CHAPTER 9
Cameron
“We can still cancel,” Kennedy suggested.
“No, we can’t. We’re, like, two minutes away.”
“So? The cameras aren’t on us yet. But the moment we get out of this car, they will be.”
“Are you really suggesting that we cancel on the couple that we hand-picked to somehow magically help us with our image?”
“No.” Kennedy sighed loudly in the back of the town car. “I just don’t want to do this, Cam. I’ve been going back and forth ever since Jessie came up with the idea.”
“I know. Me too. But even if we think running away to the Bahamas or something for a while will help, neither of us would be happy with that. We want to work. We’re both workaholics who are miserable when we’re not working. I mean, we can take a break between movies, but not much longer than that.”
“I was thinking about Italy.”
“What about it?” she asked.
“Do you remember the premiere?”
Cameron smiled at the memory and said, “I remember the pizza at the restaurant. Best I’ve ever had.”
“You remember the pizza? I am deeply offended.”
Cameron laughed and said, “I remember the really good sex, too.”
“That’s what I thought.” Kennedy winked at her. “We could maybe go back.”
“To Rome?”
“I was thinking Florence. Just renting a place and being there for a while. We can read scripts or something.”
Cameron thought about that idea. Part of her would love a trip to Florence with no end date planned.
She could picture them making love all over some romantic villa overlooking a vineyard, drinking amazing wine, and reading books, not scripts.
The other part of her knew that that wouldn’t end up being reality.
What would actually happen is that they’d arrive, Kennedy would complain about the Wi-Fi, she would complain about the lack of AC, and they would drink wine, yes, but it wouldn’t lead to or be part of the lovemaking.
In fact, she could see Kennedy reading scripts and complaining about not getting parts while Cameron tried to watch Italian television in an attempt to drown out the complaints with a foreign language.
She could see them fighting over both of them being bored, not having the kinds of food that they liked, and probably taking walks alone around that vineyard because they wouldn’t want to be in the same room with each other.
“Maybe. Let’s just get through this weekend first,” she suggested, trying to push those negative thoughts out of her mind.
“Well, ready to pretend we’re a perfect couple who only fought that one time, repenting by helping a charity for kids?” Kennedy asked.
That caught Cameron off guard, and she turned a little toward her girlfriend, wondering where that had come from.
“Damn, Kennedy.”
“What?”
“Pretend we’re a perfect couple?”
“It was a joke.”
“We used to be a perfect couple,” Cameron said.
“There’s no such thing as a perfect couple, Cam. Come on.”
“We’re about to walk into a house where there will be a bunch of cameras on us, and you had to say that? Make me feel like this is all a show?”
“Isn’t it?”
“Are we no longer in a relationship, and you just didn’t tell me?”
“What?” Kennedy turned to her as much as her seat belt would allow. “That’s not what I said.”
“You said pretending.”
“To be a perfect couple that’s only fought that one time very publicly, which got us here, Cameron, where we’re trying to rebuild our reputation as a couple so that we might actually get parts again.
I mean, people think you threw a glass at me and that I almost hit you.
Studios won’t touch us with ten-foot poles right now. We’re here to fix that.”
“Are we also here to fix us?” she asked.
“What?”
“Kennedy, we haven’t been good for a while.
You know it, and I know it, but we don’t ever talk about it.
We dance around it. We fight about anything but it, but we don’t talk about it.
Is this not for real? I know there will be cameras and some other couple, but I stupidly thought that you would be in this with me. ”
“In this show?” Kennedy tossed back. “I thought you understood that that’s what this whole thing is – it’s a show. It’s for work, Cam.”
“But can’t it also be real?”
“It is real. It’s happening.”
“Not if you’re only smiling for the cameras and the moment we’re behind closed doors, you’re ignoring me and falling asleep like I’m not next to you.”
“Hey, you do that, too. Hell, you did that last night.”
“I know. I’m not saying that I’m blameless here. I’m saying there’s a real problem, and we need to talk about it.”
“And now is that time? When we’re about to be on camera? Hell, we’re supposed to be a couple in love, Cameron.”
