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The director wasn't happy when Nick tried to incorporate some of Lexie's ideas into the treatment. She hadn't demanded anything and neither had Nick, but he became enraged and quit. Before lunch, they had an entire production team standing around waiting and burning money at the same time.


"Oh, great. Now what am I supposed to I do?" Nick groaned as he threw up his hands.


"Well, I didn't tell you to fire him." Lexie shrugged.


"I didn't, he quit. I'd better call AJ. . ." He reached for his phone.


"Why? He's never directed a video before, has he? No, call Kevin. See if he can roust some Hollywood director."


"Are you serious?"


"Of course I'm serious. I bet he'll come up with something or someone."


It only took an hour before Drew Barrymore ran through the auditorium waking everyone up. She stopped promptly at the storyboard, declared it crap, and ripped it up.


She snapped her bottle-blonde head at Nick and arched a brow at him, "I hear you're the star of this little show. Time is money, lover. Get your ass on stage. You? Who the hell are you?" She pointed at the assistant director. "Get this stage cleared off. I want a backdrop, a dark one if you have it! Snap to it. You've been sitting on your lazy union ass long enough." Then she promptly smacked the young man on the side of the head. "Don't even think about it. I'm still a union member, too."


Drew barely stopped to even discuss anything with Nick, but he couldn't disagree with any of her instant ideas.


She ordered him out of the suit and into jeans and a sweater, which she confessed would be no fun under the lights, but it would work. "Trust me."


"You extras? Fan out. I don't want more than two of you sitting together. I want you out all over the house!" She yelled out over the auditorium. "You? Aren't you the little woman?"


"Uh, yes, ma'am." Lexie stammered.


"Good, come here." Lexie followed her to fourth row center, and she was ordered to sit there. "Just a little motivation, sweetheart." And rather motherly, she pinched Lexie's cheek.


"Get this crap out of my shot; I'm panning this whole auditorium during his performance." She clapped her hands as the crew scrambled to move equipment and duck it behind seats. "Get that camera on stage!"


She moved quickly, dropping a mic and mic stand in front of Nick as he stood center stage. She kicked over a garbage can on her way backstage, "I said get this crap out of my shot!"


Wide-eyed, Nick looked out into the auditorium and stared at Lexie. His cell phone rang and he reached to answer it.


"Hello?"


"Hey, did Drew make it? Look, I discussed a few things with her before she got there. I think you've got a great hit there, Nicky." Kevin was smiling on the other end.


"Oh, yeah, she's here."


"She's never done a music video before, so go easy on her. She's doing me a favor."


"Oh, sure."


"Okay. Good luck, Nicky." Kevin laughed as he hung up.


"Who was that?" Lexie called out to him.


"Kevin." Nick looked at his phone, completely not sure what had just happened.


"Okay, Nick, this is what I need." Drew came around and stood directly in front of him. She spoke quietly, so no one else could hear. "I need you to sing this song, I mean, really sing it. I know you're going to sweat, but I want you to. Don't wipe too much off, okay? It's kinda crappy with the tape and all, but don't lip sync, I need you singing, and I need you to sing it to her." She pointed back at Lexie.


"Okay! I need some sound cued. Start at the beginning, we're going through to the entire end!" She moved away from Nick and walked from camera to camera to check angles. She ended up behind the boom of the stage camera that panned the audience from behind Nick. "Hey, Nick. Take your wallet and phone out of your pockets, makes your ass look big." A crew member ran up and took both from him. "Okay, get ready! Cue sound!"


There were several heartbeats of silence before the first strains of the saxophone began its powerful introduction. The house lights slowly lowered, and the stage lights slowly rose, causing a transition in light as the sax dropped behind Nick's vocals on the track.


It was a natural cue, and he began to sing.


I see you

In the rainbows in my eyes.

And I see you.

In truth, with no disguise.

I see you.

Through all my hopes and all my fears.

Then I see you.

And it erases all my tears.


Lexie could barely hear Nick for the playing track, but he was singing. He was singing, and he was singing to her.


