“Sounds great!” I grinned and stepped into his arms. He held me close, giving me a gentle kiss.
“Everything turn out okay working here?” he asked once he pulled away.
I scanned the space around us. The sun shone through the window, casting a bright spotlight on the greenery. I hadn’t used a ton of backdrops when making short films in the past but knew this one would be by far the best I’d come across.
“Everything turned out great.”
He took a breath and nodded as he took in the surroundings too.
“Give me a sec, and I’ll be done cleaning up.” I went over to restack a few pots I’d moved around to add some aesthetic value to my shoots.
Dakota stayed quiet for a bit. He moved toward the stool in the middle of the room. The one I used for the interviewees. I didn’t look up when it creaked under his weight. I did when he cleared his throat.
“You were telling me on the phone the other night that your film didn’t reach the mandatory timeframe of your assignment,” he started.
I froze, studying him. “Yeah, but it’s fine. I don’t mind getting a few points knocked off. I wouldn’t change a thing about the film.”
He nodded, chewing on his bottom lip for a bit before saying, “What if you got one more story? Would that change your mind?”
I blinked and waited for him to continue.
“Do you have your camera on you?”
“Dakota…” My shoulders relaxed a bit as I moved closer to him. He closed his eyes when I ran my hand across his cheek. I sighed when he moved his head to kiss my inner palm.
“You don’t need to do this,” I said in a gentle voice. “I told you, your story is yours.”
“I know. But I think I want to share it. You never found any guys to speak up, did you?”
I shook my head. All my interviewees were women. All their stories proved the quiet strength that assault survivors carried. I’d hoped to find a man to share his story too, but no one had been willing to talk before now.
“I’ll do it,” he offered. “I want to. I think I need to.”
“Are you sure? We can still talk about it. I don’t have to film it for the doc. It can stay between you and me for now.”
“No. I want to,” Dakota insisted, voice determined now. “I need to start somewhere and this could be the perfect place.”
I studied him in silence for a moment, giving him another opportunity to back out. He looked me right in the eyes, no indication he would back down. I kissed his forehead and tucked his hair behind his ear. Dakota smiled, looking more vulnerable and handsome than ever.
“We can stop at any point,” I told him.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I gave him another forehead kiss before stepping back and pulling out my tripod. Dakota offered to help reset up the backdrop, but I told him it was fine. The clear view of the trees outside of the windows translated beautifully on screen. He looked nice, sitting on the stool without the space behind him carefully decorated.
“Whenever you’re ready,” I permitted once I pressed the record button.
Dakota straightened his back a bit and rested his hands on his knees. I could tell he was nervous. But on camera, he looked like someone who was just as ready to share his story as the other women I’d interviewed.
“How should I start?” he asked, looking at me.
I gave him an encouraging smile. “Anywhere you want. It’s your story, so start where you’d like.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in deep. Once he reopened his eyes, he looked right at the camera and started talking, “I guess beginnings are the best. Maybe not the most innovative, but simple can be nice too.”
Our student theater buzzed with conversation from the audience members. My film had been shown last, and my nerves were at an all-time high. When the credits rolled, there’d been a lull before the applause. I thought that was a bad thing before I saw Ari’s excited expression. Professor Francis encouraged everyone out of their seats so we could head over to the meet and greet where there’d be refreshments for the audience members and judgment for the students.
“Emmy!” Ari folded me into a warm hug. “You did an amazing job.”
