Chapter XVIII
XVIII
Ana
The fluorescent overhead lighting has been left off in favor of lamps to make my trailer feel “warmer,” and Levi and I are sitting, thighs touching and hands held, feeling more on display than we’ve ever been, while we wait for Monica Frank from People to get mic’d up for the video that will accompany the story.
I withdraw my hand from his to drape it over his thigh, my fingers skating across the inseam of his pants. It’s a comforting, not sexual, gesture, but still he pulls in a sharp inhale.
“Hey.” Lips next to his ear, I plant a kiss on his skin before whispering, “We’ve got this.
Just be yourself. Everyone loves you. Once we’re finished, we’ll get out of here and do something fun.
” His eyes meet mine, and they’re soft, a bit timid.
Shards of light brown and green reflect the artificial light.
I know he’s more nervous than he would have been if his sister hadn’t just, in a case of absolute shit timing, taken to the internet to throw him under the bus.
He covers my hand with his.
“This . . .” He gestures vaguely around the room as a producer tests for shadows on Monica’s face. “This isn’t normal for me.”
Despite our initial plan to be coy with the press, my publicist, Marie, was all too pleased when this opportunity came across her desk, and his agent—accustomed to dealing with media for stunt doubles only when something goes wrong, I’d guess—was elated to conspire with her to make this happen.
It would’ve been great for Levi to start with a smaller outlet to get his bearings and shake off some of the nerves. Alas.
“We’re ready!” Monica drops onto a stool directly across from us. “So, we’re hoping to keep this casual—chat back and forth, talk about the movie, your relationship, what’s next, all that good stuff. The interview will be edited and condensed into a two-page print spread and digital feature.”
“Understood.” I toss a section of hair behind my shoulder.
“Let’s start with Athena’s War. Ana, this is your first lead role in an action film, and Levi, this is your first full-length film credit. How are you both feeling?”
“Excited. Grateful. Proud.” I jump in. “This movie is special—and not just because of what it’s meant for the both of us.
” I turn to meet his gaze for a brief moment.
“It’s a story about being uniquely qualified for the task ahead of you and claiming it boldly.
Most action films prioritize male dominance, and the female lead—if there is one—shows up in a skintight outfit and exists solely to support the male lead. ”
She nods with understanding as I continue.
“In Athena’s War, my character is a visionary—a woman who is both goddess of warfare and keeper of order.
She represents wisdom and strategy—traits we often ascribe to men—but also historically feminine pursuits like weaving.
She’s a woman as complex as any of us, and I’m excited about the impact this will have on audiences who haven’t seen that reflected in a movie like this before. ”
“An action movie is outside of your usual repertoire. Most of us know you for projects like Timmy Gray’s pre-Gatsby comedies and rom-coms, like Made from Scratch,” Monica says.
“It is new for me, but a role like this is something I’ve been working toward for years. Levi has too.” His palm squeezes mine, and I squeeze back, an attempt to pass the figurative baton.
“Absolutely.” He sits up a little taller. “I’m new to films of this scale, but I’ve been building up to this for the last six years. If you count doing tricks in my backyard as a kid, a lot longer.”
He grins, but as Monica’s eyes flash with interest, the color drains from Levi’s face. He’s one sentence in and has opened the door to a topic he wants to avoid.
She knows it too. “Your childhood, based on what I’ve read, seemed rather idyllic.”
“Well, there’s a lot to be said for growing up in a small town and learning the value of hard work and manual labor.”
“When did things begin to fracture with your family? When you took this job? Or were cracks showing before?”
“I’m not here to talk about that.”
My face wants to twist into a grimace at how he shut down the question—he sounded defensive—but I can’t let it.
Instead, I squeeze his thigh and add a cheerful lilt to my voice.
“What I see in Levi is a man who’s committed to achieving his goals.
We’re similar in that way. I’m so grateful to our wonderful director, Francesca Stella, for seeing this trait in both of us when it came time for final casting. ”
“And of course, Levi’s resemblance to Colt Haggerty must’ve been a key part of the decision,” Monica says as she angles her body toward me and drapes a hand over her knee, like we’re all sharing a secret. “This resemblance got you in trouble before filming had even started.”
I keep my smile soft and my voice upbeat, but my blood is boiling. “It’s an interesting phrase, ‘Got you in trouble.’ Something was reported that was untrue, but that’s nothing new. I’m not dwelling on it.”
My words are emphatic, definitive. My intention is to give her nothing, to shut down the line of questioning.
“My issue,” Levi says, and my heartbeat picks up. Oh, God, please no. “Is that only Ana, quote, got in trouble. She was the one reduced to her looks in all the coverage. She’s the one who gets blamed when a rumor like that surfaces.”
My fingers dig into the flesh of his thigh, willing him to stop talking before his words get twisted around and spit out in print with a different meaning.
Ignoring my plea, he continues. “Listen, this sort of reporting—there’s a double standard.”
“You mean how the vitriol came down on Ana and not Colt, in this instance?”
No. No, no, no. Don’t answer that.
“Exactly.”
Cold air rushes through my nostrils as I inhale a centering breath.
Monica nods, and her eyes bore into mine, waiting for a response, but I wait her out.
“Your relationship went public after this. What’s it been like since?”
Levi turns toward me and runs a thumb over the back of my hand. The comfort of it brings me back down into my body. “It’s been a privilege to get to know a side of Ana the public doesn’t see.”
He’s right—he knows me and sees me like so few people do. Like maybe no one else does. But that’s a gift I’ve given him, and it’s one I’m not giving to People. They don’t deserve my vulnerability.
Monica turns her attention to me, waiting for my response to her question.
I inhale and refocus. “For all the moments we’ve been in front of cameras—both on set and off—we’ve also had plenty of time to ourselves.
Filming on location has given us opportunities to connect away from the fishbowl that is Los Angeles. There’s something special about that.”
“Would you say it’s getting serious between you?”
“No, there’s no rush to put a label on this,” I reply. I feel the heat of Levi’s gaze on my face but don’t turn toward him. “We’re just having fun and enjoying each other’s company.”
The pulse in his wrist picks up at the phrase having fun. His hand flexes under mine.
Telling this reporter is one thing, but is that what we’re doing here? Yes and no. I know there’s more to it than that, and judging by the way his body responded, he does too.
“And after Athena’s War, what’s next for you both?”
Levi jumps in. “My hope is to have a long career in stunt work, but for now, all my focus is on Athena’s War. Thinking beyond that would be a distraction.”
Even though I know what he’s saying is true, and even though I downplayed our relationship—or whatever this is—less than a minute before, his words still twist in my gut.
“What about you, Ana? What’s next?”
I hope my face, with a soft smile that feels plastered on, doesn’t betray me as I answer. “I’ll echo Levi—my focus is on doing my best work on this film, giving it the attention it deserves at release, and enjoying myself in the process, both professionally”—I turn to face him—“and personally.”
Monica returns my smile as she turns off her mic. As I count down to when I can call Emily to start damage control for this disaster of an interview.