Blossom and the Alien Actor

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  “Not when what?” Betsy asked, leaning in closer.

  “My mate is pregnant,” Brexton said. “So it doesn’t matter who the studio would like for me to be seen with. I’m with Blossom, and she’s the only woman I’ll be out in public with from this point forward. I’ve played by their rules long enough.”

  Betsy smiled, her lips tipping up on the corners and a sparkle lighting up her eyes. “Good. Give them hell! In fact, I’d go out there and demand that your mate be allowed to sit wherever you’d like her to.”

  “Really?” he asked.

  “Absolutely. What are they going to do? Fire you from the movie when we’re re-filming the final scene before it’s off to production? They’d lose far too much money if they did that.” She hesitated. “Though, you may lose out on some future contracts.”

  He waved a hand. “I have more than enough money, and if I ever needed another way to provide for my family, I have other skills.”

  “Then fight for your woman,” Betsy said. “Besides, she’ll think it’s hot, and I’m sure she’ll show you her appreciation when the two of you are alone.”

  Betsy waggled her eyebrows and Brexton laughed as he caught her meaning.

  “Although, if you already have two kids according to social media and you have another on the way, I don’t think your relationship is lacking in the bedroom. And it explains why you’ve refused to go on more than two dates with any of the women who have fallen at your feet.”

  “No one can compare to my Blossom,” he said, feeling great pride in his mate. She was beautiful, inside and out, and he’d never met anyone sweeter. Even though her circumstances had been dire, she was still thinking of others, telling Zlerak how to guarantee Earth’s government would agree to anything his people asked of them. While he knew she was trying to better the situation for humans, it would improve the lives of non-humans as well, even if that wasn’t her goal.

  “I’d love to meet her,” Betsy said, pushing her plastic-framed glasses up her nose. “She must be quite a woman to have captured your attention.”

  “Are we finished?” Brexton asked.

  Betsy nodded, so he stood and motioned for her to follow him. He found Blossom in the same corner where he’d left her, though she looked completely miserable. She kept glancing toward the director’s chair, and he noticed the male’s daughter was standing next to him. And speaking loudly about how much she loved Brexton. Just what he needed.

  Brexton went down on one knee next to his mate’s chair and took her hand in his, pressing a kiss to her palm.

  “My sweet mate, there’s someone I’d like for you to meet,” he said.

  She glanced past him at Betsy, and offered a smile.

  “I’m Betsy, the makeup artist for the set,” she said, reaching out to shake Blossom’s hand. “It’s an honor to meet the woman this sexy beast decided to claim.”

  Blossom choked on a laugh as she shook Betsy’s hand.

  “What?” Betsy asked. “I may be pushing fifty, but I’m not dead. Or blind.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Betsy,” Blossom said.

  Betsy eyed the warrior standing guard next to Blossom. “And who is this yummy specimen?”

  Ranvik’s eyebrows shot upward as he stared at Betsy.

  “This is Blossom’s guard for today,” Brexton said. “Betsy, this is Ranvik.”

  “Well, hello, sexy,” Betsy said, then winked at the warrior.

  Brexton tried to contain his amusement. Betsy had to be a decade or more older than Ranvik, though Brexton wasn’t entirely certain of the warrior’s age. He knew the warrior gravitated toward young females and poor Betsy didn’t stand a chance, but it didn’t seem to bother her. While Betsy flirted shamelessly with the warrior, Brexton stole a kiss from his mate.

  “You don’t belong in this shadowy corner,” he murmured, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “You should be front and center so everyone can see how proud I am of my mate.”

  “It’s fine, Brexton.” She glanced toward the director. “But I don’t think everyone understands that your kind mate for life. The blonde over there seems to be here for you.”

  “I don’t want her. Never have,” he said.

  Betsy tapped him on the shoulder. “Are you going to stand for this nonsense?”

  “No, I’m not.” Brexton stood then scooped Blossom up into his arms. She gave a squeak of surprise and threw her arms around his neck.

