Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Wisteria

"So, you see, he's asking for a sex scene stand-in."

My agent says the words very slowly like she can tell it isn't going to go over very well with me.

"A stand-in?"

"Yeah. He's really particular about that sort of thing. He's not done a sex scene in like years and years. So, don't be offended by it or anything. It's not you. It's totally him."

I would be worried that it will get out that he doesn't want to do the sex scenes in the movie with me but if Vel says it's normal…I guess it shouldn't be any big deal. Right?

"It's quite common for actors of his caliber to have a sex double for movies."

"Would that be possible for me? To have one of those stand-ins?"

"Yeah, no!" She laughs like I just made the biggest joke of the year. "They aren't going to shell out that much money on an actress who has only been in one movie and -what?- three commercials."

Yeah. That's kind of what I thought she would say. To make things even worse she cackles some more and then shouts, "Get ready to get naked, baby!"

I'm not really tickled about the prospect of having to show my tits on screen, but I also am not stupid. I kind of guessed this would come up at some point and I would be required to do it or be labeled ‘difficult to work with'.

I can't help but wonder what made the man not want to fake having sex with me on camera though. But, then again, saying it like that kind of answers the question for me. It's kind of gross to think about pretending to fuck someone you don't know or have just met. The thing that really worries me - the thing I am not trying to think too hard about is - who will be his stand-in?

I was semi-okay with the sex scenes when I thought I was going to do them with Banner Arden. I kind of felt like I knew him because I had watched all his movies and might have a small crush on him. It was exciting and fun to think about what it would be like. Now, it's just a big fat unknown and doesn't seem fun at all.

But that's the job. That's what I signed up for. That's what I was getting myself into when I told my parents I wanted to go off and be an actress.

Still, the entire night I don't do much sleeping and instead stay up and watch one of Banner's movies. He might not want to do the naughty scenes with me, but it will still be such an honor to be able to work with him.

Or so I try to tell myself.

And then the first day on set comes and I'm being introduced to all the people I'm going to work with… and there he is. Banner freakin' Arden!

I smile and am about to offer my hand when he shouts at the man standing beside him. "She's a fucking baby! She's young enough to be my fucking daughter not my fucking sex partner!"

O-k-a-y! Not big on my age.

"How fucking old is this girl anyways?"

I answer before the guy can, "I'm nineteen. But I'll be twenty soon." -ish. Like in six more months.

"Holy fucking hell! What the hot fuck were you even thinking? Have you lost your fucking mind?"

I step closer to him and try to keep my voice smooth and even. "I know. I know. I completely understand. I'm inexperienced."

"What?!" He shouts it as loud as he can.

"I've only been in one movie…"

"You're talking about movies? That's not… you're a fucking baby!" I take a step back at the words that are all but shouted at me. "You're going to be rolling around naked in a bed pretending to fuck someone old enough to be your father and you don't see a problem with that?! You're too far gone to realize how messed up that is? It's…it's...it's fucking sick!"

I am well aware that everybody on set, every single person I have met today, can hear him since he is speaking at the top of his voice. Everyone I was just introduced to now knows what Banner Arden thinks of me. I turn and just walk away as calm and composed as I can.

There's no other way to save my poor, crushed ego. No way to stop the bleeding going on in my heart at the sheer disappointment I feel at meeting a man I had the hugest crush on. And now… now I"m aware of what kind of person he actually is and some of the fairy tale glamour is good and truly dead!