Come On, Sweet Thing Ch. 01

Ike's enthusiasm and rapid fire ideas had everyone's head swimming and trying to relate them to TV censorship rules. It took less than a minute for the entire stuffed, humid room to grow completely silent. All eyes were glued to the 24 inch screen. Everyone had experience in the porn industry but the raw simplicity of two nude lovers actually satisfying each other in nature's elements and their beauty was intoxicating and sexually exciting. Experienced, or not, by the end of the fifteen minute uncut segment, lots of hands were on bodies that were not their own. It took several minutes for people to gather their thoughts and get their breath back into normal rhythm.

Carol and Eric were to the left of the screen, wrapped in blankets; Eric's arms were around Carol. They knew that what had been directed and captured was very good. At least twenty people congratulated them as the hoard filled out of the too crowded tent, leaving Jim Holder, Russ, Lorraine and Ike. Russ was embarrassed.

"Ike, you should direct. That scene was damn good. You did it in one take and it is the hottest soft-porn, I've ever seen."

"Thanks, Stinky, but you are the director. Today was a wild inspiration brought on from all my worry and our discussion this morning. When I saw Carol and Eric together, in the rain, it was beautiful and a dozen ideas on how to be "Edgy," like Coltranne wants, just flooded out. That will probably never happen again in my lifetime. You have to do it, day-in and day-out. Now, I think I know what to give you to work with. What do you think?"

"If we can get it on TV, it will be fantastic. Do you think we should push this in all three programs?"

"They are supposed to run together. I think a hot show, thirty minutes of entertaining relief and a second hot show, will keep them coming back for more."

Lorraine brought us to the practical first step, "How can we get it past Showtime to get to the censors?"

"Exactly like it happened, a rained out soft-porn shoot, two lovers go into the bushes, etc. We'll distract them with the usual soft-core lead in, then use some no-no words like "fluffer" and see if they actually watch the second half or just pass it after cutting our dialog."

"You are as sneaky as you were the first time you took my ass............," Lorraine paused; she had forgotten Stinky and Jim were in the room.

"Damn, Lorraine, I'm really happy you said that, you had me really wondering if you had forgotten all of our times together."

The cat was out of the bag, so she continued talking directly to her old lover, "I didn't forget any of them. No one has ever satisfied me like you did for our two years. I wanted a career but I missed what we had every day. It would have been foolish to call you and tell you that. We couldn't have done much about it, all those years."

Russ had never heard anything serious from Ike about a relationship. Ike's mind and heart went visibly away from his day's success and ideas, "I was really serious about you. I wanted us to be together. I wish you had told me that you shared just a little of what I felt."

The air was thick with emotions, history and regrets. Russ broke up the evening, "Ike, let's get together with Lorraine over early breakfast and outline some ideas. I'm feeling a chance at success here and it's scaring the hell out of me."

Ike walked beside Lorraine all the way to her room. He never said a word until they were at her door. "I'm going to kiss you. If you don't want that, you are going to have to physically stop me."

Twenty years evaporated when their lips touched. Many nights of memories returned so their kiss was from the night before, experienced, soft, need filled and hopeful. Two tears were on Ike's cheeks, "I wanted you to have your career twenty years ago. I stayed quiet. I didn't have much back then but I bought you a ring and was going to propose but you said you needed to be free and go away."

"What happened to the ring?"

"I paid it off on monthly installments for two years. It is still in the wall safe in the bedroom."

"Lots of women have been through that bedroom in twenty years."

Ike had nothing to say. She was right. He couldn't change twenty years of history. He felt dismissed. "See you at early breakfast, Lorraine, our director has summoned us."

She regretted her last words. She hadn't meant to stop the conversation cold. They had teased every day but the long absence from each other kept her from seeing some very raw spots on both their hearts. Back to work in the morning.