One more coincidence
One spilled coffee. Two strangers running from their own lives. Three impossible coincidences… who says there can’t be one more?
When a struggling film editor crosses paths with Joe Keery on the worst day of their lives, neither expects a brief conversation to stay with them for months. But fate has a strange habit of bringing people back together when they least expect it—and sometimes, a single coincidence is enough to change everything.
warnings: mdni +18, kissing, dry humping, oral (m receiving), fingering, p in v, unprotected sex, riding, creampie, squirting, alcohol consumption, age gap, jealousy, miscommunication.
wc: 6k.
Holaaaa, this is my first time writing a story, and English isn’t my first language, so please forgive any grammar mistakes. I hope you enjoy reading it!
When Joe and you first met, it was just a coincidence. That evening, you were trying to have some time alone, searching for an escape from the noise and your life crisis. Then you saw a really handsome man who looked like he was in the same situation as you.
“Dammit,” he muttered when he spilled all his coffee all over his T-shirt.
You looked at him for a few seconds, wondering if it was a good idea to help him or just watch him in his deplorable state.
You decided to be a good person and give him some tissues that you had in the back of your purse. “Hey! Here.”
He turned around, and you were mesmerized by his beautiful hazel puppy eyes, which looked incredibly thankful. “Thanks. You didn’t have to do that.”
He looked really embarrassed when he said it, but you only gave him a gentle smile and said, “It’s fine, really.”
When Joe saw that smile, he knew you were going to ruin him forever.
You talked a lot that day. As you assumed, he had had a really shitty month and was trying to escape his life for a moment. You think that was the reason you two connected the way you did. Both of you thought you would never get to see each other again after that day, so you just talked and vented about all your life problems.
You had very similar interests, and when he found out you were a film editor, he didn’t waste a second before giving you his number for “future projects.”
No one texted after that day. Both of you wanted to—really wanted to—but your lives were so busy that there was barely time to breathe.
Months passed, and you and your friends decided to go to London to see the Magic Mike Show. You were quite influenced by your best friend Ana, who also convinced your other best friend, Nina. Soon enough, you were watching a good amount of hot men stripping in front of you.
When it finished, both of your friends were drunk and happy, and you had to take care of them while figuring out how the hell you were going to get those silly heads back to the hotel where you were staying.
When Ana was trying to pole dance on a streetlight, you were genuinely thinking of ten different ways to kill her when a beautiful voice that you remembered very well called your name.
You turned around to see Joe staring at you and your now very cheap stripper friends with an amused smile. “Joe? Hi…”
“Hi, angel.”
Then Ana turned around and yelled, “OH MY GOD, STEVE HARRINGTON!”
Now you had twenty different ways to kill her in your mind.
The day you met him, you hadn’t said anything about his fame or the fact that you were a fangirl obsessed with Steve Harrington. He had looked overwhelmed, so it didn’t seem like the perfect time to bring it up.
“Ana, shut the fuck up, please.”
Of course, she didn’t listen and continued yelling.
“BUT LOOK AT HI—”
Nina, who was a little more sober than Ana, put a hand over her mouth to shut her up.
“Well, this is a very interesting situation,” Joe laughed. “Hello, sweethearts. I’m Joe. Nice to meet you. Ana, right?”
Ana looked at him and nodded because she was still being silenced by Nina.
Joe looked at Nina and asked, “And what’s your name, honey?”
“Nina,” she whispered shyly.
“What are you doing here?” you asked with a laugh.
He looked at you and said, “I was going to a bar to get a drink when I saw three beautiful women trying to strip on a streetlight, and then I recognized you.”
You felt quite embarrassed.
“Oh, that’s a very lovely way to meet them.”
You both laughed.
“Actually, yeah.”
He paused and looked at your friends, who were now laughing like mental patients. “You really need to take them back to the hotel.”
You watched Ana fall to the floor because she was laughing so hard. “Yes.”
You looked at him with a pouty face. He knew you didn’t want to leave, and he didn’t want to leave you alone with two drunk friends who ignored your advice.
“I can help you take them back to the hotel.”
Your heart started beating faster than ever.
“You don’t have to. I ca—”
“I want to, and you don’t seem too sober either. I’m taking y’all to your hotel. End of discussion,” he said, smiling.
You couldn’t say no to that smile. “Fine. Let’s go.”
Ana finally moved with Joe’s help, and Nina took your hand as you started walking.
