Warily and Well

by shelteredbyshadow

Summary:

Ava notices Beatrice the first day she passes her trailer, and never stops noticing her after that. In a modern AU where Ava’s life plays out in the public eye and Beatrice prefers to stay unseen, can the two women grow closer despite the quiet pull of fame, family, and the unexpected complications of falling in love while life continues on around you?

A.K.A the actress Ava! modern AU nobody asked for, but I can't get out of my head.

Notes:

Hey! So this one is different and kind of out of my comfort zone. I almost never do legit AUs and if I do it's usually because an idea has gotten stuck in my head and won't leave me alone. That's what happened here. This idea has not left me alone for DAYS. I have pretty much the entire plot mapped out to completion. Normally for fanfic I have stepping stones that I piece together as I go, but this is almost entirely complete, which is unusual. I will warn you, this one will get intense and will deal with some real world drama and shit, but I think it could have some legs. Would anyone be interested in it continuing? Let me know what you think.

As always, thanks for reading.
- Shadow

Chapter 1

Ava curls up by the window of her trailer, hiding behind the curtain with just enough space to peer out onto the street. 

She loves this part of her job. Well, she loves all parts of her job, really. Getting to portray different characters and tell their stories on screen is a dream she’ll never tire of. 

But, this part in particular is the best. When she’s just waiting in her trailer for her next call to set and she has time to do whatever she wants. Sometimes that’s studying her lines, reading, or bingeing whatever new show she’s obsessed with. But, more often than not (especially when they’re filming on location somewhere), she spends it looking out the window of her trailer while everyday life passes her by. 

Assistants, actors, and crew rushing back and forth to make the magic of every scene.

Regular people, sometimes gawking curiously at the trailers, sometimes annoyed, as they hurry by on their way to and from school or work or family. Or, lazily strolling as they take their dog out for the best part of their day. Or, jogging with a grim set to their shoulders and mouth. 

Living really. Just living.

Ava soaks it all in from her window. 

It’s everything she ever wanted when she was growing up in the orphanage, constantly separated from life and even the other children while she recovered from her accident and learned to walk again.

All Ava wanted was to see the world, to see people. 

To live and be free.

Which is why she loves her job, because day after day she gets to sit there and see it bloom around her, vibrant and free. 

Each role takes her from cities to countries, studio lots to random streets, scenic landscapes to stunning architectural marvels, and she gets to soak it all in every time.

For this one, they’ve been camped out on a busy city street for almost a week, with another week booked. Some people are annoyed with their presence (to be fair, their trailers and equipment have been hogging a block and a half of prime parking spots just outside of the main street’s 2 hour limit zone) but most just pass them by as if they’re a small blip in their normal routines. 

Ava is always both guilty and joyful to see their scowls, glazed eyes, or grins day after day as they drive or walk by, hair fixed, coffees in hand trying to battle the sleep or stress haunting the corners of their eyes. 

One woman wears a different set of fun, clunky earrings every day when she parks just before 8am and Ava loves trying to see what each set is. She hasn’t seen a repeated pair yet.

One man always has a different drawing on the side of his paper cup as she hustles down the sidewalk. The style and subject matter is always childlike (animals and houses and suns) so Ava likes to imagine he has a morning routine with his kid. They stop at a diner or cafe for breakfast everyday before school and work. The kid spends most of their time coloring their placemat, but when the dad gets one more to-go cup of coffee before going to the bathroom, the kid takes the opportunity to leave a little drawing on the side of the cup to help their dad get through the day.

It makes Ava smile, chest warming at the little fantasy even as her heart beats a little hollow. 

Today, Ava watches him rush by with a small rabbit in a field on the side of his cup and her grin spreads a little further.

Her eyes flash to the clock in the corner of her room and she takes a sip of her own coffee before settling back into her cushions. 

Any minute now. 

A few more people hurry by, some regulars and some new, before she finally sees her. 

Ava’s breath catches in her throat and her heart kicks into a sprint as the woman appears on the far corner adjacent from Ava’s trailer, just as she has every day previously, even on the weekend. 

Ava sits forward a little, careful to stay hidden while getting a better look.

The woman is wearing a black turtleneck today, with the sleeves bunched up just below the elbows revealing tan, strong forearms. Her dark hair is in a tight bun, as it always is, but today there are a few loose strands around her temples that give her a slightly hurried look. 

Ava’s fingers itch to tuck them back for her, smoothing them into hair that’s surely as silky as it looks. 

The woman rocks her weight back and forth a few times as she and a handful of others wait for the crosswalk light to change.

She always waits for the light, Ava’s noticed, even when she’s the only one waiting and there are absolutely no moving cars around, she always waits. 

Ava smiles every time. 

She hates it when the woman walks up just in time for the light to turn green, allowing her to hustle away with only a few seconds for Ava’s silent observations.

As the light finally changes this time, the woman still glances both ways before rushing forward with long strides. This along with the hair and the slightly pinched look on her normally impassive face only adds to the rushed vibe Ava is picking up from her today. She can’t help but lean even further forward, squeezing the sides of her ceramic mug with a sympathetic anxiety as she reaches the other side of the street and quickly rounds the corner to disappear behind the building. 

When she’s out of sight, the majority of the tension bleeds out of Ava like a deflating tire. She sinks back into her seat, heart still pounding in her chest as she mindlessly watches the life continue outside. 

She’d noticed the woman on the first morning of the shoot. As soon as her eyes found her, it had been as if everything around her stopped, narrowing all of Ava’s awareness and focus down and down and down until all that remained was that woman. 

That one woman with her hair tight in a bun and a sleek backpack slung over her shoulders. 

The most beautiful woman Ava had ever seen.

She’s had vague crushes on people she’s observed before, sure. But none of them had ever hit her like this.

No, this was all-encompassing. Immediate. Impossible.

She’d thought about the woman all day, nearly obsessively watching out the window whenever she could in hopes of getting another glimpse.

Her heart had soared at the end of the day when the woman had rushed back the other way, returning to whatever waited for her there.

So Ava had watched for her the next day.

And the next. 

And the crush had grown and grown.

She’s never experienced anything like it before. This unseen force drawing her toward the woman with compounding force day after day. 

It’s ridiculous. She knows that. She knows she doesn’t know anything at all about this woman.

She could be married with four kids and a high school sweetheart husband waiting at home for her for all Ava knows (although Ava had seen she doesn’t wear a ring on her left hand when she fixed her hair at the light on the third day).

She doesn’t even have a name for her.

It’s ridiculous. She knows, ok? 

But still, the force grows and grows each time she sees her.

Now it’s practically a physical hook just below her ribs, pulling at her incessantly. 

The woman’s clear stress today only seems to be adding to the pressure.

Ava wants to know her. 

She wants to learn every piece of her life. She wants to know what part of her routine takes her past this intersection exactly twice a day at approximately 8:30 in the morning and 6:30 at night. 

She wants to know where she spends her days. 

She wants to know who she spends her nights with (and she selfishly hopes it’s no one).

She wants to know what makes her laugh. What makes her cry. What her favorite foods are.

She wants to know her. 

And it’s the most terrifying and exhilarating feeling she’s ever known. 

