A/N: all reviews and comments welcome - give me shit for poor grammar, instances of OOC, was there something you enjoyed? I'd love to know.
Caitlin held her pillow in a death grip, a thin line of saliva connecting her to it as she crooned softly in her sleep. Her smartphone chirped with the tone from an incoming text which she was able to ignore. Mere seconds later, Caitlin's alarm blared rock music and she rolled and bolted upright, bleary eyes and clumsy hands searching for her phone to quell the source of the disturbance.
Get up. Your ride is here.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and onto the floor, Caitlin detached her phone from her charger and started typing a response. Is there coffee?
Her phone pinged and a picture popped up on screen - two large steaming coffee confections. Caitlin tapped furiously. Gimme ten minutes!
New music blared and Caitlin swiped to answer the phone, closing her eyes. "Yes?"
"Hey. Do you want me to wither waiting in the car or come on in so you can take longer getting ready?"
"Harry, you already know." Caitlin giggled and then tapped the 'hang up' icon. Life was funny. They'd immediately clicked as friends from day one of the movie shoot, bonding over lunch and shared scenes. They were written as good friends and that had naturally morphed over into their real lives. It wasn't hard after all - Harry treated everyone with enormous respect and kindness.
When her car had developed an unholy rattle (and her garage mechanic was booked for several weeks), Harry had volunteered to drive her, saying he was sure Caitlin would do the same for him.
Harry knocked on the front door, waited a minute and then let himself in with the key Caitlin had insisted on giving him. Caitlin had a nasty habit of falling back asleep. Having another person making noise helped keep her awake - most of the time. He wandered into the kitchen and popped the muffins he'd brought into the microwave, looking for the butter where he'd left it last - having to take the butter out of the fridge. He sighed. Rock hard. He'd have to nuke that too or risk turning the pastries into crumbs.
The two coffees he set on the kitchen island and moved to the sink. Dirty plates and take-out containers scattered on the countertop. Harry grinned; time to make some noise. He ran the hot water, dumped in a healthy amount of soap and began to clean the dishes, making sure to drop the silverware into the sink of bubbles and then into the other side, piece by clean piece.
"Can you not make such a racket?" Caitlin trudged over to her drink and took a sip, sighing with contentment. "God, this is soooo good."
"You don't have to call me God."
"I wasn't. Should I call you the butter police?" Caitlin took the butter off the counter and moved it into the fridge. "Can you please stop doing that?"
"What?" Harry turned his smile to maximum wattage. "Making it easily usable?"
"I keep it cold for portion control if you must know. The harder it is to spread, the less I use."
"…" Harry shook his head and restrained himself from looking at Caitlin's fit body. "You don't need to diet."
"Tell that to my agent and most of the directors I've worked with." Caitlin noticed the pair of buttered muffins gently steaming on a plate. "At least you'll be gaining weight with me."
"Then let's eat." Harry started the sink draining, wiping his hands on a towel and slouched on his favourite barstool. "You're gonna need energy for today's shoot - they've got you scheduled for that running scene."
"Oh yeah," -Caitlin snagged a piece of muffin right out of Harry's hand-"might as well carb up then." She smirked, breaking into a giggle at Harry's look of outrage. "You're the one who told me I don't have to diet, you've got no one to blame but yourself."
He smiled. "I'm my own worst enemy."
Director Tina flipped pages on her script and frowned. "This scene is right before 'Tom' makes his big discovery - but you're supposed to be angry at his distrust of you, 'Danielle.' I need your running to be angry."
"Sorry, I'll do better." Caitlin apologized, lips pressed in a tight line. "I won't let you down." Her eyes were drawn to Harry who approached Iris and whispered into her ear. Caitlin scowled.
"Perfect!" Tina clapped her hands. "That expression - perfect."
Caitlin allowed the wardrobe workers to tidy her appearance for the hopefully last take she'd need to do running in stupidly high heels. The clapperboard was held in front of the camera, clapped - and Caitlin started acting.
"Drop me off at Trevelyan's Tavern?" asked Caitlin. "I accepted a last minute date and it was just easier to meet right after work. So glad they don't need me for the weekend."
"Of course." Harry glanced at his passenger. "Mind giving me directions?"
