A Look Into Reel Love

A Look into Reel Love

Dylan McKinsey is Cassie Summers Leading Man in ‘The Timeline Before I Love You’

Cassie Summers and Dylan McKinsey are cast in ‘The Timeline Before I Love You’. The movie is based on the novel of the same name. Dylan is the son of Hollywood couple Peter McKinsey and Leah Smith-McKinsey. He starred in last year’s comedy films, ‘Brothers of America’ and ‘In My League’. In the same year, Cassie Summers received an Oscar-nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ in her role in the biodrama ‘Counting the Days’. Fans of the two are excited to see them work together and fall in love onscreen.

‘The Timeline Before I Love You’ follows the relationship journey of a couple, including the time they first meet and the trials they encounter being in an exclusive relationship. It’s a story about love and life with both the ups and downs of dating and exclusivity. Filming for the movie is slated to start next month.

When Cassie Summers finished reading the article, she set her tablet down on the table in front of her and went back to appreciating the smooth and bitter taste of her coffee. Ever since she started acting at eighteen years old, she always worked on adventure- and drama-based films. Now at twenty-seven years old, she was considered an expert in her craft. Just last year, she received her second Oscar nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actress’. Word around the block was it was only a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ she would finally win the coveted award.

Looking at the headline of the article, a feeling of trepidation crept up her spine. ‘The Timeline Before I Love You’, a romantic comedy adapted from a novel, was very different from her previous films. She prided herself in being a drama actress, who could shed a tear without difficulty. However, when it came to throwing witty punchlines and making them sound natural, she wasn’t sure if she could ace those as easily as her genre of expertise. It was her manager, James Porter, who decided that a romantic comedy would be a good addition to her filmography.

“It’ll showcase your versatility as an actress,” she remembered him telling her.

Her eyes flitted over to the portrait of Dylan McKinsey displayed right beside hers. He looked straight out of a 1950’s film. He had such a classic look of dark hair and light eyes that his features complemented one another perfectly. He was one of the most sought-after male leads as evidenced with the deluge of teenagers and moms alike lining up to watch his movies and TV appearances. He had the looks alright, and along with that came his reputation for hooking up with his co-stars. Cassie shook her head and removed the thought from her head and remembered the time she last saw him.

It was at the start of the year during an after-party. From a distance, she could see how easily he lit up a room.  The people he talked to hung onto his every word. There was no missing the life and energy he exuded with his gestures and the way he spoke. They had never been introduced in person, so she had no idea what he like in that scenario. She’d find out when filming started.

“Fuck yeah! Cheers!” Dylan shouted to the crowd below him. He stood on the highest deck of the yacht as the boat remained unmoving in the middle of the bay and under the hot, searing rays of the sun.

Looking below him, he watched as his guests of about thirty close friends made the best of the remaining days of summer. The scene was perfect for a magazine shoot as bronze bodies of six-packs and toned muscles were splayed across the various decks of the yacht and models decked in an assortment of bikinis enjoyed the feel of the cool water rubbing against their legs.

He was about to go down to the lowest deck and join the crowd, but the phone ringing in his hands stopped him. When he looked at the screen, the name of his manager, Andrew Thomson, popped up. Rolling his eyes at the timing of the call, he pressed on his screen and put the phone against his ear.

“This better be good, Andrew,” he said, sounding bored and itching to go back to the party.

“Good afternoon to you too,” the person on the other line began. “Just reminding you filming starts next week, so you better be there. I don’t want to find out later on you’re in some exotic country.”

He let out a laugh, deep and throaty and the kind of sound women fawned over.

“That’s an idea right there,” he teased. When he heard a ‘tsk’ from the other line, he stopped the charade and let out a cough. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll show up. Is that all?”

“Speaking of your recent photos…”

Dylan knew what his manager was referring to. It was a series of shots taken by the paparazzi from his recent trip to the Caribbean. He was rubbing sunblock over the back of a female friend who was also in the industry, and of course, the media immediately assumed they were an item.

“You know how the media is,” he began, a number of his friends had gone up to where he was and were prodding him to come down and join the party. “Nothing you have to worry about, Andrew. If that’s it, I’ll go now.”

