Casting Call (Off Screen Book 5)

by J. A. Armstrong

  Emma smiled up at Addison and stroked her cheek. “Addy, you are the most beautiful person I have ever known.”

  Addison leaned in and captured Emma’s lips in a reverent kiss. Her hands traveled sensually over Emma’s hips, pulling her impossibly closer. Deliberately, she let her lips fall back down Emma’s throat until she reached the swell of her breasts. She traced a light pattern across Emma’s chest with her hand and followed it closely with feather-light kisses. Emma sighed at the gentleness in Addison’s touch. Everything about Addison was gentle. It amazed Emma in every moment. The compassion in Addison’s words, the affection that was always evident in her eyes, and the tenderness in her touch were uniquely Addison. Addison’s lips found Emma’s breast and her tongue softly traced around Emma’s nipple. Emma closed her eyes in surrender.

  “So gentle,” Emma sighed.

  Addison continued exactly that way. Leisurely, she explored Emma’s body as if she were seeing her wife, touching her for the first time. She was captivated by Emma. That had been the case from the first moment she had looked into Emma Bronson’s eyes and it had never changed, never faded. Every moment with Emma was a discovery for Addison. She was convinced that making love to Emma was the closest she would ever come to completion. She could never hope to get close enough though she would endeavor to try for the rest of her life. She felt Emma’s fingers wind themselves in her hair, encouraging her on.

  “Addy,” Emma managed to call to her lover. “I love you so much.”

  Addison moved and kissed Emma’s lips. “I love you, Em,” she said before steadily tracing a path with her tongue down Emma’s body. Her hands mapped out the curves of Emma’s hips and abdomen sensually. Emma’s hips arched into Addison’s achingly thorough exploration. Addison’s hands and mouth left no part of Emma untouched. She tasted every inch of skin beneath her. Addison had abandoned all rational thought. If Emma had asked her what she was thinking, she would not have been able to answer. She was lost in an emotional haze, consumed by the woman beneath her. Emma’s body moved with hers, rhythmically, like chords in a beautiful piece of music they complimented one another—harmony and melody.

  Addison moved lower and kissed Emma’s legs. She trailed her kisses inward on a familiar path. Emma gasped in anticipation and grabbed the sheets to steady herself. Addison moaned at the first taste of Emma. Emma’s movement was graceful, meeting Addison’s persistent yet gentle exploration. Gentle. Emma sighed. Addison was everything to her. She felt Addison slip a finger inside her and bit her lip to contain her inclination to cry out. Emma reached for Addison’s hand and Addison took it, holding it firmly, steadying Emma as her body began to rise with her emotions.

  “Addy…”

  Addison increased the pressure of her tongue on Emma’s center, gliding up and down as slowly as she could manage. She pushed tenderly and carefully deeper inside of Emma until she heard Emma moan breathily. Emma’s body yielded willingly to Addison’s touch. It was an incomprehensible combination of comfort and exhilaration. Anticipation mingled with a sense of complete security. Nothing was hidden, not any emotion, any sensation, any realization. Addison felt Emma’s body begin to quiver and dropped her hand back to Emma’s hip, drawing her closer and holding her tightly.

  Emma’s head went back and she called for Addison as the faint ripples of pleasure she had been drifting on gradually became a raging river that began to toss her about. “Addy!” Addison continued making love to Emma softly as Emma’s body finally was forced to succumb to the sensations Addison was producing within her. She was pulled under by a violent current that shook her from within. Steadily, Addison lifted Emma again to float on the calm surface of their passion. Emma reached out for Addison and Addison moved to kiss her softly and wrap her in an embrace.

  “How do you do that?” Emma asked breathlessly.

  “What?” Addison asked. She caressed Emma’s back as Emma’s head came to rest on her breast.

  “Make me feel so out of control and so safe all at the same time,” Emma said.

  Addison smiled. “I love you, Emma.”

  “I know, but…”

  “No. Listen to me, I love you, more than anything in my life. Holding you right now, I…knowing that we aren’t just us anymore. Not really. We are a family in a different way. I can’t explain that to you.”

