The shooting resumed...
Mike bolted off the court. Sneakers squeaked hard against the polished floor as the crowd noise blurred behind him.
He pushed through the exit hallway, the sound of the game fading with every step. The hallway lights felt dimmer, quieter, like stepping into a completely different world.
"Scar! Scar, hey… hey, Scarlet!" He spotted her near the wall, leaning back like she needed something solid to hold onto.
He slowed just enough to not crash into her, but his momentum still carried him forward. His shoes slipped slightly on the smooth floor and he skidded half a step before catching himself, one hand brushing the wall for balance.
"Hey, hey… what are you doing?" he asked, breath uneven.
Scarlet straightened a little, clearly not expecting him to follow her out. "Mike, what are you doing?"
He stepped closer without hesitation, like the answer was already decided. "Look, you and me, we're in this together, okay?"
She shook her head immediately, like she had already argued this in her mind a hundred times. "But the game… that's your future."
He didn't even pause to think. "No, the baby's my future."
Her expression shifted, caught somewhere between disbelief and frustration. "That's crazy."
He took another step closer, voice softer now but somehow more certain. "You're my future."
That landed, but not the way he hoped. Scarlet turned away from him, already moving toward the exit like distance might fix what words couldn't.
"I can't let you throw this all away," she said, shaking her head as she reached for the door. "I won't let you throw it all…"
She didn't get to finish.
Mike closed the gap in one quick step and caught her, his hand finding her arm just enough to turn her back toward him. Then he leaned in and kissed her.
She kissed him back as he pressed her against the wall.
It was fast and urgent, like he was trying to say everything at once without using words.
He pulled back for half a second, just enough to look at her, then kissed her again. And again. Each one quick, breathless, like he wasn't giving himself time to second-guess anything. Five, six times in a rush that blurred together. And there were some tongues involved during the intense quick kisses, which weren't in the script, but both Jack and Willa were so into the moment that they didn't even care and kept going.
Then he slowed.
The next kiss lingered.
When he finally pulled back, there was a small pause, both of them catching their breath, something softer settling in between the chaos.
They smiled.
Mike didn't wait after that. His hands slipped to her waist and he lifted her easily, spinning her once, then again, laughter mixing into the moment as he kissed her again mid-spin.
"Cut!"
The word snapped through the hallway, breaking the moment cleanly.
Willa was about to kiss Jack back even more after the cut, but as she leaned in for more, her mind snapped back into the present, and she quickly pulled back with a little smile. 'Shit! That was awkward. I couldn't help myself. The way he tastes... God help me.'
Jack smiled back. His eyes moved from her lips to her eyes.
The crew immediately came back to life. Footsteps, voices, and movement filled the space again as the scene dissolved back into a set.
Jack set Willa down gently, his hands dropping back to his sides as the reality of cameras and crew settled back in. 'Wow! Okay.' He let out a small breath, running a hand through his hair while glancing toward the monitors.
"You alright?" He whispered.
She nodded. "Yeah. Phew! I'm good."
Behind the camera, Phil Lord leaned back slightly with a grin. "Okay… that had energy."
Christopher Miller nodded, eyes still on the playback screen. "Yeah, that worked. You two looked natural. The depth and emotions... all there. Another single take..." He shook his head, looking impressed. "Keep it up and we might just wrap up the movie before the schedule."
A few crew members exchanged looks, impressed. One of them muttered quietly, "That felt like they were real couples."
...[10 minutes later]...
Jack stepped into the open air near the trailers. A few crew members were passing by with coffee cups and headsets. It was the usual scene. The directors were prepping for Matthew's scenes. He is yet to arrive on the set.
He exhaled slowly and rolled his neck once as the adrenaline from the scene began to settle. 'Don't think about the kiss... Don't think about it, even though there was some tongue contact, which was off the script, and she played along in front of the camera. Hope Willa doesn't call it out behind the scenes. BTS? Hehehe! Fuck, what the hell am I even thinking? Anyway, gotta admit... that scene was intense.' He walked toward his trailer to clean up. His scenes were done for today.
