"Coming!" She found her voice.
But before she hurried off to the set, she shot off a quick text to Camilla.
She couldn't afford to be distracted now, especially when she had already messed up once today.
In order for her to have any chance of pulling this off, she had to be perfect in every scene so that they could finish as soon as possible.
Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to focus.
Twenty minutes later, Director Slater called, "Good work, everyone. Let's break for lunch."
"Looks like you're on a roll today," Ethan grinned at Emmaline.
She could only spare him a quick grin before practically sprinting off, barely rounding the corner before she crashed into a slender figure.
"Em!" Camilla yelped.
"Are you okay?" Emmaline panted, righting herself and making sure that she hadn't injured her best friend.
"I'm fine, here, go!" She shoved the bag she had been carrying into Emmaline's hands and then pushed her in the direction of a dressing room.
"Wait, this isn't mine," Emmaline stopped abruptly, "I don't have my own changing room."
Camilla glanced at the name on the side of the door. It currently said 'Ethan Park', then she stared down the corridor at the other doors.
If Emmaline used the common dressing room, the chances of someone walking in on her while she was changing were way higher than if she hid out in a personal dressing room.
She would take her chances.
"You want to take your chances with Priscilla?" Camilla asked in a hushed voice, "Just go, I'll hold him off."
Emmaline despaired at the thought of her fragile looking, sweet best friend having to hold anyone off. But she also knew that Camilla was smart, resourceful and tougher than Emmaline gave her credit for sometimes.
"Thanks, Cam, I owe you a million," She squeezed her friend's shoulder and threw herself into the changing room, pinning up her hair as she went.
***
"Is there something I can help you with?" A rich voice like dark chocolate sounded down the corridor.
Camilla took a slow, deep breath and looked up.
Then she gulped.
She knew that all stars were usually good looking, but Emmaline had failed to warn her just how handsome Ethan Park was.
His face was all over the city since his last drama catapulted him into popularity, but seeing him in person was a different ball game altogether.
Tanned skin, warm brown eyes and a really chiseled jawline… Camilla shook herself.
She had a job to do.
"Ethan!" She cried with fake enthusiasm and a whole lot of private embarrassment, "I missed you so much!"
Internally, she was cringing.
She wanted to dig a hole and stick her head in like an ostrich.
The things she did for friendship…
As expected, Ethan stopped short and didn't move, "Sorry, miss, do I know you?"
If Camilla was the size of a bodybuilder, she would be able to stand in front of the door to guard Emmaline like a bouncer.
Unfortunately, she was roughly the height of Ethan's chest and the most exercise she had gotten all year was rushing over here with Emmaline's wig and change of clothes.
Camilla fluttered her lashes and pouted, she was going to have to scare him off some other way.
"Don't you remember me?" She whined, "We had such a nice time together."
Like every reasonable actor who wanted to preserve his reputation, Ethan took a pretty big step back.
"I'm sorry, I think you may have gotten the wrong person," He told her politely.
She took a step forward and like a dance, he took another backwards.
Onwards she pressed until he was backed up against the wall with nowhere to run.
"Ethan Park, right?" She asked, widening her eyes in a way that usually made people soften towards her. The fact that Ethan had no reaction whatsoever was kind of refreshing.
"That's me," Ethan finally began to look a little flustered, "But I'm sorry, I don't think we've met."
Out of the corner of her eye, Camilla saw the door to Ethan's dressing room open just a crack.
One last push, she told herself.
Bidding goodbye to her dignity, she flung herself so close to Ethan that their faces were mere inches apart.
Caught off guard, he stared back at her, his warm eyes huge with surprise.
The hand behind her back made shooing motions and thankfully, Emmaline caught her cue.
She heard the door swing open wider and hurried footsteps. In the meantime, she pushed herself closer to Ethan forcing him to keep his eyes on her.
Once she was sure Emmaline had made a safe escape, she leaned back and gave him space.
"You're right," She shot him a bashful smile, "I think I got the wrong person. Bye now!"
Turning tail, she ran for it, ignoring the 'wait!' that he called out.
***
When Ashton got out of his car, Emmaline was there waiting for him.
The precious minutes that Camilla had bought her in Ethan's changing room had been all she needed to transform into Em, or Emmett.
"Everything okay?" He asked as she glanced around furtively.
"Someone knows about y-" She had barely finished her sentence when she caught a glimpse of blonde curls and the blue outfit that Priscilla was in for today's shoot
Without warning, she slammed Ashton into the side of his car and downwards, so that they were both crouching down.
"That happy to see me, huh?" He asked with a cheeky smile.
Emmaline looked down to realize she had Ashton in what Camilla would have called a kabedon.
She flushed a little but held her stance.
"Someone knows about you," She finished her sentence from earlier and peered over the car to see if she could still see Priscilla
"How?" Ashton frowned, "We've been keeping things pretty private."
"I don't know," She sighed, finally releasing him when she ascertained that Priscilla had gone in the other direction.
Ashton reached out and ruffled her hair, or rather, her wig.
"Don't worry," He told her in a playful tone, but the look in his eyes told her that he meant it, "I won't let anything happen to you."
Emmaline really wanted to believe him.
But not when she couldn't take her eyes off what was pulling up to the main entrance of the set.
"You say that…" She pointed at the huge truck with the banner 'We love Em!', "Then what on earth is that?!"