The Crater

Chapter 2 - America's Sweetheart

I don't know how I was keeping my cool. I admire Cate so much, and last time I saw her, was at the Oscars. Seeing her so close, so casual, and about to begin a project together was unreal.

Luckily for me, she was talking to Sarah, whom I already knew from BirdBox. She was easygoing and would probably help to make things light.

I saw her back while walking closer to the two of them. As if she wasn't enough of an icon, she looked like a goddess or some being flung out of space.

It was weird, as if she had a bright aura shining around her.

"Nothing, you're cute when you talk about her", I overheard Cate said. She was right, that's how Sarah was.

To be in love like that again...

"She's always cute" I said aloud.

"Always the flirt" said Sarah, rushing over to hug me. "Great to see you again!"

"It is! It was about time to film together".

"Sooo, I suppose I don't need to introduce you guys" said Sarah. As if.

"Not at all. It's lovely to see you again, Cate" I said leaning over to greet her. And there it was, like a spark I never felt before.

She seemed to have frozen. She was not moving or even replying. She just stared at me. Did I do something wrong? Did she feel that too?

It was almost a pleasant pain to have those piercing blue eyes stuck into mine. It was such a weird feeling, as if everything had stopped around us. Sarah seemed in a different dimension.

"Cate?" said Sarah, bringing us both back to earth.

"Yeah, no... yes I mean..." tried to say Cate. "My pleasure to see you again". She was blushing and her words seem to be stuck.

"Alright, so..." said Sarah trying to ease the tension. "Ready to do this? I am already in love with Tammy"

"So am I!" Cheerfully said Cate out of nowhere. "I mean with Hue. I meant, Lou". What even?

I grinned because it was so odd to see her like that, but she was adorable.

Wait, what? Adorable?

"Finally here are our main ladies! Let's move on to the first official table reading of Ocean's 8!" said Olivia. Thank god she called us out.

"What the fuck" I heard Cate mumbling to herself.

I looked at her, trying to figure her out. "Are you okay?" I asked touching her arm.

The spark. Again.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. It's probably the jet lag. It's so amazing to be here".

"It is" I said still touching her. I lingered for a second, that seemed like hours. She smiled at me, and I felt the spark travel through my body.

I smiled back, but couldn't help to stare at her lips, perfectly bright pink, framing those white pearls or doom. This was too much, so I let her go. I looked back into her eyes to see her wondering, still smiling, as if she was reading my mind.

This was going to be excruciatingly long, if I didn't get a grip soon.

______

"Amazing! Amazing, guys. This is it. There's the chemistry, and this is what we need. You're all partners in crime, and I'm liking the dynamics here" excitedly said Gary. "However, Lou and Debbie, you're more than partners"

What?

"What do you mean?" said Cate. She was in work mode after a while. Thankfully she sat on the other side of the table, otherwise I'm not so sure the reading would have been that great.

"There's a backstory to your relationship" said Olivia. "But we're still figuring things out as to how to make it work. Just keep in mind that you're more like..."

"Sisters?" I naively asked. Cate turn to face me, not quite convinced of what I was saying.

"Is it?" she asked again.

Gary, Olivia and the rest of the cast laughed out-loud. "Of course not!" said Sarah.

Gary was still laughing. "No, not sisters. More like friends who probably had a thing, but not like exes who hate each other, yet their partners and soulmates".

"That sounds complicated" said Cate.

"Too complicated" I said. Almost too loud, which made them all look back at me.

"It is, but what relationship isn't complicated?" stated Olivia closing the subject.

"No...yeah..." blabbered Cate. "Yeah I mean..." she neither expected this. "I get it but I sort of don't, because wasn't Debbie with Claude? I mean, the revenge would include those unsorted feelings from Lou?"

What a smart cookie she was. She was still in work mode building her character and I was staring trying to dissemble this puzzle.

"You mean because she chose Claude over Lou?"

"I don't know, is it? Debbie says she had a rough patch with Lou"

"Yeah but that could mean anything". I was seriously trying to figure it out. It could be cool to have that tension there.

"What could it mean?" daringly said Cate.

"I don't know, that's what I'm saying" I answered.

Cate widened her eyes, and was about to say something but decided against.

"Just.. let us figure out what to do, and we'll get back to you on that part". Saved by the Gary. I don't know why I answered like that. "By the way, since the dresses for the Met Gala are going to take a while, next week we will have costume design here. So, awesome work guys. Get settled, and we'll meet in two days".

Everybody stood up, talking and commenting on the dresses. Most of us have been before to the Met Gala, but this was a different POV.

"So... what were you thinking?" said Sarah approaching me. "Does that make you uneasy?"

"NO! No, not at all. I'm so sorry, I don't know why it went that way. I wasn't trying to be rude or anything" I rushed to say.

Awesome. Now everybody thinks I'm like a huge ass.

"I get it, but I'm objectively asking. Don't you think it works for the movie?"

"I...". I was about to answer, but I saw Cate looking at me from afar. Anne and Mindy were talking to her, she was nodding and staring. I didn't know if she knew what Sarah was doing.

"Hey y'all, who's up for a drink?" said Nora in a loud voice. "I know this guy, two blocks from here, with the best real tequila in town".

Of course she does. What is real tequila anyway?

I was slightly against the idea. I think I needed to calm down a tad, maybe I was on edge or something. And mixing it with booze wasn't probably the best way to fix it.

"Ohhh, I'm down!" said Rihanna. "You shouldn't even ask. This is a must for this crew. What'd you say Aussie girl?"

Everybody laughed at that nickname. "I'm down if America's Sweetheart is down" said Cate half grinning.

To hear "America's Sweetheart" rolling out of Cate's delicious accent shook me up, I even blushed.

What is happening to me?!

"So, boss. You calling the shots here" said Nora, as if I was Debbie.

"Let's roll. We didn't fly miss Blanchett all the way from the UK to keep her sober, now did we?".

What the actual fuck is wrong with me?

Thankfully they all laughed and cheered. Even Cate who grinned at me. Sarah however was looking at me a bit puzzled. I ignored her because I was puzzled myself. "You coming?". She just nodded.

Well, what could go wrong?