A Place Beyond The Horizon Ch. 15

[Aidan's marriage has been shattered by his wife's cheating. Unable to cope with the thing Rosa did, he boarded a plane and put as much distance between them as possible. From Australia, making new friends in Sydney, to meeting Kat and sharing her bed, he finds himself in Los Angeles as the personal trainer and lover to Mara Fey, Hollywood A-Lister and one of the most famous women on the planet. As he becomes more deeply entangled in Mara's life, Rosa becomes more distant, leaving Aidan more lonely than ever.

Mara takes him with her to Tokyo, where Aidan is embroiled in Andrew's plans and must finally face up to his past.

The background to Aidan's story can be found in Oxygen Games by oneagainst, continued here with permission.]

---

ANTS

Mara is striding across the floor of the expansive foyer, high heels clicking loudly on the polished stone. She's wearing a leather trench coat that flares open to reveal a short, figure-hugging white dress. Her hair is coiled up in a tight bun and her make-up is immaculate. People cross her path, but she's making a line directly for the reception desk. Aidan's just behind her, lock step with a burly Japanese guy, in a suit that doesn't quite fit. A Japanese man approaches, eyes fixed on her, and reaches behind his waist.

Aidan slips his hand into the inside pocket of his jacket and feels the weight of the gun. He slides it out. Mara stops, raising a hand to Aidan without facing him. The stranger opens his fist to reveal a small black memory stick.

"You took your time," Mara snarls at him.

Hearing this, Aidan lowers the gun and begins to relax, but at that moment another man, stocky with a riot of blonde hair and square glasses, comes in from the side. He's waving his hands wildly and Aidan turns towards him, unsure.

"No, Hideo. Gotta be higher. It's a three-quarter shot. Your hand needs to come in from chest height. Okay? Okay, let's go again."

Mara turns, looking at Aidan now. She's smiling, arching an eyebrow as she passes him. Aidan slips the gun back into his pocket and follows behind, returning to the entranceway. Mara stops, fussing with her trenchcoat, getting the fall of the material just right. The burly Japanese man takes up his position at her other shoulder. Behind them, everyone is in motion again, the crowd retracing their steps back to first positions, the last thirty seconds running in reverse, like they're rewinding time.

"Going good," Mara murmurs, her eyes on the director as he organises the camera back to the start of its track.

"Is that a question?" Aidan rumbles under his breath.

"No, statement of fact. You're good at this."

Aidan grimaces, shifting his shoulders. He can feel the bullclips pinned to the back of his jacket, gathering the material more tightly around his torso.

"Not comfortable?"

Aidan shakes his head.

"Don't worry. The camera's only looking at the front. You look good from that angle."

Her eyes are twinkling with mischief. She's enjoying his predicament.

"Yeah," he grumbles, "It's just that when I woke up this morning, I didn't think I was going to be spending the day as a henchman."

Mara tuts at him, shaking her head.

"Ah, no. It's henchperson these days. It's equal opportunity, we're allowing female thugs."

"That just sounds awkward."

"What would you like to call yourself instead? Person of hench?" she grins, then her expression becomes sly, "Hired muscle?"

"Mara, I...."

He's interrupted by the director.

"Okay, places. Quiet. Let's go again."

---

Aidan hangs the suit back up on the rack, alongside a dozen identical suits. He feels better now, back in his t-shirt and jeans, running his hands through his hair, ruffling it back up. He uses a moist wipe, cleaning the make-up off his face, glad to be looking more like himself again. He doesn't know how Mara does it, turning into a different person each day, doing it for a living, the endless fussing with hair and wardrobe for an hour and then standing around for half a day, all to produce thirty seconds of film time. The sheer amount of effort involved is staggering. He hangs back, standing between the costume racks, grateful for the moment of quiet.

It had all been Mara's idea, of course. She'd pitched it to him as if it was a simple extension of what they'd done in the café on the beach, their impromptu roles in the background of a soap opera scene. Then she'd dropped him off with the makeup girls to go and get changed herself. By the time she'd returned, Aidan had found himself committed to playing an extra in the scene, as Mara's second bodyguard. At least there had been no speaking, no lines to learn. He was strictly the hired muscle.

Even so, even with just having to walk in a straight line and take out a gun at a specific point, it had been stressful. Aidan enjoys the quiet, secluded from the hubbub as he listens to the crew calling out as they reset for the next scene. The make-up girls are chattering to themselves at the tables nearby. He hears one of them laughing.