Cameron swallowed and asked, “Are we not?” She then looked out the window behind Kennedy’s head. “Kennedy, are we not a couple in love anymore?”
The town car stopped, and she turned to see that they were in front of a giant house, and there were two cameras, held by the camera people whom Jessie had hired, waiting for them to get out.
“Let’s just pause this conversation until after we get back home, okay?
I don’t think we should even talk about it in the bedrooms. I know Jessie wouldn’t use any of it, obviously, but if someone overhears and decides to risk breaking their NDA, we’ll be worse off than we are now.
I’m not worried about Ray here. He’s heard us say worse things and hasn’t ever told a soul. Right, Ray?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” their driver, who’d been with Kennedy for well over a decade, replied.
“Thanks, Ray,” Cameron said.
“No problem, Ma’am.”
The car door opened then, and Jessie stood there with a smile on her face.
“Okay. So, we’re not filming yet. I’d like to get a shot of you two coming out of the car, but smiling. God, what is going on? You both look like you ate bad fish or something.”
“We’re fine,” Kennedy lied.
“You want a shot of us getting out of the car?” Cameron asked.
“Yes. We already got the car pulling up, so we’ll just close the door, and I’ll open it for you and move out of the way. Cam, when you get out, remember to turn and offer Kennedy your hand. Kennedy, look like you skipped that bad fish and smile at your girlfriend.”
“No problem,” Kennedy said.
“Good. Then, walk up the stairs. And, Cam, open the door. I’ve got another camera in there, so let’s get your real initial reactions to the house.”
“Is the other couple here?” Kennedy asked.
“No, we staggered you so we could get both entrances. I have marks on the floor I want you to hit. Take the tour, so to speak, and follow the tape arrows. Entry way to the living room, to dining room, to kitchen. Then, you’ll step outside and look at the water.
Cameron, I want you to pull her into your arms as you look out from the balcony, okay?
You two should also say a few things. The place is beautiful, you’re glad you did this, or something like that.
Then, walk down to the French doors. That’s your room.
Open it, check out the bedroom, and then, we’ll cut. ”
“Damn, Jessie… This was supposed to be no pressure and low-key,” she noted and turned to Kennedy, who seemed unaffected.
“I’d like to get it all in one take, if we can, so that it’s much easier to edit and we can get this out faster.”
“It’s fine. We’re professionals. Close the door and yell action. We’ll get it in one,” Kennedy offered.
“Great,” Jessie replied with a fake smile and closed the door.
“Professionals,” Cameron whispered as she faced forward.
“Come on, Cam. Let’s just do this. We can argue later.”
“Whatever you want, babe,” she said. “Are you ready?”
“I’m ready.”
“Action,” Jessie said loudly so that she could be heard through the closed door, which was then opened for them.
“Oh, wow. Nice!” Cameron exclaimed when she got out of the car and held her hand out for Kennedy like she’d done thousands of times without thinking.
“Yeah,” Kennedy echoed when she got out as well and stood next to Cameron, entwining their fingers.
“Want to check it out before the other couple gets here?” Cameron asked, putting on the best smile she had, trying to remember how her smile must have looked years ago when they’d been happy and attempting to recreate it.
“Why? Want to claim the best bedroom or something?” Kennedy teased, resting her head on her shoulder. “Just like you, Cam.”
Cameron tried not to let her face show that Kennedy’s comment was an odd one, so she pretended to laugh and said, “I’m sure all the rooms here are great. Let’s take a look.”
Both of them were entirely used to cameras following them, so they didn’t give a look at any of them as they walked by. Cameron followed her blocking instructions and pushed the door open, averting her gaze from the camera Jessie had positioned right there.
“Nice,” she repeated because she couldn’t think of any other word to use.
And the house did look nice, but it wasn’t any nicer than their own.
She supposed she needed to pretend that it was, so she put her head on a swivel, squeezed Kennedy’s hand, hoping the camera guy picked that up, and followed the yellow-tape arrows on the hardwood floor into the expansive living room with vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows that showed nothing but the water.
“Beautiful,” Kennedy added, and Cameron recognized that as her fake voice that she had given her a few times over the years when she hadn’t liked the gifts Cameron had given her for one holiday or another. “Cam, baby? Want to check out the deck out there? We can see the water. You can hold me.”
