WASTED YEARS /

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THE EMPTINESS IS TOO MUCH

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Keani Beldivere had been brewing over a call for three days before she was forced to face the facts about what she was about to go through. Keani had no issues with working with other people. In fact, she enjoyed the way she worked with the newspaper: with a team. The issue she had with working with someone else on Secret Safe was because she had been nearly certain that the role was all hers. Now, she knew exactly who the other person was, and it made it all the worse to understand that she was going to work with someone who had been her superior for years at Princeton. Blake Edison, the former Ivy League professor, was her partner in crime. If she had any say in it, it would be all hers, especially because movie scripts were her babies and not open for sharing, but she was stuck with him. As she finished packing her last items, she sighed and wondered how this was going to go. Pre-production was filled with meetings. She was going to be working with Blake on this script for hours. They were going to be spending a lot of time together. Maybe she would have seen that as a wonderful opportunity as a Princeton student, but it irked her as an employed, successful writer.

When she finally reached the airport, crowds were moving at New York speed. She checked in and waited for a little while before the plane boarded. While she sat in her seat and read a Nicholas Bradshaw novel, she wondered to herself how she and Blake were going to behave. It seemed like it had been a friendly competition. Now that the competition was over and it was a certain tie, she knew that battle lines had to be drawn. Blake was a kind soul, but he was just as ambitious and competitive as she was, and he was used to being in a position of authority. She looked up to see Blake setting his carry-on bag on a chair beside him and sitting. She rolled her eyes a bit, then she glued them back onto the pages of her book. She couldn't focus, though, so she set it down and looked at the man who was across from her. "Looks like it's you and me, Edison," she noted. Once she was done with her statement, her eyes flicked above to where the voice on the intercom was coming from. Their plane was boarding. She picked up her purse and sunglasses and made her way toward the desk for ticket checking.

Of course, she quickly realized that she and Blake were going to be stuck next to each other on a plane for two hours while they flew to Richmond, Virginia. This was going to be her personal form of torture. She didn't understand how she could feel so much contempt for someone she had once admired so ardently, but she had to share this amazing project with someone else. They were going to butt heads. It wasn't going to be easy to work together on a script, especially if the two weren't exactly team players when it came down to screenplays. It only made sense that they were no longer friends. She set her purse down on her chair to help an older woman with some luggage and putting it into the overhead compartments. Once she was done, she took her seat at the window, waiting for Blake to take a seat beside her. Luckily, there was no middle man; there were two seats on each side.

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you look at me and i look at you

[atrb=border,0,true] You would think that after the Congratulations he heard from the other line, he wouldn’t bother keeping his ears open for anything else, but he did and he hated himself for it. If he hadn’t shut off his hearing after that, he wouldn’t have had to find out that he was sharing this position with his only real competition. The only one that apparently toyed with his emotions and didn’t even know it. The only one he didn’t want to share anything with. As kind as he was, there seemed to be no kindness on the inside for Blake towards Keani, even though it may seem like it on the outside because he was keeping that gentlemanly smile for her as he did when they first reunited. A part of him wondered what it would be like if they just went back to how things used to be, but another part--the stronger one--decided that it was best to keep his distance. In a way. Maybe let her know that although she was smart, talented and just as worthy of this title, he was just as good. He wanted to better so badly. He was older, more experienced, wiser…did she not get that? And if she did, why did Blake have a hard time accepting that she was accepting it? Did that make sense? Idk. But anyway, he knew that if he didn’t hear anything about Congratulations, he would have to find out eventually, but he would’ve have much rather preferred it that way. He wanted to pack happily knowing the job was his and not think about what became of his competition. He would have rather been disappointed later. Co-writers. Who did that anyway? He didn’t know. Cast and crew meetings before filming starts will be one thing, but he couldn’t even began to imagine how it would be once it will be just him and Keani, one-on-one…alone working on the dialogues and exactly how they picture the scenes to play out before the director gets his hands on them. Blake decided not to mope about it for too long and instantly got online to book a flight to Hollywood for the meeting in a few days. The man would have never expected that the woman who lived in the same city, going for the same meeting at the same time would be in the same flight on the same day on the same row of seats. Who would have expected that? He didn’t. That was why he took no note of anything that was going on at the airport when he sat down and he refreshed himself by indulging in Absolute Power, the book that was being turned into a film, for probably the fifth time now. It was a big book, but an easy read…and also his favorite. ”Looks like it’s you and me, Edison.” He looked up as soon as he heard the familiar voice and just as he was about to open his mouth to reply to her, he heard the woman over the intercom inform passengers that the plane was boarding now. ”Until the end, it seems!” He called out after her when she picked up her things and walked off. It’s okay. At least there was no bitterness. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. They were business seats after all…pretty spread out. The last thing Blake expected was to be stuck next to her. He chuckled to himself when he found the other seats were taken and as much as he would have loved switching with someone else, he knew it was rude. Great. Just. Hilarious. He sat down quietly, realizing they didn’t need to make this awkward. They will be working together on this thing for the next month or so. Maybe more. And not to mention, they will continue to be expected to be seen alongside one another until the movie came out--hoping it’ll be a successful. Plus, there was no way he could give her the cold shoulder for the next two hours. ” Of all possible subjects, travel is the most difficult for an artist, as it is the easiest for a journalist.” He grinned widely to himself, leaning back to make himself comfortable before holding up David Baldacci that he was still holding before he opened it back up to where he left it off, ”W.H. Auden.” Maybe he was referring to “travel” not as “travel” travel, but more the journey these two had to look forward to in the future. Either way, they were going to be easier for her than it was for him. He just had a strong feeling.

