Page 70 of Love Unscripted
“It seems that you really do know what you’re talking about.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Why, thank you.”
She smiled and whispered. “I’m looking forward to bible study this evening.”
Aaron stared at her. There was something in her voice that kicked his heart rate up a notch. “I am too.”
Ray stepped in beside Aaron as the last light was adjusted. He didn’t look at him right away—kept his eyes on the monitors, on the quiet efficiency of a set that had finally found its rhythm again.
“I’ll say this,” Ray began, voice low, almost conversational. “We’re back on track. Footage is strong. Performances are landing. The room feels settled again.”
Aaron nodded. “Good.”
Ray allowed himself a small smile. “Better than good. It’s working.”
He paused, then tilted his head slightly. “Which brings me to the next thing.”
Aaron glanced at him. “Go on.”
Ray folded his arms. “What’s happening between you and Camille—it’s reading beautifully on camera. Subtle. Controlled. Exactly what the story needs.”
The way that Ray delivered that statement caused Aaron to stiffen.
“But off camera,” Ray continued, “people are starting to notice it too. The looks. The timing. The way the air shifts when you’re in the same space.”
“That’s just two actors doing their jobs,” Aaron said evenly.
“Romantic dinners in Malibu are not included in your job description last I checked.”
“How do you know about that?”
“Nothing is secret in this town. You should know that better than most. Growing up in a show biz family and all. You, of all people, shouldn’t expect privacy in a public space.”
“It was not a romantic dinner. We were just having bible study. It was completely innocent.”
“You know that. I know that. The photos don’t convey that. Candle light. Holding hands. Faces close together. The public…the press…they don’t need much fodder, Aaron, and you two are giving them plenty.” He sighed. “Listen, I’m not saying there’s a problem,” Ray said. “I’m saying there could be one if it isn’t managed.”
Aaron exhaled slowly. “Managed how?”
“By making sure nothing on this set, oroff, gives anyone reason to misinterpret what they’re seeing,” Ray replied. “Especially where Camille’s concerned. She doesn’t need speculation. She doesn’t need to have it said that she has exchanged an affair with her last producer with one with her new director.”
Aaron’s jaw tightened. “You think I’d put her in that position?”
“No,” Ray said quickly. “I think you’d do the opposite. I just want you to remember—perception outruns intention every time.”
A beat.
“The chemistry is an asset,” Ray added. “Let’s keep it where it belongs. On screen.”
Aaron’s gaze drifted back to the set—to Camille scrolling on her phone, waiting patiently under the lights for him to finish up so that they could begin Bible study.
“Understood,” he said.
Ray clapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Good. Because everything right now? It’s great. I’d hate to see it get complicated.”
~*~*~*~
She noticed a change in him.
