by Dark Angel
Chase: Oh boy. I think I know what's coming.
Nadia: That's right. In case you're wondering, audience, what we're talking about...
Chase: That's right folks. The New York Daily Journal Television section just named Manhattan Reign as the #1 TV show in America.
Nadia: But more than that...
Chase: Right. They also named Manhattan Reign as the best television show to masturbate to.
Nadia: That just means one thing, ladies. Grab your man. Or grab your vibe.
Chase: Because if I know Nadia...
Nadia: Then you know Chase's head is going to be between my legs as we watch the next episode of Manhattan Reign.
Chase: Will I get a chance to watch the show too? Or will I just be getting you off?
Nadia: Silly rabbit. That's why we have DVR. We'll watch it while I come. And then we can play that over and watch it while I give you head. Sound fair?
Chase: Makes me wonder how old people lived before DVR.
Nadia: Ooooh, you can't say old people on television, babe. We might get fined for that shit.
Chase: Right. I forgot. Anyways, we're counting down till the night of the Manhattan Reign episode, folks! Who will fuck who? What marvelous depravity does television have in store for us now?
Nadia: Join us to find out. On...
VOICEOVER: Manhattan Reign!!
Sasha
“She definitely looks like a bitch,” Laurel says, taking a large bite out of her pizza slice. She’s already on her third slice, and there’s no sign of her slowing down. With a strict diet of microwave pizza and instant noodles, I’m surprised she hasn’t ballooned up.
“That’s just her role,” I reply, grabbing a second slice of pizza and trying not to feel guilty about it. “I bet she’s nice in person.”
“Nah, not a chance. Just look at the way she smiles; there’s something definitely very bitchy about it. And you know me, I’m never wrong about stuff like this.”
“Yeah, except that one time you thought you were being hit on by a pervert...And the poor guy just wanted directions,” I tell her with a laugh, propping my feet up on our small coffee table. It wobbles under my feet, and I bend over to stick a folded magazine under its shortest leg. We should've bought a new table ages ago, but there’s always something more pressing for us to do with our money, like paying the gas bill or buying new shoes.
“See? Look at how she’s eyeing him,” Laurel continues, chewing as she points at the screen. There, Kane is sitting behind his desk as his TV daughter pesters him about something.
“I see it,” I nod, watching as Alberta, the actress playing the daughter, narrows her unblinking eyes as she stares at Kane. She definitely looks entitled and high-maintenance, but isn’t that the whole point of her character? Maybe Alberta’s just a great actress. After all, she’s part of Manhattan Reign’s main cast...You don’t get a job like that without having the acting chops to back it up.
“I’d never write her part like that. It just seems so obvious, you know?” Laurel continues, once more giving me her opinion about the scene we’re watching. It’s always like this; she can’t resist giving me her breakdown of whatever movie or TV show we’re watching. It makes sense, though: after all, she’s an aspiring screenwriter slash director.
“Oh, yeah, have they called you already?”
“Who? The Manhattan Reign people?” I ask her, my eyes instinctively wandering to my phone, resting on the armrest of our old beaten down couch.
“No, the New York Patriots...What do you think, Sasha?”
“No,” I sigh. “Not a word yet. I doubt they’ll even call me...They’ll probably give that role to some big name actress, or someone with more boobs than brains.”
“Now that’s what being positive is all about,” Laurel laughs, sitting up straight on the couch. She reaches for the pizza box but then hesitates, her hand hovering over a slice. Shrugging, she then picks the slice up and devours half of it in a single bite. “If they don’t call you,” she continues, her mouth full of pizza, “that’s because they’re idiots.”
“That’s nice of you but —”
“No, seriously,” she cuts me short, wiping her chin with the back of her hand. “You were born for that role. And after what you told me about your audition…”
“Yeah, I thought it went well at the time...But now I’m not so sure. I mean, it’s been three days already. If they wanted me for the role, they probably would’ve already called.”