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THE EMPTINESS IS TOO MUCH

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It was a tight squeeze for them to be working on the film with so little time, but the two had turned in their own forms for the script. Their next task -- as a team -- was to combine and tweak their different ideas into a final draft of the script. This was really happening, and Keani sighed to herself as she forced herself to swallow the truth. She was no longer secure about whether or not she was the best writer. This project had proven to her that someone out there thought that Blake was just as good as her. He was older and wiser, but she still thought that she had something better to bring to the table, and sharing it with anyone was no fun. The two of them seemed to share that mutual feeling. He was trying to be friendly as the two took their places on the plane, and Keani didn't know what to make of it. They were close, but she kept her arm on her lap instead of letting it lie on the armrest. She wasn't going to touch him because he didn't like that. What a snob.

She pulled her own copy of the Baldacci novel of her purse as she settled in. Before she could pull on earphones or do anything to avoid speaking to him, he piped up with a quote. She raised an eyebrow, quickly remembering a quote to use as retaliation. "Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative," she said icily. "H.G. Wells." It was grim and dramatic, but it suited them. This journey -- of course, she assumed that he was speaking of the dozens of hours they were going to spend together -- was going to be taxing and irritating in many ways, but they were old friends, and most people hadn't seen the parts of Keani's heart in as close proximity as he had. The two would adapt or the project would flop. Personally, Keani wanted the project to soar with flying colors. She just needed him to be an easy person to work with. She had ti admit to herself that the definition of "easy to work with" actually meant "submissive" when it came down to her scripts. She had no idea how to share one.

One of the flight attendants came over the intercom to explain the rules to flying. Keani had heard it all before. Blake was correct; traveling was easy for any journalist. She was in comfortable clothes. She hated seeing women in heels when they got on planes. It was ludicrous to think that looks could supersede comfort on a plane ride. Keani licked her lips, looking up at the different signs on the top. She liked to feel out her surroundings before any trip, even if she had seen it all before. This was a foreign situation to her, so sitting beside someone who might as well be branded her enemy was making her feel uncomfortable in her own skin. Blake Edison truly had not done anything wrong, but she couldn't help but feel as if he had encroached on her grandest opportunity. She felt like turning away from him in anger or yelling at him, but she wasn't at justice to do anything about it. He had won this position by his own merit. She had used some of his very own teachings to get where she was.

She shifted a bit in her seat as she ran her fingers over the book. It was going to be a great project; two great minds were going to team up. She was trying to convince herself that this was the right path for the two of them, but it wasn't easy. Blake Edison was going to be working with her for hours. It was either going to be a torturous adventure or a splendid one; it could not be in the middle, not when these two were involved. They were too passionate, ambitious, and dedicated for it to be a mild experience. Keani was feeling a bit warm, so she turned the air conditioning on and adjusted the air to face the space between her shoulder and Blake's. The cold air blasted toward them. She didn't want it to face her directly, of course, so maybe their shoulders were going to be a little cold. She turned and looked out the window as the plane started to roll. Two hours...

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you look at me and i look at you

[atrb=border,0,true] Indeed, it was a short amount of time for them to cram and cover an entire script, but if anyone could do it, it was Keani and Blake. And if not both of them, Keani would surely find a way if you asked Blake. He wouldn’t drop any of the workload on her, considering this was no high school project, but he knew that he just might let her take control if he couldn’t handle too much. But then again, Blake could handle it. He knew that there was no way he could give this woman the benefit of a realization that she was in any way better at this job than he was. Hah. No. That wasn’t going to happen. He could try to be “easy to work with” but “submissive” wasn’t going to fly with him in this case. This man may be kind and gentle, but he was also ambitious. If anything, they both deserved the spotlight. A spotlight, he could share; they just both had to figure out how to share one script. How would it even work anyway? Blake and Keani were in the business class, so there was plenty of space for them both to spread out, but probably wouldn’t need to get too comfortable, considering the flight was only two hours. Only. He looked down at the book she had pulled out and kept the grin on his face, especially after she retaliated his remark. The words and the sound of her voice both stung him as her piercing voice almost whipped that wide smirk off that face in seconds. It was indeed grim and dramatic, but he loved it. Something about how perfect it fit just shut this man right now. After that, things were silent. At least between those two together. Other than them, the passengers and the good-looking flight attendants were still on the move, locking stuff in, telling people to buckle up, asking if anyone needed anything, that sort of stuff. He looked at the watch on his wrist before he looked out the window just as she had once the plane started to move. Good thing she was turned away because he was using that moment to take a look at the view, even though there really wasn’t one other than that of the distant trees past all the roads for the planes. Eventually they were in the air and Blake leaned back, trying to make himself comfortable as the plane continued to lift itself up higher and higher. It was as if in no time at all, it felt still. He looked over at his co-writer and then back down at his book that was already opened and started to read, once again sucked into the intensity of the scene in the novel. Two. Hours.