I see you

Just beyond my imagination

I see you

And I tremble at the sensation

I see you

In the perfect way love flows

I see you

That's all I really need to know


The music's crescendo rose as he hung on the mic stand, waiting for the build to the chorus. With a silent signal from Drew, the track's volume dropped and Nick's voice could be heard. He moved with the beat, swayed with each word, and his eyes stayed on her. He moved closer to the edge of the stage, still singing to the entire house, yet remaining focused on her.


Love falls gently like a summer's rain

To feel your touch washes away the pain

And I know it's real because I see you

I see the joy in your eyes

It really comes as no surprise

That I see it all when I see you


Nick began to choke, and his voice faltered. His face and neck were glistening with sweat, and his hair hung in damp tendrils around his face. He hung on the mic as she hung on his every word, his every note. Then he broke and couldn't sing any more. Nick's head dropped as he hung on the mic stand with his eyes closed.


I see you

In the beauty of the rising day

I see you

In all the words you never say

I see you

In the velvet brush of a red, red rose

And I see you

In the bright dusk of a falling snow


The track played on and she heard Drew nurse Nick along, "Sing Nick. Don't stop. Keep singing." He lifted his eyes and finished the second chorus, slowly regaining his voice until he was solid again.


Love falls gently like a summer's rain

To feel your touch washes away the pain

And I know it's real because I see you

I see the joy in your eyes

It really comes as no surprise

That I see it all when I see you


The sax took over, crying out the melody as Nick continued to stare into Lexie's eyes. Then he began to sing again.


And when I see the absolute truth of love in you,

I see the beauty of me.


He held the last note longer than the track itself. The chords dropped off, and the place was silent, except for his heavy breathing. Lexie couldn't see him because of her own tears.


Nick stepped back from the mic, letting it go and backing away until his foot found the track the camera had been riding. He looked up to see the house lights slowly rise and the stage go dark. Lexie wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeves.


She looked up at his dark figure on the stage as he stood perfectly still. The camera rolled behind him for one last pass, and Drew patted him on the back, thanking him for a good job. They would discuss the next stage when he was ready.


He nodded his thanks and headed off backstage. Drew came down and gathered Lexie up.


"It's a beautiful song. I think he's back in his trailer."


"Okay." Lexie headed out the back exit to meet Nick.


Drew pulled her cell phone out and dialed Kevin.


"Hey, Drew. How did it go?"


"Perfectly. Did you get André to finish those storyboards?"


"Yeah, but they're rough. I'll have them faxed to you."


"Good. Someone find me a fax machine!" She ordered. "God, I love this stuff." She giggled to him.



Lexie knocked on the trailer door, and he called for her to come in. She opened the door and found him sitting at the table inside. He had taken off the sweater and his t-shirt was damp in places.


"That was something." He sighed.


She sat down across from him. "It was beautiful Nick. It was just beautiful."


"We still make a great team." He smiled and raised his knuckles to smooth her cheek. She felt his skin against her and felt his soul touch hers. She could feel a slight tremble in his fingers as his touch skimmed across her skin. Her eyes welled with tears.


"I feel a million miles away from you." She choked.


"I know." He quietly confessed as he slipped from his seat onto the floor to kneel in front of her. Nick lowered his head into her lap. "I want to be everything you want. I want to be all that you need. I want to be where you are. I just don't know how any more."


She bent over and laid her face against his. Her fingers dug into his damp t-shirt as she cried. Nick lifted his face and met her eyes. As his hands reached up to take her face, he straightened on his knees and pulled her close to kiss her.


Her lips were magic against his and almost instantly the kiss deepened between them. Nick couldn't stop as he effortless plundered her mouth and dug his fingers into her hair. He yanked her ponytail loose and felt the electricity of the dark strands against his arms. She moaned long and hard into his mouth as she clung to him.


A hard knock rapped at the door and tore them apart. They were breathless as a grip called out, "You can see the dailies in about 5 minutes!"


"Okay! Great!" Nick called back, his eyes never leaving her. "We'll be right there."


"We should go." Lexie got to her feet. Everything felt so emotional. His touch, his kiss, and his mere presence rubbed her conscience raw.


They stepped from the trailer and headed back inside the theatre. Without looking, Nick reached out, took her hand, and laced his fingers with hers. She clung to him, resolving herself to what she had to do. She had to tell him.



