Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88218 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88218 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
The driver pulls the monstrosity of this tank up to a row of trailers much like they have on the set of Fandom.
A production assistant approaches with his finger to his headset. “Come this way. We’ll take you to where you can watch. We’re almost wrapped for the day.”
I’m delightfully wobbly as we follow the dude to a fake eight-story building with scaffolding all around it. The whole set is lit up with industrial lights, and it’s hard to make out what it’s going to look like postproduction. Are we supposed to be in a city? Is that a high-rise? Or is it supposed to look like a construction site?
“They only have one take of the action sequence, so we need quiet on the set,” the PA tells us. He ushers us closer to some more crew who are watching. There are screens showing multiple camera angles, and Blake stands on top of the building wearing all black, a bulletproof vest, and holding what looks like an assault rifle. Coby Godspeed, eat your heart out.
I’ve lost count of how many movies they’ve shoved together in this franchise in two and a half years. He’s so busy filming them back-to-back, he might be making Coby Godspeed films forever.
We all watch on in fascination as there’s some cheesy dialogue about the building about to blow, and then in the next second, Blake turns and runs for the ledge, but before he can leap over it, the director calls, “Cut.”
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” I say.
They reset for the next shot, only this time, it’s without the dialogue. Blake is in a harness, and he runs at the wall, but this time, he keeps going.
I gasp as his figure flies over the top of the building, free-falling a few stories in seconds.
Blake grabs onto a ledge and dangles there for a moment, but then an explosion shakes the ground and the building above, and he drops again to the next ledge.
I go to open my mouth to ask when Blake got such good upper-body strength when I remember I’m supposed to keep quiet. I don’t really feel like donating money toward reshoots.
The top of the building is on fire, and another explosion rocks through the crumbling building, this time on the other side.
There’s a quiet snicker beside me, and I turn to find Brix trying not to laugh. I don’t know what he finds funny.
Then with agility I didn’t know Blake had, he turns and lets go completely, diving onto the awaiting inflatable pillow underneath.
“Cut,” the director says again.
“Whoa,” Harley says.
“No shit,” I agree.
Brix scoffs. “So unrealistic.”
Ah, guess I now know what he found so funny.
A voice comes from behind us. “What the fuck are you two doing out here?”
We turn to come face-to-face with Blake. He’s still in his Coby getup, but— “Uh …” I glance toward where the guy I thought was Blake climbs off the safety thing and then back at Real Blake. “Harley, are we drunker than we thought? There are two Blakes.”
“Stunt double,” Blake says. “You really think they let me do any of the fun stuff around here?”
His blond hair is all wet and slicked back in that Coby Godspeed way, and his smile still brings the same comfortable warmth it always has. When it comes to our manufactured personalities, I’m the nice one, Harley’s the star, and Blake’s the quietly charismatic one. Which is why I was surprised when he’d landed a role as this big, super badass on film because it can’t be further from who he is in real life. I guess he’s a good actor because he can pull it off.
“Blake!” Harley exclaims. “We missed you.”
Blake looks at me as Harley wraps him in a hug. “I’m going to answer your question with I think Harley is drunker than you thought. What are you doing here?”
Harley pulls back and pouts. “You’ve been avoiding my calls.”
“I’ve been working.”
“He’s trying to get Eleven back together,” I say. “I’m still a firm no. But he tricked me onto the plane here by saying we were going to dinner with you. And that you knew.”
Harley puts his finger up. “Nuh-uh, I never said he knew about it.”
Blake’s gaze flits between us both. “Is this for real? You guys really want to get us back together? What, for a reunion tour?”
Brix clears his throat. “Have you got a trailer we can discuss this in? There are a few stares coming this way.”
Blake frowns. “Who are you?”
“My bodyguard,” Harley says and grabs Blake’s hand. “Are you done for the night? We have reservations.”
“Yeah … I just need to … wait, reservations for where?”
“More drinks!” I say excitedly.
It’s a lot easier to get Blake to agree to come to dinner than it was me. In less than ten minutes, he’s showered, changed, and we’re back in the Hummer on our way back to Vegas.