Chapter 18
Cal
Monty’s kitchen dance lesson had come not a moment too soon. The following day, Cal walked onto the set to film his first ever dance sequence. The scene that they were filming next was the one where Pierre teaches Jack his first dance lesson.
There were aspects to the scene that Cal could easily grasp: his character was suave, calm, professional. He’d played that sort of character before. At this point, it was practically type-casting.
As the sound tech started the music he and Morgan had recorded earlier, Cal tried to remember Monty’s advice: light on the feet, focus on the rhythm, and use the dance steps as an extension of the character.
He could feel the tension throughout the soundstage as everyone watched in hushed anxiety to see how he would do.
He closed his eyes, feeling his magic warming his chest, and spooled it out.
He was nervous enough without worrying about everyone else.
As usual, he felt his own hammering heart slow a little as he focused on others.
And what was becoming almost predictable now, his magic bounced back as soon as it reached Morgan.
The young man was standing nearby with an easy smile on his face. He believed in Cal, even if Cal didn’t.
He took a deep breath as Director King shouted, “Action!”
Cal gave Morgan the detached, condescending smile that Pierre would give. “It’s very simple once you put your mind to it. As easy as walking. Shall we go through the steps again?”
“Can we go through them together?” Jack asked, a little breathless. Morgan was shockingly good at playing his role as the lovestruck student, eager to win the heart of his suave instructor.
Cal’s smile faltered. “Sure we can. You lead me, all right?”
Morgan swallowed and gave a shaky nod.
Cal stepped into the dancer’s hold. Morgan’s hand on his back was sure and steady. Cal looked down into his eyes and was brought back to the night before, dancing in Hilliard’s kitchen. He thought about how bright Morgan’s eyes had been, how pink his cheeks, how wild his smile.
“Cut!” King yelled. “Cal, baby, can you please stick to the script? Do we need Ruth to run lines?”
Cal blinked as the music stopped and he tore his gaze from his co-star’s face. “Not at all. I’m very sorry.”
King humphed disbelievingly but shouted instructions for the playback to start again.
This time, Cal kept his focus, guiding his student through the steps. It was tough, though, because Morgan kept looking up at him with such earnestness, so eager to please his teacher. When they got to the underarm turn, they executed it flawlessly, thanks to Monty’s advice.
They got through an entire take before King halted the action. Mr. Price burst onto the set, practically ebullient in his praise.
“I don’t know what was in your coffee, Mr. Campbell, but that’s the best your dancing has been since we started! Keep it up!”
A makeup assistant hurried over and powdered Cal’s face a little to remove the shine.
Someone else took care of his hair while a costuming assistant straightened the back of his jacket.
He was used to the bustle and flurry that happened while filming.
He asked someone for a glass of water as he straightened his cuffs.
Then he downed the glass in three gulps.
Morgan was receiving his own swirl of people picking at his hair, face, and clothes.
He grimaced a little when the makeup artist squinted close to recomb his eyebrows.
Just as quickly as the crowd appeared, they disappeared.
Cal still felt the buzz of magic they left in their wake, radiating off of his skin in much the same way static does when a balloon is rubbed back and forth in the same spot.
He shook his arms and rolled his shoulders as King called for quiet on the set.
“Feeling better about the dancing, sir?” Morgan asked in a low voice as they got back into position.
“A little,” Cal admitted.
Morgan smiled, bright and brief. “Good. Let’s knock ‘em dead.”
Cal chuckled, feeling lighter than he had in days.
* * *
By the end of the week, Cal’s lightness had reduced significantly. After filming take after take, he was plumb exhausted. Every part of his body was sore. He looked forward to sitting down every chance he got. Most everyone knew to leave him alone when he was sitting in his chair.
On Friday afternoon, Edie and Fred proved that this unspoken rule had not extended beyond the cast and crew of When I’m in Your Arms—or they simply didn’t care.
They both walked straight up to Cal, where he was sitting with his feet propped on a spare set piece, a cooling cloth around his neck.
