Chapter 23 Cynthie #2
“Wait,” Jack says at the same time as I murmur, “What?”
“We’d like to sell the idea that the two of you are a real-life couple,” Lorna finally spits out, her smile never faltering. The teeth are starting to look a bit menacing now.
“Ha!” I exclaim, the sound reverberating around the near-empty room.
Lorna grimaces. “Now, I know how that sounds,” she adds hastily, “but it’s actually incredibly common practice.
There’s nothing untoward about it. We simply plant a couple of stories; you do a handful of photo ops, and with a tiny bit of suggestion we let the narrative spin itself.
This kind of thing goes down great with the sort of fans who are our target demographic here.
The movie is testing insanely well with young women aged sixteen to twenty-four, and we think they’d be very likely to invest in an off-screen romance between the two of you. ”
“There is absolutely no way,” Jack says, flatly, and even though I was going to say the same thing, I am enraged by his casual dismissal.
“Oh, of course not,” I snort. “The great Jack Turner-Jones wouldn’t be caught dead with a girl like me.”
He turns to me, wide-eyed. “Are you saying you want to take part in this insanity?”
“No!” I exclaim, noticing he doesn’t deny my accusation. “Obviously not. I’m just saying that Lorna is the expert here, and we shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss her ideas.”
“That’s such a great attitude, Cynthie,” Lorna praises me, and I feel a bit guilty because I only said it to piss Jack off.
He obviously knows that because he treats me to one of his classic sneers. “Oh yes, Cynthie. Great attitude. Never mind that the two of us can barely be in the same room without wanting to murder each other.” He freezes, like he suddenly realizes we’re not alone.
My eyes shift to Jasmine and Logan. We’ve never talked about our dislike of each other openly before. I guess now that filming is over the gloves are off.
“Hey.” Logan holds his hands up in mock surrender. “Don’t look at us.”
“But if that was supposed to be a secret,” Jasmine puts in, drily, “then I have to tell you, you’re not quite the actors you think you are.”
I absorb this for a moment. It’s just another crime to lay at Jack’s feet as far as I’m concerned: he’s made me look unprofessional in front of a woman I deeply respect. And also her brother, who is sort of okay.
“Fine,” I grind out. “If that’s the case, then it should be clear to everyone involved why this is such a terrible idea.”
“Not at all,” Jasmine pipes up, surprising me. “I have every faith that you and Jack can hold it together for the duration of a press junket. The film comes out in four weeks, so we’re not talking a long-term commitment, just the odd appearance together over the next few months.”
“I told you from the beginning,” Logan interjects. “Sex sells, guys. You should be flattered… You really did manage to make Regency England feel hot. People are picking up what you’re putting down.”
I look from Logan to Jasmine. “ Really? ” I ask her, brows raised.
“He’s not wrong,” Jasmine says firmly. “Even if he sounds like he should be. And, look…” Here she blows out a slow breath.
“The film is good. Better than it has any right to be on the budget and schedule we had to work with. It could be a big break for all four of us, so if this is what the studio thinks will help, then I say, do it. It’s not like they’re asking you to sell an organ on the black market.
This is just doing what you spent seven weeks doing on set…
pretending that you’re in love with each other in front of the cameras. ”
Jack and I eye each other warily.
“The organ thing sounds preferable,” he mutters, but there’s less heat in it now.
“No one wants your organ, Jack,” I snap back, and then, realizing how that sounds, I have to force myself to sit very still rather than squirm with embarrassment.
Jack sends me a withering look.
“So,” Lorna says breezily. “Feel free to pull agents and managers into the conversation too if you want, but please keep the circle tight… We want this to seem as real as possible. I think you’ll find everyone will agree this is a small price to pay for the sort of exposure we might pick up.
” She clasps her hands together. “And if you are on board, we’ll start work straightaway to lay the groundwork ahead of the press tour and premiere. Okay?”
“Okay,” Jack and I both mumble, careful not to make eye contact.
“Why don’t we…” Logan gestures to the door and looks at Lorna and Jasmine.
“Right, right.” Lorna nods. “You guys talk it over.”
