‘Don’t pull that face, Murray, it doesn’t work on me,’ Lily said, businesslike. ‘There’s no point in getting angry andhitting things when you could be finding a solution. If you don’t have what you need to tell a love story between these two saps, then work out what you do need and film it.’
‘I can’t believe I’m still here,’ Heather moaned. ‘How is this conversation still going?’
Lily ignored her. ‘We all know the story is engineered anyway,’ she said. ‘Why not do a little more engineering? You two, when did you first kiss?’
‘After that date I accidentally won,’ I said. ‘Dylan walked me home, and…’ I turned red.
‘That’s easy enough,’ Lily said. ‘You’ve still got cameramen here. You could film that tonight, if you wanted. Just send them out on the verandah.’
‘It wasn’t on the verandah,’ I said. ‘It was up the hill a bit. Near the hedges.’
‘Moreinthe hedges,’ Dylan said, kissing my temple and squeezing my hand.
‘Either way, very filmable,’ Lily said. All this planning was clearly exciting for her, because brilliant red streaks had appeared across her cheeks.
‘One kiss isn’t enough,’ Murray said. ‘That was, what, episode seven? I’ve got to keep the plot alive for five more episodes.’
‘I’m sure you’ve got plenty of footage of Cece sitting around here looking like a sad sack,’ Lily said, waving her hand dismissively. ‘Get some drone footage of her sneaking onto his boat. Some shaky-cam stuff of them kissing on the deck. Some audio of them moaning. I hope you two are loud lovers.’
‘Jesus Christ,’ Dylan muttered.
‘Won’t that make Dylan look like an absolute dick?’ I said. ‘Dating all these other women while being with me?’
‘That’s exactly what he was doing, so if he comes across as a dick, that’s fair,’ Lily said. ‘But if you cut that together with some soppy confessionals of you two going on about how perfect and wonderful your love is, and how you’re being torn apart like a real-life Romeo and Juliet, the audience will eat that shit up. Am I right, or am I right, Murray?’
Murray growled.
‘I’m right,’ Lily said sunnily. ‘As usual.’
Murray exhaled loudly. ‘You’re both making my life extremely difficult,’ he said. ‘I hope you know that.’
‘We know,’ Dylan said, squeezing my hand again. ‘We’re sorry.’
‘If we do this, I’m expecting full commitment from both of you,’ he said. ‘I want you pouring your hearts out on camera. The most passionate kisses anyone ever saw in their life. Extremely realistic sex noises. If I tell you to jump, you’re already in the fucking sky.’
‘Whatever you say,’ I said.
‘And you’re going to sign a contract,’ Murray said. ‘If you get married, the wedding’s televised. FullMarry Me, Julietfrou-frou. No one will be able to fucking breathe for the romance.’
‘If that’s what Cece wants,’ Dylan said.
The thought of having cameras upon cameras upon cameras bearing down on me at my own wedding was frankly terrifying, but I nodded anyway. ‘If it means we can be together,’ I said, ‘then that’s what I want.’
‘Uggggghhhhhh,’ Heather groaned.
‘Fine,’ Murray said. ‘I’ll work with the rest of the team, and we’ll storyboard out what we need. Shooting will start tomorrow. You will both do exactly as I tell you. And you’re still paying back your appearance fee, Dylan. A contract is a contract, and you’ve created a fucking ton of extra work for us.’
‘That’s fine,’ Dylan said. ‘That’s all fine.’
‘So that’s it?’ I said. ‘We can be together?’
‘You’ve proven that I can’t stop you.’
‘Thank you!’ I said. ‘Thank you! Thank—’
I was cut off by Dylan kissing me.
‘I love you,’ he said, when we finally came up for air. ‘I love you so much, Cece.’
