Love Scene, Take Two

by Alex Evansley

  “Let me know when you get a booking agent, kid,” the director says, and Will can barely form a coherent response when Burt hands him his business card.

  The McGearys end up staying to watch—well, Uncle Fletcher and Aunt Susan do. Liz leaves to go sulk in the car. And to probably delete all the pictures off her Tumblr that Teddy and Bennett posted. Not that it matters. Bennett knows the damage was done within the first thirty seconds of posting. Like clockwork, Teddy gets calls from his manager and his agent asking if he wants the pictures taken down and how they should handle the tabloids.

  Teddy says no, he wants the pictures to stay up.

  He also tells them to confirm with the tabloids that he and Bennett are officially involved, but only if they ask first.

  After he gets off the phone, he loops his arms around Bennett and says, “You good with that?”

  She laughs, even though she’s still breathless from their conversation earlier—a shy vulnerability that has her fully acknowledging that things are going to be okay between her and Teddy. She knows she put him through hell and back, and she wants to spend as much time as she can making it up to him, whether he likes it or not.

  “Yeah, I’m good with that,” she says, smiling and leaning into him. “I just—I told you I don’t know what to do with myself right now.”

  He smirks. “Actually, I believe your exact words were ‘I am so fucking in love with you, I don’t even know what to do with myself right now.’”

  She drops her gaze as another massive blush hits her hard (and it definitely doesn’t help that she can’t keep the dopey, lovesick grin off her face).

  Teddy gently takes her face in his hands.

  “If it makes you feel any better…” he says, brushing a thumb over her cheek. He presses a slow kiss to her lips, and Bennett is seriously worried her knees are about to give out. “I’m so in love with you, Mary Bennett Caldwell,” he says, kissing her again, “I haven’t known what to do with myself since July.”

  M. B. Caldwell (author)

  This article is brought to you by Encyclopeakia, the people’s encyclopedia.

  M. B. Caldwell (born Mary Bennett Caldwell; May 20, 2000) is an American writer, screenwriter, and film producer. She is best known as the author of the New York Times–bestselling young adult series Parachutes.

  Career

  After secretly working on a rough draft for almost two years, Caldwell published her first novel, Parachutes, during her sophomore year of high school when she was only sixteen. She was put into contact with her literary agent through her English teacher. The film rights for the series were sold in 2017 and Caldwell was asked to help adapt the first screenplay. Filming wrapped in March 2019.

  Personal Life

  Caldwell was born in Cornelius, North Carolina, to Tom and Libby Caldwell. She has an older brother, Tanner. She graduated from Davidson Day School in May 2018. She is currently in a relationship with actor Teddy Sharpe, whom she met after he auditioned for the role of Jack in the film adaptation of Parachutes. Their relationship was highly publicized in the media after pictures of them together on set were leaked onto Tumblr, causing a wide range of Internet speculation that the two were involved.

  EPILOGUE

  These days there are a few things in life of which Teddy Sharpe is absolutely certain, and one of them is that his girlfriend is going to murder him if he doesn’t hurry the hell up.

  Well, murder is a stretch … but still.

  “Rita! We were supposed to be downstairs ten minutes ago!” Teddy yells, rummaging through his duffel bag and flinging clothes across his hotel suite. “Do they really have to be solid black? All I’ve got are”—he grabs a fistful of socks toward the bottom and holds them up to the light—“gray Nike ones, and black ones with little purple polka dots!”

  “THEY HAVE TO BE ALL BLACK, TEDDY,” Rita yells back from suite’s sitting area. “They’ll throw off the whole ensemble if they aren’t!”

  Teddy pauses and glances down at himself. This could have all been avoided had he not been forced into wearing tight-ass dress pants that pull up at the ankle when he walks. His entire suit is too tight, actually. (You’d think custom-made would merit a little more comfort here.) And the fact that Rita just referred to it as an ensemble has Teddy putting on the purple polka dot socks anyway. He needs some normalcy.

  He steps out of his room and Rita groans.

