A Little Less than Famous (32 page)

Andrea and I had basically stayed out of each other’s way the past few weeks that I had been working on the show. As long as I showed up and did my job, we were able to work on the same lot without killing each other.

However, now that my six episodes were wrapped up, it was fair game…at least to Andrea. She was showing up on set with new clothes, a new haircut, new make-up, looking happier than she had looked in months. She was flashing her wedding ring all over the place and flirting shamelessly with Jake every chance she got.

For the most part, I ignored her. I stayed focused on my book or my homework (school had just started). If she flirted with Jake in front of me, which was quite often, I yawned or looked away, turning to talk to Cam or Kellie Lynn, the actress who played Jake’s mom, Shannon, on the show.

It was getting harder and harder to ignore her though. I was an extremely competitive person and Andrea was starting to get on my last nerve. Some days it was super hard for me to hold my tongue, and temper, in check while I was around her.

The reunion scene between Mikey and Maggie was a steamy one. Mikey shows up at the kindergarten class where Maggie teaches (I know, a kindergarten teacher…and I got to play the messed up sister of a druggie). After arguing for a few minutes, they share a passionate kiss and end up on her desk. The kiddies are gone for the day, of course; Maggie was a very responsible, wholesome character. Jake warned me against coming to watch but I scoffed at him. Having done a few steamy scenes, I knew there was absolutely nothing steamy about them. It was all “tilt your head this way” and “use more tongue” or “put your hand there”. It was cold and calculating.

And besides, what did I care about who Jake kissed?

I spent the first few takes, laughing silently behind my book. Once, Jake and Andrea had great chemistry on screen, most likely fueled by the presumed real life chemistry they had while they were dating. Now that chemistry was basically obsolete. Jake had to lift Andrea up at one point and set her on the desk, and he kept missing. One time, they even went crashing to the ground. Josh was getting more and more angry and I was getting more and more amused.

“Jake, Andrea, what the hell is going on? The desk is a seven foot by four foot monstrosity and you keep missing it,” Josh said, sounding extremely impatient. “You guys have done this a million times already.”

“I know,” Jake said, sounding resigned. “We’ll get it.”

“Maybe Jake is feeling a little weak in the arms,” Andrea grumbled, rubbing her butt, wincing. I dove into my book, my shoulders shaking with more laughs. “I think Jake needs to hit up the gym some more.”

Jake shot a glare at Andrea, who was too busy examining her nails to notice.

“Enough,” Josh barked. “Let’s try this again, and maybe this time, don’t think so much. Just go with it.”

I sat up in my seat. What was Josh talking about? I had never before heard Josh say anything as crazy as “just go with it”. I was intrigued.

“And action!”

Jake walked over to Andrea, who was rearranging papers on her desk. It amazed me how Andrea, the girl who always looked like a dolled up diva, could actually be made to look like a legitimate kindergarten teacher. “Maggie, I made a mistake. I know that now. I just got so caught up with the case…”

“No, you got caught up in a helpless redheaded bimbo,” Andrea said, using her hip to move Jake out of the way as she went behind the desk. I rolled my eyes at the “bimbo” remark, though I knew it was only part of the script.

“Charlotte was a mistake. I know that now.”

Andrea slammed the books she was holding on the desk. “Oh, you know now?” she asked, sarcastically. “Not when she was shacking up in your apartment? Not when she was throwing herself at you? Not when I caught you guys making it out in MY car? You know
now?”

“I do. Maggie…I love you.” Damn, Jake’s acting was getting so much better. You could actually feel the desperation and love in his voice.

Andrea let out a well-timed, almost inaudible gasp. It was the first time Mikey Matlock had ever uttered those three words to Maggie White.
Crime Scene
fans would go insane for this season finale. “No. No, Mikey, you can’t just come in and tell me that you love me and expect everything to just be fixed…”

She was cut off as Jake caught her up in his arms in a kiss so hot that I felt it across the room. Jake lifted her up and this time they landed it perfectly. The whole room was in perfect silence, and Josh was giving no direction. It was just happening and for some reason, I was on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, waiting for Josh to call cut.

Instead, Jake pushed Andrea back onto the desk, scattering paper and pencils all over the floor. He climbed up on the desk, pulling his shirt over his head and leaning down to kiss her some more. I looked over at Josh, feeling a weird drop in my stomach. This was not in the script. This most definitely was not in the script.

“Cut! Excellent!” Josh said, clapping his hands together once. Jake sat up, looking out of breath. “You could actually feel the anger and the passion in that scene. I think we’ll run through it one more time but great job. Great improv there, Jake.”

I felt a vibration in my pocket. I tore my eyes away and pulled my phone out. There was a text message from Adrienne. I took a deep breath and leaned over to read it.

McKinley-Lush Cosmetics called me. They saw your TEEN! spread and loved it. They want to meet with you to discuss the possibility of you promoting their spring line? What do you think?

I looked up at Josh, Jake and Andrea, who were all setting up to run through the scene once more. Jake was looking intently at Josh, nodding at whatever he was saying. Andrea, however, was staring at me, a satisfied smile on her pretty face.

