Love Scene, Take Two

by Alex Evansley

  “Did Emmy Akers just say fuck?” Olivia perks up happily, but her smile disappears when she leans forward to look out the window. “Are those people?”

  Even though it’s dark, Bennett can definitely see a crowd—maybe fifty or so—outside on the restaurant’s front patio. They’re all standing in little groups, most with their heads bowed over what Bennett assumes is some generation of the iPhone. Maybe it’s a trick of the streetlights, but most of them look like girls.… Teenage girls. And a limo pulling up in front of the restaurant is certainly exciting enough to snag their attention away from their screens.

  Teddy shifts away, clearly having the same epiphany as Bennett. She watches him lean across the large amount of seat space next to him to knock on the limo’s partition.

  “Hey, man,” he greets the driver as the screen lowers. “Is there a back way into this place?”

  The driver says something that Bennett doesn’t catch, then the limo slowly pulls away from the curb and out into traffic. Teddy draws back from the partition, propping his arm up again on the same spot behind Bennett’s head. The outside of his leg is flush against hers and he’s bouncing his knee wildly. Bennett finally lets herself steal a glance at his face. He’s biting his thumbnail; and when his eyes flick to hers, he lowers his hand almost guiltily and gives her a tiny smile.

  “Good call, Ted,” Olivia says as they circle the block. Teddy’s knee stops bouncing. “If those people are here for us, how the hell did they find out?”

  Emmy is already tapping furiously on her iPad. “I have no idea, but we can find another place to go if you guys are uncomfortable. This is absolutely ridiculous; I cannot believe—”

  “Em.”

  “—this. The restaurant assured me that there wouldn’t be—”

  “Emmy—”

  “—an issue and guaranteed their discretion. Which means a waitress or someone blabbed and I’m not trying to get anyone fired but—”

  Bennett groans, “Oh my God, EMMY.”

  “I—” Emmy knits her eyebrows together and glances up. “I’m sorry. The publisher and I have been planning this for a while, and after how well everything went today, I’d be really angry if the one thing to mess it up is some waitress who can’t keep her mouth shut.”

  Teddy’s knee goes back to bouncing against Bennett’s as they listen to Emmy call and inform the restaurant’s hostess that they will be coming in the back way due to the crowd on the front patio.

  “Yes, well, this is unacceptable,” Emmy says, her tone curt. “Even if no one there had anything to do with it, they’re still out there.… Yes, we’ll be arriving shortly.… No, I need you to make sure that someone is out there to escort us in.… Yes, thank you.”

  “Dropping F bombs, being rude to hostesses.” Olivia gives a nod of approval when Emmy hangs up. “I’m digging this new side of you, Em.”

  * * *

  The driver drops them off at the restaurant’s loading dock.

  Bennett climbs out of the limo after Emmy and Olivia and pauses for a second to look around. The restaurant is right on the beach, and the moon is abnormally bright and hanging low over the horizon. If Bennett ever decides to move to Wilmington, she’d definitely become a regular here.

  “Hey, Caldwell, as much as I’m enjoying the view here, you mind if I hop out?”

  “Oh, whoops—” Bennett jumps out of the way.

  At first she thinks Teddy is talking about the same view she’d been admiring; then she realizes she’d been standing right outside of the limo’s doorframe and was blocking him from seeing anything past her. She turns around and narrows her eyes at him once he’s out.

  “What?” he asks innocently, shutting the door. “I like the dress you’re wearing; can you blame me?”

  Yes, she can blame him.

  Which makes her a total hypocrite, seeing as she’d spent the majority of the book signing getting distracted by all the wonders his sweater does for his shoulder-to-waist ratio. Now the sleeves are pushed up to his elbows and the black fabric is blending in with the night around him. He looks … mischievous. But that has more to do with the change in his demeanor than a well-tailored sweater. Especially when he smirks at her like that.

  Bennett shakes her head and walks past him, trying to exude some form of composure, but the back of her neck and the tops of her ears are burning bright red, and the teasing chuckle she hears behind her indicates Teddy is well aware he’s the reason for it.

