He jumps. “Fuck, Chinda, you scared me!”
He looks disheveled and absolutely dead on his feet.
I assist him in getting untangled from the cord that he’s somehow wrapped around himself, and, when he proceeds to trip over the rug, I take him firmly by the arm. “Let me help you to your room before you kill yourself.”
Once he’s sprawled on his bed, I sit down beside him.
“Did you enjoy filming the love scene?” I ask. The only reply I get is a growl, so I poke him in the side. “Rama. I assume it was a lot of hard work, and I can tell you’re exhausted, but can you throw me a bone, here?”
Sighing, Rama opens his eyes. “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I mean, not the kissing—I don’t have a problem with that. I was worried about being stiff and unnatural because of the cameras. But, oddly enough, I kind of forgot about them when we were really into the scene.” He yawns. “Sorry, I’m just really beat.”
I get to my feet. “That’s okay. Goodnight.” A little giddy to hear he got lost in his scene with Pravat, I return to my bedroom. I have several notifications on my phone and prop myself on pillows before going through them. Several photos of Preed Pra Saowaluk and his newest co-star are posted to the bl fan site since I last looked. Reading the comments, I’m bothered by the caustic tone of some of them directed at Pravat, saying that Preed’s fortunate for having a better co-star this time around and speculating on whether my brother will be harassed in the same manner. I reply to a few of them, defending Pravat, before tossing the phone on the floor and rolling over to sleep.
CHAPTER TEN: Pravat
“I’m going home after this and sleeping for twelve hours. I don’t have to be on set until two tomorrow,” Tait says. Having both wrapped up filming for the day, we sit at the sushi bar around the corner from the studio. “What are your plans?”
I shrug. “I might paint for a while.”
“Is something bothering you? You seem out of sorts.”
I didn’t realize it showed. Looking at Tait’s open expression, I decide to broach what’s been on my mind.
“In your acting experience, have you ever felt differently about one co-star than you have the others?”
Loading his plate with shrimp rolls, Tait says, “Hell, yeah. I couldn’t stand Jet, don’t you remember?”
I smile. Jet played opposite Tait in a bl he did a couple of years ago. They clashed from the get-go but somehow managed to work well together.
“Yeah. All that animosity helped with the sex scenes.”
Tait stops eating and looks at me. “What?”
“Major passion. Don’t deny it.”
Tait stares at me a moment before jutting his out chin. “What’s your excuse? I’ve seen you and Rama, and the wordhotdoesn’t cover it.”
“Well, it isn’t animosity.”
“I know that.” Tait puts down his fork and looks at me. “Can you tell me what it is?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. But I’m a little freaked by it.”
Tait nods. “You mean after Preed. But Preed made all that up. You didn’t go after him.”
“I know that, but now I’m worried about appearing that way.”
“Preed’s an egotistical narcissist,” Tait says. “He and Rama aren’t anything alike, and you haven’t been acting like you’re into Rama—not any more than the producer wants you to, that is. I think you would have a much bigger problem if you hated him on sight and didn’t want to work with him.”
“I guess you’re right,” I say.
“Or are you worried that you’ll fall for him for real?” Tait asks slyly, pointing at me with a chopstick.
“I won’t let myself do that. Rama’s straight. No use torturing myself.” I hope I sound more convincing than I feel.
“I don’t think anybody can say for certain they don’t have a chance with someone else. Love is a tricky thing.”
“You’re not helping matters,” I tell him.