“And what about the scripts?” I asked point blank.
“Well…” Dante’s eyes shifted away from mine. “I want you to do intimacy tests. With both girls. Next week.”
“I don’t need them,” I said, keeping my tone even. “Look, I’m going to be real with you—”
“It’s obvious you’ve got a thing for Evie. I get it. She’s fucking hot, and you were friends back in the day. But with the money these execs are shoveling out for this movie, I have to make sure everything is perfect. I can’t pick a script until I know who has more chemistry with you.”
I bit my tongue. We had been more than friends.
I left his trailer pissed and with a list of things to go through before next week. There would be three days—one for Skye, one for Evie, and the last for callbacks if they weren’t entirely sold on one particular woman. That third day wouldn’t be necessary. They were going to see that it had to be Evie and me on day one.
Skye was plenty nice, and in a different scenario, I would have no problem playing opposite her. She’d made her desire for the role clear on ourdate. Getting the role of my love interest was all she talked about.
“We’ll look so cute together on screen!”
When I’d escorted her to her room that night after Evie basically pushed me from the elevator, I’d politely explained that the flowers had been for Evie and that I’d be campaigning for her to get the part because we had history. She’d seemed a bit hurt, but otherwise okay. I couldn’t blame her, though. Who wouldn’t want the lead in the biggest horror movie of the year?
The weekend came and went, and my anxiety over the intimacy tests had taken over my brain. Instead of my usual party schedule, I worked out and sat at home.
Waiting for Evie to call.
She had my number. It was killing me not reaching out to her, but I’d already overdone it at the table read. If I pushed my luck, she’d run even harder into Glenn’s arms, and I might never see her again.
Alive, anyway.
I silently begged for a call, a text, or for her to just show up at my house. Something, anything, to acknowledge my existence. But there was nothing.
Monday came, and I was the first one on set. It was Ronny’s bedroom fromSimon Says Five, with some minor changes for the new movie.
Dante arrived shortly after, with the intimacy coordinator.
“Kate is going to be helping with everything. But if you and Skye want to talk privately first, that’s fine too. She should be here any minute.” He looked around.
My heart sank. I’d hoped to be with Evie today.
“Did you read my notes and directions?” he asked.
“I did.”
The scene was pretty hot, even I could admit. From an artist’s standpoint, I admired Dante’s vision. I thought it would be good if done right—with the right people. He walked over to the fake door.
“You’ll start here, bringing her inside, kissing her, frantic to be with her. You’ll fall to the bed, clothes will come off, and that’s where yourbigreveal happens.” He smirked at the pun.
I rolled my eyes.
“Then it’ll just be whatever you and your scene partner want to do. Today we’ll play around with different positions and angles. We want to make sure you’re comfortable with each other before we go into filming.”
Dante stepped away to speak to someone else as a costume designer came in with two satin robes. One maroon, one powder blue. “Here’s yours.”
Dante, who’d been talking on the other side of the room with Kate, paused to look at me.
“Go get undressed and come back to set,” he called from across the room.
I did as told, and when I returned, Skye was there in her blue robe.
“Hey, Seb!” she greeted me warmly.
“Hey.”
