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“Does it give me a chance to possibly get a higher role?”
Ashlyn shrugged as she remembered Javon. “Honestly, I don’t know. Sometimes, extras are given small speaking parts. I guess you never know where fate might take you.” She paused and slowly pulled the towel off her shoulders and handed it to Brandon. “I hope to see you there.”
Brandon smiled. “I just might take you up on that offer. Do you need to be walked back to your accommodations?”
Ashlyn looked up the beach then back at Brandon. He was a kind man, but she couldn’t keep him from his drive.
“I’ll be just fine. I enjoy time by myself to just think sometimes, you know?” Ashlyn wondered if her comment would make him think that he wasn’t welcome, but Ashlyn was just speaking the truth. She was tired of evaluating her every action in how it must appear to a male. “If you ever want to come by just to hang out, we’re usually not filming in the evenings.”
Brandon nodded. “Thanks for the invite.” Ashlyn took a step away. “Thanks for the save too.” Ashlyn smiled at him before she turned and walked away.
Chapter Two
Ashlyn didn’t know if she should even expect Brandon to show up, but there was a small part of her that hoped he would. During their first day, they blocked off one end of the beach and filmed an intimate scene between the main two characters. Ashlyn enjoyed the scene, because the words from both characters gave her hope for a future filled with love.
That evening, Brandon did not come by. Ashlyn had showered as soon as they were done filming and changed into something that was semi-nice, but she didn’t want anyone to know if Brandon didn’t come, so she tried to occupy herself with a book and pretend that she wasn’t waiting for anyone. She couldn’t hide her disappointment though as she climbed into bed at 12:00am and Brandon still hadn’t shown up. She held the same hope for the following night, but Brandon did not show up then either.
The next morning, she had dark bags under her eyes from not sleeping well. And of course, that was when Brandon showed up for the extras casting. Ashlyn saw Brandon, and she waved to him as he was corralled around with the extras. He waved back, but they didn’t have an opportunity to talk. Ashlyn wondered if there was some way she could put in a good word for him, or if after letting the camera take a spill in the woods, it was better for her not to say anything. Gary still was not very happy with Ashlyn.
Pamela approached Ashlyn. “Do you know that extra? He seems to be smiling your way an awful lot.”
“Which one is it?” Ashlyn asked, not wanting to do anything to indicate that they were talking about Brandon.
“He’s got dark, longish hair, looks like some sort of beach bum.”
Ashlyn laughed. “Yeah, I met him the other day on the beach. That is an interesting story. I’ll have to tell it to you later.”
Pamela laughed. “Ashlyn, you always have an interesting story. Your life is never boring like the rest of ours where we just work, eat, and sleep without any fun in the middle.”
Ashlyn smiled, knowing her friends’ words were true. “Yeah, except with that guy, his name is Brandon, I really think he’s a gem. He’s a gentleman to begin with. He has that whole Southern charm thing going for him. I might see if he can hang out at the beach house after filming. Let me know what you think of him.”
“Now, you want my opinion,” Pamela gave Ashlyn a serious look. “I thought you could navigate these waters by yourself.”
Ashlyn shrugged. “Maybe I can, but I don’t know. I think Brandon may really be a good guy for once.”
Pamela shrugged. “Invite him over. See how he does with groups. It’s hard to get a true perspective of a guy when you’re the only one observing him.”
Ashlyn agreed and repeated her effort to invite Brandon over. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted it to happen. As soon as they were done filming for the day, Ashlyn hurried over and invited Brandon to the beach house. She didn’t want to sound desperate, but she really didn’t want him to turn her down. That would be a true indication that he was not interested in her.
“Hey, what are your plans for the night?” Ashlyn asked.
“I don’t have any plans,” Brandon replied. “I’m a pretty boring guy, remember?”
“Well, the crew always has a good time. I’m sure we have enough food for one more. Sometimes, we play games or something after dinner or we just talk. You could get to know the crew.”
Ashlyn pushed her hands into her back pockets and turned her eyes away from Brandon in an effort to hide how much she cared what his answer would be.
“That sounds fine to me,” Brandon said. “As long as there truly will be enough food and I am not intruding.”
“It’s fine,” Ashlyn assured him. “Why don’t you just walk back with us?” The crew stored their equipment after carefully wiping it down to get rid of any spare sand particles. Dinner was tacos, and everyone began chowing down. Ashlyn found a place at the table across from Brandon and found that he was easily fitting in with the crew. Everyone asked him about his job and what he did, etc. Ashlyn sat back and smiled as she watched him interact. It seemed like she had picked a real winner this time.
When they were done eating, Brandon casually picked up Ashlyn’s plate and rinsed it off at the sink for her. Ashlyn looked over at Pamela who had also noticed his action. Pamela gave a small thumbs up. That was all the encouragement that Ashlyn needed.
She got next to him to play a game of Phase 10, but the game was taking forever. They had six people playing, and it seemed as though she would never phase up. The points were quickly mounting, and one person was even in the thousands. Ashlyn didn’t want to quit the game, but she couldn’t help feeling a little bored. She wanted to talk to Brandon. She wanted to have his attention, not be shoved behind other people.
Ashlyn nudged Brandon as she started her fifth round on level six. “What time do you need to get back?” It was a subtle hint that maybe she should walk him back to his car, but he didn’t seem to be getting the hint.
Brandon merely shrugged. “Maybe in an hour or so. I have to feed the dog, but she’s outside and she can wait some more.”
