My Leading Man | Timothée Chalamet

chapter eleven

The ride back was long and silent, save for the music Syd was playing. When we got back to the bar, we all stepped out of the car and I tried to make things less awkward.

"Okay! You guys ready to shoot the final scene?" I wiggled my eyebrows playfully.

Timothée just chuckled and looked at the ground. "Sure thing, Boss."

Syd saluted me and smiled, falling in step with me and holding onto my arm. "Ya know," she whispered into my ear, smiling. "Timmy and I kiss in this scene." She pulled back and raised her eyebrows at me, grinning. "You think he's a good kisser?"

I felt my throat go dry and coughed suddenly, which quickly morphed into a minor coughing fit. Timothée, who was walking in front of us, turned back and glanced briefly at me before turning back around and continued walking. My face burning from embarrassment, I turned it into a forced throat-clearing, and looked at the ground as we walked.

"Uh, yeah. Probably." I bit my cheek. I had forgotten all about the kiss in this scene.

"'Probably?' Have you seen any of his movies? I'm sure he's a kissing god." Oh, Syd. Always one for theatrics.

"Well, it's just a peck," I corrected.

"At first. But who knows?" She asked, raising her arms up in question. "Might be the first of many." She smiled smugly.

I felt my nails nearly impale my palms again. My teeth clenched and I swallowed hard. I was angry at Syd, but I honestly couldn't pinpoint why. I pasted on a smile and smothered my upset. The kiss was scripted, after all. Why was this bothering me?

"Syd, this is Timothée Chalamet. A.k.a. your co-star. Don't you think it's a little... foolish to think of something happening with him?"

She shrugged at me innocently. "No. What makes you say that?"

I just shook my head at myself. Why was I saying that? It's not like stuff like that doesn't happen all the time in showbiz. Actors and actresses fall in love all the time off-screen and they still make their films.

"I guess... I don't know. Momentary lapse in judgment," I said, quirking a smile at her.

"Alright. But don't worry, you'll be the first to know if something with him does happen," she said, winking at me.

"Great," I said, smiling back. So why didn't it feel that way?

-

"Okay people, places please," I called out to my crew, gaining everyone's attention. Timothée sauntered over to the bar from the makeup table and Syd emerged from the bathroom, dressed in her outfit for the scene - a tight black cropped tank with a red leather jacket and long black pants. She tossed her hair behind her and sat down at the bar.

"Ready," she said, and I gave a thumbs-up in acknowledgment.

Timothée stood at the end of the bar and turned to me. "I'm ready, Miss Director," he saluted seriously, which brought out a few laughs from the crew. He smiled, but it didn't seem like his heart was in it.

"Thanks, Tim," I returned, and walked over to Ava to set up the shot.

Once cameras and lights were in place, I walked over to the leads near the bar. Timothée was leaning on it nonchalantly and Syd had an empty glass sitting before her as she twisted a toothpicked-olive in her hand. "Okay, you guys. Remember: Syd, or- Naomi, you've just learned you were let off the case because Theo here," I said, glancing at Timothée, "ended things between you two, and you're drinking your despair. Naomi, you don't realize he knows you're a spy yet, and you think he's returned home to his father. So it's a surprise to you when Theo comes in. Theo," I said, turning to Tim. "You're accent comes out for the first time around Naomi in this scene, and you are very smug about catching her. You come in, sit next to her, order your drink, then tell her your goodbyes, give her a dramatic, patronizing final kiss, and then you leave. Then," I say, turning to my other actors who volunteered from USC wearing black clothes, "you all enter and arrest Naomi. Everyone good?" I asked, scanning the room and slightly out of breath.