Chapter Twelve #2
A guy wearing headphones and carrying a clipboard stands at the end of the hall, waving to Oliver.
He nods and looks at us. “Showtime,” Oliver states.
We head down the hall that leads out to a giant opening onto the studio set.
There’s a stage and cameras all around a room set up like a hotel suite.
It’s a closed set, so regular people cannot get onto the lot and stage without permission.
I don’t know how Oliver was able to persuade them to let us watch, and it’s too early to tell if I’m grateful for it.
My stomach flips as I see the king-size bed set out with pristine white sheets. I think of this morning when Ria and I rolled around on her sheets, and now she’ll be doing it with Danger.
How fucking fantastic!
Not long later, Ria and Danger walk in.
Danger’s shirtless, showing off all his black and gray tattoos, wearing only jeans, as Ria walks in wearing a silk robe.
My heart races, and all I want to do is run to her, but we’re all ushered into a waiting slash viewing area where Tillie and Ryan are already sitting.
The view of the fake hotel room is clear, and I’ll be able to see everything.
I’m not sure if that makes me happy or incredibly nervous.
Danger and Ria are ushered into the hotel suite and over to a fake window. People are talking to them, but we can’t hear anything that’s being said from our positions while everyone fusses and pussyfoots about. Lunar walks over and stands next to me as we both watch our partners chatting.
“You think they’re nervous?” Lunar asks.
I smirk. “Danger, for sure. Ria… not so much. She’s done this sort of thing a hundred times before.”
“You going to be okay watching this?”
“Got no choice, right? It’s for the good of the band.”
Lunar nods and smiles. “You’re a good man, Nate.” I purse my lips and smile. “I know you worry about me. Thank you for that. And I love that you care so much. It can’t have been easy, but I’m glad you’ve found someone. Even if I’m not sure she’s right for you. As long as she makes you happy—”
“She does. I mean, it’s new, really fucking new, but she gets me and has from the second we met.
She’s never once put me down for my flaws and makes me feel like, even though I may not be the smartest guy in the world, she’ll help me in any way I need.
Without question. Without hesitation. She’s so different alone and away from everything.
I wish she’d be that person with you guys. ”
Lunar wraps her arm around my waist, leaning her head on my shoulder. “Hey, if she treats you right, that’s all that matters.”
I look up just in time to see Ria sliding her silk robe off, and I tense up, seeing her in just a black lace bra and panties.
Lunar tightens her arm around my waist and chuckles. “Wow, Nate! Even I have a lady boner.”
“Not helping, Lunar.”
Although I do chuckle, and she smirks, looking up at me.
“Hey, if you’re gonna be her man, this is what she does for a living. I’ve seen her movies. Hell, I’ve seen her on screen, naked. If you’re gonna be with her, you’re gonna have to be okay with this.”
“Shit! Yeah, I know. Guess the first time seeing this is gonna be the hardest.”
“Yeah, I haven’t seen Danger with another woman either. So this shit’s about to get real for me.”
“We can sulk together,” I say.
“Yeah,” Lunar replies, much quieter now.
Ria backs up against the window, and Danger heads over toward the fake door.
Everyone gets into position, and the director calls out, “Action.” The lights dim, then brighten on the stage, making it look like daylight streams in through the window behind Ria as our song starts playing over the studio speakers.
Ria looks beautiful, her hair flowing elegantly over her shoulders, and the light shining through the fake window behind her.
She stands sultrily and looks toward the door.
Danger walks in—no, he struts in—as the words to the song start, but he seems stiff, nervous even.
Usually, he’s fine in our other music videos, but then again, they’re normally just us, no hot women staring at you half-naked.
He mimes the song as he awkwardly struts over toward Ria.
She looks perfect, like she’s besotted with him and completely in love.
You can surely tell who the actress is…
But I hate it.
I wish she looked at me like that.
An ache in my chest forms as Danger continues toward her, and with each step, my heart thumps a little faster as he stalks his prey.
“Cut,” the director calls out.
Danger slumps as Ria rolls her eyes instantly, dropping her sexy pose.
People rush in from all angles to fix her hair, which is absolutely fine.
Other people are talking to Danger, who is nodding, and it appears that he’s taking it all in.
“Why’d they cut?” Lunar asks.
“ ’Cause Danger had a stick up his ass,” Ryan jibes, and Tillie slaps his chest. “Ow, what? It’s true. He was acting weird. All uptight and ridiculous. He’s nervous.”
Lunar purses her lips and nods. “Maybe I should go and talk to him?”
“No!” Ryan and Tillie both say in unison.
“What? Why?”
