by Lara Hunter
“Is this our leading lady?” she asked, cheerful.
Merle grumbled.
“It is. Make her look presentable, Jen, and for Christ’s sake, make sure she knows the part inside and out, will you?”
“Of course. I’ve got everything under control.”
“Yes, well…see that you do.”
As he walked off, Jen rolled her eyes at Kaye, who smiled. Once Merle was out of earshot, Jen reached for Kaye’s arm, looping it with her own as she led Kaye toward the entrance of the mansion.
“Rule number one when working with Merle: just smile and nod and move on. His bark is a lot worse than his bite.”
“Really? He resonates as pure evil to me,” Kaye replied, laughing.
They stepped inside the mansion, and Kaye did her best not to look completely stunned by the beauty of the interior. It was spacious and open, the tile floor echoing as they made their way toward a series of rooms off of a massive living room with a mini theater inside. Jen opened a side door, granting access to a bathroom that was larger than Kaye’s apartment. A makeup and hair chair had already been set up, and Jen released Kaye, patting the seat.
“Get comfy. This might take a while.”
Kaye plopped into the chair, and Jen instantly began styling her hair, launching into a speech about how she’d been working with Merle for years and how many meltdowns she had seen on set.
“You can’t let bozos like that get to you, not in this industry. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that talent beats ego. If you’re good enough, they can’t touch you.”
“That is a good lesson,” Kaye agreed.
Her hair was curled and fluffed, and by the time Jen was done, she looked like a movie star, her makeup perfect. She opened a side closet that was filled with clothing items, and dressed Kaye in a pair of designer jeans and a stylish white top. She finished the look with a pair of gold sandals.
“The perfect fiancée,” Jen said, kissing the tips of her fingers and spreading them out at the room.
Kaye took another glance in the mirror, and she barely recognized herself. Is this how celebrities felt after getting glammed up for a scene? Would this be her new normal?
Jen picked up a radio and pressed the button to speak in it.
“The dove is ready. I repeat, the dove is ready.”
Kaye lifted an eyebrow.
“The dove?”
Jen shrugged.
“We all have code names. Usually, the female lead is the dove. I hope that doesn’t offend you.”
“Not at all,” Kaye answered, smiling.
She liked being the dove. A man’s voice on the radio came on, directing them to go to another room for the profile filming.
“Come on, let’s get you on set,” Jen said.
Kaye glanced around, keeping an eye out for Amir. They stepped through an open set of glass doors, where a luxurious pool sparkled in the back, facing a stunning view of the ocean in the distance. On the other side of the pool was a smaller house, and that was where Kaye found herself meeting her first camera crew.
“Hi! I’m Jesse,” a tall, handsome man said as he held a hand out for her to shake. “We’re going to film some of your background information this morning before we start going over a couple scenes. Are you ready for some fun?”
Kaye smiled at him, enjoying his positive energy.
“Always,” she said.
He winked at her.
“That’s my girl. Go ahead and take a seat over here in front of these plants. This is the guest house. I believe it’s where you’ll be staying during the filming.”
“It is?”
Jesse shrugged.
“That’s what I heard. We’ll talk with Amir and Merle about it later. Until then, let’s get started.”
Kaye sat in front of a camera, taking a deep breath and releasing it, along with her nerves. When the light turned green, Jesse began asking a series of questions.
“So, tell us how you and the Sheikh met.”
Chapter Seven
For a brief moment, Kaye forgot everything she had been reading up on the week before. Then, thankfully, in a flash, it all returned.
“The Sheikh and I met at a beach party. It was the perfect night. There was music and dancing, and he was so handsome,” she gushed, making sure that her eyes lit up as she talked about Amir.
“He was the perfect gentleman, too. Amir is everything I could ever want in a man. He’s kind, and he’s so protective of me,” she giggled.
Jesse nodded encouragingly, giving her the thumbs up. She spent the rest of the morning going through her rehearsed storyline, making it believable as she giggled and smiled at the camera. After an hour or so of questioning, the camera turned off and Jesse clapped.
“Great job, Kaye! That was perfect. Now we’ll have you go spend some time with your fiancé and see what footage we can get there. It’s still morning, so let’s start filming in the kitchen.”
Kaye nodded, thanking the team as she was led back past the pool and toward the main mansion. Another doorway led to a massive kitchen. Dark cherry wood cabinets lined the walls, with a stunning granite island in the center. Stainless steel appliances were scattered along the walls, and sitting at the expansive wooden kitchen table was Amir himself, drinking a cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” Kaye said.
When he looked up, his eyes sparkled at the sight of her. He was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, which seemed strange for a scene being filmed first thing in the morning, but Kaye figured that was all part of the plan.
“You look great,” he said, smiling as she joined him at the table.
“Thanks. A very skilled team made that happen.”
He chuckled.
“For you and me both,” he said, gesturing down at his beautiful gray suit.
Jesse appeared, clearly in charge of the show when Merle wasn’t around.
“All right, you two, we’d like to get some good morning scenes here, so we’re going to start filming. Remember, we want quirky cultural differences mixed in with lots of love and fun. Just go for it, okay?”