The third coincidence of your lives was that he was staying at the same hotel as you and your friends.
He helped you get Ana and Nina to your room between laughs and jokes. They passed out as soon as they jumped onto the king-sized bed.
Joe and you stepped outside the room and closed the door to say goodbye properly without disturbing your friends’ sleep.
“Thank you so much for everything, Joe.”
“Don’t worry. It was a pleasure to help. They’re really funny,” he laughed.
“No, I want to thank you. You didn’t even get your drink. Let’s go to the bar here in the hotel. It’s on me.”
“No, you don’t have to. I’m okay, rea—”
“I want to. Please.” You gave him your best puppy eyes to convince him.
“Fine, but I’m not going to let you pay for anything.”
The two of you sat down at the bar, and Joe looked at you like he wanted to say something.
“What?” you asked, getting a little red.
“I was thinking about why the hell I didn’t text you after that day,” he admitted.
“You were busy,” you said quietly.
“Maybe, but I really regret not texting you. You’re funny, kind, and beautiful—just like a fallen angel.”
You burst out laughing. “Okay, no more alcohol for you.”
“I meant it, angel.” He looked very sincere, and you got very nervous. Of course, he noticed that nervousness. He noticed everything about you. “I don’t bite, you know?”
“You just caught me off guard,” you replied softly.
A small smile appeared on his face. “Good. It’s nice knowing I can still do that.”
You rolled your eyes, trying to hide your smile behind your glass. “Oh, so that’s your strategy? Flirting your way through every conversation?”
“Only with pretty film editors who disappear for months.”
You laughed, shaking your head.
“I thought about you more times than I’d like to admit.” For the first time that night, he seemed genuinely nervous.
Your heart skipped a beat. “You did?”
“Yeah.”
His eyes met yours again, and suddenly the noise of the bar seemed farther away.
“Every time something happened that made me feel the way I felt when I met you, I thought about you and how much I wanted to text you.”
Neither of you spoke for a moment.
The silence wasn’t awkward.
It was warm.
Comfortable.
Dangerous.
Joe leaned back in his chair, unable to stop smiling. “You’re blushing.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You definitely are.”
“Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like…” You laughed nervously. “Like that.”
His smile softened. “I can’t help it.”
You looked down at your drink, trying to ignore the warmth spreading across your face.
For a moment, neither of you spoke.
“So…” you said, clearing your throat. “What are you doing in London, anyway?”
Joe sighed and leaned back against his chair. “Work.”
“That bad?”
A laugh escaped him. “No, actually, it’s a great opportunity.”
“But?”
His smile faded slightly. “But it means I’m going to be here for a long time.”
You frowned. “A new role?”
He nodded. “Yeah. A pretty big one.”
“That sounds exciting.”
“It is.”
The answer came too quickly.
You tilted your head. “But?”
He looked at you for a second before chuckling. “You’re really good at that.”
“At what?”
“Knowing when I’m lying.”
You smiled.
Joe looked down at his glass.
“When I first met you, I had just found out about the project. Everyone kept congratulating me, telling me how lucky I was.”
“Weren’t they right?”
“They were.” He paused. “But nobody talks about what comes after.”
You stayed quiet, letting him continue.
“Moving away from home. Being away from my friends. Missing birthdays, dinners, random movie nights…” He shrugged. “Starting over somewhere new.”
Your expression softened. “That sounds lonely.”
“It is.”
His eyes met yours. “But not anymore.”
You frowned. “Why?”
A small smile appeared on his face. “Because now I’m here with the girl I met at that coffee shop.”
Your heart skipped a beat.
“The one who saw me spill coffee all over myself.”
You laughed. “You did look pretty pathetic.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He shook his head, smiling.
“The same girl who handed me tissues, listened to me vent about my life, and somehow managed to make a terrible day one of the best days I’ve had in years.”
You felt your cheeks warming a lot more.
Joe looked at you for a moment before speaking again.
“And now she’s sitting right in front of me, looking so beautiful that I can barely think straight.”
His eyes never left yours.
“And honestly…” He leaned in slightly. “…I want to kiss her so bad.”
Your brain short-circuited. The last thing you expected was for a hot, famous actor to admit he wanted to kiss you.
You didn’t want to make a fool of yourself, so you took a deep breath and smiled.
“If you want it that bad…” you paused, your heart pounding in your chest.
“…then do it.”