Drew presented Nick with a modified version of Lexie's rain idea, still using the girl, but hiring another actor to play her romantic lead. They would go back to the mansion and the rain would be falling on the glass outside as the concept parts would be filmed inside. She wanted to use Nick as singing inside the mansion as well, watching over the romance like a guardian angel.


"I know this is going to sound really crappy, but no one really wants to see you snuggling up to some young thing. I mean, most of America knows you have a young wife, and it just doesn't look right." Drew sat on the edge of the stage talking to them.


"I want you to be seen as a serious performer and not some teenybopper who's trying to cash in on something that happened over 20 years ago. You're a mature man, with a mature career now. I think this will work. I think its right for the song. You ever think of a career in film making, Lexie?"


"Me? No." She laughed. "I prefer objects that don't move around."


"Well, either way, I'd pick her brain a little more often if I were you." Drew jumped down from the stage. "I've really got to jet. I've got people calling about that mansion again, and I'll pass the information off to my assistant when I get it. I'm going to have one of my associates come in and finish this project up. I told Kevin I was flying out tonight."


"I can't thank you enough for this." Nick reached out and shook her hand.


"My pleasure, my pleasure. Reminds me of my early days when the idea of Drew Barrymore actually directing was laughable. You know, ya win a couple Oscars, and they look at you a little differently." She laughed. "Good luck, you two."


"Thanks!" Lexie waved as Drew exited the theatre.


The film crew was breaking things down and packing up. Within an hour, they got notice that they would be able to get into the mansion the next day and finish up. Drew's associate, Lyle Montgomery, would be on set at 7 a.m. and they were expected at 8 a.m. He would take care of the casting of the male romantic lead, promising to have it done and ready to go by morning.



Lexie sat silently in the car as Nick drove to AJ's house. Her heart was racing, but she knew she had to tell him. She had to tell him that she had been unfaithful and had slept with Jake. God, it just broke her heart. She had promised Jake, but she should never have done that. She should have known she could never keep it from Nick. Nick should have always been her priority, not Jake.


What was he going to say? She knew he would be angry, and she couldn't blame him. If the roles were reversed, she would be devastated. There was no excuse for what she had done, and she knew that now.


She looked over at Nick driving, the light from passing cars caressing his face and catching the blue of his eyes. She knew she was about to destroy him, and she savored these last few peaceful moments they had together. They might be her last.


Once they arrived at the house, Lexie followed Nick upstairs to AJ's guest room, and they set their suitcases down at the foot of the bed.


"Remember the New Year's Eve we spent in here?" Nick mused in the darkness of the room. Only the lights from the backyard shone in the room. Lexie turned away silently and just kicked off her shoes. Nick reached for her, slipping his hand under her hair and cradled her head. He turned her toward him and pulled her close. "I love you, Lexie. No less than I did that night. God knows I need you even more."


"I'm so sorry for everything, Nick. . ." she choked on the words. Her sudden emotions stunned Nick.


"No, there is no need to apologize. . ." He stammered.


"I need to be sorry. I need your forgiveness. I need to beg you for it." She cried. "Please forgive me, Nick. Please. I never meant to hurt you. I know now. I know what I've done. I know what I've almost lost. I love you, Nick, and I am so sorry."


Lexie slowly slipped out of his grasp and gently went to her knees in front of him and sobbed. Nick couldn't stand it another minute as he went down on his own knees and scooped her up in into his arms.


"I forgive you, Lexie." He began tearfully. He could feel her pain as if it was his own. He finally knew. He finally knew that she understood the magnitude of what she had done. "There is nothing you could do that I couldn't forgive."


She lifted her face to him and shook her head, "You don't know. . ."


He took her face in his hands and put his thumbs gently across her lips, stopping her from telling him. Instinctively, he knew what she was going to say. He knew at that moment that it was true. She and Jake had shared more than that one kiss on the beach. Nick looked inside of himself and told her the truth from his heart.


"There is nothing you could do I couldn't forgive." He breathed. "Nothing."


Lyrics from I See by Gabrielle Bessey ©2002, Used With Permission