by Liwen Y. Ho
“No problem.” Zach didn’t seem to mind Emma’s attention shifting. He was too busy smiling at the cameras outside to notice what she was doing. “I’ll keep them busy.”
Emma had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. It was funny how much Zach looked like Evan, but he was nothing like him. Sure, both guys had natural charisma, but while Evan was genuine, down-to-earth, and sweet, Zach was everything but.
Her chest tightened just thinking about Evan. He hadn’t even been gone for a day, but she missed him so much already. She longed to hear his voice and ask his opinion about her “no kissing clause”. She would’ve settled for a short text letting her know he was thinking about her, but there was nothing. Not even one new notification on her phone. Evan’s lack of communication was starting to worry her. Was he having so much fun that he’d forgotten about her? The possibility seemed preposterous … but was it? Evan was the hottest guy on Edenvale—not to mention, primetime TV. Women screamed his name every time he stepped onto a stage. Emma was sure Comic Con was no different.
Then there was Margot. The memory of her with her hands all over Evan flashed through Emma’s mind. She still couldn’t unsee that image. What if she never could? Or worse, she happened to walk onto another one of Evan’s sets when he was shooting a scene like that one? Knowing that she might have to remove the “no kissing clause” from her contract, she doubted that Evan would be able to add one into his. Unfortunately, this was something they would both need to accept if they wanted to work in Hollywood.
Emma massaged her temples, feeling the throbbing pain of a headache setting in. She’d never considered the occupational hazards of dating an actor before. She thought working on the same show as Evan would be fun and make life easier. That they’d have similar working hours and understand everything the other person was going through on the job. Not that they’d be dealing with a jealous colleague and trying to avoid seeing each other on set. Or having to deal with trust issues.
She hated dealing with trust issues.
All Emma wanted was to feel secure in a relationship. But here she was, hardly a day apart from Evan, and questioning everything she thought she believed. Old habits certainly died hard.
“You feeling okay, Em?”
She looked up and saw Zach eyeing her with concern. His handsome face was marred temporarily by the lines on his forehead. Maybe he wasn’t so caught up in his own world after all, if he’d noticed her discomfort. “It’s just a small headache. I’ll be fine.”
Zach’s eyes brightened. “I know all about those. You’re like me; you carry your tension in your neck and shoulders. I can tell by the way you hold yourself.”
Emma blinked in surprise. “You? You don’t look tense at all.”
“That’s because I do accupressure right when the headache starts. Works every time.”
“Accupressure? Is that like accupuncture?” She shivered as a wave of fear washed over her. “I hate needles.”
He burst out laughing. “Yes, but no. There are no needles involved. Here, let me show you how it’s done. Give me your hand.”
Emma glanced at his outstretched hand, hesitating for a moment as she debated how to respond. She couldn’t believe she was questioning Zach’s motives, but with everything that had happened recently, she couldn’t help but be suspicious. Okay, make that paranoid. She was sure she was making a bigger deal out of his offer than necessary. Zach was turning out to be a nice enough guy, and they were merely colleagues hanging out. This was not a date, and he was not trying to hold her hand. She bit back a laugh at how silly she sounded in her own head, then placed her hand in his.
“This is the union valley.” Zach pointed to a spot on the web of her hand, located between her thumb and index finger. He used his own thumb and index finger to pinch the area with a firm but gentle pressure. “Now you hold it for ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight …”
The soothing sound of Zach’s voice, along with the warmth of his hand, immediately eased Emma’s concerns. She counted down with him, glad to have something to focus on besides the worries weighing down her mind or the paparazzi outside the window. “Four, three, two, one.”
“Now, we massage the pressure point.” Using his thumb, Zach made small circles in the same spot, first in one direction, then the opposite. He counted quietly under his breath, for a total of twenty seconds. “How’s that feel?”
“I think it’s helping. Thank you so much.”