  Emma listened as Addison struggled to articulate what she was feeling. “I know. I feel the same way.”

  “I think most people go through the motions, Em. I mean, they love each other. They care about each other. What we have? I don’t think most people ever find this. It scares them too much.”

  “Does it scare you?” Emma asked.

  Addison giggled nervously. “You and me? No. Being someone’s parent? Yeah. It scares me shitless,” Addison confessed. “But, I think we’ll be all right. We’ll annoy our kids. They’ll probably complain to their friends about us endlessly. They will definitely know how much we love them.”

  “Yes, they will,” Emma agreed. “Addy?”

  “Yeah?”

  Emma hesitated. “I’m kind of… “

  Addison chuckled. “Exhausted? I know.”

  “I’m sorry. I want to…”

  “Em, you don’t need to apologize. Go to sleep. I have a feeling we will have more than our share of sleepless nights. And besides, I could make love to you forever and never grow tired of it,” Addison said.

  “Yeah, you say that now,” Emma laughed. “Wait another six or seven months.”

  “If anything, I will only want to more,” Addison said confidently.

  “We’ll see,” Emma chuckled. She wasn’t actually worried about any of the changes she knew she would go through. She had no doubt of the sincerity of Addison’s declaration, but she was curious about many things.

  “Good night, Mommy,” Addison teased.

  Emma sighed deeply. “Bellson’s going to blow,” she laughed.

  “I can’t wait,” Addison smirked.

  ***

  Addison was sitting in her office making revisions to a script when Jeff walked through her door. “Do I even want to ask?” Addison said.

  “Probably not. Addison…Look, I can hold him at bay for a few more days, maybe a week, but that’s it. Bellson is Bellson. He hates being told no. He hates being stalled just as much,” Jeff said.

  Addison nodded. “Shut the door,” she directed her friend. Jeff followed the direction and looked back at Addison curiously. “Sit down,” Addison said.

  “You are making me nervous,” Jeff told her.

  Addison grinned and set her pen down. “You want to know what I am planning. Am I right?”

  “I am definitely curious,” he admitted.

  “Well, Dominick’s actions are going to have some unexpected ramifications for everyone.”

  “Addison, you can’t kill off Dominick,” he said. Addison nodded silently. “Oh shit! You can’t kill off Jack. No way…That’s crazy…it’s…”

  “I’m not killing anyone’s character,” Addison chuckled. “Actually, quite the opposite. I am adding a character. Well, of sorts anyway.”

  “What? Adding a character? A significant character?”

  “Oh, I would say it is significant.”

  “Addison, we need to talk casting. If this is a role that you plan to be pivotal for the other characters…”

  “Oh, I’d definitely say it will be pivotal for all of them.”

  “Addison! Have you even started writing this character? Who is he? Or she? Wait! A love interest for Dominick, right?”

  “Not exactly,” Addison smirked.

  “A love interest for Genevieve? Jack? Oh my God…are you…”

  “A very tiny addition,” Addison said.

  “You said significant,” Jeff reminded her.

  “Yes, but tiny…and non-speaking,” Addison said. She watched as her friend’s face began to flush with confusion and frustration. “A baby, Jeffrey,” Addison deadpanned.

  “A what? W
hat are you….Wait…You’re going to knock up Genevieve? Addison, I don’t know if Bellson will love that idea.”

  “Well, he’d better get used to it if he hopes to have Emma in the first couple of episodes next season,” Addison said.

  “What are you going to do? Throw her contract at him again?”

  “No, but we’ll be shooting her from the chest up if I had to guess…if at all,” Addison explained.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Jeffrey asked in frustration.

  “Emma’s pregnant,” Addison said flatly.

  “Emma’s…Wait…What?” he asked. Addison grinned. “Emma’s…For real?”

  “Pretty sure it’s for real, yeah,” Addison laughed. “Unless she has some weird disease that makes her throw up every morning or it’s an alien invasion of some kind,” Addison joked.

  Jeff stared at Addison blankly for a minute. “You are serious. This is not a joke, is it? One of your pranks?”