Apparently Lorna and her giant smile have decided to ignore the news that Jack and I can’t stand each other. I suppose from her perspective, it doesn’t really matter… as long as we agree to her plan.
I don’t want to be left alone with Jack, but given what has just happened, it’s only going to make me look bad if I run screaming from his presence. Time to locate some poise.
After the others have gone, we sit in silence for so long that it becomes clear we’re locked in some sort of stand-off.
“Well,” I say, finally, giving in because it’s getting so ridiculous. “Just when we thought we were done with each other.”
Jack groans and leans forward in his chair, elbows braced on his knees, head in his hands.
“Is all this really necessary?” I make sure I sound bored, as I wave my hand in front of him.
“Like Jasmine says, it’s no different from what they’ve already asked us to do.
It’s only for a few weeks.” I get to my feet and stand in front of him, arms crossed.
“I know it’s a terrible hardship for you to be forced to pretend you like me—and the feeling is mutual—but after everything Jasmine’s done for me, I’ll basically do anything she asks. ”
This is true. Despite Jasmine’s insistence that she’s my director and not my friend or mentor, I crave her approval like a drug.
I don’t need the intervention of a professional to understand this probably has something to do with my mother, but whatever.
Wanting to impress Jasmine made me work harder and better, so I’m leaning in to the dysfunction.
I force myself to look at Jack now. I still can’t work out if I want to murder him or straddle him and smash our mouths together. I don’t understand how these two instincts can feel so close to one another.
Jack lifts his head at this, and daggers me with a glare that I think means the feeling is mutual. Getting stiffly to his feet, he looms over me.
“Six months,” he mutters almost under his breath. “It’s been six months. Why does it still feel like this?” For a moment he sounds bemused.
“I don’t know,” I admit, angrily. I reach up and place the palms of my hands against his chest. I can feel his heart hammering, the beat of it ricocheting through my whole body. I don’t know if I’m going to push him away or pull him closer.
Jack makes the decision for me when he steps back. My hands fall back to my sides.
“Fine,” he snaps. “If you want to carry on pretending nothing happened and put us through this, then so be it.”
“ Me pretend nothing happened?” I choke. “Hi, pot, have you met kettle?”
Something flares in his gaze, but whatever it is, he shuts it down almost instantly.
“What the fuck else am I supposed to do?” he says the words quietly, stepping even closer into my space.
“Weeks of silence on set, months of silence afterward, and now you think it’s a great idea for the two of us to pretend to other people that we’re in love?
I don’t understand you. What do you want , Cynthie? Because I haven’t got a fucking clue.”
Neither do I , I want to scream. I’m supposed to be concentrating on my career.
This is the biggest moment of my life. Everything is about to change.
Apparently, I’m about to uproot my whole life and move to another country.
And when I’m around Jack I’m unable to think .
It’s dangerous; it makes me feel vulnerable and out of control. I’m so confused.
Why is he even asking what I want? Like it matters, like he cares. Nothing he’s said or done has made me think that he finds the attraction between us anything other than a huge inconvenience. Surely ignoring it is the only solution, when acting on it only made things worse.
He looks at me like he’s waiting for something. There’s an emotion in his eyes that I tell myself I can’t read, but it makes me feel even more unsteady.
“I want the film to be a success,” I say, finally, because it’s the only truth I can hold on to with both hands. “I want to do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
He lets out a huff that is part laugh, part something else. I think I’m waiting for him to touch me, but he doesn’t, only clenches his fists at his side.
“And you’re the one…” I manage, defiant. “You’re the one who said we needed to be professional. You’re the one who said what happened was a mistake.”
“No,” he snaps. “ You are. You said that.”
“And you agreed!” I feel on the edge of tears again.
His eyes bore into mine, and it feels like the ground tilts beneath me.
“We need to shut it all down. Whatever this is.” He gestures between the two of us with his hand. “It’s obviously not headed anywhere good.” Without another word he turns and leaves the room.
I stand frozen in front of the now-blank cinema screen and wonder why it feels like I’ve just lost something I never had.