by Eva Haining
I understand the laws of attraction. I live in a bubble of Hollywood looks. Finding someone you are physically attracted to is the easiest thing in the world, but finding one who isn’t a vapid narcissist ready to ride your coattails is another beast entirely.
“Don’t worry, they know about you. I schedule them to come a good half hour after you leave, and we manage to fit in an orgy before I arrive on set.” She’s hit a nerve.
“I need to get back to the ranch. I’ll see you later.” I know she’s just kidding around, but it still stings. I never even thought to question Cece’s fidelity and look where that got me. Trust isn’t easy for me right now. I don’t wait around, heading for the door. I just need to clear my head.
Maisie follows me, pulling an oversized t-shirt on, just long enough to cover her ass.
“Jasper, I was just joking. Wait!” She runs in front of me, barricading the door with her body. Fuck, she looks stunning. “What’s wrong? You know there’s no one else.” Reaching out, she rests her hand over my heart, her gaze full of tender affection. “Tell me you know.”
“I do.” I drop my gaze to the floor, unable or unwilling to show vulnerability. “I just need to get going.” I motion for her to move out of the way and let me pass.
“Look at me.”
“Can we not make a big deal about this?”
“It’s already a big deal. I’ve upset you. Tell me why?” Her hands slide up, cupping my jaw, forcing me to look her in the eye. “Is it because you’re seeing someone else?” Somehow, her voice is smaller.
“No.”
“I wouldn’t… I mean, we haven’t talked about being exclusive or anything. If you were seeing another woman…”
“Stop! I’m not fucking another girl. I don’t cheat. I’ve told you that before. I want you more than I should. I don’t want anyone else, and the thought of you wanting another guy makes me feel murderous.”
“There’s no one else, Jasper. If you need me to say it, then I’m going on record right now. I think any woman who’d cheat on you is dumber than a barrel of hair.” She pulls me down to her lips—chaste—entreating me to believe her.
“I walked in on her.”
“What?” Her eyes go wild, her brow furrowed in consternation.
“My ex, Cece. I walked into my own house, into our bedroom, and there she was fucking not one but three guys.” Her jaw drops.
“Oh my Lord! She’s looser than ashes in the wind.”
“Yeah, well, I guess I wasn’t satisfying her. I thought she was in love with me. I thought I loved her, but I can see now that what we had wasn’t love. I swore I’d never date another co-star.”
“Oh…”
“You’re misunderstanding. I came here with such a chip on my shoulder. I was hurt. But then you came along all guns blazing, and I hated that you believed all the shit in the tabloids.”
“I’m sorry.” Her eyes well with tears.
“Stop talking, woman. I’m trying to say something here.”
“Sorry.”
“And stop apologizing. I know you were joking earlier. It just hit a very raw nerve. But what I’m trying to tell you right now…” I tuck one of her errant curls behind her ear, “… I wanted to hate you. You drive me crazy, fight with me every two seconds, and you’re making me break the only rule I came here with. But damn, baby, you also set my whole body on fire, you make me question myself, force me to see life from a different perspective. I want to be exclusive. I want to be able to tell people you’re my girlfriend. I want to be able to kiss you whenever the mood takes me. And most of all… I want you to want all those things with me.”
Fuck. I’m getting this all wrong, laying it on too heavy, and I’m scaring her.
“Jasper.”
“Don’t say anything right now. I know I just dumped a shitload of feelings on you, and we said we were just going to fuck it out, this attraction between us, but I want you more every time we’re together. I understand if you aren’t up for this. You’re about to hit it big in Hollywood and have your pick of any guy. Maybe the timing isn’t right, or you just don’t feel the same way. So, think about it, because I’d rather you walk away now before I lose myself completely to your southern charm.”
She moves aside, opening the door, and I think my heart is going to explode out of my chest. My body is vibrating as I step outside into the fresh morning air.
“Jasper…” My pulse is racing as I turn to face her.
“Yeah?”
“You’re right…” she says, stepping outside in nothing but her oversized t-shirt, giving the old lady out walking her dog an eyeful. “This was supposed to be easy and uncomplicated.”
“I know.”
“And you make me crazy as a bullbat… but I’ll take fighting with you over passing the time with anyone else. The timing sucks, and I have no idea what’s coming when we get to LA, but I want to see where this goes. Jasper Savage, as we say in the South, do you want to go steady with me, ya big lug?”
I’m on her in seconds, words failing me as my lips find hers, backing her through the door and into the house. I can be a half hour late. Unwilling to relinquish her mouth, I grab her t-shirt and rip it off, desperate to feel her naked flesh, greedy for one more taste before I have to go. I need to hear her scream my name knowing this isn’t just a frenzied fuck.
I’m going to make her mine because it’s suddenly crystal clear to me, I’m already hers whether she wants me or not.
The movie is shaping up great, and I couldn’t be happier with our progress. If you’d told me the day I arrived in Kingsbury Falls that my ‘punishment’ for assumed infidelity would turn around and become one of my favorite projects, I’d have laughed in your face. Yet here I am, with a co-star who’s setting the camera on fire, enticing it to fall in love with her as she brings this story to life. She’s outshining me regularly, and as her confidence grows, so does her screen presence.