  A waiter has the restaurant’s side door propped open for them. Bennett manages a friendly smile as she thanks the guy and joins Emmy and Olivia in a dark hallway off the kitchen. Once Teddy is inside, too, the waiter leads them out into the dining area. It’s hard to ignore how crowded the place is, and it’s even harder to ignore the gasps and squeals that echo around the restaurant when they walk in. The waiter takes them to a private room behind the bar and gestures for everyone to walk ahead of him. Bennett’s family and the McGearys greet them as they look up from their menus.

  “About damn time y’all got here!” Liz says, and points to the end of the table. “Bennett, you’re at the head of the table so everyone can see you; and Olivia, my brother, Will, is dying to sit next to you.”

  Bennett snorts. Of the four empty seats left at the table, there’s one open next to Liz, one next to that at the head, and two on the other side next to Will. Bennett knows exactly what Liz is trying to do here.

  Olivia catches on, too, because she claps her hands and replies, “Oh, good, because I’ve been dying to sit next to Will too.”

  Will’s smile takes over his entire face as the waiter pulls out Olivia’s chair for her.

  “You guys sit wherever you like,” Bennett’s dad says. “We’ve only ordered drinks so we can switch seats up if you guys want.”

  Bennett knows the only thing worse than obeying seating arrangement orders from Liz is making everyone get up and move around just to spite her.

  The waiter pulls out Emmy’s chair for her, then Bennett’s at the head of the table. Teddy takes his seat between Bennett and an all-too-pleased Liz, and he barely has time to throw Bennett a soft smile before Liz’s arm snakes around his shoulders.

  “So, Teddy, tell me everything about filming,” Liz says, yanking him toward her. “I’m dying to know.”

  * * *

  On a scale of Slightly Awkward to Excruciatingly Unbearable, dinner has fallen somewhere near Full of Overwhelming Secondhand Embarrassment.

  Aunt Susan and Uncle Fletcher think it’s appropriate to order drinks for their daughter (and reprimand the waitress for asking to see her ID), so Liz is drunk by the time they get through the appetizer. Only her parents seem to find it amusing. She monopolizes the conversation, orders the poor waitress around, demands to know all the details of filming (even after the third time they explain it to her), and somehow manages to keep a hand somewhere on Teddy at all times. As a writer, even Bennett couldn’t have imagined this much of a train wreck.

  And as an eighteen-year-old girl with a crush, Bennett wants to reach over and throw Liz’s drink in her face.

  “So, I mean, Bennett’s book was good and all, but I’m so excited about the movie that I just—I can’t even sit still!” Liz slurs, sloshing part of her third vodka and soda into Teddy’s lap. “Oh, God; I’m so sorry, Ted. Let me help you.”

  “I’ve got it, thanks,” Teddy mutters, carefully batting Liz’s napkin away from his crotch.

  If anyone deserves MVP for the evening, it’s Teddy. The only time he’s had a second to himself all night sans Liz was when he got up to use the bathroom halfway through dinner. Bennett had used it as an opportunity to hook a foot around the leg of his chair and subtly slide it closer to her end of the table.

  Once everyone’s finished with their meal, Emmy stands up with her drink in hand and clears her throat.

  “First, I wanted to thank everyone for making today so great, despite a couple of changes in the original plan.” Emmy smiles apologetically. “
We didn’t anticipate that many people coming out, so I appreciate you guys going along with it.”

  “You know, Emmy,” Liz interrupts. “You can never be too careful when two famous actors are involved. Trials and tribulations of being a celebrity.”

  Emmy gives her a tight smile. “Yes, well, speaking of the actors—I have an announcement for everyone.”

  Tanner shoots Bennett a questioning glance from the other end of the table. She shrugs.

  “Bennett and I have already been talking a little about setting up a set tour for Will, so I went ahead and arranged one for everyone tomorrow morning at ten. That way you all can see what we’ve been doing so far.”

  “What a great thought, Emmy,” Bennett’s mom says excitedly.

  “Yes, how wonderful!” Aunt Susan chimes in, leaning over the table to look down at her daughter. “Liz, honey, now you can get a feel for what a real set looks like!”

  “Oh, I’m so excited!” Liz practically screeches.

