Crossing a Line | Ben Hardy

2

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind, and Carwyn sometimes still could not believe everything that was happening.

She sat in the dressing room of the studio where she would be having her first interview. Her manager, Bill, arrived with a bag of snacks just as the makeup artist finished the last of her touch up.

"Here," Bill handed her a pretzel, which she accepted with a shaky hand. Her manager chuckled. "I know you're nervous honey-"

"Extremely nervous," Carwyn corrected. "I think I might throw up."

"Oh gosh, please no." Bill looked at her pitifully. "I know this is your first time, but you've been doing great so far. You were wonderful during the readings and rehearsals and shooting, sweety. You'll do just fine. This is just one of the many, many interviews you'll be doing once you're famous." He gave her a reassuring smile but honestly, Carwyn's starting to question herself on why on earth she had accepted this offer.

She wasn't meant to be an actress in the first place. Her self-confidence isn't exactly one of her strengths. But as she took deep breaths to calm down, her mind slowly started to clear, and she told herself that there's no backing out now. She took this offer to be able to make a change in her life, and this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This – making art, challenging her capacity, breaking free from the clutches of the corporate world she was so used to, and working far from home – this was her dream.

A staff knocked on the door and told her that she's already needed on the set. Carwyn looked at Bill, and with one last breath, tried to steady her voice. "I can do this."

Bill smiled. "That's my girl. But you should eat that before your get out there. It will make you feel better."

And Bill was right – she was slightly calm by the time she stood on the side of the set together with Ben and Gwil. It had been a smooth interview so far, and she was awed at how much the other guys had been handling the questions. There was an awkward moment when the host asked Ben about the rumor about him joining a dating app after he broke up with his previous girlfriend. Then all of a sudden, it was her turn to be asked.

"So, Carwyn," said the host. "I heard you were discovered in the streets in London by the author of Bridges of Dreams herself! She recommended you to the director for this movie. That's astounding, isn't it?"

Carwyn's mind went blank for a second, as she smiled awkwardly at the host.

"Our Car here is a little bit shy," said Ben. "It's her first ever interview."

"Oh, is it?" said the host. "We're honored, then! So, tell us all about your journey here."

Carwyn took another deep breath. "Well, it was surreal, actually. I'm from the US, and I came to London to visit my grandparents. My mother is from here, you see. I was with my cousin when we watched an impromptu play in a park. I didn't know that it was one of those immersive theater things, and all of a sudden, one of the actors pulled me up and included me in the scene."

She remembered it fondly. Back then, she was confident because she was a tourist and it was a small group. She figured that there's no harm in participating as she would be leaving in a few days anyway.

"And it was the author, Stefani, who saw you perform?"

Carwyn chuckled embarrassedly. "Yes. She was in the audience with her husband. It was kind of embarrassing because I felt like I was just fooling around in the act – I was supposed to be one of these tough, witch villains in the short play, and all lines were improvised."

"Oh, wow." The host urged her to continue.

"And she wasn't actually acting there – that's how she really is in real life," joked Gwil, to which Carwyn playfully punched him. The audience laughed at this, and the host remarked about their supposed chemistry.

"Speaking of chemistry," the host shifted the topic. "I see that you and our boys here have been getting along."

Gwil shifted in his seat so that he was slightly leaning towards Carwyn. He put an arm around her. "Yes, yes we're getting along."

This sudden act startled Carwyn, but she figured that it's for the publicity. Not really knowing how to react, she just smiled shyly. He was right though – they really got along well. He was nice and sweet, and he was always giving her tips and trying to help her out whenever they'd read lines and film.

Ben joined in too, and reached over to Gwil to hug him, trapping Carwyn in between. "Yeah, we get along real good!"

Now Ben... Ben's a whole different thing. During the weeks that she'd known him, she found herself getting more and more attracted. Sometimes, she'd make excuses to "observe" and watch when he'd film his scenes. He would always ask her to hang out with them and make sure that she would not feel left out. Sometimes, she would not be able to figure him out – he would seem serious and stiff one moment, and the next he would be joking. But this quality made him a bit of a mystery that Carwyn wanted to solve badly.

The interview went well, and once she got out of the studio, Ben's car stopped in front of her.

"Fancy a lift home?" he asked.

Carwyn blushed. She left the jeep she borrowed at her grandparents' home, and this day couldn't get any more perfect. "Sure."