DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . . nor the actors who portray the characters. The characters are property of Ryan Murphy, and the actors are real people who have the best job in the world. This is purely for fun. Enjoy! :)

A/N: I am so happy that some of you recognized my shout-out to my other favorite show, Chuck, in the last chapter. I don't write fics for that show, but I needed to represent it somehow, and the whiskey-drinking, guitar-hero playing tidbit is a nod to Chuck Bartowski!

Sorry for the lack of updates. Glee has returned (TONIGHT!!!), so I won't be updating every day anymore. We shall see.

Casting Call

Chapter Nine: Life's A Beach

Rachel eventually found an apartment in LA, but she spent the first few days with Finn in his apartment.

Puck barely saw them at all.

Finn couldn't help himself. She'd been away from him for so long he felt like he couldn't get enough of her. Eventually he helped her move her stuff into a new apartment not too far from him, and she was settling nicely. They tried to work around their busy schedules to still have time alone together, but it was getting harder and harder by the day. Their schedule had become grueling. They bounced between filming on set, recording in the studio, and the various other dance lessons and photo shoots they had to show up for. Their only consolation was that they were together all the time.

Finn was worried that people were getting suspicious of them. They never openly flirted on set, but they had a chemistry with each other that people had started to notice. They had kissing scenes. Three of them. And when they kissed, the sparks flew. It was hard not to notice. Even when they just goofed around on set in-between takes, he could see people in the crew whispering around him. It was starting to make him paranoid.

As far as the show itself was concerned, things couldn't have been going more smoothly. They were a week away from the big series premiere, and the whole cast was getting ready to fly to New York City for the up-fronts and private screening. They had a ton of events planned; interviews, photo-ops, autograph signing, even a live performance.

Finn was terrified.

He'd never been to New York before. He'd never been interviewed before. And he'd never sung in front of a crowd of people before.

He had no reason NOT to be terrified.

Rachel suggested they get away for a day; she advised that he should get out of the city and clear his head in order to prepare for their trip. So, on the Sunday before the big premiere, she came up with an idea for a getaway.

"Let's go to the beach." She was lying with her head in Finn's lap while he played video games and Rachel watched. He paused the game and looked down at her expectant eyes.

"The beach?" He asked puzzled. "Why?"

"You need an afternoon where you can relax. I love going to the beach. It helps me clear my head."

He mulled the idea over in his head and realized something. "I've never been to the beach before."

She sat up abruptly and knocked his controller off of the couch in a flurry of movement. "What do you mean you've never been to the beach?" Her incredulous tone made him feel self-conscious.

"Well, I'm from Ohio. There are no oceans in Ohio." She crawled forward on her hands and knees until she was straddling his lap. Placing a soft hand on the side of his face, she looked as if she didn't believe him.

"You've really never been to the beach before?" She looked like she wanted to cry. He wrapped his arms around her in a comforting way--as if she was the one who'd never been to the beach.

"Rachel, it's okay, honestly. Let's go. You can show me what I've been missing." A brilliant smile lit up her face and she jumped off of his lap to gather a bag of beach essentials. He followed her around, collecting the towels and blankets she pulled out of his bathroom and putting them into an old backpack. She called her private car, and the driver picked the couple up at Finn's apartment.

The ride to the beach was quiet and serene. Finn held Rachel in his arms as they listened to the radio. They heard a few commercials promoting the show, and Finn almost had a heart attack when he'd heard his and Rachel's voices over the radio. He may have screamed like a girl a little bit. In only a few more days, they would see each other on screen in New York. It seemed almost unreal.

After a long and relaxing drive, the car eventually dropped off the couple at the beach. Finn walked up to the boardwalk, and soaked in the image of the vast, dark ocean stretched out in front of him.

It was amazing. It looked as if it went on forever. Taking a deep breath, he could smell the salt in the air, and taste it on his tongue. The hot sun beat down on him, yet he could feel a cool breeze coming from the ocean and whipping around him. He stared, transfixed, as the water crashed onto the shore, bursting into a cascade of white foam, only to retreat back and crash forward again.

He felt a small hand slip into his, snapping him out of his trance. He stared down at Rachel's shining face, and marveled at how much more beautiful she looked with the sun highlighting all of her features. Her skin was glowing, her eyes were shining, and her hair was highlighted with a mix of brown shades, from light to dark.

"Pretty, isn't it?" He knew she was talking about the beach, but when he answered, he was thinking about her.

"Yeah, it's beautiful."

The long sheet she'd pulled out of his bathroom was covered in sand, even though she'd tried everything in her power to keep it from getting sandy. At the beach, sand was inevitable, but there was nothing she hated more than sitting in sand. It crept up into the most uncomfortable places!

