Chapter 4

David rolled in the confined space and burrowed deeper under the covers. He wasn't used to relying on thick blankets to stay warm. Miami was like a dream, and he wished the strike would be over so he could go back. But the reality was, after his phone charged last night, he picked up several messages from Murray, his friend with a hand on the pulse of the union. Nothing had changed. In fact, his abandoning Miami with the cast left some ruffled feathers and threats. He had a few on his phone from people he didn't know. God only knew how they got his number.

Afterwards, everyone saw how down he was about the messages. The last thing he remembered was that he was on his third mojito...at least he thought it was his third...

The sound of running water made his eyes fly open. The sun pierced through the front windows and a beam settled right into his eyes like an ice pick boring into his brain. "Ohhhhhh." He groaned and threw an arm over his face as he realized that he was bundled up in a blanket and comforter on Ian's couch. The fire snapped and radiated warmth his way. If it were under better circumstances, he would enjoy it. But with a hangover the size of Portland...

"Mornin', sleepyhead!"

David pulled his arm away just enough to squint at Ian with one eye. "You...you've got to be kidding me. What happened last night?"

"We had dinner, and a few drinks. Guess things got a little out of hand for you." Ian looked contrite. "Sorry, I should have insisted and cut you off so you could get back to the hotel. But you were having a great time, finally relaxed..." He frowned. "I'll, uh, get you some aspirin for that headache."

Ian set a full coffee cup on the table in front of David and quickly disappeared. His footsteps on the wood floor faded away as David tried to sit up, but somehow he'd rolled himself into a cocoon of covers, and now he was wrapped up like King Tut. He almost threw himself off the couch trying to swing his legs to the side.

"Hey, woah there!" Ian gave him a steadying hand. "Is it safe for you to sit?"

"Yeah, I'm good." He pushed his arms out of the covers, grabbed the aspirin bottle from Ian's hand and shook out a few tablets.

"Hey Dave, I've been thinking." Ian took a seat beside him "Maybe you should just stay here for the duration of the shoot." He smiled. "Then you don't have to worry about navigating the twisting roads at night or anything. I mean, people who aren't from around here don't like driving at night. And if you're tired, it's even worse."

David smiled. Here was a guy who understood the long hours he invested in his creation. There were many nights in Miami when the cast and crew went home or out to party, and he was still working through storyboards, stunt coordinations, and consultations. Sometimes he slept in his office because he was so tired. Not having to navigate the twisting roads in the dark and possibly bad weather was a god-send. "Thanks, but...I don't want to put you guys out."

A serious expression crossed Ian's face. "Believe me, if you don't stay, Leesa...well, all I can say is, you'd have to tell her yourself. She was really worried about you last night, and I caught hell for letting you drink too much." He shrugged. "But, hey, that was yesterday. Today's another day!" He stood, reached for the fireplace poker and tended to the fire. "I don't think we'll need this for much longer. They're talking about the temperature getting up into the high 40s, and by the end of the week it should be in the high 50s. Just about time we want to start shooting! Isn't that great?"

"Yeah, fabulous." David tried not to glare at Ian's cheerful grin. He was in no mood right now. He just wanted to burrow into the covers again until his headache went away and he could sit up without feeling like he would lose his insides at any moment.

The smile wiped off Ian's face. "Hey buddy, let's get you to the bathroom."

As David lost what little he had in his stomach, Ian spoke through the closed door. "Frankly, I think everybody should stay here. We've got the room in the house if you and Rick bunk together, and Jackie and Stella can share a room. Then there's always the couch for Tony, unless you want it. You know how comfortable that thing is."

"Yeah, sure, whatever." He was too focused on his misery to care