In Love with Madden

ARE YOU JEALOUS, EVERLY?

Everly and Richard was running through some lines, practicing for the next scene they had to shoot.

It was kind of a big deal.

The scene was the moment in the movie where their characters would finally realize their feelings, and it ended with them snogging. A lot.

For reasons unknown to Everly, Richard insisted that they should go over every last detail, and talk about exactly what they wanted to do, and how they wanted to do it.

Normally Everly wouldn't have been thrilled, preferring to just have a go at it when they were actually filming the scene, but with Richard everything was different. She was slowly coming to terms with the fact that she might like Richard as more than just a colleague, and she didn't mind spending a lot of time with him. Not even if the time was spent discussing, over and over again, how they were going to make out.

***

After they'd finished, they went to Everly's trailer.

They spent some time discussing the very last details of the scene (hadn't they already been over those?), and exchanging ideas for future scenes, but mostly they just had fun, messing and joking with each other.

Suddenly, Richard's phone starting ringing.

He looked kind of bothered by being disrupted, but when he looked down at the caller-ID, Everly noticed that his face lighted up.

The ring-tone was a song by Elton John, though she couldn't quite place the name. Something along the lines of 'Bring me to the captain'? She wasn't sure.

"I've got to take this," he said, apologizingly, and headed out of her trailer.

A few minutes later, she heard him again.

Just as he opened the door and stepped in, he said: "Yeah, I miss you too. Bye, love."

His words felt like a blow to the gut for Everly. She didn't know what the context was, hell, she didn't even know who the caller was, but it still hurt.

She knew she had no right, whatsoever, to be jealous, but did that stop her? NOPE!

Of course, Everly thought, bitterly. Of course I'm not the only one he calls 'love'. I bet that woman he just spoke with is some kind of supermodel, who's probably also the president of the Richard Madden-fan club.

***

That night Everly decided to go to a pub. It was a long time since she'd last been in one, not wanting her possible hangovers to ruin the shoots, and never having time in the weekends. The next day was her day off, though, so she grabbed the opportunity to go out.

She was still a bit tense after Richards phone call, and desperately tried to forget it, but Everly couldn't stop replaying his words in her mind.

'I miss you too. Bye, love'

It wasn't a big deal. Or, that was at least what she tried to convince herself. So what, if Richard dated someone? It wasn't her business. He could do whatever he liked, with whoever he liked.

Trying to drown her sorrows, she was already several pints in, when she felt a presence behind her.

"Everly?"

It was Richard. Of course it was.

"Heyhowyoudoing?" she asked, trying not to slur too much.

It didn't really work.

"Are you drunk?"

He clearly tried to control the laughter in his voice.

"So what if I am? What are you gonna do 'bout it?"

"Nothing," he said, scrutinizing her. "What's wrong?"

Damn it! Everly thought. How could he tell something was wrong? Am I really that obvious?

The rational part of her brain wanted to say: "Nothing, what makes you think so?", in a relaxed and normal manner. What she said instead was:

"Who was that woman you spoke to on the phone?"

Even worse than just saying that, she could feel herself, against her will, pouting, and even she could hear the jealous undertone in her voice.

Richard choked on his drink and coughed, before he regained his calm demeanor.

He leaned in, suddenly very close to her.

"Are you jealous, Everly?", he drawled in her ear, his light stubble grazing her cheek, both things making her shudder.

"N-no".

"No? It certainly doesn't seem that way."

His smooth accent sent shivers down her spine; his deep voice positively lethal.

"I-I no, not-", she stammered, all of a sudden unable to string words together to form a sentence. He was so close to her that she could smell his scent, and it made her knees weak.

Before she got to say anything else, Richard had gotten up.

"Everly, love?"

"Yes?" God, she sounded weak.

"That woman from my phone call? It was my best mate, Taron. Taron, as in male, not female."

He winked at her, and then he was out the door, leaving Everly sitting at the bar, staring stunned after ham.