“You got it, Jesse,” Amir said.
Jesse nodded, stepping back behind the camera. When the light turned green, he nodded at them to start.
“So, what’s for breakfast?” Amir asked, his tone totally different.
He was arrogant and presumptuous, like a light switch had gone off. For a moment, Kaye was totally startled, and she went with that emotion for her character.
“What do you mean? There’s a fridge right there,” she said, gesturing toward the kitchen with a grin.
“Where I come from, we’re used to some pretty delicious meals every morning.”
“Where I come from, when you’re as rich as you are, you hire a cook to do that for you.”
“But you’re right here! Why not just get that cute little butt up and wrestle us up a meal?”
Kaye rolled her eyes, glancing at the camera with an expression that said, Can you believe this guy? She stood and headed toward the fridge. Inside, there was a whole bunch of expired food.
“Ugh, what died in here?” she asked, taking a full step back from the fridge.
Some of the staff snickered, and she realized the rotten food had to be a plant. Amir stood and joined her, his nose twitching in distaste.
“The fridge must have died. Does that happen?”
Kaye bestowed a loving smile on him, placing a gentle hand on his arm.
“Yes, my love. Things do break. Not used to seeing it happen in real life?”
Amir shrugged.
“Those things were always just…fixed,” he said, tugging her away from the fridge.
He pulled her into the circle of his arms, running a hand along the line of her jaw. Kaye stared up at him with adoration in her eyes.
“What would I do without you to explain all these things for me?” he asked, gesturing to the smelly fridge.
She turned and glanced back at
it.
“I don’t know, but if I have to breathe that in any longer, I’m going to hurl.”
“Hurl?” Amir asked, though clearly he knew what she meant.
“Throw up,” she clarified.
“Ah. Yes, let’s not have any of that. This tile is far too dignified for such a mess.”
“Cut!” Jesse called.
He stepped back out in front of the camera.
“That was great you guys, really great. Now, can I get Kaye over here to talk a little about your differences?”
“Sure,” Kaye said, nodding to Amir as she was tugged away to another part of the kitchen.
The camera light went on again, and she was back in character.
“Amir is one of the sweetest people I know, but he is definitely a little…out of touch. One time, I tried to get him to open a tin can for me. Didn’t know how,” she laughed.
She could hear Amir having his own interview across the kitchen.
“Kaye is such a sweet girl. She’s beautiful and funny. She just really doesn’t know how to pick up on my cues, though. Like, when a man wants breakfast, make him breakfast!”
She glared at him from across the room, and he blew a kiss at her, the expression dripping with sarcasm. All of it was caught on camera.
“All right, now let’s get the two of you sitting side by side, talking about your relationship,” Jesse said.
He led them toward another living room, which housed an array of luscious smelling flowers, the open windows letting in the scent of the sea breeze. Amir and Kaye were placed side by side, and he reached for her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Her fingertips tingled where he touched them.
“Okay, now tell me a funny story about how you met,” Jesse said, turning the cameras back on.
Amir glanced down at Kaye and smiled.
“Well, Kaye here was being a bit of a mess on the dance floor—doing this American…chicken dance thing?—and it was my duty as a man of Al Rayyan to ensure that she didn’t make a total fool out of herself.”
“Amir,” Kaye scolded, nudging him playfully. “That is not at all what happened. There was actually a man that wouldn’t leave me alone.”
Amir’s expression turned stony. He looked ferocious in an instant. While disconcerted, Kaye continued on as though the behavior was totally normal.
“The guy was hounding me all over the floor. He lured me into a corner and was about to lay his hands on me when, out of nowhere, this guy swooped in and saved the day.”
She nestled a little more closely into Amir’s side, breathing in the clean scent of him. He smelled like soap and clean linen, and it was the most comforting smell she had ever experienced. Amir was tense beneath her touch.
"I would have beaten that man for his behavior, stalking a woman like that. He had no place to behave in such a manner. Fortunately, I was able to get that point across with as little violence as possible.”
“And saved the day,” Kaye gushed, beaming up at her “fiancé.”
Amir smiled warmly down at her, his brown eyes filled with an adoration that seemed so real, Kaye was almost fooled herself. She reminded herself to tell him to seriously consider a career in acting after the show wrapped.
“Cut! That’s good guys, really awesome. Let’s get you doing some scenes in some other parts of the house, okay?”
Kaye nodded, and together she and Amir spent the rest of the day filming scenes that would constitute their everyday life as a couple in love. While they showed affection toward one another, Amir never kissed her.
“Where I come from, that’s just not a way we show affection before marriage,” he explained to the camera.
Kaye nodded respectfully.
“There are so many ways to show love. Besides, it will make that first kiss even more special, won’t it babe?”
Amir nodded, twirling Kaye and tugging her into his embrace, where he dipped her.
“Like dancing, for example,” he said.
He was dashing and charming, but there were so many elements to the reality show version of Amir that weren’t even close to the man he was off camera. It was a fascinating transformation. When the cameras turned off, he lifted her back onto her feet, stepping away.
