by Liwen Ho
An Extra Spark
The Spark Brothers Series
Liwen Y. Ho
For my wonderful readers who have been following this series from day one. You gave me the motivation I needed to finish. Happy reading!
Contents
1. Evan
2. Emma
3. Evan
4. Emma
5. Evan
6. Emma
7. Evan
8. Emma
9. Evan
10. Emma
11. Evan
12. Emma
13. Evan
14. Emma
15. Evan
16. Emma
17. Evan
18. Emma
19. Evan
Epilogue
Afterword
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Liwen Y. Ho
Chapter One
Evan
Evan Spark wished with all his heart that he was holding his girlfriend instead of the curvy blonde who had made herself at home in his arms.
Standing with his back to a cold metal locker, he went through the motions of embracing the woman pressed against his chest. He brought his mouth to hers, tilting his head to kiss her with as much passion as he could muster. Despite his outward behavior, his insides were knotted and twisted up as if he’d eaten one too many spicy chicken wings. The guilt building up inside of him felt like acid. But no amount of over the counter medication could cure this pain.
As the lead actor on Edenvale, primetime’s hottest teen drama, locking lips with his on-set love interests was part and parcel of his job. He had once enjoyed this perk, but it had become an occupational hazard. Ever since he got into a serious relationship over a year ago, he couldn’t stomach kissing his colleagues. And he’d kissed a lot of them. Beautiful actresses who’d been written into the script as his girlfriend of the week. Lately, however, it had been the same one—Margot Everly—playing his fling. This bold woman wasn’t shy about her interest in him either. She made it a point to request extra takes of any scenes they shot together. And as the daughter of the executive producer, whatever she asked for, she usually got.
“Cut!”
A surge of relief coursed through Evan’s body to hear the director’s command. He quickly pulled back, breaking off the claim Margot had on his mouth. Moving even farther out of her reach, he ran his hands through his wavy brown hair and blew out a long breath. “How was it, Greg?”
Margot flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and pursed her bright red lips. Her lipstick had stayed in place without even a smudge, a testament to the makeup team’s stellar work. She wore a pair of three-inch strappy sandals and a tight mini skirt that were more appropriate for a nightclub, but the outfit was on point for the elite prep school featured on their show. Batting her fake lashes, she gave Evan a pained look. “It didn’t feel right. There wasn’t enough emotion. I say we do the scene again.”
“It felt fine to me,” Evan touted, immediately regretting his choice of words. Margot seemed to take his reply to mean he had enjoyed the kiss. Her heels clicked on the concrete as she stepped closer and placed a hand on his arm. “I meant,” Evan corrected himself, “we acted the scene the way it was written. But the final say is Greg’s. Let’s let him decide.”
Margot dropped her hand and pouted. “Fine.”
“Give me a second to check out the angles.” Greg pressed a few buttons on his camera to rewatch the scene. With sweats and a T-shirt on, the red haired man looked like he belonged in a gym instead of the director’s chair, but he was one of the best in the business. He usually got a good take the first time, which meant shorter days on set. But when he wasn’t happy with a scene, it could take up to five tries to get it right. This take appeared to meet his standards. “We’re good,” he called out with a toothy grin. “That’s all for today, ladies and gents. Nice work.”
Evan threw a fist in the air in celebration. While Margot stomped away from the row of lockers, he high-fived the camera crew and asked about their day. For a simple shoot like today, there were still a dozen folks on set, men and women who worked hard behind the scenes to keep the show running.
The late afternoon sun shone down on him as he headed to his exclusive luxury trailer. The white vehicle was parked outside of an old high school the show was renting for an hour outside of Los Angeles. Once inside the trailer, Evan locked the door and took a seat in one of the plush leather seats.
He immediately took his phone out to text his girlfriend, Emma, the one person he’d been looking forward to talking to all day. There were no new messages from her since they’d spoken that morning. He wondered if she was busy picking up last minute wedding stuff for her sister, Abby, who was getting married to his brother, Aiden, in two days. Yes, their union would technically make him and Emma family, but Evan hoped they would one day seal the deal themselves. With all of his brothers either married or engaged, he looked forward to settling down, too. Especially since he’d found the perfect woman for him.
Sure, their relationship was moving slowly, but he had no doubt of their commitment to each other. From the start, he’d intended for them to focus on building their emotional intimacy and trust. He was tired of all the shallow hook-ups the characters on Edenvale got involved in. Out of reverence for God and respect for Emma, he vowed to do things differently in real life.
He tapped out a quick text to Emma that began and ended with heart emojis in her favorite color, pink. Hey love, how’s it going? I’m done for the day. When do you want to meet up for dinner?
