Ravi’s heart slammed against her ribs as Dave spoke, the words main actor sending a rush of disbelief and adrenaline through her veins. “You’re what?” she blurted, unable to mask her shock. Of course, her first film day had to come with an unexpected plot twist.
Her gaze sharpened, and for a moment, all she could do was stare at him, trying to process the bombshell he’d casually dropped. But before she could regain her footing, he went on, his tone shifting to something more serious, more vulnerable.
And then came the words. The words she hadn’t expected to hear, not now, not like this.
It did mean a lot to me.
The air seemed to be sucked out of the room. Ravi’s pulse thundered in her ears as his confession landed, each syllable igniting a whirlwind of emotions she’d been desperately trying to keep locked away. Her lips parted, but no sound came out as she tried to form a response.
When Dave turned to the makeup artist to casually brush off their conversation, a flicker of annoyance and something deeper - something raw - flashed across her face. Was he trying to protect her or himself? Did he think a vague lie about a stage kiss could smooth over the storm brewing between them?
Without thinking, she stepped forward, her voice low but intense. “Dave.” She waited until his gaze swung back to her, the makeup artist temporarily forgotten. “You don’t just drop that on someone and then brush it off. Do you have any idea what that kiss did to me? What it’s still doing to me?” Her eyes burned with a mix of frustration and something dangerously close to vulnerability.
She took a breath, forcing herself to steady. “You can’t just waltz in here, tell me you’re replacing the lead actor, confess that-” she stumbled over her words, “-that, and act like it’s no big deal.” Her voice wavered, and she hated it, hated how easily he could shake her resolve.
Ravi’s fingers tightened around the script in her hands, her gaze locked onto his. “You said it didn’t mean anything. I told myself I had to believe you because it was the only way I could move forward. And now you’re here, telling me the opposite. So what am I supposed to do with that, Dave?”
The tension between them crackled like static, and for a split second, she thought she saw the hint of regret in his eyes. But before she could unravel it, she shook her head, taking a step back.
“I can’t do this right now,” she said, her voice softer but no less resolute. “We have a job to do. So let’s just… focus on that. Whatever this is, we can figure it out later.”
Her chest heaved as she turned, walking toward the door with as much composure as she could muster. But even as she left the room, her mind raced, her emotions a chaotic mess. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to face whatever this was, but one thing was clear - today wasn’t going to be the simple, professional start she had envisioned.
As Ravi stormed down the hallway, her heart still pounding from her confrontation with Dave, she gripped the script tightly in her hand. She ducked into an empty corner of the set, away from prying eyes and murmured gossip, and flipped through the pages, her fingers trembling slightly.
The words on the page blurred for a moment before snapping into focus. Her breath hitched as she landed on the scene breakdown for today’s shoot.
Her eyes widened. Scene 12: Romantic crescendo. Kiss.
The script nearly slipped from her hands. Of course. Of course this was how her day would go. Not only did Dave waltz in as the last-minute replacement, not only did he confess that the kiss they’d shared actually meant something, but now she had to kiss him again. Today. In front of the entire crew.
Her heart twisted in a mess of emotions - nerves, frustration, and something she wasn’t ready to name. Leaning back against the wall, Ravi closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down. This was her career, her dream, and she wasn’t about to let her personal life unravel everything she’d worked so hard to build.
But as she thought about the kiss they’d shared - the one Dave had just admitted wasn’t meaningless - she couldn’t stop the rush of feelings that surfaced. That kiss wasn’t just something she could brush off as a fleeting moment or a mistake. She remembered how alive she’d felt, how seen she’d been in that moment.
And now, she was supposed to recreate that for the cameras? Pretend it didn’t matter? Pretend it was just another scene?
Ravi exhaled shakily and stared down at the script in her hands. She needed to pull herself together, to compartmentalise her emotions like a professional. This was her job. This was just another scene, no different than any other she’d shot before.
Except it was different.
Because no matter how hard she tried to tell herself otherwise, she couldn’t forget the way Dave had looked at her just moments ago - the honesty in his voice, the way he froze after confessing the truth.
She pressed her lips into a thin line, straightened her posture, and folded the script under her arm. If today was going to test her, then so be it. She’d faced worse.
But as she made her way back to the set, she couldn’t shake the sting of vulnerability in her chest. This wasn’t just a script or just another day on set. Today, she wasn’t just acting. Today, she was stepping into the eye of the storm. And part of her wondered if she’d come out the other side unscathed.
Ravi squared her shoulders, her fingers brushing down the fabric of her blouse in a subconscious effort to ground herself. She rehearsed a few casual greetings in her mind as she walked, trying to summon the right mix of professionalism and indifference.
Her gaze found Dave almost immediately. He was leaning casually against the makeup chair, chatting with one of the crew members, his easy grin making her stomach tighten. She pushed down the flutter of nerves and strode toward him with as much composure as she could muster.
“Dave,” she called out, her voice steady but warm enough to avoid sounding frosty. She stopped a few feet away, meeting his eyes with a look she hoped was neutral. “Looks like you’re really diving into this role last-minute, huh?”
Her lips curved into a faint smile, just enough to disarm, though her eyes betrayed the flicker of uncertainty still lingering beneath her confidence. “Hope you’re ready, because the schedule’s tighter than I thought. Turns out we’re filming Scene 12 today.”
Her eyes searched his face for a moment before she added, more softly, “I just wanted to make sure we’re… clear. About everything. I know we both want to do this right.”
Her words were carefully chosen, light yet pointed, her tone carrying an undercurrent of challenge. Ravi refused to let the tension between them dictate how this would go. Whatever unspoken feelings lay beneath the surface, she was determined to keep the focus where it needed to be - on the work.
I miss your D” “That was the exact message… So, I guess not too bad, but in the moment when I saw it; it felt like something a girlfriend would say.” 
