Chapter 9: Time and Proximity

Kimiko nosed her old '90s hatchback up the curving driveway. "There's no way this is it. It's way too nice."

"Ade said he wanted our home to look more telegenic." Casey stared out the windshield at the luxury villa. "Whoa."

They pulled up to the driveway loop with the fountain at its center. The statue of a horse stood proudly among all the water.

Mouths hanging open, Casey and Kimiko got out.

Ade, who'd been prepping his camera and sound crew, came over with his arms extended.

"Welcome to Starflare Villa!" He sounded like a game show host. "Three en-suite bedrooms, two overlooking the city. A gorgeous three-acre garden curled around three sides, and a pool in the back!"

Casey nodded, impressed. "Okay, I could definitely get used to living here."

"When do we move our stuff in?" Kimiko asked.

Ade checked his watch. "That'd be about half-past never."

"Ex-squeeze me?"

"This is your TV home, ladies. This is where we shoot your 'home' scenes, but it ain't your home. Your real home is the sad little hovel you've got waiting for you back in the Valley."

"We don't live here now?" Casey glanced at the hatchback. It was stuffed to the dome light with most of their belongings.

"What am I, made of money?"

"Hold up," said Casey. "This ain't one of your shoestring fright flicks."

"No, it is not," Ade agreed.

"We've gone legit now."

"When weren't we legit?"

Casey pointed at the camera crew. "I see we've got modern equipment that was made in this century."

Ade shook his head. "Horror's legit. We've always been legit."

"We've got a real budget this time, not just the loose change you found in your couch."

"Seriously, who says we ain't legit?"

Kimiko put up a hand. "Stop saying legit."

Ade spread his arms. "But she's implying we were somehow not. I find that deeply offensive."

Casey continued, "Point is, you can afford to let us stay here during the shoot."

"Do you hear me? I'm offended. I'm taking offense."

"Don't avoid the subject," said Casey. "We're in the big times now, you said it yourself. So let's take this thing for a ride."

Ade huffed. "And by 'ride,' you mean just let you stay in the Starflare frickin' Villa, rent free!"

Casey and Kimiko looked at each other, and nodded.

Kimiko said, "Now that would be legeezee."

"Not gonna happen." Ade walked away.

Kimiko shrugged and went inside to have a look around.

Casey chased after Ade. "Well, why the heck not?"

"Because this is my first reality gig, and i'm not gonna blow half the budget so's you can play Norma Desmond," he said. "Who knows when I might need the money for down the line? We're working without a script here!"

"Of course we're working without a script," said Casey. "This is supposed to be reality."

"Well, with air quotes," said Ade.

"No, huh-uh, no air quotes. reality, capital R. Tremaine told me there would be very little interference in my path to wedded bliss. 'It'll practically be a documentary!' he said.

Ade scoffed as he approached the TV truck, a mobile studio full of monitors and broadcast gear. His film crew was getting into position, testing out the equipment.

Casey continued, "If i'm going to treat this whole situation with the most amount of sincerity possible, then I need to live the life we're presenting to the audience."

Ade stopped, hands on hips. "Oh, you're a Method actor now?"

Casey nodded. "That's right. And, from now on, I will only answer to the name Her Royal Majesty, the Bridal Queen Cassandra."

Ade didn't smile. "Remember the good ol' days, when all you ever asked for was a second take?"

"Don't need 'em anymore. This is reality. There will be no second takes."

Ade opened his mouth to argue, then thought better of it.

He said, "I have things to prepare, people to direct. Please familiarize yourself with the villa's layout, so you're convincing when you give us a quick tour of your 'home.'" He made a point of using air quotes.

Casey smirked. She was just about to compliment the snark, when someone caught her eye.

Grayson had a kind of gravitational pull for her gaze. Even when she wasn't consciously thinking about him, her gaze seemed to find him.

He stood up on the villa's second floor balcony, admiring the view of the city sprawl below. The warm afternoon breeze danced along his sandy hair.

"There he is," Casey pointed. "Our esteemed producer."

"Don't do it," Ade warned.

"You know, he made a lovely offer--that if i should ever need anything, I shouldn't hesitate to call upon him," she said in a regal voice.