“No problem at all.” Zach flashed a bright smile her way, giving her hand a squeeze before letting it go. “We newbies need to watch out for each other. It’s a tough world, this place called Hollywood. We face so many pressures, from the long days on set, to people watching us off the set. Not to mention, having thousands of fans following our every move. Can you believe I got over four thousand likes for a picture of my salad that I posted yesterday?”
“Actually, I can.” Emma laughed along with Zach, their eyes meeting in mutual understanding. “Ever since I reached a million followers, my likes have tripled. Even my random post about the cookie I dropped on the floor got close to eight thousand. It’s crazy.”
“You dropped a cookie? Now, that’s tragic,” he joked, his blue eyes sparkling. “No wonder you got all that social media love.”
“I guess it makes sense when you put it that way.” Emma grinned. Even if Zach’s accupressure skills hadn’t completely erased her headache, his lighthearted conversation sure was helping. It felt good to talk to someone who understood her figurative aches and pains when it came to the industry they were in. She released a long breath as she stretched her neck from side to side. As soon as she got home, she’d soak in a hot bath and read the night away. She was sure some quiet time was all she’d need to relax. That, and a phone call from Evan.
“Is your neck still bothering you?” Zach asked. “Here, let me try one more thing. Turn around for a sec.”
“Turn around?”
“Yep.” He used his index finger to make a turning motion. “There are these two points on the back of your neck called the gates of consciousness. When you apply pressure there, it’s like magic. Come on, I’ll show you. Don’t worry, I’m not a vampire, Em. I won’t bite,” he added with a chuckle.
“All right.” Emma turned around and brushed her long hair to one side. From this angle, the window was now behind her and she no longer had a view of the paparazzi. Directly in front of her was the barista counter with its shiny metallic espresso machines and a glass case full of pastries. A large, colorful mural took up the wall behind the counter, painted with roses and tulips and hanging vines. She inhaled deeply, taking in the beautiful scene, along with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
When Zach placed two fingers on the base of her head, Emma tensed a little from his touch, but as soon as he began pressing upwards, she felt immediate relief. The ache in her head eased as he repeated this motion several times. “It’s working, Zach! My headache’s going away.”
“Good to hear. Let me do your shoulders, too.” He moved his hands to her shoulders, moving his thumbs in circular motions to apply pressure. “You’ll be as good as new after this.”
Emma had a feeling he was right. The massage was so good, she let out a breathy sigh. Her eyes closed as she gave into her exhaustion. If she wasn’t careful, she’d fall asleep right there in the booth. She decided for both their sakes it was time to go. She didn’t want to take advantage of Zach’s kindness, and she needed to go home and rest. Opening her eyes, she turned around to face him. “Thank you so much, Zach. You’re so sweet. I think I’m good now.”
“No problem. The pleasure was all mine,” he stated with a charming smile as he brought a hand to her face. He brushed a wayward strand of hair off her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “We’ve got definite chemistry. Since we’ll be dating on set soon, maybe we could think about dating for reals.”
“Dating for reals?” Emma’s jaw dropped. Had she heard him right? “I don’t think so. I told you
I’m already seeing someone.”
Zach shrugged as if her words held no weight. “No one has to know. You keep your other relationship a secret, don’t you?”
“Yes, but it’s complicated. We do it because we don’t want the paparazzi all over us, not because we want to hide it. We have a committed relationship.”
Zach quirked an eyebrow. “That’s not what I heard from Margot.”
“Margot?” A wave of shock and anger washed over Emma. She should have known Margot was somehow connected to this. “What did Margot tell you?”
“She said you were seeing someone, but it wasn’t serious, and you’d probably go out with me if I asked.”
“Did Margot put you up to this?”
He held up both hands with chagrin written all over his face. “Not exactly. Don’t take this the wrong way, but she said she’d get me more lines if I did her a favor. I had to get you to go out with me, which to be honest wasn’t a bad deal for me. I’d already seen you around on set and thought you were hot. Then when I found out we were going to be boyfriend and girlfriend on the show, I had the perfect reason to talk to you. Believe me, Emma, I would’ve asked you out even without Margot’s favor.”
