The floor manager was shouting about cameras and the sound guy was complaining about the hum from the air-conditioner.
Nick was last into the studio walking slowly as if he wasn't looking forward to the task ahead.
His eyes scanned the entire studio in search of her......all he could think of was seeing her again.
A mobile camera was pushed to one side and there she was only a few feet away..... struggling with some props in a crate.
She'd changed her clothes and was now wearing a floral cotton dress....kinda short.....not for him....but he didn't want any other guys seeing too much of her.
Nick watched her intently smiling as she pushed the shoulder strap of her dress back up......only for it to fall down again.
She bent forward to pick something out of the crate.
Nick felt a rush of blood to his head and let out a small but audible sigh....as his eyes were treated to a glimpse of her breasts.
The memory of how they felt in his hands still sweet and fresh.
Brian looked in the same direction....seeing who and what Nick was looking at. "Ahh I should have guessed"
They grinned at each other.
The floor manager came over to greet them and usher them to the set.
Nick wasn't really listening to the instructions he was giving about seating... rehersal.... photo shoot etc..... he was too busy watching Heather.
She walked towards one of the camera crew and handed him something....he couldn't tell what.
This guy whoever he was looked to be flirting with her.
They laughed and Heather turned to go.
Nick watched as the cameraman touched her arm and made her stay.... he felt a tight knot of jealousy building in his belly.
Brian tugged at his jacket making him pay attention.
The floor manager ended what had seemed to be an hour long lecture on the do's and don'ts of studio protocol...it was only minutes really and not like they hadn't been in hundreds of studios.
Nick looked around again relived to see that she was no longer talking to the other man.... who was now wheeling the camera into place
He was disturbed by just how much it had bothered him.
From behind him a voice said "Excuse me Nick"
He spun around.
"Hi Heather.... I was looking for you"
She smiled up at him but it was a brief 'professional' smile....not the beautiful sexy smile she gave him last night after they'd made love.
"I just need to clip this 'mic' on you ..sorry"
"Go ahead"
She took hold of his shirt and slid her fingers inside.
As usual he was wearing a t-shirt underneath and god how he wished he wasn't.
To feel her fingers on his chest....feel their softness on his skin would be like heaven.
He lifted his hand to help secure the mic making sure their fingers touched...stroking her hand with his.
Their eyes met..... god he loved her.
Heather broke the gaze struggling to find somewhere to look and wriggled her hand free.
Shaking she managed to clip 'mics' to the others barely able to look any of them in the eyes.
She snuck a look at Nick but he was sat on the couch head hung down....she knew she had hurt him....she knew he didn't like this professional thing ......but they had to it was the best thing for him.
She felt the tears prickle her eyes but stifled them.
Then she felt a hand on her arm
"Brian?..what....?"
"I need to talk to you"...... His tone was serious, urgent.
Brian led her to a quieter corner away from prying eyes ... away from Nicks line of sight.
"What are you doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean to Nick.....look at him....does he look like a happy man right now?"
She knew Nick was Brians best friend and she knew what Brian was getting at.
"I just think it would be better for him if he has no distractions whilst he 's working"
She was trying to be firm and strong but inside she was crumbling.
"Well I have to tell you honey it ain't working.. I've never seen him so distracted"
Brian took her hands in his feeling her shaking, "He's my best friend.... I don't wanna see him hurt...if you don't wanna be with him you gotta tell him and I mean today and you let him down easy. But if you love him and from the way I've seen you look at him I believe you do .....then show him...just show him"
Brian walked away leaving her standing there crying.
Through her tears she watched them all assemble on the chairs ready for the interview.
She watched Nick.
Her lovely..... wonderful Nick......sat there looking handsome.
His big strong hands had been so gentle with her body last night.
She knew he couldn't see her ....the lights were too bright to see anything but the immediate set.
She remembered when she first encountered him.
Fixing his hair.
She remembered how his hair felt between her fingers....how he smelled....how being so close to him made her feel strange.
A very nice kind of strange.
And then he fell off that stool and was so embarassed....but god that smile.
All that day she'd not been able to take her eyes off him.... and she began to relish the thought of spending the next week or two filming him.......... and the rest of the group of course!
But she knew nothing would ever come of these twinges of longing she was feeling.
He wouldn't be interested in someone like her......she wasn't his type.
Nick tried to sit still and answer the usual round of questions, but he was a distracted man......his eye had caught sight of what he was pretty sure was Heather........behind one of the arc lights.
He knew her outline.
He felt her presence.
To his great relief the floor manager yelled cut and yelled again that everyone could take a break.
Nick got to his feet......only she had moved.
She was by the table with some storyboard work on it...her back to him.
He was clear in his mind what he had to do.
In seconds he was behind her......as close as he could be.
He breathed in deeply.
Heather didn't move .....she couldn't.......she didnt want to.
All she could feel was his hot breath on her neck and the warmth of his body pressed gently against her back.
Nick let one finger brush the thin strap of her dress off her shoulder.
She closed her eyes as she felt his lips kiss her neck and his fingers stroke the skin of her shoulder.
"I told you I couldn't do this 'professional' thing'' ....he whispered.."and I won't".....
More kisses .....She tried to supress a little moan.
"I love you Heather and I won't pretend there's nothing happening between us"
Nick spun her around in his arms and his blue eyes melted her.
"All that professional rubbish I said Nick.. forget it will you"
He smiled that gorgeous smile and pulled her body closer ...
"My pleasure"
Their kiss was deep and steamy and witnessed by just about everyone that happened to be nearby.
They could hear the shouts of encouragement coming from a certain quarter but being distracted was not an option.....enjoying this kiss was .
When they broke from the kiss they simply held each other tight.
Not for the first time in their relationship were no words necessary.
A booming voice remimded everyone to return in one hour for the photo shoot.
Heather heard her name called and tore her gaze away from Nick to the direction of the voice.
"D'ya wanna get your camera gear set up babe?"
Danny always called her babe....she hated it but tolerated it....he wasn't being patronising......he was just being..well Danny!
Then the realisation hit her..........in her panic to leave Nicks room she had left all the photo gear there"Oh god no"
"What....what is it?"
"Nick I've been incredibly stupid and left all my equipment in your room....I have to go back for it"
Heather ran out of the studio and frantically tried to stop a few cabs.
Nick was right behind her
"Sweetheart.....don't panic I'll take you back"
He'd grabbed Howies mobile on the way out and was calling their own driver who miraculously appeared as if he was just loitering nearby.
"Oh god Nick you are so perfect"
He smiled and opened a door for her.
"Back to the hotel Eddie as fast as you can...and take that grin off your face!!"
"This isn't a grin Nick it's a smirk"
Inside the guys had seen them leave but all they did was just 'smirk' at one another before pouncing on the food.