Antigone slowly sunk back into her seat, holding the hand he smacked to her chest, like he had rewarded her. Snapping my fingers in front her face, she shook her head clear.
“You were drooling,” Mayko teased. But she shut up the moment he stepped up beside her, taking her hand and placing a champagne flute in it. He held on to it as he poured the chilled sparkling champagne, never letting go, even when he switched to get the orange juice. He smiled at her, filling her glass up to the rim.
“Who’s drooling now, bitch?” Antigone said. Mayko still couldn’t speak.
Noah, pretending he couldn’t hear us, skipped me and moved over to Antigone, repeating the same action. I’m sure some girls would have gotten jealous. I was trying my best not to laugh, placing my hand over my mouth. They were only being exposed to a fraction of his charm, and they couldn’t think straight. If they only knew—
“Hah!” I gasped, sitting up straighter as he came over to me. However, unlike with them, he pressed up against me completely, his lips right at my ear and his hands on either side of me.
“Drink reasonably, babe. Your fever finally came down,” he whispered into my ear. I shivered, trying to focus on anything but how close he was. That went out the window when he kissed my shoulder, though, and then moved back to his work station as if nothing had happened.
“I want one,” Mayko whispered.
“You already have a boyfriend,” Antigone reminded her.
“Not one like him,” she replied. I’m not sure what she was thinking, but she snapped herself out of it, turning to me and saying, “You think he’d give lessons on how to woo a girl?”
“Yes, because as actors, we have the luxury of time.”
“I’ll put it on my Christmas list,” she said seriously, and at that, Antigone and I broke out laughing. Mayko was one of a kind. You’d never guess she was actually studying to be a rocket scientist.
“He’s no joke.” Antigone said, nodding to Noah. He reached for two onions, slicing them into quarters, and then with a speed I thought was reserved only for master chefs, he chopped right through them. He slid them to the edge of the cutting board before reaching for two cloves of garlic, then fresh parsley. He went for the tomatoes last.
“Where in the hell did you learn to do this?” I asked.
“I acted in a small indie movie called The Vintage Cloud in Italy two years ago. I wanted to be authentic, so I took a few classes,” he answered like it was nothing, pouring olive oil into a cast iron pan. “How I became this sexy, well—that was just divine providence.”
“Careful, your head is expanding,” I said.
“Is it?” He glanced down at his crotch. “Excuse me, ladies. I really can’t contain myself sometimes.”
Antigone and Mayko couldn’t take it anymore. They almost fell out of their chairs laughing. Meanwhile, my face was slowly getting hotter and hotter. Downing the mimosa, I couldn’t think of anything to say. Damn him.
“Come on, Santa. Mama
needs one of those,” Mayko lifted her glass to toast him.
“Neither of you are helping his ego right now,” I said, glancing back and forth between them.
“Didn’t you hear him?” Antigone joined. “It’s divine providence. Nothing can help contain that.”
Noah winked at me.
“Ugh, Amelia, why do you have to be Blair Hawthorne?” Antigone groaned, leaning to the side. “How the hell am I supposed enjoy the sinful sex life of Damon and Blair when my sister is the lead actress being whipped?”
“Don’t. I’m still sad,” Mayko replied.
“Thanks, guys,” I pouted.
Mayko leaned in on my right. “How much of it is real?”
“Since you guys are dating, is it acting or foreplay?” Antigone said, leaning in from my left.
Yep. My face was red. I could feel the heat in my ears. Meanwhile, Noah just slid his minced ingredients into the pan, the corners of his lips turned up.
“Foreplay,” Noah answered as I reached for the champagne. Screw the orange juice.
He continued, “But we don’t plan it out that way. We go to set, and we’ve read through our lines so many times by this point that they’re almost dull. But the moment the director says ‘action,’ you forget everything but what you have to say and who you are saying it to. Each line, every single touch builds up, and even though in the back of my mind I know I am not Damon Shaw, I, Noah, can’t help but get excited either. What was once a simple line or a slight touch becomes so much. The fact that I think your sister is the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on only makes matters harder for me. Whether the director says ‘cut’ or not, until I have her, until I’m no longer aching with the need of her, then I can’t stop. So, yes, it’s real, and yes, it’s foreplay—of the best kind.”