DEZ

INT. EDITING SUITE—DAY

DEZ and RILEY sit in front of the monitor. The camera goes back and forth, taking a close-up of each face. RILEY looks nervous. DEZ beams.

DEZ hits a few keystrokes and RILEY’S face appears on the screen.

I know I was going to wait for Riley to make a move, do the smart thing and all that. But all I could hear in my head was Wyatt Earp in Tombstone. He kept asking me over and over, “Are you gonna do something? Or just stand there and bleed?”

Well, I was tired of bleeding and decided it was time for action.

It worked. Riley said yes to my proposal. I can barely contain my excitement as we sit in the small editing suite. It’s almost too much to be this close. I want to reach out and touch her.

We sit and watch the first completed section of the film. I have to say it’s good. Really good. How could it not be, with Riley’s face in every scene?

“Shhh,” I say as she giggles at herself onscreen. “This is my favorite part.” It’s a close-up of Rye.

“Oh my God,” she squeals.

“What? You don’t like it?” My heart sinks.

“No, it’s not that. Your work is amazing, Dez.” She shifts in her chair. “I just don’t like seeing this much of myself.”

“Well, speak for yourself.” I lean into her shoulder. “I could watch this … watch you, all day.”

“Stop.”

Riley blushes, but I just shake my head.