“Don’t be so sure of that...After what you told me about Kane, mm…”
“Stop it!” I laugh, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at her head. She moves to the side, avoiding it just in time, and shows me one big grin.
“He was totally into it, wasn’t he?” She asks me, even though I think I’ve already answered that question a thousand times. Okay, I’ll admit it, though: I might have answered differently each and every time.
“He seemed to be,” I whisper, throwing my head back and allowing the memories of the audition to resurface. He definitely seemed into it, yeah, but that was the whole point of the audition, right? After all, that’s what acting is all about – polishing what’s fake until it becomes the truth. “It didn’t feel like I was acting, you know? It was natural.”
“That’s because it was natural,” she laughs, looking at me slyly. “From what I’ve heard, Kane is a complete man whore. I bet he was picturing you naked while you were doing that scene.”
“C’mon, stop that,” I tell her again, pursing my lips as my heart sends a load of burning blood to my cheeks, coloring them in a violent red. “It wasn’t like that.”
“No? Then why are you blushing that much?”
“I’m not blushing!” I protest, my face feeling as if it’s on fire. Although I’m an actress (or trying to be one), I’m not the best of liars. But then again, Laurel is the kind of person that seems to have a built-in lie detector. That’s my roomie, an amateur psychologist who dreams of becoming a world-famous screenwriter.
“Oh, you’re definitely blushing,” she continues to tease me, playfully punching my shoulder. “I bet you could sleep with him if you wanted to.”
“I don’t want to —”
“You do.”
“No,” I tell her, laughing. “I don’t want to sleep with him. I’m all business, baby.”
“Look at you...All grown up. Anyway,” she continues, her gaze wandering to the TV. “That’s probably for the best. I want you to be all business. After all, you’ll have to hire me as your personal assistant once you get that big break of yours.”
“Wow, that’s really subtle of you,” I tease her, although that thought has been on my mind for a while. Laurel has some experience on set, and I figure I’d need some assistance if I somehow manage to land a big role. Besides, it’d be good for her; she’ll be able to meet new people, network, and perhaps start something of her own.
“It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. Subtlety is for the weak,” she replies, her tone a dramatic one. If she wasn’t that hell bent on being behind the lens of a camera, there’s no doubt in my mind that she’d be a good actress.
“So...Do we watch another?” I ask her as the credits start to roll on the TV. We’ve been binge watching Manhattan Reign for three hours now, and I bet we can go three hours more. After all, there’s nothing better for us to do...and that show is addictive.
“That’s right. Put it —” She’s cut short by the sound of my phone vibrating against the coffee table, and I instinctively reach for it. “What? Who is it from?” she asks me as she sees the expression on my face.
Without saying a word, I simply turn my phone to her and show her the text message on the screen.
Congratulations, it reads, and welcome to Manhattan Reign. The part is yours.
Kane
I knock on the door of the producer’s office, wondering why he called me in here. It’s been a decent day of shooting and I think we’ve about wrapped for the afternoon. Things went well, despite m
y distraction throughout the day, so I’m really not sure how this will go. You never know with Ryan. It could be good or bad. I thought I had my lack of focus under control for the most part, but the man is like a hawk at times. Nothing is off his radar.
When he calls out a cheerful “Come in,” I let my shoulders relax. So it’s a good meeting. Not that I have anything to worry about. I’m being paranoid. How the fuck would Ryan know that I haven’t been able to get that girl who auditioned yesterday—Sasha—out of my head? He’d be appalled to know that I even jerked off to thoughts of that sexy scene we performed together. I’m almost shocked myself. Except I’m not, because she was that fucking hot. I almost forgot it was just a scene.
“Kane,” Ryan says, standing from his desk and walking around to meet me with his hand extended.
I shake his hand and nod in greeting. “How’s it going?”
“Great.” Ryan is all smiles. “We decided to hire Sasha—you remember, the girl you auditioned with yesterday?”
Like I could fucking forget.
