Chapter 13

Ophelia had agreed to pick up Reyna and Pops in the golf cart that Sullivan had left for her. They were filming the first thing in the morning and didn't want to hang around when they were done. She parked outside of the house they were using for the production and walked towards the front door.

"May I help you?" the security guard asked, looking her over as he spoke.

"I'm here to pick up Reyna and Carson Richards. My name is Carter." Ophelia waited while he radioed her name to wherever the control center was located. It wasn't odd, and she didn't take offense. She had to go through it plenty of times in L.A. when she met one of the Richards on set.

"You're clear." He nodded and stood aside, allowing her to enter the house.

It felt like she was stepping back into the past. The furniture was heavy and dark, and there were tons of photos and potted plants everywhere. It looked like it would have over one hundred years earlier.

Ophelia looked around the camera and light rigging, trying to gain her bearings as she searched for Reyna and Pops. She saw them in a corner talking to Sullivan. Ophelia's eyes moved on and noted Marc and Giselle sitting in director's chairs off to one side. On the other end of the room, well away from everyone, she noticed Kaylee and her mother, Noelle, sitting in similar chairs, watching Sullivan and whispering to each other.

"Thank God, they always seem to go for Sully when he's in the room,' Sawyer said in her ear, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Poor Sawyer, you've had it hard being in his shadow your whole life, haven't you?" Ophelia asked, partly joking and partly serious.

"Sure, there was Amanda and Gail. He stole them, and let's not forget about Margo, the light of my life!" Sawyer gave a long-suffering sigh.

"One day, you were complaining because she was crazy, keying your car, and the next, you were upset because she decided to turn her attention to Sullivan." Ophelia smiled as she remembered.

"I know. What was Sullivan's earlier word? Fickle? Margo was very fickle." Sawyer said.

"Either way, Sullivan was not as nice as you were, and he had no problem getting rid of her." It had taken Sullivan less than forty-eight hours to deal with the Margo situation. Ophelia still wasn't sure how he had handled it.

"That's because he has a stick up his bum. I think he was born that way. The man has no clue about fun." Sawyer dragged Ophelia to some chairs in the corner, and their movement caught Kaylee and Noelle's eyes.

"You've been spotted," Sawyer whispered into her ear. "By the boss too."

Ophelia's eyes moved from the two women to Sullivan, who looked at her and Sawyer as he talked with his parents.

"He's been in a foul mood all day. It got worse when they arrived. What names are we calling them by, mother and sister, Noelle and Kaylee, the wicked witches?"

Ophelia looked at Sawyer, and they both grinned. "The Wicked Witches!" They both said at the same time, then started to laugh with their heads close together.

"You know I shouldn't be upset that they're so into Sullivan. It saves me a lot of drama." Sawyer leaned back in his seat, watching his brother. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Ophelia smiled as she did her best to forget Sullivan's presence across the room and focus on Sawyer.

"I get what you said about your father and brother taking your mother's betrayal out on you, and I get the reasoning for the town. What I don't get is your mother. Why did she and your sister turn against you?" Sawyer frowned as he thought about it.

"I think with my mother. It was a case of not wanting to be reminded of anything before Gavin. My brother and my existence reminded her that she was not as lily-white as she would like to be. I couldn't say why Kaylee never liked me. I never really thought about it. I guess I always assumed it was because she fed off our mother's actions." Ophelia shrugged, doing her best to pretend like it didn't matter.

"Did Kaylee always hate you?" Sawyer was watching Ophelia closely.

"Until last night, I always thought her indifferent." Ophelia darted a glance at Kaylee, who was shooting daggers with her eyes.

"She probably was indifferent. If you ask me, I think she's jealous of you now. You've gone out into the world, and you run with a famous crowd. She likes Sullivan, and she sees the way he looks at you, which means she's got competition, something she's never had before."

"Where the hell did all that come from? Are you a closet psychiatrist or something?" Ophelia asked with her mouth hanging open.

