A Look Into Reel Love

by Ryan, Alexis

  That got a good laugh out of Dylan, and he couldn’t help but shake his head in amusement. He looked at her, his eyes trailing up and down her body and wondering where all the food she ate went. In the past month they had been filming, he was a firsthand witness to her seemingly never-ending appetite. She wasn’t model-thin like the other actresses he knew, but she wasn’t fat either, and that shocked him – how Cassie could eat so much without the effects reflecting on her body.

  “Let’s start walking then,” he said, still laughing at her. “I think I saw a 24/7 bistro on our way to the club earlier.”

  When the two of them arrived at Le Bouche, a place known for serving hot, fresh pastries round the clock, Cassie immediately ordered a basket of bread and butter before Dylan and she looked at their menus for heavier meals.

  “All that out-of-sync dancing made you hungry?” Dylan teased, catching the way Cassie bit her lip at his astute observation.

  “So you’ve been looking at me?” she asked, raising one of her eyebrows up. It must have been the alcohol, the one asking the questions, since Cassie wasn’t usually straightforward.

  “I won’t deny you’re beautiful,” Dylan easily replied. “But you know that already.”

  Slowly, a faint blush crept up Cassie’s cheeks. She should have expected that reply from Dylan though. The man, aside from his acting chops in comedy, was known for his long list of ex-girlfriends. He knew how to play the field, catch women, and keep them interested. Even the compliment left his lips so naturally, as if he didn’t have to wrack his brain for a line to use.

  “Am I supposed to return the compliment?” she asked, propping her elbows on the table and setting her chin atop her hands.

  “A compliment from the Cassie Summers?” he began. “Tonight’s my lucky day!”

  When the waiter approached them with their basket of bread and butter, Dylan ordered a platter of meat and cheese. That made Cassie more than happy, and so, she decided to lead the conversation and change the topics to more serious questions.

  “So you must get a lot of tips from your parents?” Cassie asked, envious of the fact Dylan’s family was considered Hollywood royalty. His parents were both actors, and a few of his uncles and cousins were notable directors and producers in the industry. “You must be so lucky!”

  “Eh,” Dylan began, careful to phrase his words. “I won’t deny my family has helped me…I can never thank them enough.” At this point, he was looking at something behind her, as if his eyes had zoned out, and he was thinking long and hard about what to say next. “But you can’t forget the pressure…I feel like I can’t fail because…whatever mistake I make is going to affect the reputation of everyone else in my family.”

  “I understand…kind of…” Cassie then said, her voice trailing. “Working in the spotlight is enough pressure itself….I can’t imagine carrying and maintaining the family name…”

  “How about you, Cassie Summers?” he asked, sending a small smile her way. “Where’d you learnt to act so brilliantly? Drama school?”

  “Ha! If only,” she quickly replied. There was a hint of bitterness in her tone, and Dylan was quick to catch it. “I’ll save you the sob story…”

  He shook his head at her then said, “I want to hear it.” Then, he looked at his watch. “We have six hours until our flight, and we can just sleep during the plane ride.”

  And that was how Dylan McKinsey learned of Cassie Summers’ life story. She had told him about how she was abandoned at an early age and jumped from one foster home to the next. It wasn’t until she was fourteen years old that a lovely couple adopted her. That was the first time she felt what the words ‘stability’ and ‘security’ meant. From then on, she worked a series of retail jobs, and at certain times, balanced more than two jobs to earn and save enough for college. It was during her first year of community college that an agent discovered her when she took the lead role in one of the local plays, and the rest, as they said, was history.

  “Is that why you barely open up during interviews?” Dylan asked, taking in her entire life story.

  His first reaction was to feel sorry for Cassie – that she had to go through so much before she got to where she was now – but looking at her journey and how much she had accomplished, it wasn’t right to feel sorry for her. It felt disrespectful.

  “You can say that,” she said. “And it’s also why I’m most comfortable doing dramas. It’s just acting…but a big part of my abilities comes from everything I’ve experienced. Every time I have to act out an emotional scene, it helps when I reminisce on my own experiences.”

  “No wonder you always look so natural and authentic,” Dylan added, after he took a sip from his beer. “It’s cliché…but you seriously become the character.”

  Embarrassed at the compliment from Dylan, she shifted the conversation with, “How about you? I barely read the news, but every time you’re printed on the headlines, you’re in some exotic destination. I would love to travel…outside of work.”

  “Any special places you want to go to?” he then asked, truly enjoying the conversation between them.

  Their exchange felt genuine and so natural at the same time. Most importantly, their conversation was substantial, and Dylan wracked his brain for the last time he experienced a discussion that went deeper than the surface. He couldn’t think of any.

  “Southeast Asia most definitely,” she answered without missing a beat. “It looks very different from the US and Europe from pictures, so yeah…that’s where I want to go.”

  “Maybe after filming, I can take you there and show you around,” he said.

