Rise of the Billionaire actress

” Congratulations! Welcome to Evolve.” Doris chorused with a clasped hand. ” I knew you wouldn’t disappoint.”

Deloise heaved a sigh of relief. It was finally done. She was finally on her way to becoming something decent. She could sense it.

” Thank you very much. I appreciate your trust and this opportunity.”

” No, thank you.” Doris insisted, ” I’ll communicate the details to you at a later time. I’m guessing you have a shoot this morning?”

” Yes.”

” Great. I’ll catch up with you later. I need to process your contract.” She informed, ” Welcome once again. I promise you won’t regret it.” Doris spoke enthusiastically, waving as she left the dinner.

Deloise had a residual smile on her face. She felt excited, the same way she felt when she first landed in New York. One thing was apparent, it felt good to feel wanted, to achieve set goals, to live the life she’s always dreamed of, to see it slowly but surely being manifested. It didn’t take long before she got to the set.

Today, she had one scene to shoot. An intimate scene with the male lead. As opposed to her earlier feelings of dread towards this scene, she felt ease. Every previous fear and reservations were nowhere to be found. So much that she wondered if her current state of underwhelmed-ness has something to do with the deal she signed.

” All done! You look beautiful.” Her make up artist said, dropping her brushes, ” I just hope you don’t break a sweat. I heard you have a spicy scene with the hot shot.” She added, ready to gossip.

” Thank you.” Deloise took a long look at her face. All made up, it gave the illusion of being flawless, beautiful and perfect. All three adjectives needed for the appeal of today’s scene.

” I almost feel unreal.” She muttered, long after the artist left to attend to others.

” Action!”Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

The footage started and Aaron walked into the set room.

He carelessly threw his shirt to the floor. ” Is this what you want? Huh? Isn’t this what you want?!” He barked at a docile Deloise who laid on the bed, looking confused.

“I-I-” She tried to speak, only to get interrupted.

” Shut up! You don’t get to talk when I’m speaking!” He barked, ” Since you so desperately need it, I’ll give it to you. But I must forewarn you.” He found his way towards her and roughly pulled her jaw. ” I won’t go easy.”

The room grew ten shades hotter when their lips collided in a familiar rough kiss. The audience watched helplessly as Aaron dominated the kiss, flexing his muscles as he went. The atmosphere electrified as the smooch went on. Meanwhile, Deloise struggled to keep unwarranted thoughts from her mind.

‘ It’s acting! Get your head together!’

She yelled within herself, so much so that for a moment, the kiss lost the concentration it needed.

Being a mastermind in the art, Aaron slowed his tempo, leaving writhing kisses on her wake- that was enough to draw her attention.

Their eyes connected and suddenly, everything else fizzled out. Their worlds united and in that moment, the kiss felt different – Meaningful, whispering and intimate.

As the time progressed, their interaction felt less acting and more instinctive. The boggling side of it was that she fell into it. Sparks danced in reaction to every turn, touch and groan.

” Don’t scream. I’m getting in.” Aaron gritted his lines, the base of his tone sent females to a swooning mess.

Mounted above her, bare chested and in motion, the director screamed the word every other person seemed to forget.

” Cut!”

Aaron stilled at the command of the director, he briefly closed his eyes then made his way down the bed. Deloise sat up, still heavily breathing and trying to maintain her coherency.

” That was awesome! Peculiar! Wonderful!” Daniel showered praises, alerting everyone of his presence in the room. ” Dare I say, that connection- its either you both are great actors or there’s something in there.” He joked with wiggling eyebrows.

” Thank you.” Aaron spoke first. ” We give nothing but the best.” He added, smartly navigating the waters.

” The best is all I expect.” Daniel shook hands with him, ” Great job, Deloise. Care to join me for lunch?”

Deloise nodded, ” Of course. I’m done for the day.” She said with a frigid smile.

” How about you?” he asked Aaron- who was well on his way out.

” I-

” Great! I’ll be in the office. Join me in ten.” He said, then walked over to the director in charge, leaving them no room for refusal.

****

Inside the office, Daniel sat behind the table while Aaron and Deloise sat side by side.