He didn’t waste a second and kissed you. It wasn’t sweet. It was hungry, desperate, filled with all the tension that had been building between the two of you that night. The kiss felt like he’d been waiting for this exact moment for far too long and maybe you had been waiting, too.
He tasted like whiskey and sin, and with every passing second you felt the air getting hotter, your thighs squeezed together as you felt yourself getting wet only for his extremely good abilities with his mouth.
When he sliced his tongue inside your mouth you moaned into his mouth and pulled his hair with your hands that were in his neck, he grunted sightly pulling away because Joe knew if he kept going he would fucked you right there with all people watching.
“Let’s get out of here,” You said breathlessly, feeling bolder than before.
“You’re sure?” He whispered softly.
“Yes, please.”
He pecked your lips with a smile on his face before taking your hand and leading you out of the bar toward the elevator.
The right elevator opened quickly, and luckily for you, it was empty. You both entered, and he pressed the button for the fifth floor. When the doors closed, he pulled you closer by the waist into another heated kiss that made your legs tremble. You pulled him down by his hair to your mouth again. He grunted more loudly, and his hand made its way from your waist to squeeze your ass and pull you closer to feel his hard bulge pressed on your belly.
The doors opened again, and he guided you to his hotel room. He unlocked the door with his key card and let you step inside first. He followed you in, and you didn’t even let him close the door before kissing him again desperately.
He kicked the door shut with his back and grabbed your face, deepening the kiss. Emboldened, you slid your hand down to palm him through his jeans.
“Fuck. You’re going to kill me,” he groaned softly.
You smiled against his lips as he guided you toward the bed. You turned him around, pushing him until he sat on the edge. Then you climbed onto his lap, straddling him.
You kissed him again, hungry and eager, grinding down against his growing bulge. The friction pulled a moan from both of you. You could feel how hard he was, and you were hornier than you’d ever been.
When you rolled your hips again, he breathed against your mouth, “Tell me what you want.”
Instead of answering with words, you kissed him one more time, then slid off his lap and dropped to your knees between his legs.
“This,” you whispered, looking up at him. “I want to do this.”
“Oh fuck…” he whimpered. “Baby, you don’t have to—”
“I want to,” you said, already unbuttoning his jeans. You tugged them down along with his boxers. His cock sprang free—thick, long, and already leaking at the tip. You licked your lips.
You wrapped your hand around him and squeezed gently, earning another deep groan. Though his size was a little intimidating, you wanted to thank him for everything he’d done tonight for you and your friends, for every sweet thing he’d said.
You licked a long, slow stripe along the underside of his cock, drawing a broken moan and a curse from Joe. Parting your lips, you swirled your tongue around the sensitive head before taking him into your mouth, sucking gently. You worked him deeper, hollowing your cheeks until he brushed the back of your throat.
“Fuck… Baby, it feels so good,” he rasped.
You hummed around him, the vibration making his hips twitch. Starting a steady rhythm, you bobbed your head while stroking the part you couldn’t fit, never breaking eye contact.
His fingers tangled in your hair not forcing, just holding on. You felt his thighs start to tremble and knew he was getting close, so you pulled off with a wet pop, a thin string of saliva still connecting your lips to his glistening tip.
Joe immediately pulled you up and kissed you hard, tasting himself on your tongue.
You grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and yanked it over his head. He did the same with yours, leaving you in just your red lacy bra.
“Fuck, you’re so hot, baby,” he murmured, lips trailing down your neck as he tugged your skirt down your hips. You kicked off your boots, letting everything fall to the floor.
He pulled you back onto his lap. You smiled, kissing him deeply again, your fingers threading through the patch of dark hair on his chest.
He looked at your chest, still covered by your bra, with a silent question in his eyes. You nodded.
Without hesitation, he reached behind you and unhooked the clasp with one smooth motion. He slid the red lace down your arms and tossed it aside, his gaze darkening as it locked onto your breasts. Your nipples were already hard, begging for attention.
“God, you’re perfect,” he murmured, voice low and rough. He cupped your breasts with both hands, thumbs brushing over your sensitive nipples, making you arch into his touch. He teased them gently at first, then rolled them between his fingers, watching your face closely as soft moans escaped your lips.
Without another word, he lowered his head and captured one of your hard nipples in his mouth. He sucked firmly, his tongue flicking and swirling around the sensitive peak as he groaned against your skin.