"I know, right? It's just ludicrous," she giggles.

"It's 'cause she's a star. Clicks her fingers and makes it happen."

"Yeah, like it's bring your kids to work day."

"Fucking diva."

They both laugh at this, but it's cut short by a sharp voice from across the foyer.

"Shit. Okay, okay."

"Got the brushes?"

"I got the brushes."

"Let's go."

"Whaddya think? Might need the trowel."

"You bitch."

He hears more laughter, fading into the distance. Aidan sinks down into a crouch up against the marble-tiled wall, in the little space between the clothing racks, deflated. He feels bad for Mara, for the way they're making fun of her. Aidan has spent long enough close enough to see the other side of her, that she's just doing her job, making comments to the crew, trying to get it right because she needs it to be right. She's focused on the finished product, the view on the big screen at the end. It all has to look perfect. She has to look perfect.

Aidan shuffles out of his hiding spot. Across the expanse of the Tokyo skyscraper foyer, there are a pair of low, square leather chairs facing each other. Mara is reclining in one, with a camera over her shoulder. A boom microphone hovers above her head, and one of the make-up girls is applying powder across her forehead. Opposite her is another woman, about Aidan's age, with jet black hair cut into an angular bob. She has soft features, and high cheekbones tapering down to a pointed chin, unconventionally beautiful. The other make-up girl is standing over her, brushing her hair.

The rest of the foyer is deserted now that the crowd scene has been shot. The extras have been released, leaving Aidan standing on his own in the middle of the floor. He doesn't know if he should approach or if he should make himself scarce, Mara hasn't said. So, he stands there, listlessly, waiting for direction.

The director is bent over the younger woman, muttering in her ear. He straightens up and retreats out of shot. The crew becomes quiet.

"Action."

Mara comes to life instantly, opening with, "You really think that's enough to save you?"

In the silence of the foyer, her words ring out. The younger woman leans forward, smiling.

"Oh, it's enough. By the time I'm done, it's going to be enough to drown you."

She's speaking perfect English, but there's a trace of Eastern Europe in her accent.

"That's the problem with secrets, Niko. They're like aces. If you play your ace, you gotta be sure your opponent isn't holding one of her own."

Mara grins back at her adversary, sinking back into her chair.

"Or a gun under the table."

"You're full of shit."

"Let's see shall we? It's fifty paces to the door. Think you can make it?"

"I'm not going out the door. I'm going upstairs."

She tilts her head to the side very slightly, eyes locked on Mara now, smiling coldly.

"Straight through you if I have to," she finishes.

"Cut," the director interjects, "Good. Okay, how was that on the capture?"

The crew relaxes, checking their equipment. The cameraman gives a thumbs up. Mara looks over to the director.

"All good, Horst?" she asks.

"Yeah, in the bag, Mara. You were both terrific. Tiana, liked the intensity there, can we keep that and I'd like to do a few cut shots on the same dialogue."

The younger woman nods. "Okay. Just like this?"

"Yeah, Frank, can we get a reset on the camera, head and shoulders on Tiana from the opposite angle."

"Do you want a reaction shot from me?" Mara asks, "I can do a couple of pieces into camera to slice in if you want."

Horst seems preoccupied now, his attention on the other woman, working out his shots.

"No," he mutters, "I think we got you in the bag."

"Sure?"

"Yeah, you're good, if you want to wrap it up for the day."

Mara hesitates, her eyes flicking between the director and the dark-haired woman in the opposite chair. She nods.

"Okay. Hey, I'm just fifteen minutes from here if you need to re-do. Call me."

"Will do," Horst gives her a nod, "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see ya."

Mara launches herself up from her chair, stepping carefully around the cameraman as he sets up for Tiana's close-up. She emerges from the huddle of people, glancing over her shoulder as they converge around Tiana, getting ready to film her next shot. Mara turns away, frowning but then her face lights up with a brilliant smile as she sees Aidan watching her.

"Babe, I guess we got an early mark. What do you say, Aidan? Wanna shoot?"

"Yeah, sure."

She wheels him towards the doors, threading her arm through his. He glances at her face, in profile. She's smiling brightly, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She turns to him, animated.

"How was that? Crazy, right?"

Aidan nods, finding himself in the spotlight as her eyes fix on him. He puts on a smile too, making an effort to lift his mood.