Days have turned into weeks, and the closer we get, the less it feels like work when we’re on set. She’s a different person when she’s working, laser-focused and not the sassy sex kitten I get to take home at night. Watching how she interacts with other people, I’ve figured out a few things. She likes to let people underestimate her. The girl is smart as hell and has a quick wit. And when one of the condescending headset screamers talks down to her, I see the sly twinkle in her eyes before she delivers the sweetest death blow a southern woman can bestow on you—bless your heart. It’s like a fucking social experiment. None of these LA boys have cottoned onto the subtext of those innocuous three words. She enjoys knowing that she basically told them they’re stupid and don’t understand a damn thing, and somehow, she walks away with everyone saying thank you. It’s a talent.
Today is a rare treat. Maisie and I aren’t shooting together, but I’ve moved my schedule around to watch her in a pivotal scene. She’s still uncomfortable telling the crew about us, so I’m holding back on set, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult. Not because I can’t keep it in my pants, although that’s a struggle, but because I want to wrap my arms around her in the moments between scenes. I want to brush my hand over hers or pull her into my lap when I see she’s tired after a long day. Keeping up a façade of indifference is tough. I’m a good actor, but I’m not that good. I just want to be with her, and I don’t care who knows it, who has an opinion on the subject, or what impact it could have on the movie, good or bad.
She’s okay with us having lunch together, but no kissing or hand-holding. We still bicker like cats and dogs, so I think most of the cast and crew have written us off as co-stars who are a swing and a miss. They believe the camera is where the magic appears, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Maisie’s talent is off the charts. The relationship she and I have has nothing to do with it, this is all her.
With my trusty ballcap and Ray-Bans, I attempt to fade into the crowd, at least enough to where Maisie won’t be distracted as she digs deep for this scene. Her husband w
as serving his country over in Iraq. After weeks of not hearing from him, her character is on the verge of a breakdown. This scene is when the military officers arrive to inform her that her husband died in the line of duty.
My knees are twitching with nervous energy, and I can’t seem to calm my body enough to comply. The moment she makes her way up the back-porch steps, I’m on tenterhooks. Even with a newborn and a ranch to run, Maddox thought their house would be a perfect backdrop for the push and pull of the storyline. Seeing the setup, I know he was right.
When Maisie disappears inside to await the beginning of the scene, I’m uneasy. She’s usually pretty chatty about upcoming scenes. She enjoys talking over the script while shoveling whatever takeout we ordered into her mouth. I want to go to her to see if she’s feeling okay. I just want to show my support, but if she knows I’m here, I think it will make her more nervous.
Jack and Hazel wrangle the troops, everyone getting into position. I hear soft cooing before I notice Maddox and A.B. sidling up next to me, baby Robert sound asleep in his daddy’s arms.
“This your idea of a disguise, bro?” Mad gives me a conspiratorial grin.
A.B. wraps her arm around my waist, leaning in to greet me, her voice barely a whisper. “You’re not supposed to be here.” I throw my arm over her shoulder, giving her a quick squeeze.
“I know.”
“This is the most stressed I think I’ve ever seen Mais.”
“You saw her? How’s she holding up?” She looks to me with the affection of a sister, and warmth blooms in my chest. The Hale family has taken me in—a stray from LA—making me feel like I belong.
“Why aren’t you back there giving her a pep talk? I don’t get why y’all haven’t just told everyone you’re a thing.”
“Trust me, if she’d let me, I’d be in there calming her nerves. She doesn’t want anyone involved in the movie to know we’re seeing each other yet.”
“But they’re going to find out soon enough. Y’all just need to rip off the band-aid.”
“Tell her that the next time you speak to her.”
My stomach lurches into my throat when I hear Jack’s voice booming through a megaphone, asking for quiet on set. My palms are sweating, and I’m nervous for Maisie.
Time seems to pass in slow motion as they run a few takes of the officers driving in and stepping out of the car toward the ranch house. The professional in me knows they want to make sure they get it from every angle to give them options in editing, but I’m anxious to set eyes on Maisie. I haven’t spoken to her since I left her naked and sated in the early hours of this morning. She was tense last night, but I selflessly let her use and abuse my body until she was boneless and senseless, her voracious appetite satisfied to the best of my ability.
When it’s finally time, and the officers wrap their knuckles on the front door, I’m about ready to lose my breakfast, sick to my stomach. I watch with bated breath as it plays out. I’m winded at the sight of her—stunning—commanding the attention of everyone within earshot.
I’m mesmerized by her performance, the crowd that surrounds me fading into the background. She’s all I see, her every micro-movement holding my gaze. She’s breathtaking. My brain knows it’s scripted, the husband she mourns is fictional, but as she drops to her knees in silent anguish, my heart takes over.
Feeling the pain she portrays, I’m lost in the moment, the sight of her crumpled body slams into my chest like a freight train. I’m literally witnessing the birth of a star right now. There’s not a dry eye as I take in the enthralled sea of onlookers.
