laptop. Matthew looked up and caught Pete’s eye. He waved, his smile welcoming, and some of Pete’s stress melted away as he walked over, dropping his backpack to the floor with a thunk while Matthew removed his earphones.
“Sorry, man. I can’t believe that class went over. First day and she goes over? Hey, we can reschedule if you want.”
Matthew waved his hand. “No problem. I got some work done that I’ve been avoiding. Sit down, take a load off. What can I get you?”
Pete sat. “Get me?”
“Yeah. Anything to drink? Coffee? Or are you hungry? I love their bagel sandwiches.”
Matthew looked so handsome sitting there in his plaid button-down with the sleeves rolled up that Pete had a hard time concentrating on what he was saying. Sunlight slanted through the window, turning the hair on Matthew’s forearms to a burnished red-gold, and his bright-blue eyes positively sparkled. Pete pulled himself back to the conversation with an effort.
“No, man, you’re not getting me anything. You’re the one helping me out. Let me get you something—a sandwich? Refill?” Pete jumped up.
“I’m not hungry, but a refill would be great. Americano, one shot.”
Once Pete was back with their drinks and settled at the table, Matthew said, “Okay. So, you want to do a film for Professor R’s film fest?”
“Yeah, I thought I’d give it a try. Here’s the info about it.” Pete handed Matthew the paper and watched him as he read, enjoying the view. He had freckles, which Pete had never thought of as sexy, but they looked sexy on Matthew.
“This is pretty much the same as when I did a film for it,” Matthew commented, scanning the paper. “Have you ever made a movie before?”
“No, but I’ve always wanted to. I mean, I messed around with a video camera in high school, did some totally ridiculous stuff starring my friends, but nothing beyond that.”
“Yeah, it’s a lot different. I take it you don’t have equipment?”
Equipment? “Uh, no. Yeah, I guess I need some, um, maybe I could rent stuff or, like, borrow from the school?”
“No, that’s okay. I have all the equipment you need. I was just checking to see if you had any already.”
“You’d lend me your equipment?”
“Sure.” Matthew shrugged. “I’m not using it right now, so it’s just sitting around collecting dust. What’s your concept for what the film is going to be about?”
“Um, okay.” This was something Pete had thought about. “It’s about a guy who, for the whole film, is confined to his bed because he’s convalescing from a serious illness. It’s driving him crazy that he can’t go anywhere, but it’s forcing him to think about stuff. Um, and people from his life come to see him, and each visit is, like, you get a little more about this guy’s life through these visit sequences.”
He came to a halt, sure his idea was boring, but Matthew was listening intently.
“Hmm, okay, interesting. How old is the guy?”
“Early twenties.”
“And what’s the crisis or turning point or whatever?”
“It’s something about how this guy’s been running from the truth about himself and he’s gotten depressed and now sick, and he has to figure stuff out.”
“What truth is he running from?”
“That he’s gay. His dad is military and ultraconservative, and his family belongs to one of those fundamentalist Christian churches. He’s in love with his best friend, who’s straight. And he’s a writer and really creative, but he’s been going to business school to please his dad.” Pete stopped again, but at Matthew’s nod, he kept going. “And he’s practically engaged to this girl in his church who he’s dated for years. And he’s about to graduate from college, and get engaged, and start a business career, and that’s when he gets sick.”
“Wow.” Matthew gave him an encouraging smile. “Sounds interesting.”
“You think so?” Pete asked. “It doesn’t sound lame?”
“You know, I
“Sorry, man. I can’t believe that class went over. First day and she goes over? Hey, we can reschedule if you want.”
Matthew waved his hand. “No problem. I got some work done that I’ve been avoiding. Sit down, take a load off. What can I get you?”
Pete sat. “Get me?”
“Yeah. Anything to drink? Coffee? Or are you hungry? I love their bagel sandwiches.”
Matthew looked so handsome sitting there in his plaid button-down with the sleeves rolled up that Pete had a hard time concentrating on what he was saying. Sunlight slanted through the window, turning the hair on Matthew’s forearms to a burnished red-gold, and his bright-blue eyes positively sparkled. Pete pulled himself back to the conversation with an effort.
“No, man, you’re not getting me anything. You’re the one helping me out. Let me get you something—a sandwich? Refill?” Pete jumped up.
“I’m not hungry, but a refill would be great. Americano, one shot.”
Once Pete was back with their drinks and settled at the table, Matthew said, “Okay. So, you want to do a film for Professor R’s film fest?”
“Yeah, I thought I’d give it a try. Here’s the info about it.” Pete handed Matthew the paper and watched him as he read, enjoying the view. He had freckles, which Pete had never thought of as sexy, but they looked sexy on Matthew.
“This is pretty much the same as when I did a film for it,” Matthew commented, scanning the paper. “Have you ever made a movie before?”
“No, but I’ve always wanted to. I mean, I messed around with a video camera in high school, did some totally ridiculous stuff starring my friends, but nothing beyond that.”
“Yeah, it’s a lot different. I take it you don’t have equipment?”
Equipment? “Uh, no. Yeah, I guess I need some, um, maybe I could rent stuff or, like, borrow from the school?”
“No, that’s okay. I have all the equipment you need. I was just checking to see if you had any already.”
“You’d lend me your equipment?”
“Sure.” Matthew shrugged. “I’m not using it right now, so it’s just sitting around collecting dust. What’s your concept for what the film is going to be about?”
“Um, okay.” This was something Pete had thought about. “It’s about a guy who, for the whole film, is confined to his bed because he’s convalescing from a serious illness. It’s driving him crazy that he can’t go anywhere, but it’s forcing him to think about stuff. Um, and people from his life come to see him, and each visit is, like, you get a little more about this guy’s life through these visit sequences.”
He came to a halt, sure his idea was boring, but Matthew was listening intently.
“Hmm, okay, interesting. How old is the guy?”
“Early twenties.”
“And what’s the crisis or turning point or whatever?”
“It’s something about how this guy’s been running from the truth about himself and he’s gotten depressed and now sick, and he has to figure stuff out.”
“What truth is he running from?”
“That he’s gay. His dad is military and ultraconservative, and his family belongs to one of those fundamentalist Christian churches. He’s in love with his best friend, who’s straight. And he’s a writer and really creative, but he’s been going to business school to please his dad.” Pete stopped again, but at Matthew’s nod, he kept going. “And he’s practically engaged to this girl in his church who he’s dated for years. And he’s about to graduate from college, and get engaged, and start a business career, and that’s when he gets sick.”
“Wow.” Matthew gave him an encouraging smile. “Sounds interesting.”
“You think so?” Pete asked. “It doesn’t sound lame?”
“You know, I
Similar Books
