Page 8 of Off Script

“Hey, guys . . . how’s it going?” Tristan asked.

“Peachy,” Ren said, his brow tight with consternation. “We’re picking up with Claire and Diego asking for Lana’s help with the locket.”

Now outfitted in a white lab coat, Jada would switch gears from being just Claire’s bestie to her other responsibility as a prestigious physicist. Once the main characters realized the locket had trapped them in a time loop, they went to her for help. Ren went over the characters’ motivations and what he expected before letting them launch through a few run-throughs. A while later, with beakers bubbling and the lab humming with activity, they dug into the scene.

Angela held the locket out for Jada to see, her hand shaking. “Please, you have to help us.”

Jada’s expression remained wary as she eyed the necklace skeptically.

“Claire, first of all, I’m not even sure what you’re asking is possible. I mean, there hasn’t been any proof of time travel in the real world.”

Tristan stepped forward, wrapping a comforting arm around Angela’s shoulders. As Tristan easily fell into the part of the distraught but protective boyfriend, Angela stayed faithful to her role this time, too, by taking solace in his embrace.

“Believe me, we’re not hallucinating.” Tristan jumped in with his line. “We’re not delusional. There is some time warp freaky stuff happening around this thing!”

“Cut!” Ren called out. “That was good, but Mateo, I changed my mind. I’m not crazy with the lighting right now. I think it needs to be a shade more clinical.”

After some adjustments and several more takes, the group dispersed for lunch. Even though Angela flounced off to lock herself in her trailer, Tristan took the reprieve as a chance to finally talk to Jada. He made an effort to walk beside her as they both headed toward the long banquet table.

“So, I’m sure you’re already pretty familiar with the highs and lows of catering, but I’ve still got to warn you . . .” Tristan said confidentially.

“About?” Jada’s eyebrows shot up at his tone.

“Avoid the mixed greens. Why? One, because salad is not a real food. And two, while it may look nice and leafy, it’s a lie. Trust me.” This remark earned him his first chuckle from the enchanting Ms. Berklee.

“Okay. Always good to steer clear of an E. coli emergency. Anything else?”

“Yes, actually,” Tristan said as they examined the other options at the table. The viable alternatives included an array of sandwiches and a much safer bean salad. As she deliberated, Tristan decided there was no better time to ask the ultimate question.

“So . . . werewolves or vampires?” he asked innocently.

“Oh no, you’re one of them, aren’t you?” Jada sighed. No doubt she’d met manyFallen Creaturesfans pulling this schtick in the past, but Tristan couldn’t help himself.

“A werewolf?” he teased. “I wish.”

“No sucking blood for you then?”

“No, seems like much more fun to run naked through the woods, howling at the moon.”

Tristan could have been mistaken, but Jada almost looked flustered at the mention of shifter nudity.

“Neither. I played the reincarnation of a siren. Remember?”

Tristan’s mind automatically flashed back to that reveal on the show and the very skimpy outfit Jada had been dressed up in during her transformation.

“Oh yeah, I remember.” He cleared his throat.

“Still, I stand by her being the best.”

“Yeah. It seemed like a great ride to be on. Who was your favorite person to work with? Daniel Kane seems like a cool guy.”

Jada paused in the middle of scooping up some of the bean salad as a flicker of discomfort crossed her face. “Everyone on set was great. You’re right, it was a really . . . interesting time back then.”

Her words might have been complimentary but there was no denying how tense Jada had grown. Before Tristan could try and backtrack, she was already moving away from him.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to track down Mikayla. Nice talking to you, though,” Jada said, walking off with her salad in hand.

That girl is seriously awkward, Tristan decided. But despite her weird behavior, he felt an urge to learn more about his enigmatic co-star. Maybe over the next few weeks the ice would thaw, and he’d get to know the real Jada.

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