Time To Pretend

Chapter Five: Can't Stop Won't Stop

Filming for Vera resumed a month later once she had fully recovered from her fall. The month had been long and lonely with Nestor only visiting when he wasn't working which wasn't very often. To keep herself busy, she played on her guitar, creating little snippets of tunes and showing them to Nestor who was a wonderful audience.
But today was her first day back. She had spent a lot of her time memorizing her lines and preparing her character. She should have been ready for the scene. She was. What she wasn't ready for was how her body would react when Nestor slammed her against the wall, accusing Norma of killing her husband.
She wasn't ready for the way her heart would speed up and butterflies would enter her stomach and her eyes would flicker to his lips, wanting nothing more than to give into the desire.
Just as she could feel herself slip, she said her line, the words coming out as a whisper.
"Don't touch me." she whispered, not really meaning the words. She said it again, louder this time.
"Don't you touch me."
And she finally gains enough strength to slide out from against the wall, walking away.
"Don't touch me." she says again, walking off set.
"Cut! Brilliant. Good to have you back, Vera." Carlton Cuse says with a smile.
"Good to be back." she says, still recovering from the scene.
"You doing okay? I didn't mean to slam you against the wall that hard." Nestor says, his face filled with worry. She wanted to tell him that she loved it. His body against hers. She wished he slammed her against the wall harder. So hard that the foundation shook and the wall bent with the force of their love.
"I can take a little shove, Nes." she says, keeping all other thoughts in her head. She grabs a water and they begin walking to their dressing rooms.
"I wouldn't be too sure. Remember the last time you were shoved?" he asks, referring to when she fell down the stairs.
"Still too soon." she says with a smile. Freddie, Olivia, and Max walk up to Vera and Nestor, cornering them before they could reach their dressing rooms.
"Hey, Vera, it's so great to have you back." Freddie says.
"Yeah. We have really missed you around here." Olivia says with a smile.
"Some of us missed you a lot." Max says, grinning at Nestor. The statement earns an elbow to his gut from Olivia.
"So are you and Vera going out tonight? Should we vacate the premises so that we don't hear you guys? Or did you want to hang with us chums?" Freddie asks.
"Vera and I are just friends." Nestor says for what felt like the millionth time. Vera and Nestor had been accused of having a relationship for a while and now it was a running joke between the five of them.
"Hi, I'm Vera and I am just friends with Nestor." Freddie imitates in a high pitched voice with his right hand. He brings up his left hand and does the same.
"And I am Nestor and I am just friends with Vera and I don't wear mascara." he says.
"Whatever shall we do with our unresolved romantic tension?" he asks with his hands.
He puts his hands together, making them kiss.
"Ew guys, get a room." he says in his normal, British voice. Vera and Nestor are both blushing madly as they stand there awkwardly. Olivia slaps Freddie in the chest.
"But really. Did you want to hang out?" Olivia asks.
"Maybe." Vera says with a nod, feeling sick.
"Okay. Just let us know." Olivia says.
"You know where to find us." Max adds. They all walk away, giggling and chattering.
"Well that wasn't awkward." Nestor says, glancing at Vera.
"I'm just going to pretend that didn't happen." she says with a smile.
They walk into her dressing room to chat in between takes. A wave of nausea passed over her, making her squat down to the floor.
"Hey, you okay?" Nestor asks.
"Yea. Just nauseous. Haven't done this much physical activity." she whispers.
"Anything I can do? Can I get you anything?" he asks, wanting to help her.
"A bucket." she says. He grabs a bucket from under the table which was filled with ice. He dumps the ice onto the ground and hands her the bucket right as she begins to throw up.
He rubs her back as she empties her stomach into the bucket. When she is finished, she sets the bucket aside, still breathing heavily.
"You good?" Nestor asks, helping her slowly stand up. She leans against him, her eyes closed as she focuses on breathing.
"Take me home." she whispers, referring to her trailer. They hadn't actually been home in months due to filming being in Vancouver. That's why they had trailers set up for their stay on set.
"Okay." Nestor says, helping her back to her trailer. He walks her to her bed, laying her down and tucking her in before sitting on the edge, facing her. They sit there, just staring at each other, as if reading the other person's thoughts. Analyzing their mood.
"Was today weird for you?" Nestor asks.
"Aside from the vomiting?" she asks with a smile.
"Yeah. Sorry. I mean the scene. It felt..different." he says. She sits up, wondering if he went through what she went through.
"You felt it too?" she asks with surprise.
"Yeah what was that?" he asks.
"I don't know...I think maybe-"
"Maybe they forgot to turn on the air conditioning. I mean I was sweating." Nestor says. Vera sits back, realizing they were not talking about the same thing. She forces a smile and nods.
"Yeah. Yeah it was hot." she says. He smiles and stands up.
"I'll see you tomorrow." he says.
"You're leaving?" she asks with surprise.
"Yeah. Goodnight, kiddo." he says. Her heart shatters at the words. Kiddo. She was officially friend zoned. Though why should she be disappointed? Had she expected something different? He is married.
"Night." she mumbles, watching him go. He always leaves. Everyone does. Even her own shadow leaves her in the dark. Everything and everyone leaves. It's just how life goes.
She wishes just once that things would go her way. That Nestor would-
"V." he says, walking back into her room. She looks up with surprise.
"I...I don't want to leave." he says. She smiles widely, getting out of bed.
"Then don't. We can pour some wine and talk." she says, pulling him out of her room.
