𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐓

Chapter Nine: Breaking Script

Ｑｕｅｎｔｉｎ 

I could feel the tension the moment I stepped onto the set for the Levi's commercial. It wasn't just the nerves from being late or the stress of trying to keep it all together—it was Kiara. Of all the people I could be paired with for this brand deal, it had to be her.

She was standing across the room, talking with a makeup artist, looking perfect in a pair of jeans and a sleek levi sports bra. Her hair was pulled back gradually falling on her shoulders, slick and smooth, not a strand out of place. She looked calm, collected, and like she hadn't just walked through the emotional chaos I'd dragged her into. Meanwhile, I was still trying to figure out how to apologize to her and not screw up this whole shoot.

"Quentin!" the director called, waving me over as if he hadn't noticed how late I was. "We're getting started soon. You and Kiara will be doing the shoot together. We want this to feel natural, comfortable—just the two of you enjoying the product. You think you can handle that?"

I swallowed hard, stealing another glance at Kiara. She was still talking with the makeup artist but had definitely caught the tail end of the conversation. Her lips curved into a small, almost sarcastic smile when she saw me.

"Yeah, I got it," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

The director clapped his hands. "Perfect! Let's get into it. We'll do a few quick shots, some dialogue, and a lot of smiling. Simple, right?"

I forced a smile, trying to shake the nerves. "Yeah, simple."

I walked over to where Kiara was standing, and she finally turned to face me. Her expression was unreadable—cool, distant, but not outright angry. Still, the air between us was thick with unspoken words.

"Hey," I said, my voice low, hoping to break the ice before we started filming.

"Hey," she replied, but her tone was flat. She didn't give me much to work with.

"Look, I know this is awkward," I started, but she held up a hand to stop me.

"Let's just get through this shoot, Quentin," she said, her voice calm but firm. "We'll talk later—if we need to I like to keep things professional when working."

I nodded, feeling the sting of her words. I knew she was right. This wasn't the time or place to dive into all our issues, but it still felt like a punch to the gut. I had been messing up, and she wasn't going to let me off easy.

We moved into position, standing side by side as the crew adjusted the lights and cameras. The director gave us some last-minute instructions, reminding us to act natural and enjoy ourselves, but all I could think about was how stiff things felt between me and Kiara. I didn't want to be fake with her, but I also didn't want to ruin the shoot.

"Alright, action!" the director called.

The first few takes were simple enough—Kiara and I walking down a hallway, laughing, talking about how great the jeans were. But even though the lines were easy, the tension was there. Every time I tried to make eye contact with her, she avoided it. Every time I tried to smile, it felt forced.

"Cut!" the director shouted after the third take. "Quentin, you're too stiff. Loosen up a bit. Kiara, you're great, but we need more chemistry between you two. You know each other, right?"

Kiara shot me a look that said everything—Oh, we know each other, alright—but she didn't say anything. Instead, she nodded at the director. "Yeah, we know each other."

The director smiled, clearly not picking up on the subtext. "Good! Let's use that. I want to see more connection, more energy. Let's try it again."

We moved back into position, and this time, I tried to push everything else out of my mind. I focused on the lines, on Kiara, and on trying to make this work.