Page 47 of Love in Times of Contempt

Someone wearing a headset and carrying a clipboard signaled to them— mics were on, the walls would begin to part.

Ana's stomach twisted into a knot; she squeezed his hands twice in response. She hadn't been on TV like this before. At least, with Liam by her side, her nerves were relatively manageable. She nodded to him just as Andy called for them.

"Please welcome our guests, Ana Lira and Liam McMillan!"

The partition rolled to the sides, giving them a view of the stage and the myriad people sitting around it as an audience. The space filled with a mix of applause and vocal expressions of joy, and a feature light shone on them.

Ana smiled wide, hoping she'd struck the right look. She wore her forest-green pencil pants, a white WHAM! shirt and leather jacket, with a bold red lip. Becca had approved and Liam had gotten flirty when she asked about the outfit, and Ana took comfort in that.

Thinking about her clothes was as far as she allowed herself to consider, with the number of people that were looking at her at that moment.

Ana and Liam reached the two high chairs placed on the set for them, as instructed before the show began. Liam offered her his hand, still linked, to help her sit. He made sure she sat comfortably before sitting on his seat.

"So gallant," Andy commented of Liam's gesture. "Polite. You could be Canadian!"

Ana and Liam chuckled— politely.

"Thanks so much for visiting us today to talk about your documentary," Marie said. "Such a gorgeous couple! And that film you created was truly something."

"Thank you!" Ana said.

"This is your seventh documentary, isn't it?" The blonde host checked her notecards, a friendly grin on her face. "Can you tell us a bit about how the content of one of your documentaries depends on who you film? How does that change when you interview someone of Liam's caliber?"

"Yes, it's my seventh film. Working with Liam was serendipitous but not really different than working with my other people. The process itself was familiar. Getting to know him, where he's at in life, how he approaches life…"

Mary nodded. "Maybe that's what makes him more human, in the story you tell us, rather than the superstar that we've all come to know."

"And how was it for you, Liam?" Andy asked. "To get involved in a project that deviates from your usual work must have pushed you in a totally different direction."

"Yeah, it did. I'm used to having a script; I rarely get to use my own voice or choose the words coming out of my mouth. With Ana I showed who I was a year ago and that's a new experience, but let's not forget that I was still directed. Ana is a director— she made it possible to open up and share a piece of me that you wouldn't have seen otherwise. Don't you think so?"

Instead of letting the hosts ask a follow up question, he questionedher. Giving her an opportunity to use her voice to give weight to his statement.

She smiled at him and nodded once, hoping he would recognize her gratitude. He did as he'd promised her. "As a director I have two tracks going in my mind, one where I'm asking questions and engaging genuinely, and another that's constantly asking, what are we really talking about? What is the theme I'm exploring here? Because I need to find that connective thread that makes it a story."

"You also produced this film, didn't you?" Andy grinned with such affability it made it clear why he'd been chosen for this job at some point. "Or is this part of the company you have together?"

Ana echoed his expression. "Technically it's part of Jump Cannon Productions— our production company. When we first set it up, it bought my existing company, including the rights for this film."

"This movie really changed things for both of you, didn't it?" Marie waved at them, her note cards an extension of her arm. "We were lucky to watch the film last night for the premiere— congratulations, by the way—"

"Thank you!" Ana and Liam said at the same time.

"— and it's such an interesting film. The contrast between the beautiful weather and the sharpness of how difficult things can be in Hollywood— so stark."

"It's stark in real life, too," Liam said. "There are wonderful, wonderful things about being an actor. There are also rough things, and this documentary was all about exploring those."

"You've said you two were worried about how some people may react to the film," Andy mentioned with a mild frown. "Can you tell us more about that?"

Andy had asked that question to Liam, but Liam turned to Ana to let her respond.

She reached for Liam's forearm and squeezed once in gratitude. "When I met Liam more than a year ago, he was under extreme pressure and it had negative impacts on him. We're showing all of that with this movie and even though we try to make it clear it doesn't deny all the good that comes with it, it can also burst bubbles. The people in my films get vulnerable, whether they're about an immigrant that just landed and is going through culture shock, or a mega star pulled to make more movies. They all show a tender part of themselves and I want to make sure viewers are respectful of that."

Ana gazed at the hosts, engaging with them. Liam put a hand on her thigh, its weight warm and reassuring on her. Stealing a glance at him, she caught the way his eyes sparkled at her.

"That's so moving," Marie commented. She asked Liam, "How do you end up getting involved in a project like that?"

"With a lot of luck," he joked, and everyone smiled or chuckled, including Ana. "I didn't know it at the time, I even fought it a little to be honest… but now I can't imagine where I'd be without this film. It's scary to offer this side of me publicly but I hope it's going to come across as authentic."