“Yeah,” Chase dragged his fork around his beans. “Like back to Indonesia.”
“Right.” Lisa’s eyes were full of wisdom. “Indonesia was wonderful for all of us. If that’s where God takes us again, I couldn’t be anything but happy. I would go with a full heart.”
Chase knew that was the right answer, but here—with the cast and crew depending on them—he couldn’t catch the attitude of his friends. “You know what? I loved being a missionary in the jungle. I loved everything about it. You were both there to see the way God worked on me during those years.” He leaned over his plate, his voice as quiet as it was intense. “But I don’t want to go back to Indonesia. I want to make this film to the glory of God and get it out there for everyone to see.” He straightened, his tone more resigned. “I guess I can’t believe God brought us this far just to see us fail.”
Keith and Lisa didn’t try to say anything about that. Chase was about to go through the list of possible investors one more time, throwing out names and making sure that Keith had contacted everyone on the list one more time, when the director of photography walked up. “I need to talk to Jake and Rita about tomorrow’s shoot.” He removed his baseball cap and raked his fingers through his hair. “They haven’t gotten rides back to the hotel, but I can’t find ’em. Knocked on both their trailer doors, and they’re nowhere. One of you wanna take a look for me? I can’t finish up here until the three of us talk.”
The chicken was good, but Chase’s jangled nerves had cost him his appetite. He swung his leg out from the picnic table and stood. “I’ll find them.” He maneuvered his way between the tables, stopping along the way to pat a few of the minor actors on the back and to lean down and give Janetta Drake a hug.
“How’s it going?” she always looked at him deeper than the others, because of all the cast, she alone knew the battle they were undertaking producing an independent film with a message of faith and hope.
“Good.” He patted her arm and smiled. “It’s fine, Janetta. Thanks for asking.”
She looked at him a little while longer and shook her head. “It’s not fine, Chase. I can see it in your eyes.”
“What we’re getting on film is beyond our highest expectations.” He gave an easy shrug. “At least we’ve got that much.”
“But what about the rest, the stuff producers deal with.” The caring and concern in her eyes made him grateful once again that she was on the crew.
He could be honest with her, but only to a degree. The specifics about the impending financial crisis had to be confined to the production team alone. “Okay, here’s what I’ll tell you.” He crouched down so he was at her level. “We could use your prayers. Let’s just leave it at that.”
She took hold of his hand and gave it a motherly squeeze. “You don’t need to ask, Chase. I’ve been praying constantly since I arrived on set.” She smiled and her eyes lit up like a child’s. “God is doing something big here. He won’t let you down. He told me.”
“Good.” Chase nodded, careful not to let the moment get too heavy. “Now I just wish He’d tell me.”
After Janetta, Chase moved on with a few more hellos and compliments to his cast and crew. People needed compliments in order to give their best. Chase and Keith made it a point to praise the people they were working with as often as the chance presented itself. Finally he rounded the corner and walked across the street back to the set. They were working out of one of the classroom buildings on campus again, and he wondered if his two lead actors might’ve stayed on the set, going over blocking or lines.
But the area was dark and quiet, no sign of Jake or Rita. Chase lowered his brow, puzzled. Strange, he thought. Usually the two joined the rest of the cast for dinner. And since they hadn’t gone back to the hotel they had to be here somewhere. He crossed the street again and walked between the rows of trailers to the one that belonged to Rita. It was twice the size of the others—another of her demands. She hadn’t made an attempt to seduce him lately, but nothing would surprise him when it came to Rita Reynolds. Chase had a feeling there was a deeply insecure woman beneath the pretty façade that stepped in front of the camera each day.
“Rita?” he called out. “Jake?” The area between the trailers was very dark, and he walked in the shadows. He was nearly to the end of the row, almost to Rita’s trailer, when her door opened and Jake took one step out onto the landing. He had Rita in his arms, and the two of them were caught in a makeout session that would’ve been well beyond PG-rated.