While he waited for her reply, he changed out of his high school jock slash bad boy costume—an all-black ensemble of a T-shirt and jeans—and threw on his own turquoise polo shirt paired with white shorts. Once he wiped off the light layer of makeup on his face, he felt more like himself.
He splashed some cool water onto his face at the small bathroom vanity and dried off with a fluffy towel. The person staring back at him looked like a young man, yet here he was playing a teenager. He wondered if he’d forever be locked into this kind of role, destined to stay in high school forever. He liked being a teen heartthrob, but one of these days, he’d love to do more. More action and drama. Serious roles that required more of him than taking off his shirt. He may have gotten discovered based on his looks, but he didn’t want that to be the only reason casting directors hired him. He wanted to be known for his acting skills. That’s why he was willing to do whatever it took to get to the next step in his career.
Even if it meant kissing girls who were not his girlfriend.
Thank the Lord he didn’t have to kiss Margot again today. He knew it was a minor victory, considering he had yet to read the next script. But he knew better than to worry about tomorrow when he obviously had enough to worry about today. That was one Biblical truth he clung to as an actor.
He’d been in the business for a decade now, since he got discovered at age sixteen during a family trip to Hollywood. Even as the star of his own show, he knew never to take a paycheck for granted. Acting was hard work, and few ever made it big. Fortunately for him, he had open-minded parents, a great manager, and amazing fans who had supported him in his journey from day one.
He’d started out in his teen years on a sitcom, playing one of three sons. As the youngest of five brothers in real life, he’d had no problems filling the role. He was used to being surrounded by plenty of testosterone and having to compete for attention. And boy, did he have some serious competition. Between Aiden’s musical talent, Brandon’s writing skills, Colin’s humor, and Darren’s athletic ability, Evan struggled to find his own niche to shine in. Not until he’d been offered the opportunity to act did he finally feel like he was doing what God had made hi
m to do.
He’d forever be grateful for his ability to transform into a character. Call it intuition or empathy, but once he put on his costume for a scene, he took on that person’s essence. His own thoughts, expressions, and behavior fell to the wayside. With his current role, he played the part of a high school senior struggling with his parents’ divorce. Even though his own parents were still happily married after nearly thirty-six years, Evan had no problems imagining and portraying his character’s pain. The only problem he did have was putting his heart into those dreaded kissing scenes.
Evan’s phone vibrated with an incoming text from Emma.
Hi! I’ve been running around trying to find hairpins for Abby. I finally found them at the last store. I’ll come by and meet you on set. I need to pick up my script for next week. I’m in two scenes!
Evan grinned. Emma had gotten her start on Edenvale as an extra, which is how they’d met, but she had quickly caught Greg’s eye. Soon after, the producers created a role just for her, as one of the regular actor’s out-of-town cousins. It wasn’t just Emma’s gorgeous looks that had landed her the job; she was a natural on camera. He quickly texted back: I knew it! Pretty soon, they’re going to write you in as a regular. Just you wait.
A grimacing face emoji popped up on his screen. That’d be amazing if I can quit my waitressing job, but eeks!
Don’t worry, love. You’ll do great. We can run lines together later.
I’d love that, thanks! I gotta run, but I’ll see you soon! A kissy face emoji punctuated her last line.
Evan sent one back to her, then set down his phone. He couldn’t wait to see Emma and hold her in his arms. But first, he needed to look over his lines for tomorrow. To his relief, there were no kissing scenes, but rather, a big blow-up between his character and Margot’s. He couldn’t be more thankful. Perhaps their on-screen relationship was coming to an end.
It didn’t surprise him, considering how much the characters went through on a weekly basis. It seemed every couple on the show had broken up at least once. But the fans ate up the drama. There were usually a dozen or more hashtags about their show floating around on social media. He was sure his and Margot’s break-up would be trending for days after the episode aired. He planned to channel all his energy into making this scene an epic one.
Close to an hour later, a knock sounded on his trailer door. Certain it was Emma, Evan ran to the door and threw it open. To his great disappointment, Margot stood there in a cream colored silk robe and her hair up in a messy bun. Her eyes were red, as was the tip of her nose.
Evan studied her curiously. “Is everything okay?”
“No, everything’s not okay!” Her lower lip jutted out, quivering as she gazed up at him. “Can I come in? We need to talk.”
Evan stepped back to allow her to enter. Margot squeezed past him, her feet clad in fuzzy white slippers. A strong fragrance filled his senses, making his eyes burn. She must’ve reapplied her perfume since they shot their last scene together. She sidled up to him until there were only a few inches between them. Evan didn’t know what was going on, but he suddenly felt trapped in the small space. He crossed his arms over his chest and faced Margot. “What do you need to talk about?”
