"Well," Hailey said carefully. "Sometimes being an actress is exhausting."
"Especially when there's water involved?" Samuel asked with a dry smile.
"You're catching on," Hailey laughed. "But hey, this way you don't have to be nervous about working with a big star."
Samuel's expression brightened considerably. "Really?"
"Really," Hailey assured him. "I'm just a regular person who happens to be good at jumping in pools."
"That's actually a relief," Samuel admitted. "I was terrified I would mess up in front of Victoria."
"And now you can mess up in front of me instead," Hailey said cheerfully.
"Thanks, I guess?" Samuel laughed, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.
"I have to admit, I'm really nervous," he said. "I can't swim very well in real life."
"Don't worry about that at all," Hailey said warmly. "I've got you covered."
"That makes me feel so much better," he said.
"I'll be right there with you," Hailey promised. "The second you hit the water, I'll be jumping in after you."
"We'll do it together?" Samuel asked hopefully.
"We're a team now," Hailey said firmly.
Samuel's entire demeanor transformed. The anxiety was still there, but it was mixed with something like excitement.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I was really worried about doing this scene alone."
Miles's voice cut through Hailey and Samuel's conversation like a director's megaphone.
"Alright, everyone, let's get ready. We've got the blocking figured out."
The crew sprang into action around them.
Hailey noticed Eric standing near the back of the set, half-hidden behind a camera rig.
He was watching the preparations with an expression she couldn't quite read.
"Is everyone ready?" Miles called out, his voice echoing off the studio walls. "We've only got one shot at this, so let's make it count!"
The crew members started calling out their readiness from various positions.
"Camera ready!" shouted the cinematographer.
"Sound ready!" came from somewhere near the boom mics.
"Lights ready!" called the lighting director.
"Catering ready!" someone joked from the back.
"Nobody asked about catering!" Miles shouted back, but he was smiling.
Samuel took his position by the pool edge, his white shirt already showing damp patches from nervous sweat.
Milan positioned himself nearby, cracking his knuckles dramatically.
"Don't actually crack my skull, okay?" Samuel said to him.
"Can't promise anything," Milan grinned. "I get really into character."
"That's what I was afraid of," Samuel muttered.
Hailey stood off to the side, bouncing slightly on her toes.
"Nervous?" Donald asked, appearing beside her with a concerned look.
"Something like that," Hailey replied. "I just want to make sure I don't mess this up for Samuel."
"You won't," Donald assured her. "You've got good instincts."
Miles clapped his hands together, demanding everyone's attention.
"Remember," he called out. "This is about the emotional impact. Samuel, you're terrified. You can't swim and you think you're going to die. Milan, you're angry and ruthless. You don't care if he drowns."
"Hailey," Miles turned to her. "You're desperate to save him. This is the moment your character realizes how much she cares."
"No face, lots of emotion," Hailey nodded. "Got it."
"Think of it like silent movie acting," Miles suggested. "Everything has to come through your body language."
"So, overact?" Hailey asked.
"Exactly," Miles grinned. "Channel your inner drama queen."
The crew chuckled, and some of the tension broke.
"Alright," Miles said, raising his hand dramatically. "Places, everyone!"
Samuel took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."
"Camera!" Miles shouted.
"Rolling!" the camera operator called back.
"And... action!"
The scene began with Milan stalking toward Samuel menacingly.
His whole expression had changed, becoming darker and more threatening.
"How dare you mess with my girlfriend?" Milan growled, his voice filled with convincing rage.
Samuel's eyes widened, and his acting instincts kicked in.
"It... It's not like that," he stammered, backing toward the pool. "I... I didn't mean to..."
"Oh, you didn't mean to?" Milan advanced, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "How convenient."
"I can explain—" Samuel tried.
"I guess you can't answer properly," Milan cut him off, grabbing Samuel roughly by the shoulders. "Don't tell me I'm being cruel."
With that, Milan pushed Samuel hard.
Samuel's arms moved wildly as he fell backward into the pool.
The splash was enormous, sending water cascading across the studio floor.
Samuel immediately began struggling in the water, his acting suddenly very convincing.
"Help!" he called out, his voice genuinely panicked. "I can't swim! Help me!"
Hailey watched Samuel flailing in the water, and her protective instincts kicked in.
This was her cue.
Without hesitation, she dove into the pool.
The water was shockingly cold, making her gasp as she hit the surface.
"Jesus!" she thought to herself. "That's freezing!"
Samuel was still struggling, though she could see he was trying to stay in character.
Hailey began guiding them both toward the pool edge, doing most of the work to keep them afloat.
