Page 30 of Love like the (Real) Reel Thing
“Sure.”
“So, Afric and Spencer might be able to turn on the charm for a damned press call, but Doug has very little to show for a full week’s shooting because there’s no spark between them.”
“Have Mel and Spencer worked a lot together in the past?” Jess asked casually.
“As far as I know, they haven’t worked together at all.” She glanced at Jess. “Why?”
“I kind of got the impression they know each other,” she fudged.
“Yeah, they do.” Lisa sighed. “I heard they were roommates when they were both starting out. I know for a fact that Mel wanted Spencer for this movie.”
It made sense, Jess thought, remembering the two of them in the orangery. They shared a shorthand that only happened between two people who knew each other well.
“I thought the director decides who gets to be in their movie, though?”
Lisa shrugged. “Yeah, and I heard he wanted Afric for the female lead. But Mel’s his wife, so …” She let the inference hang as Doug called the two leads back on set.
Doug cleared his throat. “Right, Afric, Spencer, try to remember in this scene that with all the animosity between you there’s a moment – and the viewers have to see it. So, from the top.”
A young woman ran onto the set with a clipboard. “First living room scene! Take five!”
There was a loud bang from somewhere behind the set.
“What was that?” Doug sounded exasperated.
Mel nodded to one of the ADs who immediately jogged to the back of the set. Moments later, she jogged around the other side and shook her head.
Doug sighed. “Can you get out of the shot, honey?”
“Sorry.” The woman skirted back around the cameras.
“Quiet on the set, please!” Doug ordered. “Rolling. And action!”
Jess found herself holding her breath as Afric and Spencer started to work through the scene, their lines and moves perfectly timed. But there was something missing. Afric seemed … distracted.
“Cut!” Doug shouted a few minutes later.
“Fuck it,” Spencer muttered loudly.
Jaw clenched, Doug strode onto the set and Jess could see him talking in a low voice with the two leads.
Jess turned to Lisa, who confirmed what she was thinking.
“Nope, they didn’t get it that time, either.”
Jess frowned. “What’s going on?”
“No idea.” Lisa sighed. “The last movie they made together did pretty well, but Spencer’s made a few flops, including one with Blue Star. I heard his agent was pushing this. Technically, he’s a bigger star than Afric, so the studio needs a win with him. And I need to sell these two as a possible real-life couple.”
Jess shot her a sceptical look.
“You think it sounds crazy?” Lisa said. “There were rumours that Afric had got together with someone on their last movie. Everyone assumed it was Spencer.”
Jess returned her attention to the actors. If they couldn’t even pretend to have chemistry in front of the cameras, what were the chances that they had ever been anactualcouple?
“Wouldn’t it have been obvious if they’d been together?”
Lisa shrugged. “I heard it was towards the end of the movie. After that, they both had separate projects starting. Afric did a British show for Netflix and Spencer’s been back in the States.”
