A Look Into Reel Love (4 page)

A few meters in front of her was Dylan waving and greeting the crowd and signing autographs here and there. When he turned around and noticed her leaving her limousine, he walked towards her and greeted her by giving both her cheeks a quick peck.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered to her, so that only the both of them heard what he said.

Placing his hand at the small of her back, he led her further along the red carpet. They separated from time to time since they each wanted to take pictures with their fans. When they reached the entrance of the theater, Dylan walked over to Cassie’s side before they both entered and searched for their seats inside.

Midway into the movie when their characters had decided to enter the stage of being in an exclusive relationship, Dylan reached his hand out to search for Cassie’s. Intertwining their fingers together, she kept his hand on her lap and enjoyed the warmth that travelled from his skin to hers. It was only when the credits rolled that Cassie slowly pulled her hand away right before the lights of the theater turned on. She could feel Dylan’s gaze piercing the side of her face, and so, she had no choice but to turn and face him.

“Now will I be seeing more of your dancing?” Dylan teased, referring to the after-party later where everyone was headed after. A few people in the theater were already standing up to leave, but seeing as they were all headed to the same party, Dylan and Cassie didn’t see the benefit of rushing and standing up first, so they stayed in their seats and waited for the crowd to dissipate.

Chuckling lightly, she shook her head and remembered that time in Paris when the whole cast and crew went out and danced the night away. Right after the dancing, Dylan and she grabbed a bite at Le Bouche, and he couldn’t help but take a jab at her dancing skills, or rather lack of it.

“My mother always told me I could dance,” she began, still laughing. “And I believe her more than you.”

“So you don’t mind if I film you later?” he dared, never missing the way her mouth gaped open, as if to ask him ‘you wouldn’t’. She was sadly mistaken.
He would
.

With an arm over his stomach to control his laughter and another on his phone, Dylan focused his mobile’s camera on Cassie. She danced right in front of him and awkwardly jumped up and down along with the music. She didn’t want him filming her, yet she couldn’t stop the automatic shaking of her shoulders when her favorite song came on.

In the sea of celebrities, they danced together, and after a while, he put his phone back in his pocket and admired the woman in front of him. At one point, he laid a hand carefully on her waist, and at the touch, a blush slowly crept up her cheeks. It was a good thing her back was facing him else there was no denying her blushing.

“I’ve already told you this, but you look beautiful,” he said the second time, his lips resting just a hairsbreadth away from her ear.

“Thank you,” she said, chuckling softly. “It should make up for my awkward dancing.”

With both his hands at each side of her waist, he tugged her closer against him. She liked the feel of him against her and very much wanted to be closer to him, if that were still possible with the non-existent distance between them; however, she couldn’t deny the sliver of apprehension tugging at her chest. Dylan had a reputation for getting intimate with his co-stars, and as much as Cassie was attracted to him, she didn’t want to be just another pawn in his game. If she were being honest with herself, she wanted to be more than that.

“I’m just going to grab a drink,” she said, excusing herself from the actor. “I’ll find you later.”

“I’ll come with you,” he immediately offered, but she had already disappeared into the crowd the same time one of their co-stars grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him into the circle of people dancing. He stretched his neck and tried to look for that familiar mop of strawberry blonde hair but the attempt was futile.

When Cassie was handed a glass of red wine, she walked over to the outdoor area of the party and sucked in a breath of fresh air.

“Finally,” she said, relishing the cold and quiet of the night. There were neither the clicking sounds of paparazzi cameras nor the fast beating of her heart at being so near a certain Hollywood actor. Her mind was at peace, calm and relaxed at the moment.

“Congratulations,” a voice coming from behind greeted her. “On the movie.”

When she turned around, she came face to face with Liam Bjork. She knew from pictures she had seen before that he was a close friend of Dylan’s. They went to parties together and hung in the same social circles. She knew him by name and face but had never talked to him before.

“Thank you,” Cassie replied, smiling shyly at him. “What are you doing out here all alone?”

“I can ask you the same thing, Ms. Summers,” was his teasing reply.

“Please, Cassie’s just fine.” She then took a seat at one of the outdoor tables, and he followed suit. They then clinked their glasses together in ‘cheers’ before they continued the conversation. “I just needed a breath of fresh air.”

“Not your thing?” he asked, tipping his head to the party happening inside.