Cameron looked over at Jessie, who motioned for Cameron to continue.
“Sure. We should go through the kitchen, though.”
“Oh, right. The kitchen,” Kennedy replied.
“Okay, cut,” Cameron said and ran a hand through her hair.
“Cam, you’re going to make your hair look different and mess up continuity,” Jessie argued.
“I need a minute with Kennedy,” she stated.
“We’ll have to do the whole thing all over again.”
“No, you don’t. Use what you have so far, and we’ll do the balcony. It’s not like you’re going to use the stuff in the kitchen anyway. Just give us a minute, Jessie.”
“Fine. Can you all take five, please?” Jessie nodded to the cameraman, who all angled their cameras down. Then, she walked over to them and softly said, “This isn’t off to a great start. What is going on here?”
“Kennedy, it’s like you’ve never acted before,” Cameron stated. “You’re being a little over the top.”
“Me? You said, “Wow,” when you got out of the car.”
“That was genuine,” she retorted.
“Okay, okay. I get it. This is a lot. But I really need you two to get it together, or this whole thing was a waste of time and money. The couple is arriving here in about ten minutes, so you’re either putting your game faces on by then, or we’re all screwed,” Jessie ordered. “Understood?”
“Understood,” Kennedy and Cameron said at the same time.
“Good. Now, get it together already,” Jessie commanded in a whisper.
“Just give me a second,” Kennedy said before she let go of Cameron’s hand and walked off in the direction of the yellow arrows.
“Go get her, Cam,” Jessie told her.
Cameron shook her head and followed her girlfriend.
“What is it?” she asked Kennedy when she arrived in the kitchen to find her helping herself to a glass of what looked to be bourbon. “You don’t drink that stuff.”
“Yeah, well…” Kennedy exhaled and downed it. “It’s here. It’s gross, but it’s here. How do people drink this stuff?”
Cameron took the bottle from her when Kennedy went to pour herself another glass.
“I think you should slow down there. The other couple is about to arrive.”
“I know; show time.” Kennedy gave her a fake smile. “This was a mistake, wasn’t it?”
“Not if we pull it off,” she reminded.
“Not for the stupid reputation stuff. I’m talking about for our relationship, Cam.”
Cameron rubbed her hands over her face and replied, “You just got done telling me this was all for show, pretend, and not at all about our relationship. What are you saying now, Ken? I’m having a hard time keeping up here.”
“Are we still in love, Cameron?” Kennedy asked softly.
“Is this whole thing this weekend going to be for something, or is it all going to be for nothing anyway? We haven’t touched each other in months, and we used to go at it all the time.
I think the whole first year we were together, we had sex literally several times a day. ”
“We did, yeah,” she said.
“And now, we don’t even kiss each other.
I was thinking about that when we were in that doorway just now.
We’re about to walk out onto that deck or balcony, whatever it’s called, where you’re going to hold me, and I know we need to kiss to really sell it, but that made me so sad because I knew I’d be kissing you to sell something and not because… ”
“You really want to kiss me?” Cameron finished her sentence and looked down at the empty glass.
“How did we get here?” Kennedy asked. “I love you.”
“I know. I love you, too,” she replied.
“Is that enough? Can it be?”
“We have to get through this weekend, Kennedy. We have no choice. We signed a contract with the charity, and I don’t want to screw some kids over because we didn’t meet our obligations, so I think you were right earlier.”
“About what?”
“We need to do this and deal with the rest later.”
“The rest being our entire relationship?”
“Maybe. But we can’t think about it now. Let’s just try to pretend like it’s four years ago, and we’re in that stage of our relationship again. Maybe that’ll help when we get home. It’ll remind us of what we had and help us try to get it back.”
“Okay,” Kennedy replied. “But can we skip the kiss for show out there? Hold me, but no fake kisses.”
“Only real ones?” she asked.
Kennedy nodded and said, “Only real things this weekend. Will you hold me like you want to out there?”
Cameron nodded back and gave her a soft smile before she leaned in and kissed Kennedy on the forehead.
“Yes.”