"I was a Psych major in college. I thought I would become a doctor, but the idea of listening to people's problems all day," he cringed, "no, thank you."

"Why did I not know this about you?" Ophelia looked at him.

"You thought I was just another pretty face, didn't you?" Sawyer grinned, ending the serious moment.

"Why has Sullivan been in a foul mood all day?" Ophelia let her eyes wander over to him. As usual, her thoughts were never far from him.

"Because he wants vengeance on your behalf, but he hasn't figured out how to get it yet," Sawyer informed her.

Ophelia turned wide, surprised eyes toward Sawyer.

"He's always been very protective." he shrugged.

"Quiet on the set!" someone called as Reyna and Pops took their places, and Sullivan walked to a chair by Marc and Giselle.

Ophelia jumped when the clapper board came down with a slap. Then she forgot everything as she watched Reyna and Pops fight. Pops was supposed to be drunk, and Reyna was supposed to be desperate, and they played it perfectly. By the time they were done, Ophelia was in tears because it was so believable. It had been as if she was watching her parents argue.

"Cut!" Sullivan called. "Let's get set for the next scene!"

Ophelia wiped her eyes. "Sullivan told me that your father was a mean drunk. Is that what he's like?"

Sawyer saw that she was upset and wrapped his arm around her, kissing her temple. "No, he's not that bad, but he and mother played it well." Ophelia could hear the unevenness in his voice that meant he was upset too.

Sullivan joined them. "What are you doing here?" he asked Ophelia, more curious than upset.

"Your mother asked me to pick her and Pops up." Ophelia wiped her eye again.

"Why are you upset?" Sullivan frowned.

Sawyer shook his head in disbelief. "That scene between our parents didn't upset you?"

"No, but then I wrote it, so I tend to look at it from a different viewpoint." Sullivan looked over his shoulder at the crew, who were changing the props for the next scene.

"It was so believable that it was upsetting," Ophelia said, sniffing.

"Then I'll take that as a compliment. Momma and Pops will as well." Sullivan continued to look around. His eyes landed on Giselle and Marc, then moved to Noelle and Kaylee, and finally landed on Ophelia with a thoughtful frown before turning and walking towards Giselle and Marc.

"He's had an idea, and I don't like his look. It means feelings will be hurt. Keep your guard up, Ophelia," Sawyer said as he stood. "It will take Momma and Pops a while to change clothes, so you might as well enjoy the show." Then he walked toward the exit.

It didn't take them long to get reset, and soon Marc and Giselle were taking their places in front of the window. Silence was called for, the clapper board smacked, and the scene started. It was a love scene, but it was obvious that there was little attraction between the two actors. It was as if they were going through the motions.

Giselle looked stunning in the late 19th-century costume, and Marc looked handsome despite the obnoxious sideburns, but it wasn't enough to carry the scene.

"Cut!" Sullivan called before the scene was over. "What's the problem!" he demanded as he walked towards them. "It's only a kiss!"

Only a kiss! That was exactly why she could never be an actress, Ophelia thought.

Sullivan stood in front of Giselle. "Marc, this is what you need to do. It's what leads up to the kiss that's as important, if not more important, than the kiss." Sullivan grabbed Giselle by the waist. "Look into her eyes, touch her hair, her face, say the words, and pull her close."

Ophelia swallowed hard as she watched Sullivan pull Giselle close. Jealousy coursed through her at his actions. The objective part of her could see them only as motions with no passion, but the woman in her could only see another woman in his arms, pressed against him.

Ophelia wanted Reyna to finish changing so they could leave. She didn't want to watch this.

"Let's go again! You're actors. Act like you're in love!" Sullivan demanded as he moved back to his seat.

Action was called, the clapper sounded, and they went again. It was a little better, but not much.

"Why is this hard!" Sullivan demanded in frustration. He was in a foul mood. Someone should tell him you catch more flies with honey.

