Just friends

2

Adlee

The smirk on Liam's face grew as I stared at him in shock not having a damn clue what to say. It took his ex, Ava, walking in for me to snap out of it. 

"What's going on? Did you guys start without me?" She chuckled as she put down her Birkin bag, flipped her platinum blonde hair, and pulled out her seat directly across from Liam. The newest scripts for the first episode of season four were placed on the table in front of everyone's assigned seats for the table read today. The one I received last week was completely different than the one I had begun to read when I first sat down.

My heart hammered in my chest as everyone else in the cast started to walk through the doors. Liam and I were always the early birds and right now I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. I wasn't sure if I should continue on with my outburst or sit down in my seat next to Liam and let it be like he seemed to be doing. 

"We're just getting started," Olivia answered Ava as she smiled and looked around the room, stacking random papers and grabbing pencils, pens, and markers for notes she wanted to make on the script as we went around the room for the table read.  

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and counted to ten. The script already changed once, maybe they'll change it again before we shoot the episode or maybe this will be as far as it goes and the audience will hate Shawna and August together. I felt much calmer with those thoughts in my head so I grabbed a water from the snack table before sinking down in my chair next to Liam.

He shook his head at me with a giant smirk on his face. I smacked him in the arm for it. "Shut up," I whispered but couldn't hold back the smile in my voice. 

Liam leaned forward, forearms on the table while he turned his head to look at me. "You that afraid of making out with me a little and letting me pretend to eat you out?"

I looked across the table, nervous about Ava's reaction but either Liam was too quiet with his words or Ava was engrossed in her conversation with Naomi because she didn't do a thing. Pushing forward I got close enough to Liam so only he could hear but my eyes kept roaming around the room to make sure no one was listening in.

"A bit. Yeah." When his eyes widened in shock I knew I had to clarify. "It's not really you though. This is the first big...what do you call it? Intimacy scene or sex scene I've done and I'm scared shitless. I have no idea what happens, what I'm supposed to do, and how much they...," I looked down at my body feeling self-conscious, especially after watching almost three seasons of Ava's tight and toned body, Liam's eight-pack that made people all over the world go wild and not to mention the rest of our cast mates. The people on this show look like something straight out of magazines while I look like someone's frumpy neighbor who couldn't give two shits about your opinion. Not saying it's a bad thing but trying to do a sex scene after everyone's been blessed with all that...I'm terrified. 

Liam's fingers grazed under my chin, almost as if he were chucking it but so softly they were barely there. "Hey. Look, I'm sorry, I always forget that you're new to this type of thing. You're just so damn good at your job that it slips my mind. But I don't want you to stress, okay? We'll have someone there to talk us through it, we'll practice and I'll make sure that you're comfortable one hundred percent and there's also barely anyone on set those days."

I nodded but refused to meet his eyes any longer. The thoughts that were flowing through my head were too distracting and I was trying my hardest to drown out all of the negativity. I never once wanted to go on a diet or spend hours in the gym but knowing that I was going to be topless on TV for all the world to see was making me think crazy things. Should I do one of those detox diets? How do I know if my nipples look weird? How much are they actually going to show? What if I have a pimple between my cleavage? Oh My God, what about my tan lines? 

Someone cleared their throat making me jump and my castmates threw me weird looks. Liam reached his hand down, resting it on my thigh and giving it a tiny squeeze. He was letting me know he was here for me, telling me to relax. I took another deep breath, a gulp of water, and then stealed my spine for what was to come.

"Alrighty. Good morning everyone, as some of you may know we have edited the scripts so what you received last week might look different from what's in front of you this morning. We decided to go in a new direction based on what we're getting from the fans. We will also be welcoming a few new castmates this season who will come on in later episodes so everyone knows the drill. We have some exciting guest stars this season as well and lots of twists and turns so we are in for a fun ride this year," Olivia smiled before looking around at everyone. "Okay, let's get started." 

We all turned to the first page of the script. Olivia stated the opening scenery, the ending of season three as the very beginning where August is left standing on Shawna's doorstep, soaking wet from the pouring rain outside and miserable after finding his girlfriend in bed with his best friend. Then Liam began to read his lines before all hell broke loose.