Page 20 of You Belong With Me

‘I thought you were too senior for that.’

‘Oh, no one is. They’d shout at my agent first though.’

He gave her a winning smile. Edie smiled back and yet felt weak and sick. She wanted Elliot to herself; it was very early days to consider sharing like this.

She better understood why actors often dated other actors:it’d help if she had any reference points in her own career. She didn’t have to French kiss and fake-fondle the guys at the Vienna beef hot dog account.

‘Got time now?’ Elliot said. ‘Softer seat?’

They went through to the sitting room, with its two overstuffed sofas making a right angle.

Edie lay down on one, hooking her sixty-denier-stockinged ankles over the arm, and began reading. Elliot lay out on the other, phone scrolling.

Her initial intention was to get the gist, as she was seven episodes behind, and then start skipping forward to find the grot. Very soon, Edie had forgotten that was why she was reading it.

Within ten pages, she was completely absorbed; after twenty pages, she realised that she straight up loved it. She laughed. She caught her breath. She couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what happened next. Edie muttered one zinging Gaby line aloud to commit it to memory.

‘Enjoying it?’ Elliot said, and Edie nodded.

She felt like she knew these people, despite not being conversant with the fast-paced world of substance-fuelled hospitality in the Big Apple, circa the Clinton administration.

And oh my God – she was, inconveniently,achinglydesperate for fast-talking, charming-yet-damaged Matteo and whip-smart, insecure firecracker Gaby to shag. Even while she wanted Matteo to not be that man, right there. That said, imagining Elliot somewhat enhanced it, too. What a psychological mess this was.

When Edie got to The Scene, she didn’t exhale for thefour pages it took for them to spit insults, accuse the other of a crappy attitude and deliver the mutual ultimatum that one of them was going to have to go – before they realised they didn’t, in fact, only crave the other’s absence.

As their fictional mouths met, Edie went warm and cold and physically felt things.Neither of them can quite believe what they’re doing, and yet neither of them can stop …

Fade to credits.

Edie sat bolt upright and waved the script accusingly. ‘What was the word you used –grappling?!’

‘Yeah,’ Elliot replied, also shifting to sit up and looking intimidated.

‘More like youdevour each otherin a deranged level of desire. Your face makes contact with her chest quite explicitly.’

Edie had to euphemise the nipple in mouth to cope.

‘OK, look, I won’t do it. I really want the role, but I am fairly sure they want me back, so I’ll make it a condition they tone it down …’

‘No!’ Edie cried, startling Elliot even more. ‘It’s so hot, and you have to do it! You can’t pay off the mad build-up of Matteo and Gaby without this.’

‘… OK,’ Elliot said, frowning. ‘Is this a trap?’

‘No,’ Edie said, grinning at last. ‘I loved it so much. I even love that scene. I don’t love you tearing away Ines Herrera’s bra like a hungry wolf, but I’m still not going to ruin this piece of art. Just swear to me on your family’s lives you don’t fancy her.’

‘Oh my God! You loved it?! I loved it, too! The script I mean, not the wolf bra stuff.’

‘I’m going to need the promise.’

‘Ines? I swear. I’ve only met her on Zoom, and she seemed nice enough, but she does her tiny dogs those hairdos with ribbons. I’m too busy fancying you. You honestly loved it?’

‘Yes, I truly did,’ Edie said. ‘I can’t believe how much. When The Cranberries’ “Linger” comes on the jukebox, in the half dark and they’re alone! The way they stare at each other, and the whole mood twists and changes during the opening bars when they’ve ranted themselves to a standstill. And Gaby seizes him right on the wordsit’s just your attitude …Massive swoon.’

Edie sighed, with a degree of wistful lust.

Elliot put his phone aside. ‘Yeah, the script really conjures up an atmosphere, doesn’t it? There’s so much dialogue to learn, the way they talk at a mile a minute. I’m so pleased they brought it to me, because there’d be a long queue to play Matteo.’

‘It’s going to be a huge hit.’

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