  “Nope. No joke. Emma and I are expecting sometime around the end of May, give or take. And so is Genevieve,” she said as she tossed him the script on her desk.

  “Holy shit,” Jeff mused quietly. He looked through the script and stopped abruptly. “Holy shit. Addison…You and Emma are having a baby.”

  Addison burst out laughing. “Thanks for the heads up,” she said.

  Jeff started laughing with his friend. “I didn’t even know you two were talking about that. Who knows?”

  “Besides us? Emma’s folks and you. Tam and Christie are visiting this weekend. I figured we’d tell them then.”

  “Wow. This is a good thing, right?” he asked and then continued. “Is Emma going to leave the show? Oh man…I mean…”

  “Emma doesn’t have any plans to leave the show, Jeff. Relax.”

  “How long have you known? I mean… it’s not…”

  “We decided to try before we came back this season. But, we’ve only known a few weeks. I would have proposed the story line either way,” she said. “It was actually Em’s idea.”

  “Well, no one will see it coming, that’s for sure. When are you going to tell Bellson and the crew?”

  Addison sighed. “Emma would like to wait until right before we leave for the holidays. You know once we do, it will hit the press. And, it’s just safer to hang on a bit.”

  “Safer? Are you worried about it?”

  “No, not really,” Addison said. “But, it’s her first pregnancy and we’d rather keep it quiet as long as we can. That’s all.”

  “I’ll try, Addison. You’re asking me to pacify that butthead upstairs.”

  Addison laughed. “Butthead?” Addison asked. Jeff shrugged. “Just tell him no one will die and bait him with a fresh face. Tell him it’s sure to get publicity too.”

  “You’ve grown devious,” he noted. “I like it.”

  Just as Addison was about to answer, her door flew open. “What is it?” Addison asked.

  “I think you better get over to the soundstage,” Laurie Adler, one of the production assistants said to Addison.

  Addison turned pale. “Emma?”

  “Just…You both need to come—now.”

  ***

  Emma was determined to finish the scene they were filming. She’d managed to conceal her sometimes sudden bouts of nausea for the last few weeks. She had begun to think the issue of her morning sickness, which was unfortunately not confined to mornings, was finally subsiding. She’d made it through seven hours on the set without any issues. In fact, she had been feeling markedly more energetic. That was until about fifteen minutes into the work they had just begun. She heard Dan’s voice in the background. She gripped the couch on the set that was in front of her in a feeble attempt to stave off a massive wave of wooziness. She looked up at Dan with apologetic eyes and made a mad dash for the bathroom.

  “Cut! Emma!” Doug Miller screamed across the stage. Dan shot the director a look of contempt and sprinted off to follow Emma. “Get back here!” Doug called after him. He threw his hands in the air. “What the hell is it with this set?” he screamed at the entire crew.

  “Emma,” Dan called through the door.

  “What’s up?” Sandra asked. She was just making her way back to the set.

  “I don’t know. Emma took off running. That was after she turned a light shade of green,” he explained.

  Sandra nodded. “I’ll go check on her. Maybe you should go see if you can calm down blowhard over there.”

  Dan groaned. “I hate that guy.”

  “Yeah, well you aren’t exactly alone in that club. Unfortunately, we are stuck with him through Friday. So, do us all a favor and kiss his ass for the next five or ten minutes. At least maybe it will be bearable for the next hour or two,” Sandra said. Dan mumbled his displeasure and she laughed. “I’ll take care of Emma. Go save the rest of us from the same fate,” she begged dramatically. Dan chuckled and headed off. Sandra pushed open the bathroom door. She knew Emma must be sick if she didn’t even try to get someplace more private. “Emma?”

  “Yeah,” Emma answered hoarsely. She opened up the stall she had been hunched over in and made her way to the sink.

  “You all right?” Sandra asked.

  Emma splashed some cool water on her face, closed her eyes and grasped the sink for a moment. “I will be in a minute.”

  Sandra watched her friend carefully. “Em?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Should I get Addison?” Sandra wondered.

  “No,” Emma giggled. She turned to Sandra and shook her head. “Give me about five more minutes and I will be fine. I swear.”