The studio lights above made the water sparkle, but they also made it hard to see clearly.
Despite his nerves, Samuel was staying in character beautifully.
His movements looked genuinely panicked, and his gratitude toward her rescue seemed completely authentic.
"Almost there," Hailey whispered to herself, seeing the pool edge approaching.
"Cut!" Miles shouted suddenly, standing up from his chair.
The entire crew held its breath.
Miles had a reputation for being difficult to please, and everyone was waiting for his verdict.
"Great!" Miles announced, breaking into a wide grin. "That's a wrap on this scene!"
The crew burst into spontaneous applause.
"One take!" someone called out. "That's got to be a record!"
"Pass!" Miles called out, looking genuinely pleased. "Excellent work, everyone!"
In the pool, Hailey and Samuel were both breathing hard but grinning.
"We did it," Samuel said excitedly. "We actually did it."
"You did amazing," Hailey told him, her teeth starting to chatter. "Your acting was really convincing."
"If it weren't for you, I would have actually drowned," Samuel said gratefully. "The panic was real, but you made me feel safe."
"That's not true," Hailey protested, swimming toward the edge. "You did great all by yourself."
Miles called out to the crew, "Take care of them! Get them some towels! And someone check the water heater!"
Several crew members rushed forward with fluffy white towels and warm bathrobes.
Hailey helped Samuel climb out of the pool first, both of them dripping everywhere.
"Careful," Donald warned, appearing with towels. "The floor is slippery now."
"Thanks, Donald," Hailey said gratefully, accepting a towel. "You're a lifesaver."
"That's supposed to be you," Donald grinned, wrapping another towel around Samuel.
"Your acting was really cool," Hailey said to Samuel as they both tried to warm up. "I was actually impressed by how genuine your panic looked."
"I was actually terrified," Samuel admitted, his teeth still chattering slightly. "But knowing you were there made all the difference."
"You're going to do great in this film," Hailey said sincerely. "I can tell you have real talent."
Samuel's face lit up at the compliment. "Really? You think so?"
"Absolutely," Hailey nodded. "That was some serious acting in there."
Donald appeared again, this time with dry clothes.
"Come on, you two," he said. "Let's get you changed before you both turn into popsicles."
"Good idea," Samuel agreed, still shivering. "I think I've lost feeling in my toes."
Meanwhile, across the set, Eric had been watching the entire scene unfold.
At first, he had felt proud seeing Hailey step up to help when Victoria had created her dramatic situation.
Her professionalism impressed him, and the way she handled herself under pressure was admirable.
But as the scene progressed, something started to bother him.
"She's really good with him," he muttered to himself, watching Hailey comfort Samuel before the scene began.
The way she had approached the nervous young actor, offering reassurance and making him laugh, had seemed so natural.
Her kindness was genuine, and Eric found himself watching more closely than he intended.
When Hailey dove into the pool to save Samuel, Eric felt his chest tighten.
"Just concern for her safety," he told himself. "That water is probably freezing."
But he knew it was more than that.
The way Samuel looked at her with such gratitude, the way they moved together in the water, the intimacy of the rescue scene – it all made Eric uncomfortable.
"Get it together," he whispered to himself. "She's just doing her job."
After Miles called "Cut!", Eric watched as Hailey and Samuel continued talking in the pool.
Their conversation looked easy and natural, both of them laughing despite the cold water.
When Hailey helped Samuel out of the pool, Eric noticed how the young actor's eyes never left her face.
There was admiration there, maybe even attraction.
And Hailey seemed completely comfortable with the attention, praising Samuel's performance and encouraging him.
"She's just being professional," Eric tried to reason with himself.
But his hands had clenched into fists without him realizing it.
The rational part of his mind knew that Hailey was just doing her job, just being kind to a nervous colleague.
But seeing her be so warm and supportive with another man, especially a handsome young actor, stirred something ugly in his chest.
When Donald appeared with dry clothes and began fussing over both actors, Eric felt his patience snap.
He couldn't stand to watch anymore.
Without a word to anyone, he turned and walked away from the set.
His movements were quick and sharp, his jaw set in a hard line.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered to himself as he walked. "Absolutely ridiculous."
But the feeling in his chest wouldn't go away.
As he rounded a corner and disappeared from view, Eric tried to push down the uncomfortable emotions swirling inside him.
He knew he was being unreasonable, knew that Hailey had done nothing wrong.
But the sight of her with Samuel had awakened something he wasn't prepared to deal with.
The morning had started with such promise, with gentle teasing and intimate moments between them.
But now, all he could do was walk away and try to understand why seeing Hailey's natural kindness with someone else had affected him so deeply.