But she didn't mind it all that much, seeing as she was surrounded by the broad body of her lover. Her secret boyfriend. Her world. Ever since she moved back, things had been almost surreal. She had an amazing job, she was finally making friends, and she found a guy who genuinely cared for her. Who was she kidding, Finn was crazy about her, and he had no qualms about expressing his feelings.

It was her who had the problem.

She was worried about how much longer they would be able to keep their affair a secret. Puck already knew, and she was afraid that the cast and crew were starting to pick up on it, too. She couldn't help it if they'd had a lot of kissing scenes in the first few episodes. And she definitely couldn't help it if their acting wasn't so much acting as it was personal enjoyment. He was an amazing kisser, scene or no scene.

She sighed as she stared out into the vast horizon. The sun was starting to set; they'd been sitting on the shore for about three hours already, but neither of them wanted to move. The sky was ablaze with fiery colors, and the hues of yellow, orange and red gave Finn's skin a sun-kissed glow. She looked up at him and felt her heart ache in her chest. She loved him so much it was scary. She'd never opened herself up to a guy like she'd done with Finn before.

And she couldn't even tell anyone about it.

She leaned back into his chest and he dropped his head forward until it was resting on hers in a deep embrace. A lover's embrace. She thought he'd somehow been able to read her mind in this intimate hug, because the next thing he said was the exact thing she was fearing in her heart.

"When are we going to tell people the truth?" She didn't turn around to look at him, instead she leaned into him even more, trying to hide in the safety of his arms.

"I don't know. I don't think now is a good time."

"Why? Because of the premiere?" He sounded so sad. Why was she always the reason he sounded so sad?

"Yeah. We should wait until we see how people react to the show. I think maybe Ryan should know first. Maybe he could tell us what to do." If she was being honest with herself she would have realized that she had no idea what she was doing in regards to confessing their secret relationship. She'd never had to do it before, and she was thinking that maybe they should hire a publicist.

"So, if I'm interviewed, and someone asks me a question about you, or if I have a girlfriend, what should I say?" She shook her head. She didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure of anything anymore. A few weeks ago, she would have laughed in someone's face if they'd told her she would have a secret love affair with a co-star. Now she was so overwhelmed with the reality of it all, she didn't know how to deal.

"Tell them you're single." She couldn't avoid the curt tone to her voice, and the way she turned her head so she could bury it into his chest, escaping from the harsh world into the safety of his body. This was supposed to be a day of clarity, not a day of stress!

"Okay." He seemed to drop the subject and she was grateful. She hadn't thought far enough ahead to consider interviews and details of that nature. The sun continued to set and she relaxed into Finn again, trying to avoid thinking about their secret relationship and the potential backlash it could receive. "Thanks for bringing me here. It was just like I'd imagined it."

She lifted her head up and out of his shirt to look into his eyes. He was looking out to the water, and she could see a peaceful expression softening up his features. "What do you mean?"

He smiled and looked down at her before returning his gaze to the sea. "Well, I don't know if you've figured this out about me yet, but I'm a bit of a daydreamer. You know? Small town boy and all, I had nothing better to do but imagine a better life for me. I would sit around and think about all the things I wanted to do, but never thought I could." His beaming smile warmed her heart. "Like today. Sitting here, on a beach, with you. It's all I ever dreamed of and more." Leaning down, he caught her lips in a soft, tender, kiss. "And now I feel like it's all come true. After this week, I don't think things will be the same anymore." His words were positive, and his smile was proof of that; but they left her with a feeling she couldn't shake off, even after boarding the plane to New York, two days later.

When Finn and the cast of Glee touched down in New York, Finn felt like he had reverted back into a young kid. He was filled with childish wonder as he stared around him at the massive structures that stretched into the sky, and the crowds of people that filled the giant sidewalks. New York seemed like another world to him, and he was constantly distracted by something new and different to him.

But this was no time to be a tourist. He had to keep reminding himself that this trip was strictly business, and not pleasure. The show was on the line. He had to answer every question professionally, and be on his best behavior.

And make absolutely no allusions to the fact that he was having a passionate love affair with the star of the show.

Sitting in a make up chair, he waited patiently for the cast to get ready as a woman spread pressed powder over his face. They had to first perform, then they could meet the crowd and sign autographs before the show started. Then they had to sit through interviews.

To say he was nervous was an understatement. His palms were sweaty and he thought he was going to puke. He had to sing in fifteen minutes and his entire career was riding on this one episode.

A light touch on his shoulder brought him back to the present, and Rachel was there beside him with a worried look on her face.

"Are you okay, Finn?" He touched the hand that was on his shoulder, and wanted so badly to kiss her. Unfortunately for him, they were surrounded by people.