” That was a great performance. The more I think about it, I just know it’s going to be the fans’ favourite scene.” He appraised and Deloise blushed.

Aaron was unmoved, ” Not yours?”

” It’s my movie. You can’t ask me to pick favourites, that’s just wrong.” He stated, ” But yes, maybe it is. Which takes us to the reason I called you here.” Aaron responded with an eye roll. He sensed the motive but remained calm. ” I want you two in a relationship.”

Deloise couldn’t believe her ears.

” You what?”

” Not happening.”

” Everyone. Calm your horses.” Daniel was unsurprised by their reaction. ” I want to do a stunt, think of it as a promotional act for the movie.” He explained, ” You both have a very strong on screen connection and I feel it would strengthen the movie’s popularity if it is perceived that you are both involved.”

Silence. Total silence.

” Come on! It’s not a big deal. Just treat it as a business transaction. You don’t need to do anything tedious, all I need is to fuel the rumours concerning your relations with each other.”

” How much are we talking about?” Aaron piped and Deloise eyes grew the size of saucers.

” Are you really considering this?” she asked, gobsmacked by his nonchalance.

” Quick money, and I don’t need to do anything.” She felt the heat of his gaze, ” seems perfect to me.”

” That’s the spirit!” Daniel inserted, ” How about you, dear?”

” I guess we could do it.” She muttered, still unsure about it.

” Great. Let’s talk business.”

*****

” What was that about?” Deloise asked as they walked down the road.

” What was what?” He replied, feigning oblivion.

Deloise gritted, ” You know what I’m talking about. How could you accept that?”

” Why did you accept it?”

” Because you did!” She bellowed, nearly throwing a punch his way. ” I expected you to refuse, make a scene.. not go with it! You left me unable to wriggle out.”

” Still don’t see how that’s my problem, sunshine.” He said in a sing-song voice, ” I’m hungry. Up for some snack?”

Aaron hastened his feet towards the food court. No doubt, running away from the conversation; she rolled her eyes, then followed behind him. In no time, the duo dug into a pepperoni pizza, moaning at each bite.

” Seeing it’s only a matter of time before we get introduced as couples, we should probably get to know each other.” Deloise spoke first, gauging his reaction.

” What else do you want to know? I think we know enough to successfully pivot this situationship.” His gaze burned her skin, ” Don’t be weird and we’ll be fine.” He added but she wasn’t having it.

” If we are going to do this, we need to know more than our ticks, Aaron.” She dead-panned, ” We are supposed to sell an actual relationship-”

” And we will.” He assured, ” Chill out. We haven’t even started and we’re already arguing.”

Deloise dropped her slice, ” Okay, I don’t think this is going to work, I’ll just-”

” Jesus, what do you want to know?” Aaron felt exasperated, ” Tell me, let’s get this over with.”

Smiling, she began. ” First. I need the basics. Your full name, family, everything.”

” No.” The coldness in his voice unnerved her. ” Anything else but my personal life.”

” You don’t get it- I need to know everything about you in order to properly answer questions when the time is right. This is important-”

” And I said NO.” He got up from his chair, ” I suggest you focus on the script, play dutiful girlfriend and stop putting your nose in other people’s business!”

Aaron walked out and Deloise couldn’t fathom how and where she went wrong. Again, he was being a total jerk.

No surprise there.

****

” What do you mean she was the best fit? That person hasn’t been in a single movie. This is her first gig, one I believe she got via underhanded means.” Stella said to the Director of Evolve, Mr. Hart Ambrose.

” Just check things out, you will see I’m not lying. That contract should rightly be mine.”

” I think there’s a misunderstanding, Miss-”

” Stella, Stella Davis.” She supplied.

” Yes. I don’t sign off on the people we recruit into the company, I have people for that. And if they choose some newbie in the industry, I trust them enough to go with it.” He stressed, ” Whereas, I don’t look too kindly on being harassed and chased up by some entitled actress.” His tone was hard, ” I’ll accept your mistake today, but let it be the last.”

Mr Ambrose left an embarrassed and seething Stella on the sidewalks, made his way into the car and drove off.