Chapter 404 Why Did You Suddenly Get into My Car
Amy leaned in close to Gabriel, chatting away like there was no tomorrow.
Wayne, eavesdropping from the side, felt his eyelids twitching like crazy.
Just then, Jessica popped out of the green screen studio, bundled up in a huge down jacket. It was only the start of winter in Xyleria, not really cold enough for that, but she’d been soaked in the rain all day. She was the most overdressed person on set, with her hood pulled tight over her head. Hugging herself, she made a beeline for the trailer, head down.
"Hey, Jessica!" Amy waved like a maniac.
Jessica glanced over, saw Amy and Gabriel, and gave a quick nod before hustling to the trailer.
She was freezing and needed to change ASAP!
"That's Jessica, our lead actress," Amy said, sounding way too familiar. "You'd never guess, but Jessica's got a daughter, a super cute and pretty one! Bet you wouldn't have thought that, huh?"
Gabriel finally gave her a rare look. "You've met her?"
"Nope, just a hunch," Amy giggled.
Gabriel's eyes drifted to the trailer, where Jessica had already slipped inside, with Zoey shutting the door behind her.
He didn't look away, his voice low and cool, "She is indeed pretty and cute."
Amy asked "What?"
Amy added, "I'm on the same crew as Jessica, and I've never seen her daughter. Have you?"
Amy's agent, who had been hunting for her, finally found her and yanked her away. "Amy, go fix your makeup. You've got a scene coming up!"
In those big American trailers, the private bathrooms usually had makeshift shower setups. Not as comfy as home, but you could adjust the water temp, making it possible to take a quick shower, even if it's a bit of a hassle.
Jessica spent about ten minutes in the trailer, warming up with a hot shower. She changed into loose, comfy clothes and came out with her hair still damp, letting out a long breath, feeling like she was reborn.
"The worst part of acting is wearing a coat under the blazing sun in summer and shooting rain scenes in short sleeves in winter," Lynn said, noticing Jessica's flushed face after the shower. She reached out to touch Jessica's hair. "Still wet? Didn't dry it?"
"Yeah, there's only one towel in there."
Jessica grabbed another dry towel, plopped it on her head, and roughly dried her hair. She sniffled a bit from the cold and plopped down on the sofa in the trailer.
"I heard from Zoey that Mr. Harriman is here?"
Lynn had a rough idea of what went down in San Francisco last time. Her previous suspicions about Jessica and Gabriel were confirmed, but things were hectic back then, and there was no time to dig deeper. So, Lynn kept her thoughts to herself and didn't pry.
Normally, this topic could be dodged because everyone was so busy, but today it seemed unavoidable.
"Maybe he's here to see Amy. That girl’s got some connections with the Harriman family, right?" Jessica casually picked up the script. She had a scene to shoot later, and it’d probably be dark by the time they wrapped up.
This scene wasn't too demanding, just a light makeup touch-up, no need for heavy special effects makeup.
Seeing Jessica deep in the script, Lynn decided not to bug her.
But Jessica's hair was still dripping, soaking her clothes.
Zoey was out running errands, leaving Jessica to focus on the script, totally unaware of her wet clothes.
Lynn grabbed the towel from Jessica's head and started drying her hair. She glanced down to see Jessica scribbling notes on her upcoming scenes and lines.
Just as she was drying Jessica's hair, the trailer door creaked open.
Lynn thought it was Zoey and glanced towards the door.
Jessica heard the door open and close but kept jotting down notes in the script. Her neat, beautiful handwriting filled the margins as she enjoyed the comforting pressure of Lynn's drying. She sighed contentedly and kept writing.
Until she hit a line that didn't quite fit the character's vibe. Jessica tilted her head, thought for a moment, and wrote an alternative line that seemed more fitting.
She muttered to herself, "Every time I act, I can't help but want to tweak the script. Even if it's just a little, doesn't that mean I have a knack for screenwriting?"
Jessica flipped to the next page, "If I keep working on set like this, I might end up with chronic leg pain before thirty. It's not that I can't handle the grind, but I really want to work behind the scenes. Whether it's training artists, working behind the scenes, or even screenwriting, I still want to stay in the industry. I haven't told you this before, Lynn, but Mackenzie has been eyeing a few newcomers and plans to sign them. Next year, you can take over, and I'll gradually move behind the scenes."
"That's a good call," said the person behind her, the pressure on her hair staying steady.
Jessica almost dropped her pen. She grabbed the towel from her head and turned to see Gabriel.
"When did you..." She paused, remembering the sound of the door opening earlier.
Jessica quickly closed her script and stood up. "I thought it was Lynn helping me dry my hair."
The trailer was spacious, but Gabriel's tall, imposing figure made it feel smaller. Jessica, fresh from the shower and in slippers, still shorter than him, felt like his shadow was blocking the light.
Gabriel took the towel from her hand and placed it back on her head. The movement revealed a sliver of his pale, smooth arm. He gently held her head to keep her still. "If you want to move behind the scenes, do it sooner rather than later. Getting drenched in this weather for hours, no amount of hot showers or ginger tea will help."
Jessica turned to find the hairdryer. "I know it. The crew is full of gossip, Mr. Harriman. Why are you suddenly in my trailer?"
Gabriel's voice remained calm, "I'm here to check on your chronic leg pain."
Jessica hadn't yet caught the storm brewing beneath Gabriel's calm tone when the trailer door was suddenly knocked twice.
Lynn and Zoey were not around, and the driver, after a brief chat, opened the door.
Jessica, holding the hairdryer, turned to see John holding a large pot of freshly brewed herbal tea. He looked sincerely apologetic as he stepped in. "Jessica, I'm really sorry about today. My scenes didn't go well, which meant you had to stay in the rain for so long."
Before he could finish, John froze in his tracks, staring in shock at Gabriel standing next to Jessica.