"Just nervous, Broadway. Today is a big day."

She nodded her head and bit her lip. "I know." He couldn't believe his eyes. Was Rachel, Rachel Berry the Broadway Star, actually nervous?

"Hey, look at me." She lifted her head and he could see the worry etched deep into her face. "You have nothing to be worried about. You are amazing. This show is going to kick-ass, I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure?"

For a moment, he forgot where he was. He forgot that he was surrounded by people, and that flirting and PDA was explicitly against their rules. He leaned forward until their foreheads touched, and her hair formed a curtain around their faces. Here, it was just Finn and Rachel--no one else mattered. "Don't you feel it, Rachel? This show is special. I have a feeling that this is going to be big, and we're a part of it. You'll see." She nodded her head and he leaned forward to capture her lips in the fastest kiss he could muster. He pulled apart from her, and heard the event planners call for the cast to get into place. "Let's go, Broadway. It's time." She beamed at him and followed him out of the small room.

Neither of them truly realized that they had just kissed in front of the entire cast and crew. But Finn heard the whispers behind him, and when he turned around he saw Rachel's shining smile, and the shocked faces of Kurt, Mercedes, and Tina behind her, who were whispering to each other and pointing at him. He realized in an instant what had happened; that they had lost themselves while comforting each other and broke their one cardinal rule: NO PDA.

OH SHIT.

The cast was led to the backstage area, where the group warmed up while the stage was getting sound-checked. He felt the eyes of Artie on him, and even locked eyes with Ryan who had been giving pep talks in the dressing room with them. He did not look happy. He looked down at Rachel, and she still seemed unaware that people had noticed them kiss. He poked her in the arm, and she looked at him expectantly while she was warming up.

He leaned over to whisper, "Everyone saw us kiss!", while she continued to exercise her vocal chords. She went sharp on the note she was holding, and she covered her mouth with both hands in embarrassment. She locked eyes with Ryan and her eyes stayed wide open in shock. She continued to warm-up, but she could barely control the light tremor in her voice. He could see tears gathering in her eyes, as the wavering became slightly more prominent. He had never heard Rachel sound like this before.

Oh-no.

They had to sing in about five minutes, and Rachel looked like she was going to have a meltdown. He reached out for her hand and she swatted it away. Completely hurt and totally dejected, he took a step away from her and focused on warming up. He could not get into relationship drama right now. They had to perform. Eventually, Rachel composed herself, and her voice sounded in top shape. The stage crew finished the sound check outside where they would be performing, and the cast lined up to get ready.

As Ryan walked up and down the line, giving the other cast members encouragement and "Good Luck," he had only one thing to say to Finn.

"When today is over, we have a lot to discuss."

Not the best thing to hear right before you're about to give the performance of your life.

But he sucked it up. The whole show was riding on today. He had to make it work.

Rachel was in awe of the final product of the pilot. She stood up on her feet and clapped enthusiastically while the credits rolled. Seeing it in New York, watching it for the first time in her hometown with her friends and family, was one of the most amazing experiences of her life.

Too bad her secret relationship was crumbling around her and she hadn't had a second all day to try and pick up the pieces.

Finn sat next to her, of course. They were the leads, Cory and Lea, so they were told to sit next to each other. It was nice, even if they did share about a million awkward looks and longing glances throughout the majority of the day. They had to be all smiles for the photographers, posing and laughing and looking cute. But, when the screening began, they couldn't help but let their inner turmoil show. They were trying to avoid touching each other, but all they wanted to do was hold hands. The cast was still giving them weird looks and she knew she was in trouble with Ryan. He had said that they needed to talk after the stress of the night was over. Thank God she was a professional and was able to hold it together; the performance went smoothly enough for their first time live.

After the show was over, they signed autographs and took pictures with fans who had stayed after the show. She laughed as Finn enthusiastically signed people's posters and took pictures with fans. She realized he had never done this before, and she knew he was probably excited about having fans.

She wanted to share that with him. But she was in hot water.

She saw Ryan staring at her from across the pavilion, waiting for her and Finn to finish with the fans before joining him for their "conversation". The hot water was starting to boil.

She signed a few more autographs and called out to Finn. "Ohio! It's time to talk to Ryan." He nodded grimly at her, and signed a final poster before following her back into the building.

When they were out of sight from the cameras, they held hands as they followed Ryan back into their dressing room.

Salut mes amis!

I am so sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter. It might be a while before I can get the next one out, but I am slowly figuring out where I'm taking the rest of the story. A few more chapters!

ENJOY THE PREMIERE OF GLEE EVERYONE! YAY!!

Until Next Time. . .*sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk