Page 92 of Fan Favorite

Ted took up his camera. The copilot double-checked Ted’s safety harness. With a thumbs-up, Ted was kneeling on the floor of the helicopter, shooting the scene below.

Peter sighed and looked at the iPad, at the split screen of Edie. First, Ted’s long shot: Edie in a blur of white, moving up the mountain on Adam Fox’s arm. Now, of course, Peter regretted all the wedding tropes they trotted out for finales. In the close-up from the ground, her face looked emotional in a way Peter couldn’t quite parse but made his entire body singe withregret. She reached Bennett in the middle of a circle of glowing candlelight. She took his hands.

Peter’s heart pounded. He attempted to shift his brain back into work mode and come up with some instructions for Ted to improve the shot, but the shot was perfect. Ted didn’t need Peter to tell him how to do his job. Ted had been withThe Keyfor as long as Peter had. He was the best camera op they had. Out of nowhere, tears stung Peter’s eyes. He was going to miss Ted. He was going to miss all these people and all that they’d made together. It wasn’t perfect, and some of it was actually sort of fucked-up, but this show had been everything to him.

“It’s been great working with you these past eight years, Ted,” Peter said, trying to keep his tone casual. “Probably my opinion won’t count for much soon, but if I can ever help, recommend you to someone, I know you were thinking about a move to film—I’d be happy to.”

“You going somewhere, Pete?” Ted said from behind the camera.

“Yeah, well…” Peter said. “You know how it goes. All things come to an end, right?”

“That they do.” Ted was quiet for a moment. “A lot of shit people in Hollywood. Always thought you did a good job. You’re solid. Fair. I always liked that about you.”

“And here I thought everyone thought I was an asshole.”

“Oh, they do.”

They both laughed before falling silent again, contemplating the scene below.

“How many people you think we’ve seen come through here?” Ted asked.

“On the show? Hundreds. Including casting? Thousands.”

“All these people looking for love,” Ted mused. “And the funny thing is, in all these years, this is the first time I’ve ever seenThe Keydeliver. Too bad the man she loves isn’t downthere.” Ted pulled away from the camera and looked at Peter. “Sort of ruins the moment, don’t you think?”

Peter’s eyes went wide as he took in Ted’s meaning.

Of course, Ted would’ve noticed something going on between Peter and Edie. Ted was always there, a fly on the wall. It was literally his job. Peter’s face went red when he realized how many times Ted had probably watched Peter stare at Edie holding hands with Bennett, or kissing Bennett, or laughing with Bennett, Peter frowning on the sidelines like an angsty, lovesick teen.

On the iPad, Bennett was talking but there was no audio. It was clearly a speech, a declaration of love that Peter himself should be making. And all at once, that part of Peter that believed in love very deeply, that believed in Edie, that understood it was now or never, burst to the surface. He had to do something.

“She does love me, right?” Peter said, standing up as best he could in the tiny space. “That’s what you’re saying?”

“Jeez, Pete,” Ted said from behind the camera. “For a smart guy, you can be pretty dense.”

“Well, you could’ve mentioned it before we got on the fucking helicopter!”

With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Peter leaned into the cockpit and told the pilots to let him the fuck out.

“What the hell you talkin’ ’bout, mate?” the pilot said in a thick British accent. “We can’t ‘let you out.’ This is a helicopter.”

“Yeah, I know what it is,” Peter said, suddenly exhilarated. “Can you land?”

“Look at the trees—if you wanna land, we gotta go back.”

“No time for that.” Peter looked around. The door was already open. “You got a ladder, a parachute or something?”

The copilot cracked up. “Nobody told me we was flyin’ James Bond.” He made eyes at the pilot. “We got James Bond here.”

Peter flicked his eyes to the iPad. Bennett looked dangerously close to getting down on one knee. “Fly over there!” Peter pointed toward engagement rock. “Fly above them. Until the snow swirls around and fucks up the shot.”

The pilots looked at each other, skeptical.

“Yeah, those aren’t our instructions, mate. The girl was clear—stay far enough away they can’t hear the copter.”

“Well, I don’t give a shit,” Peter declared. “I’mthe show-runner andI’min charge of this entire production.”

“That’s true,” Ted said. “He’s the showrunner.”

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