Caitlin fumbled with her phone, tapping away and giving up with a frown. "I'm out of juice - hand me yours?"
"I'd love to, but I'm sitting on it." Harry stole another look at Caitlin, his expression unreadable. "Don't get weird about this, but-"
"I'm not about to reach in there and grab it!"
"Y'know when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me?" Harry pointed at the glove box. "As I was about to say, don't get weird about this, but I picked up a charging cable for your brand of phone."
"Oh." Caitlin knew her cheeks were radiating heat and colour. "Sorry."
"Heh, as if I'd hit on someone young enough to be my daughter."
"I know. You have too much class for that, but you can't be my dad's age," exclaimed Caitlin. "He's seventy." She grinned. "I'm not as young as I look either."
"Most people would just reassure me I'm not old." Stopped at a traffic light, Harry gave Caitlin a mock glare. "You know us actors are sensitive about our ages."
"You're many things, but you're not age obsessed." Caitlin withdrew the cord from the glove box and connected her phone. "Thanks."
"Don't be too happy. I didn't want you using all my data."
Caitlin rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, old man."
Home had never called so strongly to Harry before; the weather was beautiful - a brightly blazing sun and endless blue sky - the grass and flowers were out in full glory. Harry removed his shoes and took his book out into the courtyard so he could enjoy the fresh air, turning on his favourite music before settling down on an Adirondack chair.
Realizing he'd read the same paragraph several times without making sense of it, he shut the book and sighed. Something felt…off. Not quite right. Work on the movie was going good - most of his scenes were in the can and he was enjoying his co-workers - well, most of them. He still hadn't warmed up very much to Julian, but the man had made an effort to be more friendly.
Stomach rumbling, Harry decided to fix that problem, but upon surveying the contents of his fridge decided a trip to the grocery store was first. Or should he dine out? Thoughts of Trevelyan's Tavern flitted into his brain and he immediately squashed them. Caitlin and her date were there, and it was already weird enough that they were carpooling, if he showed up and Caitlin noticed, she would definitely think he was creepin'. Did young people call it that anymore? Eh.
Harry pulled into the closest supermarket and parked - but before he could exit the car, his phone rang. "Yello?"
"I need a favour! Can you pick me up?"
"I'm fine, how're you?"
Harry regretted his flippancy at Caitlin's next words. "My date is not going well - he's got a restraining order against him-" her voice grew louder, "-and he's proud of that!"
"I can be there in under ten minutes." Harry grimaced. "Has he threatened you?"
"No, but he's creeping me out something fierce." Her voice faltered, and in the background, Harry could hear a staccato knocking. "Ugh - he's pounding on the ladies' room door. Come in and tell him I've got a family emergency?"
"Hang in there, I'm on my way."
Caitlin saw Harry first and bolted from her chair so fast it almost toppled. "Harry!"
"What's going on?" asked Caitlin's date, "You know this guy? That ain't your dad, is it?"
Life pivots on a fulcrum - choices, opportunity, and serendipity wreak havoc on the best-laid plans and intentions.
"I'm her -"
"Previous boyfriend!" Caitlin lunged over to take hold of Harry's hand and started babbling. "Just seeing you has stirred up memories! I realize now I can't move forward because I'm still stuck on you." She flung her purse over her shoulder and gave her ill-fated date a stilted smile. "It wouldn't be fair to you to lead you on, I'm sorry, Tony."
Confusion was replaced by arrogance on Tony's reddening face. "You're out with me, he musta dumped you and you think he'd take you back like that?" Tony snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. "I don't think so."
"Regardless of what you think, the lady has ended her date with you - and we'll be leaving." Harry had to admit he liked how tight Caitlin was twined around his arm, but this was a performance and he loathed how her fear of this guy, Tony, was making her act.
"Not before she pays her share. I don't like not gettin' something for something." Tony rose out of his seat and glared. "This place ain't cheap, and-"
Harry held out his hand and cut off Tony. "Allow me." Harry took out his wallet as best he could one-handed and tossed several twenties onto the table. "We'll be going." He patted Caitlin on the shoulder and smiled.
Caitlin gave a jerky nod and if her smile wasn't happy at least it was relieved. "I think this is for the best."
"Whatever." Tony picked up the money and shoved it into a pocket. "What a waste of my valuable time."