Page 25 of Baby Love

Chapter Ten: Park

In the middle of the night, I’m awakened by a crash of thunder. It’s the rainy season, so we’ve been having quite a few bad storms, although they don’t normally last long. I can’t help but think of Spin and wonder if his sister is at home with him or if she’s at the dorm and he’s alone. Reaching for my phone, I send him a text.

U awake?

His reply is immediate.

Yes. Why are you awake?

The thunder woke me up.

I pause a minute, thinking, before tapping out another text.

Are you okay?

I don’t like storms.

I kind of got that from the way you crawled into my bed during the last one.

I spend the next few minutes chewing on my thumbnail while I wait for his reply, and when it doesn’t come, I get up to go to the bathroom. A notification pings when I’m washing my hands, and I race back to the bed where I left my phone.

I wish I were there now.

I have to read Spin’s text three times before I can think properly. Of course, I know what he means, but my brain insists on construing it the other way—that Spin wants to be in my bed, with me, for reasons other than fear. And why the fuck am I even thinking about that? Have a few kisses in rehearsal shifted my mindset so much that I’m now thinking differently about my ship partner?

No. I’ve done NC scenes with other actors and never felt whatever it is I’m feeling right now, which is a combination of protectiveness and arousal that makes me uncomfortable because this is my coworker I’m thinking about.

Another huge crack of thunder jolts me out of my thoughts. Quickly, I send one more text.

Goodnight. Hope you can sleep.

But I can’t sleep. I keep tossing and turning and thinking about Spin being afraid because the storm continues to rage outside, and, dammit, I never asked Spin if his sister was home with him.

I wind up making some hot tea and sitting in front of the window in my living room, watching the wind thrash through the trees in my front yard.

What is it about Spin that’s so different?

He’s both new to the business and younger than I am, which makes me responsible for him.

He’s cute, which I noticed when we first met. Back then, I didn’t let myself admit that I liked boys as well as girls. I knew he was special, though. But it was right after the play ended that my parents were killed and I took on responsibility for Anya and my free-time disappeared, so there was no time to explore that budding attraction.

Maybe it’s a good thing I feel this way. He’s my partner, and if we’re going to make our ship successful, we have to have a certain amount of chemistry. That’s what I hope will make this work when my past partnerships haven’t.

So, I’m just going to stop worrying about it and go with it. I’ve seen plenty of actors get close to their ship partners, do multiple bl’s with them, and then move on.

I can do it, too.

Spin seems a little weirded out by the spa treatment.

“I’ve never been to a place like this before,” he tells me as the attendant settles a mask over his face. Mine smells like kaffir lime and jasmine and is supposedly sucking all the impurities out of my skin.

“You’ll get used to it,” I assure him. “We always have a full treatment before a series. They want us to look our best for the close-ups.”

Spin jolts when the attendant begins working on his feet, and I can’t help but chuckle.

Two hours later, our hair is cut, nails are buffed, skin’s rejuvenated, and bodies are relaxed from deep massages. The SPPT SUV picks us up to take us to the park because they don’t trust us to get there on time. When we climb out, SPPT staff escort us to the makeup tent where Pear does my makeup while another girl works with Spin.

“Are you getting enough sleep, P’Park?” Pear asks me.

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