by Liwen Ho
“Evan sweetie, don’t you look handsome.” She reached his side and traced the bright purple nails of one hand down his arm. She licked her red lips and batted her lash extensions at him. “The fans are going to love seeing you with your shirt off.”
Evan clenched his hands and tried not to flinch at her touch. The scent of her perfume was so strong, it worsened his headache. As much as he wanted to flee, he knew it was better not to ruffle Margot’s feathers before they started shooting. If he played along, it was more likely they’d only have to rehearse the scene once. He pasted on a smile and replied, “I’m ready when you are.”
“I like your enthusiasm,” she cooed with a sugary smile. “Oh Greg, we’re ready!”
The red-haired director walked onto the set wearing his usual T-shirt and sweats. Today, a baseball cap covered his head and a pair of glasses hung around his neck from a chain. He took one look at the bed and frowned. “What happened to the bed? It’s supposed to be a queen.”
“I asked the prop guys to switch it out. This one is much more comfortable,” Margot touted. “Daddy said it was a good idea.”
“Fine. It’ll do,” Greg remarked through pursed lips. “But next time I’d appreciate a heads-up before any changes are made, Margot. I need to know what I’m working with in order to get the camera blocking right.” He clapped his hands together, then called out, “Let’s start from the top. Margot and Evan, you guys will enter through the door holding hands. Margot, you’ll shut the door behind you. After you say your lines, Evan, you’ll pick Margot up and carry her to the bed. Continue kissing until I call the scene. Places, everyone.”
Evan waited with Margot in the makeshift hallway outside the room, waiting for the cue to start. As soon as Greg called out action, he took on his character’s persona and grabbed Margot’s hand. No longer was he Evan Spark. He became Jaxon, a lonely teenager trying to find comfort in the arms of a girl.
Margot pulled him through the doorway, then closed it behind them. She stepped up to Evan and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You’re not alone anymore, Jax. We’ve got each other. I can make you feel better.”
“I know you can. You’re so good to me, Kami.” Evan brushed a strand of Margot’s hair from her face. He cast a furtive look over his shoulder, then asked, “Are you sure your mom won’t be home tonight? I can’t risk getting into any more trouble with my folks. They’ll make me quit football if I mess up again.”
“I’m sure.” Margot stood on her tiptoes and pressed her body against his. “We’re safe.”
Evan hesitated, even though he knew those two words were supposed to be the cue for them to start kissing. It was as if his mind and body were operating on two separate planes. His shoulders tensed at the thought of placing his lips on Margot’s. He tried to push his reservations aside though and stay in character. By sheer willpower he forced himself to lean down, his mouth hovering just above Margot’s. He fought against himself every centimeter until he felt Margot take the lead and kiss him first.
After that first kiss, he realized the scene would go much faster if he moved it along instead of dragging his feet. So he literally picked up the pace, lifting one foot, then the other as he carried Margot to the bed and set her down. Leaning over her, he continued their kiss until he heard, “Cut!”, in the distance.
Evan disentangled himself from Margot’s arms and leapt off the bed. Keeping a safe distance from his costar, he stood at the foot of the bed and ran a hand over his face. To his dismay, his lips were still warm from the kiss. He might be acting, but kissing scenes were far too real. Especially with Margot looking at him like she couldn’t wait to devour him again. She lay on the bed with her hair mussed and robe falling off one shoulder, eyeing him out of the corner of her eye. Every cell in his body was grateful Emma was nowhere near this stage. Even though he knew he was acting, Margot obviously had other intentions. His entire body tensed as he waited for the director’s next instructions.
Greg squatted next to the bed, holding up both of his hands with his thumbs touching each other. Looking through an imaginary lens, he called out to his camera assistant, “Right here. I want one camera here.”
The assistant, a young woman with a roll of blue painter’s tape, tore off a piece and stuck it onto the stage to mark the spot.