Maddox leans over in a hushed whisper. “She’s amazing, right?”
“She’s fucking transcendent.”
I’m dumbstruck that this is Maisie’s first movie, and I can’t believe I ever questioned her capability to play across from me. What a self-righteous asshole. This scene has nothing to do with me and everything to do with her and drawing in the viewer. They are going to connect with her raw, visceral emotion and become invested in these characters, in her.
My pulse is racing, my heart pounding with the need to go to her.
They’re going to have to break for a while after this take. Maisie will need time to regroup before shooting this scene again. Her makeup will have to be redone and her swollen eyes given time to settle, not to mention how emotionally spent she’s going to feel. The second Jack yells cut, I make my way through the crowd, desperate to get to my girl.
The cast and crew are abuzz with nothing but praise. I’m focused on Maisie. With everyone hustling around on set, she’s still on her knees on the porch, cupping her head in her hands. Pushing past anyone who gets in my way, I stride toward her, taking the steps two at a time in my eagerness to reach her.
Without a care as to who sees me, I scoop her up into my arms, soft cries racking her small frame. I disappear around the corner of the wraparound porch, heading for her trailer parked out back today.
She doesn’t speak until I attempt to set her down on the couch and give her some space.
“Don’t. Please, don’t let go.” Her body begins to shake in my arms. I caress her cheek, wiping her tears, tilting her face to meet my gaze.
“Talk to me, baby. What’s wrong? You were amazing out there. I’ve never seen a set so captivated. My heart broke seeing you bring all that pain and grief to life.”
“I… I…” Her sobs make me ache.
“Talk to me. I know you’ve been immersing yourself in the character, but this is more than that. What’s going on? You didn’t want me on set today, and I think there’s a bigger reason than nerves. Tell me why you’re so upset, baby. How can I help you right now?”
“It was nighttime when the Marine Corp came to our door.”
“What?”
“I was only six. I barely remember him. I have a few flashes of welcoming him home after deployment the year before he died, but nothing concrete. Snippets that feel like photographs rather than memories.”
“Who?”
“My dad.”
“Mais… I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
“I just remember the bloodcurdling cry at the front door when they told my mom. She’d just tucked me in bed. I ran out to find her, scared by the noise. I’ve never heard anything like it. Like someone had ripped her soul from her body.”
I pull her into my lap, letting the unearthed grief wash over her, wave after wave pulling her under. There’s nothing I can say to make this better. If I’d known, I’d have insisted on a closed set. I wouldn’t have let her insist I stay away.
I’m not sure how long we sit as I rock her back and forth, attempting to soothe her broken heart. Rubbing my hand over her back, I hold her close. When the stylists appear at the door, I send them away with instructions to ask Hazel to call me immediately.
“You’re done for the day. I’m taking you home.”
“No. I can do this. I don’t want to let everyone down.” Cupping her face in my hands, I press a gentle kiss to her lips.
“You’re not.”
“Please, don’t, I just need a few minutes. I can pull it together.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
The moment my phone rings, I tell Hazel to clear everyone off set who isn’t essential. She can hear in my voice that it’s not up for negotiation, plus it will buy me an hour or so for Maisie to catch her breath and compose herself if she’s unwilling to let me take her home. Shoving my phone back in my pocket, I pull her tight against my chest.
“Why didn’t you tell me? I’d have been by your side. I could’ve been supportive.”
“I don’t want you to think I’m weak and not cut out to be an actress who can’t separate her feelings. I want to be professional.”
“Look at me.” Her tear-filled eyes find mine, and my heart breaks for the little girl she once was. “We all channel real emotions and experiences for our characters. If you didn’t, then I’d worry about your professionalism. I don’t want you
doubting yourself. I could never think you’re weak.”
“Really?” Wiping her eyes, she smears mascara down her cheeks.
“I’m your biggest champion out there. I’m in awe of you. Don’t you get it?”
“What?” My lips descend on hers with reverence, the taste of her tears causing a physical ache in my chest. Pulling back, I hold her gaze, my own torrent of emotion reflected back at me.
“I’m falling in love with you, Maisie.”
Chapter Sixteen
MAISIE
I can’t believe today is the last day of shooting.
Last night I received a schedule for press interviews over the next few months. It’s all becoming so real. A week from now, I’ll be in LA with Jasper. How can this be my life?
The day I lost it on set, I realized I was swimming against the tide, trying to keep Jasper’s and my relationship a secret. He told me he was falling in love with me—how could I ask him to hide the fact that we’re dating any longer? Hearing him say those words made my heart swell, and yet, I’ve found myself unable to say them back.
I’m scared.
We’re about to leave the safe haven of Kingsbury Falls and head to Hollywood. The second the press gets wind of Jasper’s decision to fund this movie and turn it into something big, they’re going to fall madly in love with him all over again. What if it changes the way he feels about me? Being back in his element, the spell will be broken, and he’ll realize I’m just a small-town girl with a big mouth. Beautiful women will be swarming all over him, and I’m scared he’s going to feel differently about us. If I hand him my heart on a platter, I’m scared it’ll get shattered into a thousand pieces.
