The intimacy meeting began at ten.

Elliot arrived early. Maya was already there with an open binder and a cup of coffee.

Roman entered a few minutes later, nodded to Elliot and took the chair across from him.

Maya turned to the marked section of her binder. "Episode four. Hotel bathroom. Let's go through the choreography."

Elliot had read the scene. Noah and Julian entered the bathroom after an argument, and several pages of physical contact followed.

Maya summarized the sequence. "Julian puts Noah against the wall. They kiss. Noah pushes back, and Julian lifts him onto the counter. After that, they move to the bathtub."

She looked between them.

"The scene includes straddling, waist contact and chest-to-chest contact. We need to establish boundaries before rehearsal."

Roman pointed to one of the pages. "The shirt removal can go."

Maya checked the script. "Elena wanted more vulnerability there."

"The scene already has it."

Maya made a note. "I'll discuss it with her."

"There's also a hand on Noah's inner thigh on page six," Roman said. "It was added after the table read."

"You want it removed?"

"Yes."

Elliot studied him across the table.

Roman continued. "We should have a physical stop signal. Two taps on my shoulder. Elliot can use it without waiting for someone to call cut."

Maya turned to Elliot. "Does that work for you?"

His throat felt dry. "Yes."

"Use it at any point. Once Roman feels the signal, all physical contact stops."

Maya led them to the rehearsal area.

Tape marked the wall, counter and bathtub positions on the floor. She walked through the sequence before asking them to try it at half speed.

Elliot moved to the wall.

Roman stopped in front of him. "Shoulders?"

"Yes."

Roman placed his hands lightly on them.

"The first kiss?"

"Yes."

Their lips met for less than a second.

Roman stepped back before moving to the next position. "I'll lift from your waist."

Elliot nodded.

Roman's hands settled around his waist and lifted him onto the rehearsal counter. Elliot opened his knees to let Roman stand between them.

Roman paused. "For the next—"

"Just do it."

His hands remained still.

"I need a clear answer."

"I already said yes."

"That was for the lift."

Elliot pushed Roman's hands away and slid from the counter. "You don't need to ask after every movement."

Roman gave him space. "We're setting the choreography."

"You're treating me like I can't handle it."

"I'm making sure we agree."

"I'm a professional."

"So am I."

"Then trust me to say something if there's a problem."

Roman watched him for a moment. "Do you want to continue?"

The calm question irritated Elliot more than an argument would have.

He grabbed Roman's wrist and placed Roman's hand against his waist.

"Keep your hands here. You don't need to ask again unless the position changes."

Roman's fingers tightened once.

"Understood."

They returned to the beginning.

Roman held Elliot's shoulders and kissed him. Elliot pushed against his chest on cue, and Roman lifted him onto the counter.

His hands stayed at Elliot's waist.

The next kiss lasted longer. Roman kept every movement controlled, following the rhythm they had established with Maya.

Elliot knew Roman was giving him time to use the stop signal.

He never used it.

They rehearsed the transition to the bathtub without water. Roman carried Elliot three steps, lowered him onto the padded platform and followed him down.

Maya adjusted the angle of Roman's arm so it would not block Elliot's face from the camera.

"Run the final kiss," she said.

Roman looked at Elliot.

Elliot nodded before he could ask.

Roman leaned over him. The kiss remained slow and measured, with one hand beside Elliot's shoulder and the other at his waist.

"Stop there," Maya said.

Roman moved away immediately.

They repeated the complete sequence three times. By the final run, Elliot no longer needed Maya to call out the steps.

When the rehearsal ended, Maya closed her binder.

"The choreography is approved. I'll send the revised notes to Elena. The shirt stays on, and the thigh contact is removed."

Roman thanked her.

Maya looked at Elliot. "You can still change any boundary tomorrow."

"I understand."

She left them beside the rehearsal counter.

Elliot's hands were shaking. He folded his arms to hide them.

Roman noticed anyway. "Are you cold?"

"The room is freezing."

Roman retrieved his jacket from the chair and held it out.

Elliot looked at it before taking it. The sleeves covered part of his hands, and the fabric carried the faint smell of Roman's cologne.

"Why did you remove those actions?" Elliot asked.

"They added nothing to the scene."

"You could have let me decide that."

Roman leaned against the table. "Would you have removed them?"

"I don't know."

"That's why we discussed them."

Elliot pulled the jacket closer around himself. "You thought they would make me uncomfortable."

"I thought you might agree because you didn't want anyone to think you were difficult."

The accuracy of the answer annoyed him.

"I can speak for myself."

Roman nodded. "Then I'll wait for you to speak."

He collected his script and walked toward the door.

Elliot looked down at the jacket. "You forgot this."

"Keep it until tomorrow."

Roman left before Elliot could refuse.

Outside, the parking lot lay beneath a gray sky. Elliot watched Roman cross to his car and drive away.

He should have removed the jacket.

Instead, he pushed his hands deeper into the pockets and found an old movie ticket inside one of them.

The date printed across it was eight years earlier.

Elliot recognized the title.

It was the first student film in which he had ever appeared.