  Brexton walked past the cast and crew, heading straight for the chair with his name on it. He sat down and held Blossom in his lap, the director casting him a hateful glare.

  “I told you that your little groupie needed to remain out of the way,” the director said.

  “She’s not a groupie, and she’s exactly where she belongs,” Brexton said.

  Ranvik stood over his shoulder directly behind his chair, and folded his arms. The warrior might not have Brexton’s size, but he was intimidating just the same. Brexton tried not to smile as the director looked at Ranvik and paled a little.

  “Since when do you need security?” the director asked.

  “He’s not here for me,” Brexton said. “He’s here to protect my mate when I’m otherwise occupied.”

  The director looked at Blossom and sneered. “It figures someone like her would be in trouble. You should throw her back in the gutter where you found her. A man like you needs someone of good social standing, someone who knows how to navigate in the ‘it’ crowd.”

  He felt Blossom shrink against him, as if she wanted to disappear and fury engulfed him. Brexton stood and eased Blossom down onto his seat before approaching the director. Bracing his hands on the chair arms, he leaned into the director’s personal space until the man shrank back from him.

  “That woman is my mate, my everything, and the mother of my children. You will treat her with the respect she’s due, and if you plan to work with any of my people, you should learn more about us,” Brexton said.

  “Wh-what’s that supposed to mean?” the director asked.

  “It means they mate for life, dumbass,” Betsy said, coming to stand next to Blossom. “You can shove your daughter under his nose all you want. He’s never going to take the bait. Besides, why would he want her when his mate is so much prettier and sweeter?”

  Brexton flashed Betsy a grateful look before glowering at the director again. “I’ll make sure the studio is aware, as is my manager, that I will no longer work with you. Once this scene is filmed today, I’m finished. Any project that has you directing it will automatically be put into the trashcan if it comes my way.”

  The director paled even more and sweat dotted his brow.

  “I didn’t mean any offense,” the man stammered. “I didn’t know, didn’t understand.”

  “Apologize to my mate,” Brexton said, standing upright again and trying not to punch the asshole.

  The director glanced at Blossom and visibly swallowed. “My apologies if I offended you.”

  “Is his apology acceptable?” Brexton asked his mate.

  “Yes,” Blossom said.

  Brexton smiled softly at her. “Such a sweet female. So forgiving.”

  “If you’re ready to work, we can start filming the scene,” the director said. “Or if you need more time with your… mate, then perhaps we should reschedule.”

  Brexton had no doubt the male would like it a great deal if they rescheduled, and Blossom remained at home. That wasn’t going to happen though. He wanted her here with him, wanted to see what it was like to film a movie. The scene they were re-shooting had a kiss at the end, and he wasn’t certain how she would handle it. Or how he would, for that matter. It would be his first time placing his lips on another woman since claiming a mate, and even the thought of it was distasteful to him.

  “I’m ready,” Brexton said.

  The director nodded and Brexton kissed his mate one more time before getting into character. He’d been happy to take on the role when he’d read the script, but now
he wished the movie didn’t have a romantic ending. It was doubtful he’d ever find a role that didn’t require him to be close to a female, unless it was a horror movie, and even those tended to have couples in them. Since his skin was purple and there was no hiding it without spending half a day in makeup, he played an alien in every film he’d been in. He’d been offered speaking roles where he didn’t have to be seen, but he hadn’t felt they were a good fit. Thankfully, what the humans called science fiction seemed to be popular.

  His co-star didn’t have any romantic interest in him, which helped. They’d talked often before and after filming, and he knew she had a male at home waiting for her. Perhaps he should have told Blossom that before they started shooting the day’s scene. What would she think when she saw him kiss another female? She’d known who he was when he went to her apartment, so she must have seen his movies. Did she understand it was all pretend and he didn’t really have feelings for the females he had to kiss on set?

