All For Show

First Date Awkwardness

The two got ready in their separate apartments. Neither one of them was sure about how they should be feeling. Evelyn has gone on "business dates" before. These dates usually were with casting directors or producers who were trying to sweet-talk her into taking a movie role.

Joe, on the other hand, couldn't remember the last time he went on a date. He normally talked to a girl at a bar, bought her a couple of drinks, and ended the night at her place. He'd wake up the next morning, leave while she was still sleeping, and never talk or see her again. This date with Evelyn was different. He was supposed to go, be a gentleman, talk to her, flirt with her, and make her and everyone around them believe that he was crazy about her. More importantly, he needed to convince people that she was crazy about him. It was a lot of pressure. Mainly because the girl he was going on a date with was Evelyn Jones, Hollywood's favorite actress. And he was Hollywood's drunkest actor.

Not many people wanted him to. . . influence her.

Joe wanted to make sure he wasn't late so he did the opposite. He got there almost twenty minutes early. He sat at their table, nervously bouncing his knee. He kept checking the door, holding his breath every time a woman walked in.

Finally, Evelyn walked in. Joe instantly stood up and fixed his suit coat as she approached the table.

"You're early," she teased. Joe cleared his throat as he moved to the other chair and pulled it out for her.

"I didn't want to be late," he said, oddly relieved she showed up. "Plus, Andrew would've killed me if I was late."

"I would've killed you if you were late," she chuckled as she sat down.

Joe wiped his suddenly clammy hands on his pants as he returned to his seat and sat down. The two stared at each other, awkwardness thickening between them.

Evelyn looked down at the menu, not feeling as awkward as Joe was feeling. He tried to decide what he wanted to eat but he couldn't resist the urge he had to look up at Evelyn.

"Don't worry," she said, not looking up from the menu. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Sorry," he laughed awkwardly. "I just. . . I'm not much of a dater."

"Really? I couldn't tell," Evelyn teased. She put down the menu and smirked at him. When she saw the nerves he was trying to hide, her smirk softened.

"Relax, Joe," she said, lowering her voice. "It's like I said the other day, I'm in this. But only. . ."

"If I play my part," Joe finished. He almost missed Evelyn's change at his statement.

"If you take this seriously," she corrected as she grabbed her menu and had a harder time reading through the entrees.

Joe watched her, going back over what he said. He tried to figure out what he had said that made her shift. He focused on her but she kept her focus on the menu.

The awkwardness became suffocating for both of them. Joe wanted to say something to try and lessen it, but he couldn't think of anything. He didn't want Evelyn to feel uncomfortable, but he didn't know how he could fix it.

Evelyn could feel it too. This time, it did bother her. She glanced up at Joe to see him drumming his fingers on the menu.

"You know what we need?" Evelyn asked, smiling when Joe looked at her. "Alcohol."

Joe laughed as he raised his hand to get the waiter's attention.

"I'm on it."

* * * * *

A few drinks in and things had changed. Not drastically, but the two started to relax. They agreed to forget about the setup and to just have dinner. They talked about the typical things that two actors talk about on a date; their careers.

"I did a few little things before Stranger Things," Joe was explaining when the waiter brought their meals. "Things kind of exploded after that, I guess. Nothing like your career, though."

Evelyn just shrugged as she took another drink of her wine. "To be honest," she sighed, "it kind of snowballed."

"Snowballed?"

"You know," she explained, "it starts off small but picks up speed and gets bigger and bigger until it's almost uncontrollable."

Joe watched as she played with the food on her plate, not really eating. He studied her, trying to find a way to start this conversation differently. In a way that made Evelyn more comfortable.

"Which do you like better," Joe started to say the most cliché thing he could think of, "being in action movies or romance?"

"Action," Evenly said instantly.

"Not romance?" Joe teased.

"This is going to sound extremely conceded," she sighed.

"I have no right to judge," he smirked. He smiled when Evelyn relaxed a little more.

"Whenever I do a romance movie, the actor I'm working with tends to. . . have trouble separating real life from the movie."

"Oh," he elongated. When Evelyn had the courage to look up at Joe, he wasn't smirking or laughing. He was smiling at her.

"I understand."

"You do?" Evelyn stuttered.

"Of course," Joe said with a small shrug. "I could see why a costar would have a hard time separating fake feelings and real feelings for you. You're the kind of girl guys fall in love with. Constantly and easily."

Evelyn had a hard time understanding this conversation. Understanding Joe, actually.

"Can I. . . Nevermind."

"It's okay," Joe shrugged. "Ask me."

"Your reputation doesn't match the real you, Joe," she sighed. "I just mean. . . The you that your fans see isn't the real you. At least not the you that I've met."

"Well, the me you first met was a lot like the me my fans see," Joe tried to tease.

"Yeah," Evelyn stuttered. "But that's not the real you. I've seen the real you, Joe. Why don't you let the rest of the world see this version of you?"

"I don't know," Joe shrugged, being honest. "When I first moved here, I was a little too focused on getting my name out there. It seemed like the best way to do it was by being in the headlines. And the quickest way to do that was to have a reputation."

"And you chose a bad reputation?"

"It was easier," Joe said, flushed with embarrassment. Evelyn was the complete opposite of him. She had a good career that took off in the right direction. People would do anything to work with her. People loved her.

And all he was doing was pulling her reputation down where his was.

"Just because that's how you got your reputation, doesn't mean that has to be the way you keep it," Evelyn said, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"You really think I can change how people see me?"

"Of course," Evelyn shrugged. "You just need to show people the version of yourself that you don't let people see. The real you."