"Hey!"
He heard footsteps behind him.
'Ah, crap! Please don't say anything about the tongue involvement.' Jack stopped and turned. "Hey."
Willa slowed as she reached him, letting out a small breath as she pushed a strand of hair back. For a second, neither of them spoke. It was not exactly awkward, just heavy. The kind of silence that followed something intense that neither of them had fully processed yet.
Jack shifted his weight slightly and waited.
Willa let out a quiet laugh under her breath and shook her head, as if deciding whether to say what was on her mind. Then she looked straight at him.
"Okay, this might sound weird," she said, her tone direct but steady, "but I have to say it because I don't like pretending or overthinking things."
Jack nodded. 'Here it comes.'
She stepped a little closer, holding his gaze. "That kiss was awesome. Actually awesome. I had butterflies and everything, and I don't really get that from romantic scenes."
'Ehhh!' Jack blinked once, caught off guard by her bluntness.
"And," she added without hesitation, "I'm going to need your number."
There was no teasing in her voice. She said it like it was completely normal.
Jack gave a slow nod as he processed that. "Okay. First of all, thanks for the compliment and I'm glad that you didn't eat garlic or fish to make me feel uncomfortable."
He paused briefly.
"Second," he went on, tilting his head slightly, "what exactly are you planning to do with my number?"
Willa did not hesitate. "We can practice. Rehearse more. You know..." She pressed her lips and gave a little side nod. "Keep the chemistry consistent." She gave a small shrug. "We've got that music video thing coming up, so it makes sense."
Jack frowned slightly. "Music video?"
"Yeah," she said, as if it were obvious. "Didn't your dad tell you?"
Jack shook his head, confusion settling in. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Willa blinked. "Wait. Seriously?"
"Seriously."
She studied his face for a moment, checking if he was joking. When it became clear he was not, she let out a small breath and laughed.
"Okay, that's actually kind of funny and awkward," she admitted. "My agent called me last night and told me about the music project. I said yes. Which means you and me again."
Jack crossed his arms loosely, still catching up. "And no one thought to mention this to me?"
Willa smiled slightly. "Welcome to the industry."
That earned a quiet huff of amusement from him.
She shifted her weight, her tone easing. "Look, I'm not trying to make this weird. I just like being prepared. If we're working together again, I'd rather not start from zero every time we have a scene like that."
Jack nodded slowly. That part made sense.
"And," she added with a small smirk, "it doesn't hurt that the chemistry is already working."
He let out a quiet breath and looked away for a second before looking back at her. There was no denying that the scene had worked. Everyone on set had seen it and praised them for being natural.
Still, something in his posture settled, more grounded now.
"Yeah, the scene worked," he said calmly. "Because it's acting and we both gave it our all."
Willa held his gaze, not backing off, but not pushing either.
"And I'm good with keeping it there," Jack continued. "Professional. On set. Where it belongs."
A brief silence followed.
Willa watched him for another moment, then gave a small nod. She did not look offended, just thoughtful. 'So, that girl he was talking to before the scene was his girlfriend, huh? She's kinda pretty. But I'm not gonna back down without trying.'
"Got it," she said. "Boundaries."
"Yeah."
She exhaled softly, then smiled again, lighter this time. "Still going to need your number, though. For actual work reasons."
Jack considered that, then pulled out his phone. "Work reasons sound a lot safer."
Willa laughed quietly as she took out her phone as well.
They exchanged numbers.
As she saved it, she looked back up at him. "For what it's worth, that really was a great scene."
Jack gave a small nod. "Yeah. It was."
Another short silence passed, but this one felt easier.
Willa slipped her phone back into her pocket. "Alright, I'll let you get back to your trailer." She waved before walking back inside.
Jack watched her go for a second, then looked down at his phone, her contact still open on the screen. He locked it, slipped it back into his pocket, and let out a quiet breath.
"Yeah… this is gonna be interesting," he muttered to himself.
"What is gonna be interesting?" A familiar voice came from behind.
===
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