Page 87 of Love Unscripted
He smiled, brushing her cheek with his thumb. “thank you for submitting to my direction, Queen Esther.”
~*~*~*~
“She hates to be cold,” Aaron muttered.
“What’s that?” his father, Robert, asked.
Aaron turned to him, phone in hand. “I was just looking at this script for a movie the studio wants me to direct. I’m willing and want Camille to be the lead actress. Honestly, I think it would be the perfect vehicle for her. It’s about a professional skier who finds faith after being injured in a skiing accident. They’ve offered me the opportunity to both act and direct. I love the spiritual arc, the romance. I really think Camille would be amazing but it’s set in Switzerland.” He hesitated. “I don’t know how she’d cope with that climate.”
“You really love her, don’t you?”
“Yeah, Dad. I do. After Scarlette, I didn’t think I could ever find anyone who matched me so perfectly again.”
“And now?”
“Now I know she’s the one. I can’t explain it. The way I feel about her—it’s just right. She’s the opposite of Scarlette. Quieter. More introspective. But I appreciate the ways she’s differentandthe ways she’s similar.” He paused. “What do you think about that?”
“I think you’re in love. But just a word of caution.”
“What’s that?”
“Spend some time getting to know each other away from the set. See if you feel the same way when she’s not playing a part, when you’re not both playing parts—when the layers are peeled away.”
“I don’t think it will make a difference.”
“Maybe not. But I’ve seen how people get involved on sets. They personify their characters. They fall in love with who the character represents. And when they return to real life, the person standing in front of them isn’t who they imagined.”
“I don’t think that’s what’s happening here. I’m fully aware that Camille is no Esther. And I’m pretty sure she doesn’t think I’m Xerxes. In fact, I hope not—he was deeply flawed.”
“Yes, but the movie doesn’t focus on that. It focuses on the times he’s brave, awestruck, deeply in love with his queen.”
“Dad, I’ve spent the last few months getting to know Camille on a personal level. You know that. We’ve spent significant time together. At church. After church. Bible study.”
“You’ve also had emotionally charged scenes. You’ve been holed up together for weeks. You said it yourself—when you’re not filming, you’re spending weekends together, some weeknights too. When you both return to the real world, it won’t be like this. Already you’re looking for ways to keep the two of you together during filming. Suppose you take this movieand she’s not selected as the lead actress. Now you’re holed up somewhere in the Alps with a woman who isn’t Camille—and she won’t come visit because she hates the cold. Or maybe she can’t because she’s shooting somewhere else. You see where I’m going with this.”
“Why are you trying to discourage me?”
“I’m not.”
“You’re being very negative.”
“I’m being realistic.”
“How did you and Mom survive you filming overseas with other women early in your career?”
“Not easily. At first she traveled with me. But when she started her own career, it became challenging. That’s when I made certain choices to protect my marriage.”
Aaron exhaled deeply. “You’re killing me, Dad.”
“Just something to think about. You may not be able to have it all, Aaron—the movie-star wife, the hotshot director career,anda thriving marriage.”
Aaron didn’t like any of this.
As they moved into the next scene, it stayed with him.
~*~*~*~
It was, perhaps, the best-kept secret in Hollywood that week.