His hand continued playing with your other breast, pinching and rolling the nipple between his fingers. The wet heat of his mouth combined with the sharp pleasure made you moan louder, your back arching as you tangled your fingers in his hair, pulling him closer.
“I wanna ride you, Joe,” you said, breathless.
His eyes darkened with raw hunger. He thought he couldn’t possibly be more turned on by you, until those words left your pretty mouth.
“Fuck,” he growled. “But first I need to get you ready.”
He pulled your panties — the ones that matched your red bra — to the side. You nodded eagerly. Two thick fingers slid through your soaked folds, spreading your wetness before circling your swollen clit, drawing a sharp gasp from you.
Without hesitation, he pushed both fingers inside you. You moaned shamelessly at the delicious stretch. He started pumping them in and out, curling them upward to hit that perfect spot that made you cry out his name again and again.
“Mmm, so good,” you whimpered between moans.
Joe looked up at you with a cocky smile. “Yeah? You like that, baby?”
“Yes… more, please,” you begged.
He sped up, thrusting his fingers deeper, faster. The wet, obscene sounds filled the room as your thighs began to tremble and your walls pulsed around him.
“Fuck, I’m so close,” you moaned.
Suddenly, Joe pulled his fingers out. You whined at the loss, but he only smirked.
“I want you to cum on my cock while you ride me, baby.”
He grabbed your hips as you reached down, lining his thick cock with your entrance. You started sinking down on him slowly. His fat tip stretched you open, the burn intense but so fucking good.
Both of you moaned loudly as he bottomed out inside you. He was so big that he reached deep places no one had ever touched before.
“Shit, baby… You’re so fucking tight,” he whimpered, voice strained.
“Mmm, you’re so big, Joe,” you moaned as you began moving up and down on his cock. He gripped your ass cheeks firmly, helping you bounce on him, his fingers digging into your soft flesh.
When you started riding him faster, he thrust up to meet you, hitting your G-spot perfectly and drawing a loud scream from your throat.
“Right there?” he asked, voice rough.
You could only moan and nod desperately in response. Every powerful thrust made his cock kiss your cervix, pushing you closer and closer to the edge.
He could feel how tightly you were clenching around him, your walls pulsing and squeezing his cock like you wanted to milk him dry.
“I’m so close,” you cried out, your voice breaking.
Joe quickly slid his hand between your bodies and rubbed your clit frantically. The added stimulation made you clench even harder around his cock.
“Cum for me, angel,” he growled. “Make a mess on this cock.”
His dirty words were all it took to push you over the edge. Pleasure crashed over you in powerful waves, your whole body shaking as you cried out his name, coming hard around him.
“Fuck, I’m gonna cum,” he moaned, his thrusts becoming erratic. “Where do you want it?”
“Inside,” you whispered breathlessly.
Joe groaned loudly and buried himself deep as he came, but the moment he started cumming, flooding your pussy with thick, hot spurts of cum, you lost control completely. A second, much stronger orgasm crashed through you. Your whole body tensed as you squirted hard around his cock, soaking his lap and the sheets beneath you while moaning loudly.
“Fuck,” you heard him groan as you squirted all over him, your release soaking his cock, his thighs, and the sheets beneath you.
Joe kept holding you tightly through it, letting you ride out every last wave until your body finally started to relax. Your breathing was ragged, your legs trembling as you collapsed against his chest.
Both of you stayed like that for a long moment, still joined together, breathing heavily. His arms wrapped around your back, one hand gently stroking your spine as your heartbeats slowly calmed down. Soft kisses were pressed to your shoulder and neck while you tried to catch your breath.
“Damn, baby…” he whispered against your skin, voice hoarse and satisfied. “You’re incredible.”
You giggled shyly, burying your face into his neck.
“Hey, don’t get shy after all that, baby,” he said with a soft laugh. “I loved it.”
“Yeah?” you asked, peeking up at him.
“Yeah.” He smiled and kissed you tenderly. Slowly, he pulled out of you, and a mix of both your fluids and his cum leaked out, dripping down your thighs.
“We definitely made a mess,” he chuckled. You both burst into laughter as he held you close.
Still smiling, Joe stood up with you in his arms and carried you to the bathroom for a warm bath.
After you both were clean and dry, Joe took your hand and led you back to the bed. He pulled the covers back and you both slipped in together, completely naked.
Instead of falling asleep right away, you turned to face each other. For a long while, you simply lay there in comfortable silence, staring at one another with soft smiles on your faces.