She hasn’t told anyone about it, of course. Her best friend Cam would only tell her to just go talk to her. Her agent would tell her to quit being silly and focus on learning her lines.

So instead, she’s just made sure that she’s here, sitting at her window each day when she knows the woman will be by, watching.

(She knows it’s creepy too, ok? She knows.)

When her heart finally returns to a normal rhythm, Ava lets her eyes fall down to the cup in her hands as she swirls the last inch of liquid around and around the bottom.

She really should talk to her. It would be the easiest, fastest way to move past this. Go up to the woman, try and talk to her, get shut down, move on. 

Then, maybe she could stop seeing her face every time she closes her eyes. 

Maybe she could fall asleep with thoughts of her new character running around her brain, rather than her.

Ava downs the rest of the coffee and suppresses a cringe at the cold, bitter remnants before standing and moving to the table in the center of the trailer instead, where the pages for today are waiting for her. 

She already has them memorized, but she knows it won’t hurt to spend a few more minutes with them before her first call comes. 

 

The magnetic force drags her back to the window seat just after she returns from her first early evening shoot. 

She doesn’t have long between shoots this time. She’s due back in only twenty minutes. She should be spending it eating a quick dinner and resting before she needs to head back out to costume and makeup, and yet her feet lead her to the window instead.

It is 6:15, after all. 

She doesn’t have to wait long before the woman appears from behind the same building that had swallowed her into its shadow that morning.

There are more hairs falling out of her bun, flitting around her forehead. Her shoulders slump forward a tiny amount, accentuating the pull of the backpack straps. 

When Ava thinks back on it, she’ll decide it was her face that was the last straw. Her face is pale and slack, flat with a sadness that Ava could feel deep in her chest. 

Before Ava knows what she’s doing, she’s flying out of her trailer and running down the street, just barely making it in time to catch the last few seconds of the crosswalk. 

The woman has not waited for her, obviously, and has already made it two buildings down by the time Ava crosses the street, so she has to put an extra burst of speed into her run in order to catch her. 

“Wait, miss!” she calls breathlessly when she gets closer.

The woman turns, brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before widening in alarm and surprise as Ava skids to a stop next to her. 

Ava bends down to grab her knees, gasping far too much for her short sprint. She can’t help it, though, as her heart threatens to break from her ribs with each beat.

She can’t believe she’s doing this.

What the fuck is she doing?

The woman, for her part, stands frozen, staring at her with wide eyes. “Are you-are you ok?”

Ava sucks in one more deep breath and forces herself to stand. 

The woman’s eyes blow wider after seeing her face and Ava is briefly grateful this is a relatively normal role. She doesn’t have any of the goop or gore makeup smeared on her that she would in one of her sci-fi or thriller shoots. While she might not be wearing her own clothes, she’s at least wearing a fairly normal denim jacket, blouse, and jeans that she wouldn’t mind wearing out on her own.

“You-you’re-” the woman stutters.

“Hi, yes, sorry. I’m sorry for running at you like that,” Ava gasps. Her breaths are finally returning to normal enough for her to sound at least somewhat less insane.

“It’s…fine,” the woman says. Her eyes dart over Ava’s shoulder to the street where the trailers are. “I apologize, did I walk through a shoot or something? I didn’t see-”

“No, no! Nothing like that, you’re fine,” Ava cuts her off. 

The woman nods slowly. 

Ava goes to continue, but the sheer weight of being this close to her and speaking to her stuns the words right out of her mouth.

Her voice is higher than she expected, but weighty and musical. And she has an accent. British, if Ava’s not mistaken, which she never would have guessed in a million years.

When Ava doesn’t immediately continue, something seems to shift behind the woman’s eyes. Although they stay a little bewildered and she doesn’t try walking away, she straightens. Her shoulders rock back while her hands clasp together in front of herself and her chin lifts, facing Ava with a kind of steadfast intensity. “In that case, are you ok? What may I help you with?”

The words spark life back into Ava. “Right, sorry, sorry. And sorry again for chasing you like that.”

The woman gives a shallow nod.

Ava flashes her a smile and extends a hand. “I’m Ava. It’s nice to meet you.”

The woman’s eyebrow twitches like she wants to raise it, but no other clues to her thoughts surface on her face. “I know. I’m Beatrice, it’s nice to meet you, too.” She reaches forward to hesitantly take her hand. 

Ava’s smile widens. 

Beatrice.

Beatrice.

It sings through her head and her veins like lightning as the heat from her touch scorches deep into her bones.

Her skin is so, so soft.

“You’ve seen my work, then?”

Beatrice swallows and nods, subtly trying to pull her hand back until Ava realizes what she’s doing and actually lets it go. 

“Sorry,” Ava says, flashing another smile as she waves toward where Beatrice’s hands have refolded themselves in front of her. “Wow, this is so awkward, I’m sorry. I didn’t think this far ahead.”

Beatrice opens her mouth but Ava doesn’t pause long enough for her to speak.

“Well, I didn’t think much at all, I kind of just acted. It’s something I tend to do a lot. Cam calls me out all the time. You’d really think I’d learn by now, but I guess there’s always next time. Anyway, sorry for just, like, completely derailing your evening. You’re not in a hurry, are you?”

Beatrice is shooting cautious glances to either side of them, so Ava does the same. Not many people are around, and those that are don’t look at them long enough to recognize Ava or clock that something’s off. The few people walking by continue forward with the glazed look of routine that Ava is so familiar with seeing at a distance. 

Beatrice’s eyes return to her. “No-well, kind of. Did you need something?”

“Right, right, sorry!” Ava says. “This is going to sound weird, ok? But I’ve been seeing you walk by like everyday and I wanted to maybe ask for your number?” She can’t help the way her voice goes up into a question at the end, but she doesn’t think it really matters. She’s not sure the stunned panic that spreads across Beatrice’s face would have been stopped by a more confident approach.

“You, you what?” Beatrice stutters. Her eyes dart around them again, intently checking to see if anyone is watching them. 

Ava’s chest tightens as her heart falls. 

She really should have thought this through.

Her main fear had been that it would be creepy or awkward to talk to her like this, yet the almost disgusted panic on the woman’s face is rapidly making her realize there are much harsher reactions that can happen when one woman asks another out without knowing much about her first.

Without knowing if she’d be receptive or repulsed.

Suddenly, she feels sick. She does her best to keep it off her face.

Beatrice’s eyes are wild as they divide their time between checking their surroundings and eyeing Ava critically. “Is this some kind of joke or video?” she hisses.

Ava takes a step back, surprised. “No, of course not.”

Beatrice’s eyes do another harsh sweep around them before she leans closer. “Seriously, please, if this is something like that I cannot be involved in it. Please. I can’t-”

“It’s not a joke or a video. No one’s watching. No one’s recording. I swear, I honestly just wanted to ask for your number.” Ava puts as much reassurance into her tone as she can while maintaining eye contact, urging her to believe her. 

Beatrice studies her back for a long beat. “Please. I don’t- I don’t know if I can trust that. You’re an actor, you could just be saying-”

“I’m not. I swear I’m not. No one is watching. No one will see this.”

“Then why are you doing this?”

“I-I really just wanted your number,” Ava’s heart is pounding again as her mind whirls with ways she can convince this woman she doesn’t have any ulterior motives or intentions. 

