The night was quiet in Matthew's apartment. The soft atmosphere, illuminated by the soft light of the lamps, made everything more cozy. Emily was there, sitting next to him on the couch, talking about her day and the funny details that the director had suggested for the film. Matthew listened attentively, a smile on his face, but there was something more there. The way he looked at Emily was intense, as if her mere presence was enough to calm him, but also ignite something deep inside him.
In a moment of silence, he leaned in gently and kissed her tenderly. At first, it was just a soft touch, but the intensity grew as they both let themselves be carried away by the moment. Emily returned the kiss, feeling safe and warm in his arms. There was a connection between them that transcended words, something that they both felt but rarely expressed.
The kiss became more intense, and Matthew, almost involuntarily, pulled her closer, deepening the contact, enveloped by the feeling and her presence. However, Emily, slightly embarrassed, felt that things were going a little further than she had expected at that moment. She pulled away slightly, breathing heavily and her face flushed.
"Matthew... I, uh..." She tried to compose herself, fighting the shyness that had come over her. "I'm... on my period."
Matthew instantly looked surprised, his eyes widening and his face flushing. He immediately pulled away, visibly embarrassed and ashamed.
"Oh my God, Emily! I... I'm sorry," he said, putting his hand to his forehead, almost in an attempt to scold himself. "I didn't mean to overstep the mark. I just... I don't know, I couldn't resist. I'm really sorry."
Emily laughed, touching his arm lightly to reassure him. "It's okay, Matthew. I got carried away too." She gave him a small smile, looking at him fondly. "Besides, it's kind of cute to see you so... embarrassed."
He let out a nervous laugh, still running his hand through his hair, trying to dispel the embarrassment. "It's just... you're special to me, you know? I want everything between us to happen in its own time."
Emily smiled, feeling the affection and sincerity in his words. She snuggled into Matthew's chest, feeling his heart beat faster.
"You're perfect, you know?" she whispered, making him smile, the embarrassment slowly dissipating.
And, in that moment, they found comfort in each other, letting the moment flow calmly and respectfully, enjoying the complicity and affection they shared, without rushing or pressure, just present in the now.
On the set, the atmosphere was hectic, with preparations taking place for the photo shoot of the characters in the new film. Emily arrived, feeling the usual tension in the environment, but also a certain anxiety to do her best. As she walked toward her dressing room, she passed by an area where the director was talking to some crew members when something caught her attention.
A young actress with dark hair and an arrogant demeanor was in the middle of a heated argument with her assistant. Emily didn't hear the exact words, but the woman's tone of voice was sharp, full of anger and contempt. The assistant, an older woman, seemed completely disconcerted and tried, with forced calm, to calm the situation. But the young actress was not willing to listen. In a sudden act of frustration, she raised her hand and slapped the assistant loudly across the face, who barely had time to compose herself.
Emily stopped in her tracks, the expression on her face turning to disgust as she witnessed such cruel and disrespectful behavior. She couldn't understand how someone could be so inhumane to another person, especially in a work environment. Her gaze fixed on the young actress, who seemed to not care about the looks of others.
The young woman noticed Emily's presence and, instead of feeling any shame or regret, she looked directly at her with a sharp and cruel gaze. Her eyes, cold and calculating, fixed on Emily as if she were a threat or someone who was meddling where she didn't belong.
Emily wasn't intimidated, but she felt a shiver run down her spine when she noticed the veiled hostility in the girl's expression. She was used to dealing with competition, with difficult people, but something about that woman's posture made her uncomfortable. Emily simply turned her face away and continued on her way, without bothering to retort or look back. She knew that the film set had enough tension and rivalry without her having to get involved.
As she entered her dressing room, she took a deep breath, trying to push away the anger that the situation had caused her. As an actress, she had always known that she should maintain a professional demeanor, but that didn't mean that she would accept abusive behavior, especially in a work environment. She knew that it was important to be attentive, but at the same time to stay focused on what really mattered: the film and her performance.
Emily was getting ready for the photo shoot, but she couldn't help but think about the young actress. Something about that girl didn't seem right.
Emily was in her dressing room, getting ready for the photo shoot, when she heard a noise coming from outside. At first, she ignored it, thinking it was just another one of the many noises common on set, but the sound grew louder. There were raised voices arguing, followed by quick, heavy footsteps. Curious and at the same time uncomfortable, she decided to go outside to see what was going on.
When she opened the door, she found the young actress on set—the same woman who had slapped her assistant earlier—in a heated argument with the production crew. The actress was furious, gesturing wildly as she spoke to the crew members. Emily heard enough to realize that the girl was complaining about not being in the best dressing room, something that seemed to deeply bother her egotistical personality.
"Why am I not in the best dressing room?!" the actress screamed, anger oozing from every word. "The lead actress is there, and I'm the second lead, and yet they put me here?!"
One of the assistants, visibly trying to remain calm, patiently explained: "Sorry, but it's the set organization. The main actress stays in the main dressing room, and since you're playing another role, this is your dressing room."
That seemed to be enough for the actress to lose her patience. She pushed past the assistants, completely ignoring them, and with heavy, arrogant steps, she headed towards Emily's dressing room. Her high heels hit the floor loudly, a sound that echoed throughout the hallway.
Emily was not about to be intimidated, and when the actress arrived at her door, she glared at her with a defiant look. Without wasting time, the actress opened her mouth in disdain, launching a sentence with a cruel smile:
"You poor artists... This dressing room is mine, get out." She said, with a tone of contempt that made Emily roll her eyes.
Emily raised an eyebrow, feeling a mixture of amusement and irritation. Without hesitation, she answered firmly: "Sorry, but it's mine."
The actress, now even more enraged, shouted: "You'll see, you don't belong here! I'll ask my father to ban you from this industry. You'll see how it goes next time! Poor artist!" She cursed Emily with harsh words and tried to advance towards her, raising her hand as if to slap her.
But Emily was not intimidated. Tired of that aggressive and childish attitude, she took a step back and, without exchanging any more words, closed the dressing room door with force, leaving the young actress to scream outside.
On the other side of the door, the actress's screams continued. Emily couldn't hear her properly, but she could tell that she was yelling curses and more threats, as if she were a spoiled child trying to assert her place.
Sitting in front of the dressing room mirror, Emily couldn't help but smile with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. She knew that this girl was nothing more than an egotistic person, and it wasn't worth wasting time or energy on something so small. Taking a deep breath, Emily focused on what really mattered: the work, the filming, and the need to maintain her composure in such a competitive environment.
The young actress probably had a lot to learn. And Emily was more than willing to ignore any provocation.