Milkshake Hearts

Chapter 71: Blackjack

A/N: Another good place to reiterate that this is a fictional story, and let's never objectify real people, yeah? Also, I know I've jumped back and forth between referring to the cast during character-playing by their actual names and their character names. It's roughly to indicate in vs out of character, but most of it should make sense in context and apologies if it does not.

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They get a lot of the wedding talk for the rest of the day, although they have a fairly filming-dense week so it quickly gives way to work talk.

"Oooh oh no boy," Courtney starts, grinning as she picks up a piece of paper sitting on top of her laptop on the dining table before they leave for work the following morning, "I'm Brianna Boho today."

"Oh, fun," Shayne laughs, "character blackjack, yeah?"

"Mmmmhm. You're doing something new, aren't you?"

"Yeah, fake Spencer but kinda weird martial arts... something. Found a sword in props the other day, I'll work it out as I go a little. Why did you say oh no for Brianna?" he raises an eyebrow.

"If I get fully into her, which I will because it's fun as much as because I need to for work – which dude at the office d'you think I'll start harassing this time? Given everything at the moment, and the fact you're the most likely to be okay with me hitting on you even if in character... probs you, my boy," she explains, eyes twinkling.

"I mean, yeah, I don't mind when you target me with Brianna, but that's easy for you, I gotta try not to react," he muses in response.

"Easy to hit on you, sure, but keeping it close enough to PG for the cameras?" she laughs, shaking her head, "come on, we need to get going soon, Boho takes a while with the fake nails and whatever and it's an early shoot."

It had been a while since she'd played Brianna Boho, and honestly, she kind of missed it. Brianna was one of her favourite characters – she could step into it almost entirely, pushing confidence and self-assurance up to a point Courtney rarely did herself. Well, before Shayne, anyway – sometimes she could push the confidence as herself with him. Even then, she was rarely quite as explicit in front of other people as Briana was, and she was definitely less into certain non-monogamous sex-only relationship dynamics.

She was in full outfit this time: thigh-high heeled boots, fishnets, high shorts and low shirt. She was provided a sizeable handful of chains to layer around her neck this time, too, plus the traditional cross earrings, the wig, the makeup. Wardrobe starts to get busy, with Tommy and Damien also putting considerable effort into their characters – Shayne's is a little quicker, just a shirt and hair change – so she takes her matte black fake nails through to the breakroom to apply in relative peace.

"Hey, Brianna!" Ian jokes, stepping into the room as she dabs adhesive onto her fourth finger.

"Not yet, still putting the nails on," she tells him, in her own voice, and Ian laughs.

"Of course, of course, how could it be her without those terrifying claw nails? Who you think is going to get the Brianna harassment today?" He asks, clearly on for a chat, and she feels herself blush slightly under the Brianna makeup. Okay, so it's a thing that she does in the character, she's literally fake-hit on Ian as Brianna before, but still.

"Look, Shayne is in the video-" she doesn't continue.

"I think it's kinda funny when you mess with him, I mean, he gets way more awkward and embarrassed about being turned on in public than you are – when he's sober, anyway – so you know," Ian shakes his head, and Courtney shrugs.