At the same time, she’s silently damning all of the street interview and prank videos she’s ever laughed at for perpetuating a culture where this woman, this beautiful woman, might possibly think that an actor’s only reason for approaching her on the street is to profit off her expense. 

“Why?” Beatrice hisses back.

“I-I’ve seen you walk by. I think you’re beautiful and interesting and I wanted the chance to get to know you.” Ava kind of hates the rawness in her voice that comes out at the words, but honestly she’s in so far over her head at this point she’s mostly just proud of herself for keeping up. 

Beatrice’s eyes stay locked on her, both pleading and threatening at the same time as she searches Ava’s face. “You swear?”

Ava nods rapidly. “I swear.”

Beatrice glances around them a few more times. “Please, I can’t be online or in public or anything. Especially not about something like this.”

“I would never. I promise, I just want the chance to get to know you. We can be as quiet about it as you want.”

Beatrice bites her lower lip as her eyes return to Ava, now somewhat sad and hesitant, but tentatively hopeful, too.

Ava’s heart latches on and soars.

“Ok,” Beatrice whispers.

“Really?” Ava gasps, hand already fumbling for the phone in her pocket.

Beatrice lets out a slow breath and reaches for the phone Ava hands her. She dutifully puts in her name and number before returning the phone with fingers that tremble just a bit. She looks back at her and Ava nearly drowns under the weight of it. “Please, I’m trusting you here. Please.”

Ava nods again. “I know. It’ll be worth it. I’ll text you as soon as I get back to my trailer.”

Beatrice swallows before straightening again and taking a step back from her. “It was…a pleasure meeting you, Ava.” 

Then, she walks away. 

Ava stands and watches her until she disappears over the hill a few blocks down. In fact, she’s still standing there staring into the distance when the AD comes sprinting up behind her with a wild look in her eye.

Ava apologizes and trots obediently after her as she’s led directly back to her trailer to get changed.

Her heart pounds. Her head swims. Her memory replays every second of the encounter over and over again. From the tilt of the woman’s lips to the frantic panic that had filled her eyes.

She only has a few minutes when she gets back to the trailer before she pushes them behind schedule, so she doesn’t have time to overthink her first message as much as she knows she would have otherwise (and maybe should have). 

But she knows it’s abundantly important for her to keep this first promise, so she sends a message as soon as she gets inside, and then puts the phone down so she can focus on her job.

 

Ava 6:32 PM

“Hi! This is Ava Silva (the woman that accosted you in the street). I’m sorry again about being so awkward today, but I swear you are safe with me. I hope I’ll hear back and get to know you better. XOXO, Ava.”

Chapter 2

Notes:

Ok, thank you for the interest in this one! We're going to give it a go and I've gotten a good head start on the new few chapters. Aiming to post at least once a week after this. As always, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy?
- Shadow
(Also, I realized about halfway through that I haven't tried writing flirty texts in like a decade, so please just bear with me there.)

Ava doesn't look at her phone again until she returns to her trailer later that night. In fact, she makes the executive decision to leave her phone in her trailer for the rest of the day, just to prevent any temptations. 

It’s for the best.

She had put them behind schedule after being late and she honestly wasn’t her most focused self after that anyway. Things were tense for the rest of the day and the shoot ran long. 

It’s not entirely her fault that it ran long, but it’s also not not her fault, and she’s a little too aware of that. All in all, she’s exhausted and a little wired with stress when she finally steps back into the warmth of the trailer. 

Still, her heart flutters madly when her eyes fall on the purple rectangle sitting on the table. Her fingers actually tremble as she picks up the device and sees the message notification on the lock screen showing a reply from Beatrice.

When she finally gets it open though, all excitement plummets deep into her stomach to die. She drops heavily into a chair as her eyes read and re-read the message over and over again.

Beatrice 7:13 PM

Hello Ava. I’m sorry, it was a mistake for me to think I could do this. I really cannot risk this. I hope you understand. It really was my pleasure meeting you. Goodbye.

No, no, no! 

It took less than an hour. One hour. One for Beatrice to regret taking a chance on her. 

A prickle of heat starts behind her eyes as her thumbs tap rapidly against the screen. She lets the words flow out of her without too much thought, desperately eyeing the time Beatrice’s message was sent and knowing her window of opportunity to save this is most likely closed and sealed at this point. 

She hits send after only one quick skim for typos.

Ava 9:47 PM

Wait, wait, wait! Please, don’t give up on me yet! I promise you aren’t in any danger of being put under the microscope by letting me into your life. I just want the chance to get to know you. Can we just talk for a while, please?

Ava’s heart beats painfully in her chest, echoing up into her head as she waits for any sign that the other woman might still respond. It does show as delivered, at least, which allows her to breathe a little easier and suppress the burn behind her eyes. 

Not blocked is good.

She nearly chokes then the three little dots appear a few seconds later. 

Beatrice 9:48 PM

You really just want to talk?

Her thumbs blur against the screen.

Ava 9:48 PM

OMG I’m so glad you didn’t block me! Yes, just talk, please?

Ava’s knee bounces beneath the table and she holds her breath when the dots appear again.

Beatrice 9:49 PM

I’m afraid I really do not understand.

Ava’s heart sinks and she pauses. Moments from their conversation earlier flash through her mind, intermixing with the times she’s seen her walking previously. 

She had been so clearly panicked about being seen or watched.

She almost always wears black or dark colors. Nothing that stands out.

She’d leaned into Ava to keep their conversation private even while so clearly wanting to walk away.

She never talks to her fellow pedestrians, only ever standing quietly or speed walking along.

Ava sucks in a deep breath and takes a few minutes to choose her words very carefully.

Ava 9:54 PM

I feel a connection to you. I know that’s weird and I can’t explain it more than that, but I do. I always try and trust my intuition so I want to follow it if you’ll give me the chance. I feel like I should know you and I would love to try.

Ava half expects her to take a while to respond after Ava’s delay. Either because people in her life usually put their phone down and start doing something else between messages, or because they’re playing that silly “I’ll make you wait as long as I waited” mind game that Ava hates. But, the dots re-appear almost instantly. 

Ava hunches forward over her phone, ready to keep this momentum up as long as she has it.

Beatrice 9:54 PM

What if there’s not much to know?

Ava 9:54 PM

I don’t believe that for a second! But give me a chance anyway?

Beatrice 9:55 PM

Have you really just been watching me walk by on the street?

Ava 9:55 PM

Yeah I have. Sorry if that’s creepy and weird :/

Beatrice 9:55 PM

It’s ok.

Ava’s breath catches and she starts to write back, but Beatrice’s dots appear again as if she’s composing another message. Ava bites her lip and forces her thumbs to still and wait. 

Beatrice 9:56 PM

Very well. We can try talking.

Lightning rushes through Ava’s veins, almost as palpable as it had when she finally learned Beatrice’s name. It sends sparks and trembles through her body, making it a little difficult to actually type back.

Ava 9:57 PM

Yayyy, thank you! Ok, in that case can I start by asking how your day was?

A knock echoes against Ava’s door just after she hits send, startling her back from her screen. 

“Miss Silva?” a voice calls. “Your driver is here. Are you ready to go?”