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THE EMPTINESS IS TOO MUCH

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Something about Blake's mere presence frustrated Keani beyond comprehension. She couldn't ignore him, and she had no idea how to read him. He had walked onto the plane with this smirk that looked almost smug, even if both of them knew that this wasn't going to be anything to be smug about. They were both runners up. That didn't make them special. It made them comparable. Keani hated being even mildly average, and he was making her feel that way. Once he ducked his head and started reading, Keani looked over at him for a moment and did the same. She had various lines highlighted. The scenes that were particularly important in the movie were marked with notes scrawled on the side. She had a hard copy at home without the pollution of anyone's writing or interference on the pages. It was one of her favorites, but she could tell in that room that Blake was absolutely in love with this novel. At least he knew about it and felt passionate about it. That made him a good partner to have, right? So why did she feel like they were doomed?

Once she was immersed in the novel, her surroundings seemed to melt away. The intensity sucked her in as well. Once each chapter was over, she made sure to make her own notes about what she needed to think about when she was putting the final script together with Blake. Because it was a bit different from the novel, the script had to have different elements that still kept the integrity of the novel together. She tapped the pen on her lips while she read. Most people looked comical as they read novels; they had certain habits or restlessness that they demonstrated. Keani's shoes were off and one knee was bent to fit into her seat. Once about thirty minutes had passed, the woman looked up at the AC that was now making her feel uncomfortable. She turned it off and looked at Blake out of curiosity. She didn't know what she was looking for when she faced in his direction; she felt impolite right when she focused her attention on him. She looked down right away and got back to the book.

She began to yawn a bit, realizing that she hadn't slept well at all last night. She had stayed up into the night, looking over her work for the movie. She rubbed her eyes, trying to stay awake, but the sleep was beginning to take over. She leaned toward the window so she wouldn't doze off on Blake's shoulder if she did. He would probably spray her down with Lysol if she did that, and she didn't feel like dealing with chemical poisoning on a two-hour flight. That could mean his victory, of course, and that wasn't worth sleeping on a very attractive man's strong... She stopped herself. Her eyes fluttered closed, but she kept on jumping and waking to focus on that novel. It wasn't that she needed to read the novel for the fourth time, but she wanted to, and a part of her felt like it was a competition between her and Blake. She sniffed a bit, leaning her head on her arm, as she read the novel. She wished she had grabbed a coffee before leaving the house, but there she was, obviously exhausted. One hour and thirty minutes...

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you look at me and i look at you

[atrb=border,0,true] Maybe it wasn’t smugness; perhaps it was just a way for him to show that he wasn’t upset about any of this because if he put on that small smile, he would probably be growling. Well, probably not. He had gotten a hold of himself in the past week or so and now it was easier for him to accept all this. Not only was he now willing to work by this woman’s side on the script for the production, but he was determined to enjoy himself. Moreover, Blake was extremely ashamed for his behavior in the meeting room last week, so obviously he was going to indirectly try to make it up to her by being on his best behavior like he should be. Funny thing is, this wasn’t the only time Blake ended up completely out of character around Keani. It was as if everything he was known for was suddenly changed about him as soon as he was around her. He didn’t meet with students privately for coffee throughout his years of teaching, but somehow he wanted to meet with Keani. He never tried to belittle his competition no matter how threatening, but with Keani, he felt like he needed to bash her in order to feel better about himself. That wasn’t like Blake at all. A simple apology just wasn’t enough. He would have to show her that he was still the amazing man she once looked up to. The one she respected and the one who respected her more than anyone else. Being sucked into the words as well, Blake managed to snap out only a little bit to take note of the moments when a scene stands out in his head as he jotted ideas of how it could be acted out and remain unique from the other Absolute Power movie. Once a chapter was over, it was almost impossible not to start the second one. For Blake, it was easier to pause mid-chapter and he did to look up at her, watching her for a short moment when she tapped the pen on her lips that Blake was looking at now. The lips, not the pen. He pursed his own, before looking away. It was when he was no longer looking at her that he thinking about how gorgeous she was. She always had been and he was never able to let her know that without feeling like he just might bring all his lunch and breakfast back to his mouth. Why it was so hard for him to talk to women in that way, he may never know. He started to read again, oblivious to the fact she was now looking at him as he continued. On the outside, he thought nothing of it, but it was almost as if it was a competition now to see who could read faster and quicker and more accurately. He wasn’t racing her, but he was still determined to finish before she did. There was just one reason to compete after another for Blake. It was almost as if with Keani, it didn’t stop. From the moment the woman next to him yawned, he was distracted. It was as if all of a sudden finishing the book in the next hour and thirty minutes didn’t matter to him as much as it was for him to make sure she was comfortable. This was nothing new for Blake. Especially not when it came to Keani. He looked out for her in a way that he sometimes didn’t even realize what he was doing. Blake closed the book for now. When a flight attendant passed by, he kindly asked for a water bottle and an extra pillow so once receiving what he asked for, he set the bottle for himself on the tray in front of him and held the pillow out in front of Keani. ”Here.” He said, ”It’ll help you get more comfortable.” [ i love your muse <3 it gives me muse ]