"Just as long as it isn't boy talk and pillow fights. Our last rendezvous ended badly for my marriage." he says, pouring a glass of wine for them.
"Well this time I am fully dressed. And there will be no pillow fights. Boy talk however..." she trails off, giving him a look.
"No." he says.
"Oh please?" she begs, grabbing his arm.
"You're the only one I can talk to about it."
"What am I, your gay best friend?" he asks, handing her a glass and following her to the couch.
"Gay? No. But you are my married best friend which is just as good as being gay." she says, taking a sip of wine.
"Fine. Talk." he says.
"Okay. I went on a date last month with this guy. He was perfect. I mean he was kind, funny, respectful. He didn't even try to feel me up when he dropped me off." she says.
"What's the problem?" Nestor asks.
"Well he hasn't...he won't...he doesn't want to have sex." she says.
"Why?" Nestor asks with too much surprise evident in his voice.
"I mean...why?" he asks more coolly.
"He said he is afraid I will get too attached. He said it doesn't matter how much I ask, he won't do it. That's when I convinced him that it will just be a physical thing. No strings attached." Vera says with a cocky smile.
"This guy got you to beg for sex?" Nestor asks with surprise.
"Well...yeah." Vera says, her smile faltering.
"And he got you to do it no strings attached?" Nestor asks.
"Uh...yeah." she says, slightly less confident.
"And he got you thinking this was a great idea?"
"Yeah." she says quietly. Nestor chuckles, taking a sip of wine and leaning back against the couch, shaking his head.
"I could learn something from this guy." he says. She sighs, putting her hand over her face with embarrassment.
"Ugh. Just when I thought my love life was going somewhere." she says.
"You got played by the king of players." Nestor says.
"I could've learned so many more moves from him if I were single." he says.
"More?" she asks with an eyebrow raised.
"Yeah."
"You have moves?" Vera asks with surprise.
"Yeah. I've got moves. How do you think I got a wife?" he asks.
"Luck." she answers a little too quickly. He gives her a look that makes her laugh.
"Alright tough guy, show me some of your moves." Vera says with a smirk.
"Okay. Well I start out with dinner, of course. And over dinner, I ask her a lot of question about her home life-"
"No no. Don't narrate. You're on a date with me. Put a spell on me." she says, straightening up with giddiness and finishing off her drink before pouring the last of the bottle into both of their glasses.
"Okay. So, Vera, are you close with your parents?" he asks.
"That's your move? Man, you are lucky you're handsome." Vera says teasingly.
"Just go with it." he says.
"Okay. Uh, yes. Well I used to be. They're both Ukrainian. I moved away from them to follow my dreams as an actress. I haven't seen them in a while." she answers.
"That must be hard." he says.
"Yeah. Yeah it was. I just...I kind of just got used to living away from them." she says sadly.
"Would you go back if you could?" he asks.
"Like back in time?"
"Yeah. Would you still leave?" he asks.
"Uh...Yeah I would. Yeah I like where I am and I like who I am." she says. She pauses and smiles.
"And I like who I am with." she says jokingly. He chuckles.
"Wait a minute..." she says with realization.
"You soften them up!" she says accusingly.
"Yeah." he says with a shrug.
"Well what comes after that?" she asks, leaning closer to him, feeling the pull. Whether it be his moves or the amount of alcohol taking control of her body, she didn't know.
"First, I kindly ask for what I want." he says quietly, glancing down at her lips and placing his hand on her cheek. Vera could feel her breath hitch and her heart quicken.
"And then?" He heard her barely whisper.
"If that doesn't work..." he says, looking back up into her blue eyes that are hungry for him.
"Well, sweetheart, then I just take it." he says. Before she can answer, his lip are against hers, setting her entire body on fire. His lips sat against hers for a minute, not moving, perhaps to gauge her reaction. She encouraged him to continue, moving her lips against his and grabbing the back of his neck.
Her lips move against his in a perfect rhythm, making silent music. He was a much better kisser than she ever could have imagined. She tried to remember why she denied herself of this for so long. Their tongues glided against each other, his hot, ragged breath entering he mouth and melting all thoughts from her brain.
Eventually, they pull apart to stare into each other's eyes with worry. Her lips ached from being apart from his.
"I...don't think that was a good idea." she whispers.
"I know." he says. She pulls him back in, pressing her lips against his with more urgency than before. He pulls her on top of him, his lips traveling down to her neck and then back to her lips.
"Vera." he whispers, pulling away. He looks at her face, really looking at it.
"You...damn you are so beautiful." he whispers. She smiles, her stomach doing flips. She had never seen this sensitive side of Nestor.
Suddenly, she noticed tears falling down her cheeks and Nestor wiped them away with his thumbs.
"Why are you crying?" he asks.
"I've been waiting so long to kiss you." she says quietly.
"Me too." he says. She kisses him once more before moving off of him and walking to her front door.
"You have a wife." she whispers, staring at the ground.
"I know." he says.
"You should go." she says with pain in her voice.
"I know." he says again. She finally looks into his eyes, searching for an answer that he couldn't give her. He didn't even have one himself.
"You have a wife." she repeats, staring into his guilty eyes.
"And that makes me the adulterous whore. The other woman. The marriage wrecker-"
He cuts her off by pressing his lips to hers in a way that told her everything she needed to hear. He didn't see her that way. They would figure this out together.
"I'm so sorry to put you through this." he whispers, pulling away. Vera smiles softly, nodding.
"Goodnight." he says. She smirks and gives him a witty reply.
"Night, kiddo."