by Liwen Y. Ho
“A wedding?” Margot exclaimed. “Oh! This is Aiden’s big day, isn’t it? A summer wedding, how perfect. So that’s how the two of you are related.” She gave Emma a thorough once-over as she tapped a nail against her lower lip. “Well, aren’t you a lucky girl to be joining such a prestigious family. You’re certainly getting a leg up with this marriage.”
Emma’s eyes burned to hear Margot’s backhanded compliment. She clenched her hands into tight fists, feeling her nails dig into her palms. What she wouldn’t give to have something smart and witty to say in return. Her mind had gone completely blank though. That’s what happened when she faced conflict. Her fight or flight response was always switched to the latter setting, turning her into a doormat. She had not only inherited her mom’s red hair, but also her passive personality.
She bit her lower lip. It was times like these when she wished she had even an ounce of her sister’s spunk and grit. Abby had no qualms speaking her mind, especially when she had stood up to Emma’s childhood bullies. But Emma was no longer a child. She was twenty-six, and old enough to stand up for herself. At least she thought so. Behaving like a confident adult was a totally different matter.
“Margot,” Evan spoke up, an edge in his tone, “I’ll have you know that we’re all equal in God’s eyes. No one is better than anyone else, least of all my family.”
Margot looked like she was about to roll her eyes, but instead, she released a heavy breath. “Well, there’s still no denying that some of us have more followers on social media. That’s gotta count for something.”
“Not as much as you think,” Evan remarked. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, Emma and I need to get going. I’ll see you next week, Margot,” he added as he moved past both women to reach the door. He pushed it open, giving Margot a pointed look until she relented and moved in his direction. “Have a good night.”
“Don’t be surprised if there’s a new script for our next scene together, Evan. I’m going to go have a little chat with Daddy now. He loves hearing my ideas.” With a steely look, Margot walked out without a second glance back.
Once the door clicked shut, Emma released the breath she’d been holding. An overpowering stench of perfume filled her senses, almost giving her a headache. She winced. Even in her absence, Margot was still making an impression. Soon, however, a pair of strong, gentle arms wrapped her up from behind. She turned around and came face to face with primetime TV’s newest heartthrob. Laying her head on Evan’s chest, she relaxed into his embrace. “Hi.”
“Hey.” Evan kissed the top of her head, his lips lingering for a moment. He pulled back to look Emma in the eyes. “I’m so sorry about Margot. She was completely out of line. Are you okay?”
Emma shot Evan a grateful smile. He was such a sweet guy, more caring than any man she’d ever known. Especially in comparison to her father, who’d left her mom to start a new family with his coworker. After that failed marriage, her mom had gone through cycle after cycle of abusive relationships, which she’d witnessed throughout her childhood. The experience had left Emma with a lot of emotional scars that she was still working through, which made getting close to people difficult.
Except for Evan. She’d been drawn to him from the first time he introduced himself to her on set. Sure, it helped that he was insanely gorgeous with a strong jawline, a perfectly symmetrical face, and full lips. He was even more charming when he smiled, not only with his mouth, but with his eyes. His classic good looks had gotten her attention, but it was their shared faith in the Lord that had sealed the deal. His patience and kindness toward her and those around them impressed her as well. He was the only person she’d ever confided in about her struggles. Not even her sister knew everything she’d been through, since Abby had moved out as soon as she’d turned eighteen. Emma hadn’t wanted to burden her before, and certainly not now, when there was nothing her sister could do to change the past.
She nodded readily. “I’m okay, just mad that I didn’t stand up for myself. Thank you for doing that for me.”
“Of course. No one messes with my love.” Evan caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb, leaving a trail of warmth along her skin.
Emma smiled. My love. It amazed her how easily Evan could voice his feelings and thoughts. The only time she felt confident enough to express herself was when she was playing a role. That’s why she enjoyed acting so much. She’d gotten her first taste of it in a high school drama class she’d taken on a whim. Playing a character gave her a safe outlet to step out of her shell and express parts of herself—both positive and negative—that she normally wouldn’t show. The process was like therapy for her. She would forever be grateful to God for opening the doors for her to find a job doing what she loved. And for connecting her with Evan. Dating her celebrity crush was not only a dream come true, but a huge blessing.
“You’re so good to me. I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” she admitted to Evan.
“What are you talking about?” Evan exclaimed, his dark brown eyes clouding. “Didn’t you hear what I told Margot? God created us all equally. And the same grace He extends to me, He extends to you. Don’t forget that.” He tapped the tip of her nose. “I’m just as blessed to have you in my life. We’re so good together.”
Despite the security his words gave her, there was still a niggling thought in the back of her mind. “What was Margot doing here?”
Evan sighed. “She wanted to talk about the script for our next scene together. She’d only been here for a few minutes before you came. I’m really glad you showed up when you did.”
The hair on the back of Emma’s neck stood up. Evan wasn’t looking like his usual confident self. He sounded like a deflated balloon. “Did something happen?”
He let go of her to run his fingers through his dark wavy hair, grabbing at the ends in frustration. “Margot’s having a hard time differentiating between real-life and fiction. She seems to think there’s something going on between her and me based on the scene we shot today.”
