“Okay, so you just hate me.”
I look straight into the dark chocolate depths in front of me. I then deadpan to the camera across the way. The muscles in his strong neck catch my eye as he tips his head back to cackle more. His boisterous laugh echoes throughout the meeting room. My traitorous production crew giggles at the delicious sound bite as well. Declan Werner settles back into the bubble-bath pink barrel chair next to me. He repositions his microphone before addressing me. His eyes are moist from his laughing fit. I smirk and softly shake my head.
“I could never hate you, Paisley,” his deep voice rumbles back. Although the rumbling is more like purring. His smile brightens, and he shows all thirty-two of his teeth.
“Mhm…if you say so. Coming up next is the game portion of the show! I wanted to do a throwback for all of us who played games like Jenga or Battleship growing up. We’ll be right back with Paisley’s Pennies for Thoughts after this commercial break!” I say into the camera with a big smile.
“That’s a wrap on this segment,” Shawn barks from his chair behind the cameras. “That was great, you two!”
I give Shawn a thumbs up before facing America’s latest heartthrob, Declan Werner. He’s the real-life Troy Bolton: a basketball star-turned-Broadway actor. He sits with his hands clasped in his lap. With his staggering height, his body basically devours the barrel chair. Strong lean legs support a muscular yet soft upper body, a sign that his training had slowed a bit. But the star of the show that is Declan Werner is the marred bronzed skin down the left side of his face. His left eye was scarred from a fishing accident as a child, leaving a jagged mark from his forehead to the middle of his cheek. Our eyes meet again.
He chuckles to himself before looking down. He swipes at his bottom lip with his thumb. I shift to cross my legs. That only brings his scent to my nostrils; it is either Chanel or YSL. Either way, I am getting drunk from the intoxicating smell. I could get drunk from him.
“Okay, let’s have any touch-ups done for Paisley and move to the table for Connect Four. Then, we’re ready to keep going. You good, Declan?” Shawn asks, orchestrating everything from his chair. Celine, my makeup artist, appears out of nowhere to add a bit more powder to my face.
“Yeah! I’m having a great time. Paisley, are you good?” Declan turns to face me fully, waiting expectantly. I gulp. Celine side eyes me.
“Uh, yeah… yes! I’m excellent. You’re a wonderful guest, Declan,” I respond with a big smile. Declan’s shoulders lower an inch, more relaxed, almost as if he was worried I wasn’t having a nice time.
“Perfect. Because you might not say the same after part two of this taping. I’m whoopin’ you in Connect Four, by the way.” He mischievously smirks and wiggles his fingers under his chin. I give a signal to Celine to let her know my makeup is touched up enough. Celine gives me a thumbs up and goes back to my dressing room. I stand, asserting my dominance.
“You could only ever dream of that!” I say back and sashay past him to the table with the game setup. As I pass, I hear him stand from his seat. I feel the tower of him behind me.
“If you’re in the dream, that’s where I want to be.”
Luci Strong is a budding writer, hailing from Mississippi. Her Southern experiences and upbringing shape her writing. She loves to read romances, thrillers, and fantasy novels. When she is not reading, writing, or working in healthcare, she enjoys baking, hanging out with family and friends, and binging various TV shows (current binge: Real Housewives of Atlanta).
Featured image by Jon Tyson on Unsplash.