I felt a burst of anger and annoyance and something else that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I typed furiously into my phone, pressing send quickly.
Count me in.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Freddie Sanchez, one of the series regulars (a cop, of course) walking by. I hopped out of my chair and bounced over to him.

Freddie grinned at me. “Well, if it isn’t little miss Spitfire.”

I rolled my eyes but kept my smile on my face. Freddie was exactly what I’d expected Jake to be: cocky, sexy and clueless and completely wrapped up in his celebrity world. (Jake was clueless and definitely sexy, don’t get me wrong). Ever since he’d learned my red hair was natural, he started calling me spitfire. He was shallow but fun. “Hello there, yourself.”

“Your boy seems to be having fun today,” Freddie said, nodding in the direction of the set.

My smile wavered ever so slightly, and only for a brief moment. I didn’t turn around. “What boy? The only boy I see is the one I see standing right in front of me,” I said, playfully.

Freddie’s grin grew wider, revealing those perfect Hollywood teeth. His arm reached out and slid around my waist and I resisted the urge to pull away. “I like the way you think, Spitfire.”

I tilted my head to the side, looking up at him. “Buy a girl some lunch?”

“Definitely.”

I felt a burst of satisfaction, trying to ignore the cartwheels that my stomach was currently doing. I let Freddie lead me away without a backwards glance.

*
             
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*

“What’s wrong?” Jake asked, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he turned into his driveway.

“Nothing,” I said, shortly, fighting the urge to grab his hands to stop the tapping.

“Bullshit, McKinley. What’s wrong?”

“I said, nothing, Jake.”

He sighed. “I saw you left the set today.”

“Freddie and I went down to lunch at craft services,” I said, off-handedly.

“Freddie?” he asked, sounding a little tense.

“Yeah, I was bored and hungry.”

“So you decided to go to lunch with
Freddie
?” There was a little sarcastic bite in this voice when he said Freddie’s name.

“Yeah, so?”

“Don’t be stupid. I saw you guys walking away with his stupid arm around your waist.”

“Are you going to be this snippy all night?” I cut him off. “Because if you are, I’d rather you just take me home.”

Jake sighed again, leaning back in his seat. “I’m not driving you all the way back to Brea. I’m tired as hell, McKinley.”

I felt something inside me snap, and those stupid stomach cartwheels came rushing back. “Oh, yeah, right. I guess one would be tired after rolling around on a desk all day.”

“Is that what this is about?” Jake asked, incredulously. “I told you that it was probably better if you didn’t come watch me work today.”

I shook my head, laughing. “It looked a little more like pleasure than work.”

             
A look of dawning passed over Jake’s face. “You’re jealous.”

             
I felt like I had been slapped. I was
not
jealous. “I am not jealous,” I said, hotly.

             
“You are. Come on, you know its just acting…”

             
I interrupted him again. “Jake, seriously? You are perfectly at liberty to kiss whomever you wish.” I wanted out of this car. It was too hot, in the middle of January, to be in this car. I felt like I was suffocating.

             
“McKinley…” Jake said, sounding pissed.

             
“Whatever, Jake,” I spat out, reaching out for the door handle. “I’m calling a cab.” I slammed the door behind me and stalked my way up the front walk to the front door.

             
“Hey, get back here,” Jake said, climbing out of the car and slamming the door behind him.

             
“You know, I really don’t want to…” I trailed off as I opened the door and saw Justin Wright and three people I didn’t recognize sitting on the couches just inside the front door. I stopped and straightened, trying to put a smile on my face. “Oh, wow, hey. I didn’t know anyone was here.”

             
“I invited them over…to celebrate the good news,” Jake said, coming from behind me; his voice even and his face betraying nothing. The only sign of any anger was his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Yes, Jake Kennedy’s acting was getting much better.

             
“Hell yeah! Finishing the season off with a bang and getting the part in the Patrick Edwards movie!” Justin said, coming over to give Jake a high five.

             
A wispy blond beauty that reminded me a little bit of the bobblehead doll I once got a baseball game on a date followed him. She had huge brown eyes, huge pink lips and her blonde hair was huge around her face. Her body, on the other hand, was teeny. A second glance helped me to recognize her…Ashlee Ames, the most recent singer to hit the radio with her extremely annoying single “Dance with Me”. Who knows what happened to Catie Carmichael.

             
“Jake Kennedy, I am so psyched to finally meet you! I love your show,” Ashlee gushed, coming over to wrap him up in a hug.

             
Jake smirked, quickly turning it into a smile before anyone but me had noticed. “Yeah, it’s awesome to meet you too, Ashlee.” He looked over his shoulder at the two sitting on the couch. “Hey guys, I’m glad you could make it.”

             
The two stood up and walked over to us and I immediately knew that they were together, had probably been together for a while. He was really tall, almost as tall as Jake, with sandy brown hair and green eyes and a secretive smile, like he was hiding some delicious secret. The girl, on the other hand, was really short, at least a few inches shorter than me and she was beautiful in a way that you knew she had no clue how beautiful she was. She had long, straight black hair and crazy blue eyes that rivaled Jake’s. Despite their physical differences, they just seemed to work perfectly together. They seemed so aware of each other and they didn’t even have to be touching.