Joe’s eyes were warm and tender as they stayed locked on yours. You couldn’t help but smile wider, feeling a flutter in your chest. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from your face, his thumb lingering on your cheek for a moment, but neither of you said a word. You just kept gazing at each other, peaceful and content, letting the quiet moment wrap around you.
“Aren’t you sleepy?” he asked, that playful grin on his face that made you weak.
“Mhm, maybe…” you answered softly, blushing as you looked at him.
Just then, your phone buzzed four times in a row on the nightstand. You reached over and checked the messages. It was Nina.
Nina:
Where the hell are you??
Hello???
Are you alright?
Bitch answer me!!
Joe glanced at your phone and let out a soft sigh, his expression turning slightly sad.
“Maybe you should go,” he said quietly. “She’s worried.”
You nodded, even though you didn’t really want to leave. You both got up and got dressed quickly. Joe walked you to the door, holding your hand the whole way.
Before you opened it, he gently pulled you back and cupped your face with both hands.
“Hey… I don’t want this to be just a one night thing,” he said, looking straight into your eyes. “I really like you. A lot. I want to keep seeing you… if you want that too.”
A warm smile spread across your face.
“I’d like that,” you whispered.
Joe’s face lit up. He leaned in and kissed you slowly, deeply, like he didn’t want to let you go. When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against yours for a second.
“Text me when you get to your room, okay?”
You nodded, gave him one last quick kiss, and slipped out the door.
The moment you entered your room, Nina was sitting on the bed with her arms crossed, staring at you.
“Girl… where the hell were you?! I’ve been texting you like crazy!” she said, half worried and half amused. “Don’t tell me you were with Joe this whole time…”
Your face reveal her everything, cause you weren’t good at control your face expressions in situations like this.
“Oh my god.” she was genuinely in shock. “you fucked him”
Your face must have revealed everything, because you were never good at hiding your expressions in moments like this.
“Oh my god…” Nina’s eyes widened in genuine shock. “You fucked him.”
“Shhh!” you quickly whispered, closing the door behind you. “Lower your voice, Ana is still sleeping.”
Nina sat up straighter on the bed, clearly dying for details. “Okay but, he’s like eight years older than you. Are you okay? How was it?”
You sat down next to her and told her everything; how it started, how sweet and intense Joe was, the way he looked at you, and everything that happened in his room. You even told her about the conversation at the door.
When you finished, you let out a nervous sigh.
“I don’t know, Nina… I’ve never done something like this before. What if I ruin everything? What if it was just a one time thing for him and—”
“Hey, stop,” Nina interrupted softly, grabbing your hands. “First of all, you’re glowing. Second, from everything you just told me, that guy is clearly into you. The way you described how he kissed you at the door? That wasn’t just ‘thanks for the sex’ energy. He likes you. Relax, okay? You deserve this. Just enjoy it.”
Her words made you feel a lot lighter. You smiled shyly.
“Thank you,” you whispered.
Nina grinned. “Now let’s go to sleep before you start overthinking again.”
You both lay down, still giggling quietly as you looked over at Ana, who was completely knocked out, mouth slightly open, dead to the world.
“She’s been sleeping like a rock this whole time,” Nina whispered, trying not to laugh. “We could’ve had a full party in here and she wouldn’t have moved.”
You both muffled your laughter under the covers. Once you calmed down a bit, you reached for your phone and quickly typed a message to Joe.
You:
Just got to my room safe
Nina didn’t kill me, so you can relax.
Goodnight
You smiled when you saw his reply almost immediately.
Joe:
Glad you’re safe.
Sleep well, beautiful. I’ll text you tomorrow.
That little exchange made your heart flutter. You put your phone down and turned off the lamp.
You and Nina whispered a little more until sleep finally took over, both of you falling asleep with soft smiles on your faces.
Two months had passed since that night. What started as a simple situationship had grown into something constant and warm. You and Joe texted every day — good morning messages, good night voice notes, endless conversations about everything and nothing. You shared stupid jokes, long FaceTimes, and increasingly explicit chats.
He would tell you in detail everything he wanted to do to you when he saw you again, and you’d send him teasing photos that were sexy enough to drive him crazy from afar.
It felt good. Too good.
Until one morning.
You woke up, stretched lazily in bed, and reached for your phone like any other day. The screen lit up with dozens of notifications. At first, you smiled sleepily, expecting a good morning text from Joe.
