The rest of the day unfolded like a blur for Roxie. They moved on to less emotionally intense scenes, where her character, Natalie, interacted with other supporting characters. Roxie welcomed the break from the tension with Victor, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the lingering effect of the kiss they had shared earlier.
Every time she looked at him, the memory of his lips on hers crept back into her thoughts. It wasn't just the kiss itself, though, that was the problem. It was the way he had looked at her afterward, the way he seemed to challenge her, as if daring her to admit that the chemistry between them was real.
As she stood near the edge of the set, waiting for the next shot to be set up, she felt a presence behind her. She turned, and there was Victor, leaning casually against a nearby wall, watching her with that same intense gaze.
"Ready for the next one?" he asked, his tone light, but there was an undercurrent to his words that made Roxie's pulse quicken.
"Yeah," she said, keeping her voice as steady as she could. "Just waiting for the crew to finish setting up."
Victor took a step closer, his eyes locked on hers. "You know, earlier… that kiss? It wasn't just part of the job for me."
Roxie felt her heart skip a beat, but she quickly tried to brush it off. She couldn't let him get under her skin like this. "Victor, we're professionals. It's our job to make things look real."
Victor smirked, his gaze never leaving hers. "I know when something's real, Roxie. And that kiss? It felt pretty damn real to me."
Roxie clenched her jaw, forcing herself to stay composed. She didn't want to admit it, but he wasn't wrong. The kiss had felt real, too real. But she wasn't about to let him know that. She had worked too hard to get where she was, and the last thing she needed was to get tangled up in a complicated relationship with her co-star.
"You're reading too much into it," she said, trying to sound dismissive. "It's just part of the scene."
Victor stepped even closer, his voice dropping to a low, almost teasing tone. "Is that what you're telling yourself?"
Roxie opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the assistant director's voice rang out, calling them both back to the set.
"Victor! Roxanne! We're ready for the next scene!"
Saved by the bell, Roxie thought to herself. She turned on her heel and made her way back to the set, trying to shake off the tension that had wrapped itself around her like a second skin. Victor followed behind her, still watching her with that same amused, knowing look.
The next scene wasn't as emotionally charged as the kiss, but it was still pivotal to the film. Natalie and Ethan were supposed to have a tense conversation about their future, an argument that would eventually lead to them realizing their true feelings for each other. Roxie took her place opposite Victor, feeling the weight of the scene pressing down on her.
Elliot, the director, called for action, and the scene began.
"You can't keep pushing me away, Natalie," Victor's character, Ethan, said, his voice filled with frustration. "Every time we get close, you shut down. I'm trying to be here for you, but you won't let me in."
Roxie, fully in character now, stepped forward, her voice trembling with the weight of Natalie's emotions. "It's not that simple, Ethan. I've been hurt before. You don't understand what it's like to let someone in, only to watch them leave."
Ethan took a step closer, his voice softening. "I'm not leaving. I'm right here. But you have to let me in. You have to trust me."
Roxie could feel the intensity building between them again, the same tension that had been there during the kiss, now simmering just below the surface. She forced herself to stay in character, to focus on the scene, but it was impossible to ignore the way Victor's eyes seemed to burn into hers.
The scene continued, with Ethan and Natalie slowly coming to a realization about their feelings for each other, but even as the lines flowed naturally between them, Roxie couldn't shake the feeling that something more was happening between her and Victor. The chemistry was undeniable, and it was making it harder and harder to separate acting from reality.
"Cut!" Elliot called, clearly pleased with the take. "Great work, you two. Let's move on to the next scene."
As the crew began resetting the set, Roxie stepped away from Victor, trying to gather her thoughts. The intensity of the scene, combined with the lingering effects of the kiss, had left her feeling off-balance. She needed a moment to breathe, to clear her head.
But before she could slip away, Victor was beside her again, his voice low and filled with that same teasing edge. "You felt it, didn't you?"
Roxie didn't respond at first. She didn't know how to. Because as much as she wanted to deny it, the truth was undeniable. She had felt it. The chemistry, the tension, the connection, it was all real. But she couldn't afford to let herself get swept up in it. Not now.
"I'm not doing this with you, Victor," she said, finally turning to face him. "We're here to work, and that's it. Whatever you think is happening, it's just the characters. Nothing more."