  “Elizabeth has really taken to acting these days. Seeing a real set will be a great experience,” Uncle Fletcher provides, and it’s almost like a record scratches somewhere across the room. Everyone falls silent.

  “Wait, Will,” Olivia cuts in, shifting her gaze away from glaring at Liz. “I thought you were the one who’s interested in acting?”

  Will’s slumped in his chair, his arms folded across his chest, and it looks like he’s trying hard to keep his expression neutral. He’d made a couple of comments over the past few months to Bennett about Liz coming to his acting workshops, sure, but Bennett had chalked it up to Liz being bored with her life. She hadn’t realized it’d come to this.

  “Oh, I’m still interested in it—” he starts.

  “Will took me with him to one of his acting workshops last fall and the instructor said it would be a travesty if I didn’t pursue it as well,” Liz interrupts in between polishing off her drink and almost missing the table when she sets the glass down. Then she starts into all the details of the acting classes she’d started taking at Clemson so she can commit more time to learning her craft.

  Emmy slowly sits back down and Bennett gives her an apologetic smile for her announcement getting hijacked. Jesus. Just when the McGearys couldn’t get any more typical, they go and pull this. It’s just—Bennett will never understand.

  “Hey, Emmy?”

  Bennett and Emmy look down the table to see Bennett’s dad with his glass raised to her. “This has been really great, thank you.” Bennett’s mom and Tanner nod to her as well.

  Emmy smiles and cheers them back, then she mutters to Bennett, “I do not understand how your family is so polar opposite.”

  “Ohmehga—!” Liz squeals, gripping Teddy’s forearm. “I’m so excited for tomorrow. I can’t even.”

  “Is there anything you can even with, Liz?” Olivia asks.

  And Bennett isn’t sure if it’s because she’s had to watch Liz drape herself all over Teddy all night, or the sad look on Will’s face, or that she feels bad she subjected Teddy, Olivia, and Emmy to an evening with her extended family … maybe all the above. But either way, it’s been the Liz McGeary Show since her family got here, and Bennett can’t sit here and watch it anymore.

  Bennett stands at the head of the table, clinking her water glass with the end of her fork. “I’d also like to thank you guys for coming today to surprise me,” she says, only looking at her parents and her brother. “It really meant a lot that—”

  “Oh, Bennie, stop. You know we just love coming to your—”

  “Just two minutes, Liz. I promise,” Bennett cuts clean across her cousin, holding up her hand (which is far more polite than what she wanted to say). Liz looks more taken aback than offended. “Anyway. It really means a lot to have you here. And I’m really excited for you guys to see the set tomorrow. I was thinking y’all could come a bit early and we can have breakfast beforehand? What do you think, Em?”

  “Definitely a good plan,” Emmy says, and Bennett knows she’s itching to pull out her iPad to check what the breakfast buffet is going to be. “How about everyone gets to set around 9:15, 9:30?”

  Everyone agrees, and Bennett raises her water glass. She knows she’s probably going to sound so lame, but at this point, what the hell.

  “And cheers to Teddy and Olivia,” she says, “for choosing to be a part of this movie. I couldn’t have asked for more talented actors to play these characters, and I can’t wait for y’all to see the amazing work they do every day.”

  “Hear, hear!” Olivia says, clinking her glass with Will’s first.

  Bennett catches Teddy’s eye as she sits back down, and she doesn’t know how to describe the way he’s looking at her, but it makes a blush creep up the back of her neck.

  “And here’s to Bennett Caldwell,” Teddy says suddenly, his voice loud enough to carry over the McGeary chatter happening to his left. He raises his glass to the table but holds Bennett’s gaze. “For being the reason we’re all here in the first place.”

  * * *

  As dinner is wrapping up, the same waiter from earlier appears at the door and offers to lead them out to their cars again. He says the restaurant staff tried to minimize the crowd that had gathered but there are still quite a few people left outside.

  Bennett’s parents and the McGearys valeted their cars, so the good-byes begin before they head up to the front of the restaurant. The McGearys waste no time with formalities, giving out curt good-byes and making sure Liz doesn’t fall over when she stands from the table.