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THE EMPTINESS IS TOO MUCH

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Silence made most people uncomfortable. What surprised Keani was the fact that Blake didn't seem frustrated with her. He also didn't seem offended that she wasn't making small talk. Instead, he stayed on his side while she stayed on hers. She didn't know what to make of it or if it was a hostile move. It didn't feel like it at all; in fact, Blake was radiating an energy that Keani couldn't read. She had to admit that these years apart had killed how in sync they had once been as a student and her professor. In a way, the two were in a different world now. She still had no idea how to treat him as an equal when he was older and more intelligent than she was. Even so, sharing her newest project was frustrating. She wanted to huff and puff until she got her way, but every fiber of her being knew that this man deserved whatever success was coming his way, even if it meant that Keani would have to fight harder to get to hers. It was nearly unjust that he could make Miss Competitive Beldivere a softie. She was so comfortable beside him that she was actually sort of dozing off.

A voice woke her, and she nearly jumped out of her seat when she saw how close Blake was to her. It wasn't exactly his actual proximity, but rather the way his voice seemed to pull her in. He got her a pillow? She looked horrified, but she was really just in shock that someone who was sort of her rival was doing something so kind for her. ”It’ll help you get more comfortable.” She nodded, pulling it toward her and setting it on her left, right where the window view was. She looked out at the clouds, holding a gasp in. It was a beautiful sight. The clouds looked so soft and comfortable, like she could just fall asleep right there. She probably would have dozed off, but she suddenly realized that she needed to go to the restroom. She turned to look at how she was going to get there. She knew that the bathroom was in the back of the plane, of course, but there was an obstacle: Blake's lap.

Keani frowned to herself and sniffled a bit, trying to wake herself up. She cleared her throat, leaning a bit toward the window and thinking of how she was going to approach the situation. She rolled her eyes. It was going to awkward, no matter how she moved toward this situation. She unbuckled slowly and stood as much as she could in the given conditions. She sidestepped a bit, shuffling toward the aisle. "Sorry... Excuse me," she said, feeling a mix of embarrassment and the urge to laugh at the discomfort of the entire situation. She tried to turn with her front facing Blake, but that wasn't working for her because she didn't exactly want her chest in his face, so she shifted a bit to turn around, and at that point, it was too late to change her mind. She was inches away from being in his lap. Before she could even worry about being exposed, she had squeezed her way out of the tight spot. She sighed quietly, relieved that she didn't have to... Wait. She was going to have to get back in. She blew a stray hair out of her eyes as she made her way to the bathroom.

Once she got back, she slid easily between Blake and the seat, pretending that she hadn't struggled with the situation earlier. She cleared her throat again as she opened the novel, refreshing her challenge to finish that novel before he did on the plane ride. He definitely got some down while she was in the bathroom. She put the pillow in the crook of her neck and continued her read with a new sense of competition.

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you look at me and i look at you

[atrb=border,0,true] The two were in fact in a different world now, that’s why things were complicated now. Or at least that’s what Blake wanted to tell himself so that he had something to use as an explanation of why these two were leaning away from each other in their large business class seats rather than leaning closer like they most likely would have if they were still in Princeton. It was highly inappropriate and out of character for a man like Blake Edison, but that’s just the affect Keani had on him. That’s how comfortable he was with her. When she practically jumped out of her spot, he widened his eyes, feeling horrible for actually waking her up. He never meant to do what he did because he was so sure she was still awake enough, trying to get comfortable. ”I apologize. I didn’t mean to give you a fright.” His voice was soft, accent still thick. He watched as she took away the pillow and for a moment continued to make sure she was comfortable because looking ahead again and taking a gulp or two of the water in front of him. When she unbuckled, he looked over again, instantly realizing she will need to be excused so he picked up his bottle again and pulled up his tray, locking it against the chair in front of him. When she was right in front of him, Blake convinced himself not to be any more uncomfortable with the situation than he needed to be, so he began to look away. Before he could entirely, her chest was staring right at him. For a short moment--and I mean very short--the gentleman stared back. Out of character for him. He didn’t stare at chests. That wasn’t like him at all. Once she left, Blake’s eyes wandered towards the man sitting on the other side of the plane from him, giving him a look that clearly said, I saw what you just did there. He didn’t say or give any look back. Blake just looked away and wondered if he could just move to her spot so that it would be easier for her to sit back down, but that already meant that if she was going to go back to sleep, she would have to lean again…well, him. Yeah, he was staying right here and continuing reading the book that he had opened up again. He cleared his throat when she returned, letting her through easier this time. Pretending as if nothing at all happened, blake continued to read just as she had. One hour.