"Real crazy," he affirms, "I can't believe you do that for a living."

"Ah, it's all experience. I make it look easy, huh? You can't believe I get to do that for a living, but you know what? Me neither."

She's misheard him, but he doesn't interject now that Mara's in full flow.

"You saw how it was right? It's like dancing, everything is choreographed. If you mess up, it's back to step one and then do it all over again."

They reach the revolving doors and Mara leads them through, emerging outside into late afternoon sun.

"That's why directors like Horst love working with actors like me. We don't fuck up. We know our lines and our marks. You get fresh new talent and they're all about the experience of it all, which is great but when you've used up a dozen takes when it should have only needed two because they can't fucking walk in a line, then was it really a good call?"

Aidan frowns, lost, and Mara relents.

"The starlets are cheaper, but not necessarily better value. It's the experience that gets the project done on time and in budget."

"Ah," Aidan manages, "I get it."

"Of course you do," Mara smirks, "Makes you smarter already than eighty percent of the people in this business."

They're walking along the street, still arm in arm, Mara buzzing in his ear.

"What did you think of Tiana?" she asks, changing subject abruptly.

"I don't really know."

"What do you mean?"

"I, uh, I never got to talk to her."

Mara nods quickly, replying, "Yeah, she's a little prickly. She's gonna need to watch that."

"Why?"

"You start to get a rep. Crews all know each other, it's pretty incestuous. You don't want to get labelled as difficult to work with. That's why I put the effort in, like nothing's too much trouble. Like just now, offering to stick around if Horst wanted to do other shots. They really appreciate that. Movies are difficult enough, they appreciate all the helping hands they can get."

Mara squeeze Aidan's arm.

"That's the secret to this job. It can be a real slog, so you always gotta be a sail rather than an anchor," Mara shrugs, "Regardless of whether you're having a good day yourself or your day's going to shit."

She sticks her hand out quickly, hailing a passing cab.

"Let's get out of here," Mara says.

"Where are we going?"

The cab pulls in and stops. Mara opens the door, standing there, appraising Aidan now, her mouth set in a firm line.

"Get in the cab, Aidan. Let's go back to the hotel. We can unwind."

Aidan climbs into the cab and Mara slides in after him, sitting close on the back seat.

Mara wrinkles her nose. "Move up a little? Or do you like the contact?"

Aidan shifts across a little more and Mara settles herself, putting her hand on his leg, casually.

"Do you think she's pretty?"

The question comes out of nowhere, and Aidan struggles to pick the right words.

"C'mon, you can say. She is pretty, right?"

"I guess."

"Oh, yeah, sure. You know. Don't give me that shit."

Her eyes are twinkling and she's grinning, but Aidan can't shake the feeling of something behind it all.

"Tell me straight. If you had the choice of going back to the hotel with her or with me, who would you choose?"

"Mara...."

"Really, just tell me. It would be her, right? You can say it."

"It would be you."

Mara squeezes his knee, regarding him for a moment.

"Oh, man, you're so full of shit. She's gorgeous, right? Why on earth would you not want to tap that opportunity?"

"It would be you, really."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Really, why? What do I have that she doesn't?"

Aidan consider for a moment, sensing that Mara's going to keep pressing until she gets an answer she likes.

"You're better looking."

"Oh, that's such bullshit," Mara crows, "Like I buy that for a second."

"Why not? Why's it bullshit?" Aidan counters, defensively.

"I got, what? I must have twenty years on her. See these?" she mocks, "You see these, right?"

Mara's pointing at the corners of her eyes.

"She gets to be the face of a perfume brand, and I have to make do with skin plumping serum."

There is a teasing tone in her voice, but Aidan's finding it hard to judge her mood.

"You're still beautiful."

Mara opens her mouth but then she stops, casting a sidelong glance at him, as if she's gotten what she wanted.

"You'll say anything to get what you want," she murmurs.

"And what do I want?"

Mara leans over to him, until her lips are brushing against his ear.

"A fuck," she whispers.

Aidan pulls back, breaking contact.

"What makes you so sure?" he asks.

"The way that you look at me."

Her hand shifts up his leg.

"Mara, hey, wait. What are you doing?"

She reaches between his legs to cup his crotch, all the while fixing her gaze on his face. She strokes the fabric of his jeans and he feels himself begin to react to her attentions.

