After spending all day inside a warehouse that was under a snowstorm, Lelah was glad to be outside in the heat, even if the area around the studios was scary.? She stood inside the guardhouse, chatting amicably with the two security guards stationed there.? They were talking about the first day of filming, which had been a fantastic success, despite the fact that the lead actress had screwed up two scenes so many times that Lelah had seriously considered firing the girl and taking the role on herself.
It had been wonderful to see her investors, too; even Alain, with whom things were still very strained.? She'd let them watch about an hour and a half of filming and then taken them on a tour of the lot, showing off with pride the three sound stages, various permanent back lot sets, and the state-of-the-art editing and post-production facilities before they broke for lunch and the VIPs had gone home.? All in all, the first day in the city's first movie studios, while shooting the city's first locally-produced film had been quite excellent and Lelah was looking forward to telling Daniel all about it.
Lelah had rung him at about a quarter after 2, saying she was finishing up at the studio.? He'd told her he was on the way to meet her there, then, and left the Inn.? He'd gone there after his successful hunt, avoiding Twin Oaks and the awkward questions Riley was sure to ask.? Ironically, his nose had told him that both Riley and David had been at the Inn less than an hour before he'd arrived.? Talk about a close call.? Eventually he'd have to tell Riley what had happened, but it could wait a little bit.? The night was pleasantly warm as he jogged the streets between the Inn and the Studios.? Up ahead, he could see the gates to the studio, and light streaming from the guard house, which was his destination.
She spotted Daniel and thanked the guards for keeping her company before stepping out of the little house and greeting the Leopard properly -- namely with a tight squeeze and a soul-searing kiss.? "Hello," she murmured against his lips before turning and sliding her arm through his.
It was a very enjoyable sort of greeting, one that he was more than willing to return.? He wondered what the guards thought about the kiss, which would probably have garnered at least an R-rating from the MPAA.? Quite likely, they were wishing they were the recipients of such a greeting.? "Hello yourself," he said quietly, giving her a wide smile.? "How was your first day of filming?"
"Brilliant," she said with a perfect, blue-blood English accent and a sly little smile before slipping back into her own, heavily New York City-accented voice.? "Except I may have to fire my lead actress.? She's great at pensive and thoughtful but can't quite manage to capture fear very well.? And she's about as bright as a sack full of broken light bulbs."? She cuddled close against him, leaning her head against his shoulder.? "How was your Monday?"
"Someone's taught you to speak properly, I see," he said teasingly.? "And might I add that you look as lovely as always despite the late hour."? He ducked his head, rubbing his cheek across the top of her head with a soft purr.? "My day was good, though hardly as exciting as yours."? Though just what excitement he'd actually had was something she'd never know.? "That's unfortunate about your lead.? What do you plan to do about it?"
She shrugged a little.? "I'm not sure, actually.? If worst comes to worse, I'll just have to fire her and take on the part myself.? Which means re-shooting everything and extending the production calendar, which means pushing the release date back...which might mean my investors will be all over me."? She shook her head sadly.? "I think I'll just try to coach her as best as I can.? Thankfully, the scenes where she has to act afraid are few."
"That's good, then.? I'm sure you'll be able to coach her properly.? I've faith in your abilities."? He smiled at her.? "Have you eaten lately?? It's not too late to stop and pick something up."
Her stomach growled loudly at the mention of food and she colored.? "No.? Obviously.? I think the last time I had anything was at dinner, which was...? What time is it anyway?"
"It's almost three in the morning.? I was beginning to wonder if you were planning on camping out at the studio.? What would you like to eat?"
She whistled softly at the time.? "I suppose breakfast at this hour, huh?? I didn't intend to stay so late, but the dailies were really good and we started doing a little editing, too."
"Breakfast is fine, sure.? Do you want to pick something up, or shall I cook for you?"? He wasn't the least bit tired, unsurprisingly, after the thrill of the hunt.
"Mmm," she said, thinking of breakfast yesterday morning.? "I think I'll let you cook again."? The lights of Mr Oxley's own gatehouse were burning just ahead and she picked up her pace.? "I wonder if James remembered to take Oscar out today?" she mused quietly.? "I need to find someone else to walk him a few times during the day while I'm on set."
"I'd be happy to do it for you, if you like.? I let him out for a while this morning before I left."? He paused as the reached the gatehouse, waiting for her to unlock the door, then lead her inside.? He enjoyed being able to open doors and pull out chairs for her; it was the way he'd been brought up, and Riley's anti-chivalry policy had been difficult to get used to.
"No," she said and unlocked the gate.? "I couldn't ask you to do that.? You're, you know, a cat and all.? Besides, I'm not sure he's entirely comfortable in your company yet."? As they rounded the manor house proper, Lelah could make out the outline of Oscar's head in the dining room window of the loft and could just hear his yodeling.
He tilted his head at her.? "So what if I'm a Cat?? I still know how to walk.? Besides, what better way for him to get comfortable with me than to spend time together, hmm?"? He chuckled as he heard the yodeling.? "Sounds like he's happy to see you coming."
"Well, isn't it, you know, beneath you to be seen walking a dog?" she asked with wide, teasing eyes before climbing the steps and opening the door to the loft.? The dog in question shot out of the door like someone had fired him from a cannon, sniffed Lelah's bare toes, licked the arch of her foot, and then barreled past Daniel and out into the lawn.
He grinned mischievously at her.? "We Cats can make doing anything look good."? He tracked Oscar's frenetic movements, snickering softly as he followed Lelah inside.
She giggled at that and left the front door open for Oscar.? "Do you mind if I change really quickly?? Skinny jeans may look fabulous but after spending nearly 24 hours in them, they really start to not feel so wonderful."
