"Come on, Sandy. Nathan's here, we have to go! "
Looking at herself in the mirror, Sandra carefully smoothes out her bubblegum pink skirt and matching shirt, finger-combs her hair, and checks her teeth for lipstick. It's been months, now, since the last day on set for Speed. Months since Jan said those cliché words: "It's a wrap!" Months since the cast party.
Nathan hadn't bothered to return for the party, either, so she took Gesine. She greeted each and every cast member, one-by-one, and then settled at a table with her sister. After one too many glasses of champagne, she approached Keanu in a dark corner of the rented out club, with lips looser than a belt undone.
"Why did you do that?" she remembers asking him.
"Wh—why'd I do what?" he asked, leaning in, his eyes searching hers.
"Why'd you kiss me like that?" she tried to whisper, failed by the champagne.
Placing his hands on his hips, he stared at the floor, quiet. At the time, she was babbling on and on, so nervous it was cute. He thought he'd rip the bandaid off: put her out of her misery and just get that first kiss over with, so he went for it. He wasn't expecting it to go the way it did, for her lips to taste so delicious that he had to catch his breath and remind himself of his whereabouts. Still, he thought he'd remained professional for the rest of the rehearsals and filming.
"I don't know what to say."
"I'm with Nathan!" Her emphatic hand gesture dribbled champagne down her arm, a couple of drops clearly marking her rose-colored dress.
"I know that," he started. "I'm sorry if I offended you somehow, it wasn't my intent."
Smirking, she rolled her eyes. "You didn't offend me, Keanu, you crossed the line. You, you made me...want more."
His mouth slackened and his hands dropped to his sides. "Wait, what?"
Before she realized what she'd said, before she could say another word, a tall brunette in a tight black dress stepped in between them and grabbed his face in both her hands, her bright, red fingernails pressing into his cheeks, her bright, red lips engulfing his, and her curly hair taking up so much space that no one could see his eyes bulging out of his head.
Not knowing where to look, Sandra raised her shaky hand to her mouth and gulped down the rest of the champagne.
"Amy!" he exclaimed when she finally let him up for air. "What are you doing here?!?"
"Hey, you," she drawled, wrapping her arm around his waist and turning to look Sandra up and down.
Keanu wrangled himself out of Amy's grip and reached out toward Sandra. "Sandy," he starts.
She took one step back to create some space, then two, before shaking her head and forcing a grin. "I'm mortified. I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have accused you like that, I was wrong."
"Hold on."
"It's, uh, what was your name? Amy? It's nice to meet you, Amy. Bye, Keanu."
"Sandy..."
She turned around without a single glance back and walked straight toward Gesine. "What was that all about?" she asked, but Sandra just laced her arm through her sister's and led her out the door to the limousines the studio had perched outside to protect their assets.
No matter how many ways Gesine tried to get her sister to open up about what she'd missed, Sandra would only say that she'd made a royal ass of herself.
She ignored the calls Keanu made in the following days and weeks until he finally seemed to get the hint and stop calling. She moved on, too, looking at the scripts her agent sent to her and trying to pretend she'd never been so full of herself to think that kiss during rehearsal had meant anything more to him. Keanu Reeves. He can have anyone he wants, she reminded herself again and again until it didn't sting as much as it did that night when she thought he just might have wanted her.
YOU ARE READING
The Beginning
Fanfiction"Come here," his voice is gentle again. She gives in, placing her small hand in his. Lifting the cloth, he sees her blood spill out from her palm. He inhales sharply through his teeth and presses the rag back down. They sit there like that for abo...
