Page 22 of The Love Raffle

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You and Rachel kept updating me whenever anyone on social media mentioned that whole thing.” Levi flipped open the script and read the first sentence.

As he read, an image of Amber snuck up on him and stole his attention.I wonder what she’s doing now.He lowered his eyes and tried to keep himself from smiling.What the hell is wrong with me?

Oscar clapped once. “Ah, so you know how desirable you are. Ha. Still got it.” He sighed as if dazed. “Oh wait, the date was last night. Did it go okay?”

Amber’s witty remarks filtered through his mind at once. He’d dreamed about them too. Usually, his dreams were filled with images of his first days on the set of Captain Evolution, but for once, things were different.Wow.Had Amber saved him from his recurring nightmare?Can I even call it that?

Oscar found Levi’s silence strange. The megastar wasn’t the most talkative with others outside of interviews, but he would at least open up to him. “Thinking of something, Marks? I asked you a question. Or do you not want to share?”

Levi rubbed his forefinger against the edge of the first page then flipped.Ow.He looked at his cut finger. “Jeez.”

“Are you going to tell me how the date went or…” Oscar clasped his hands on the table. “Was it as much of a waste of time as you feared? Was the girl creepy? I can’t remember her name, but she was trending for a while. Of course, everyone’s moved on by now but at least you got them buzzing. Need those fans on their toes for the next few years.”

Levi sucked the blood off his finger. “The date…” He recalled Amber’s swollen face. “She’s allergic to shellfish,” he said, but not to Oscar. It was like he’d mentioned it to take note himself.

Oscar blinked three times. “She…told you that?”

Levi licked his bottom lip then met Oscar’s eyes. “Did Rachel say it’d look good if I dated Amber Sheridan?”

Oscar’s eyes popped. “Wait a second. Hold up!” He stood, his chair scraping back. “Youlikethis girl? You like her after one date?”

Blood rushed to Levi’s cheeks. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he growled. “Don’t people usually catch feelings on dates? Heck, even before them? Plus, I never said I liked her. I’m just asking.” He plucked a napkin out of his napkin holder to keep his finger from bleeding further. “Now would you sit down and answer me?”

Oscar had thought it would never happen. “Who was the last one? Remember her name? Why did y’all break up? Fan girls were jealous?” He snickered and sat once more.

Levi did not appreciate his laughter. “Don’t joke about what happened back then with my ex, Jenny, okay? And my question has nothing to do with liking Amber.”

“The fact that you keep saying her name!” Oscar barked a laugh at the white ceiling. He smiled at Levi. “Yeah, Rachel got some stats that said being in a relationship helps with keeping you relevant, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be Amber. She was telling you all that to convince you that it was a good idea to be on that show. I mean, I think the appearance has served its purpose but if you want to date her to add—”

Levi couldn’t stand the way he was speaking about this. “Dude, this isn’t about earning points from the public or any of that.”

“Then why’d you ask about Rachel?”

Levi froze. He dug his fingers into his scalp.Am I even a person to these people?“Okay, I guess I did ask because I was thinking of how things would look but I don’t know.” He sat back and folded his arms. He watched his lap, revisiting last night in his thoughts. “It’s probably not a good idea. I mean, for some reason I’m a heartthrob so even if I ‘gain relevance’ or I like her, it’s bound to end up in flames. At least for her, right?”

Oscar sat in complete awe, eyes wide and mouth open. Was he dreaming? “I can’t believe it. Youreallylike her.”

Levi used both hands to cover his face. “I don’t know, okay? I had a good time last night. That’s all.” He breathed a heavy sigh and tried to continue reading the script.

A chuckle escaped Oscar’s mouth. “Well, that’s good. If you weren’t who you are, I’d say to try to reach out and see if something can happen between you two, but you’re Levi Marks and Rachel’s already thought of another way to keep you looking good to your fans and the press.”

Levi raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“There’s a character called Mrs. S in the script. The actress who plays her is going to be Fiona Bazoli.”

Levi jolted forward. “Fiona Bazoli? She’s won like two Oscars already and she just got on the scene.She’sin my next movie?” The spark for acting he’d felt as a kid returned for a second. “Shut up.”

Oscar liked his enthusiasm. This was the Levi he knew. “Yup, and people know she’s been cast. Your fans love her, the public loves her so…Rachel was thinking it’d be nice if you two got close and people started seeing you as a thing. We want this movie to be huge so that’s why she’s going all out.”

Levi was ecstatic. He loved Fiona’s work in her latest filmDays On End. She was phenomenal to the point that her movies evoked emotional responses from even the likes of him, someone who had seen almost everything at this point. “Wait, did you say that Rachel wants us to be a couple?” A disc scratched in his mind and his excitement plummeted.

Oscar sighed. “You don’t have to be, but it’d be nice to get the public seeing you that way. For the movie. Your character has a fling with her in the film and in the comics. Your fans will love it. Even the feisty teenage girls.”

Words were failing him. “I… Wait, how are you so sure the girls will like her? Remember what they did to Jenny?” He whispered his last question and looked at his eggs.

Oscar scratched his head. “Yeah, yeah, I do. No girl should have to go through that sort of harassment but it’s different because Fiona’s going to be your on-screen girlfriend, so it’ll feel like fate to everyone.” He kept his hands clasped on the table. “That’s at least what Rachel says anyway.”

Levi hummed. He absently raised his fork and stuck it into his scrambled eggs. “So, if she wants me to be seen with Fiona while we’re filming, it’d be better to stay away from Amber?”

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