“Hey,” he shouted at them as he walked closer. “Jake … Rita … what’s going on?”
Jake jerked away, his surprise evident. A smile took over and he kissed Rita again, this time with blatant passion. When he pulled away from her, he shaded his eyes and peered out at Chase. “What’s the problem? I’m just telling my co-star goodnight.” His tone was both humorous and mocking, as if he wanted to convey the fact that Chase had no right to care if his two stars were kissing.
Rita looked embarrassed. She put up her hand to stop Jake from kissing her again. “Is something wrong, Chase?”
“Yes.” He was seething mad as he walked up to them.
Jake released Rita and the two of them stood together, a not-quite-unified front. “You got a problem with us kissing?” He chuckled and turned to Rita. “We were just working on our chemistry, right?”
“Well,” Rita couldn’t say much. She was playing Jake’s mother, after all. “I mean, it’s no big deal, Chase. We’re just letting off tension after a day on the set.”
Chase raised one eyebrow. “This is my film, and it’s my reputation on the line.” He took a step closer, and he could feel the fire in his eyes. “The last thing we need is some on-the-set scandal to bring the paparazzi sniffing around.”
“On-set romances happen all the time.” Jake put his arm easily around Rita’s shoulders. “We could kind of be like Ashton and Demi.” He pulled Rita a little closer to his side. “Right, baby?”
Rita didn’t seem to like the comparison. “I’m not that much older.” She eased free of Jake’s embrace. Her next words were layered in understanding. “I’m sorry, Chase. We didn’t mean anything by it.”
Her apology took Chase by surprise and eased some of his anger. “The thing is, you people are the stars of my picture. You’re giving me performances that are way above the line, and I appreciate that.” His voice was calmer, more even. “But I absolutely demand that what happens off-screen is above the line, as well. That we maintain a level of propriety while we’re working that is impeccable—able to withstand whatever scrutiny comes our way.”
“Okay … okay.” Jake laughed and took a step back. He slid his hands in the pockets of his jeans and cocked his head back. “We were just having a little fun.”
“Not on my dime.” Chase hoped his look conveyed to Jake how serious he was. “Is that understood?”
“Fine.” He straightened up and seemed to get suddenly repentant. “Our mistake, Chase. We’ll be good little actors from now on.”
“Thank you.” Chase knew his star actor was mocking him, but he decided not to let on. “I appreciate that more than you know. By the way, the DP’s looking for you. He wants to set up tomorrow’s scenes.”
Jake left, chuckling to himself, but Rita stayed. She put her hand on Chase’s shoulder. “That shouldn’t have happened. You’re right.”
Chase wanted to ask her how she could’ve let it happen, but he didn’t want to have too deep a conversation with Rita Reynolds here in the dark spaces between the trailers. He nodded, keeping the walls in his eyes firmly in place. “Thanks for saying that. We need to keep it clean on the set.”
“You’re right.” She still had her hand on his shoulder. “I guess … I don’t know, I still think every day about what we could be sharing. Not on the set, of course. But back at the hotel. A friendship,” she massaged her fingers into his shoulder muscles. “Or something more.”
A sigh rattled around in Chase’s chest. “Rita,
for the last time, I’m not interested.” He was baffled at her determination.
“Maybe that’s why I let Jake kiss me. At least he’s not married.”
“No. But he is your co-star, and for that reason, the two of you need to cool it until we wrap.”
He took a step toward the eating area. “Come on, the DP wants to talk to you, too.” He kept a few paces ahead of her, and once they were back with the others the gravity of what had just happened hit him fully. He walked back to Keith and Lisa and told them he couldn’t take another minute on the set. “I need to get back. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Seven o’clock call again.”
“I know.” He stopped himself from reciting the number of dollars that would fall from their bank balance once the clock started ticking in the morning. He needed some sleep or he would regret his poor attitude. “Thanks for your hard work, guys.”
“You too.” Keith stood and moved closer to him. “What was the deal with Jake and Rita? Where’d you find them?”