Ava curses under her breath and leaps up from the table. “Uh, almost, give me just a minute!”

She flies around the room, stripping off her costume and slipping on the personal clothes she’d arrived in that morning. She leaves the costume hanging haphazardly on the rack (something she knows she’ll be scolded about tomorrow, but can’t quite care about tonight) and gathers all of her personal items as fast as she can. After giving one last cursory glance around the room to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything or left too ridiculous of a mess, she pockets her phone without looking at it and heads for the door. 

She doesn’t look for the reply until she’s settled into the backseat of her car and they’re on their way. When she does, her breath catches again. 

Beatrice 9:59 PM

It was fine.

She spends another minute wiggling her thumbs uncertainly over the screen before deciding to take a little bit of a risk and tapping out her message. 

Ava 10:07 PM

Apart from getting accosted by a random woman on the sidewalk, right? Lol

Again, although she expects there to be a delay to match her own, the dots appear right away. She has a brief flash imagining that, at this time of night, Beatrice is probably already ready for bed. She could just be laying there with her phone and maybe a book, pretending to read while waiting for each of Ava’s replies with a heart beating just as fast as Ava’s.

She shakes the thought away just as fast as it comes and chides herself for the slip.

Beatrice 10:08 PM

I wouldn’t exactly call Ava Silva a random woman. That was probably the most exciting part of the day.

The phone slips through her fingers and clatters to the mat under her feet. She cusses and reaches for it frantically, only to knock it further under the seat. It forces her to bend forward and dig for the device for a few seconds before it finally smacks against her fingers. She grabs the edges, doing her best not to touch the screen accidentally as she picks it up and pulls it back. 

When she gets it in her hands, she sighs loudly when she sees she hasn’t sent any weird random characters. 

While settling herself back into her seat after the scare, she glances up and briefly makes eye contact with her driver and head of security, Mary, in the rear view mirror.

Mary raises an eyebrow in silent question. 

Ava smiles back apologetically but doesn’t offer an explanation before returning her attention to her phone, heart pounding again.

Ava 10:12 PM

So you definitely did know me then! Are you a fan of anything I’ve been in?

The dots don’t appear right away this time. Ava breathes out again and forces herself to close the screen and look out the window instead of staring obsessively at the lack of reply. Her foot taps lightly against the floor mat as her hands squeeze rhythmically against her knees. 

The world outside whisks by in a blur of bright lights and dark, hazy sky. This is too big of a city for her to see much of the stars and she finds herself longing for it a bit. Looking at the stars was one of the few joys she could always rely on when she was a child, and no matter how much she travels now she never gets used to not being able to see them every night. 

It always calms her to look at them.

There’s no reply when she finally lets herself check three minutes later.

And still no reply when she lets herself check only two minutes after that.

“Somethings bothering you tonight.”

Mary’s voice breaks the tense silence of the car, making Ava jump. She turns to meet the other woman’s eyes in the mirror again. After a second, the woman returns her attention to the road, letting Ava take it or leave it from there.

Normally, Ava talks Mary’s ear off at the end of the night. Although the guard rarely actually replies, she’s a good active listener. Mary's been working with her since Ava was 17 and she had her first breakout role that rocketed her into the public eye and let her escape from the orphanage at the same time. More often than not, she feels more like the big sister Ava never had rather than just a driver and bodyguard, which is why Ava feels such a strong pull to confide in her after a crazy day.

“I met someone,” Ava says before she can chicken out.

Mary hums. Her eyes stay on the road.

“I’m not sure she really wants anything to do with me.”

Mary’s eyes flick back up for just a second. “She tell you that?”

Ava shifts in her seat and turns back to the window, unwilling to meet her eyes again. 

“Not exactly. At first she didn’t really want to talk to me. I think she’s scared of getting caught in the spotlight. Once I assured her we could avoid that, she started opening up some, but it’s hard. Now she just suddenly stopped responding.”

“It’s late,” Mary says.

Ava bites her lip and squeezes her hands together. “Yeah.”

“You have to let her ghost you for at least 24 hours before I’ll listen to you whine about it.”

A small smile slips onto Ava’s face and she drops her chin, closing her eyes. A little bit of the anxious pressure eases out of her chest. “Yeah. Yeah. Ok.” 

A few minutes later, Mary pulls up to the front of the hotel and turns off the car. Someone opens the door and Ava steps out, body moving on autopilot.

Mary follows her from there, shadowing her the entire walk up to the room.

Although Ava’s not that popular, she’s known enough that she needs someone with her most of the time when she’s fresh off set and out in public. After her first big movie, there had been one too many instances of fans, well intentioned or not, cornering her somewhere and making it difficult for Ava to get away. When she’s home and living her day-to-day life, she can usually get away with slipping out by herself. Without the makeup and glam, she’s not as recognizable as people would expect and can usually sneak by unnoticed. But, anytime she’s away for a shoot it’s different. She usually has “the look” that people seem to spot, plus people who are less used to seeing her (or celebrities in general) are more alert when they know filming is going on nearby. So, someone comes with her. More often than not it’s Mary, although the team has expanded to include a few more security people as the popularity of her last few roles has grown. 

She sighs when she sees two people standing outside of her room’s door, where she knows they’ll have to remain for the rest of the night.

Mary nods at them as they approach and one turns to open the door before she can even get there.

“Welcome back, Miss Silva,” he says. 

Ava smiles back at him, a little ashamed she doesn’t know his name off the top of her head, and whispers a small thank you before slipping into the room. 

Mary hovers at the doorway for a few seconds. “I’ll be here for you at 7.”

“I’ll be ready. Thanks Mary!” 

The only reply is the click of the door closing, leaving Ava alone in the dim space.

She glances down at her phone again. 

10:34 PM. 

No notifications. 

Ava sighs and plugs it in on the night stand before finding some pajamas and disappearing into the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed. 

She doesn’t let herself check again before she tucks herself in an hour later. 

 

Ava’s alarm rings through the room harshly, pulling her from a dream that slips away like sand under the pillow. She thinks she remembers dark eyes and a small, tentative smile, but it’s gone before she can grasp it.

She groans and flops over, reaching blindly for the phone. She pulls it from the charger and shuts off the alarm in a practiced move that doesn’t involve opening her eyes. She lets the phone rest on her chest as she breathes, willing herself back into the world of the living.

A minute later, she pries her eyes open and raises the phone for inspection.

The new text message notification swimming in the sea of email and app notifications has her sitting up in bed, suddenly very awake.

Beatrice 6:02 AM

I apologize, I fell asleep. I believe I’ve seen most of your projects. I enjoy the way you bring emotional depth to your characters.

Ava swallows roughly and shakes her head, clearing any remaining fuzz that the adrenaline hadn’t gotten to yet, before replying.

Ava 6:47 AM

NP! TYSM! That’s great feedback. I always get a little too wrapped up in the reviews that say I’m overacting and spend too much time crying on screen or whatever. People can really get in my head ha

Ava looks at the time and groans. She flings the covers off of her legs and leaps from the bed. Yesterday was bad enough, she’s not putting the production behind two days in a row. She flies through dressing and doing some light maintenance to her face and hair. It doesn’t really matter how she looks, makeup and costume will take care of it as soon as she gets to set, but she wants to make sure she doesn’t look too much like she just rolled out of bed. She’s just finishing up brushing her teeth and slipping on her shoes at the same time when there’s a knock on the door. 