He didn’t bother to wait for a reply.  He pressed the image of the red phone on his screen and put his mobile back in the pockets of his board shorts. He was going to make the most out of today’s party and had already planned to move the festivities from the yacht to his Hollywood mansion later on in the night. Next week, he was back to work, and both dread and excitement filled him.

He was cast alongside Cassie Summers – one of the best actresses of their generation. They hadn’t been introduced to one another, but he had seen her in person during premieres and parties. She was attractive at first glance, and that was an understatement. She was gorgeous, and it wasn’t because of her strawberry blonde hair and striking green eyes. She had the hourglass figure of a woman, full and toned and so very unlike the waif-thin physique so common in Hollywood.

He shook his head, trying not to think about Cassie Summers. She was physically gifted alright, but based from her interviews, her personality left something to be desired. She sounded too serious, and as an actress, was considered a very private person. She sounded boring to put it simply.

When he got down to the lowermost deck, his friends immediately crowded around him and passed him shot after shot. He was going to enjoy the rest of the day before he had to go back to reality and start working next week.

Cassie Summers walked into the first day of filming with her bag in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. The moment she stepped foot in the set, Ben Nichols, the director, was there to greet her. He jumped out of his seat, walked over to her, and took her hand for a quick yet firm handshake.

“Hope you have enough coffee in your system,” he greeted, his voice light and teasing. “It’s going to be a long day.”

“I’m more than ready,” replied Cassie before Ben steered her over to where the rest of the crew members were.

Ben introduced her to the rest of the group, from the production team to the lighting and costume designers. When Ben called out the name ‘Nina’ from the small crowd, a petite Asian woman with long, black hair walked to the front and tipped her head into a nod.

“Cassie, this is Nina. She’ll be your PA,” Ben began. “If you need anything, she’ll be your go-to.”

“Great,” Cassie then said in reply. “Nice to meet you, Nina.”

“Likewise,” said the other woman, smile in place.

When all the introductions were done, Nina led the way to Cassie’s trailer. Once inside, Cassie saw a folder lying on the couch, and when she flipped it open, the script inside fell onto her lap. She placed the stack on the small coffee table before her and decided she had more than enough time later on to read the lines for the first, few scenes.

“Hey, take a seat,” she said to Nina, who remained standing by the trailer door. “Excited to work on the movie?”

“I think I should be asking
you
that,” was the reply. “And I just have to say…I really love your work!” she then gushed, clasping her hands together and pulling them up onto her chest. “And I love you all the more now since you’re doing a romcom!”

At that, Cassie let out a laugh, her soft voice reverberating through the trailer.

“Thanks,” she then said, laughing shyly. She knew romantic comedies weren’t her forte, so she was scared to disappoint Nina and the other people watching out for the film. “Wish me luck though. Romcoms aren’t really my strongpoints.”

Nina’s eyes widened to the size of saucers as if Cassie had just said a fallacy. Then, Nina took one of the few seats closer to Cassie and expressed her incredulity.

“Are you being serious?” she asked in disbelief. “You’re Cassie-
fucking-
Summers!”

Again, she found herself laughing at Nina’s hyper-activeness and decided Nina was the best assistant she ever had. The remaining hour in the trailer was spent with the two of them trying to get to know one another better. Cassie learned that Nina was a fresh graduate who was hoping that the assistantship would get her more gigs in the film industry, while Nina learned that the Oscar-nominated actress was friendly and approachable despite her introverted nature. When lunch rolled around, Nina received a call from another crew member informing them that the buffet was ready. That was their cue to leave the trailer and head over to where the rest of the film members were.

“No salad for you?” the figure beside Cassie asked as she fell in line for the buffet. When she turned her head upwards, she came face-to-face with Dylan McKinsey. His ice-blue eyes looked at her with a hint of amusement, and just above his angular jawbones, his full lips had tipped up into a small smirk. “Dylan McKinsey, by the way. Nice to meet you, Cassie.”

When he stretched his hand out, she accepted it and shook his hand. When Cassie put two chicken legs onto her plate, she sent Dylan a cheeky smile.