“You’re really good at this,” Kaye told him, her voice laced with admiration.
Amir shrugged.
“Thanks. I’ve been around enough actors to know the ropes a bit. Also, Merle drilled my character into me pretty hard, and we all know what happens when we disappoint Merle.”
There was a general chuckle that echoed around the room.
“That should be good for today. We’ll film some evening scenes tomorrow night, and do some cutting and editing tomorrow morning, so you should expect us to start setting up sometime in the afternoon. Sound good?”
“Sounds great. Thanks for everything, Jesse,” Amir said, holding out a hand for Jesse to shake, which he did.
“No problem, man. You guys make it easy. Kaye, great job today. I think we’ve really got a hit show on our hands. You two have great chemistry on camera.”
Kaye felt a small blush creep up her cheeks.
“Thanks, Jesse.”
He nodded.
“We’ll have Jen arrive a little earlier than us tomorrow to get you both camera ready, okay?”
“Sounds good,” she replied.
With that, Jesse and the rest of the crew packed up their supplies, leaving the larger pieces in the front courtyard.
As she got ready to leave, Kaye remembered with a start that she hadn’t thanked the Sheikh for her gorgeous new car yet. She turned to him, beaming.
“Sorry I didn’t have time to say so before, but thank you so much for the car. It was really sweet of you, and I appreciate it so much! I love her; she’s gorgeous. I need a name, though!”
Amir returned her grin.
“Happy to help. We can think up a name tonight over some dinner, if you want?”
Kaye gave him a confused look.
“They told me to ready the guest house for you. I thought you had planned on staying there for the shoot,” the Sheikh explained.
Remembering that conversation, Kaye lowered the hand holding her car keys.
“Oh yeah, but I only brought a small bag, which is…somewhere.”
“I’ll help you find it, and anything else you need, we can send Joshua to get as well.”
“Are you sure that’s okay? I don’t want to do anything that might put me in violation of the contract.”
“No need to worry about that—you’ll be staying in a different building from my room, after all. I would be honored to have you as my guest,” he said, turning as he gestured back toward the house.
Kaye thought about her dingy apartment, comparing it to the rather comfortable bed she had seen in the guest house. With a nod, she joined Amir, and they began searching the house for her missing bag.
They found it in the downstairs bathroom where she’s had her hair and makeup done. Kaye grabbed it, then Amir led her out back and to the doorway to the guest house.
“I hope you’ll find everything to your liking here. I do like my guests to be very comfortable, so anything you need, just say the word.”
“Thank you, Amir. You’re a gracious host.”
“I will be having quite a few guests for a very long time around here. I should be nothing if not gracious.”
His smile was warm. Behind him, the sun was sinking toward the horizon, lighting the back of him like a golden halo. Kaye realized that she was staring, and she blinked, bringing herself back to reality.
“Well then,” she said, not sure how to end the conversation.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
In that moment, Kaye realized she hadn’t actually eaten anything all day. Her stomach instantly protested.
“Yes, but what will we eat? You’ve got a fridge full of rotten food, if you remember.”
The corner of Amir’s lip twitched, and he leaned in conspiratoriall
y.
“Good thing the actual kitchen is in a much better hidden place. Come on.”
He turned and made his way back toward the main house, and Kaye had no choice but to follow. After all, a woman needed to eat, right?
Chapter Eight
Amir led the way through the various open spaces of his mansion until they reached a subtle corkscrew staircase discreetly tucked into a corner. He waved for Kaye to follow him down.
“This is quite the secret, as you can tell,” he said, stepping carefully as they wound their way down, muted light coming from below.
“It’s not terribly well-hidden, then,” Kaye observed.
“Ah, but it is. Everyone is always so distracted by the glamour of the floor above, that they fail to notice this little corner in the back. In all the parties I’ve had—and I’ve certainly had a few—no one has ever managed to find me when I sneak down here for some peace and quiet.”
They reached the bottom, and Kaye gazed around at her new surroundings.
It was a cozy space, almost like an in-law suite, but for the mega-rich. There was another comfortable living room, a posh-looking kitchen toward the back, and a door that presumably opened up to another bedroom.
“This is quite the hideaway you’re sharing with me then,” she observed, curious that he would do so.
After all, for all their engagement mumbo jumbo, Amir and Kaye were practically strangers to one another. He shrugged one shoulder, leading the way toward the kitchen.
“You are my fiancée, after all. We should have no secrets. Also, when Merle gets to be a bit too much, now you know where you can hide.”
Kaye grinned at that as she took a seat at the kitchen counter, watching as Amir pulled out a series of ingredients from the surprisingly well-stocked kitchen.
“A bit too much?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“I think there are words one could use for Merle that go well beyond the realm of polite conversation,” Amir said, setting out a cutting board and plopping a series of vegetables in front of Kaye.
“Now, chop chop,” he said, gesturing toward the veggies.
“Now, knife knife,” Kaye replied, and Amir turned, procuring a sharp cutting knife and handing it to her.