“All right. Let’s go over the next bit.” Greg once again turned his attention to Evan and Margot. “Evan, you pause in between kisses and pull your shirt over your head. Margot, you’ll start slipping off your robe. At that point, I want you both under the sheet. Continue kissing. I’ll pan down to your clothes on the floor, then we’ll fade to black. Any questions?”
Evan shook his head. “Let’s do it.”
“Can I get some water first?” Margot fanned her face with her hand. “All this kissing is making me parched.”
“Someone bring her water, please,” Greg called out over his shoulder.
One of the production assistants ran over and handed her a bottle. After a few sips, Margot asked for a mint. Her next request was for a makeup touch-up, then for an extra pillow to be placed at the head of the bed. She had several stage hands rushing around the set at once. It took every ounce of self-control for Evan to not roll his eyes. After a while, he decided to wait in the hall outside the bedroom, so he didn’t get in the way of the folks doing Margot’s bidding.
After a good five minutes had passed, Margot finally declared she was ready.
“From the top!” Greg called out, his voice wavering between impatience and relief at being able to get back to the scene. “Action!”
Once again, Evan resumed his role as Jaxon, placing himself in the mind of a desperate teenage boy. He took Margot’s hand, and they both ran through the door. Margot wrapped her arms around him and spoke her lines.
Just as Evan was about to say his part, he spotted a familiar head of long red hair out of the corner of his eye. His mouth grew dry. No, it couldn’t be. He desperately wanted to turn to look at the woman standing with the stage hands, but he forced himself to stay in character. If it wasn’t who he thought it was, he’d be ruining a perfectly good take. If it was her though—he didn’t even want to think about that possibility. Having Emma watch him work today was the last thing he wanted.
Chapter Eight
Emma
Emma didn’t know if she should look or not look at the scene unfolding before her eyes. She felt as if she were under a strange spell, almost like she was hypnotized. Despite the fact she could think of her own accord, she didn’t have any control over her body. Her hands, both tightly balled into fists, were cold and clammy. A shiver fell down her spine, sending chills flowing through her body. Her throat was so dry, it hurt to swallow. But try as she might, she couldn’t turn her head or even move her feet. Her sneakers were firmly planted on the ground as she stood beside Cassie, the production assistant who had been taking her around.
The young woman, a few years older than her, was also riveted by the actors rehearsing, but for another reason completely. She leaned over to whisper in Emma’s ear. “Oh my word, he’s taking off his shirt! Evan Spark is taking off his shirt!” Cassie began pulling at the front of her pink blouse to fan herself. “Isn’t he hot? Oh man, this whole scene is hot!”
Emma nodded lamely, unable to say a word. How could she when Margot was running her hands all over her boyfriend, along the muscular edges of his biceps and down his defined chest? That wasn’t the worst part though. Seeing Evan respond to her advances was too much to bear.
She forced her gaze down, trying to push the image of Evan kissing Margot from her mind. She tried not to think of his hands in her hair and his mouth on her neck—oh! Emma’s hands immediately flew to her mouth. The sour taste of bile coated her tongue. Seeing Evan and Margot make out with each other was literally making her sick. She had to excuse herself before she threw up on set.
Cassie must have noticed the distress on her face. She placed her hand on Emma’s arm and quickly guided her towa
rd the exit. Once they had made their way out into the late afternoon sunshine, she exclaimed, “Are you okay, Emma? You don’t look so good!”
Emma gulped in a lungful of air and felt her heart rate slow down. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, feeling goosebumps along her skin even though it was nearly eighty degrees out. When she finally found her words, she murmured through gritted teeth, “I-I’m fine. I’m better now.”
“Are you sure?” Cassie rubbed Emma’s back and looked at her with concern. “You look like you just saw a ghost. Let’s find you a place to sit down.”
