Just Business

Chapter Twenty-Six: David

David tried to slide a hand into Marcia's as they walked, but she reached for her phone at the wrong moment to check it. He exhaled, unsure if she was doing it intentionally or not. He shot a final look at the busy room they were leaving behind, wondering if it was because she wasn't big on PDA. That was okay, and it was another bullet point he could add to the folder in his mind labelled 'Marcia'. He hoped it wasn't because of his run in with Osmond, but he hated the implication she was some damsel in distress. She was far too strong for someone like him to come in and rescue.

The pictures were to be taken in a room with white sheets draped across one wall. Candice was overseeing the shoot, and was ready to greet them at the door.

"Beautiful," she said. "The pair of you look amazing. Now we have thirty minutes, so I'm going to need you to do everything Marco says. Yes? Marco!"

Marco, it turned out, was a tall, stocky man with a close cropped afro standing in the centre of the room. He glanced over lazily as his name was called, scrutinising them.

"Standard pic is both of you at forty-five degree angles outwards. Put your hands on your hips or something, but don't cross them. We're trying to sell you to the public, and open body language is open hearts," he said with a twinge of irony as they got into position. "But after I get a sense of who you two are, I'll mess around with some of the blocking. Cool?"

"Cool," David said, standing just behind Marcia. Candice watched with her arms crossed as the first batch of pictures were taken.

"Don't mess around too much. Remember what the producers approved," Candice instructed.

"I know what they approved, but I also know what looks good," Marco said. "Trust me, or have you forgotten how to do that?"

Candice baulked, but was silent as Marco got to work.

"Can we have them be more, I don't know, intimate?" she asked after a while.

"This is a family show, Candice," Marco said, not pausing the rapid clicks of the camera.

"They're the will-they-won't-they couple."

"They are?" Marco asked, eyebrow shooting up. "Y'all aren't already together?"

Silence flooded the room, Marcia's neck flushing red in a way that fascinated David, but now was not the time.

"I . . . we . . ." Marcia started.

"Oh my god," Candice gasped.

"We've not had a proper talk about it," David admitted, sliding his arm into Marica's so they appeared a united front.

"No," Candice pouted. "This is terrible for their story."

"Leave them alone, Candice," Marco chastised. "Not everything is for the story."

"Tell that to the network. . . Could you guys maybe, like, pretend to not be together?" she asked. "But like, on the brink of being together?"

"When we first met you wanted us to pretend to be together," David pointed out dryly.

"Plans change," Candice said, rubbing her forehead. "Fine! Fine, you two decide. Together, or not?"

"Together," David answered at the same time as Marcia said 'not'. His head turned as if slapped, Marcia looking equally panicked.

"David!" she exclaimed. "We've not even had a proper talk yet. We've not been on a date!"

"You're right," he grumbled. Of course she was. But that didn't mean he had to like it. He wanted everybody in the world to think she was off limits, for his eyes and hands and love only.

Love?

He surprised himself with how okay he was about the word so early on, but that again would have to be unpacked later.

The way he felt about Marcia seemed to him too solid to not have a title. But maybe that was the point. They didn't match the normal timeline, so why did they need to adhere to normal titles? Sure, the way he felt may line up with the way a boyfriend feels, but as for what had actually happened between them he was closer to a friend with benefits or - god forbid - a one night stand.

He baulked in horror at the thought, realising the idea of last night being his only night with Marica made him feel physically sick.

"So what is our angle?" Candice asked, impatient.

"The same one," Marcia decided for everybody. "Will they won't they."

"In that case, you two can get a little closer," Marco said. "David, swing your arm over Marcia's shoulder."

He was only too happy to oblige.