“Yeah,” I say casually—at least I think it’s casual. Who knows, because right now a rush of adrenaline is coursing through my veins. “I remember. I think she’ll be a good fit.” Good? It’s fucking great. And I can’t help but wonder just what a nice fit we’d be together. Perhaps with my dick inside of her. Yeah, I bet that would fit fucking perfectly.
Ryan narrows his eyes and holds up his hands, palms facing out toward me. “Not so fast, man.”
Shit.
“I saw the sparks between you two. That’s part of the reason we gave her the role. You had some amazing chemistry that will translate well onscreen. But you know the rules. No sex on set. Absolutely, positively under no—”
“Under no circumstances,” I say. “Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ve heard this before.”
Ryan grits his teeth, and I regret my flippant response almost immediately.
Giving him my most winning smile, I add, “Of course not, Ry. You know you can trust me to be a professional.”
He’s not buying it.
“Kane, don’t think for a second that I don’t know about you and that extra,” he says with a searing look. “You’re already on thin ice.”
Fuck. I figured he probably knew. It’s not like I was trying to hide it. In fact, I haven’t tried to hide any of my hookups on set lately. I figured Ryan was over his “no sex on set” phase, but apparently not. Here’s the thing. Ryan put this strict policy in place last year when his girlfriend at the time—who happened to star in Manhattan Reign—cheated on him with her leading man. It was a perfect storm of complications. Not only did it end his relationship, but she left the show because of the fallout. She was unable to work for Ryan anymore after the very public and very painful breakup. And that, of course, led to a huge drop in ratings. The show tanked for a whole season, and only just managed to get up to the number one rated show again this season—in no small part thanks to me. Not being cocky, just telling it like it is.
Anyway, if there’s one thing Ryan loves more than he loved her, it’s good ratings. Hence the strict no sex on set rule. He isn’t willing to let anything derail Manhattan Reign again. Especially since we’re now on top.
I nod at Ryan, trying to give him my most sincere look. “I understand, Ryan. No sex on set.”
Either I’m not as good an actor as I think, or Ryan knows me too well—I’m going with the latter—because he then says, “You might be the star, Kane, but you can still be replaced. Anyone can be replaced.”
He even points a finger in my face, something that annoys the shit out of me.
“I’ve got it, man.” This time I don’t bother with the act. “You don’t have to beat a dead horse.”
But apparently he does.
“I just want you to think with your brain this time, not your dick. This girl Sasha has a lot of talent. If it came out that a hot new actress like her was sleeping with her co-star, it could end her career before it ever got off the ground. Think about that.”
I raise my palms this time, trying to placate him. Ryan is taking this extra seriously. I guess he’s really happy to have snagged talent like Sasha. I can’t say I blame him. I’m stoked to find out I’ll be working with her, and not just because she’s fucking hot and we’ll get plenty of steamy scenes together. She really is talented.
“Relax, Ryan,” I say. “I know how serious you take this. Off screen I’ll be strictly hands off with Sasha.”
He finally seems to take me at my word and nods. “Thank you.”
I leave his office, ready to call it a day, but as I leave the studio and stroll down the busy New York streets with my hands in my pockets, I can’t help thinking about what Ryan said. The fact that her career could be so easily ruined really bothers me. She seems like a sweet girl and I hate the thought of something like that happening to her.
I’ll just have to keep things professional, like I said. There are plenty of women in this city, and I can take my pick.
Like that one, or that one, or that one, I think as I glance around the crowd.
Yeah, there are tons of women ready and waiting. So why am I still thinking about the only one I can’t have?
Sasha
“Well, it’s official,” Laurel says, whistling as she looks at the sheet of paper taped to the door of my dressing room. Yup, you guessed it: my name’s on it. “You’re a star now.”
“Nobody knows who I am,” I reply as I turn the handle on the door and step inside. The room isn’t that spacious, and there’s nothing inside but a full body mirror, a fold up table, two chairs, an old couch and some clothes hanging from a rack nailed to the wall. Not exactly the dressing room of an Oscar winner but, hey, it has my name on the door.