Giselle and Marc started to make excuses about how it wasn't their acting. It was all of the people watching.

"I could get better results from anyone else in the room!" Sullivan looked around, his eyes finally landing on Ophelia.

"Ophelia, will you please join me." His tone, while polite, was demanding.

Ophelia shook her head.

"Please!' he said as he held out his hand.

Ophelia couldn't resist the outstretched hand if she wanted to. It pulled her to him like a magnet. As she joined him, his eyes met hers while his warm hand connected them.

"Will you help me, Ophelia?" Sullivan asked, looking down at her as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"You can catch more flies with honey. Perhaps if you were a bit nicer, you would get a better result," she softly suggested.

"Perhaps, but I also need certain people to understand that my interest lies elsewhere," his voice was low, and Ophelia was the only one who could hear him.

"But it doesn't lie with me," she insisted.

"It's not that it doesn't, it's just that it can't, but if you can forgive me this one kiss, it will help with multiple problems," he explained, his eyes rolling toward Noelle and Kaylee then Giselle.

"You want me to take one for the team?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"If you like," he grinned at her words, and she crumbled like a house built on sand.

"Alright." Ophelia nodded.

"Thank you!" He took a deep breath.

"Marc, you need to do the heavy lifting in this scene. As I've already told you, the build-up to the kiss is just as important as the kiss. I want you to reach out and touch her face as if she is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen." Sullivan followed his words with actions, and Ophelia's knees almost caved as he caressed her face, and her eyes closed.

"Take a tendril of hair and run it through your fingers." Sullivan found some loose hair around the nape of her neck, and his fingers brushed her skin as he played with her hair.

Ophelia's breath grew deeper, and she couldn't help the goosebumps that covered her skin at his touch.

"Look at her lips while you speak the lines, let her know you mean the words," Sullivan focused on her lips, and Ophelia's eyes opened, locking onto his, and she licked her lips in response to his heated gaze.

"You feel her weakening, so you pull her close." He pulled Ophelia against his body. It was the first time she had ever been so close to him for so long, and it felt like she was where she was supposed to be. She felt warm and safe like she had finally come home.

"Then very slowly, so the anticipation builds, you lower your lips to hers, pausing so your breath mingles, then, very slowly, you take her lips with yours." As his lips connected with hers, Ophelia's knees gave way, and he was holding her up with his arm and body.

Ophelia couldn't say how long the kiss went on for a second or a minute. All she knew was that at that moment, she and Sullivan were the only two people in the room.

Eventually, he pulled away and looked down at her with a bittersweet smile. Then he kissed her forehead, "Thank you, Ophelia." He held her close for a moment more as he looked over his shoulder.

"Do you think you can do that?" he asked Marc.

Ophelia became aware of the others in the room as he spoke to Marc, and she looked around. Everyone was staring at them, and it made Ophelia want to cry.

"May I go now," she asked in a wobbly voice.

Sullivan looked down at her with a frown and nodded.

As she walked away from him, Sawyer was waiting for her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Momma and Pops are ready to go now," he informed her as he walked her out of the building.

"You were right. That hurt." Ophelia looked at him as a few tears leaked out. "But I can't be mad. I gave him permission. I just didn't think it was going to mean what it did or hurt so much." She took a deep, shaky breath as Reyna and Pops joined her, climbing into the cart.

"I wish that boy would get his act together!" Reyna huffed as she settled into her seat.

"He's working on it. If it's any consolation, I think the kiss affected him as much as it did you, Ophelia. He's only better at hiding it than you are." Sawyer pulled her into a hug then helped her get into the cart.

Ophelia didn't know what to say to that because she hadn't seen that it had meant anything to Sullivan.

"Let's go out to dinner tonight, just the two of us?" he asked.

It made Ophelia smile, and she nodded. "That sounds fun."

Sawyer nodded and then turned to return to the set to give his brother a piece of his mind.

Ophelia deserved better.