Kisses

(By Deyse)

When John entered the small room inside the Moon Water Studios, where the cast usually got together to study their lines, his heart immediately melted at the vision right before his eyes: Roma was lying in the small black sofa, placed against the wall, and fast asleep, with her script still in her hands. She was already wearing Monica’s clothes but as her scenes would be filmed only in an hour, she decided to stay there and study her lines, but ended up taking off her sandals and falling asleep.

One hour had passed and John was there exactly to tell her that she would be in scene, but he slowed his pace down when he saw her. Quietly, and with a tender smile on his face, he came closer and knelt right beside her. They had started dating two weeks before and for a while their romance was a secret even to Della and little Reilly, and now that there wasn’t anybody around, the blond actor took the opportunity to caress her auburn hair and take her hand. Gently, he removed a few strands off her face and kissed her cheek, "Roma? Wake up for me, angel..." he whispered in her ear and waited patiently until she moved her head and her eyes flickered open. "You’re absolutely adorable when you sleep, you know that?"

"Johnny?" her voice was low but a smile appeared on her face at the moment she saw him.

"Hey, you! My Sleeping Beauty!"

Blushing a little, she lowered her head, "I guess I overslept here... I’m a bit tired, you know, preparing everything for the Easter lunch..."

"It’ll be the best Easter of my life!" he said, happy to think that it would be their first Easter together, and he would spend it with Roma and Reilly, his "favourite angel girls".

She reached out and caressed his handsome face, "Sometimes I wonder if this is a dream..."

"It is and we’ll have an entire holiday to confirm it!" John kissed her hand and remembered that their director seemed to be in a hurry when he told him to go and find Roma. "Victor is calling you for your next scene..." he helped her to sit down and, noticing that she was going to reach for her sandals, he himself held her small feet in his hand and put her sandals on them, "I’ll do it for you!"

Giggling, she watched him with eyes filled with love, "And now what? Cinderella too?"

John let out a little laugher and nodded, "You’re more beautiful than all of them together!" he kissed her hand and, finishing his task with her shoes, the blond actor inched closer, "Now the only thing missing is the kiss, don’t you think?"

"Yes, and you owe me two already, mister!"

He was about to kiss her lips but at this very moment, they heard voices coming from the corridor and had to pull away quickly. Della and Martha got inside the room on the following second and ended with any possibility of a secret romance at that very moment.

"Oh, here you are, baby! Victor is calling you at the studio. You and Lovejuice have a scene together." The old actress announced, missing the secret glance the couple of actors exchanged.

"Y-yes... I know, John told me... I overslept here a little..." she replied, still a little shaken by their sudden appearance. John wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the door, "Let’s get going?"

"S-sure..."

When they left the room, Roma turned to face him and spoke in a very low voice, "Do you think they suspected?"

"Nah... But now my debt with you has increased!"

Chuckling, the couple headed to the studio to start filming Monica and Andrew’s scenes.

*

With the filming over, the cast went to their dressing rooms to change their clothes; John’s scenes had finished a few hours before and, as much as he wanted to hug and kiss his beloved girlfriend, he had no other choice but to leave. Frustrated, the Irish actress also got into her car and took her cell phone, dialling a number she knew by heart.

"Hello, sweetie..." John’s voice on the other side of the line reduced her frustration and made a small smile appear on her face, "I missed you..."

"I know what you mean, honey..." he also smiled, moved with love to hear her words. "Where are you?"

"I’m leaving the studio... The filming lasted long; I guess by the time I get home, Reilly will be asleep already..."

"Have in mind that we’ll be together the entire Easter holiday!"

"Yes... I can’t wait for it... I want you both together with me!"

"We will be, honey. Now get into your car and go home. Maybe you can find our little angel still awake, waiting for her mom!"

"Ok..."

"I love you, baby... always!"

"Oh, Johnny... I love you too..."

They both turned their telephones off and the Irish actress entered the car.

*

It took Roma about half hour to get home. Tired, and frustrated as she wasn’t able to stay one minute alone with John on that troubled day, she got out of the vehicle and inserted the keys in the front doorknob. Julie was staying for the night and she was expecting to find Reilly’s nanny still there, waiting for her. When she opened the door, though, the living room was absolutely deserted. Frowning a little, Roma was going to call Julie but before she could say anything, the actress stepped on something on the floor.

"Oh, my... what’s this?"

A small Hershey Kiss was near the door and she took it in her hands, "But what the..." it was then that she noticed that there was another one just a few steps ahead. And then another one... There was a trail of small pieces of chocolate wrapped in golden paper that lead to the study. With an intrigued and somewhat amused expression on her face, she followed the trail, picking all the tiny bits from the ground and wondering who had left them there. With the last one, which had been placed exactly at the study door, there was a small note attached, saying that all the little drops of chocolate could be exchanged for real kisses.

With a broad smile on her face, she opened the study door and found John standing in front of her desk, with his hands on his pockets, waiting for her to arrive. "Well... Easter can be in only a few days but what about having some early chocolate?"

"I thought you didn’t like chocolate, mister!" she replied, coming closer to him and not breaking the eye contact; her heart beating faster to see him.

John looked at her hands, which now held the tiny Hershey kisses he’d spread along the hall, and chuckled, "I do now..."

Now standing face to face with him, she showed the many pieces of chocolate and raised her eyebrows, "I was looking for you..." she continued to speak, now with amazement, also looking deep inside his eyes, her heart suddenly beating faster due to the great love she felt for him.

Chuckling, the blond actor gently caressed her cheek, "Really? What can I do for you?"

"I came to exchange these!" she showed him all the tiny pieces of chocolate.

With a mischievous expression on his handsome face, he stood only a few inches apart from her, "Well... I happen to be in charge of this... You can claim your prize anytime you want, Ms!"

Giggling at his solemn tone of voice, she nodded her head, "Very well, Mr Dye... What about giving me my prize right now?"

"As you wish..."

He slid his arm around her waist, bringing her even closer to him, and bent his head. Then, watching as she closed her eyes, the blond actor raised his hand and stroked her face as gently as a soft breeze. He placed tender kisses on her forehead, on her left and right cheek, on the tip of her nose and, finally, on her lips.

Their kiss was sweet and slow, there was no hurry: they felt as if the rest of the world had stopped just to allow them that always magical moment, full of love and emotion. John moved his hand from her cheek and started to run his fingers through her auburn hair, while she moved her hand to caress his face, never breaking their loving kiss.

Only a long minute later, when air became an issue, did they part, "I thought you were at home..."

"I guess those studios were getting quite crowded for us to talk, so I decided to pay a visit to my two angel girls!" he placed a tiny on her lips, "Our little one had dinner already and is fast asleep in her bedroom. And I believe I had a debt with you, remember?"

Smiling broadly, she touched his face, "I love you so much!"

"Angel... I love you too, baby! You’re my everything!"

The end