Chapter 1: The Interview
The greenroom air was thick with the smell of burnt coffee and setting spray. Joseph leaned against the doorway, watching Madelyn laugh at something a makeup artist said. The sound cut through the low hum of nerves and last-minute touch-ups. It was a real laugh, the one that crinkled the corners of her eyes, not the polished one she used for photographers.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Another notification about the trending topics. Their names, side-by-side in neon blue. Joseph Black. Madelyn Cline. The speculation was a live wire beneath the surface of everything.
“You’re staring,” Madelyn said, meeting his gaze in the mirror. Her voice was quiet, just for him.
“Am I?” He pushed off the doorframe, hands going into the pockets of his dark jeans. “Just memorizing my lines.”
“We don’t have lines for this. It’s just talking.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
She stood, smoothing the front of her dress—a simple, sleeveless thing the color of champagne. It made her tan glow. Her assistant fluttered around her with a lint roller, but Madelyn’s eyes stayed on Joseph. There was a question there, the same one that had hung between them for months. How do we do this? How do we stand out there and pretend we’re just colleagues?
A stage manager poked her head in, all efficient smiles. “Two minutes. You’re on after the commercial break.”
The buzz in the room sharpened. Joseph felt his pulse kick up, the familiar pre-performance energy. But this was different. This wasn’t a character. This was them, or some carefully negotiated version of them.
“Ready?” Madelyn asked, coming to stand beside him.
“As I’ll ever be.”
The walk to the side of the stage was a blur of dark curtains and coiled cables. He could hear Jimmy’s voice, warm and booming, wrapping up a segment. The audience laughter washed over them like a wave. Joseph took a slow breath.
Then Jimmy was saying their names. “Please welcome, from the upcoming film everyone is going to be talking about… Joseph Black and Madelyn Cline!”
The applause was a physical force. Joseph stepped out first, the lights blinding and hot. He waved, the grin feeling automatic but not entirely fake. There was a thrill in it, this noise, this energy. He saw Madelyn move toward the couch out of the corner of his eye. He followed.
She turned, her arms opening slightly. It was a polite, expected gesture—a co-star greeting. He stepped into it, leaning down. The hug was brief, the kind you give a friend. But his hand spanned the bare skin of her back, and he felt her inhale, a tiny, sharp catch. Her perfume, something clean and caramel hit him.
Then it was over. He pulled back, his smile still in place, and sank onto the couch beside her. Not too close. Not too far.
“Wow! Look at you two!” Jimmy beamed, leaning forward on his desk. “The place erupts! You feel that love?”
“It’s incredible, thank you,” Madelyn said, her voice clear and bright. She crossed her legs, leaning forward with practiced ease.
Jimmy launched into the usual warm-up banter, questions about being in New York, the weather, the Knicks. Joseph answered, his deep voice relaxed, a contrast to the focused energy humming through him. He was aware of every shift Madelyn made beside him. The way her shoulder, when she laughed, sometimes brushed his. The way she’d glance at him before answering a question directed at both of them, as if checking in.
“So, your upcoming movie,” Jimmy said, leaning on his desk, index cards forgotten. “Can you tell us anything about it?”
Joseph felt Madelyn’s posture change, a subtle straightening of her spine. This was the moment they’d practiced avoiding.
“What we can say,” Joseph began, choosing his words carefully with what he was allowed to say about it, “is that it’s an epic love.”
Madelyn nodded, turning her body slightly toward him. It felt less like an interview pose and more like a reflex. “It’s beautiful,” she added, her voice dropping into something more sincere. “Filled with tension, passion, and heartache.”
A wave of squeals erupted from the audience, followed by a swell of applause. A phone camera flash went off near the front. Joseph kept his smile easy, but his eyes stayed on Jimmy, a silent plea to steer the ship somewhere.
He looked between them, his expression theatrically curious. “You’ve both previously been in two movies together. Your guys’ chemistry on screen is undeniable. How do you go putting that into this new movie?”
The question hung in the air, the how of it a landmine. He could feel the heat from the studio lights, see the expectant faces in the first few rows, all leaning in.
Madelyn laughed, a light, bell-like sound that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well, you just… show up to work, you know?” She gestured vaguely, her hand fluttering in the space between them. “You trust your scene partner. Joe’s the easiest person to trust.”
Jimmy nodded, his eyes flicking between them. He opened his mouth to ask the next, inevitable question, but Joseph spoke first, cutting gently through the expectant silence.
He smiled, then looked up at nothing, as if searching the glare of the lights for the right words. “When working with someone like Maddy... it comes easy. Everyday is something different. It’s fun, it’s exciting.” He let his gaze fall back to her, and for a second, the studio, the millions watching, it all narrowed to the space between their two chairs. “She has a radiating warmth that makes everyone on set feel better. It makes scenes less stressful. And it’s especially easy when you work with someone you trust. And it’s a privilege to be working with Madelyn again.”
A sigh, almost collective, rippled through the audience, followed by explosive applause and a few whistles.
Madelyn’s cheeks flushed a deep, perfect pink. She looked down at her hands, a shy smile playing on her lips, but her shoulders were tight. He’d put her on the spot, bathing her in a praise she never seemed to believe herself.
“Wow,” Jimmy said, fanning himself with a cue card. “So, for this new movie, without giving anything away… is the dynamic between your characters similar to what we saw from your last two movies?”
“I think,” Madelyn said, jumping in, her voice regaining its professional polish, “every character dynamic is its own thing. This one is… more intense. More high-stakes. It’s not about easy warmth. It’s about two people who have to rely on each other in impossible circumstances, and that creates a different kind of bond.”
Joseph nods. “It is different to our other movies, yes, in what Madelyn said. And it’s also more focused on the emotion of Madelyn and my character. It’s navigating through difficulties, and it depends on if they can overcome them.”
Jimmy nods. “Well, that’s all we have time for today. It’s been a pleasure having you both here.”
“Thank you for having us,” Joseph says, standing up.
“Thank you, Jimmy,” Madelyn says, standing up and smoothing her dress.
They wave at the audience, the applause washing over them one last time, and turn toward the dark wing of the stage.
The silence backstage was a shock, like plunging into cold water after the studio’s heat. The roar of the audience became a muffled hum behind heavy curtains. A stagehand smiled, giving them a thumbs-up.