Mary.

She finishes up, grabs her phone, and slips out the door a minute later.

Mary doesn’t comment as she leads her down the hall and back to the car. Ava calls a soft good morning to a few of the people they pass, but her mind is stuck replaying Beatrice’s comment over and over again. She doesn’t want to read into it. She knows she really shouldn’t. She’s been very fortunate in her career so far that most of her projects have gotten pretty popular.

It doesn’t mean anything that Beatrice has seen most of them.

A lot of people have seen most of them and that’s not even a humble brag. 

She checks her phone as soon as she’s back in the car.

Beatrice 6:49 AM

You shouldn’t listen to them. Your characters are raw and real. You do good work. I stumbled across you in one movie a couple years ago and knew I’d be willing to watch anything you were in after that.

Ava lets herself breathe for another few seconds before deciding to toss a softball back. Does she want to know what that first movie was? Of course. But she thinks she’s learning how to talk to Beatrice now, and she can just tell that asking directly is not going to be how she gets to what she really wants.

Ava 7:03 AM

You’re so sweet! Do you have a favorite genre to watch?

Beatrice 7:04 AM

Historical fiction.

Ava pauses, finger tapping on the corner of her case over and over as she racks her brain trying to figure out what she’s been in that could be considered historical fiction. There aren’t any, as far as she can tell. The closest she can think of is the period piece she was in last year that was set in the 1940s. But, although it was a period piece, the plot was about how aliens had been responsible for putting an end to WWII…Not exactly historical. 

For a second, she starts to worry she’d gotten it wrong. Maybe Beatrice’s suddenly short, unexpected reply is a sign she’d missed something and messed this up. Before she can even think about what she might say in reply, Beatrice sends another message.

Beatrice 7:05 AM

I honestly don’t watch that many shows or movies. I enjoy reading more. In general my preferred genre is historical fiction though.

Ava bites her lip, squeezing down on the grin that threatens to break free at the bubbly pressure building in her chest.

She hadn’t misunderstood. She hadn’t screwed anything up. 

She’s just learning how to read between the lines in the language of Beatrice. 

Still, just to be sure, she decides to push a little bit more.

Ava 7:06 AM

Beatrice…I haven’t been in any historical fictions.

Beatrice 7:06 AM

I am aware. 

The pressure in Ava’s chest bubbles and soars. 

Ava 7:07 AM

But you watch most of my work anyway?

Beatrice 7:07 AM

Correct.

Ava’s grin is unstoppable and she has to look away from her phone for a few seconds to beam out the window. 

Mary hums from the front seat and Ava catches her eye briefly in the mirror. The woman doesn’t say anything else, but the message is clear in the naked amusement there. It spurs Ava on to be a little bolder. So far, it’s been working out for her well. 

Ava 7:09 AM

You know, if I’m learning to hear you right, you can really be a smooth talker.

This time, Beatrice’s pause is just long enough for Ava’s mind to start spinning worst case scenarios before the dots appear. 

Beatrice 7:12 AM

Do you have a favorite genre to be in?

The abrupt pivot catches Ava a little off guard, but she also thinks she understands it, too. Or at least, she’s definitely beginning to. Instead of pushing more, she lets Beatrice shift the attention back to Ava. They spend the rest of the car ride and a significant portion of Ava’s time in the makeup chair going back and forth about her favorite projects and dream roles. 

If anyone notices Ava’s preoccupation, they don’t comment on it. If anything, everyone just seems relieved to have Ava running on schedule today, so they leave her to her conversation and ignore the giddy giggles and sighs that slip out here and there.

It isn’t until Ava’s nearly done with makeup an hour later that she decides to try turning it back to Beatrice just a bit. 

Ava 8:09 AM

So what do you do for work?

Beatrice starts typing right away, but pauses for a minute or two before returning to it. Ava doesn’t work herself up over the delay this time, both having started to learn that it takes her a little longer to answer questions about herself, and knowing that she’s still trying to get through her own morning routine, too.

Beatrice 8:12 AM

It is not exciting. I work in an architecture firm nearby to where you're filming. I am just a project coordinator, not anything to do with the architecture.

Ava blinks at the response. It’s not what she was expecting, but the mental image slides into place immediately. Beatrice, with her slicked back hair and crisp shirts, expertly navigating people and problems to find the best way to keep everything on track.

She can almost hear the calm, authoritative, but not overly firm way she’d command a room.

God, she’s only actually spoken to her once, but Ava swears she can see it as clear as day. 

Ava 8:12 AM

That sounds super interesting to me! So you like keep people on track and make sure things get done on time?

Beatrice 8:12 AM

Correct.

That image of Beatrice solidifies in Ava’s mind and she has to shake herself a bit to keep on track.

Ava 8:13 AM

That’s a super valuable skill! I’m terrible at staying on track. I always feel bad for the crew trying to keep me in line on set.

Ava 8:13 AM

How did you get into that?

Beatrice hesitates again. This time the dots come and go several times over the next few minutes, stringing Ava along with a tense anticipation.

While she waits, Ava’s makeup finishes up and she’s released back to her trailer to finally drink her coffee, pick at her breakfast, and wait. Without hesitation, she curls back up in the window seat, coffee in hand. 

As she settles in, there’s a brief moment where she’s caught by how similar the scene is to what she’d done yesterday, despite how much had fundamentally changed during the 24 hours in between. 

She’s talking to her! 

The woman of her dreams who she’s been obsessing about for days is actually talking to her. 

It’s not a pipe dream. It’s not a ridiculous hope.

It’s real. Or at least, there’s a chance it might be.

Ava breathes out shakily as her eyes find the familiar street corner and she settles down to wait.

Any minute now.

Either way.

Sure enough, a minute or two later a familiar form appears from behind the building.

She’s nervous. Ava can practically feel waves of it coming off of her as she fidgets at the corner while waiting for her light. 

Ava’s heart aches.

Beatrice's eyes dart to the trailers over and over again, clearly not wanting to look too long, but still unable to stop herself from trying to see Ava. 

Ava doesn’t try to hide behind the curtain this time, but she’s still pretty sure the other woman can’t see her through the window and glare. 

Her hair is in a neat bun again, no strands out of place as far as Ava can see. She’s in a dark blue button down this time, with two buttons open at the top showing just a hint of collarbones. 

Ava can barely breathe.

When the light changes, Beatrice manages to keep her eyes forward for the entire walk across the street. It’s only at the last second, just before she disappears behind the buildings on the other side, that her eyes slide back in Ava's direction. She gives an awkward little half wave as she does before facing forward again and power walking away.

Ava doesn’t think she imagines the slight flush that had appeared high on her cheekbones.

She doesn’t have much time to bask in the emotions filling her chest before the notification appears on her phone.

Beatrice 8:21 AM

I have always liked to draw. Although I did not make a career in the arts, I liked that working in the architecture space allowed for me to at least be involved in a more creative sphere. Project management was something I’d excelled at since school, so the path made sense.

