Chapter Six
We'd gotten through the next couple of days of rehearsal, and everyone was gelling quite nicely. Watching Tyler act out Rafe's scenes was doing nothing to quell my crush on him, and I'd been actively fantasizing about him every night, and parts of every day. It was as if I'd made up the perfect man in my head and he'd come to life, almost daring me to act on the fantasy.
Although rehearsals were captivating and career-affirming, Doug hadn't been lying about the long days. Our days could last up to twelve hours, a long workday that I wasn't used to. Though I was hardly the most hardworking person there, I was eagerly looking forward to the end of the workday on Friday. I pulled into the studio lot Friday morning at six-fifteen, an ungodly hour that I hadn't experienced since I was a senior in high school. I walked like a zombie to the front door of the stage and flashed my badge at Fred, the security guard, who nodded in acknowledgment and let me in.
I bee-lined for the coffee bar that practically everyone congregated around in the morning, all equally tired from the week and ready for the weekend. Despite my fatigue and mushy pre-coffee brain, my heart still fluttered rapidly when Tyler appeared at my side. Perhaps coffee wasn't the best thing for my heart rate.
"Hey. TGIF, amirite?" I mumbled, pouring myself a cup of the darkest coffee available, heart rate be damned.
The corners of Tyler's mouth turned up. "You're right. You look like you could use about five shots of espresso."
I grimaced. "Is that a compliment or an insult?"
"Just an observation." Tyler knocked me on the chin gently. "Any plans for the weekend? Going to explore the City of Angels?"
"The only thing I'm going to be exploring is the comforter on my hotel bed," I replied. Tyler's eyes flashed with interest, and I blushed. "Because I'm going to be sleeping. Alone. Nobody else is invited."
"Pity," Tyler said, making my blush more prominent. "Don't worry. You'll get used to the long hours here. I'd advise against wasting your time sleeping instead of exploring though. Experience the town. See a show, go to a vegan cafe, become a Crip."
"I think I’m more of a Blood," I said, making Tyler smile.
"I'm just saying, when I first got here, I don't think I stopped exploring for like four months," Tyler said.
"You and I clearly place different amounts of emphasis on the importance of sleep," I replied. We started walking together to the chairs that were set up so actors could sit between scenes, or crew members like Doug or me could sit while we watched. Tyler pulled a chair up for me, then sat down next to me.
I turned my attention to the gathering crowd. Doug had just arrived, which was the unofficial signal that the day had begun. If you weren't here by the time Doug got there, you were sure to be the victim of a vicious glare, comments on your work ethic, and snarky reminders that the day starts at quarter to seven. Everyone was properly caffeinated now and gathered around for the morning round-up that Doug recited for us every day.
"Man, Brittany's cutting it close," Tyler remarked, checking the clock on his cell phone.
"She probably overslept." We both knew that by overslept, I meant that she was hungover from drinking too much the night before. Brittany was a hard partier, even on the weekdays after working twelve-hour days. She'd been hungover, crabby, and unfocused every day this week.
"Yeah," Tyler agreed, though his tone wasn't very convincing. "I'm sure she'll be here any minute."
We waited another half hour, throughout which Doug harrumphed about time wasters and shirking personal responsibilities. Doug eventually got tired of waiting and sent his assistant Dayna to retrieve Brittany from the hotel. Another hour went by, and by this time, Doug was in a full-blown rage. A harried Dayna finally returned, but she did not have Brittany in tow. I did not envy Dayna the tongue-lashing she was going to get when Doug realized she hadn't succeeded in bringing Brittany to set. She approached Doug with obvious trepidation and whispered something in his ear.
"WHAT?!" he bellowed. He muttered something that I couldn't make out to Dayna and sent her scurrying back out the door of the stage.
I looked at Tyler in alarm, who, in turn, was staring at Doug in alarm. Doug was furiously punching numbers into his cell phone. Everyone was staring expectantly at Doug now, waiting to hear what Brittany had done that had infuriated him.
"Brittany is passed out drunk in her room. I've sent my personal assistant to stay with her until she wakes up. Until then, it looks like we will have to rehearse without her today," Doug announced.
"The scenes we're rehearsing today all have Emmeline in them," Tyler pointed out with a frown. "Am I just supposed to act against nothing?"