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THE EMPTINESS IS TOO MUCH

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How soft Blake was being with Keani shocked her. She didn't know how to feel about it because she was still upset with herself for not winning. Maybe the reason why she was so angry was because she was disappointed in herself... and she was just taking it out on Blake. She frowned to herself, seeing how unfair it was for him that she was being that way. "You didn't," she told him, smiling lightly. It was the first smile on her face for the whole plane ride, she realized. It was too easy to trust Blake, and she felt wary of it. Maybe it was his British accent. It made him seem approachable and warm. He was still competition, even if they were partners. She knew that they were going to have to work together and trade ideas and accept each other's differences, so why was it so hard to treat him as her new best friend for this project? Why did she feel so inclined to turn around and ignore him?

Once she was back in her seat, she began wondering why it felt like Blake wasn't being a typical guy about what happened. He didn't have a smirk on his face, and she hadn't felt his eyes on her backside as she walked to the restroom at the back of the airplane. Was he not attracted to her? It wasn't that she should care at all. It was completely unlike Keani to be this way. She was a romantic at heart, but she had a nice cover-up for that, and these thoughts kept bubbling to her mind. She stared at the pages of her book, hoping that Blake wasn't noticing her lack of focus. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to find her train of thought on the book. Once she got herself back under control, she opened her eyes and started reading. The pages began to fly by, each scene becoming more and more intense. She was completely immersed in the plot. The excitement and adrenaline of the unfolding chapters were getting to her. She had curiosity in her eyes, even if she knew what was going to happen. The magic of the book was the fact that one could find so many interesting parts of the novel that couldn't be seen the first or even the third time.

Once every thought of being angry with Blake left her mind, she turned her head slightly while still looking at the novel. She wasn't thinking, only doing what felt right. "I think we're going to do an amazing job," she told him softly. It seemed random, but it was the other side to Keani's emotions on sharing such an important project with anyone. She looked at her hand, which was now lightly touching his knee, and she took it back quickly. Keani was physical when it came down to friendly gestures, and she forgot that Blake didn't like that sort of thing. It just came naturally to her. Hopefully he didn't pack Lysol today. She didn't look into his eyes after she retracted her hand. She just looked out of the window. Thirty minutes.

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you look at me and i look at you

[atrb=border,0,true] There wasn’t much “feeling” before his softness towards her and if there was, he wouldn’t know what to make of it, so he didn’t think about it. He wasn’t usually the protective kind. Blake did his own thing, but considering he was so courteous and kind, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was comfortable where she was right now. The smile on her face was enough assurance that she, in fact, was comfortable…not only in her seat, but also with sitting here beside her…competition/equal/colleague/whatever. A part of her wanted him to trust her like she used to back when they were in Princeton and when he looked after her best interests. ”I think we’re going to do an amazing job.” When she spoke to him, he was looking back into her eyes with the most genuine smile he could manage and simply nodded, ”We always did make a great team,” He agreed before looking away, but eventually looked back at her. This time at her hand that was no longer in her own bubble space. For moment after she pulled away, he smiled, remembering all those times she used to tease him about his OCD and touch him on purpose just to be amused the reaction of complete--and mostly comedic--horror. He realized after snapping out of his flashback that this was more awkward now that they no longer had that relationship. The flashback of his seems more like a dream now than a flashback. It wasn’t hard to focus back on the novel this time because now he was picturing not what he could do with the dialogues and characters, but what he and Keani could do with the script. Twenty-nine minutes. ”They need better names.” He mused after snapping out of his trance by the book. ”Luther Whitney will only remind people of Clint Eastwood.” He didn’t mean to get started on working right away, but if he wasn’t going to share his ideas with Keani, who else would he share them with? [ short and lame. SORRY ]

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THE EMPTINESS IS TOO MUCH

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Blake wasn't the only one who remembered Princeton days. When he reminded her of how great of a team they had always been, Keani felt like she should be silent. She didn't have words to say to him. It seemed to seal a silence between them, the silence of nostalgia. She could remember the glances she got when she knew what other didn't know in class. He was the one who had believed in her when she didn't. He was the one who had picked her up whenever something had gone wrong. That Blake was still there, she hoped. He couldn't be a ghost, not yet. Even as she looked out the window, she could imagine his face like a still photo. That face was so familiar to her, even after not seeing or really even thinking about him for two years. No, this was the same Blake. It seemed like only days had passed since their hands would brush as she handed in a paper, when they discussed their works of literature over coffee. Back then, it had seemed like pure simplicity. Now, Keani didn't know if it was all innocent on his part or hers. A part of her wanted to know if there had been any chemistry back then. A part of her felt like it still lingered.