“You’re the reason he’s nervous,” I say.
Tillie slaps me across the back of my head. “Ow… you’re in a slappy mood today, Tillie.”
“If you say anything further regarding Tillie and the word slapper, I will gut you, Nate,” Ryan says.
Tillie smiles, and Lunar and Matt laugh.
“But really, why’s he nervous? ’Cause of me?” Lunar asks.
“Think about it… could you do this with Danger watching?” Matt queries.
She purses her lips, thinking, then says, “Right. True. So I should go?”
“It’s one of those double-edged sword things. He’s nervous with you here, but if you left, I think he’d be upset and worry that you were upset. Which in turn would make him worse,” Tillie says.
“Mm… yeah, I see what you mean. Urgh, this is so fucked! Whose stupid idea was this?” Lunar asks.
Tillie and Ryan’s heads both snap up, looking at me, and I sigh. “Okay, yeah, it was me, but I didn’t think they’d be all sexy with each other. I thought we’d all be in a convertible driving down a highway, headbanging or something corny like that.”
“To a slow love song?” Tillie asks.
“Well, I didn’t know it would be for this particular song at the time, did I?”
“True!”
“Quiet, please,” someone calls out. We all quiet down and turn back, watching them move into position—Ria by the fake window and Danger by the door.
The music starts again, and Danger seems better this time, still stiff and a little less sex symbol than normal, but an improvement from last time.
He mimes the words as he walks toward Ria.
My heart rate quickens again as I watch him, his body moving to the rhythm of the music.
His eyes finally take on that animalistic look he’s known for, and my lip curls up in annoyance.
Ria grins at him like she loves every perfect inch of his body, which is edging toward her.
He stalks her, reaches her, and his hands move out, placing them on either side of her head, dominantly on the window, as she gazes into his eyes.
Lunar’s hand creeps into mine, and she holds it tight. I squeeze back while she gives me a sideways look.
Danger continues to mime the lyrics, and Ria mock laughs, and fuck if it isn’t the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
She runs her hand up Danger’s back, pulling him closer to her.
He’s still miming the words to the song as he moves in, running his nose up along her neck.
Ria’s eyes close, looking like she’s fucking loving it.
I squeeze Lunar’s hand tighter, and she gasps, leaning into my side.
“Nate, you’re gonna make my hand fall off,” she whispers.
I look down to see her hand, bright white, and mine, bright red.
“Shit!” I let go immediately and shake my head. “Sorry. Are you okay?” I whisper.
She nods. “Are you?”
I look back up just in time to see Danger pull back from Ria and look into her eyes, mouthing the lyrics to “I’ll Take Your Breath Away.” Her hand comes up to his cheek to caress it, and I shift my body. I am completely uncomfortable watching the scene play out.
Sure, I’ve only known her for a short time, but in that short time, she’s understood me more than most people have my whole life, and here she is, getting cozy with my lead singer, with my bandmate, with my friend.
It’s weird.
It’s like watching your new girlfriend cheating on you, but with your permission.
It’s fucked!
In all kinds of ways.
“Cut,” the director calls out again.
I sink into myself thinking, thank fuck, that’s over.
Danger pulls back dramatically as if Ria is diseased or something.
“Jesus Christ,” Lunar murmurs under her breath.
I look at her and exhale dramatically.
“You two okay?” Oliver asks.
“Mm-hmm,” we both murmur as he looks between the two of us.
“Okay. I’m going to check on Danger. You guys behave yourselves. Tillie, you’re in charge.”
“Yes, boss,” she says, fake saluting him as he walks off.
Matt looks at me and tilts his head. “You good?”
I nod and exhale. “Yeah, as long as I don’t have to watch that again.”
“Have you read the script, Nate?” Tillie asks.
“No, why?”
Ryan, Matt, and Tillie wince.
Lunar grabs my hand again. “Nate, man, it gets worse… lots worse.”
“Great, did you know?” I ask Lunar.
She nods. “Yeah, Danger had me approve everything before he agreed to do it.”
“Shit! I didn’t think about it ’cause we weren’t a thing until yesterday, and then I didn’t want to know about what I was going to be seeing. But now, standing here, maybe being forewarned would have been better?”
“Probably, yeah. See, I knew what would happen in the scenes, so I’m not surprised by any of it. Maybe sit down with Zaria tonight and go over the script for tomorrow, so you know? Can’t say it doesn’t make me squirm anyway, but having some knowledge is helping a bit.”
“Yeah, might just do that.”
“Quiet, please,” someone calls out, and we all turn to see Danger and Ria in the same starting positions as before.