Chapter 287: Everything Is Perfect
Brooke didn’t know why, but during the filming, she felt as though Sadie had been avoiding her. After filming whenever she invited her for drinks, she would leave with some excuse or the other.
This behavior did not go unnoticed from the rest of the cast, but as it stood, they had all eyes on them and had to push filming forward. Sadie shot all of her scenes first, and since then she stopped coming on set.
Of course, that sort of behavior was somewhat normal, the bigger stars had the more packed schedules and the cast would have to bend to their will. Brooke, just like everyone assumed that this was because of Damien’s busy schedule.
He had just accepted a role for a big production abroad, and had to leave the country for filming. As a result, the entire schedule had to be rearranged.
Hence, for the next two months after they left, all members of the cast poured their all into the roles, whilst the promotion for the movie had begun online, stirring some drama online.
Staring at her tablet, Brooke sighed at the negative reviews left on the movie’s official social media account.
"They sure don’t hold back." She said turning the tab off, she looked out the window to see Dylan approaching her car.
Since they had started working together, she found herself getting more and more comfortable around the kid. Since they had almost all their scenes together, they often ended up meeting outside work to run lines together.
"You’re late." Brooke noted, watching him crawl into the backseat.
"Sorry, I was held up at the hospital." He replied, wiping his sweat with his sleeve.
Brooke’s heart sank. "How is your sister?" Since they started getting closer, Dylan became more open to letting Brooke visit him at the hospital.
"It’s fine, there was just some paperwork I needed to fill out." He said, a half smile plastered on his face.
’That fake smile, he’s really gotten better at our job.’ Brooke noted in her head. Every time they met, she could still feel the wall placed carefully between them. Perhaps, Dylan did not want her pity, though, she did not want to give it to him.
She just felt it a waste that such a young boy had to shoulder such a burden alone.
For the rest of the ride they chatted about mundane things, about their schedules, after practice dinner, everything centered around the movie. Their chatter was cut short when the driver pulled over at the space that Brooke had rented out for them to practice their lines.
To avoid starting a scandal, she rented an open space with a balcony, and then always had some of the available extras over.
"It’s just the two of us here today." Dylan noted, opening the door for Brooke.
Standing at the middle of the apartment, she smiled, "It makes sense, the final scenes are being shot, everyone must be so busy on set."
Dylan reclined against the shelf where their scripts were stored. His arms folded he hissed, "I still can’t believe you agreed to hold back, the director was being too greedy."
"Greed or not, it’ll help Sadie, and that’s all that matters." she said, taking her jacket off.
She noticed the irritated look on Dylan’s face and dismissed it. She had tried asking him why he disliked Sadie, but he always changed the topic, insisting she was reading too much into it.
The whole evening, they both practiced their lines, giving it their all into the night.
Once they finished, Brooke turned to her bag, she reached inside and pulled out her phone. She smiled at the missed call from Thane and quickly called him back.
"Judging by your smile, I’m guessing Mr tall, dark and handsome is calling." Dylan noted, a look of playful disgust on his face.
Brooke rolled her eyes as she went upstairs for some privacy.
After the second call, Thane picked up, "Thane, I just finished practice, I’m about to leave." She excitedly said into the phone.
"Look out your window." He said, earning an eyebrow raise from Brooke. She walked over to the balcony, only to see Thane downstairs, in front of his car, holding a bouquet of tulips.
Her eyes went round with excitement, "Thane! What are you doing here?!" She shouted, despite the call being connected.
"I’m here to pick you up!" He shouted back.
Realizing the phones were still connected, she brought the phone to her ear, "I’m on my way." She said then went downstairs.
At the living room, Dylan had already packed her things and his, he held her purse out, a cocky grin on his face. "Leaving already? I thought I was promised a steak dinner."
Brooke rolled her tongue around her mouth, she did promise him dinner, after all this was their last practice together. Tomorrow they would be filming their final scene, it would be their last time on set together.
"Why don’t we do this, I’ll treat you tomorrow, right after filming, let’s go catch a meal." She promised him in a pleading voice.
Dylan cocked a grin, "Sure." He had just been teasing her, he knew all about her and her mysterious rich sponsor husband.
At first, he did think that she had trapped a rich man for the sake of the movie. But within a short span of three months, Brooke had convinced him otherwise.
Slinging her bag on her shoulder, she ruffled his hair and flashed him a bright smile, "See you later, Dylan!" She greeted then dashed out the door to her husband’s awaiting arms.
Dylan peered out the door, an all knowing look on his face while he watched Brooke rush into her husband’s arms. He smiled when he lifted her feet off the ground, smothering her with kisses.
"See you later, Brooke." He greeted back in a low tone.
Thane had the driver take Brooke’s car home, whilst he drove them to a private park, where he had laid out a specially planned picnic. The entire ride, Brooke admired the bouquet, her insides squirming with glee.
She gasped and covered her mouth at the candlit scene upon arriving at the private park. Thane held out his hand to her and led her to the awaiting picnic, he helped her to sit on a pillow, then proceeded to pour them both a glass of wine.
"Thane, why did you go all out like this? You must be tired from working all day." She pointed out, watching him unpack the dinner arrangements.
He passed her a glass of wine, "I didn’t have so much today. Besides, these past months have been busy, I’ve barely been able to see my wife at all."
He was right, Brooke had missed Thane immensely, since the funeral, Thane had poured all his efforts into his start up company. His presence in the country had caused a stir, brands, companies and all sorts of businesses sought after him, wanting to form a link with the aloof Grayson family.
Naturally, she had to be even more careful, she and Thane could no longer go to restaurants together, not when her image was still trashy online. Granted, Julian’s intervention had helped, but Cassie’s die hard fans would not let the hatchet be buried.
"But we have to be careful, we can’t let someone photograph us."
Thane’s demeanor dampened, "You know I don’t care about what the public says about me." To Thane, such trivial matters did not affect him.
He went on, "The only reason I’m holding back, is because I don’t want any rumours to regulate about you landing the role." Had he announced his marriage to Brooke, the Cassie diehard fans would assume that she only got her role because she was sleeping with a sponsor.
Brooke knew this, Thane was being considerate of her, he always had been. This realization made her feel stupid for the fights she had with Thane right before Susan’s funeral.
All that fighting with her husband seemed pointless to her.
Thane had always been on her side, he had always had her best interest at heart. "Thank you for setting this up, it means a lot to me."
"You did so well handling filming, this is just a small celebration to congratulate you." He told her.
"But, filming doesn’t officially end until tomorrow."
Finished setting up, he sat next to her, took her hand in his and gave it a tight squeeze, "Tomorrow, there’s something I have planned for the both of us."
"Another surprise?" Brooke smiled, he had already given her so much.
"After filming tomorrow, there’s something I want to tell you." His tone shifted, sounding serious.
Brooke noticed the sudden change, and couldn’t hold back her curiosity, "Is something wrong?"
But he kept a straight face when he responded, "No," he planted a passionate kiss on her forehead, "Everything is perfect."