  There was no malice in his invitation. It seemed like the most natural thing to say at that moment, so when she looked at him, tipped her head up into a nod, and gave him a grateful smile, he didn’t need to guess whether she meant ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

  “There’s no backing out then.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at Dylan’s last statement, and so, they spent the remainder of the night, or rather morning, getting to know one another. By the time they had gotten back to their hotel, they both held a newfound respect for each other. They weren’t just co-stars now and actually considered each other as friends.

  The feel of Dylan’s warm breath against Cassie’s neck sent shivers down her spine as soft, careful moans left her mouth. The way he nibbled the skin on Cassie’s neck left her recoiling her whole body from underneath him as pleasure surged all throughout her insides. He was propped above her with his arms resting on the bed as his only means of support. When his lips left her neck, Cassie let out a whimper to show her dissatisfaction of Dylan pulling away. Soon enough, his lips found hers as his tongue began to probe her mouth asking for entrance. It wasn’t long before Cassie gave in to his demands.

  Slowly, his lips trailed down lower, leaving Cassie’s neck and then trailing kisses down the soft mounds of her breasts and past her ribs. When they reached the expanse of Cassie’s stomach, he moved upwards again and held her face carefully in his hands. Under the thick covers of the bed, Dylan began moving his hips against Cassie’s as his lips never left hers. She could feel his member hardening against the material of his underwear. Keeping up the pace in which they moved, Dylan and Cassie continued the passionate exchange, and it was only when Ben shouted ‘cut’ from his director’s chair that they pulled away.

  In the span of a second, Nina was at Cassie’s side and handing her a robe. She took it and immediately covered herself up before she and Dylan walked towards Ben to wait for his next instructions. When she met Dylan’s eyes, Cassie looked away. She felt embarrassed and had a million questions running through her mind. Was my acting okay? Did I kiss well enough? Was my moan too fake?

  Then she found herself cursing internally. This could not be happening. She didn’t want to think about Dylan and how he felt above her with only their underwear separating them. She wasn’t going to be like Dylan’s previous co-stars – falling for him only to be left con
fused and alone soon after.

  It wasn’t Cassie’s first time to shoot a sex scene, despite the overthinking that was happening at the moment. Hell, she had fully exposed herself before; yet, this was the only shoot she couldn’t stop thinking about even after the cameras stopped rolling.

  “Fuck,” she said, not one to constantly utter a curse. “I’m dead, aren’t I?”

  After the shoot, she met with a few, close friends for a quiet, intimate dinner. Belle, a fellow actress and one of Cassie’s closest friends, was hosting a dinner at her apartment. The table arrangement was divine, and the food at the center of the table was quickly being ravished. No one could let the smell of roast pork linger and not take a portion to eat.

  “Well, I’d be more surprised if you weren’t attracted him,” said Belle.

  “I’ve worked with him in a show before, and all the females were going ga-ga over him.” That was Lorie, another close friend.

  Wanting to bury her face in her hands, Cassie then said, voice whining, “I’m not supposed to like him…he’s a playboy for crying out loud!”

  That got a good laugh out of the group of girls before Belle told Cassie to take another sip of the wine, or two. Her friend looked like she needed it.

  “Well,” Lorie began. “If it makes you feel any better, you can’t really help who you’re attracted to.”

  “It’s not even because of his looks.” When they raised a sly eyebrow up at her, she continued, “Well, yeah. I won’t deny that. But he’s hot and can carry a conversation. “Seriously, I haven’t had much fun as I did back in Paris, and we were just talking.”

  “Damn, dear,” Lorie then said, tsk-ing and shaking her hear. “You’re right. You’re dead.”

  “Bro seriously, I’m telling you now,” Liam, one of Dylan’s closest friends, said.

  They were in one of the dive bars to have a drink and a catch-up. Liam worked as a model and was one of the most sought-after in the field with high-end designers booking him left and right. They made it a point to meet one another on a monthly basis with tonight being one of those times.

  “From what you’re telling me,” Liam then added. “She’s not the kind of girl you hook up with.”

  Liam seemed to be typing away on his phone, eyebrows furrowed and eyes tied to the screen in concentration. His eyes flitting over the display as if he was reading something on speed mode.

  “See…” He then showed Dylan his phone screen. There were links to numerous articles about Cassie and her past relationships, or lack thereof. “Her shortest relationship lasted six months, and she’s only been paired with two other actors. She isn’t a pump-and-dump situation, man.”

  “Seriously?” Dylan asked, his voice rising. “That’s what you think of me?”

  If there was one person that could give Dylan the cold, hard truth, it was Liam, and tonight was no exception. Placing a firm hand on his friend’s shoulder, Liam answered his question, no holds barred.

  “Last time we talked, you wouldn’t even consider a relationship.” Dylan wanted to rebut his friend’s statement. Liam was making him sound like an asshole, but the more he thought about, the more Dylan realized Liam was making sense. He didn’t want to admit it, but he knew there was truth in his friend’s words. “And don’t even try to fight me on it.”