Before Keani could look back down at the novel, he was speaking to her. What he said surprised her. Was Blake making a joke to her? Her first instinct was to roll her eyes or scoff at him, but she just stared back for a moment. She laughed. "Do you have a problem with Clint Eastwood?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning her chin on the arm that had been resting against the window. "I guess American names are dull to a European native." She was teasing him about where he came from. Keani enjoyed teasing him because she knew that those jokes made him laugh. He could be so serious, but when those jokes about his OCD or about his British accent came up, he couldn't deny her the luxury of his velvety laugh. She smiled at him, but she felt stupid for doing so because she was bitterly competitive and filled with some sort of anger because of the way he could have gotten a seat beside her as a writer. She wanted to forget it, but she couldn't. That face was too good to be innocent. She looked down, not showing what she was thinking, instead staring at the novel again.

Once she found herself lost again, Keani realized that she was nearing an emotional part. Keani was a crier. She never cried in public about her personal issues; that was for the privacy of her own room with a cup of tea in hand... and a box of tissues. Books and other works of fictions, though, had insane effects on her. When she realized she was nearing a part that would undoubtedly bring tears to her eyes, she considered skipping it, but Blake would notice if she did that. Besides, she was better than that. She was allowed to cry if she wanted to. She read on, immersed in the plot. Tears sprang behind her eyeballs, but she didn't let the tears fall. A hand found itself on her lips, trying to stop the trembling. She shook her head once the chapter ended, feeling like she had lost a piece of herself. Books had a way of getting her to feel that way. She looked over at Blake, blinking the water from her eyes away. No tears had fallen, but she did feel like she should have been ashamed. "Flight should be over soon," she blurted, rubbing her brow like it could stop her heart from feeling like it had been pulled. Fifteen minutes.

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you look at me and i look at you

[atrb=border,0,true] He wasn’t a ghost: the Blake that managed quick glances with a smirk when something was mentioned only him and Keani understood. That blake that reminded Keani every day that she would be one of the most well-known writers in the country. The one that believe in her no matter what dream she had set her mind to. He wasn’t there anymore on the outside, but he still existed. In a way, maybe he was a ghost. Maybe she needed to be there for him like he was there for her and remind him of what he had lost when he left Princeton. Regardless, he was still the Blake in so many ways. There were just minor fluctuations. For example, the love he had for his student was still there. Only difference was that this time around, he didn’t realize it. He had forgotten. Back then, he did recognize the obvious chemistry that she overlooked, but now as a much older man, he was the one overlooking it. In fact, whatever was there before was just no longer there. At least Blake didn’t feel it. Not anymore. ”No one is allowed to have a problem with Clint Eastwood.” Blake said with a nervous chuckle and then continued to explain himself, ”What I mean is that we need to put a new name and face on Luther to make the movie stand out.” When she spoke about American named, he looked up at her face as if searching for answers on it and was luckily able to find what he was looking for: a joke. It was a joke. The man didn’t disappointed when he finally released an amused chuckle at her comment, ”Precisely,” He simply, but jokingly agreed right back and just looked down at his lap about the same time she looked down. His smile faded and little to his knowledge, so did hers. They were both back to thinking they were each other’s competition. Friends, but still competing to be better than the other with everything they did starting now and onward until the end of the production of Secret Safe. From his lap, the man was back to the book, past the emotional part. Yeah, yeah. Very touching. And eventually, he was a couple chapters away from the end. ”Flight should be over soon.” Blake looked up when he heard his…companion speak to him about the flight. Fifteen minutes. Once looking up, he wished that he hadn’t because tears were one thing he couldn’t handle. No…this was not happen. Keani was not crying, he told himself. Her eyes were watery, that could mean anything. Good evening, passengers. This is your pilot. We will be landing in Richmond, Virginia shortly, so please buckle up and I wish you the best on the rest of the flight and thank you for flying with us today.

[/b] There was a “bing” above him as the seat belt light came on. He wasn’t really listening, he was more concerned about the water in Keani’s eyes, ”Are you alright, Keani?” He asked, leaning over towards a little, obviously concerned.

[ you can forward as much as you want. <3 ]
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THE EMPTINESS IS TOO MUCH

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Nine out of ten parts in Keani's heart wanted to be ruthless to Blake. She wanted to make him regret ever competing to her or getting too cocky in the conference room. She wanted to coldly tell him that they weren't friends at all. She wanted to sever that line. There were nine parts of her that told her to do that, though, and the one small voice inside of her told her that, regardless of the current circumstances, she owed her life to this guy. She knew that there was no way she would have made it without his inspiration. He was the one who had picked her up when she had lost her confidence. Now that she saw how incredible those moments were and how she was selfish for never thinking of giving anything back to him, she felt like being civil to him was something that was an obligation and also a moral inevitability. Her heart wasn't going to let her turn against him, at least not yet. Sitting beside him and feeling his familiar warmth as it mingled with the same smell of her Princeton days made her want to lean on his shoulder and reminisce with him, but that seemed so childish. She was a grown-up now.