Doug thought for a moment, then his eyes slid to me, sitting next to Tyler. "Olivia can do it."
Everyone turned to look at me. "Um, I'm not an actress," I stated the obvious, hating being in the spotlight.
"Yeah, but you said it yourself. No one knows these characters better than you because you created them. Who better to stand in as Emmeline than the woman who made her?" Doug said bracingly.
I looked at Tyler in exasperation, who was staring back at me in contemplation. Tyler shrugged. "He has a point. Besides, it's just a rehearsal. No crowd, no cameras. Just us."
I exhaled quickly. "I'm- I mean- I guess I can do it, but-"
Doug clapped once and sat back down. "That settles it, then. Let's not waste any more of my precious time lollygagging. Tyler, Olivia, start on page thirty-one. Act Two, Scene Three."
I squeaked. This could not be happening to me. Act Two, Scene Three was a love scene that immediately preceded a romantic kidnapping scene. Great. Not only was I going to be humiliated by my terrible acting, but I'd be humiliated by my terrible acting in a love scene.
Tyler took one look at my face and smirked. He leaned in close and whispered into my ear. "Don't worry. We don't actually have to kiss. Unless you want to." He winked at me, and I died a little inside. It was too late to back out now, though, despite my crippling nervousness about doing this scene in front of everyone I worked with.
I followed Tyler to our pre-marked positions, script in hand. In this scene, Emmeline is folding laundry when Rafe stumbles into the maid station. After weeks of pent-up tension and foreplay, Rafe embraces Emmeline for the first time, and it culminates in a night of unbridled passion. Honestly, there wasn't too much speaking in this scene. I wasn't needed. I was going to point this out, but the look on Doug's face when I turned around made me change my mind about saying anything.
I picked up the prop sheet and began folding it, glancing down at my script while I did so. Tyler-as-Rafe sauntered into my workspace as I tried very hard to make this look professional.
"Monsieur Daniels," I said woodenly. I didn't bother attempting a French accent. Everyone here knows I wasn't going to be some fantastic actress all of a sudden.
"Emmeline," Tyler purred. His voice's deep, accented timbre sent a shiver of arousal down my spine straight to my groin, and I swallowed, gripping the sheet tightly. Tyler was very good at acting. I was seduced in one second flat. "Call me Rafe."
Tyler stalked over to me like a cat watching its prey. "That would be most inappropriate, monsieur," I stammered.
Tyler stopped in front of me, so close that I had to lean my head back to look into his face. Tyler's whole demeanor had transformed, from lighthearted and joking to sensual, intense, seductive. He leaned into me, pulling my body flush against his. There was a flash of recognition in his eyes when he realized how aroused I actually was.
"Not as inappropriate as what you do to me, madam," Tyler whispered, his voice hoarse.
I backed away, which was what the script required, but was the exact opposite of what every cell in my body was screaming at me to do- run my fingers through his hair, pull his face down to mine, make love to him on a stack of itchy sheets provided by the prop department, observers be damned. "You forget yourself, sir."
"Do I forget myself, or am I just now discovering my true self?" Tyler continued to stalk me as I moved around the set.
Rafe finally corners Emmeline against a closet, and there's nowhere else for her to flee. I backed myself up against the wall, and Tyler braced his hands on either side of my head, boxing me in. "Sweet Emmeline. You have tempted me for far too long, and I have gone far too long without a woman. I wonder, will you taste as sweet as I've dreamed?"
I swallowed, pinned back by the dark look in Tyler's eyes. I couldn't remember my next line. I was the one who wrote this, why couldn't I remember what I was supposed to say? Tyler shifted closer to me, and my gaze dropped to his lips, which were moving almost imperceptibly. "Why don't you taste and find out?"
What a good idea. My eyes fluttered to his neck, and Tyler nudged me.
"Olivia!" Doug barked, startling me and reminding me of exactly where we were. "Your next line is 'Why don't you taste and find out?' Start from the top and this time, remember your lines, please. You only have ten of them."
I looked at Doug in annoyance, about to remind him that I was not, in fact, an actress. I was helping him out today, and a little gratitude would be nice. We moved back to our original positions, and by the time we got back to the closet door, I remembered my line correctly.
