“I’m ready,” Brexton said.
The director nodded and Brexton kissed his mate one more time before getting into character. He’d been happy to take on the role when he’d read the script, but now he wished the movie didn’t have a romantic ending. It was doubtful he’d ever find a role that didn’t require him to be close to a female, unless it was a horror movie, and even those tended to have couples in them. Since his skin was purple and there was no hiding it without spending half a day in makeup, he played an alien in every film he’d been in. He’d been offered speaking roles where he didn’t have to be seen, but he hadn’t felt they were a good fit. Thankfully, what the humans called science fiction seemed to be popular.
His co-star didn’t have any romantic interest in him, which helped. They’d talked often before and after filming, and he knew she had a male at home waiting for her. Perhaps he should have told Blossom that before they started shooting the day’s scene. What would she think when she saw him kiss another female? She’d known who he was when he went to her apartment, so she must have seen his movies. Did she understand it was all pretend and he didn’t really have feelings for the females he had to kiss on set?
When the dreaded kiss was about to happen, he felt everything inside of him tighten. He wondered if he looked as panicked as he felt. His co-star easily moved into his embrace and leaned against his body, her head tilted back as if she were begging for a kiss. He swallowed and fought the urge to move away from her. Doing what he’d been hired to do, he lowered his head and kissed her, but even he could tell it looked as mechanical as it felt.
“Cut,” the director yelled. “What the hell was that?”
“I’m sorry. I just can’t…” Brexton looked over at Blossom, who had her brow furrowed in confusion.
“You can’t what?” the director asked.
His co-star, Melody, smiled and gave him a wink. “He can’t kiss me and make it look like he means it because his wife is watching.”
“Then she can leave the set,” the director said.
“No, she won’t,” Brexton said. “Even if she weren’t present, I don’t think I could pull off the type of kiss you want.”
One of the crew cleared their throat and got everyone’s attention.
“We filmed this scene the other day, and while the beginning was a little rough, the kiss seemed fine. What if we splice the two together? Use everything from today up until the kiss, but use the previous filming for that part?” the man asked.
It looked like the director was about to protest, but Brexton rather liked the idea.
“That’s the only way that scene will look the way you want it to,” Brexton said. “From this moment forward, I’m not taking on any roles that require kissing or other intimate scenes. It’s not fair to my mate, and I feel guilty being that close to another female, even if it is for pretend. It feels wrong.”
“You didn’t have a problem before,” the director pointed out.
“I wasn’t officially mated before. Or married, as you humans say. I know a lot of actors and actresses film these types of movies while married, but I can’t do it,” Brexton said.
“Do you have a stunt double?” Blossom asked, standing and coming toward him. “You know, someone who’s supposed to look enough like you to take on the dangerous scenes?”
“No,” Brexton said. “I’ve always handled my own stunts. They’re harmless compared to going into battle.”
“Are there any other Terrans here who are your size and overall shape? Maybe they could put a fake beard on one and use some sort of digital technology to make them look close enough like you to pull off any intimate scenes,” Blossom said.
“That’s not a bad idea,” said Melody.
Brexton shrugged. “I’m considered large for my people, but I’m sure there’s someone close to my size. Just not here.”
The director sighed. “Fine, we’ll splice the scene. I’d suggest your manger and whoever represents your people here get together and come up with a solution for future movies before you sign another contract. The people expect a certain type of movie from you, and so do the studio execs.”
“So we’re done?” Brexton asked.
“Yeah, get out of here,” the director said. “You’re finished as far as this movie goes. If you have anything in the pipeline, better make sure you’re able to follow through before filming starts.”
Brexton took Blossom’s hand and left the studio with Ranvik trailing them.
When they reached his vehicle, he paused. A feeling of unease settled in his stomach, and the certainty that something was wrong filled him. He looked around and noticed Ranvik doing the same thing.
“What’s wrong?” Blossom asked.
“I don’t know,” Brexton murmured.
“The two of you stay back,” Ranvik said. He pulled a scanner from his pocket and walked toward Brexton’s SUV. The scanner lit up like crazy when he neared the rear of the vehicle on the driver’s side. Ranvik dropped to the ground and looked underneath, swearing loudly.
“What did you find?” Brexton asked.
