Page 55 of Best Served Hot
Zeke turned to Max. ‘Hold on, mate.’ He clambered awkwardly off the other actor, who sat up, relieved to get the weight off him.
‘Um, Zeke, I’m just wondering. Do you have any concerns about this scene?’ Nicole asked him as he approached her.
Zeke rubbed the back of his neck. ‘No.’
‘You sure? Because it looks a bit like you’re uncomfortable.’
Zeke blew out an anxious breath. ‘Look, I’ve always known this might come up in my career, the whole bloke thing. I don’t mind it. I’m not a homophobe or anything.’
‘Of course you’re not,’ Nicole reassured him. ‘But I think this might just be a bit of an adjustment for you. Am I right?’
He looked relieved. ‘Honestly? I’m out of my element.’
Max got up off the bed and put on a robe, jogging over. ‘Everything OK?’
According to Alex, Max Main’s character, Dr Marcus Sharpe, was the stud of the show and had worked his way through half the characters. Max was a veteran of sexing up a scene, and Alex said you could drop him into an intimate scene with a Krispy Kreme doughnut, and he would make it work. This was not his fault at all. Zeke was kissing Max like he was reading the news, not about to get his back blown out.
‘It’s fine,’ Nicole said. ‘Just giving a few notes.’
‘I’m so sorry, mate,’ Zeke said apologetically. ‘I’m giving nothing.’
‘You’re doing fine,’ Max lied.
Zeke put his hands on his hips. ‘Look. I know a screen kiss isn’t a real kiss, and I’m not supposed to be into it or anything like that. It’s acting, whoever it’s with. I know that. It’s just… I’m just not used to… Umm…’ He frowned, struggling to grasp what his problem was.
‘The stubble?’ Nicole suggested.
Zeke’s eyes lit up. ‘Shit, that’s it. It’scrazyrough. I think that’s what keeps breaking me out of it.’ He paused thoughtfully. ‘I can’t believe women put up with it. It’s scratching the hell out of me. You’d have to really like dick to deal with it. Sorry to be so blunt, but if I was a woman, I’d be looking into other options, that’s for sure.’
Nicole smiled, and it took everything she had not to look at Alex over in the corner, talking to a grip. ‘You’re making a lot of sense.’ Nicole turned to Max. ‘Um, Max? What are your thoughts on a close shave?’
Max shrugged. ‘Yeah, don’t mind it.’
Nicole turned to the continuity guy. ‘Could we do that? Would it cause problems?’
‘Well, we’re shooting a new day, so I think we can probably make that work,’ he told her.
‘Great. Would fifteen minutes be enough time, Max?’
‘Yeah, should do it.’ He turned to Zeke with a wink. ‘Gonna go and get beautiful for you, mate.’
Zeke laughed, relaxing palpably. ‘Fuck off, would you? And get it smooth! I wanna close my eyes and feel like I’m snogging Margot Robbie.’
‘I think that might be beyond the capabilities of a razor, but I’ll see what I can do,’ Max called, leaving the set.
‘OK, EVERYONE TAKE FIFTEEN,’ Nicole called.
People moved away from their equipment and drifted toward the snack table. Nicole went over there, too, noting Alex heading in that direction. Nicole didn’t want a snack. She just wanted an excuse to look at Alex up close.
She couldn’t get what had happened out of her mind. Being with Alex, fully and unhurriedly, it felt like some kind of slate had been wiped clean. The physical sensation had been incredible. But emotionally? It was better. They’d been close, truly and deeply.
Her former life could have been a bad dream. If it wasn’t stomping into the studio now with a face like thunder.
‘Oh, Christ. Ethan alert,’ Alex muttered as they met in front of the coffee cups.
Nicole exhaled irritably. ‘I better see what the hell he wants now,’ she said, turning to head him off at the entrance to the studio.
She noted Alex keeping pace with her. Nicole loved that she always seemed to be there when she needed her. And never had to be asked.
