The Role of a Lifetime

11

The two were in the clear once they stepped off of the red carpet.

Jai pulled Drake to this side, speaking in hushed tones. "What was that back there?"

"What do you mean?" He smirked as he grazed a hand along the entirety of his beard.

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" Jai sassed.

"Look, don't think too much about it. They wanted a scene and I gave them one. It's called acting, right?"

"Yeah, but you wanting me to call you d-"

"Shut up."

"Did you just tell me to shut up? Who are you to tell me to shut up?!"

Sure enough, Drake shut her up by kissing her as two reporters stalked towards them.

"Hi, we were wondering if we could ask you two some questions about the movie, maybe get a feel for who you two are as a couple?" Two E! News reporters announced.

"Ummm, sorry," Jai smiled nervously, "we actually-"

"Sure, why not," Drake butted in. She was just about sick of him cutting her off. She understood they had to put on a front, but he was over-saturating the lie a bit much, almost as though he were enjoying it.

Jai cut him a look before fixing her face for the cameras that now surrounded them.

"So, tell me about the film," one of the two reporters, a woman with a freakishly thin frame and a head that didn't quite match her body, stepped forward.

"The film, Firsts, is about Jai's character, Jade, who basically comes across a lot of firsts when she meets my character, Eric. It's basically a sort of coming of age story, but for the millennial demographic. I should let Jai take over. She was the one collaborating with the director on a lot of ideas.

"Interesting, so you served as executive producer as well? Wow!" The reporter smiled as she looked into the camera.

"Well, I wouldn't really call it executive producing per se, but I guess so, yeah."

"I love her. So modest," she laughed.

"Firsts is a film of firsts as Aubrey stated," Jai smiled.

Both of the reporters' eyebrows shot upwards when she'd said his name. Maybe she shouldn't have. It wouldn't exactly help her case. She watched as a silent conversation took place between the two if only for a slight moment.

"It's catered towards the millennial population. Statistics show that a lot of millennials are saving, buying homes, and starting families at much later ages than previous generations and while I don't want to get into politics I like to think it's because of a change in times; a change of time in many laws, bills, and policies that have worked for our parents and grandparents, but not for us."

"That's very interesting. I can definitely see this as the case. My wife and I were talking about how many millennials still live with their parents past the age of 21. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but for those who are working their way towards establishing themselves as adults and wanting to establish independence, we, as a nation, have to wonder what policies have contributed to many barriers, for, said generation. I definitely agree with your stance and reasoning," the second reporter, a man with blonde hair and a friendly face stated.

"Exactly. When you factor in those barriers and add on race and class, you begin to see even more of a separation in statistics. The film basically touches on all of this with my character, Jade, who's 25 and is finally getting out into the world. Of course she's experienced it, but now she's seeing it for what it really is after fighting to finish school despite financial hardships, finally moving out and getting her own place, and finally landing a job in her field of study, all for the first time. Likewise, she meets a well-established man, Eric, who's 4-5 years older than her. He basically introduces her to more firsts, but with a price. Jade is tasked with discovering who she is as a black woman as well as determining what she wants and how to get it. Many people think the world is black and white when it's everything in between. It really is a film about self-discovery and love. It's great."

"I don't think I have any more questions about the film. I'd much rather watch it and catch up with you both later! It sounds groundbreaking!" The reporter gushed as she turned to her partner.

"What I'm sure everyone wants to know, is how this relationship came to be," her partner cut in. "From on-screen romance to off-screen romance. We're all wondering. You two look fabulous by the way."

Jai couldn't help but wonder if the reporter was throwing shade, but she kept quiet.

"Honestly, I think we meshed really well on camera. The camaraderie and chemistry between the two of us were off the charts when we first met. He really made me feel comfortable during filming. This was the most challenging film for me because it touched on a lot of real challenges that I and many of my family and friends have faced at some point in our lives. Factoring in long film days, little sleep, homesickness, executive producing and being a part of a big-time film, I really needed a friend."

"Yeah, Jai has been amazing! She's really hard on herself. She's her biggest critic, but she's fantastic. She'll definitely shock you. Her work ethic is amazing and she catches on fast, which is a highly coveted skill amongst entertainers. She's really sweet and bubbly. Fairly reserved, but once you figure out a way into her bubble she turns into this different person before your eyes. She's a great person and I think anyone would be blessed to have her in their lives. She's taught me more about myself than I could have ever imagined," Drake smiled as he pulled her inwards, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Which brings me to my next question." The reporters switched off with the questioning. "Everyone knows that there's a three-year difference between me and my husband, but all anyone seems to be talking about is the huge age gap between you two. If I'm not mistaken, that's a nine-year difference!"

Although they weren't really dating, Jai had become overwhelmed with an increasingly shady vibe. Although the reporters had managed to disguise their attack as seemingly harmless questions, Jai knew when someone posed as a threat. Her heart began to beat faster as the seconds ticked by. Needing to feel something solid enough to anchor her, she laced her fingers through Drake's and held on tightly.

"Honestly, we as humans tend to judge anything we perceive as abnormal. Whether three years or nine, there's still an age gap. Arguably, at one point in time, three years of an age difference was controversial. Personally, I think it depends on the ages of both partners as well as maturity. Just as there is a stigma with women dating significantly older men, there's also a stigma of women dating significantly younger men. It's all about perspective, respect, and comfortability amongst two individuals. Thank you for your time." Closing the interview, Drake led the way, keeping Jai close as he clutched her hand.

"Thank you," she whispered.