Chase barely had the energy to tell the story, so he stuck to the facts. He explained how he’d been walking toward Rita’s trailer when Jake stepped out, the two of them caught in a passionate kiss. “I told them to quit it, and I asked them to keep their behavior above the line—the way they were supposed to be.” Chase rubbed his hand into the back of his neck. He and Keith and Lisa could talk later about the problems an affair between the two costars could bring about. “Bottom line, they promised to lay low from now on, keep things clean on the set.”
“Wow … I mean, you ever wonder if there’s anything else the enemy can throw at us to stop us from making this movie?”
“I try not to think about it.” Chase felt the exhaustion in his smile. “See you later.”
He left and as he drove back to the hotel he turned on the radio and heard Jeremy Camp’s “I Will Walk by Faith.” He turned up the volume and let the words fill his heart and soul. I will walk by faith, even when I cannot see … Chase let that phrase stay with him, let it work its way deep inside him. When the song ended he turned off the radio and stared blankly at the cars stopped at the light ahead of him. The citizens of Bloomington were good, hard-working family people, most of them going home at this hour to family dinners and homework sessions with their kids. The thought of it made him miss Kelly and the girls more than he had since he’d arrived in town.
God … everything is closing in around me. I can’t see You in anything that’s happening, and I’m not doing very well at walking by faith either. He remembered a scene from the great classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life. When George Bailey was in trouble, his entire town came to his support and saved the day dropping fives and tens and twenties into a huge basket and sparing him a trip to jail in lieu of having Christmas with his family. That’s what he needed, that kind of a miracle. But, God, who’s going to save our movie from failing? He could hardly expect the townspeople to show up with tens and twenties. It was one thing for them to come together to pray, but this? Father, I’m falling … I’m at the end of myself. We’re almost out of money and then all of this will be for nothing—the investors’ money wasted … the actors’ time wasted … all of it a waste of time and energy. He felt tears in his eyes, and he fought back his emotions. I can’t do this, Lord … I feel like I’m walking into a lion’s den and taking the entire cast and crew with me.
My son, I am with you … rejoice in your suffering. I will never leave you nor forsake you …
The answer wasn’t clear or loud or definitive, but the verse filled his soul at just the right moment. God was with him, of that Chase could not doubt. God’s Spirit lived in him and like Keith and Lisa said, if this wasn’t the place where God wanted them, He would lead them to the next place. And since the verse that came to mind was about suffering, Chase had every reason to believe that’s exactly what would happen. Oh, the cast and crew would be paid for every hour of their work—one way or another. The moment they ran out of money, he and Keith would have to face the group and tell them what had happened. Everyone would pack up and go their own ways and that would be that.
Failure beyond anything Chase ever imagined.
Even he and Kelly were struggling. She was worried frantic over what a failed movie would mean for their personal finances. She’d even said something about being homeless this time next year. He parked his car and walked heavy-hearted into the lobby past the fireplace. The old man at the check-in desk was friendly with all those from the movie staying at the hotel. He was a Christian, and Chase and Keith had talked to him a few times about the purpose of the film. In turn the man had promised to pray. Now he waved and gave Chase a big grin. “Long day on the set, my friend?”
“Very long.” Chase smiled at the guy. “But God is good, right?”
“All the time!” The man handed Chase a fresh water bottle. “Tomorrow’s a new day.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.” More than the man could possibly have known. Chase took the elevator up to his floor and trudged down the hallway to his room. As soon as he opened the door he saw someone move inside and he stepped back. When was Rita going to—
“Hi.” The voice wasn’t Rita’s, it was Kelly’s.
Chase walked inside and set his bag down, too shocked to move or speak or do anything but let the tears fill his eyes. “You … how did you … ?”
“My parents bought me a ticket. I couldn’t stay away.” She was sitting at the table near his bed, the same one where Rita had been sitting that time. Chase had told Kelly about the incident, and now she smiled. “I was afraid you’d think I was Rita.”
