Page 12 of Beneath the Fame

“You was looking at her like you wanted to smash on that interview though,” a different boy said, adding a shrug with his words. “And you werelit.I saw that with my own two eyes.”

Shit.

“First of all, that interview wasn’t for kids—it was for adults. It’s okay to consume shit that was meant for you, and I don’t want to hear that it’s all boring—it’s appropriate for your young minds.In the Zoneis not. That’s grown folks’ shit, and since I’m grown, I participated. That’s all. My head felt like hell the next day though—since you’re in my business, you should know that part too.”

Another kid sucked his teeth. “Nobody tripping on you having a drink—we wanna know about Vanessa though. She fine like that in person?”

“Respectfully…yes,” I admitted, laughing as they all reacted. “Vanessa is a beautiful, grown-ass woman.”

“Hook me up!”

“I said she was beautiful, not a damn criminal.” I chuckled. “Now come on, y’all get these snacks, and take some for home.”

“Ay, don’t change the subject,” the first kid demanded. “What she smell like?”

Vanilla and cardamom.

“I’m not a fucking creep, lil’ dude,” I lied.

I definitely,definitelywas.

I knew the answer because she’d smelled so damn good I had to ask what perfume it was, and when she told me, I looked it up.

Vanilla and cardamom were the high notes.

It wasn’t overly sweet or cloying, but it was distinctive, an aroma I ascribed specifically to her. Our characters were largely still at odds with each other, so I was only close enough to catch it with certain movements, but the very next time we shot together, a sex scene was coming.

We were already set to start meeting with the intimacy coordinator, which I was glad for.

Especially since what went down in that interview could easily make things awkward.

I was good, personally—I’d worked through intimate scenes enough before that I was well versed in how to make sure things were kept professional, what did and didn’t work. I’d been coached over and over again on making sure my partner for the scene felt not just protected, but actually comfortable.

Like all the other parts of playing a role, this was a job—it wasn’t more than that, even when it looked like it on the screen. It required a certain chemistry and commitment to not be awkward, and a good rapport when the cameras weren’t rolling helped.

But…there was a little more than that happening between me and Vanessa.

Or rather,Ifelt a little more than that, and refused to let it make her uncomfortable.

Did I want her?

Absolutely.

I didn’t see that changing.

But I was more than willing to be cool about it until she caught up.

ChapterFour

VANESSA

Somehow,I didn’t think the sex tape would resurface.

Which was dumb.

Sodumb.

Lawyers and IT specialists—mineandhis—had spent an abundance of time and energy scrubbing it from free from any easily accessible platforms, but there was no telling how many people had it saved in their cell phones or on their laptops, justwaitingfor a moment like this.

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