Shaking her head, she couldn’t help the grin making its way to her face. She wasn’t the most sociable of people and had a difficult time making friends with people she just met, so she had a hard time carrying the conversation with Liam. Thankfully, another person joined the conversation.

“Hey, man,” Dylan said, taking the empty seat between us. “Cassie, long time no see,” he then joked. “So what have you two been talking about?”

“Nothing worth telling,” Liam replied smoothly, handsome grin in place. “I was just asking
your girl
what a pretty woman like her was doing all alone.”

Dylan laughed at Liam’s words, but his laugh didn’t come out as mocking, not even close. It sounded more amused than anything, and Cassie didn’t like the slight tug at her heart and the fluttering in her stomach at the words Liam used. She needed to get her emotions in check.

Exclusive: Dylan McKinsey and Cassie Summers Cozying It Up During After-Party

The headline read as Cassie’s eyes browsed through the rest of the article.

A close source of Oscar-nominated actress Cassie Summers tells us the two stars were inseparable during ‘The Timeline Before I Love You’ premiere and after-party. Even though they arrived at the premier separately, they walked the red-carpet side-by-side and barely separated throughout the night. At one point during the after-party, the actor was caught filming Cassie Summers dancing (We’d love to get a copy of that video!). Other attendees of the event reported that the two looked very coupled up. There are also some photos of the two together with their co-stars as seen in some of their Instagram accounts. What do you think of the latest pair-up in Hollywood? Yay or nay?

“Have you finished reading?” James, Cassie’s manager, spoke from the other end of the line. “Want to tell me about it?”

“Nothing’s going on,” Cassie began, her tone firm. She wouldn’t deny her feelings for Dylan, but nothing was happening between the two of them. The sexual tension was definitely there, but neither of them acted on it. “I promise.”

“If I catch you…”

“You won’t,” she said. “Filming’s over anyway, and I promise we’ll both be very professional during the promo tours and interviews.”

“Good,” was the succinct reply of her manager. “Because even if you two start something, it’s going to end before it starts.” Before she could question him on that, he continued. “You nabbed the lead role in the ‘The Journey and Me’.”

“What?!” Cassie then screeched, jumping out of her seat and unable to control her excitement. “Are you being serious?”

When she auditioned for the female lead of the film a few months back, she knew the movie could be a contender for the Oscars. The director and producers had a slew of awards under their belts, and reading the script took both a physical and emotional toll on her body. The story followed the life of a single mother in her twenties who proved her naysayers wrong and exceeded all expectations to come out on top. It was a movie that people could relate to and would tug at their heartstrings. Hearing that she was awarded the role was music to her ears. It would be torture now waiting for filming to begin.

“Yes, I just got the call a few minutes ago,” James then said. “So if there’s anything happening between you and McKinsey, it’ll have to stop. Filming starts in three months, and most of the shooting will be in London.”

“I swear to you,” Cassie said confidently, still overjoyed at the news. “Nothing’s happening, and nothing will.”

And oh, how wrong she was.

Cassie didn’t expect him to be at Lorie’s house party, but when Dylan walked through the front doors of her friend’s Hollywood Hills mansion, Cassie tried her best to keep her jaw from going slack. Nothing seemed to have changed about him. He was still the same Dylan McKinsey with those sharp, angular jaw bones, ice-blue colored eyes, and contrasting black hair. When she saw him, he froze in place for a fleeting second before he gathered himself and walked towards her.

“Cassie!” he greeted, pulling her in for a hug. “It’s great to see you!”

They had been doing interviews and TV appearances together the past weeks, but it was different to be in the same party, a private one, with no paparazzi, reporters, or fans watching their every move. They could be themselves tonight without having to worry whether or not their names would appear on tomorrow’s news. They could be themselves…exactly how they were during their last night in France in that bistro.

“Same here,” she said, eyes and voice lighting up. “I’d ask what you’ve been up to, but I could easily enumerate your five most recent interviews.”

When he laughed at her statement, Cassie let out a sigh of relief and instantly felt at ease. Everyone knew she wasn’t the most talkative person, even Lorie was eyeing her mischievously at the moment, but there was something about Dylan that made him very welcoming and easy to talk to.

“I actually just watched our unscripted interview,” Dylan said, taking the space on the couch right beside hers. “I had a blast filming it and answering the questions that I just needed to see how the final video turned out.”

“And what’s your verdict?” Cassie then asked, taking a sip of her drink – wine for the night.