by Alexis Angel
“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.
5
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 my 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?
6
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.”
“Yeah, of course...She was only being nice. And I’m the Queen of England; bow before me, peasant!” She cries out, jumping up to her feet as she looks at me with a dramatic expression.
“C’mon, she even gave me —”
“What, a tip? In case you didn’t notice, she was only telling you not to step on her toes or she’d rip your head off.” She shrugs casually, and then sits back down. “At least that’s what I heard.”
“Well ...even if you’re right. I’m not here to get into a catfight with Alberta. I’m a professional, and I’m here to work.”
“Yeah, good luck with that,” she sighs, and the tone of her voice sends a shiver up my spine. Am I already on a collision course with Alberta, someone who's one of the best-paid actresses in TV?
I’m just a nobody.
7
Sasha
“So, is everyone ready?” Ryan asks us. His eyes roam over the script in his hands, but then he raises them and looks around the table. Everyone nods at once and I just follow suit, looking down at the script in front of me even though I already know every single line by heart.
Ever since I put my name over the dotted line on the contract, I’ve been a nervous wreck. I’m constantly plagued by feelings of insecurity (what if I suck? What if viewers hate my character?), and I’ve decided to counter that by working like a woman possessed. Maybe I went a little overboard with it, though. I even memorized the lines of every single character in this scene, which means that my mind is completely flooded with words. Still, I don't want to mess up my delivery by jumping in too early or too late, and so I decided to know the whole scene from the inside out.
“Alright, let’s give it a go then,” Ryan says, waving one hand around the table as our cue to begin. We’re doing a table read today, which means we’re more or less just reading the lines while staying in character. It’s basically foreplay, really; something to warm us up and iron out the kinks before we move onto the main event, the one happening while the cameras roll.
“Fuck, I need a drink…” Kane whispers softly, running one hand through his hair as he leans back against his seat. His voice is fraught with tension, as if he’s under pressure; it truly feels as if his soul has left his body, and his character took the reigns. Now that’s acting. And he hasn’t opened his script which means that, just like me, he also knows his lines by heart.
“Go easy on the drink, okay?” Jasmine starts, whispering as if she’s afraid someone might overhear her. She and Stefan, the dark-haired guy sitting next to her, play a set of twins that basically represent the loyalists to Kane’s character. While his character is surrounded from all sides by backstabbers, these two are his constant backup and occasional comic relief.
“Yeah…” Stefan agrees, nodding. “There are a lot of eyeballs on you right now.”
“I know that,” he replies, and I feel my heart quickening its pace as he looks at me. That’s what the script says he should be doing, but his presence is so natural that I almost believe we’re actually in a cocktail party right now.
“Here,” I say after waiting for a few seconds. Supposedly, my character is handing Kane a drink, but I just look at him as I continue to speak. “You look like you need a drink.”
“Yeah,” he says, his voice heavy. “But a drink isn’t the only thing I need.” Right now, his eyes seem to be burning with lust, and I feel the hair on the back of my neck standing up.
“Then why don’t you take it? You’re the kind of man that takes what he wants, aren’t you?” I tease him, carefully purring my words.
“It’s wrong…” He continues, this time lowering his gaze and leaning back. “It’s fucking wrong,” he repeats, balling one hand into a fist.
“Maybe that’s why it feels so right…” I reply, lowering my voice so much that it actually feels as if I’m whispering these words into his ear. I’m about to move on to my next line when Alberta’s voice explodes in the silence of the room.
“Isn’t that too over the top?” She asks out of the blue, raising her voice high enough to break all the tension we’ve just built. Everybody seems to slump over the desk and, just like that, the spell is broken; everyone’s out of character, and the moment has been ruined. “I mean, I don’t want to direct you guys...But I felt that was a bit too much,” she continues with a shrug, drumming her fingers against the table.
“You just ruined the scene,” Kane tells her with a frustrated sigh, looking at Alberta with an annoyed
expression. “It was working.”
“It didn’t feel like it was working to me. Sasha’s definitely overacting,” she shoots back at Kane, and I feel myself shrink in my seat. My first scene, and I’m already being accused of overacting? “Don’t feel bad. You’re still inexperienced,” she then adds, looking at me as if I were as important as a fly on the wall. She can act, yeah, but she also has a gift for making people feel uncomfortable.
“I was just doing what’s on the script,” I try to defend myself, but Alberta doesn’t even seem to be listening to me. She just moves her gaze away from me and looks at Ryan, almost as if she expects him to agree with her. Luckily for me, he just remains silent, watching the scene and waiting to see how the rest of the table reacts.
“Come on, guys. You don’t need to be nice to Sasha just because she’s new. I’m fairly sure she can take the criticism and, besides —”
“That's uncalled for, Alberta” Jasmine suddenly pitches, her voice stern and confident. Unlike most of the production staff, she doesn’t seem to give a damn about how much of a star Alberta is. And Alberta can’t ignore her just like she did to me; after all, Jasmine is one of the most beloved members of the cast. “Sasha was doing great.”
“I don’t agree,” Alberta insists, looking around the room as if she’s begging for someone else to speak up and back her. Everyone just looks down, though, allowing a somber silence to take over the room. “Okay, whatever. You guys do it however you like. I was just giving my opinion,” she finishes, acting like a misunderstood genius.
“Alright, alright...Let’s just take a break,” Ryan pitches in and, almost at once, every single person in the room gets up and starts ambling toward the door.
8
Sasha
