“I don’t have a problem with sexuality while acting,” I say, though I wouldn’t really know for sure. In Love Me Dearly, I kissed my crush, the boy next door, and that was it. Other smaller productions before my breakout role never had any sex. “I’m a professional.”
He does laugh at that one. “God, you’re so fucking uptight.”
That rattles me more than I’d like to admit. An assistant passes by, and I force a blushing smile. “Yeah. Well,” I say under my breath, “not everyone has the luxury of fucking up all of the time.”
Harsh. I didn’t mean for it to come out so—well—mean. There’s an awkward silence where Gray looks up at me, holding my gaze. I blink, open my mouth to apologize, but he interrupts.
“Look at that. Golden boy has some bite to him after all.”
“I’m sorry. That was unnecessary.”
He shrugs a shoulder, still eyeing me. “Let’s get to the point of this.”
There was one main goal Dave had for us today. A conversation where it seems we’re liking each other more than we thought—and by the end, some easy flirtation. Nothing much. Just enough for anyone watching closely to notice. And someone always is. There are reporters on the edge of set speaking to a publicist, craning their necks to get a look at us. It’s not like it’d be new, for two actors to hook up outside of their roles. Long work days usually mean even longer partying hours for cast and crew, and sets can start to resemble sororities and frat houses with all the drama of who slept with who.
Gray takes a sip of his coffee. “It’s going to take a lot for us to pull this off.”
He’s waiting. I didn’t expect he’d leave the first move up to me. I laugh as if he’s said something funny. “Why?”
“Because not many people are going to believe I’m actually attracted to you outside of filming.”
I falter. Maybe I brought that one on myself. I insulted him first, after all.
“I’m not that bad looking, am I?” These words are a little too close to actually sounding flirtatious. It was a real question. But pair that with the softer smile, leaning in, hand on his arm…
Logan Gray laughs, and I don’t think it’s a part of the act. “That’s what you call flirting?”
I force myself not to yank my arm back. I pull away smoothly, confidently. “Yes.”
“How many relationships have you been in?”
Zero. “That’s none of your business.” I pause. “Why?”
He shrugs. “Your lack of experience shows.”
My face is hot. I haven’t been in any official relationships, but I’ve dated several guys, and I’ve experimented a lot in bed, even if I would have shame spirals afterward. I’m offended that Gray would assume I don’t have any experience—and that, apparently, I’m not very good at flirting.
He reaches across me, suddenly much closer than necessary, as he grabs his coffee cup from the table. His hand grazes my abdomen, his arm against me. His eyes are hooded, and his face is just a couple of inches away, as if he’s thinking about closing the gap for a kiss. I feel like I’m being pulled closer by gravity. His voice is low. “This is how you flirt.”
I freeze, eyes widening. I realize how I look: exactly like the startled, inexperienced guy he’s assuming I am.
Gray whispers in my ear. “You’re really going to need to work on your intimacy scenes before we start filming.”
He grabs his coffee and leaves without another word. I lean against the table for support. He managed to insult me and piss me off while also making my heart race. Damn, he’s good.
Gray isn’t on set anymore, so I don’t have any reason to keep watching him, but after that trick, I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes off him. I feel the lingering shame that finds me whenever I feel attraction for another man.
A cast assistant, Andrew, followed him to his trailer, where Logan will probably wait for a couple of hours before shooting the next scene. Andrew is small and pale and looks like he’s gotten less sleep than anyone else around him. He’s talking to Gray as if he might’ve taken some Adderall before he drops his clipboard, and in his attempt to catch it, knocks the coffee cup out of Gray’s hand. Brown liquid spills on Gray on the way down. I immediately tense up. I haven’t been in Hollywood long, but I’ve seen a number of actors act like the divas so many people stereotype us to be, screaming at assistants for mistakes, and especially one like this? I don’t want to watch Gray make a scene and humiliate this poor guy.
Andrew is apologizing profusely, and I see a few people glance over, too, but I don’t think Gray has noticed that others are watching. He waves a hand back and forth. I can practically see what he’s saying from here. “Don’t worry about it. Seriously. It’s fine.”
Gray bends over and picks up the empty coffee cup and the clipboard, gathering the papers that scattered. He takes the towel from around his shoulders, and instead of using it to wipe himself off, he offers it to Andrew, pointing out the coffee that’d gotten on him, too. I frown as I watch, crossing my arms. Andrew still looks like he’s about to cry, but Gray’s just acting like it’s a joke. He pats the guy on the shoulder, walks up the steps and into his trailer.
That’s not the Gray I would’ve expected to see. The Gray I know would have yelled and called the guy an idiot, would have cursed and been annoyed and rolled his eyes as he stormed away and slammed his trailer’s door shut behind him. It’s funny that this is what I would expect—almost like Gray himself is just a character, playing a role in a film. I’m starting to get the feeling that Gray’s a little better at putting on acts than he would want anyone to know.
RED ALERT: BREAKING NEWS
Cherubs! I’m back with the latest breaking news, and praise the Lord Almighty, you are in for a doozy with this one.
As we’re all well aware, Logan Gray and Matthew Cole have been cast as co-stars in the upcoming romantic film Write Anything and Garbage Gray actually had the nerve to insult his colleague.
Well! Apparently, the infamous trash fire of a human being has changed his mind about Matthew Cole. The two were seen cozying up to each other on set in a scene that wasn’t scripted.
Don’t believe me? HERE’S A WHOLE ASS PHOTO TO PROVE IT.
[Photo taken by paparazzi from across the street: a blurred image, but it’s obvious that Logan is standing beside Matt at a table with coffee. Logan has a towel over his shoulders as Mattie puts a hand on his arm. They’re both smiling at each other with some attraction in their gazes.]
I can’t believe that someone like Mattie Cole would sink low enough to consider Gray—but, well, the immaculate Willow Grace made a similar mistake and had to live with the consequences. Seems like not many people can resist the charm of the devil.
Signing off,
Angel
Project X Schedule
August 3: Flirtatious conversation—you need people to think you’re starting to like each other, make sure you sell it!
August 7: Dinner date at Alli Mai, have a visibly good time
August 13: Interview with Pop! Movie Magazine; LG to apologize for insulting MC and say he’s enjoyed MC as a costar with heavy emphasis on enjoy