"Why don't you taste and find out?" I whispered.
Tyler's head dipped into the crook of my exposed neck, so close that I could feel his breath tickling the microscopic hairs there. My skin erupted in goosebumps. There was no hiding the physical effect his nearness had on me, and I knew I wasn't the only one feeling it.
"Let's do it again from 'taste as sweet as I've dreamed,' and this time, Tyler, instead of your hands being on the wall, grab Olivia's waist. I want to feel like you're barely restraining yourself from giving into a lust that has been building for weeks," Doug called. Doug was going to get exactly what he wanted if we kept going like this.
We reset again. "Sweet Emmeline. You have tempted me far too long, and I have gone far too long without a woman. I wonder, will you taste as sweet as I've dreamed?" Tyler moved back in front of me, boxing me in again.
"Why don't you taste and find out?" I whispered.
This time, Tyler grabbed me by the hips and hauled me up against him. I gasped involuntarily, and my lips parted, inviting him in. Tyler maintained eye contact with me as he lowered his head into the crook of my neck again. I closed my eyes in anticipation, exhaling sharply as his lips brushed softly against my neck. His tongue darted out slightly, tasting the salt on my skin and making me squirm. Tyler shifted, and I realized with a thrill that he was attempting to hide an erection.
He lifted his head back up, his eyes heavily lidded with lust. "Like honeyed nectar. So sweet, mon amour."
I lifted my hands to encircle his neck, as per the script. "Feast on my nectar, milord."
Lithely, Tyler picked me up and cradled me in his arms. He walked to the chaise longue that was the centerpiece of the bedroom set and gently lowered me until my back hit the cushioned chair. I could've sworn I saw a wink when he lowered himself over me and fingered a lock of my hair that had come undone.
"Okay, we can stop there," Doug called. "Next scene. Paul, Bob, you're up. Great job, Olivia. You want a permanent job?"
"God no," I called from my couch, trying to slow down my racing heart and cool my flushed cheeks.
Tyler jumped off the chaise and extended a hand to me. I was not so gracefully pulled into a standing position, and Tyler's hand lingered on mine for a little longer than was comfortable. We were forced to move to the side as the crew quickly began swapping the sets out. The last four scenes on the schedule today didn't require Emmeline, so I was off the hook for the rest of the day, but Tyler needed to be in every scene except the next one.
I hoped Brittany felt better by Monday because I don't know how much more of being Tyler's scene partner I could take without ripping off my clothes and begging him to take me without giving two damns about all of our co-workers watching. I knew now why cheating was so prevalent in Hollywood. It was impossible to be in this artificially intimate situation without catching real feelings- even if they were just feelings of lust. Tyler was an outstanding actor, and very good at making me feel like he meant those things Rafe was saying. I just need to remember that this is all fake and keep my head straight, not get reality confused with fiction.
Tyler nudged me, startling me from my silent contemplation. "You're a pretty good scene partner. Angling to take Brittany's place?"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right. You, though, you were amazing. You made me believe you wanted to ravage me."
Tyler's eyes darkened, and he tilted his head. His tongue darted out to wet his lips. "Yeah. That's the job." He swallowed and looked at the actors taking their place. "Hey. Do you want to get a drink tonight?"
What was this? "Um. Maybe another time," I said.
Tyler worked quickly to hide the disappointment in his eyes, but I still caught it. "I mean, it's not like you actually want to have a drink with me. You're just trying to be friendly."
"No, I want to have a drink with you," Tyler said softly.
"Excuse me," I said in alarm, standing up. "I have to go to the bathroom."
"Oh. Okay," Tyler said, confused.
I hurried away, and instead of going to the bathroom, I went to my car. I sat inside for a few minutes, banging my head softly on the steering wheel with my eyes shut. Well, if Tyler had wanted to have a drink with me before, he certainly didn't want to now that he knew I was a giant spaz. Or maybe he'd be more interested when he realized I wasn't jumping at the chance to be another notch in his bedpost, even though I really, really wanted to.
I headed back into the soundstage nonchalantly, not acknowledging the fact that I had obviously gone outside instead of going to the bathroom. Tyler looked at me with concern, but I waved away his worry, sitting cross-legged on my chair and taking notes on the rest of the scenes for the day.
I am an idiot.