  When the dreaded kiss was about to happen, he felt everything inside of him tighten. He wondered if he looked as panicked as he felt. His co-star easily moved into his embrace and leaned against his body, her head tilted back as if she were begging for a kiss. He swallowed and fought the urge to move away from her. Doing what he’d been hired to do, he lowered his head and kissed her, but even he could tell it looked as mechanical as it felt.

  “Cut,” the director yelled. “What the hell was that?”

  “I’m sorry. I just can’t…” Brexton looked over at Blossom, who had her brow furrowed in confusion.

  “You can’t what?” the director asked.

  His co-star, Melody, smiled and gave him a wink. “He can’t kiss me and make it look like he means it because his wife is watching.”

  “Then she can leave the set,” the director said.

  “No, she won’t,” Brexton said. “Even if she weren’t present, I don’t think I could pull off the type of kiss you want.”

  One of the crew cleared their throat and got everyone’s attention.

  “We filmed this scene the other day, and while the beginning was a little rough, the kiss seemed fine. What if we splice the two together? Use everything from today up until the kiss, but use the previous filming for that part?” the man asked.

  It looked like the director was about to protest, but Brexton rather liked the idea.

  “That’s the only way that scene will look the way you want it to,” Brexton said. “From this moment forward, I’m not taking on any roles that require kissing or other intimate scenes. It’s not fair to my mate, and I feel guilty being that close to another female, even if it is for pretend. It feels wrong.”

  “You didn’t have a problem before,” the director pointed out.

  “I wasn’t officially mated before. Or married, as you humans say. I know a lot of actors and actresses film these types of movies while married, but I can’t do it,” Brexton said.

  “Do you have a stunt double?” Blossom asked, standing and coming toward him. “You know, someone who’s supposed to look enough like you to take on the dangerous scenes?”

  “No,” Brexton said. “I’ve always handled my own stunts. They’re harmless compared to going into battle.”

  “Are there any other Terrans here who are your size and overall shape? Maybe they could put a fake beard on one and use some sort of digital technology to make them look close enough like you to pull off any intimate scenes,” Blossom said.

  “That’s not a bad idea,” said Melody.

  Brexton shrugged. “I’m considered large for my people, but I’m sure there’s someone close to my size. Just not here.”

  The director sighed. “Fine, we’ll splice the scene. I’d suggest your manger and whoever represents your people here get together and come up with a solution for future movies before you sign another contract. The people expect a certain type of movie from you, and so do the studio execs.”

  “So we’re done?” Brexton asked.

  “Yeah, get out of here,” the director said. “You’re finished as far as this movie goes. If you have anything in the pipeline, better make sure you’re able to follow through before filming starts.”

  Brexton took Blossom’s hand and left the studio with Ranvik trailing them.

  When they reached his vehicle, he paused. A feeling of unease settled in his stomach, and the certainty that something was wrong filled him. He looked around and noticed Ranvik doing the same thing.

  “What’s wrong?” Blossom asked.

  “I don’t know,” Brexton murmured.

  “The two of you stay back,” Ranvik said. He pulled a scanner from his pocket and walked toward Brexton’s SUV. The scanner lit up like crazy when he neared the rear of the vehicle on the driver’s side. Ranvik dropped to the ground and looked underneath, swearing loudly.

  “What did you find?” Brexton asked.

  “Someone planted a device on the underside of your car. It looks like some sort of explosive.” Ranvik stood and walked around the vehicle with the scanner. “It seems to be the only one.”

  “A… a bomb?” Blossom asked, the blood draining from her face and her eyes going wide.

  “Is this the first time something like this has happened to you?” Ranvik asked. “Because I would think Moretti wouldn’t want to harm Blossom if he plans to sell her. It wouldn’t make sense for him to plant a bomb that could kill her.”