"New names?" Keani considered that for a moment. "Actually, that sounds great." She smiled vaguely at him, trying not to be too generous with her laughs and jokes. She was at war with herself. She watched him as he searched her, as if he were afraid that laughing at her when she wasn't joking would set her off. Even if she wasn't happy with him, the last thing she wanted was to scare him. As much as she would hate to admit it under any circumstance, she admired Blake Edison, and becoming an object of his fear or his possession was a great fear of hers. She couldn't do either; she could only hope to remain in the middle. "Do you have any ideas of what name you would rather use?" she asked, trying to stay on topic. That smile of his was going to be distracting. She would never tell him that.

Keani regretted speaking to Blake after their brief break in conversation. It seemed like the conversations were really just rifts in the silence. They weren't good at this whole communication situation. Once the person on the intercom went off and Keani drew her gaze back to Blake, she nearly jumped back. He was closer than she had expected him to be as he asked, ”Are you alright, Keani?” She sniffled a bit, feeling absolutely pathetic. She was supposed to be angry with him or jealous to some extent, but he was being the nice guy. Why couldn't he be the mean guy? Why couldn't he rub salt in the wound and laugh at her? He definitely wasn't crying. Keani looked away for a moment, blinking away the remainder of the almost-tears. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine," she said, seeming as if she had reached a conclusion. She looked out the window again, dismissing the conversation as if he hadn't reached out a kind hand to comfort her.

Twenty minutes later, the plane had landed. Keani waited a bit for the crowd to thin before getting up and making sure that all of her belongings were in order. Before Blake could get into the aisle, she grabbed his arm with a gentle but assertive hand. She looked at the way her fingers didn't wrap around his muscle completely. She could feel the tension that moved within him and didn't take it back. She was still wondering what she was doing. Her eyes slowly lifted themselves to meet his. "Blake," she murmured. She cleared her throat, looking away then forcing herself to find his gaze again. "I'm sorry if I don't treat you well in these next few weeks, okay?" Her eyes were begging for some kind of understanding because she didn't have the strength to explain. "Just... for future reference." She smiled a bit, finally letting him go.

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you look at me and i look at you

[atrb=border,0,true] For Blake, there weren’t any feelings of ruthlessness towards the woman. Maybe it was, but like her “ten parts” it was all just a mixture of everything else as well…all of which included respect with a bad case of frustration mixed in there somewhere. He shook his head when she questioned him about the names and after letting her know that he hadn’t really thought about the names, he was back to finishing up his book. He hoped just for the sake of saving themselves for the awkward between them that he was the only one who noticed they lacked profound conversation like the kind they used to have back in Princeton. Their discussions weren’t the same anymore because apparently they were both forcing themselves--and each other--to talk to the other and it wasn’t what they should be used to. At least that’s how it seemed to Blake and a huge part of him wished they could go back to that. Sadly, though, Blake had lost hope. They had indeed grown up and there probably wasn’t a single chance that he’d be feeling the same way about her as he used to. Poor man is up for a shock, that’s for sure. When she looked away from him and out the window, Blake wasn’t sure whether or not he should worry. He was always too…serious too busy himself with trying to figure out emotions, so hers were a little complicated for him right now. After several seconds of worrying his ass off, he decided that she was probably crying at Luther Whitney’s shooting. He got a little emotional when that happened too, he wouldn’t lie. He’s on that man’s side, no matter how malicious he was on the inside and out. After hearing she was fine, he just nodded to himself and looked back down and didn’t look up until the plane started to land. By then, he was gathering his things and slipping on his shoes that he had slipped off just to get comfortable and then just remained in his seat without a word as he let people pass, looking out the window at the airport as well, smiling that he got himself this far. After all the annoyance of having to share the work, he never appreciated actually getting where he was now in his area of work. He was going to be writing the script of a film for a book by David Baldacci…an actual feature film. This was amazing! He smiled to himself and then to Keani after biding his short farewell, knowing he’ll see her again. But she didn’t let him go. When she grabbed his arm, he turned towards her again and looked down at his arm that was now in her grip. When he lifted his gaze, she was looking right at him as if she knew the physical contact irked him a little, but she did it anyway. After finally hearing her speak to him, he continued to stare for another couple seconds until finally he mirrored her smile. Not only that, but after smiling back, he let his lips spread even more into a bigger grin until it couldn’t go any bigger. ”Likewise, Miss Beldivere.” He probably didn’t mean that. Blake was a gentleman and despite his previous moments with her back in New York, he was going to act as one. Finally, she let him go and he nodded as if to say goodbye and then stood, picking up his carrier bag from the compartment above the seats and handing her the one she had as well before making his way out of the airport, not making an effort to walk by her as he continued out of the airport and towards the hotel that was not far from the office building of the meeting that they were all holding. The location of the meeting was a little far from the filming location, but after the meeting, some of the people--including Blake and Keani had time to head out to the National Mall and examine what they had to work with. He was working well with her and she was working well with him. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad when they started putting together ideas. Sure, they kept their distance, but they occasionally had their moments were they made jokes only they understood. Regardless, the two adults remained focused on the task at hand, which included preparing to film in National Mall. They needed permission from all sorts of people to go what they were doing, so there was a lot to do while they were in Virginia. That being noted, it shouldn’t be a surprise to know they’d been in Richmond for a week or so and in the midst of their visits, a brutal thunderstorm was about to hit the area. Being the focused man he was, Blake had been a little busy working on his script day and night on his free time that he didn’t even think to turn on the TV in his hotel room to check on the news, which he did practically all the time when he was in New York. Unable to be up-to-date on the storm, he was surprised to see people rolling into the lobby after he had already checked out. Almost instantly, the man checked up on the airports’ happenings on his phone and it was just as he had suspected. His flight was cancelled. They all were. ”Shit,” He muttered to himself, before requesting another room since he had already checked out of that one, but it seemed that with the storm, everyone was booking a place to stay because of all the cancelled flights. This hotel was near the airport, so he wasn’t surprised they were all rolling in here. To Blake’s luck--which was usually pretty good because he always planned ahead about everything--the room he had checked out of was checked in by someone else and there were no other rooms available. Not even one. ”I’m sorry, Sir. But I can call the other hotels in the area for you to check for vacancy if you’d like?” Blake didn’t reject the offer, but it seemed it was no use because every other room in every other hotel in the area had been booked too. ”What on earth? How bad is this storm?” He obviously didn’t need it right now, but the woman behind the counter started with a ”Pretty bad” and continued on and on about how bad it’ll get. ”Great.” He muttered to himself, returning to a couch in the lobby as he picked up his phone and rung up the only person he could think about right now. He hoped that unlike himself, Keani had been more prepared for this storm and hadn’t checked out of her hotel room. ”Hi…where are you right now?” He asked on the phone, sitting back as he remained calm despite the stressful situation.

