Anna smiled and sat down again. "Thank you for putting it politely. I've heard worse. Some of these men think that I can't hear what they're saying just because they're wearing suits."

"Did they insult you or disrespect you?" Seokjin asked with a frown.

"Nothing I haven't heard before," she said. "But don't worry about that. Hey, tell me about this scene. Why are we starting with Matt's seduction of Bianca? It's intimidating to say the least."

Seokjin had been told that the investors wanted to test the chemistry between the two leads before deciding to keep Anna in the role. They knew that a first-timer was more than likely to bungle the scene due to nerves. But he was pretty sure it was to appease their prurient curiosity about Anna. The money men always came on set to ogle the actresses. Some of them came to ogle the male actors.

"Is it to see if I'm right for the part?" she asked when he stayed silent. "I imagine doing a love scene for the first time is a make-or-break for a newbie."

He nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

She gave him another dazzling smile. "Then I'm glad my first such scene will be with you because I trust you." She turned to her mirror and fiddled with a pigtail. "I hope that you will help me and guide me, being a seasoned, award-winning actor and all. I know you've filmed love scenes before."

"Oh, well, yeah," he replied. "Believe me, it's not exciting or sexy at all. There'll be tons of people watching and telling us what to do, not to mention the lights. Very awkward."

He tried to act cool, but his rapid heartbeat was making it difficult for him to breathe. He'd filmed love scenes before but never with someone he was actually attracted to. What was he saying? He couldn't be attracted to Anna. She was his friend. He tried to bring up her thirteen-year-old freckled face and her rail-thin prepubescent body. Anna was his friend.

Then he looked at her as she was saying something about how much makeup it took to make her look natural, and his traitorous eyes went back to her beautifully grownup body. He jumped to his feet, startling her.

"Well, I should get back to my trailer," he said rapidly. "They're sticklers for punctuality, by the way, so word of advice: always get to set fifteen minutes early."

"Got it," she replied. "I'll see you soon, Jin."

He paused at the door. "Remember that on set I'm Matt and you're Bianca. It'll help if you stay in character."

"Thanks again."

Later that day, while filming the love scene, Seokjin could tell how nervous Anna was. Her eyes blinked rapidly, and her entire body was trembling. She jumped at every word the director said, and her face would turn pink every time her shoulder or her midsection was disrobed to film a certain angle.

Finally, after half a day of shooting scenes that were not usable, Sam the director took Seokjin aside.

"She's your friend, right? Find a way to get her to calm down. I really want to get this scene today, so please help her."

Seokjin and Anna were again placed in their positions: she lay back on the sofa with him, their bodies intertwined.

"Hey," he said softly. "Don't worry about the cameras. Try not to tense up."

"I'm...I'm sorry." Her voice was shaky. "I'm trying, but...I don't know how...I've never had sex, so I don't even know how to pretend."

He nodded. "Okay. Just look at me. Look into my eyes and don't think about anything else." He rested his forehead against hers. "Think of the time our families went camping, and you jumped on me and we rolled all around the grass while trying to look up at the stars. Remember how we got all tangled up? Pretend we're doing that, okay?"

She nodded. "Yes. I can do that."

He leaned down and let his lips just graze her ear. "It's going to be fine. I'm here, Annie. Don't think about anything else. I"ll take care of you."

His whispered assurances calmed her down, and she spontaneously reached her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. She placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him close. She hitched her legs up, and he settled into the groove between her thighs. They looked like a young couple in the throes of passion.

Neither of them knew that the cameras had been rolling all along. The director clenched his fist in silent victory when he noticed that the scene was going very well.