“One latte with almond milk, no sugar”, he said, handing her the takeaway coffee cup while sipping his own. He’d been worried about her when they left the set late that evening after the shoot; she’d flubbed quite a few of her lines, which was totally unlike her. She was usually more professional than some of the more experienced actresses he’d worked with, determined to prove herself. He hoped inviting her out for coffee wasn’t overstepping the mark.
She took the paper cup with a tired grin. “You remembered!”
“Pfft. I’ve only heard you order it nearly every day for the last three months of filming - I’d be a pretty crappy leading man if I didn’t know how my leading lady took her coffee.”
Her little half smile had none of the usual pep, and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. Now that she was dressed in her street clothes and the heavier makeup used for filming was washed away, it was easier to notice the dark shadows under her eyes, and her paler skin. It had been a long day, but he felt there was something more going on, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it, if she’d let him.
They wandered down the street together, sipping their coffee in companionable silence. That was one of the things he liked about her. She didn’t seem to feel the need to fill up an empty space with even emptier words. But he was still worried; her usual silence was comforting to him, but this felt oppressive.
“Hey”, he began, “we’ve got to know each other pretty well, yeah?” She nodded, bumping her elbow against his as they walked.
“I’d like to think so”, she said softly.
He smiled gently. “I just wanted to let you know if there was anything worrying you, I’m happy to listen.”
They paused on a bridge crossing a canal, both leaning their elbows on the rough cement to watch the lights of the bustling city play on the water below them.
She sighed. “I know you said not to, but I was reading some of the recent reviews. There were a few not so great ones about me and..”
He groaned loudly, then swatted her playfully on the back of the head, and she mock scowled at him, rubbing the spot where his fingers had connected.
He grinned. “What’d I tell you about reading reviews wench?”
She rolled her eyes at the use of his nickname for her, a common epithet used by his character, Inuyasha, to her Kagome. “You said to let my agent handle that stuff, I know. I’m just worried, okay?” She bit her bottom lip, tapping the empty cup on the edge of the railing. “I’m playing two parts in this! Two! Both Kagome and Kikyou. And if I suck, I’m gonna let everyone down! I had trouble sleeping last night, because I was worried about the scene we just did, and look how terrible I was!”
He shook his head. “Not terrible. You just had a bad day. Everyone has them. Tomorrow you’ll have a better one.”
She sighed, leaning her head against his arm. “I’m so lucky to have someone supportive like you looking out for me. When I was studying at acting school, teachers warned us about men in the industry and ‘expectations’ they might have, but everyone on this shoot has been so lovely.”
“You make sure you tell me if anything like that happens okay?” he said with a sudden frown, swirling the last of his coffee in the paper cup, then draining it in one gulp. “Even after we finish up on this shoot. I want to stay in touch. I promise I’ll take care of you.” She grinned at him, and he shook his head. “What are you smiling at me for? Don’t you think I mean it?”
She giggled. “I do. It’s just that sounds like something Inuyasha would say to Kagome.” He snorted.
A sudden burst of flashes from across the canal startled them both, and she ducked her head behind his shoulder.
“Oh no!” she whispered. “Do you think that was a photo journalist? Will we get in trouble?”
He shrugged, then rubbed her shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting manner. “Possibly. Let’s not worry about it unless we have to.”
She dropped her head into her hands with a groan. “As if this day couldn’t get any worse! What if they get the wrong idea and say we’re in a relationship!”
He bumped his shoulder against hers. “I could think of worse things they could say”, he said softly.
Her eyes lifted to his, and for the first time that day, she gave him a real smile. There was a hopeful glint in her eyes, magnified by the shine of the city lights around them.
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