The grin turned from mischief to outright wickedness.? "Go right ahead.? In fact, take it all off.? I won't complain."
It had been wonderful to see her investors, too; even Alain, with whom things were still very strained.? She'd let them watch about an hour and a half of filming and then taken them on a tour of the lot, showing off with pride the three sound stages, various permanent back lot sets, and the state-of-the-art editing and post-production facilities before they broke for lunch and the VIPs had gone home.? All in all, the first day in the city's first movie studios, while shooting the city's first locally-produced film had been quite excellent and Lelah was looking forward to telling Daniel all about it.
Lelah had rung him at about a quarter after 2, saying she was finishing up at the studio.? He'd told her he was on the way to meet her there, then, and left the Inn.? He'd gone there after his successful hunt, avoiding Twin Oaks and the awkward questions Riley was sure to ask.? Ironically, his nose had told him that both Riley and David had been at the Inn less than an hour before he'd arrived.? Talk about a close call.? Eventually he'd have to tell Riley what had happened, but it could wait a little bit.? The night was pleasantly warm as he jogged the streets between the Inn and the Studios.? Up ahead, he could see the gates to the studio, and light streaming from the guard house, which was his destination.
She spotted Daniel and thanked the guards for keeping her company before stepping out of the little house and greeting the Leopard properly -- namely with a tight squeeze and a soul-searing kiss.? "Hello," she murmured against his lips before turning and sliding her arm through his.
It was a very enjoyable sort of greeting, one that he was more than willing to return.? He wondered what the guards thought about the kiss, which would probably have garnered at least an R-rating from the MPAA.? Quite likely, they were wishing they were the recipients of such a greeting.? "Hello yourself," he said quietly, giving her a wide smile.? "How was your first day of filming?"
"Brilliant," she said with a perfect, blue-blood English accent and a sly little smile before slipping back into her own, heavily New York City-accented voice.? "Except I may have to fire my lead actress.? She's great at pensive and thoughtful but can't quite manage to capture fear very well.? And she's about as bright as a sack full of broken light bulbs."? She cuddled close against him, leaning her head against his shoulder.? "How was your Monday?"
"Someone's taught you to speak properly, I see," he said teasingly.? "And might I add that you look as lovely as always despite the late hour."? He ducked his head, rubbing his cheek across the top of her head with a soft purr.? "My day was good, though hardly as exciting as yours."? Though just what excitement he'd actually had was something she'd never know.? "That's unfortunate about your lead.? What do you plan to do about it?"
She shrugged a little.? "I'm not sure, actually.? If worst comes to worse, I'll just have to fire her and take on the part myself.? Which means re-shooting everything and extending the production calendar, which means pushing the release date back...which might mean my investors will be all over me."? She shook her head sadly.? "I think I'll just try to coach her as best as I can.? Thankfully, the scenes where she has to act afraid are few."
"That's good, then.? I'm sure you'll be able to coach her properly.? I've faith in your abilities."? He smiled at her.? "Have you eaten lately?? It's not too late to stop and pick something up."
Her stomach growled loudly at the mention of food and she colored.? "No.? Obviously.? I think the last time I had anything was at dinner, which was...? What time is it anyway?"
"It's almost three in the morning.? I was beginning to wonder if you were planning on camping out at the studio.? What would you like to eat?"
She whistled softly at the time.? "I suppose breakfast at this hour, huh?? I didn't intend to stay so late, but the dailies were really good and we started doing a little editing, too."
"Breakfast is fine, sure.? Do you want to pick something up, or shall I cook for you?"? He wasn't the least bit tired, unsurprisingly, after the thrill of the hunt.
"Mmm," she said, thinking of breakfast yesterday morning.? "I think I'll let you cook again."? The lights of Mr Oxley's own gatehouse were burning just ahead and she picked up her pace.? "I wonder if James remembered to take Oscar out today?" she mused quietly.? "I need to find someone else to walk him a few times during the day while I'm on set."
"I'd be happy to do it for you, if you like.? I let him out for a while this morning before I left."? He paused as the reached the gatehouse, waiting for her to unlock the door, then lead her inside.? He enjoyed being able to open doors and pull out chairs for her; it was the way he'd been brought up, and Riley's anti-chivalry policy had been difficult to get used to.
"No," she said and unlocked the gate.? "I couldn't ask you to do that.? You're, you know, a cat and all.? Besides, I'm not sure he's entirely comfortable in your company yet."? As they rounded the manor house proper, Lelah could make out the outline of Oscar's head in the dining room window of the loft and could just hear his yodeling.
He tilted his head at her.? "So what if I'm a Cat?? I still know how to walk.? Besides, what better way for him to get comfortable with me than to spend time together, hmm?"? He chuckled as he heard the yodeling.? "Sounds like he's happy to see you coming."
"Well, isn't it, you know, beneath you to be seen walking a dog?" she asked with wide, teasing eyes before climbing the steps and opening the door to the loft.? The dog in question shot out of the door like someone had fired him from a cannon, sniffed Lelah's bare toes, licked the arch of her foot, and then barreled past Daniel and out into the lawn.
He grinned mischievously at her.? "We Cats can make doing anything look good."? He tracked Oscar's frenetic movements, snickering softly as he followed Lelah inside.
She giggled at that and left the front door open for Oscar.? "Do you mind if I change really quickly?? Skinny jeans may look fabulous but after spending nearly 24 hours in them, they really start to not feel so wonderful."
The grin turned from mischief to outright wickedness.? "Go right ahead.? In fact, take it all off.? I won't complain."