Date: May 1996
Location: Sundance Film Festival, Park City – Mountain View Chalet Brunch
Actress: Laura Dern
Alexander's Status: Fresh off _From Dusk Till Dawn_ success; finalizing prep for _The Blair Witch Project_; secretly drawing battle lines around Marvel's boardroom
Actress's Status: Gaining praise for *Citizen Ruth*; seen as bold, brilliant, but still cast in supporting shadows; coming off the public echo of her breakup with Jeff Goldblum
The chalet's windows framed a canvas of snow-laced pines and rising mist, sunlight bleeding through in quiet streaks. Inside, the brunch buzzed with indie energy — wool coats tossed over chairs, coffee cups still steaming, and the occasional laugh that didn't quite reach the eyes.
Laura Dern stood near the buffet, holding a tiny fork and a much larger presence. She was all angles: cheekbones, collarbones, ideas. Dressed in slate gray cashmere and leather boots that made her look like a poet disguised as a ski instructor, she nodded politely at a financier she wasn't listening to.
And then — a pause in the air. The buzz dulled.
Alexander Kaine walked in.
No badge, no entourage, no coat. Just a tailored black wool suit, a navy scarf, and the kind of stillness that made everything else feel like noise.
He found her before she saw him. She felt it — that eerie sensation of being watched not by a man, but by something that already knew how your story ended.
"Laura," he said, when they were face-to-face. "You look like the only person here who's actually thinking."
She smiled warily, adjusting the grip on her espresso. "And you look like the only man here who didn't come to be seen."
"I came to see you."
That got a blink. A beat. A tilt of her head.
"You're very good at flattery."
"I'm very bad at wasting time."
---
They sat at a table near the window — two silhouettes haloed in mountain light. She sipped coffee. He ordered a scotch. No one dared interrupt.
"I saw _Citizen Ruth_ last night," Alexander said, voice low, warm. "It's fearless. You're fearless."
Laura gave a modest shrug, the kind that meant _thank you, but please don't mythologize me._
"I just played the part. Alexander Payne deserves the credit."
"No," he said, eyes never leaving hers. "He made the film. You _carried_ it."
She arched an eyebrow. "And what exactly are you fishing for, Kaine?"
"I'm not fishing," he said. "I'm planting."
She blinked again. "Planting?"
He leaned in slightly, elbows on the table.
"You're going to direct one day. Something raw. Something luminous. It'll shake women loose from whatever Hollywood told them they were supposed to be."
She laughed. It was elegant, precise — the laugh of a woman who'd been underestimated by better men.
"You're serious."
"I am."
"And what makes you so sure?"
"I've seen the future," he said, deadpan.
Her expression faltered just long enough for him to see it — a flicker of curiosity buried beneath the charm. That hunger she hid beneath grace.
---
As brunch turned into whispered meetings and wandering exits, they lingered.
"You remind me of a tuning fork," he said, as she gathered her coat.
"Explain," she said, amused.
"You vibrate with truth, even when the room is off-key."
She shook her head, smiling. "You talk like a novelist who got bored of being poor."
"I talk like a man who's betting on you before the studios realize they should."
And just like that, her eyes changed. Something opened.
"Alright then," she said. "If I ever direct something… you can produce it."
He stood, adjusting his scarf. "I will. But not for control."
"No?"
"For faith."
The rizzler before it was even a thing.
Laura and Alexander where now in his estate.
She started with her bra, unhooking it from the front and letting it fall to the floor. Her breasts, full and heavy, spilled free, and Alexander's gaze locked onto them like a man starving. She turned her back to him, giving him a view of her taut, smooth back and the curve of her ass. She shimmied out of her jeans, bending over slowly, teasingly, until she stepped out of them and stood before him in nothing but her lacy thong.
Alexander reached out, pulling her onto his lap. Their mouths met in a fierce, hungry kiss as their hands explored each other's bodies. He gripped her ass, kneading the firm flesh, while she ran her fingers through his hair, pulling gently as she ground against him. The room was filled with the sounds of their heavy breathing and the soft, wet noises of their kisses.
Laura broke away, a mischievous glint in her eye. She slid down his body, her hands tracing his abs as she went. She looked up at him from under her lashes, a silent promise in her eyes.
She took him in her hand, stroking him gently before leaning down and taking him into her mouth. Alexander groaned, his head falling back as she worked him with her tongue and her hand, her mouth hot and wet. She took her time, savoring the feel of him, the taste of him. She looked up at him, her eyes never leaving his as she took him deeper, her hand moving in tandem with her mouth.
Alexander's hands found her hair, tangling in the soft strands as he guided her, his hips moving in time with her. "Laura," he groaned, his voice a low, desperate plea. She smiled around him, her eyes never leaving his, and redoubled her efforts, determined to bring him to the edge and back.
She pulled away, leaving him glistening and hard, and crawled up his body, her legs straddling his hips.
She positioned him at her entrance and slowly, agonizingly, lowered herself onto him. They both moaned as he filled her, their bodies fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle. She began to move, her hips rolling and grinding as she rode him, her hands braced on his chest. Alexander's hands found her hips, guiding her, urging her on as their bodies moved in a primal, ancient rhythm.
Laura leaned down, her breasts pressing against his chest as she whispered in his ear, "I want to feel you come undone." She sat up, her movements deliberate and slow, drawing out the sensation for both of them. Alexander's hands tightened on her hips, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps as he fought for control. "Laura," he ground out, his voice a warning. She just smiled, her eyes dark with desire, and continued her slow, torturous ride.
Finally, unable to take it any longer, Alexander flipped her onto her hands and knees, his body covering hers. He entered her from behind, his hands gripping her hips as he set a punishing pace. The room filled with the sound of their bodies slapping together, their moans and groans a symphony of desire. Laura pushed back against him, meeting his thrusts with her own, their bodies moving in perfect harmony.
Exhausted and spent, they collapsed onto the couch, their bodies slick with sweat. Laura turned to him, a playful glint in her eye. "I want to taste you," she said, her voice a low purr. She straddled his face, her hands braced on the back of the couch as she lowered herself onto his mouth. Alexander's hands gripped her ass, pulling her down onto him as he explored her with his tongue, his fingers, his mouth.
Laura moaned, her head falling back as she gave herself over to the sensation. She leaned down, taking him into her mouth once more, her tongue swirling around the sensitive tip. They moved together, their bodies entwined, their breaths mingling as they brought each other to the brink once more.
Their bodies tensed, their movements becoming erratic as they chased their release. Alexander's fingers dug into her flesh, his mouth never leaving her as he brought her to the edge. Laura's moans vibrated around him, her body trembling as she came undone, her orgasm crashing over her like a wave.
With a final, desperate thrust, Alexander followed, his body convulsing as he spilled into her, her name a low, desperate groan on his lips. They collapsed together, their bodies entwined, their breaths coming in short, sharp gasps as they rode out the aftershocks of their pleasure.
In the aftermath, they lay there, their bodies slick with sweat, their hearts pounding in sync. Laura looked at Alexander, a soft, satisfied smile on her lips. "That," she said, her voice a low purr, "was worth the wait." He smiled back, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on her skin. "You," he said, his voice a low rumble, "are worth the wait." And with that, they drifted off to sleep, their bodies entwined, their hearts full.