Roles to Play || Charlie

Grace was caught off guard when he looked up at her with those blue eyes. She’d seen him enough before, but she noticed something behind them this time that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Maybe it was just the way they glistened despite the somewhat dim lighting of the set off camera, catching on a light somewhere behind her no doubt.

“The one and only.” Grace confirmed, shocked at the warmth that went through her knowing he already knew her name. That meant he’d been paying attention. She wasn’t one to get overly excited about meeting someone famous, and Charlie did have a bit of name recognition already, but something about him drew her in. It was hard to say whether that attraction would grow into something fatal or good, or be altogether inconsequential, but she didn’t really care. There was something in the very way he carried himself that made her want to know what about him made him so different.

He’s an actor she scolded herself silently, he can carry himself any way he wants at the drop of a hat. But that was quickly drowned out by her desire to prod at that demeanor, even if it was just a facade.

“You ready?” she asked, motioning to the script that had been open in his lap when she’d walked up. Her own lines were seared into her brain for the day, floating carelessly through her mind, ready to be drawn out when they were needed. She’d also review five minutes before the director called her back in the camera, though, to make sure she didn’t mix up any of the scenes.

'Always.' Grace smirked at his confidence. She was sure he'd have the lines as memorized as she did, but there was something about saying it so bluntly that seemed overly ambitious. That's what it took to succeed, though, so she wasn't that surprised. Luck and a handsome face could only take you so far. And oh he had a handsome face.

She forced herself not to study the contours of his face as he paused their conversation to take a call. "Clingy ex or annoying fan?" she asked, motioning to the phone, then glanced away. "You don't have to answer that." She really shouldn't be pressing into his business, but he had been talking in front of her and curiosity was one of her more fatal flaws. Those were the only two people she could imagine speaking to that way. Then, it would have to be a particularly bad fan to use that tone. Personally Grace was pretty sure she would have just changed her number either way. The only ex who still knew how to contact her was Rider, and that was only for important updates on her children.

"To answer your question, I did live theatre before this," she drawled, her English accent thicker than usual. She'd have to reign it in before stepping in front of the camera, but for now she paid it now mind. "It's a little known fact, but if you step on stage in front of an audience and forget a line, they will skin you alive after the performance is over. Making sure they're seared into your brain becomes a matter of habit." she smirked.

An ex wife. Grace would have cringed if she didn't have such a good grip on her current emotions. She wanted to ask more, but she didn't want to risk hearing anything that might make her lose character in front of the camera. Her past was mostly buried, and she hated it when it came up.

Fortunately, before she had to respond they were called onto the set. "If I could describe happiness to you I wouldn't choose words," she muttered to no one in particular, the familiar short poem allowing her accent to blend seamlessly into an American one. The American accent had become easier to her than her native British one over the past decade, but she refused to risk letting herself slip up on camera. "Anchor phrase," she added with a smile towards Charlie, as though that was enough of an explanation, then let herself melt into her role.

There was something she loved about acting with a script. She could be a different person without being lost in their life because she knew exactly what to say and how to act. It blurred the line between fiction and reality and allowed her to just sink into the present moment without having to worry about how her actions would affect the future. Even between takes she rarely let her character slip - a habit she'd picked up years ago with live theatre.

It went smoothly enough. Charlie was a good actor and she'd done plenty of prep for this role. Balancing hesitance and passion was a familiar feeling for her anyway. Channeling it was as easy as breathing. Soon, they were at the end of the date scene. Grace was glad the director had decided to keep it in order because it let her hold onto the character and not consider what to add in from moments before. She understood why some directors didn't film movies in a linear fashion, but that wasn't how she'd first learned to act.

Grace was surprised as he reached out to brush her cheek and her heart started racing in her chest. She was hesitant for a moment, but she tapped into that feeling. It was as good a source as any. She leaned into the kiss and felt the mask between character and actor slip, but she held it in place by sheer will. This wasn't Charlie, it was his character. And this wasn't her either. She didn't get flustered.

As the kiss came too a close, Grace took a startled step back, careful to continue her role. "I had a nice time," she said, looking away with a trace of sadness in her expression. Regardless of what her character thought of his, there were generations of customs that she should have been thinking of. It was a battle between romance and passion, which gave her some room to play with the role. "Goodnight." she added, and slipped into the apartment before the director called "Cut!"

She glanced back at the set, watching the director carefully. She didn't want to retake the scene. "Nice job. Take a break, I need Hampton and Grey next!" Grace sighed and stepped off the set.