“That’s, uh, nice of you to say so, but I’m really happy with my boyfriend,” Emma stated firmly. “I hope you understand.”
“Yeah, I get it.” Zach’s face fell, but brightened after a moment. He glanced out the window and gave a satisfied nod. “At least I’ll get some exposure from hanging out with you. You said you have a million followers, right? It’d be great if you could tag me in any photos of us that get posted online.”
Emma winced as her headache came back full force. She suddenly realized her mistake. How foolish was she to be sitting in clear view of all the cameras outside? She should’ve changed tables, or at least not been sitting so closely to Zach. And most of all, not agreed to have Zach massage her. She immediately scooted back to put some distance between the two of them. This was exactly the kind of questionable photo the paparazzi were looking for.
Moreover, she didn’t know what she was more upset about, that Margot was still twisting the truth to fit her needs or that she’d been so naive to believe Margot had actually wanted to help her. Probably the latter. Emma berated herself for being so trusting. She should’ve seen through Margot’s sugar-coated lies.
The glint of metal outside the window caught her eye. She turned to see several cars pulling up to the cafe and more men gathering outside on the sidewalk. Their cameras were trained on her and Zach, watching their every move.
Emma grabbed her purse and stood up. She said an earnest prayer, because Lord help her, she was about to do something crazy. If the paparazzi wanted front page news, she’d give it to them. It was time to tell the truth.
Chapter Fifteen
Evan
Evan had just plugged his phone into its charger when a loud knock sounded on his hotel room door. He sighed and set his phone down on the bedside table. Part of him wanted to ignore whoever was at the door, but he knew he was technically still on the job. The Edenvale cast was taking a short break after their panel session and were due back at the convention center in an hour to sign autographs. Evan wondered if there’d been a change in plans. He strode across the room and quickly swung the door open.
Margot stood in the hallway, her complexion as red as her dress. Without hesitation, she charged past Evan, stomping her heels into the plush cream carpet. Her blonde hair flew off her shoulders when she spun around to face him. “You really don’t care about the show, do you, Evan? You and your little girlfriend have gone and messed everything up! We had an agreement!”
Evan’s brows rose at her huffy entrance and the strong whiff of perfume flooding his senses. He let the door close as he held up both palms in a gesture of peace. Whatever had Margot worked up must have been something major because she looked like she was about to cry. He’d never seen her look so vulnerable. “Whoa, back up, Margot, I have no idea what you’re talking about. What happened?”
She slumped down onto the queen size bed in the middle of the room. Her mouth turned downward as her lips began to quiver. “Emma happened, that’s what! She went to the paparazzi and spilled everything to them. Now the fans are turning on me! And Daddy says I’ve not only ruined the show, but his reputation, too! How could you do this to me, Evan? After all we’ve been through?”
Evan shook his head in wonder. He heard Margot’s explanation, but he still wasn’t understanding it. Was she talking about Emma Dearan? His sweet and unassuming Emma? He couldn’t imagine her putting herself in the spotlight, much less shaking things up like that. “What do you mean Emma spilled everything? What did she say?”
Margot’s eyes widened as she scoffed. “Are you not listening to me? I said Emma told them everything. How I had the writers add in more make-out scenes for us, how I wanted to have her fired, how I hired a P.I. to spy on you—everything! And she made it sound like I hate her! I don’t hate her! I just don’t like the idea of having to share you with her. She’s—”
“Margot,” Evan barked, “there is no sharing me. What we do on screen isn’t real.” He couldn’t believe he was still trying to get this point across to Margot. He wondered how many times he’d need to state this fact for it to sink in. He soon realized, however, that he was wasting his breath. Margot was still droning on, muttering to herself about the unfairness of the situation. She was now lying on the bed with her eyes closed and one hand thrown dramatically over her forehead.