  “How do you not have a pair of solid black socks with you, Ted? Jesus.”

  His manager is sporting a green cocktail dress and scary shoes that give her a few inches on him when she comes over to help straighten his jacket lapels.

  “I didn’t realize it was going to be this big of an issue,” Teddy says, subtly shrugging her off. “Now come on, we gotta go.”

  The elevator ride down to the hotel lobby takes approximately twenty-seven years. Teddy spends it messing with his cuff links and listening to Rita explain the evening’s itinerary again. He’s only been to smaller, low-key movie premieres before, but the gist is pretty much the same: Red carpets. Fancy clothes. Schmoozing.

  The elevator doors finally open and Teddy lets Rita walk out ahead of him. So far the concierge has been great about keeping paparazzi under control, but they can’t do much about the crowd that’s already gathered on the sidewalk outside the lobby’s glass doors. It’s the first thing Teddy sees when he steps off the elevator, and he banks hard left into a long hallway before camera flashes start going off.

  “If you keep fidgeting with your jacket buttons they’re going to pop off,” Rita says, leading him toward one of the hotel’s ballrooms. “And I didn’t ask the tailor for extras.”

  Teddy fastens the top button and shoves his hands into his pockets.

  The whole gang is already there when he walks into the ballroom—Olivia in a tiny white dress that looks like it’s hard to breathe in and Will standing next to her in a blue suit, tugging at his pastel bow tie. They’re surrounded by a horde of managers and publicists and handlers, and standing just off to the side of it all is Bennett Caldwell in a floor-length purple gown.

  Teddy stops walking for a second.

  She hasn’t seen him yet, too engrossed in a conversation with Emmy to notice Teddy breathless and a little dazed in the entryway. Then Will yells, “Ted! You made it,” and the focus of the room pivots. Greetings ring out; people beckon him forward; and when Bennett’s eyes shift and land on him, Teddy’s heart does one of those cheesy nervous stutter-step things that normally he’s way too manly to acknowledge.

  She looks stunning …

  … and nervous.

  “Ladies,” Teddy says, strolling over with what he hopes is some composure. He stops next to Bennett, and it takes a heroic display of restraint not to reach for her. Teddy’s been to enough industry events to know that it’s too easy to smudge makeup or snag a cuff link on dress fabric—he’s not about to let ill-timed PDA disrupt the perfection that is Bennett Caldwell before he has a chance to officially show her off.

  “You clean up nice, Sharpe,” Emmy says, locking her iPad and holding it to her chest.

  “Back atcha, Em. Sorry to keep you guys waiting,” Teddy says. He throws a wink at Bennett and tries not to smirk when her gaze flicks up from somewhere around his lapel region. Before he can shamelessly ask her if she digs the suit, though, Rita and one of Olivia’s handlers call for them to gather around to go over the game plan for getting to the theater.

  “We’ve got cars waiting behind the hotel at their loading dock,” the handler says, turning to Olivia and Will. “We’re in the first SUV—Will, as Olivia’s date it’s your job to keep paps from getting any up-skirt shots when she gets out, so make sure you step out first and block the doorframe until she’s ready. And don’t forget to button your jacket when you’re on the carpet.”

  Handlers and jacket buttons. Jesus.

  Rita steps in and says, “Teddy and Bennett, we’re all in the car behind them, and Emmy and the rest of the crew are behind us. I
can go over a few more logistics with you on the way over”—Teddy feels Bennett tense beside him—“and once we’re through the red carpet, there’s a waiting room for the cast and crew just inside the theater. We’ll meet there before you go onstage with Burt to introduce the movie. Where’s Otis?”

  An older man wearing a hotel uniform steps forward.

  Rita nods. “If you guys can follow Otis, he’ll lead us all down to the loading dock.”

  As people start to file out, Teddy catches Bennett’s hand to keep her from getting too far away. She angles back toward him, and he waits until the ballroom is almost cleared to step right up into her space, careful that only their fingers are touching.

