Page 8 of Love Scenes

“Oh. Hi!” She’s so surprised to hear from me she’s blushing, her eyes widening with every step I take closer to her. It’s very clear she’s heard more than once that her part was actually written with me in mind.

“I come in peace, I promise.”

This makes her smile. Several sentences seem to die on her tongue before she says, “Okay. That’s good.”

“I’m here about this...” I make a sweeping motion with my arm, trusting that she can fill in the blanks.

She lets out an uncertain, uncomfortable laugh, clearly interpreting the blanks differently than me.

I offer her an easy laugh in response to let her know my intentions are good. “I worked with Joseph five years ago, and he almost ruined my career.” I’m so blunt she gasps. “I want to make sure that doesn’t happen to you.”

She stares on in shock. “Okay...”

“I’m serious. The only way I got through it was to throw out everything I’d been taught about acting.”

“What do you mean?”

“You can’t make your choices based on what he gives you inthe scene, because right now he’s not giving you anything. Right?” We exchange a look of great knowing. “Have you ever done any CGI work?”

“Yeah,” she says tentatively.

“Perfect. Treat working with him like you’re actually looking at a tennis ball on a stick.” This makes the both of us laugh. It’s that bonded, I-see-you-and-you-see-me kind of laugh. “You’re gonna be great.”

Actual tears form in her eyes. Which makes sense. She must be the kind of actor who is very good at accessing emotions but not as good at actually speaking dialogue in a truthful way. Two very different skill sets that most people don’t recognize as separate.

“Thank you,” she says with a surprising amount of gratitude. “I really appreciate it.”

“I hope I’m not overstepping. I just know how hard it can be.”

“It really is,” she says with candid panic.

“You’re gonna be great,” I remind her again.

Right before action, she flashes me a big smile.

Then she goes on to do exactly the same thing she did in the previous take.

It’s fine.

It’s not like my entire family has put their money and reputations on the line for this project.

By the timewe’re supposed to release the talent, Joseph and Haven still haven’t finished the whole scene. Mom, Guy, and Tyler make an executive decision to wrap as planned and tack the last bits of coverage onto another day.

It’s a risk.

So was casting Joseph Donovan in the first place.

Not that anyone asked me.

Mom comes up behind me on my way out and puts an arm around my neck. I think it’s meant to be sentimental. I don’t tell her it’s basically a choke hold.

“Sloaney,” she whispers in my ear, the both of us overlooking the apartment while a crew member rearranges misplaced props. “I know you don’t think you have anything to do here, but that’s not true. You’re very important. We need you.”

My face goes hot, the power of being needed by my mother hitting my system like a fast-acting drug.

“You have to help him,” she whispers.

I twist out of her hold. “What do you mean?”