"Don't go over my head."

Casey turned toward the house. "Think i'll just pop up and say, 'Hi.'"

"I'm serious, Case."

"Oh dear," Casey replied.

She entered the villa. The smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies drew her deeper in. She could hear Kimiko chatting with someone down the hall, presumably in the kitchen.

Casey found the main staircase and headed up. She headed in the direction of the balcony, passing all the beautiful rooms along the way.

She entered the master bedroom. It was easily as large as the entire apartment she shared with Kimiko. French doors led out onto the Spanish tiled balcony.

Grayson was waiting.

As she stepped out onto the balcony with him, he put out his arms. "Well? what do you think?"

Casey shrugged. "S'alright."

He blinked, surprised. "Just alright?"

"It's okay. I'm a professional. I'm used to suffering for my art."

Grayson laughed, a slightly gravelly sound. It burst from him quickly and rough, like he wasn't used to it, which Casey thought gave him even more charm. As soon as Casey heard his unfiltered laugh, she longed to hear it again as soon as possible.

"I'm glad you like it," said Grayson.

"Seems like a waste though."

"In what way?"

"Ade says we're just shooting our fake-home scenes here. Should I bother pointing out it's called 'reality TV?' Guess I figured Kimiko and I would be staying here for the duration of the shoot."

Grayson hadn't thought about that. "Would you want to? It's out of the way. Long drive to the other locations."

"I wouldn't mind trying it out." Casey leaned forward on the railing, and looked out over the pulsing city. She shook her head, quietly awed by the view.

Grayson took in the moment too, but the city wasn't his focus. He forgot about the view beyond the railing as he found he couldn't pull his eyes away from her. Quickly taking control of himself, he said, "I admire you for what you're doing."

"Trying to sweet talk you into letting me and my roomie stay here rent-free?" she asked. "That was implied, right? The rent-free thing?"

He smiled. "I mean that you're pulling the rip cord on the whole love scam, and making a commitment to look after number one."

Casey felt heavy disappointment settle into her stomach like a physical object, but tried not to let it show. "You figure love's just a big scam, huh?"

"Not a scam, exactly. More like a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?" Casey considered it, but didn't quite see it.

"We're animals, we gotta mate, right?"

"I mean, sure, that's part of it."

"No, I think it's the whole game. Continuing the species," Grayson said. "Everything else around that is just an illusion, a story we tell ourselves so we feel like, 'Yeah, of course I'm mating with this person, because we're in love.' But what we call 'love' is just a biological response to two very simple things: time and proximity."

Casey squinted at him. "That's all it is?"

"That's it." Grayson wiped his hands together like no-muss-no-fuss. "Take two people, put them close together, and give it some time. You'll get sparks."

Casey snorted. "Man, agree to disagree."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah, it takes way more--"

Before Casey could finish, Grayson leaned in close. His face was inches from hers. Their bodies were almost touching. Time seemed to slow around them.

She felt his warmth. She could smell the subtle but evocative mix of sandalwood and moss. She imagined him splashing it just under his rigid jawline. His bathroom mirror had steamed up from a particularly hot shower. His towel was tucked low, hugging his hips.

Her heart raced.

Without making a conscious decision, she closed her eyes and waited to be kissed.

"See?" he whispered, his breath brushing across her ear.

"Huh?" she blinked.

Grayson stood back, grinning. "Felt like something for a minute there, didn't it? But it was nothing more than close proximity for a little bit of time. Crazy, huh?"

"I, uh..." Casey felt herself flush all over, and looked away from him. "Yeah. Crazy."

He walked away, then paused long enough to call back, "The villa's yours for the duration of the shoot. Just please don't wreck the place."

Casey rested her elbows on the railing and put her head in her hands. She didn't dare check her watch to see how high her pulse was.

A woman behind her said, "Ms. Shock?"

Startled, Casey turned.

The blonde woman looked vaguely familiar. Was it the sharp, angular jaw that made her teeth seem forever clenched? The precision-plucked eyebrows that stormed into harsh strikes above her ice-blue eyes?

She was smartly dressed in a dark charcoal heather blazer dress. Her expression turned severe.

In a tone most dire, she said, "We need to talk."