He looked up warily from his script. Edie was wearing a showgirl costume with a huge feather headdress and a beaded train.
Fred was wearing a mint-colored shirt that Cal definitely remembered buying for himself.
“Yes?”
“We came to see how our favorite musical star was doing,” Edie said.
“He’s exhausted, thank you for asking.”
Fred moved Cal’s feet off the set piece and sat. Cal glared at him. “Had to check on your well-being, didn’t I?” he asked. “What kind of secretary would I be if I left you alone?”
“A good one.”
Fred pulled out his cigarette case.
“No smoking on set,” Cal warned. When Fred ignored him, he turned his attention to Edie. “What’s this really about?”
“I want to make sure you’re coming tonight,” Edie said.
“What is tonight again?” Cal asked Fred.
“Fundraising event. ”
“Damn. I forgot about that.”
“I know. I put a suit out on your bed for you.”
Cal rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “Thanks.”
“You coming too, Mr. Morgan?” Edie asked.
Cal looked up to see Morgan striding off the set towards them. He had his own cooling cloth that he was dabbing the sweat off his face with. “To what?”
“The fundraiser for the Full Plates, Full Hearts Organization. It’s very glamorous,” Edie said. “The studio likes to trot us out every year to prove how charitable they are.”
Morgan’s smile was soft as he took a seat in his own chair. “I didn’t know they donated to stuff like that. We have one back in Atlanta, too. I went to their soup kitchen quite a bit when I first moved there.”
Cal decidedly did not like the idea of Morgan standing in line for a soup kitchen, especially knowing how young the man must have been at the time.
He privately resolved to up his own donation.
He’d been giving a sizable offering every month, thanks to how much he’d needed the support when he first moved to LA.
Now he had another reason to be generous.
“Good,” Fred said. “I’ve already called the event organizer to make sure you two are seated together.”
“Oh, that was nice of you. You didn’t have to do that,” Morgan said, glancing at Cal.
“You’ll be in good hands,” Edie assured him.
Morgan laughed. “I know.”
Edie’s smile was entirely untrustworthy as she exchanged a look with Fred.
To distract himself, Cal turned back to Morgan.
“We’ll be pretty busy this weekend,” he warned.
“We’ve got the fundraiser tonight and tomorrow is Edie’s premiere.
The studio likes to make sure we go to all of each other’s premieres, so no one thinks we hate each other.
I’d go anyway,” he added, “but it helps when the studio provides the car.”
“As if you need that,” Fred muttered.
“And since we’re starring together,” Cal continued, ignoring his secretary, “they’ll want you there, too.”
Morgan nodded. “That sounds fun.”
“Won’t it be just!” Edie said, wrapping an arm around Morgan’s shoulders. “This kid is so sweet, Cal. I don’t know how you don’t get a toothache.”
Cal groaned. “Come on,” he said, getting to his feet. “We need to run lines.”
He rescued Morgan from Edie’s grasp and hurried him to the other side of the building. It was bad enough that he got lost in Morgan’s gaze every time they shot a scene together; the last thing he needed was his best friends poking fun at them and hinting about their good chemistry.
The fact of the matter was, he didn’t need Edie and Fred to point out that he got all moon-eyed over his younger co-star every time the man smiled up at him.
He was plenty aware of it himself. He was pretty sure Morgan felt the same, but it didn’t feel right to do anything about it.
Morgan deserved someone who could be their authentic self.
Cal was no longer sure where he ended and Cal Campbell, the movie star, began.
Morgan needed someone who could match his energy and enthusiasm, not a worn-out actor who didn’t even know how to ask for a vacation.
He sighed and ran a hand over his face.
“You okay, sir?”
“Yeah. Sorry about them. They can be a lot.”
“I don’t mind.” Morgan glanced past Cal’s shoulder at the pair in question. “But if you need a break from conversation, maybe we can run through that lift again.”
Cal was certain that holding Morgan close would not help his current state of concern. But he couldn’t deny that the idea was far too tempting to pass up.
“Great idea.”