"I want to feel how hard I make you."

"Hey, we're in public."

Mara ignores him, grinding her palm against the burgeoning bulge in his jeans.

"Do you think Tiana would do this? Would she get you hard?"

"Mara, you gotta stop."

She rakes her fingernails over the fabric of his crotch, her hand lingering for a moment before she pulls away and sits up.

"You know the answer. She wouldn't get you hard, not like I can get you hard. That's what I'm saying about starlets, babe. No fucking idea."

Mara smiles to herself and turns away, watching the streets go past, her hand now resting casually on his knee again. Aidan feels the tightness in his underwear, but Mara is ignoring the tell-tale bulge now, leaving him confused. They ride the rest of the trip in silence.

The cab pulls up into the hotel lobby and they get out, Mara leading the way again, striding forward, every inch the movie star. Once more, Aidan finds himself being pulled along in her wake. They take the elevator up to their floor and Mara still hasn't said a word. Only when they enter the suite does Mara break her silence.

"Ready?"

She turns to him, her expression serious now. She's still fully made-up from the filming, and the effect is surreal, masking the little imperfections that he's become used to. Mara unzips her dress and steps out of it, revealing herself in her underwear. She wanders into the kitchenette, gathering a couple of glasses and then opening the bar fridge.

"Whaddya want? Scotch? Gin? I'm gonna have a scotch."

Before he can answer, she's pouring out two glasses, dropping in ice. She sidles back over to him.

"Cheers," she says, handing him a glass, "Here's to the workers."

She takes a drink, standing unselfconsciously in her underwear, but Aidan doesn't touch his. He knows what's coming, he knows her well enough by now to see what she's building up to. He puts his glass down and reaches out to take hers, but she holds it firmly in her grip.

"You don't need this," he tells her.

Mara refuses to relinquish her drink, pulling back, her expression clouding, the smile slipping away.

"Don't lecture me, Aidan."

He doesn't respond, but he also doesn't let go of her glass. She looks up at him, her mouth set in a firm line. Aidan places a hand on her shoulder, his thumb brushing against her neck, a little gentle touch.

"I'm not. You don't."

Aidan twists the glass slightly, and it slips out of her fingers. He sets it down next to his, cupping her face in his hands as he looks down at her. There is belligerence in her expression, but something else also, locking in conflict behind her eyes: doubt.

"Don't you want to?" she asks in a small voice.

"Do you?"

"That's a fucking stupid question, babe. Look at me."

"You know what I mean."

Mara slides her hands around him, her body against his now. The bravado has evaporated, leaving a fragility that he hasn't seen before. He lowers his face to hers and in response she raises her chin, parting her lips. She closes her eyes. Aidan finds himself looking down at her perfect face, outlined still by stage makeup, her features abstracted and magnified. She's breathtaking, her lips waiting for his touch.

Aidan kisses her, tasting the whiskey on her tongue. She's so soft and delicate, pressed up against him, unhurried. She breaks off, blue eyes shining as she looks up into his face. A little smile creases the corners of her eyes and Aidan kisses her again, feeling her tongue slipping into his mouth as her passion builds.

Mara reaches for his belt, but Aidan's hands clamp over hers, stopping her. She pulls back, unsure again, her mouth opening. But, before she can say anything, he bends down, kissing her again, his grip firm as he holds her hands. Eventually, Mara relaxes, pulling away to encircle his waist again, letting herself be kissed.

Aidan's lips touch her cheek, working down her jaw to her neck, kissing her throat as she raises her chin to expose her neck to him. He wraps his arms around her waist, pinning her hands, his lips tracing lower and lower until he's nuzzling in the valley of her cleavage. Mara lets out a low sigh.

Aidan releases her arms, sliding his hands down her back to grip her bottom, lifting her up. Mara seems to understand, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, letting him carry her. Aidan takes her through to his bedroom, lowering her gently onto the bed.

When she touches the bed, Mara stretches out like a cat across the white sheets, staring up at him, the playfulness returning. Without a word, she unhooks her bra and sheds her panties, reclining again but now completely bare for his inspection. She cushions her head on her folded arms, lifting her breasts, displaying herself for him. Mara is used to be looked at, to being posed and displayed. Aidan's gaze drifts down her body and Mara squirms, like it's a caress.

"Like what you see?" she murmurs seductively.

Aidan nods.

"Want to get naked with me?" she asks.