Ava smiles widely down at her phone as she types out her reply. At first she plans on keeping it tame, but after a few seconds of hesitation she decides to push again.

She just can’t help herself.

It’s who she is.

Ava 8:22 AM

OMG that’s so cool! Do you still draw?

(P.S. You look super cute today. Blue is a good color on you.)

There’s a couple minute delay again, but that’s ok. Ava takes a slow sip of her coffee and watches for more of her regulars outside.

She’s finding the rhythm.

She can make this work.

The lady with the earrings rushes buy with large lady bugs framing her face.

Ava laughs.

Beatrice 8:25 AM

Sometimes.

Beatrice 8:25 AM

And thank you.

Ava laughs again and lets the next question flow out of her.

Ava 8:26 AM

Do you think I could ever see some sometime?

Beatrice 8:26 AM

Perhaps.

Despite the brevity, the fact that she wasn’t immediately shut down has Ava soaring high. She bites her lip as she shoots another message back without pausing.

Ava 8:27 AM

I look forward to it! What kinds of things do you like to draw?

You know, I’m always happy being a muse sometime if you’re interested ;)

Ava’s stomach clenches as soon as the text marks as delivered. She bites her lip a little harder and holds her breath waiting for a reply, hoping she hadn’t just leapfrogged herself out of their rhythm and into the rocks.

For better or worse, Beatrice’s reply comes pretty quickly.

Beatrice 8:29 AM

I’m starting work. I’ll respond more later.

Ava stares at the words for a few seconds and wills herself not to be disappointed. It might not be the response she’d hoped for after sending something like that, but it’s also not the kind she feared. She knew Beatrice had been on her way to work. She knew she was hesitant about someone noticing them talking. It makes sense that she would want to stop talking while she’s at work, especially if Ava’s going to be sending flirtier and flirtier messages like that.

She only gives herself a moment to second guess her message, wondering if Beatrice would have still shut down their conversation for the work day if Ava had kept it more tame. Then, she pushes it away. 

It doesn’t matter. 

The message is out and all she can do now is move forward with it, and a big part of that is making sure Beatrice knows she’ll respect how and when she wants to talk.

Ava will follow her lead.

Ava 8:30 AM

Ok! Have a good day :)

Chapter 3

Notes:

Yeah, apparently I have no chill. I'm having too much fun with this one, it's honestly a bit of fresh air for me right now, so here's another chapter this week. Don't worry I'll slowdown, I'm back at work this week. Still aiming to post again by next Monday.
As always, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy?
-Shadow

Ava’s morning speeds by in a blur. They cruise through take after take, somehow managing to make it through a couple of pages before lunch. She’s already feeling somewhat exhausted again and is looking forward to a power nap in her trailer. However, when she gets there with her plate in hand, her manager, Jillian, is already inside waiting for her.

Ava sighs and slides into the seat across from her. “Hey! You didn’t mention you were visiting set today.”

Jillian smiles at her. “Yes, well I wasn’t planning to. I got a call this morning and it quickly became apparent that an in person conversation would be better.”

Ava frowns and drops the sandwich half she’d started working on. She sits back to study Jillian further. “Was it about yesterday?”

Jillian frowns back. “Yesterday? No, what happened yesterday?”

Ava sighs, relieved they hadn’t complained about her. Still, whatever is serious enough to drag Jillian all the way here has her worried. Jillian isn’t always in town for her shoots. She usually isn’t, actually, she’d just needed to be nearby for something while Ava was scheduled to be here, so she took the opportunity to come with the production. While Ava hopes her proximity is the main reason she decided to just come in person for this conversation, she doesn’t want to bank on that. 

“Nothing major, I was just a little late to the evening shoot and ended up in a bit of a funk. We got through it. I just thought someone might have complained or something.”

Jillian rolls her eyes and flashes a weary smile back. “We’re all allowed to have off days, Ava. I'd like to see them try to complain to me about that. No, they love you, as usual. However, there have been some creative changes with the end of the script. They’re asking if you can stay in town for a week, maybe two, longer than expected. They want to book another location and film some additional scenes they’ve been working on. Of course, you’ll receive an increase in compensation for the extra time and they’re willing to add just about anything else you need to your accommodations that might help. Plus, they’re happy to send you the scenes as soon as they’re more finalized so you can voice any concerns before they lock them in. I told them I’d discuss it with you.”

“Oh,” Ava says, mind spinning. “I don’t have anything booked for a while, right? There was a gap after this anyway?”

“That’s correct. You’re actually not contracted to be anywhere else for three months. Then, just your press run for The Lions starts. In my opinion, this is a great opportunity and it would be good for word of mouth in the industry if you’re able to accommodate them without much trouble.”

“Ok, yeah, fine by me then. I’d actually love to stay in town for a bit longer. I don’t really think I need anything more, either. The hotel is great. Trailer is great. I’d love the chance to look over the scenes in advance. Do we need to ask for anything else for appearances?”

Jillian hums. “No, I think the compensation and creative input is fair enough to avoid making it seem like people can take advantage. Maybe just make it a point to give at least one or two notes on the new scenes, to get your voice heard and keep shaping you as the character genius you are? I’m still going to make them wait until at least tomorrow until I give an answer, so don’t say anything definitive to anyone today. But you can text me if anything comes to mind before, say, Noon tomorrow.”

Ava nods, turning back to her sandwich for a large bite.

“Otherwise, everything still going well here? Out of the funk from yesterday?” Jillian asks. She folds her hands neatly on the table and fixes Ava with a familiar look she’s gotten used to over the last 4 years. It somehow mixes a crude business concern with something just warm enough to make Ava want to open up.

Ava swallows and nods. “Yeah, things here have been great. Feeling better today. That does, actually, remind me of something I’d wanted to talk to you about though. You remember how you talked to me about the ways we can separate my personal life from the public when I first started taking off?”

Jillian nods, not interrupting. 

“I think I want to do that. I’d like to discuss the options.”

Jillian nods again, though a frown crinkles at the edge of her lips. “We can definitely do that. May I ask what has prompted this? Has someone been harassing you? We can add more security, if that helps instead.”

“No, nothing like that.” Ava drops her eyes and picks at the crust of her bread. “I just- I met someone and I don’t want her exposed to any of this. If- if it goes anywhere, I want to keep her as insulated as possible for as long as possible. Whatever I need to do.”

“Ok.” Although Jillian’s reply is simple, there’s a warm, motherly tenor to her voice that has Ava glancing back up tentatively. Jillian is smiling broadly at her. “I’m really glad to hear it, Ava. We can do whatever we need to, though I must warn you none of it is a perfect system. Unfortunately, anyone in your life will have some risk of exposure.”

“I know, but I have to try.”

They spend the next thirty minutes or so going through options and laying out a plan. In the end, Jillian is happy because it’ll give the producers the impression that their first conversation had involved more discussion, so she thinks they’ll be relieved by their simple acceptance of the extension when she calls them back tomorrow. Apart from that, she lets Ava know that she’ll start working on the other parts of their plan behind the scenes and then give her a heads up when it’s ready to go into action. 

Ava thanks her as she leaves her alone to bask in the last few minutes of her break. Although she hadn’t gotten to take a nap, she feels oddly recharged and motivated after the conversation. The act of not only getting more work, but also taking steps to safeguard any future she might have with Beatrice, sparks energy back into her limbs. 