Emma winced. She was afraid to ask, but she knew she had to. “What scene was that?”
“A kissing one.”
“Oh.” Her chest tightened to think of Margot in Evan’s arms, with her mouth— She stopped her train of thought before a visual could pop into her head. She hated the idea of Evan kissing other women, but it was part of his job. It wasn’t like he enjoyed it … did he? She didn’t let herself dwell on that question, for too long, at least. He had never given her any reason to doubt his faithfulness to her; his eyes never even wandered. But the women on the show were all so beautiful and refined, much more sophisticated than she was.
There was also the fact that kissing was such an intimate act. That’s why she had a “no kissing clause” written into her own acting contract. But Evan had different convictions that worked for him. She didn’t think less of him for that, but she couldn’t help but feel a little insecure. Okay, make that a lot insecure. That’s why she’d stopped watching the show after they’d started dating. It was hard enough seeing all the supermarket tabloid headlines about Evan’s supposed dating life; she didn’t need to see it played out on TV, too, even if it was fictional.
“I told her I was only doing my job,” Evan continued to explain. “She’s a professional; she should understand what’s required of us. I know I’m not the first guy she’s kissed on set.”
“But it’s easy to feel things for someone when you’re doing something so personal with them.”
He gave her a pained look and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Taking a few steps across the hardwood floor, he grabbed a bottle of water from a mini fridge in the small kitchenette. After taking a few swigs, he sat down in the middle of the gray couch on the other side of the trailer. “It’s a completely artificial environment. There’s nothing even remotely romantic about kissing someone with a whole camera crew surrounding you. She’s clearly not thinking straight.”
“Well, I’m sure it’d be hard not to be affected by
your kisses,” Emma answered wryly as she sat down beside him. “Or I imagine so since I haven’t experienced them yet.”
Evan eyed her, not looking amused in the least.
She winced. Her tongue-in-cheek tone was not helping the situation. But she couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling weighing down the pit of her stomach. Honestly, this was a weird topic to be talking about with Evan. Because that “no kissing clause” she had for work? He had implemented it in their dating life.
Evan had stated at the start of their relationship that he wanted to wait until they were engaged before they kissed. This idea had surprised Emma, but she had come to understand and respect his decision. His priority was on strengthening their communication and deepening their trust. Instead of kissing, they talked. They spent time learning about each other through fun activities, such as cooking and playing board games together. They showed affection by holding hands and hugging, but there was no pressure to do more. Their dating life was so different and refreshing from any relationship Emma had ever experienced, she’d never felt more secure in that respect.
But if she were honest, she’d admit she did wonder what it would be like to kiss Evan Spark. She wasn’t immune to his hotness. No woman would be. That’s why she almost didn’t blame Margot for getting her signals mixed up. “I’m just giving her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she’s honestly confused?”
Evan gritted his teeth. “She’s not confused, Em. Far from it. She knows exactly what she’s doing.” He proceeded to fill her in on the rest of his conversation with Margot, including the threat she’d made to have his girlfriend fired.
Emma’s jaw dropped. “Can she do that? I mean, I know she’s Mr. Everly’s daughter and all, but isn’t that like blackmail?”
“It’s more intimidation than anything. And yes, she can do whatever she well pleases. No one would ever dare fire her.”
“So what do we do? I don’t want any trouble.”
“There won’t be any as long as we keep doing what we’ve been doing. Stay quiet about our relationship. And hope the writers will convince the producers to go with the original storyline. I think there’s a good chance they will. The show’s bottom line is staying high in the ratings. They wouldn’t risk anything to jeopardize that.”
Emma pulled at a piece of thread hanging off the hem of her dress, nodding absentmindedly as she thought. “What about when we’re up in Nor Cal this weekend?”
“Even then, and especially during the wedding. Aiden already agreed to let People magazine have first dibs at their wedding photos. There’s going to be a couple of camera crews following them and the wedding party around at the ceremony. We’ll definitely need to keep our distance then.”
“What about our families? Won’t they think it’s weird if we hardly talk to each other?”
“I’ll explain it to them. It’s just for a day. All we have to do is pretend we’re just in-laws.”
“Okay. Just in-laws.”
Emma was pretty sure this ruse wouldn’t be hard to pull off. After all, they were both professional actors. And since they didn’t kiss, they wouldn’t even get caught in a compromising situation. No one would ever suspect a thing.
This thought should have comforted Emma, but it did the exact opposite. It only made her jealous of Margot because she got to do something she couldn’t: kiss her boyfriend.
Chapter Three
Evan
Evan stood in front of the bathroom mirror and adjusted his yellow ascot for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. He smoothed the silk fabric down and tucked it beneath his gray vest, hoping it would stay in place. Why in the world hadn’t Aiden chosen a simple clip-on tie for the groomsmen to wear? With only an hour until the ceremony, he needed to get his act together. He splashed on some cologne, then combed his hair into place before venturing out into the hotel suite he and his brothers had shared the night before.
