EVERYTHING IS BETTER ON ICE
1333 Words
ZANE’S POV
(Day one of filming)
“On the ice, everything is different, so competitive and intense. But off the ice, with Reeve, I’m just—nervous, you know? I’m hoping this works out between us.”
Although I wasn’t much of a reader, this was three pages of bullshit.
I never thought a day I’d hate more than my birthday would come. But here i was, holding a script that called me ‘nervous’ about a girl I’d told not to f*****g talk to me twelve hours ago.
A soft scoff escaped my lips as I gazed down at the script Priya had shoved into my hands twenty minutes ago.
My grip tightened around the paper, crumpling the sides.
”Are you good, champ?” Derek’s voice drew me from my thoughts. He was leaning against the trailer, scrolling through his phone with so much calmness.
After spending ten years managing athletes who were one bad headline away from losing everything—nothing fazed him anymore.
He had come in early specifically to see how the first day of shooting would go, courtesy of my dad who still thought this was a s**t-show.
That one thing—-we both agree on.
“Do I look good at least?” I turned to face him.
”You look like you’re about to commit a felony.” He glanced up, with his dark sharp eyes behind his glasses. “But if I must say, the wardrobe did an amazing job.”
I looked down at myself. The expensive Chanel black sweater hugging my broad shoulders. They’d spent fifteen minutes on my hair until every curl sat exactly where they wanted.
For f**k’s sake it’s a Tv show, not a 90’s photo shoot.
“This is day one,” Derek said, pocketing his phone. “If you manage to survive today, the rest will get easier.”
“You sound hopeful.” I turned my gaze back to the script.
“One of us has to be.” He straightened, adjusting his watch, the same silver Rolex he’d worn since I signed with him three years ago. “Priya wants you in the diary room at five. Have you gotten your lines correctly?”
My eyes squeezed shut, drawing in a slow breath as always. “I know them.” I opened them.
He leaned closer, one of his hands rested on my shoulder. “Then say them like you’re not being held at gunpoint. For both our sakes, well, mostly—yours.”
My lips curled slightly. Then, the trailer door opened.
Reeve Callahan stepped out— and my brain stalled.
They’d gotten rid of those hideous glasses, replacing them with contacts. I guessed, because her eyes were suddenly visible, wide and brown but mostly terrified. Her hair wasn’t in that messy bun. It was falling over her shoulders in waves that looked obviously soft.
A dark green sweater fitted on her body. She looked—polished. Like someone had taken that nervous girl from last night and turned her into something made for the camera.
Fuck.
She looked devastatingly good.
I tore my eyes away before Derek could say anything.
“Yeah. diary room, now.”
My legs hesitated but I forced them to move, getting closer to the Diary room. I pushed open the tent, stepping in.
It was smaller than I expected, with just a stool, a camera and Priya holding her clipboard.
She was nodding positively at something one of the crew members was showing her on his phone. Then, her attention turned to me.
“Please take a seat, Zane.”
With a curt nod, I sat down. She moved towards me, holding her own version of the script. Her eyes were cold and professional. Like she’d do whatever it took to get the perfect shot.
”So this is the first episode. You need to make it believable. I need millions of viewers to think you’re falling so hard for her.”
“I’m not.” I held her gaze.
Her red painted lips curled into a tight lipped smile. “I don’t care what you’re actually doing.” She tapped the script. “I care what the viewers think—and so should you.”
My jaws clenched slightly. The threat was subtle, but there.
Then, her smile widened into a grin as she strutted away from me. My eyes fell on the script again.
I felt like a f*****g clown.
“Rolling in three—two.”
The red light blinked to life instantly. I looked directly at the camera.
“On the ice, everything is different, so competitive and intense. But off the ice, with Reeve, I’m just—nervous, you know? I’m hoping this works out between us.” I said, flatly.
”Cut!” Priya’s voice cut me off. She checked something on her phone, probably the playback. She looked at me, “You sound robotic, Zane.”
”I’m reading what you g—“ I started but she cut me off.
”Read it like you care.” She stepped closer, stopping a few meters away, yet I could see the tightness around her mouth.
“Like she’s not the girl who tanked your season.”
But she was.
” —and you want this to work. If this flops, Zane. It’s going to cost you even more and you know.”
Again with the threats. My hands tightened around the script.
”Take five,” She yelled, already turning back to her monitors. “Let’s film the intros. You and reeve together. We’ll come back to this.”
*****
Five minutes later, I was standing in front of another camera with Reeve beside me, close enough to feel her shaking.
It wasn’t visible that the cameras could catch it. But priya had positioned us shoulder to shoulder, and I could feel the tremor running through her like she was barely holding it together.
“Okay, lovebirds” Priya called from behind the monitors, almost excitedly. “This is your intro shot, Zane. I want your arms around her waist, Reeve, lean in. You’re comfortable, now show us the love.”
How about I show you the hate?
Reeve’s eyes flickered up to me for a split second, eyeballs shaking slightly before she looked away.
I slid my arm around her waist, and she went completely rigid.
Her sweater was soft under my palm—too soft. f*****g cashmere probably, this definitely wasn’t thrifted.
“Relax.” I muttered under my breath.
She swallowed down hard.
”Action!”
Reeve forced a smile that looked like it hurt. I pulled her closer, angling my body towards her like Priya had drilled into us. The cameras loved this s**t. The lean, whispers and the illusion of something real.
I leaned in, mouth closer to her ears.
To the cameras, it probably looked tender. Like I was saying something sweet.
”You’re shaking, Callahan.” I whispered. “They can see it.”
Her breath caught.
“I’m trying.” She whispered back.
I should’ve left it at that. But something about her terrified to the core, wearing clothes that weren’t hers and pretending to love the guy who warned her not to talk to me—
It made something ugly twist in my chest.
“Try harder.” I said quietly, pulling her closer. “Because right now, you look like you’re about to be sick.”
I felt her entire body go still. Suddenly, she pulled away, not too far but just enough for the cameras to think it was playful and walked straight off the set .
”Cut!” Priya yelled, and I heard the snap in her voice. “What the hell, Reeve!”
She barely made it three steps past the cameras, her hands clenched her stomach before she doubled over—
Throwing up on the studio floor.
Oh—this was about to get f*****g interesting.
- Writer