  He takes his time eyeing the purple fabric of her dress, from the one strap on her right shoulder all the way down to the hemline. This close, he can see all of the makeup she’s had applied, can smell the amount of hairspray keeping her side braid styled. It’s so different from how he normally sees her—he knows she prefers her jean shorts and baseball hats (most of the time, he does too)—but right now she looks every inch a red carpet smoke show, and it’s making it really difficult for Teddy to remember the concept of personal space.

  “Jesus, Caldwell,” he murmurs, leaning in a little closer. “You care if I ruin your lipstick?”

  Some of the tension disappears from her shoulders when she reaches up to slip her free hand into the hair at the nape of his neck. She shakes her head and pulls him in, but the angry sound of Rita’s voice stops them less than an inch apart.

  “No, no—no time for that right now!” she yells from the doorway of the ballroom. “We’re late, remember? Save it for the carpet.”

  Bennett draws back, and Teddy catches another glimpse of all the nerves she’s trying so hard to hide before she arranges her expression back to neutral.

  Getting to their cars ends up being less of a production than Teddy was expecting. A few paparazzi figured out their plan and are camped out on top of the parking deck next door, but outside of that, everyone is able to slide into their designated SUV with minimal exposure. Once Teddy and Bennett are tucked safely into the backseat and hidden behind tinted windows, Rita hops into the front with the driver and the caravan pulls out into the New York City traffic.

  “All right, guys,” Rita says, turning around to face them. She pauses when she sees Teddy’s arm propped up on the seat behind Bennett’s head. “Ted, gimme a break here—you’re gonna screw up your jacket’s shoulder fit before photos if you keep your arm like that.”

  Teddy doesn’t move.

  Rita sighs. “Okay, anyway. This is your first event walking the red carpet as a couple. Paps will be all over you. It won’t be like San Diego Comic-Con or any of the other press tour stuff you guys have done, and it’ll only be worse at the LA premiere next week. Look at this as a practice round.”

  Teddy grins at the mention of Comic-Con. That was the weekend he finally got to introduce Bennett to his family, and they haven’t really shut up about her since.

  “I’ll be right behind you in case things get overwhelming,” Rita continues on. “I have no problem reminding paparazzi of their place, so just wave me over if you’re getting uncomfortable.…”

  Teddy sort of tunes her out after that, getting distracted when he glances over to check on Bennett again. She hasn’t spoken since he met her down in the ballroom earlier. Sure, he’d anticipated this—eight months of dating has been long enough to learn Bennett’s tells when she’s anxious (among other things)—but now he’s starting to worry that her nerves aren’t just premiere-related.

  “Rita,” Teddy says as soon as his manager pauses from her couples PR lesson, “you mind giving us just a minute?”

  Understanding appears on Rita’s face and she nods; then she turns around and puts the radio on to give them some privacy.

  “Caldwell,” Teddy says, nudging her leg. “You good?”

  Bennett gives him a warm, closed-lip smile, but she only holds his gaze for a second before dropping it again.

  “Nice socks,” she says.

  It registers with Teddy that the polka dots he’s wearing are almost the same color as her dress.

  “You know, I could’ve at least been able to say I planned this had you told me what color your dress was ahead of time. That’s why I had to go with an all-black suit in the first place. Now I’m gonna have to tell everyone on the red carpet that we’re so in tune as a couple that we didn’t even have to plan it.”

  Her nose twitches as she tries to hold back a grin, but it’s still not the reaction he wants.

  “Hey.” He lowers his voice then. “You’re still good with this, right?”

  “What?”

  “This”—Teddy gestures between them—“going public tonight.”

  “Of course I am.” Bennett tilts her head to the side, eyebrows knitting together. “It’s not like people don’t already know anyway, right?”

  That doesn’t make him feel better.

  “Yeah, but still…” Now Teddy’s the one to look away, embarrassed for letting some residual insecurity from last February get the better of him. “I was the one who pushed for going to the premiere together. We’re basically giving people written invitations into our relationship at this point. I don’t want it to be uncomfortable for you—”

  “Teddy.”