  The studio security came running when they saw Ranvik examining Brexton’s vehicle. He watched as the security team conferred with the Zelthranite warrior, and he held Blossom tight against his side. She trembled and he hated that she was scared. If he found out who had planted that device on his car, or how they’d even gotten access to it, he would make them all pay. The lot where he parked was supposed to be secure.

  Ranvik approached, his expression fierce. “They admit they took a break, at the same time, and left this area open. There are hidden cameras so they’re going to pull up the footage and see who was near your SUV. Maybe the two of you should review the video with me, in case you see someone familiar.”

  Brexton nodded and followed Ranvik to the security room. As they looked over the recordings for the day, a redhead crept around Brexton’s car, glancing around as if she were afraid of being caught. She motioned to someone, and a short, skinny man came into view. The device was attached to the underside of his car, then the redhead paid the man and they parted ways.

  “We know her,” Blossom said.

  “We do?” Brexton asked.

  “She’s one of your fans from the baby store. The one who was so pushy? It’s definitely her,” Blossom said.

  “I’ll have her picture run against DMV records,” Ranvik said. “We should have a name and address soon. I’ll make sure the two of you get home safely first. The station can send a limo to pick up the three of us. I’m not an expert on human explosives, but their local authorities should have someone who can defuse it.”

  “We’re really sorry, Mr. Brexton,” one of the guards said.

  “Sorry?” he asked, adding some bite to his tone. “Because of you, my mate could have died. Our unborn child could be dead right now. And why? What was so fucking important you both had to abandon your post?”

  The younger one flushed and glanced at the other guard.

  Blossom leaned up and whispered to him. “I think they wanted some alone time.”

  “For what?” he asked.

  “Um, same reason we wanted some alone time?” She glanced at the men then back at Brexton. “I think they’re a couple.”

  He blinked a few times and looked at the men, who were shifting from foot to foot and both flushed.

  “You left your post to have sex with each other?” he asked.

  “We didn’t think anyone would notice we were gone,” the younger one said.

  Brexton wanted to beat the hell out of them. His gaze clashed with Ranvik’s. “Watch Blossom. I’ll return in a few minutes.”

  Ranvik no
dded and Brexton stormed out of the security room, heading straight for the main offices. There was always at least once studio exec on site. He didn’t care which one it was, as long as they handled this mess. Blossom could have died. He could have died. If they were both gone, who would care for Drew and RaeLynn? The thought of them being left in the hands of the human government left him cold. Yes, Borgoz was arranging for Brexton to be listed as their birth father, but he doubted it was in place right now.

  He didn’t bother knocking and just barged into the first office he came to. Mr. Ortiz looked like a startled owl as he blinked at him.

  “Brexton, is there a problem?” Mr. Ortiz asked.

  “Yes. A deranged fan tried to blow up my car, and the two guards who were supposed to keep people out of the lot were off screwing each other instead of doing their damn job. I want them gone.”

  “We have gay guards and you want me to fire them because they’re together?” Mr. Ortiz asked.

  “Don’t be obtuse. I don’t give a shit who they fuck. It’s not uncommon on some worlds for males to be with males. What is unacceptable is that they left their post and my mate and child could have been killed.”

  “Of course, of course. I understand completely. Firing them outright could be a PR nightmare if they decide to cause trouble. Perhaps instead of firing them, we can simply move them to a different position. Something that doesn’t require as much diligence,” Mr. Ortiz said.

  “Keep them out of my sight.”

  “Absolutely, Brexton. I’ll see that it’s handled immediately. I hope your mate is okay. I wasn’t even aware you had one.”

  “Now you are,” Brexton said as he exited the office, slamming the door in his wake.

  He found Ranvik and Blossom waiting in the parking lot in a populated area. A limo was waiting, the driver holding the door open. Brexton took Blossom’s hand when he was close enough to touch her. Her body relaxed and she pressed closer to him. Even though they were strangers for the most part, he loved that she felt safe with him and took comfort in his embrace. The thought that he could have lost her made his chest ache, like someone was trying to squeeze the life out of him.