I woke up early this morning, for some reason not being able to sleep for much more than a couple of hours at a time. Maybe because of the start of a cold or worse that is lingering in my body, or the fact that I only have two weeks left before I board another plane to head back to Los Angeles.
Taylor is still asleep, as well as my "loyal" dog, who has gotten very good at sneaking in bed and laying in between Taylor and I. There are many occasion when I have sleepily turned to give her a kiss and have been met with a mouth full of dog tongue. I love my dog, but that was pretty disgusting.
I have been sitting on the bench next to the big window in the kitchen, nursing my third cup of coffee, just admiring the morning New York traffic. I like the busyness here. I mean, of course LA, is busy as well but it is all different here. I used to think that I would never want to leave LA and build a home somewhere else, but now New York is all I can think about…oh and the stunning blonde that is down the hall snoring in our bed.
I have to wake her soon. We have a cast photo shoot today and then Tay and I will be headed to New Jersey to spend a few days with my family.
Which is not even the best part.
We were able to arrange it to where Taylor's family would be able to meet us out there as well. Tay and I found out that our parents have been calling each other pretty frequently to get updates about our relationship and to plan a big holiday soiree this year. We both think it is pretty great that they all get along. We are both so close to our families that I am sure that we would be totally lost if they did not have some sort of liking to each other.
We have yet to all be in the same room together yet, and knowing how my family is when they are all together and how Taylor's is as well, this is most definitely going to be one hilarious fucking few days. I shake my head and chuckle just thinking about the fun and mischief that we are all going to get into.
"What's so funny?" I hear my girlfriend groggily say from just behind me.
I turn around and catch a glimpse of the beauty in front of me rubbing her eyes and yawning loudly. I smile and pat the empty space in front of me. She sits down immediately and lays her back against my front. I kiss the top of her head and bring my arms around her to hold her close.
"I was just thinking about the trouble that we are all going to get into when the Prepon/Schilling fams come together for a few days." She giggles into my chest and then looks up with a big smile.
"Oh my god, when my family sees the Prepon dance routine they are going to try to join in." I see Taylor's face start to turn red with embarrassment.
"That will be epic. I will be sure to get that on video, so that we can share that with the rest of our friends." She face palms and shakes her head.
We sit staring out of the window for a few more moments before we decide it is probably time for us to get up and get ready. We have a photo shoot near Manhattan here in a few hours, but Jenji warned all of us that we better arrive at least an hour or so early so that we can get into wardrobe and makeup.
"How are we on time Laura?" I take a look at the clock in our bedroom.
"We need to leave in about 45 minutes." She starts to contemplate something in her mind and then grins softly.
"If we shower together we can save on time." She nonchalantly chimes in as she makes her way into the bathroom stripping off her clothes on the way.
After less than a second of thinking about it, I decide that she is right and hurriedly strip down and make my way in to join her.
"No funny business blondie, we have to hurry."
Needless to say, she didn't listen to me and we ended up leaving the house almost an hour later than what I was looking for.
I am the type of person that likes to be early and prompt. My girlfriend on the other hand is happy getting somewhere right on time or fashionably late.
"Do you know exactly where we need to be?" Taylor asks me while she watches the cars go by.
"I believe Jenji said to meet up at Lot 4." I look around and finally find where there is a group of familiar people standing.
"You know that she is going to know?" I tell Taylor. She just hums and makes her way out of the car.
"Where the fuck have you been Pre? Figured you would have been here an hour ago. You never make it here before me." Tash runs up and practically jumps into my arms.
"I got a little held up, an issue with the shower." I try to sound convincing.
"Yeah, more like an issue with someone else in the shower." Jenji comes up behind me and whispers in my ear.
"I fucking told you Taylor." I whisper shout playfully at my completely crimson faced girlfriend.
"Jenji says we are shooting promos for season 2 today." I smile, remembering how much fun we had shooting the promotional pictures for season 1.
"Okay cast, I need to you all to vacate to the area that contains your name and get into wardrobe so that these nice gentlemen and women that are braving the cold with us today can get on with it." With that we make our way to our areas.
"So Pre, how is it going? Haven't seen too much of you lately. I miss you kid."
"Not much Tash. I will be on set more in the next couple of weeks to finish up my season 2 storyline and then it is back to LA for a few more months."
"How's that going to go down this time? Blondie over there was pretty fucked without you. You know, I have to admit girl, I missed the hell out of you too."
"I missed you too T and just so you know, I was pretty fucked without her too." She flashes me a sympathetic look and we both turn back to get finished up.
Almost an hour later, my hair was curled at the ends, my fake tattoos were in place, my hot secretary glasses were in hand and I was in my wonderful khaki get up.
"Hey there hot shot." I laugh out loud when I see Taylor and Taryn saunter up next to me, followed by T and Yael.
"Hey there yourself blondie." I put one of my arms around her back and we all walk over towards the wonderful Jenji.
"Okay team, the first few shots will consist of each of you by yourselves, and then as we finish those up, we will move into the group shot." Jenji looks over at me and sends me a playful smirk. I raise my eyebrow, just wondering what is turning in that creative mind of hers.
"Prepon you are up."
I walk up to the makeshift green screen that is set up for my promo shot and stand there waiting for my cue. After some adjustments with the camera I am given a black sharpie. I look at it curiously, waiting for my direction.
