My alarm clock blares and I groan as I pull one pillow over my head. It is already 4AM, the usual time I've had to get up since I began working at the small bakery in town. I doubted I would ever get used to starting my day before sunrise, but there was never any shortage of baking and preparing to be done before it opened.
We weren't exactly what I would call the biggest town in the world, but business was always booming, which was pretty impressive for such an out-of-the-way hole in the wall.
On top of working there, I also attended culinary school part-time, a stepping stone to someday running my own bakery or restaurant. Most days, my best friend, Kayla, who also worked in the service industry, as a bartender, just a few blocks away, stopped by during my lunch break.
One rainy morning, during an unusually slow period, I am arranging the pastry displays, when Kayla blows in, her excitement palpitating.
"You're not going to believe this, but word around town is that a movie is filming around here with some pretty well-known stars."
"Oh yeah? Like who?" I ask absentmindedly, while clearing away the tables, balancing stacks of dirty plates left behind by the breakfast crowd on one arm.
"I don't remember all that many, but I'm pretty sure that one of them is Justin Hartley. Now, he's HOT!" Kayla exclaims.
"True, he's pretty cute," I say nonchalantly, not wanting to sound too much like an immature fangirl.
"Pretty cute? Admit it, he's damn sexy."
"Let's be realistic, I'm too old to be pining over celebrities," I say, wiping my hands on my apron after dropping the dishes away in the kitchen.
"Nobody says you have to hang posters of him on your bedroom wall, but actually getting HIM in your bedroom, now, that's a different story," Kayla says, wiggling her eyebrows. "Maybe he'll just drop by one of these days."
"Why would he even come here? There's probably catering services on the set," I argue, refusing to allow myself to become too hopeful or expectant.
A few days later, the shop is bustling. I am so busy trying to get through the line of customers waiting to order, that I barely have time to look up. When I do, I am left speechless by who is standing in front of me.
"Hi," none other than Justin Hartley says with a beaming smile. "Just a coffee for me, please. Black."
I punch in the total and enter the change amount in the register. Still not having said a word, he must surely think that I am a complete simpleton. My first impression is that he seems pretty nice and down to earth, not at all snobby or demanding like I imagined most celebrities to be. By the time I hand him his coffee, I have somewhat recovered enough to say,
"So it's true. There IS a movie filming here. That's pretty unheard of in this neck of the woods."
"Now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever heard of this place before. But it's nice to film somewhere different than the usual big cities."
I am about to say something else, when a few customers are waving to get my attention and I have to excuse myself before heading towards their table.
After I finish taking care of what the customers requested, Justin starts walking towards the exit, but turns before leaving,
"Maybe I'll come back some other time, when you're less busy. No, not maybe, more like definitely. I'd really like to talk with you a bit longer."
I smile shyly, "I'd love that. And I'll hold you to it."
Justin starts heading out, when Kayla appears, almost running into him. He quickly jumps out of the way and holds the door open for her as she enters like the wind blew her in.
When she finally realizes who it is, she does a double-take,
"Oh, hello! Please don't tell me I'm too late for the introductions."
Justin laughs, shakes his head and waves,
"Let's keep the introductions for next time," he says before stepping out on the sidewalk and disappearing out of view.
"I can't believe he actually showed up, and he's a real gentleman, too."
"What did you do?" I ask her, with mock accusation.
"Just a bit of promotional advertising," she confesses, looking quite proud of herself. "So, did you get his number?
'Whoa, whoa, I literally met him like 30 minutes ago. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Besides, he's probably already taken. A guy that good-looking can't possibly be single."
"Or if he is single, I'm sure you could change that by turning on the charm. Try to notice next time, if he's not wearing a ring, that already gives you a 50% chance."
The next day, I find myself looking up towards the door every time people walk in, my heart sinking when it's someone else. It is almost closing time when Justin shows up, and I am surprised at just how happy that makes me. Kayla does get to meet him this time, and we all chat for a bit, although it seems like the conversation is mostly between him and I, I become worried that Kayla will feel like a third wheel.
He seems to stop by on a daily basis now, not that I'm complaining, especially when he confides,
"I love this place. It has great food, great service, and this one girl, Brigitte, well she ain't too bad, herself," he says, almost timidly. "As a matter of fact, I'd say she was the best thing on the menu," he adds, turning flirtatious. "See, you distract me so much, I forgot the other reason why I came here in the first place. I'm supposed to bring a batch of cupcakes back to the set."
After preparing and handing him the box containing a dozen fresh cupcakes, Justin reaches out,
"Don't move, you have a bit of frosting on your cheek... right there," he dabs at the creamy, colorful substance with his thumb and then slowly brings it up to his mouth, making slight sucking sounds, and I wonder if he's doing it purposefully.
"Mmmm, delicious," he says with emphasized appreciation, and it makes me dissolve even more into the floor.
Things progress even further when he comes in at the end of the week. He orders a coffee and a sandwich, ham and cheese on a croissant. I walk to his table, placing the mug and plate in front of him.
"Sit down with me, take a little break, you work too hard," he offers, waving at the chair facing him.
"We're right in the middle of the noon rush. I don't think I could right now," I say, not so convincingly, and just one look at that face is enough to make me reconsider.
"I guess a few minutes wouldn't hurt," I sit down across from him. Between bites of his sandwich, washed down by a gulp of coffee, he seems to be mulling something over before he offers,
"You should come by the movie set tonight. We're going to be filming a little later than usual. I've seen what you do, this would give you a chance to see what I do."
"Sure, I would love that. In the meantime, I really have to get back to work. Enjoy the rest of your lunch, and see you later."
"Alright, then we can consider this our official first date," he says, wiping his hands on a napkin, smiling widely.
The day seems endless, but at the same time, I become more nervous with each passing hour. Alone with Kayla after I've locked up, cleaned and balanced the register, I confide to her, like I always have in matters of life and love.
"What if I don't know what to say or how to act around him? It's one thing to be in a crowded place, but just the two of us?"
"Don't worry, you'll be fine. I've been around often enough to notice that it's obvious he has the hots for you, and you've been practically undressing him with your eyes. Just let nature take its course, and who knows, it might just lead to intercourse. I bet he's amazing in bed," she says with a wink.
"Don't be ridiculous," I scoff at her, dismissing the notion that I would be getting laid tonight. Besides, I had a strict rule about one night stands, but could I make an exception for him? Hell, who was I kidding? Of course, I would.
The movie set is within walking distance from the bakery. There are scenes filming outdoors, and one street corner is cordoned off to traffic and pedestrians. Lighting and sound equipment, projector screens, trailers and cameras are set up everywhere. I immediately spot Justin as he's talking with a female costar before they both turn towards each other and kiss. While I know that it's part of the scene and that it's only acting, I can't help but think how lucky that woman is. Was there the slightest chance that this could end up being us later tonight?
After the scene wraps, cast and crew begin to scatter, gathering up. I see Justin disappear in one of the trailers when he emerges a few minutes later carrying a jacket and duffel bag. He sees me, smiles, and seems to approach a bit more briskly.
"Hi, I hope you got here early enough to see a good part of it," he says.
"Yes, I have. It was great to see you in action. Can't wait to watch the final product," as I inwardly think to myself, hopefully from the comfort of my living room sofa, and in your arms.
Dusk is falling but it's still early. We decide to drive around, with no specific destination in mind, so I decide to show him around town for a while.
"There's one other place we could visit, if you'd like," I say, gathering up my courage before it's too late and I decide to back out.