Whispering back, I said, “Well I hope you enjoy being in that fantasy because I can assure you that it will never come to fruition. Keep it up and I’ll have your whole face on fire while you film every scene.” I winked and then turned to walk back to my private room where I stayed until it was time for me to work.
Since it was the first day of shooting, the day ended at ten hours to which Unique claimed was a short one. Though I’d dated an actor before, AJ and I didn’t discuss his career much, so I didn’t know what was a long or short day. He’d just tell me he was on set or bring me on set periodically, but nothing more.
“What we gon’ eat? We all the way out here where all the fancy shit is.” Unique licked his lips as he glanced over at me while I rode in the passenger seat.
“Anything you want. I just like being with you,” I admitted, truthfully. I could feel myself becoming attached to him and this quickly.
He was quiet, but I felt him look over at me. “I like that. I love being around yo’ ass too, but I think you know that shit by now since a nigga was popping up on you constantly.”
“True.” I laughed as Unique eyed the dark streets of Los Angeles, looking for an interesting eatery. “Your love interest, Riley,” I used her character name, “seems to think you guys are gonna fall in love on set.”
Unique laughed in that deep voice of his, and I didn’t know how to take that.
Initially, when Johnnie made the comments, I thought nothing of it, but once it settled in, I knew she was right. Plenty of actors fell in love on set, and them being married or in a relationship didn’t matter or stop shit.
I didn’t think Unique would actually go for that because he just didn’t come off as a man that easily fell in love or anything like it, but he was a natural flirt. He flirted with women he didn’t even find attractive or appealing because it was just in his nature, and that irked me.
He hadn’t done it much since we’d been pretty much locked in, but he smiled a little bit too much for me at waitresses and things. I didn’t think he understood he was too handsome for shit like that to go unnoticed or be brushed off by the average woman.
When he noticed I wasn’t laughing, too, nor amused, he asked, “I know you don’t believe that shit, do you?”
“I mean, it does happen.”
“Yeah, same way muthafuckas who work at Burger King together can fall in love, KK.”
“No, because the people at Burger King are making food. You guys will be kissing, touching, spending time together,” I listed.
“I ain’t gon’ lie, love. People do fall in love or fuck around while they film. I don’ seen it on every gig I’ve had.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m just being honest, love. It ain’t just the actors though. I don’ witnessed actors start fucking on PAs, camera men, shit, even the makeup artists.” He looked to me and winked, and I could only scoff so I wouldn’t smile back. “But I’m a different type of nigga.” He got serious. “It takes more than spending time, having pretend sex, and kissing to make me fall in love. It especially takes a lot more than that shit to make me leave something that I gave up having two women at the same time for.” He glanced at me again. “I care too much about my career, my reputation, and you to be fucking on Johnnie. And she not my type in the least.”
“Neither was I.”
“You pretty as fuck, smart, funny, got good ass conversation, nice body, wet pussy—that’s exactly my type. But what I mean is her personality. She talk too fucking much, she like to put on airs on some fake-it-to-make-it-type shit, her lipstick is never completely covering her lips, and plenty of other things. Whether I was with you or not, it wouldn’t be her. But since I am, it won’t be her or any fucking body else.”
I laughed at the lipstick comment. The things men noticed would mortify most women.
“Good.” I tried not to smile or blush, but I felt the heat in my cheeks and butterflies in my stomach.
“This type of shit ain’t gon’ bother you, is it, baby?”
“You having to play in movies with pretty girls?”
“In a sense.”
I thought on it for a moment, then replied, “I guess it depends on how you handle it and go about things.”
I kept it real. I didn’t want to say no because I knew myself, and even worse, I’d never felt like I did right now about any man. The thought of Unique bonding with another woman while on and off camera made my stomach turn. Not only because I had feelings for him but because I’d gotten to know the type of man he was, and if his head turned, it wouldn’t just be because she was cute. It would be because they shared something like he and I do.
“I can respect that. I would love to have you with me whenever I go, but if you are or not, I ain’t gon’ be doing shit.”
“Better not.” I lightly tapped the back of his head as he pulled into the restaurant.
“Nah.” He parked. “Last thing I want is my dream job to come in between me and my dream girl.”
“Oh my gosh.” I chuckled. “That was so corny.”