"Okay Laura, as soon as I say go, you are going to angle the sharpie up and make it look like you are winging out your eyeliner." I shake my head and start to laugh.
"Okay, I think I can do that." The camera man smiles and gets back into place.
While he is getting ready I set my glasses to the side and wait for my go ahead.
"Ready." As soon as he shouts out I do as I am told and bring the marker up in a swiping motion near my eye as he takes about 10 different photos.
"Done with that part. Let me look over the shots." He calls me over to look with him.
"Fucking brilliant." He yells out with a smile and gives me a high five.
"Okay we have one more promo segment to run. This will consist of a little 5 second video. You will do the exact same thing you just did, but after a couple of seconds I want you to put your glasses on and then put your hand on your hip."
"I got it." I smile and then get back in front of the green screen.
"Okay Laura…now."
As soon as I finished my little video, he called cut and then signaled me over for the second time to review the footage that he had just shot. After seeing it, I was pretty proud of the tiny scene. Especially the end where the editor slid in the lines Ex Marks the Spot.
I found that to be pretty fucking funny.
Once I was released, I made it over to where Taylor and Tash were shooting. I had to hold in a laugh as soon as I locked eyes with Taylor and I saw her hands. She was clad in duct tape gloves, waiting for T to finish up so that she could film.
"How's my little UFC fighter?" I slide up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. I slide my chin on her shoulder and listen to her sigh. When she cranes her neck up to look at me, her face turns up into a huge grin.
"Hey there new glasses?" I smile at her quoting lines from season one of our show.
"Better to see you with my dear." I say back in character.
"Hey, you two stop eye fucking each other, Schilling you're up." T says with a little slap to my arm.
"Fuck you." I say, sending her a playful glare.
Taylor reluctantly leaves my embrace and makes her way over to film her piece. T and I stood there watching and laughing at Taylor as she had to put on this really serious and mean face. After Taylor cracked up the third time from our interruptions, we were asked to go and taunt someone else.
Tash and I walked around for a while poking fun. We stopped to eye Taryn, who was clad in her signature grey hoodie and holding a paper plate over her head.
"Is she supposed to be Christmas dinner or something?" Tash yells out.
"No, you ass, she is an angel. The plate in her halo." I tell her.
Taryn hears us talking and then laughs loudly holding onto her stomach. They had to reshoot her segment once she calmed down.
"Hey Yael, love the toilet paper wedding dress."
I watch as Yael flips Tash off and goes back to shooting her promo, without any hesitance.
After about four hours, all of the individual shoots were finished up. We then were called over to a bigger green screen where it was explained that we would shoot our group pictures. They had decided on a fun shot for the Season 2 spread, rather than a more serious one.
"Okay everyone, last year we used the tagline Every Sentence Has a Story, this year we are going with Back with Conviction." Jenji tells us and we all clap loudly from the reveal.
"So once we get you all onto your markers, stay in place, as we will take a few running shots." Everyone gets really excited at the fact that after hours of individual shots, we are getting a chance to do something altogether.
"Mendez, I want your arm around Chapman's neck. Black Cindy I want to hold back Healy as he tries to go after Nichols." We listen in for our cues, and laugh at the fact that she uses our character's names.
"Gloria, Morello, Tastee and Poussey, I want you all too somehow pose on the ground. Caputo, I want you to have your hands over your eyes. Pennsatucky, I want you right behind Crazy Eyes with your hand on her head. Hmmm, who am I forgetting? Oh, Daya, I want you between Healy and Mendez, Red on the outer side hands crossed and Vause…I want you front and center, hands out-stretched, looking like a boss." I shake my head and laugh at my directions.
After the camera flashed a few times, the cameraman raised his hands, and Jenji stepped up to talk to us.
"Okay everyone, that's a wrap. Great job, remember we all are taking a four day break and then we will get back to business."
Everyone cheers at the fact that we are getting a long weekend. After a few minutes we all walk around and mingle with one another before getting out of costume and back into regular clothes. Taylor and I stayed on the shoot set for another hour to hang out before we finally chose to hit the road.
"That was one of the more fun shoots that we have done." Taylor says looking out of the window, staring at the passing traffic.
"I think so too." I say in agreement.
Taylor and I made our way back home to get packed for the few days that we are going to be with our families. After packing a suitcase filled with our things, we whistled for Lambert to join us and locked up. We then loaded our stuff, including our canine and started on the drive to my mother's house.
"Taylor, I hope you brought warm clothes to wear to bed."
"Why, you always keep me warm." She says with a hint of confusion in her voice.
"My mom is old fashioned, we are not going to be able to sleep in the same bed." She looks at me wide eyed.
After a couple of minutes, I finally start to crack up.
"I'm just fucking with you." I watch as her face softens and she settles down.
I slide my hand over to sit on top of hers.
"That wasn't funny." She says with a chuckle.
"It was a little." I squeeze her hand and then turn my attention back to the road.
Author Notes.
Just to put you all at ease, there is no way that I am ending this story. At least not anytime soon.
My emotions have just been all over the place lately and it is obviously affecting my writing. In my opinion.
Sorry for that. I am not usually one to openly spill my shit.
I am still enjoying this story. I just felt for a moment that I was losing the storyline, which I have seen through your kind reviews, that was actually not the case.
Thank you for all of that.
On that note…I hope you are all in for a fun next chapter with the Prepon Schilling clan…
Any other suggestions or ideas for this story…I'm open to them.
Thank you all again.
Please Review.