“I did.” He was catching his breath, rebounding from the shock of seeing her. “Notice my first reaction was to back up into the hallway.”
“I did notice.” She stood and there were tears in her eyes too. She held out her arms. “I missed you.”
He came to her, wrapped her into his arms, and held her close against his chest, clung to her as if she were the only friend he had in all the world. “You don’t know how much I needed to see you tonight.”
“I do know.” She sniffed and leaned back enough to see him. “God told me to come, and so I couldn’t stay away. You had to know that I believe in your dreams, Chase. I do.” The tears ran unabashed down her cheeks and she lifted her face to his, kissing him in a way that took both their breath. The moment was laced with a desperate sort of passion and fear, a determination that they would walk together with God, wherever the path took them. In that embrace, in that moment of untamed love and longing for each other, one thing was desperately clear—whatever they faced, they wouldn’t lose each other in the process.
When they eased back from each other, Kelly made a sound that was mostly laugh and partly cry. “I can’t believe I’m here. It feels so good to see you.”
“You too.” He led her to the edge of the bed and they sat side-by-side. “I’ve never been more discouraged, Kelly. So much that I was afraid to call you.” He looked down at his hands and absently twisted his wedding ring. “I hate making you worry.”
“I’m done worrying.”
The resolve and certainty in her voice caught him by surprise. “Nothing’s better.” He had to be honest with her. “No one’s come forward, and if we don’t find some money fast, we’re finished.”
“I know.” Her smile was bathed in peace. She reached out and took his hand, lacing her fingers between his. “But if that happens, then God will get us from here to there.”
“There?” He almost didn’t recognize this new, completely confident Kelly. “Where’s there?”
“Wherever He takes us.” She turned toward him and hugged him once more, burying her head against his neck and staying that way a long time. “I forgot how important it was to dream, Chase. But God reminded me.” She stood and went to her suitcase. From the outside pocket she pulled a padded envelope and brought it to him. “I found this the other day.”
Chase had no idea what she might’ve found that cou
ld bring about this type of change in her, but he was grateful. After crying out to God the way he had earlier, he was certain her visit was God’s way of encouraging him—even if encouragement couldn’t pay the bills.
Kelly sat on the bed again and lifted a small plastic frame from inside the envelope. She turned it over and held it up for him to see. As soon as Chase realized what he was looking at, the tears he’d been fighting spilled onto his cheeks. Now he understood why she had come, why God had told her she needed to be here to remind Chase of his dreams. He studied the picture and he was there again, the hot, humid night air thick around him, realizing a wonderful miracle that until that day he hadn’t believed was possible.
Chase looked up at his wife, and with his chin trembling he said the only thing he could think to say. “If fireflies are real …” His voice cracked, and he couldn’t finish the sentence. He framed her face with his hands, loving her more than ever before, and he tried again. “If fireflies are real …”
She smiled at him through her own tears. “Then God can get us through this.”
They hugged again and Chase had no words to thank her, no way of voicing what her visit and her reminder meant to him.
The light from the firefly in the photograph had said it all.
Twenty-Three
ANDI WAS BACK ON THE SET Friday afternoon for additional extra work, this time by herself. Bailey was no longer considered an extra because of her role as Jake’s girlfriend, so they couldn’t use her in scenes where she might be recognized walking along a campus path or sitting in a classroom. Andi missed having her camaraderie on the set, but she didn’t mind the lack of scrutiny. Because she’d done something she told herself she wouldn’t do.
She’d connected again with Jake Olson.
When she arrived at the set just before lunch, he came up to her and asked if she’d follow him to a grassy spot a ways from the tent. “Hey,” he sounded disappointed in himself. “I’m sorry about last week.”
At first Andi kept her guard up. “Don’t worry about it.” She started walking back toward the tent, but he touched her arm. The feeling shot electricity throughout her body, and she turned, flustered. “There’s not much more to say.” She gave him a look like this was wasting her time. “I have to go eat.”