Evan released a heavy breath, his arms crossed over his chest. If what Margot was saying was true, Emma had rocked the boat big time. He wondered what had pushed her to speak up and what she hoped to accomplish by going to the paparazzi. This was a daring, but risky move. Why would she jeopardize her promotion like this?
A loud sigh from Margot broke his train of thought. Evan stared down at her as a flicker of compassion coursed through him. Even though Margot was responsible for the aches and pains he and Emma had been going through recently, he still felt for her. He wasn’t sure if she’d ever known unconditional love or the peace of Christ. From what he knew of her life, a lot of her security came from money and social standing. Margot’s world was a tricky one to navigate, and he didn’t envy her for it, despite all the perks she had.
A Bible verse from the book of Proverbs, about giving one’s enemy food to eat and water to drink, crossed his mind. Evan decided he’d rather show grace to Margot. He took a seat beside her on the bed, careful to keep his distance. With a softer tone, he assured her, “Look Margot. I want what’s best for the show as much as you do. I know Emma does, too.”
Margot opened her eyes and glared at him. She didn’t need to say a word for him to know she didn’t agree with his assessment.
“You may not agree, but Emma’s the sweetest girl I know. For her to speak up to the paparazzi—I can’t even believe she’d even talk to them in the first place—but if she did, she had a good reason for doing so. She’d never wish harm on anyone.” Unlike some people in this room, Evan wanted to add, but he held his tongue. He needed to stick to the facts. And the fact was that he needed to do some damage control. He had a feeling Margot’s vulnerable moment had passed. The daggers she was shooting from her eyes were definitely targeted at him. Thank the Lord, Emma was hundreds of miles away from Margot at the moment, but he knew her job was still on the line.
“Let me talk to the press. We can turn this around. Our fans love the show. They love you. I’m sure all of this will die down in a matter of days. As soon as one of the A-list celebrities gets spotted around town without any make-up on, you’ll be old news. Old in a good way, mind you,” he quickly added before Margot could protest. “You know how finicky the press can be.”
She quirked a brow as she turned onto her side. With a graceful motion, she sat up and smoothed her hair into place. “You’re sweet, Evan, I’ll give you that. You know just the thing to say to a girl to cheer her up. I hope for Em
ma’s sake that you’re right and that she comes to her senses soon. I’d hate to see her leave the show, especially now that she’s a regular cast member.”
“I know I’m right. You’ll see.”
“I just hope Daddy is as forgiving as I am.” Margot pursed her mouth, giving him a knowing look. “He doesn’t take very well to liars.”
Evan smirked. “Emma didn’t lie. What she told the paps was true.”
Margot continued speaking as if she hadn’t heard him. “It does seem like she’s excited about her new storyline though. You know, the one where she gets to date one of the hot football players. She has her first kissing scene with him next week.”
Evan’s jaw dropped. “Kissing scene? But Emma has a ‘no kissing clause’ in her contract. The producers are aware of that.”
“Oh, didn’t she tell you? She’s dropping the clause in order to keep her promotion. She probably decided it wasn’t a big deal when she heard she’d be kissing Zach. Everyone on set’s always talking about how much he looks like you. She obviously thinks so, too, with how comfortable she is around him. The pictures sure prove it.”
Evan’s entire body tensed. Margot’s tone may have been nonchalant, but her expression was anything but. The sly smile on her face spoke volumes. Evan almost didn’t want to ask his next question, but he knew he had to. “What pictures are you talking about?”
“Check your feeds. They’re all over the web. Edenvale is totally trending right now.”
Evan eyed Margot suspiciously. He didn’t want to believe a word she was saying, but his curiosity was getting the best of him. If Margot had so-called proof, he wanted to see it for himself. There was also a part of him that needed to prove she was wrong. He was tired of her games. He couldn’t let her get the last word again. As much as he hated reading the tabloids, he knew this was one time he needed to.