“Have you read the next script?”
“Yeah, I did. I think the fans are going to love it. Well, they’re going to hate it at first, but everyone’s going to end up talking about it.”
“So, you’re okay with us breaking up?” A line formed between her perfectly plucked brows, indicating she was anything but okay. “I can’t believe you want to end what we have.”
Evan blinked quickly, not sure he was hearing her right. “You mean our characters.”
“I mean us!” Margot placed a hand on his chest, tracing the outline of a heart over his left pectoral muscle. She leaned in close to whisper into his ear. “I know you have a thing for me, Evan Spark. I can tell by the way you kiss me.”
He cringed, his mouth growing dry. He hadn’t even tried hard in that scene. Either Margot had a vivid imagination or he really was an amazing actor. Evan took her hand and gently lowered it from his chest. “I’m sorry, Margot, but I was acting. There is nothing going on between us. I’m actually dating someone,” he added, hoping Emma wouldn’t mind him sharing this information. No one outside their family knew this fact about them. He and Emma had been keeping their relationship status private so as not to attract the media’s attention. He’d learned from watching his pop star brother, Aiden, that the paparazzi could be brutal.
“You are? I had no idea.” She laced her fingers with his, preventing him from letting go. “Do you kiss her the way you kiss me?”
Evan scoffed. That was a complicated question to answer, but he didn’t owe Margot any explanations. He extracted himself from her grip and repeated in a firm tone, “I was acting, that’s it. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, but there’s nothing going on between us.”
Her pout grew even bigger. “Who is she?”
For once, Evan was thankful Emma had a minor role on Edenvale. She had never had a scene with Margot, and they were usually on set at different times, which explained why Margot didn’t know about her. He wasn’t about to give out Emma’s name though, but perhaps if Margot knew his girlfriend was a colleague, she’d back off. “She’s been on the show.”
Her expression suddenly turned stony as she narrowed her icy blue eyes. “You know who my daddy is, don’t you? He can have anyone written off the show.”
“Margot, that won’t be necessary. She has a very small part. But that’s beside the point. You and I are only playing roles. There’s nothing going on between us. Do you understand?”
She turned her pert nose up at him. “Prove it. Kiss me again.”
He balked. “What? I’m not going to kiss you. I only kiss when it’s in the script.”
Her expression relaxed as a sly smile played on her lips. “Fine then. We’ll see about that.” She dropped his hand and sauntered to the trailer door just as it opened.
A redheaded woman with fair skin poked her head in. “Evan, I’m here—oh, excuse me. Am I interrupting something?”
Evan gritted his teeth as he noticed Emma’s eyes flit from him to Margot and back again. The uncertainty on her face made his chest tighten. Even he had to admit this situation looked bad, especially with Margot edging her way back to his side.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us, Evan?” Margot licked her lips as she tugged on his arm.
Evan swallowed hard. This was one sticky situation he wanted to get out of, and get out of fast.
Chapter Two
Emma
Emma didn’t know what to think. She’d just picked up her script from one of the producers and made her way over to Evan’s trailer to meet him for dinner. The last thing she expected to see was one of the leading ladies from the show making a move on her handsome boyfriend. At least that’s what it looked like she was doing, with her body pressed up against Evan’s.
Despite his tanned complexion, Evan paled a little as he made introductions. “This is Emma, my sister-in-law.”
“Your sister-in-law?” Margot repeated, her expression softening. Even in a robe—or maybe, especially with only a robe on—she gave off a mysterious air. “Well, that’s a relief.” She extended her perfectly manicured hand toward Emma with a sugary smile. “I’m Margot Everly, one of the stars of Edenvale.”
“I know who you are. It’s nice to meet you.” Emma took Margot’s hand and wondered if she was supposed to curtsy. The way Margot was looking down her nose at her made Emma feel two feet tall. She already felt shabby in her department store floral print dress, but seeing the large diamond studs on Margot’s ears made her feel downright poor.
Emma might work in the Hollywood scene, but her lifestyle was a far cry from the rich and famous. She still couldn’t believe she even got to talk to celebrities on a regular basis now. This disbelief explained why she was a bit tongue-tied in Margot’s presence.
That, and the fact that Margot wouldn’t stop touching Evan. The latter left a sour taste in Emma’s mouth.
To Evan’s credit, he took Margot’s hand off his chest and brought it to her side. In a firm voice, he told Margot, “Emma and I need to go over some things for my brother’s and her sister’s wedding this weekend. So, if you’ll excuse us—”
“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.