  Teddy peeks over.

  Bennett sets a hand on his jaw to turn him all the way toward her. Then she gives him a slow, reassuring kiss that has him following after her mouth when she pulls back.

  “I can’t wait to walk down that carpet with you,” she says, dragging her thumb across his bottom lip to wipe off her lipstick. “I can’t wait to show everyone that we’re together.” She smirks as her voice dips low. “And I can’t wait for this whole thing to be over so we can—”

  “Heads up, we’re a block from the theater,” Rita announces from the front seat, and Teddy has never entertained the idea of firing his manager until right now.

  Bennett leans away and takes a steadying breath in.

  “I’m just … nervous in general,” she says quietly, and Teddy gets it. He reaches for her hand.

  “Your whole family’s going to be there, and I’m going to be sitting right next to you,” he says. “I think I’m actually more excited to see your family tonight than I am to see mine at the LA premiere next week.”

  “Oh? Even Liz?”

  Teddy’s eyes go wide. “Wait—the whole McGeary clan is coming?”

  Bennett laughs, and Teddy’s so happy to see a genuine smile on her face that he doesn’t even call her out for scaring him half to death.

  “She said she couldn’t miss class,” Bennett says dryly. “You know, with her shiny new PR and hospitality double major…”

  Teddy shudders. The idea of that girl working in PR and hospitality. Yikes.

  Their car slows to a stop in line outside a beautifully restored theater in between two skyscrapers. Up ahead, Teddy can already see a huge crowd and hundreds of cameras flashing. The line inches forward, and all too soon they’re watching Olivia and Will step out of their SUV and into the spotlight.

  Teddy and Bennett are up next. Teddy turns toward Bennett to gauge her reaction. Her eyes are trained through the side window, watching Olivia and Will begin their walk, but at least she doesn’t look ready to jump ship yet.

  Then their car door swings open.

  Teddy steps out first, buttoning his jacket and thanking the event staff greeters. The screams he gets from the crowd are deafening, the camera flashes casting the entire scene in stark, lurid light. It’s always intimidating at first to be the center of so much attention, and Teddy has a tiny moment of panic over what he’s about to subject Bennett to. He turns back toward the car and leans into the doorframe, offering her a hand and his best smile.

  “You ready for this?” he asks.

  Bennett places her hand in his. “Just don’t let me fall on my face.”

  “Don’t worry,” Teddy sa
ys, raising his voice over the roar of the crowd as she steps down onto the red carpet. “I’ve got my Buzz Lightyear briefs on for both of us.”

  The reaction from the crowd is overwhelming.

  Photographers are yelling out their names and directions while the fans that showed up are screaming so loudly they’re drowning everything else out. Teddy and Bennett move down the carpet slowly, laughing at the absurdity of what’s happening and trying not to trip over each other. At one point Teddy almost gives himself a heart attack when he realizes he’s standing on Bennett’s dress, but by some miracle it’s their only almost-mishap.

  Bennett handles herself flawlessly for a first-timer—smiling and posing and letting Teddy hold her hand all the way through it. For someone so wary of the spotlight, she sure as hell looks good in it.

  Up ahead, Will and Olivia are hamming it up for the photographers, striking outrageous poses and waving to the crowd. They’re almost to the theater entrance, and even though Teddy hates the idea of leaving Bennett’s side for even a second, he leans over and says “Wait here,” before jogging ahead to grab Will and Olivia.

  They line up that way—with Teddy next to Bennett and Bennett next to Olivia and Olivia next to Will, and the crowd goes absolutely wild. They pose for so many pictures that their handlers have to step in and subtly tell them to keep moving.

  Finally, Teddy and Bennett reach the end of the red carpet, both a little flushed and pleasantly surprised by the whole ordeal. They’re still in the photographers’ range—and just because Teddy can’t help himself, he wiggles his eyebrows at Bennett and says, “Wanna try to break Tumblr again?”