Victor's smirk widened, but there was a flicker of something more serious in his eyes. "You can tell yourself that if you want. But I know what I felt."
Roxie clenched her fists, frustrated with herself for even letting the conversation go this far. She needed to stay focused, to keep her head in the game. She couldn't let Victor, or her feelings for him, get in the way of her career.
Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving Victor standing there with that knowing smile still on his face.
After a long day of filming, Roxie finally made it back to her trailer. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, exhaling a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The tension of the day had weighed on her, and now that she was alone, it all came crashing down.
She had tried to keep things professional, to focus on the work, but it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the pull she felt toward Victor. It wasn't just the kiss, it was everything. The way he looked at her, the way he spoke to her, the way he seemed to challenge her at every turn. She couldn't deny that there was something between them, but she also couldn't let herself get caught up in it.
Roxie sat down on the small couch in her trailer, staring at her phone. She could call Ryan, tell him what was going on, get his advice. But a part of her didn't want to. She didn't want to hear the inevitable lecture about staying focused, about keeping her distance from Victor.
Instead, she sat there in silence, her mind racing as she tried to sort through her conflicting emotions. She didn't know what to do, but one thing was clear: this wasn't going to get any easier.
That night, as the city of Los Angeles buzzed outside her apartment, Roxie lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts were a tangled mess, swirling with images of Victor and their day on set. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push the memory of the kiss away. It wasn't just the kiss itself that lingered, though, it was everything that had followed. Victor's relentless teasing, his pursuit of something more, and the undeniable chemistry that had crackled between them both on and off camera.
She rolled over, groaning softly into her pillow. Why did it have to be this complicated? She had come to Hollywood to chase her dreams, not to get swept up in a whirlwind romance with her co-star. But the more she thought about it, the harder it became to ignore the truth: there was something between her and Victor. Something real.
Roxie sat up, running a hand through her tousled hair. Maybe she was overthinking it. Maybe it really was just the intensity of the scenes they were filming. But that didn't explain the way her heart had raced when Victor had leaned in close, the way she had felt something shift inside her when their lips had met.
With a sigh, Roxie reached for her phone on the nightstand. Her thumb hovered over Ryan's contact again. He had been her sounding board since day one, and she knew he would give her the advice she needed, even if it wasn't what she wanted to hear. But just as she was about to call, her phone buzzed with an incoming message.
It was from Victor.
Victor: You still thinking about that kiss? I know I am.
Roxie's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the screen. Her mind raced, a mix of emotions flooding through her, excitement, confusion, and frustration all at once. What was Victor playing at? Was he just messing with her, or did he actually feel the same way she did?
She typed out a quick response, her fingers trembling slightly.
Roxie: Victor, we need to keep things professional. What happened today was for the scene, nothing more.
She hesitated before sending the message, knowing deep down that it wasn't the full truth. But she couldn't afford to get involved with him, not now, when her career was finally starting to take off. With a deep breath, she hit send and placed her phone back on the nightstand.
Minutes passed, and her phone buzzed again.
Victor: You can say that all you want, but you felt it too. I know you did. We should talk, Roxie. Face to face.
Roxie's heart pounded in her chest as she read the message. Part of her wanted to reply, to meet him and figure out what was really going on between them. But another part of her, the more rational part, knew that this could lead to disaster. She had worked too hard to let her emotions complicate things, and getting involved with Victor could jeopardize everything she had built.
She tossed the phone aside, pulling the purple comforter up to her chin as she curled up in bed. No, she couldn't let herself fall into this trap. She needed to stay focused, to protect herself and her career. But as she lay there, staring into the darkness, she couldn't help but wonder: What if there was something real between them? What if this wasn't just a fleeting attraction?
The uncertainty gnawed at her, making it impossible to sleep. She tossed and turned, her mind running in circles as she tried to make sense of everything. But no matter how hard she tried, there was no easy answer.
Finally, as the distant sound of sirens echoed through the city streets, Roxie made a decision. She wouldn't respond to Victor's message tonight. She needed time to think, to figure out what she really wanted. Maybe tomorrow things would be clearer.
She closed her eyes, willing herself to fall asleep. But even as exhaustion finally took over, her dreams were filled with memories of that kiss, and the undeniable pull she felt toward Victor.