Ch 50: Fit and Fabulous

I hurried to the tent meant for the extras, Jimmy trailing a step behind me. My look of determination made the paddle boarding twins step aside and watch as I stepped up to the rack of bikinis. I picked out a bright neon green two-piece – pretty skimpy, but not as skimpy as the butt floss I pulled off the rack the day before.
Behind the dressing screens, I pulled on the swimsuit. With no mirrors in the tent, I couldn’t really tell how it fit. The top with its thin elastic straps seemed to hold my chest up OK, and the bottom, while not entirely covering my butt, concealed it enough. I asked one of the twins to take a picture of me with her phone so I could see the result.
When she turned her phone to face me, I could see I didn’t look bad. The suit accentuated my bust enough that the trouble sections in my stomach and thighs didn’t stick out so much. I certainly didn’t look like Rita, but I’d gotten more fit since training with Luke, and it showed. I looked strong and tight.
Gathering my stuff before I came out from behind the curtains, however, I could hear the twin whispering to another girl. “That’s Luke’s girlfriend.”
“Her?” I heard the other girl ask. “She doesn’t look his type.”
“How would you know?” the twin asked.
“Well, he’s always cast with some pretty, tall girl in the movies.”
I groaned. I’d show them.
As the extras started to filter out to the beach, Jimmy lagged behind waiting for me.
“Well, no one will miss you in that,” he said, speaking about the bright nature of the suit.
“That’s the point,” I said. “Tits and ass, right?” I slapped my rear. “Let’s go.”
We grabbed our boards and headed out to the water. Like the day before, one crew was filming the stars in their beach scene, while another crew focused on capturing action shots in the water with extras and other secondary characters.
I knew I’d have some competition on the boogie board. I couldn’t stand on it like the paddle boarders and the surfers, showing some skin. I’d just have to show them my skills and hope that was enough to be featured in the movie.
The surf appeared fairly wild that day, the winds having picked up overnight. It was sunny, but the breeze wafted along the water, creating bigger and bigger swells as the day went on. Jimmy and I caught a few waves, getting our bearings in the rough surf. I could see the twins struggling to maintain their balance on the paddle boards with the wind swirling.
Some of the other surfers, mostly men, crashed after trying to ride the big waves. The large swells caused some to exit the water, taking breaks to avoid the pounding surf. No one had given the cameras an exceptional ride. Jimmy crashed out of his second wave in a row when I saw a huge swell forming out deep. I paddled into position to drop in just at the right point. I could see Jimmy watching me from the shallower part, just after the break.
I kicked as hard as I could, not wanting to miss this opportunity, determined to prove myself. As the wave lurched under me, I panicked for a split second. It brought me up high and the distance between the height and low point of the wave looked like a mile. I sucked in my breath and held on to my board tighter, preparing for a wild ride.
My board careened down the crest, and I turned into the barrel of the wave. As the wave’s water cascaded over me, I continued to slope down the wave, turning into it to slow my speed and stay in the barrel. Then I turned toward the shore, and the wave pushed me into the beach, near where some water logged extras were standing.
I stood up, holding my board at my side, and walked onto the beach. “That was pretty awesome,” one said.
“Thanks,” I smiled at them. Jimmy came up behind me. “You slayed that wave.” He gave me a high-five.
The PA who proved unhelpful the day before regarding the skimpy bikini, approached me and told me they’d caught my ride on camera and wanted to get some other shots of me walking along the beach, paddling out, etc. to include in the movie.
“Are you up for it?” she asked. “You’ll have to show some skin, you know.”
“Of course,” I said. “I’m fit and fabulous.” I stood tall, my hip cocked, confident in my body. After all, that body had just delivered a monster performance.
When we finished filming for the day, I couldn’t wait to tell Luke. Since I had been hung up filming the extra scenes, I hadn’t noticed that his side of the production left for the day. Another PA approached me with a note that read:
Stella,
Wrapped early. Hitched a ride home. Here are the keys.
Luke
The keys to his new Range Rover sat folded between the piece of paper. Luke’s note was pretty straight forward, but I was bummed he hadn’t waited for me. I said good-bye to Jimmy, gathered my things, and hopped in the car.
By the time I pulled up to our place, the sun started to set. Pink and purple hues illuminated the sky behind the house. Looking at the sky, the natural beauty infused me with a peaceful feeling. I wanted more than ever to tell Luke about my day.
When I walked through the door, I didn’t hear anything. “Luke,” I called. There was no answer. “Luke.” I looked around. No lights were on. I ran upstairs. After I checked every room, I figured he must have gone out for drinks or something with some people. Unlike the tranquil sky, the empty, darkening house made me feel worried. What if he was with Rita?
Then I saw it, a trail of rose petals leading out the back door and onto the deck. I followed the petals, leading me onto the yard and then down the steps to the sand. Excitement started welling inside me. I reached the beach and saw Luke standing close to the water, his back toward me at first, his body silhouetted by the dim light of the sunset. He looked so sexy against the backdrop of the beach in the setting sun, so powerful yet gentle.
After a few seconds, he turned, seeing me jogging to him on the beach. I ran into his arms, happy and impressed with his surprise. “Oh, Luke. When I didn’t see you at home, I was worried,” I said, still wrapped in his arms.
He didn’t say anything. I could sense a bit of tension in his face and his arms, so I continued babbling.
“I’m sorry about last night. I shouldn’t doubt myself. You should have seen me today. I…”
He stopped me by placing his forefinger delicately on my lips. “I saw,” he said.
“You did?” I didn’t quite believe him. Why hadn’t he come over to encourage me?
“You were striking and graceful the way you handled that wave. And then afterward, I thought for sure you’d balk at them filming extra scenes, but you were brave. You didn’t need any coaxing from me.”
I beamed at him. He kissed me long and hard, several waves lapping at our feet by the time our lips separated. “And you looked stunning in that bikini.” I laughed. “I knew then,” he said, suddenly afraid to meet my eyes.
I held my breath, not sure what Luke meant. “Knew what?” I asked. He pointed to an area of sand with a bunch of seashells. I looked over, but still didn’t comprehend what Luke was trying to tell me. “Go look,” he said.
I walked over, and as I stood closer, I could see they were arranged to form letters. The shells spelled out “I love you.”
I ran back to Luke, wrapped my arms around his neck and circled his waist with my legs as he held me up, kissing me fervently on the lips. “I love you, too,” I said.
Luke spread out a beach blanket to sit on, and we continued to kiss. We each ripped off our own clothes and intertwined ourselves with each other. Luke pressed his body on top of mine, and we made love on beach. My heart burst with passionate and warm feelings for Luke as he pressed inside me, both of us eager to express our love. Our lovemaking was both tender and lively, ending with a combined moment of ecstasy.
When we were through, we looked out at the water, holding hands, as the moon highlighted the crests of the ocean’s waves.
“What’s next, boss?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. Let’s just enjoy each other and Hawaii.” I squeezed his hand.
“Now that you’re fit and fabulous, what does that make me?” he asked.
“A hopeless romantic?”
“Something like that,” he said. “I love you, Stella.” And like the first time I heard Luke say my name, those words made my heart flutter.