between the lines//MGG

2

only a few people turn to look at me. it seems to be more than just cast members, about twenty people standing around in business casual clothing as they eat hors d'oeuvres and drink champagne. I think I have forgotten to breathe as I scan the room. Eryn looks much more relaxed as she searches for familiar faces.

"Jason!" she cheers, startling me as she approaches a middle-aged white guy with a friendly smile. he waves at her, recognition lighting up his slightly sunken face.

"Eryn! how lovely to see you." he smiles, his eyes flickering to me as I follow behind my manager. "and you must be Miss Laurent, our newest cast member."

"hello, sir. pleasure to meet you." I extend my hand with my best smile. he shakes with a firm grip.

"I'm Jason Tremain. in case Eryn hasn't caught you up yet, I'm the director of the show." he chuckles.

"yes, it seems everything is moving kinda fast. I'm excited to be on your show, though. I looked through the script yesterday." I compliment. he nods.

"I'm assuming you haven't had the pleasure of meeting some of your castmates, then." he gestures to a group of attractive adults drinking champagne together. they're talking amicably, but, based on body language, they aren't close. a tiny bit of relief floods my stomach. at least it isn't like they're best friends and I'm the weird newcomer.

"I haven't." I look their direction and Jason smiles.

"allow me." he starts over and Eryn runs off to talk to someone else as I follow the director. I can feel eyes on me now, and it sends a shiver down my spine. I hope I don't stick out too much.

"hey, everyone. I'd like you to meet our newest cast member. Chloé, this is AJ, Shemar, Joe, Matthew, Paget, and Thomas. be nice." he jokes, leaving almost immediately to talk with other people in the room. I go rigid at first.

"hi! I'm Paget, like he said." Paget steps forward, offering her hand and grinning at me. she's pretty, with glossy black hair and a pointed nose. she looks mid-thirties, but I remember from my Google search that she's actually forty-five. her eyes are lively.

"nice to meet you, Paget." I smile. they all start shaking my hand and greeting me, none of them apprehensive about my age at all. when I shake the last guy's hand, I'm taken aback. he looks different from the pictures.

"Matthew. it's a pleasure." he's drop-dead gorgeous and looks young. he's the forty-year-old, I remember from my light internet stalking. his hazel eyes are surrounded by dark circles, as if he's tired, but he doesn't act like it at all. in fact, he seems to be the most open and enthusiastic of all of them.

I hope I'm not blushing as I think about our age difference. he drops my hand and I grab a flute of champagne off a passing tray to keep my hands busy. I take a tentative sip and Paget nudges my shoulder, whispering in my ear.

"we're talking about Joe's latest project. he and the head writer had some huge argument, apparently." she informs. I nod, smiling gratefully at her. even this little act of kindness feels nice, like I already have a friend on set.

"--and he kept talking about ratings and numbers, but it's like, who cares about that stuff if your work has no integrity? the whole reason I joined the film was to create something that people remember. we're supposed to take risks, right?" Joe goes on, gesticulating wildly. I can already tell he's the oldest of them, his black hair streaked with gray. he takes up space with the confidence of a man constantly before the camera, like he's absorbed his screen personality and it's meshed with his off-screen one.

"exactly. there was this one film I worked on a few years back, and the budget was tiny. but it ended up being one of the best things I ever did. the lower the budget and the more passion, the better, I think." Matthew pipes up, frowning as he speaks. I can't get over how... pretty he is. a silver signet ring on his ring finger catches the sunlight, and I pull my brows together. quirky wedding ring, or just interesting jewelry choice? I can't tell. presumably, many of these people are married. my parents had already had my sister and I by the time they were around this age.