She’s grinning when she finally checks her phone for a reply, just in case. To her surprise, she had gotten a message back about an hour before. 

Beatrice 12:15 PM

On my lunch break. I mostly like drawing nature, especially landscapes. However, lately I have been going to a cafe nearby everyday for a while in the morning to practice drawing people I see there, and it has been enjoyable.

 

Ava’s grin grows until her cheeks hurt. Even though she missed her lunch window, she sends a message back for Beatrice to respond to after work.

Ava 1:23 PM

That sounds lovely! I’d love to see either or both kinds. Is the cafe why I saw you walking by even on the weekend? (I know I missed your lunch. Feel free to answer after work, my break is ending soon, too!)

As expected, Beatrice doesn’t reply before Ava’s called back to set.

Ava gets her next break at about 6, as usual, though she should get over an hour to herself this time. She hustles back to her trailer without stopping to talk to anyone. The producers have been shooting her anxious glances since lunch, anyway, so she delights in the little bit of extra drama her behavior might be causing as she slips inside and lunges for her phone.

She curls up by her window as she unlocks the device. At first her heart thuds at the sight of a new message, only to hollow out a bit when it’s only from Cam instead of Beatrice. A moment later she berates herself for even thinking that. 

Cam’s been her best friend since her first day on set on her first job. Although Cam’s not an actor, she is a brilliant camera operator and editor. Honestly, she’s a wiz with all things involving tech and computers on set. She has a dream of someday becoming a director, but for now she’s happy getting to work as camera and editing on a variety of different projects. She’d been working camera for Ava’s first job and they’ve managed to do two more projects together since. Apart from that, they were fast friends that have been nearly inseparable. They chat at least a couple times a week and get together regularly whenever they end up near each other on the globe.

Ava’s always happy to get a message from Cam, so she mentally slaps herself on the wrist a few more times for her initial disappointment as she opens the message. 

Then, she just about chokes on her water.

Cam 3:14 PM

So who’s the girl?

Ava 6:03 PM

WTF? Who? What?

Cam 6:04 PM

There you are! I’ve been waiting. Anyway, I called Mary earlier. She mentioned you were a little torn up over some girl. So, spill. You’ve been holding out on me!

Although her first instinct is to panic, Ava forces herself to take a few long, slow breaths. It’s just Mary and Cam. Cam had actually introduced Ava to Mary when she needed to hire someone for security. Mary and Cam are friends that go all the way back to their school days in some private school in Europe. Although Mary was a couple grades older, she and Cam had been drawn together and the bond stuck. 

Mary wouldn’t gossip about her to anyone but Cam.

She knows that.

It’s fine. 

Still, it makes her even happier that she’d talked to Jillian about setting up some separation moving forward. Clearly, it’s just that easy for word to spread, even when you don’t want it to. They need to get some procedures in place.

After a beat, Ava clicks the call icon next to Cam’s name, rather than texting back.

“Ooo a phone call. This must be something special,” Cam says in place of a greeting. 

Ava chuckles lightly as her eyes return to the world outside her window. “Good to hear your voice, too. It’s nothing that big, but I do need to ask you not to talk about it to anyone else. I’ll ask Mary tonight, too.”

The shift in Cam’s demeanor is palpable. Ava’s sure she can actually hear her sitting up straighter in response. “Obviously, yes, and I’m sorry Mary jumped the gun. Now speak, this is clearly big.”

Ava sighs. “Honestly? I think I fell in love at first sight.”

“Ava!”

“Yeah, yeah. I was just watching the people outside of my trailer like normal. I noticed this one girl and that was just it. Like every stereotypical ‘world-stopping’ trope you see in romances. Then I noticed she walks by twice everyday on a super regular schedule and it was just like I was falling more and more.”

“You absolutely must go talk to her!”

“Well, I did…”

“Aww oh no, is that was Mary meant? She shut you down? Just give me a name and I’ll find her in 5 minutes. You know it. We’ll figure out how to woo her, get you another chance.”

“No, no, no. Just chill and let me explain.”

Cam hums and falls silent while Ava spends the next few minutes giving a play-by-play of the last 24 hours. When she’s done, Cam lets the silence hang for a minute longer.

“Damn. Well I’m glad you have a chance and it’s good that you’re taking precautions to keep your promise now, but I don’t know. Something about her reaction feels kind of off to me. Like I get not wanting to be all over the internet dating Ava Silva or whatever, but that level of ‘No, no I can’t be seen with you,’ feels a little trauma-based or something. I don’t want you to get your hopes up too much, or turn your life upside down, for a girl who might not be able to meet you half way for whatever reason. Acting is important to you.”

“Yeah, I know. I don’t know what else to tell you though. I just- I just feel it. I need to do this.”

There’s a rustle on the other side of the line and Ava pictures Cam reaching up to rub along her temples, like she always does when a headache starts to build. “I hear that. I’m not going to discourage you, but just be careful, ya? And keep me updated. I shouldn’t be finding out about your love life second hand from grumpy ol’ Mary.”

“I will. I will. Thanks Cam. Has your week been good otherwise?”

“As good as can be expected. This director’s not really interested in any suggestions outside of his vision, so it’s very ‘monkey see, monkey do’ here. But it’s good work. I’m glad for the experience.”

“I hear that.”

“Ok, well, enough about me. I happen to know you’re probably minutes away from seeing your girl again. Do you want to stay on the phone for it or go it alone?”

Ava holds her breath for a second, her eyes still locked on the corner where Beatrice should be popping up soon. “I think I want to focus on this alone.”

“Say no more! But text me later, ok? And call me anytime?”

“Will do, Cam.”

They hang up and Ava does her best not to be too disappointed by the lack of new notifications on her screen when she does. 

Instead, she grabs one of the throw pillows nearby and hugs it to her chest as she leans back to watch the people walk by.

Coffee cup guy wanders back by in search of his car, his daily cup obviously long-gone but a small smile on his face regardless.

Ava likes to think he’s excited to go home to his family.

The buzzing of her phone in her hand has her completely forgetting his existence a moment later.

Beatrice 6:34 PM

No, I did go to the cafe but I had to work over the weekend, too. We have a couple of high profile projects that are in danger of missing key deadlines. Most of the team has been working extra hours for the last three weeks.

Ava 6:35 PM

Oh no! Does that kind of thing happen a lot?

Beatrice 6:35 PM

Not that often. Once or twice a year, maybe. The team is usually really on top of it, sometimes things just snowball.

Ava 6:36 PM

That’s good. Work-life balance is super important. 

Beatrice 6:36 PM

Don’t you work 12-14 hour days as an actor?

Ava 6:37 PM

That’s different. It’s only for a couple of weeks at a time and then I have all kinds of free time. 

There’s a slightly longer pause this time, so Ava’s eyes return to the window, scanning the sidewalk for any sign of Beatrice. 

Beatrice 6:40 PM

How long is your shoot here?

Ava bites her lip, surprised.

Ava 6:40 PM

Probably another couple of weeks.

There’s another pause.

Beatrice 6:43 PM

I’m almost to the intersection. 