“Nobody knows who you are yet,” Laurel corrects me, throwing her purse over the table and sitting down in one of the chairs. “With me as your PA, you’ll soar high in the skies, my young pupil.”
“Go easy on the Zen preaching, okay?” I laugh, walking over to the clothes rack. I run my fingers through the dresses hanging there, feeling the smooth fabric against my skin. Each and every one of these dresses has my exact measurements (I got measured by a tailor right before I signed my contract with the network), and that makes me feel...I’m not sure on how to describe what I’m exactly feeling right now, but it’s a good feeling.
“I see you’re already settling in,” I hear a feminine voice say. My heart skips a beat as I recognize the voice of a woman I’ve watched on TV countless times—Alberta, Kane’s pretend daughter. I’d recognize that voice anywhere.
“Oh, hey,” I greet her awkwardly, my eyes darting to the flowers she’s holding in her hands. She’s standing by the doorway, an easy smile on her lips, and she looks even more beautiful than she does on TV. Her hair has been straightened out, cascading over her shoulders easily, and the makeup around her cat-like eyes has been done so perfectly that it’s hard to believe she wasn’t born looking like this. More than just an actress, she looks as if she’s part of a Royal family.
My first day at work, and I’m already face-to-face with someone like her.
“May I?”
“Oh, of course. Yeah, come in,” I tell her, taking one step back. Her smile opens up even more, and she pushes the flowers she’s holding—a bouquet of yellow roses—into my hands.
“These are for you. Welcome to the set!” She chirps happily and, after smiling back at her, I can’t resist and look at Laurel. See, the expression on my face tells her, she’s not that bad in real life.
“Mm,” Alberta continues, looking around my cramped dressing room with a thoughtful expression. “I see they’ve given you my first dressing room.”
“Really? I had no idea about that. I feel, hm, honored,” I reply, not sure if I picked the right words.
“Oh, don’t. It’s too small, really. It’s cramped, and it gets awfully hot during the Summer. But I’m sure you’ll grow accustomed to it,” she continues and, for the first time since
she stepped inside the room, I’m not exactly sure of the meaning behind her words. It sounds like she’s being friendly, but there’s something in her specific choice of words that makes me feel wary.
“So, nervous about your first day?” She then asks me, holding the back of one of the chairs and looking straight into my eyes.
“A bit, yes,” I admit, running my tongue between my lips. They’re starting to feel dry already, and that means I’m getting nervous. I don’t know if I’m star struck right now or if she’s just making me uncomfortable; either way, I’m already looking forward to having her leave.
“I suppose you have to be nervous, yeah,” she whispers, lowering her gaze. It almost looks like she’s talking to herself and not to me. Then, raising her gaze again and locking her eyes on mine, she continues. “After all, you’ve never worked in a production like this, right? It’s been what? A lot of commercials?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly how it’s been,” I reply meekly, the dryness on my lips now taking over my whole mouth.
“Well, let’s hope you don’t go back to that. I’m rooting for you,” she finishes off, clapping her hands together and offering me her biggest smile yet. She definitely pulls off the I’m-being-nice-and-supportive act but, right now, I can’t help but agree with Laurel: there’s something about her that’s slightly off-putting.
“Ah...Hm, thank you,” I nod with a nervous smile. “Any tips?”
“Oh, as a matter of fact, yes...Don’t piss off the wrong people. Some are really vindictive, you know? Just be careful,” she says and, with that, she turns on her heels and walks out the door, the hemline of her dress swirling as she turns. Well, she definitely mastered the dramatic walk-out, that much is for sure.
“I don’t like her,” Laurel tells me flatly as I close the door behind Laurel, the click of her high heels fading as she walks down the corridor. Folding her hands behind her head, Laurel clicks her tongue as if she’s looking for the right word. “Too presumptuous.”
“You don’t know that. She was being nice. Even brought me flowers.”
