Page 89 of Friends with Benefits

“Yeah.”

He wonders what Lori would say if she could see them.

Married.

Casually.

Evelyn drops her tote bag on her desk. “You can hang out in here while I’m recording. Video will play on that screen.” She points to the monitor set up on the stage before turning on some of the audio equipment and handing Theo a pair of headphones. “You can listen with these. If you want to. It can get repetitive, so I won’t be offended if at any point you… um. Stop. Listening.” Her cheeks bloom pink. “Here.”

Theo takes the headphones. “Cool.”

“We can set up a tripod in the corner to record a session. Sadie has a phone mount. For TikTok.”

“Sadie’s on TikTok?”

“No.” She shakes her head, then removes the claw clip and twists all her hair into it. Theo is transfixed. Cannot wait until later when he can unclip her hair. “I already blocked and practiced the scene, so hopefully this shouldn’t take too long.”

Evelyn has told him that when she’s on a Foley stage, it almost feels like she’s dancing again. It’s one thing to hear her say it and another toseeit. Evelyn dancing again. Her body moving to the rhythm of the scene to hit every note of an action sequence. Her ability to absorb and execute the nuances of each movement. On the screen, Sarabeth and Jack are being chased in a blizzard. In the studio, Evelyn runs in place over lump charcoal. It has the same crackling effect as snow. Her first take as Sarabeth’s feet complete, she returns the mixing booth and listens to the playback. It matches. One take. Content, she switches from heavy industrial snow boots to a pair with alighter tread to be Jack’s steps.Because he’s younger, smaller, she explains. Theo hangs on to her every word, grateful she has to focus on the monitor because he’s unable to contain the goofy grin on his face as he listens to each prop pass.

After recording, Evelyn sits on his lap and layers sound on sound on sound.

He unclips the claw.

Plays with her hair, until she passes the headphones back to him.

“It’s just a rough cut.”

Theo listens. “This is what you do all day?”

Her laughter crackles in his ear. “I wish. No. Most days are either running around in search of a super specific prop or in here, hanging out with Charlie while Sadie records. I’m hoping this”—she gestures at the sound waves on her monitor—“will change that.”

“It sounds incredible, Ev.”

“Thanks.” She beams at him. “I needed this. Today.”

“Yeah?”

“I mean, so far the best part about this fellowship has been the benefits.”

Theo smirks.

She rolls her eyes. “Your health insurance.”

“Sure. Myinsurance.”

Evelyn shoves his shoulder, her expression shifting from playful to something serious. “I just. Sometimes I wish I wanted something easy.” She scrunches her nose. “Noteasy. A path with a clear trajectory. I thought… losing dance… it would’ve changed things. Changedme. Nope. Instead, I fell in love with this weird and wonderful art that is, statistically speaking, a less viable path than professional dancer. It’s, like, I’m wired to want impossible things.”

“Or just really brave.” Theo shrugs when his eyes meet hers, his smile soft. “That’s how I see it. You.”

“Shut up.”

“Let me be earnest.”

“Brave? I didn’t even apply for this! You did. If I were brave…” The way she’s looking at him? Theo’s brain goes to a dangerous place. “I’m not.”

If I were brave…

What?

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