“Th-that’s a good idea.” Emma let Cassie lead her to a nearby wooden bench where they both took a seat. She glanced up at the large auditorium in front of them, still shaken by what she’d seen inside. Who knew the stage she would be rehearsing on tomorrow would happen to be next to the one Evan was on today? If only she hadn’t agreed to follow Cassie to see her favorite actor on Edenvale. She should have known Cassie was referring to Evan. Just about every female in America between the ages of thirteen to thirty was in love with him.
Including herself.
Emma scoffed at the thought. She might be dating Evan, but she had to share him with millions of other women. Eleven million to be exact—that was the number of followers he had on Instagram the last time she checked. But the person she disliked sharing him with the most was Margot. Especially after the haughty look Margot gave her when she first walked onto the set with Cassie. The memory sent chills down Emma’s back again. She took a shaky breath and tried to gather her thoughts.
“What happened in there?” Cassie asked. She pushed up the sleeves of her cardigan and narrowed her eyes at her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. Do you want to go back in there? You’re missing the scene.” Emma said the words, but she didn’t really mean them. She was so thankful to have Cassie by her side. Her eyes were almost the same shade of green as her own, but her dark brown hair was similar to Abby’s. She also had the same protective older sister vibe. Even though they had just met last week, Emma already felt at ease with her. If the circumstances were different, she would love to confide in her. Instead, Emma lightened her tone and repeated herself, “You should go. You don’t have to wait here with me.”
Cassie grew quiet. She looked at Emma, curiously studying her. “Emma, this is going to sound crazy, but is there something going on between you and Evan Spark?”
“Wh-what?” Emma’s face blanched. As soon as she heard her own shaky voice, she wanted to smack herself on the forehead. For someone who called herself an actress, she sure didn’t sound convincing. But it was one thing to pretend to be someone else and a whole other thing to lie about her own life. “What are you talking about?”
“There is something! I totally thought it was a rumor that he was dating someone. I mean, I saw some photos of him with a girl, but it was so dark, you couldn’t see who she was.” A mixture of delight and surprise lit up her eyes. “How in the world did you guys get together?”
That was a question Emma often wondered about, too. How did she manage to get the attention of a teenage heartthrob? But the bigger question was, could she trust Cassie to keep her secret? She prayed she could. She had nothing else to go on but faith and hope. “We met on set here kind of randomly last year. Evan was going around introducing himself to the extras and we started talking. He invited me to go to a Christian actors’ fellowship with him, and we started doing stuff together with other people. Over time, it was just the two of us hanging out. One thing led to another ...” She paused as she realized what Cassie had said. “Where did you see those photos of us?”
“On Primetime Beat,” she stated, naming one of the popular paparazzi sites. “It looked like you were in a garden of some sort, late at night. Evan was in a tuxedo and the girl—you—was wearing a dress. The photos were grainy, but it seemed like you guys were about to kiss.”
Emma gasped. The P.I. must have sold his photos to Primetime Beat after Evan had asked him not to tell Margot about his findings. A flash of anger surged through her body, but she took a breath to calm herself. As much as Emma wanted to be upset with the guy, she understood he had a job to do. She couldn’t fault him for earning money on the side to survive; she did the same as a waitress. But this complicated things. Margot could have seen the photo already. If so, she would put two and two together. It was only a matter of time before Emma lost her job.
“We haven’t told anyone outside of our family, so I’d really appreciate it if you could keep this to yourself. Things are kind of tricky right now.” The concern on Cassie’s face touched her. She seemed genuinely worried. “It’s just that Margot’s threatened to have me fired. She’s not a fan of Evan having a girlfriend. I think she wants that role for herself.” The mention of Margot made Emma’s stomach churn again. She wondered if Evan was done rehearsing or if he was still kissing—stop! She had to stop thinking about that scene.
“Oh my goodness.” Cassie’s brows shot up high on her forehead. “That’s why she told me to stop by the set today. And why she kept telling me to bring you around.”
“Margot told you to bring me? Why would she do that?”
“So you’d react the way you did. She’s trying hard to get under your skin. I tell you, if it weren’t for good ’ole nepotism, she wouldn’t have a job on this show. She knows it, and the fans know it, too. She’s trying to get rid of the competition.”