  “I’ll forget about her, won’t I?” Dylan then asked. They both knew that was only rhetorical. “The feeling should blow away once filming ends…like it always does.”

  “I don’t know about you, man.” Dylan glared at the beer mug before him, feeling as if he wanted to break something. He was feeling both irritated and scared at the same time, irritated because a woman was fucking with his mind and scared because he had never felt the feeling before. Liam’s next words hit home. “Based from your stories, Cassie doesn’t seem like a woman who’s easily forgotten.”

  It was the culmination of all their hard work. From filming to post-production, the nine-month journey all ended and began with tonight’s premiere. The Hollywood premiere marked the end of production; however, there were interviews, appearances, and promotional tours lined up, so at the same time, it also marked the beginning. ‘The Timeline Before I Love You’ was finally hitting the big screen. The red carpet was rolled out, the paparazzi were in a frenzy, and the fans cheered loudly and fanatically by the sidelines. When Cassie stepped out of the limousine, the crowd went wild. She was wearing a nude lace gown that boasted of an intricate back design and thigh-high slit.

  A few meters in front of her was Dylan waving and greeting the crowd and signing autographs here and there. When he turned around and noticed her leaving her limousine, he walked towards her and greeted her by giving both her cheeks a quick peck.

  “You look beautiful,” he whispered to her, so that only the both of them heard what he said.

  Placing his hand at the small of her back, he led her further along the red carpet. They separated from time to time since they each wanted to take pictures with their fans. When they reached the entrance of the theater, Dylan walked over to Cassie’s side before they both entered and searched for their seats inside.

  Midway into the movie when their characters had decided to enter the stage of being in an exclusive relationship, Dylan reached his hand out to search for Cassie’s. Intertwining their fingers together, she kept his hand on her lap and enjoyed the warmth that travelled from his skin to hers. It was only when the credits rolled that Cassie slowly pulled her hand away right before the lights of the theater turned on. She could feel Dylan’s gaze piercing the side of her face, and so, she had no choice but to turn and face him.

  “Now will I be seeing more of your dancing?” Dylan teased, referring to the after-party later where everyone was headed after. A few people in the theater were already standing up to leave, but seeing as they were all headed to the same party, Dylan and Cassie didn’t see the benefit of rushing and standing up first, so they stayed in their seats and waited for the crowd to dissipate.

  Chuckling lightly, she shook her head and remembered that time in Paris when the whole cast and crew went out and danced the night away. Right after the dancing, Dylan and she grabbed a bite at Le Bouche, and he couldn’t help but take a jab at her dancing skills, or rather lack of it.

  “My mother always told me I could dance,” she began, still laughing. “And I believe her more than you.”

  “So you don’t mind if I film you later?” he dared, never missing the way her mouth gaped open, as if to ask him ‘you wouldn’t’. She was sadly mistaken. He would.

  With an arm over his stomach to control his laughter and another on his phone, Dylan focused his mobile’s camera on Cassie. She danced right in front of him and awkwardly jumped up and down along with the music. She didn’t want him filming her, yet she couldn’t stop the automatic shaking of her shoulders when her favorite song came on.

  In the sea of celebrities, they danced together, and after a while, he put his phone back in his pocket and admired the woman in front of him. At one point, he laid a hand carefully on her waist, and at the touch, a blush slowly crept up her cheeks. It was a good thing her back was facing him else there was no denying her blushing.

  “I’ve already told you this, but you look beautiful,” he said the second time, his lips resting just a hairsbreadth away from her ear.

  “Thank you,” she said, chuckling softly. “It should make up for my awkward dancing.”

  With both his hands at each side of her waist, he tugged her closer against him. She liked the feel of him against her and very much wanted to be closer to him, if that were still possible with the non-existent distance between them; however, she couldn’t deny the sliver of apprehension tugging at her chest. Dylan had a reputation for getting intimate with his co-stars, and as much as Cassie was attracted to him, she didn’t want to be just another pawn in his game. If she were being honest with herself, she wanted to be more than that.

  “I’m just going to grab a drink,” she said, excusing
herself from the actor. “I’ll find you later.”

  “I’ll come with you,” he immediately offered, but she had already disappeared into the crowd the same time one of their co-stars grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him into the circle of people dancing. He stretched his neck and tried to look for that familiar mop of strawberry blonde hair but the attempt was futile.

  When Cassie was handed a glass of red wine, she walked over to the outdoor area of the party and sucked in a breath of fresh air.

  “Finally,” she said, relishing the cold and quiet of the night. There were neither the clicking sounds of paparazzi cameras nor the fast beating of her heart at being so near a certain Hollywood actor. Her mind was at peace, calm and relaxed at the moment.

  “Congratulations,” a voice coming from behind greeted her. “On the movie.”