  “Okay…You weren’t feeling so great yesterday either,” Sandra noted.

  Emma sighed. She had thought that she had succeeded in appearing to feel normal. She and Sandra had been working closely for over two years now. They shared intimate scenes. Sandra had learned Emma’s body language. Emma smiled and sighed again. “You noticed that, huh?”

  “Yeah, but no one else did,” Sandra said. “You were stiff, like you were worried about something.”

  “Yeah, I was afraid I might puke on you,” Emma laughed.

  “So, you are sick.

  Emma shook her head. She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. She had hoped to tell Dan and Sandra about her pregnancy together, and not for another couple of weeks. That was not going to be possible. Sandra would inevitably figure it out. Emma was sure of that. “No. I’m not sick.”

  “Em, you are throwing up in the public restroom.”

  Emma nodded. “Yep. Sure am. Again,” she chuckled. “Sandra, I’m not sick. I’m pregnant.”

  Sandra’s stunned expression morphed almost immediately into a broad smile. She jumped up and down like an excited child. “No, way!”

  Emma laughed at the excitement in her friend. “Way.” Sandra hugged Emma and kissed her on the cheek. “I have to say,” Emma began, “You are almost more excited than Addy was when I told her.”

  “I doubt that,” Sandra said. “So, this is what, like morning sickness?”

  “Like all day, whenever it feels like it kind of sickness. I think it’s nature’s way of preparing us for all the sudden crying, popping, and spitting up that is to come,” Emma joked. It was a theory she had concocted late one night while lying in Addison’s arms after an especially lengthy worshipping of the porcelain God.

  Sandra started to laugh when a familiar face peeked around the door. “Sorry,” Laurie said. “Bellson’s busting his gut out here wondering if the diva is ready yet.” Emma rolled her eyes.

  “I hate that guy,” Sandra said. “Tell him to go fu…”

  “Tell him we’ll be right there,” Emma said calmly.

  Laurie forced a cockeyed smile. “I’d rather tell him what Sandra was suggesting,” she admitted as she left.

  “Emma, screw him. Take as much time as you need. He can’t do anything without you anyway.”

  Emma knew that was true. She was aware that if she had wanted, she h
ad the power to make Doug Miller’s life just as miserable as he was making everyone else’s. She also knew that would only add to the stress level of the entire crew. Her demeanor needed to remain even-tempered and professional even if the man was an impossible pain in the ass. “I’m okay. At least, for now.”

  “Hey, I know you didn’t plan to tell me,” Sandra surmised the truth.

  “We were going to tell you before the holiday break,” Emma said.

  “I get it. No worries. As far as I know, you ate some bad sushi,” Sandra crossed her heart.

  “Oh, God, no visuals of fish—please.”

  Sandra laughed. “Come on, preggers.” Emma laughed and followed Sandra.

  “You okay?” Dan whispered to Emma.

  “Fine,” Emma told her friend.

  “Well—good. We are all fine,” Doug Miller offered his sarcastic two cents. “So, let’s get this finished.”

  Emma painted on a contrived smile. “Sorry about that, Doug.” The director did not answer.

  “Sure you are all right?” Dan whispered again.

  Emma nodded. She was still feeling a bit unsteady. She just wanted to get the scene over with and get home. As she readied herself, she realized it had been nearly six hours since she had eaten anything, something she always scolded Addison for. That, she now guessed, was the reason she was feeling both nauseous and a bit faint. She smiled at Dan and stepped into place. Just get through this scene, Em. Then you can grab something to eat, go home and relax until tomorrow.

  Dan began delivering is lines.

  “Stop! Stop telling me what I need to do!” Dan grabbed hold of Emma. Emma opened her mouth to give her line and immediately closed it as another wave of nausea hit her.

  “Okay, that’s it,” Dan said. “Sit down.” He sat Emma on the couch and crouched in front of her. “What is going on with you?” he asked as he held her hands.

  Doug Miller flew onto the set. “What the hell is it now? What is this place some kind of sick ward or is t some kind of love fest!”

  Dan stood up and faced the director. “I’m done with you, Miller,” he said flatly.