The words light something up inside of Ava. At first, she starts to look out the window when something else takes over. Before she can stop herself, she’s flying off her seat. She grabs a hat and a pair of sunglasses from the closet and rushes out the door. She’s standing breathlessly at the corner of the building a minute later.

She sees Beatrice coming from several buildings down and gets to soak in a couple full minutes of just watching her. 

She never gets to watch her this long. Her breathing picks up, nervous and excited at the same time.

Beatrice walks with purpose, but her head is down. She's clearly paying attention to her surroundings with small glances, but otherwise definitely not trying to stand out.

Her hair is a little messier than it had been this morning, signs of the long day and the tight deadlines Beatrice had mentioned.

An extra button of her shirt is open now, too. Ava tries not to linger on it.

Although Ava knows she never walks with her phone in her hand, today Beatrice has it and she checks the screen nervously every few steps. 

Ava’s heart clenches a bit, realizing she should probably have responded. Likely with a warning that she’d be here.

When Beatrice checks her phone for the 5th time, Ava caves and pulls out her own.

Ava 6:48 PM

Could I walk with you for a little bit? I’m inconspicuous, I swear. 

Beatrice checks her phone as soon as she feels it buzz. She’s just close enough now that Ava can see the flit of the smile that crosses her face when she receives the notification. 

As she reads the message though, her smile freezes in place and her steps slow. She glances up, spotting Ava immediately and slowing a bit further. 

Beatrice immediately glances over her shoulder and to each side before looking back at Ava and slowing more.

Ava’s chest tightens. She rocks her weight back on her heels and drops her eyes away from the other woman for just long enough to send another message.

Beatrice glances around again before reading the phone when it buzzes.

Ava 6:49 PM

No pressure. I can turn and walk away now, no problem.

Beatrice’s shoulders deflate a bit and she shakes her head a few times, almost mindlessly. 

Ava’s foot is half off the ground and she's ready to walk away and hide her embarrassment in the trailer, when Beatrice slips her phone back in her pocket, locks eyes with Ava, and nods. 

Nods!

Ava sucks in a sharp breath and sets her foot down. 

Beatrice reaches her a few seconds later and Ava turns to watch the crosswalk light with her.

She keeps watching Beatrice out of the corner of her eye, still in awe of getting to actually be this close to her, even for a minute.

Beatrice glances over her shoulder once or twice but still stands close.

“Did you have a good day?” Ava asks softly without turning.

There are only a couple of other people waiting a few feet away. No one reacts.

Beatrice fidgets and sighs. “It was long.”

The light changes and everyone moves forward.

Ava can’t help but notice Beatrice’s stride is much slower than it normally is. She tries not to let it go to her head.

“Are you guys getting close to getting caught up?

They get to the other side of the street and Beatrice’s pace slows a bit more. The people around them speed away and Ava suppresses her grin at their own languid pace.

“We’re getting there. I think after another week we’ll be able to pull back.”

Ava nods as Beatrice glances at her before checking their surroundings again. 

“Did you have a good day?” Beatrice asks.

Ava smiles and can’t stop the extra sway that slips into her step at the joy that surges up as she thinks about it.

“Better and better by the minute.”

She sneaks a look at Beatrice and she has a small smile growing too. Her eyes keep darting over to Ava. Lingering. Darting away.

“That’s good. Are you excited about what you’re working on today?”

“Yes!” Ava hisses, careful to keep her voice down. “Especially one of the scenes we’re doing next. It has one of the lines that made me fall in love with this one.”

They reach the end of that block and Beatrice’s steps slow to a stop. She turns to Ava. 

“That sounds lovely. I’m always amazed at how well you manage to give someone else’s words so much power.”

Ava steps a little closer and she can’t help but notice the way Beatrice’s eyes fight to stay on her eyes, constantly flicking down to her lips or body before darting back up like she’s afraid of being caught.

She flicks her hair a bit and leans just the tiniest bit closer, savoring the light flush that sparks on Beatrice’s cheeks. 

“Smooth talker,” Ava whispers.

The blush sinks deeper and Beatrice glances around them again, but she doesn’t step away. When her eyes return to Ava, they continue their increasingly fruitless battle. Her hands fold themselves in front of herself again, almost like she’s protecting herself and holding herself back at the same time.

Ava preens. 

“I- uh. I-” Beatrice stutters.

“I like it,” Ava whispers. Then, she continues just a little bit louder, “Text me when you get home? I’ll be working for a while again, but I’d love to hear more about your art.”

Beatrice blinks and her eyes stay on Ava’s face for a few breaths. “Ok,” she says eventually.

Ava beams and reaches forward to squeeze one of Beatrice’s forearms. “Thank you!”

Although Beatrice doesn’t pull away, the change in her demeanor is instant. It’s like she flinches without actually moving, coiling the reaction internally and locking it down until she’s still as stone. The muscle that had initially been almost relaxed under Ava’s fingertips quickly turns hard enough to cut glass. 

Ava withdraws her hand as quickly as fast without making it obvious, cursing internally. Beatrice glances away, down the street on both sides before returning to Ava and flashing her a smile. 

Sensing she doesn’t want to address it, Ava turns her confused frown into a hopefully comforting smile back.

“Thanks for walking me,” Beatrice says. 

“My pleasure,” Ava says. When she opens her mouth to say something else–an apology or a plea for more time, she’s not sure what–Beatrice nods and then speeds away, just like the night before.

Ava stands watching her go for several seconds before forcing herself to turn and head back to the trailer.

Her fingertips tingle the whole way.

True to her word, Ava gets a text back from Beatrice only a few minutes later.

Beatrice 6:59 PM

I have always preferred drawing with pencil. My friend keeps trying to convince me to go digital, but the feel just isn’t the same.

Ava can still barely get the grin off of her face 15 minutes later when she has to leave again.

 

When Ava’s done for the day, they spend the rest of the night going back and forth about Beatrice’s art.

She hates paint (it’s messy).

She really does understand the benefit of digital, she just can’t get herself to like it.

She’s never tried selling her work, instead just understanding and embracing she will not be able to make a career out of it (Ava’s heart cracks at that and she has to physically restrain herself from offering to buy some).

Ava’s maybe a little too drunk on giddiness and exhaustion when she pushes again.

Ava 11:17 PM

Ok I have to ask. I was not expecting your accent, where’d you grow up? Somewhere in England?

 

The dots appear and disappear.

Appear and disappear.

Appear.

Disappear.

Disappear.

Disappear.

Ava’s giddiness sinks into a slow dread, sensing the shift before the message even comes.

Beatrice 11:22 PM

I would prefer to not get into it.

Ava 11:22 PM

Of course! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep.

Beatrice 11:24 PM

No, I’m sorry. You didn’t. It’s just complicated.

Ava 11:24 PM

I completely understand. We don’t have to talk about it.

Beatrice 11:25 PM 

Thank you. Now, I should really get to sleep. I’ll text you tomorrow.

Ava’s heart falls further, but swallows it down. They’re learning. She has to trust they can ebb and flow with things like this as they pop up. It’s not like there aren’t any sensitive topics in her past that might have her shutting down a conversation for a bit.

She shudders and types out a fast reply.

Ava 11:25 PM

Ok, sleep well! <3

Then, she rolls over and wills sleep to come.