CREDIT TO OH HAI JENNERS ?! OF CAUTION 2.0

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THE EMPTINESS IS TOO MUCH

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The days that were spent in Richmond and at the various places that they had to visit for their work on Secret Safe were each productive and a bit puzzling. Keani didn't allow herself to think much of Blake outside of their brief encounters in DC or at meetings. The two collaborated a few times in order to keep their ideas streaming along the same line instead of diverging into a mess. They had to share ideas and workshop the way Keani had learned to do in college. It felt like they were back in his classroom again, sharing each other's works and laughing over silly jokes that no one else would understand. Being with Blake felt right, but the situation felt odd and like it didn't fit. Keani felt glad that the two were trying their best to work together instead of going at each other's necks. Both of them seemed to be aware that there was tension and a small twist of competition, but it only seemed to motivate them further toward their monumental goal.

On the last day in Richmond, Keani started her day with her blinds open and a pen waiting for her on her desk. She was editing the last portion of her script with a red pen as the storm began, and she noticed how bleak it looked outside. It began to rain with a more dangerous pounding on her window, which soothed her. When the lightning began, Keani felt her heart beating with a quickened pace. She picked up her phone to check the weather. Her items were already packed up since she hadn't taken much to Richmond other than exactly what she needed, so she had been prepared for her flight. It didn't look like she was going to be going home any time soon. When she saw that the storm was going to be disastrous, she went ahead and called the airport to make sure. "We're sorry to inform you that your flight has been canceled," the man on the other line replied. She narrowed her eyes for a moment. "Alright," she nodded. She was glad she had called hours before she had to leave.

Keani thought storms were bad in the beginning, but she always felt surprised when she saw the way they got progressively worse. She closed her notebook and portfolio, noticing that it was getting much darker and that she should probably head to the lobby to see if there was anything she could help out with. Before she could leave the room, the lights shut off. Around her, darkness seemed to engulf every bit of the room. The only light came from the lightning from the storm and the dark blue tint of the sky. She frowned, looking around and trying to adjust her vision to the inconvenience. She took a few steps toward the desk, trying to find her phone. "Where are you, phone?" she mumbled to herself. The answer came when the loud sound of her favorite song surrounded the room. She let out a small yelp before jumping toward it and picking it up without looking at the phone.

"Hello?" she asked, clearly out of breath. ”Hi…where are you right now?” She didn't even take a moment before she recognized the voice. She had her hand over her heart in a rush of dramatic fear because of the loud ringtone, but hearing Blake's voice made her feel a little bit safer. She wasn't sure why he was calling. Was he concerned about her or was he confused as to why the flight had been canceled? "I'm in my room. Lights just went out," she breathed, gulping in a breath and trying to count to ten and calm down. Thunder made her feel terrible. She finally made her way toward the door and stepped into the hallway. "Everything okay, Blake?" She was finally getting used to his first name. It was dark, but she had her flashlight in hand this time, so she turned it on with her free hand and made her way down the hallway quickly while she waited for Blake to answer her question.

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