  “Do y’all know where your hotel is?” Bennett asks, pulling back from hugging her mom.

  “Your dad has the address so we should be good,” she says.

  “Okay, cool. As long as you know where you’re going,” Bennett worries. “And what about tomorrow? Do you know where to go for the tour?”

  Tanner steps in and swallows Bennett into a hug. “Relax, Ben. We’ll figure it out.”

  Bennett says bye to the rest of the clan, with Liz stepping on her toe as she yanks her in for another suffocating hug. Will sends Bennett an apologetic glance; Bennett sends one right back for him having to deal with a belligerent Liz for the rest of the night.

  “Hey, kiddo,” Bennett’s dad says, walking over to her. “Tonight was great.”

  “Yeah.” She nods, distracted by a wrinkled white envelope in his hand. “What’s that?”

  He holds it up. “Your boy Teddy gave it to me. I think it’s a thank-you note for last July.”

  “A what?”

  “Yeah. He said he meant to get it to us earlier. Better late than never, right?”

  “Did he say why he’s just now getting it to you?” Bennett asks, trying to keep her voice down. One particular text message she received (and ignored) last July about their address flashes in her mind.

  “Nope. Just that he’s sorry it’s so late.” He shrugs, adding, “He seems like a good kid, Bennett.”

  “He is,” she says, eyeing the envelope again.

  “We should get going, but we’ll see you tomorrow.” Her dad kisses the top of her head as he gives her a hug.

  “Miss Caldwell.” The waiter approaches after Bennett’s family leaves. “Apparently a crowd has gathered at the loading door, too. You guys should probably get going before it gets worse.”

  Teddy appears at Bennett’s side and says, “We can figure out another way if this is uncomfortable.”

  “Why would it be uncomfortable for me? They’re here for you guys.”

  He reaches up and grips the back of his neck. “Sorry—you looked a little, I don’t know, freaked out there for a second.”

  “Is there anyone else on staff that can help escort us out?” Emmy asks the waiter.

  “I’ve got a couple of the barbacks waiting,” he says, throwing a thumb over his shoulder.

  Emmy’s surprised expression is quickly rearranged back to neutral. “Very well, thank you. Bennett? Olivia? You both make sure a bouncer is with you at all times.
I don’t want a repeat of whatever happened out in line at the signing today.”

  Olivia is already heading for the door, sporting a gigantic pair of sunglasses.

  “Oh, the trials and tribulations of being a celebrity,” she sighs dramatically, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead and sweeping out of the room.

  * * *

  They end up spending almost an hour at the loading dock by accident.

  Signing a few autographs turns into signing about fifty, and there are so many selfies taken Bennett thinks people are going to have retina damage from all the flashes. Olivia and Teddy handle themselves flawlessly. Not once are they rude; not once do they complain. And it gets to be so much that Emmy takes it upon herself to act as a step-in publicist.

  “Okay, thank you, ladies,” she repeats for the hundredth time. “Teddy and Olivia have filming early tomorrow. We have to get going.”

  Teddy and Olivia are posing with a group of six girls, one using a selfie stick to take the picture. An audible groan rings out.

  “Wait! One more?”

  “Teddy, I love you so much!”

  “Teddy!”

  “Please stay!”

  Emmy nods at the barbacks.

  “Please clear a path, ladies. They have to get to their car,” one announces as they herd everyone back.

  A few girls in front look like they’re about to start mouthing off but stand down when they see how big each barback is. More muttering among themselves breaks out as Teddy, Olivia, Bennett, and Emmy pass them to get to the limo. Emmy and Bennett let Teddy and Olivia go ahead of them so they can get out of the line of fire first. Bennett is about to pass one girl with her phone pointed in Teddy’s direction when something she says catches her attention.

  “I can’t believe Tumblr actually got something right for once,” she says to her friend.

  The other girl replies, “I can’t believe more people didn’t show. That post got, like, a thousand notes in the first thirty minutes. I just want to know how the person knew exactly where they’d be, you know? Stalker much?”

  Bennett hesitates in the limo’s doorframe, contemplating if she should go back and ask what they’re talking about. She decides against it at the last second and slides inside. A barback shuts the door behind her.