He found them all in the large sitting area, dressed in matching tuxedos just like his. The only difference among them were their socks. Aiden had on orange ones, and had gifted each brother a similar pair in other fun, bold colors. Brandon’s were yellow, Colin’s bright pink, Darren’s green, and Evan’s a pleasant shade of blue.
Evan should’ve been happy to have gotten his favorite color, but all he could think about was how well the blue symbolized his current emotional state. He’d been feeling down since he received an email late last night with a revised script. Down was an understatement; he was feeling anxious and even mad. Margot had gotten her way, and had the break-up scene taken out. More than that, their characters were now getting closer physically in ways he didn’t want to think about. His nerves were on edge from a sleepless night spent tossing and turning. His job had always been a source of pleasure for him, but lately it was pushing him over the edge. There were things he was willing to do for the love of acting and a paycheck, but plenty that he wasn’t so sure about. His neck and shoulders tensed at the thought of the latter.
“Hey, Ev, over here,” Aiden called out to him. He patted the empty spot next to him on the white sofa. “We’re about to pray before we get out there. Do you have any requests?”
Evan sat down, feeling four pairs of eyes on him. He usually thrived as the center of attention, but he wasn’t craving it today. In fact, he wished his brothers would let him be and focus on the groom instead. “I’m fine. You’re the one we should be praying for. Today’s your last day as a bachelor. Any last words?” he quipped.
“None at all. I’m ready to marry Abby. I want nothing more than to settle down.” Aiden patted Evan’s back. The corners of his brown eyes crinkled as he smiled. “You’ll feel the same one day. Give it a couple of years.”
“You’ve got time, Ev,” Brandon reassured him with a nod of his blond head. “It’s good to establish your career first. That way you can provide for your family.”
“But don’t wait too long,” Colin cut in with his usual playful tone. “You don’t want to keep Emma guessing.”
Evan raised an eyebrow as he looked around the room from one brother to the next. He knew they meant well, but he wanted to roll his eyes. He wasn’t a kid anymore. His brothers didn’t need to dole out advice to him like he was a naive teenager. He certainly didn’t think or act like one anymore, especially not like the one he played on TV. “Thanks for your words of wisdom, guys, but I’ve got everything under control.”
His brothers all nodded, except for Darren, who was strangely quiet. He wore a pensive look as he rubbed the light scruff along his chin. Evan gave him a pointed look and asked, “What’s on your mind, Dare? I can tell you’re thinking about something.”
“Just thinking about what you told us, that you want us to keep your and Emma’s relationship a secret today. I think you’re doing the right thing. I’d do the same if Danica’s job was in danger.”
Evan allowed a small smile to curve his lips. He was happy for Darren’s new relationship with Danica, especially after the hurdles they’d been through. He was also relieved to get support from Darren regarding the “Margot mess”, as he’d called the situation when he explained it to his brothers. “Thanks, I’m trying. I’d hate to see Emma’s career suffer because of me. Especially after she’s tried so hard to break into Hollywood.”
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do about Margot?” Aiden asked. “You can’t let her control your every move. If you don’t do something, Abby will. She’s ready to fly down after the wedding to give Margot a piece of her mind. You know she’d do it, too, if we hadn’t already booked the tickets for our honeymoon. She keeps saying though that Hollywood is on the way to Fiji.”
Evan had to chuckle at this statement. Abby was the exact opposite of Emma—loud and assertive—but she had some admirable traits for a big sister. “You can tell her not to worry. I’m going to figure this out as soon as we get back.” He paused as he considered his next words. “Actually, there is something you can pray for me about. Direction for the next
step in my career. Edenvale’s been great, but I’m considering moving on.”
“You are?” Brandon and Darren exclaimed in surprise at the same time.
“I can’t play a teenager forever. I want bigger, more well-rounded roles where I’ll be taken seriously as an actor.”
“For more than your pretty face?” Colin laughed at his own joke. “I’m kidding. I know you’ve got more tricks up your sleeve. I saw you shoot an action scene before; you were really good. God’s given you a gift.”
“Good for you,” Aiden remarked. “I’m glad you’re thinking about the future. We’ll pray for you about that.” He leaned his forearms onto his thighs and clasped his hands together. “We better get started. Pray for the person on your right? Evan, can you close us out?”
Silence fell upon the room as the brothers closed their eyes. Rays of sunshine coming from a large floor-to-ceiling window added some warmth to the air-conditioned suite. Evan felt the first signs of peace flood his being as he listened to his brothers’ prayers. It was a rare occasion for all of them to be in the same place, even more for them to be praying together. He treasured this special moment that they shared.
When it came time for Darren to pray for Evan, he said a heartfelt prayer for him and his career path. He also prayed for his relationship with Emma, for which Evan was extra thankful for. He needed guidance now more than ever regarding their next steps.
When it was Evan’s turn, he prayed for Aiden and Abby’s wedding, but most importantly, for their marriage. Then he gave thanks for God’s grace on them all. “In Jesus’s name, amen.”
A resounding “Amen” echoed around him.
A knock sounded on the suite door. The hotel’s wedding coordinator, a woman in a business suit, popped her silver head inside. “It’s time, gentlemen. T minus fifteen minutes. I need you all to line up, groom first.”