Emma balked. “I’d hardly call myself competition. She’s one of the lead actresses on Edenvale. I’m just a small minor character.”
“Who’s getting more lines.” Cassie paused and lowered her voice. “I’m not supposed to be talking about this, but I know one of the writers. There’s been talk of Margot’s dad cutting funds for the show if she doesn’t get a bigger part.”
Emma blinked, taken aback. “But she’s already one of the main characters. I can’t imagine her role expanding even more.”
“She basically wants more air time. And because her parents are going through a nasty divorce, her dad’s willing to go the extra mile to get her to side with him.”
“Wow.” Emma could hardly believe her ears. It had to be so hard for Margot to be stuck in the middle of her parents’ relationship. “That’s so sad. I almost feel bad for her. I mean, I do feel bad for her.”
Cassie scoffed. “You’re incredible, Emma. No wonder they cast you as Faith. You’re as sweet as your character. Didn’t you hear what I said about Margot trying to push you out?”
“I know. But it’s a defense mechanism.” Evan’s words from the other night came back to Emma. No one was more righteous than anyone else. Given the right circumstances, she could do regrettable things, too. “She’s just trying to save herself. I’m not excusing what she did, but I understand why she did it. Desperation makes people behave at their worst.”
“No kidding.” Placing a hand on her arm, Cassie sighed. “I’m so sorry I brought you here. I had no idea you and Evan were a thing.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that must’ve been for you to see—never mind, let’s not bring it up.”
“Yes, let’s not,” Emma replied as she stared down at the ground. If only not talking about the bedroom scene would make the thought of it go away. Even now the scene was fresh in her mind, seared into her memory. Her insides churned, making her feel sick again. “I don’t know how other people do it. Some people even direct their spouses doing love scenes with other people! I’d never have the stomach for that.”
“Let’s hope this is the one and only love scene Evan has to film, or at least one that’s not with you. I bet you wouldn’t mind that, right?”
“Um, actually, I have a ‘no kissing clause’ in my contract. It covers bedroom scenes, too.”
Cassie’s mouth fell open. “I didn’t think actors really had those clauses. Not that there’s anything wrong with it—to each their own—but it’s gotta make it harder for
you to get scenes. Especially on a TV show about teenagers? There are multiple kisses in every episode.”
Emma nodded. “That’s part of the reason why I have the clause. Who knows how many guys I’d have to kiss if I didn’t have it?”
“But what about kissing Evan? That would be okay, right?”
Okay? Emma was sure it’d be more than okay; it’d be amazing. Just the thought of their near-kiss over the weekend made her stomach dip with anticipation. She couldn’t wait for the next time they’d be alone again. “I’d rather not kiss Evan in front of a camera and have millions of people watching us. I want to save something that personal for when we’re alone.”
“That makes sense. But you’re okay with Evan kissing other girls?”
Cassie’s tone was more of curiosity than accusation, which made Emma feel safe about answering her. “Not really. It’s his job though. I try not to think too much about it.” Which was impossible after what she just saw. Thoughts of Evan and Margot making out was all she could think about now.
“You’re a really supportive girlfriend.”
“I try to be.” Even as she said the words, she felt as if she were betraying her heart. There was no part of her that wanted to support Evan kissing other girls. She’d rather cover her eyes and ears instead. That’s why she didn’t watch the show or even ask Evan about the scenes he shot, unless he brought it up first. The saying was true: Ignorance was bliss. But was she truly showing him support if she kept her head buried in the sand?
“Em!”
Emma looked up to see Evan running out of the auditorium straight toward their bench. He had his shirt back on, but his hair was tousled and his lips swollen from kissing. His expression was one of deep concern and a little bit of fear. She’d never seen him look so unsure of himself.
When he reached them, Cassie immediately hopped up and waved. “I gotta run. Duty calls!” She smiled and made a zipping motion across her mouth before she turned to go.
