wanting to make it sound too cliché, it felt like we've known each other for years. And in the end", she sighed, „Gosh, that sounds terrible to say, but to be honest, I was lonely. I was yearning for company. To feel something. He was there. I was being opportunistic. But that doesn't mean he's disposable to me!"

BK nodded. „I think I understand what you mean."

Lana took another sip of her coffee. Then she couldn't keep her curiosity in any longer. „What did he say about last night?", she asked carefully.

She smiled. „He said that you're very special to him, that he cares about you. I think he very much appreciated your... fling yesterday. But, he doesn't believe that you did. Or that you would want anything to do with him after this one night."

She widened her eyes almost in shock. „What? Why would he think that??"

„I don't know, apparently you told him? He said you're miles out of his league and you don't belong together."

„That's bullshit! I just told him that...", she sighed, „I mean, yes, I asked him to, if possible, keep it between us. But not because I didn't want to be associated with him or because I didn't like being with him. I wanted to distract us and everyone as little as possible for these last few weeks of filming, and I wanted to spare him the reputation! A young handsome man like him doesn't need to be known as the guy who runs around seducing his female cast mates left and right."

She felt her insides twisting and turning at the idea of him believing that she didn't want anything to do with him, that it didn't mean anything to her, that maybe she even regretted it. She couldn't stand the thought.

„So, you do care about him? You liked being with him?"

„Yes. Yes, of course. I do have a heart. And Jordane, he... I don't know, he touched it yesterday. Somehow."

„Would you want to see him again? I mean... privately?"

She looked up from her coffee, right at her younger colleague. She wasn't exactly sure how it happened that they were talking about such intimate things, how she even dared to ask her these questions, and even less so how she herself saw the need to respond, but there they were. While on set, her cast was like family. And there should be no secrets in family.

„I wouldn't mind, no. I'd love to."

BK smiled. „Well, I might not have your life experience, but I'd say then maybe you should tell him that. Or you may end up regretting it."

Then she checked the time and got up. „I gotta go. Good luck!"

„Wait! One more question... how did you figure out it was me?"

She shrugged. „If you go talk to him, just ask him to show you his back."