Page 94 of He's The Reason Why

He wore a black T-shirt, tight jeans, and sunglasses like he’d just stepped out of a cool club or maybe a detective novel. She wanted to ditch the recording session and run away with him.

“I shouldn’t be feeding your habit like this.” He looked amused. She loved that unguarded expression.

“Shush, you,” Piper said. She clutched the to-go cup with both hands like a dragon protecting her diamond. “First, I drink the coffee, then I do the things. I don’t know how you get started in the morning without it.”

“It’s a skill. Like cooking and doing laundry. You should try it.”

“Um, no. Life’s way too short to live without coffee.” She watched him take a sip from the other cup. “You’re starting to like it aren’t you.”

His smile invited her to join him somewhere cozy. “I just didn’t think you should be drinking alone.”

“Ah, my animated love birds,” Tamar said as she walked through the door. “Are you awake and alive and ready for a fantastic week?”

“Definitely,” Blake said, but he wasn’t looking at Tamar. He was looking at her.

“Good morning, Tamar,” Piper said. “What are we tackling first? I saw the duets have new lyrics.”

“Paul has requested we start with the forest, first. The animators would like to track your movements so we would like you to suit up and then shift to the performance capture studio. Sound good?”

“Sounds fun,” Piper said. “I was bummed when they said only Gina needed to do that.”

An hour later, they were both suited up in black tracksuits covered with reflective markers. Tamar showed them to the space where they’d done the read-throughs. The tables and chairs were gone, and the center of the room was empty except for the large man in an identical tracksuit waiting for them.

“This is Rolfe Peters. He will instruct you on how to move, and then we will get going on the forest scene.”

Rolfe shook their hands. “Since you’re basically playing yourselves, we’d like you to just move naturally. Get into character and see where that takes you.”

Piper glanced around. Equipment had been shoved up against the walls, which made the place feel like a big storeroom or a warehouse. “It doesn’t look anything like a forest.”

Blake picked up a chair and moved it to the middle of the room. “Here’s that big rock they had in between us and the river.”

“Can we borrow a blanket or something to make the river with?” Piper asked.

“How about something longer?” Rolfe crossed to a corner of the room and returned with a thick yellow rope.

He helped them arrange it on the floor where the imaginary river would be.

“When you’re both ready, go for it. I’ll be over here.” Rolfe stepped to the side of the room where a bank of computers waited.

“This feels awkward,” Piper said. “I was just getting used to the other setup but now there’s no mic to stand behind.”

“Just pretend we’re in my living room,” Blake murmured.

“Right.” She gave him a conspiratorial smile.

It didn’t take long for her to sink into the moment with Blake. Soon, she was Princess Jewel with her magic map deep in the forest, meeting a handsome, if annoying, man. It was awkward, and real, and so much fun she never wanted it to end.

The next couple of weeks passed by in a blur of laughter, longing, and frustration. Since production was so far behind, Day Dreams Studios hosted Thanksgiving for the entire cast and staff to make up for the fact that nobody could leave town, and then it was right back to work.

Every morning, she showed up early so she could see Blake arrive with coffee in his hands and a smile on his face that made her feel like she was the only woman in the world.

Every day, she suited up in that ridiculous outfit and acted out a fantasy where she fell in love with him.

Every night, she wanted to follow him back to his amazing house and not leave until someone forced them to, but instead, she went back to her own home, alone.

By the time the kiss scene rolled around, she was more than ready to get her hands on him for the motion capture. Shedreamed about planting her lips on his the night before. He'd tasted like pumpkin spice and cream.

When they arrived at the studio, though, Jeanette ushered them into the recording booth instead.

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