Date The CEO.com

Chapter 191: Are You Thinking of Me?

"And…! Cut!" Sam yelled into his megaphone. He set it down and glanced over his shoulder, "Would you like to see the clip, Ms. Hart?"

"Yes, please. We'd also like the edited copies as soon as they are available," Eve replied. 

"Alright, step right here."

Mikael stayed still as a makeup artist touched up on his face. He wore the same suit as last time. Luna had thought it would make him easier to spot in any given situation, joking that viewers would call him as 'The Man in a Blue Suit' in no time.

The sun shone harshly today despite the autumn air. Clouds were sparse in the sky, giving its heat waves unlimited power over the earth. For today's shoot, the production team had moved outside of the studio perimeter in favor of the nearest Athon Luxury store.

Like before, part of the street had been closed for their equipment and crew. 

Only this time, a crowd of bystanders stood a few feet away to watch the shenanigans.

"Hey, who's that chick with the director?" A crew member asked near Mikael. The latter pretended not to hear it and focused on his scene. He would have to redo it if neither the director nor Eve was satisfied.

"It's the CEO's secretary. Ms. Hart, I think?"

"Never noticed her before."

"Really?" A young woman came up to them, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "She was here last time. I heard she's always with him whenever he visits the studios."

"Huh. Then, how come she's alone?"

Inspecting with sharp eyes, Eve compared the clip with the list of details Luna wanted. The scenery was taken in a jewelry store where a man stood outside, looking through its window display. Her instructions had been specific on what to highlight. 

Eve did her best not to cringe when a photo of Evangeline made its way in the background.

It was probably bigger on the inside too. 

She didn't even dare take a peek when Andie proudly announced that she photographed it.

"Well, Ms. Hart?" Sam gulped. Sweat covered his scalp and the back of his neck. He was cursed to sweat easily despite the chilly air. He'd give anything to be back inside. "Is everything to your satisfaction?"

"Yes, but…" Eve said. "Ms. Athon would also like a clip shot on the inside. Then, the camera zooms out to reveal the window display followed by the whole store front."

Sam resisted to curse. This product placements shots were taking a lot of their budget. It took an enormous amount of effort for him to produce a smile. "Of course, Ms. Hart. Let me tell the crew about it."

Eve pressed her lips together, seeing through him. Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

.

``Yan: So, what does an online English tutor do at this time of the day?``

.

She pulled the screen closer to her face and checked if she read that right.

.

``Lin: Is this what a bored CEO does when bedridden?``

``Yan: Not entirely. I have plenty of entertainment. You're simply at the forefront of my mind right now. I just listened to it.``

.

Eve scoffed. How shameless! How did one respond to that? She placed her lips on her shoulder for a second. She used the clipboard to hide the exposed side of her face. Her brain had taken this chance to rebuild itself after being melted by such a line.

Taking a deep breath, a response lit up like a bulb over her head.

.

``Lin: Well, if I were you, I would think of me too.``

``Yan: And, if I were you, I hope you're thinking of me too.``

.

"This son of—"

"Ms. Hart?" Director Sam interrupted in front of her.

Eve locked her phone and hid it in her pocket. "Yes?"

"We're ready to shoot now."

"Please proceed."

Sam shook his head as he sat on his chair. He questioned the woman's capabilities. The small smile on her lips hinted that she was distracted. It wasn't quite professional of her when this wasn't her territory. Even he didn't allow mobile devices out on set.

"And… action!"

Mikael entered the store, its hanging bell ringing. An extra on set walked up to him and asked about his purpose. They moved to the counter as he elaborated on his plan and expressed his desire to search for the perfect gift to fit into the occasion.

Loud screeching of tires echoed from a distance. Eve whirled her head towards it. The bystanders were busy trying to get a clear view of the scene. But, the sound continued to increase in volume. The security team began to pick up on it.

"Everyone move to the sidewalk!" Eve shouted. She snatched the megaphone from Sam and repeated the same thing. "EVERYONE MOVE! SIDEWALK! NOW!"

Screams came from all around. The crew inside the store had stopped filming. They looked outside in time to see people cram against each other on the sidewalk. A taxi came hurling at the closed set. It swerved out of control, turning left and right with no signs of stopping. 

The vehicle hit their equipment.

Then, it crashed into a tall lamp post.

Eve barked orders into the megaphone. It broke several people out of their shock and moved to clean up. Security went to check on everyone's condition in the vicinity while she ran for the taxi, Wen already picking up her call. "Wen, call 911. We have an emergency."

Smoke floated out of the car. She pinched her nose not to inhale it. Walking around to the driver's seat, she knocked on the window. "Sir! Sir, can you open the door?"

When no response came, she yanked on the handle.

It wouldn't budge.

Eve tried the backseat. It opened without a problem. She unhooked the lock for the driver's side and yanked the handle again. A man dropped on his side and in her direction as soon as she got it open. Security came to her aid and took over. Her suit had been stained with blood. 

"Ms. Hart!" Sam yelled, running towards her. He pulled her away from the scene and ushered her towards the stylists. "Let us handle it and please get changed."

Mikael also rushed to her aid. He stopped them along the way and inspected her state. Jordan was hot on his heels. "Are you okay? No one stabbed you or anything, right?"

Eve shook her head, pushing their hands away. "I'm totally fine. Let's just get everything sorted out. Are there any spare clothes around?"

"Right here!" The woman from earlier replied, waving her hand as she joined the group. 

Eve recognized her as the same person she met last time on set. Instantly, she felt much more relaxed that she'd be in her hands for a while. "Thank you."

Both of them entered a trailer. It was good that the taxi had missed it. The woman treated Eve with extra care. She hadn't seen what happened when the latter approached the vehicle but the blood on her clothes weren't a good sign.

"That was totally crazy! Are you sure you're okay?" She said when they entered the trailer. 

"I'm fine. This isn't my blood. I just wanted to check on the vehicle. I've seen way too many movies where it could explode at any second and no one was getting out," Eve explained. She sat on a stool while the woman searched through their wardrobe for something she could wear.

"Oh, that's something I can relate too," the woman replied. She chose the least inconspicuous outfit, "Okay, we didn't really bring a lot and most of these are men's clothes so… you'd have to make do with looking like a staff for Athon Luxury."

"It's better than walking around with blood on you."

"You have a point. The dressing room is there. Just give me a sec."josei

Following her instructions, Eve stripped off her clothes and checked for any stains on her skin. She used her drenched office attire to clean them off before they could dry. She also wiped her cheeks just in case they also had any.

A hand shot up from behind the curtain to hand her a hanger with the outfit.

More blood slipped off her face. 

She had almost forgotten what that 'uniform' looked like. Her body flinched from the realization. She pushed her reluctance out of her system. There wasn't much of a choice anyway. It was also not a big deal like she initially thought.

Mikael listened carefully as the crew tried to settle down. Paramedics had arrived to assist with the accident. The taxi had crashed meters away from their closed set. The damaged equipment were also replaceable with just a phone call to the studios. 

But could they keep filming or not?

That was the question.

Sam ruffled his hair. What was else there to do? The accident had nothing to do with them. Time didn't stand still whenever something like this happened. The world eventually moves on with its business.

"We could but one of the extras had gone into shock," someone said beside him. "We're not also sure if someone else could play the part. It seems like everyone is still shaken by what happened."

The director sighed. It might not be good to proceed with the crew still restless...

"Anything to report, Director Sam?" A voice asked from behind him.

The words died in his throat as soon as he turned around.

Eve had stepped out of the dressing room—and her skirt stopped right above her knees.