Instead, your stomach dropped like a stone.
Multiple gossip pages and fan accounts were posting the same story:
“Joe Keery spotted with Emily Bear in London. Are they dating?”
There were photos. Clear, high-quality shots of them walking side by side, laughing. One picture showed them coming out of a cozy vinyl store in Soho, Joe holding the door for her, both of them smiling. The headlines were ruthless: “New romance after months of mystery?”, “Emily Bear — the new girl in Joe Keery’s life?”
Your chest tightened. You scrolled through the comments, each one feeling like a punch.
You didn’t reply to his “Good morning, beautiful” that day. Nor the next. Every time his name popped up on your screen, your throat closed up. You felt stupid. Angry. Embarrassed. Maybe he does this with everyone, you thought. Maybe you were just a game for him.
Later that afternoon, you were at Nina’s apartment, curled up on her couch with a cup of tea you hadn’t touched. Your best friend sat beside you, scrolling through the same articles on her own phone.
“Girl… I saw it,” Nina said softly, glancing at you with concern. “But honestly? I don’t think they’re together. Like, at all. The way he was looking at you that night? He was genuinely interested. It wasn’t just vibes, it was obvious.”
You stared at the floor, hugging a pillow tighter against your chest.
“I don’t want to talk about it, Nina,” you muttered, voice cracking a little. “Please. I just… I can’t.”
Nina opened her mouth to say something else but closed it again, respecting your silence. She simply rubbed your back while you kept refreshing the articles, torturing yourself with every new comment.
Meanwhile, in London sitting in his new apartment, Joe was losing his mind.
He kept checking his phone every five minutes, the screen lighting up his face in the dim room. Nothing. No reply. Not even a “seen” on some messages. His leg bounced anxiously as he paced near the window.
His manager, had been talking non-stop for the last twenty minutes, walking back and forth with his own phone in hand.
“—and now it’s trending on Twitter. People are making edits of you and Emily. The label wants a statement if it keeps blowing up. Joe, are you even listening?”
Joe barely heard him. He opened your chat again, staring at the last message he’d sent. Read. No answer. His chest ached every time he reread your previous reply from that morning:
You:
Maybe it’s better if we slow down a bit. You’re already dealing with a lot of rumors and I don’t want to add more problems.
Those words had hit him like a slap. He sat heavily on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his messy hair. It hurt. It really fucking hurt. Because none of it was true.
He had randomly bumped into Emily on the street. She was struggling to find a specific vinyl store she’d been looking for for months. He helped her, they talked for maybe fifteen minutes , mostly about music, and that was it. Nothing more. No sparks. No chemistry. Just a polite, friendly encounter that paparazzi had twisted into a whole narrative.
But now you were pulling away, believing the rumors instead of him.
“Joe,” his manager sighed, “you gotta tell me what’s going on with this girl you’ve been seeing. Is she the reason you look like you haven’t slept?”
Joe didn’t answer right away. He just stared at his phone again, willing it to light up with your name. The silence from you was louder than any rumor.
He typed another message, then deleted it. Typed again. Deleted.
All he could think about was how much he missed your voice, your laugh, the way you looked at him like he was just… Joe. Not the actor, not the guy from Stranger Things.
Just him.
And right now, that version of him felt like he had lost you before he even had you completely.
Three more months passed.
You threw yourself into work to avoid thinking about him.
What you hadn’t told Joe was that, although you studied film with a focus on editing, you had also trained in acting.
Now you were in London for a new independent project. You arrived at the studio on your first day and immediately noticed the chaos.
The director, James — a flamboyant, colorful, and extremely dramatic gay man who wore the brightest clothes imaginable — was having a full meltdown.
“None of them feel it!” he exclaimed, waving his hands. “I need chemistry, I need connection, I need longing! Why is this so difficult?!”
You stayed quiet in the corner, reading the script while James continued his theatrical complaints.
Then you felt it.
Someone was staring at you.
You looked up and your heart stopped.
Joe was standing a few meters away, looking at you with the same shock you felt. For a few seconds, you just stared at each other in silence.
He approached slowly.
“…Hey,” he said softly.
“Hey,” you answered, voice barely above a whisper.
Joe took a couple of steps closer. Before he could say anything else, you glanced at the script in your hands and then back at him.
“So… this is the big role you were telling me about months ago?” you asked, trying to sound casual even though your chest felt tight.
“Yeah,” he answered with a small smile. “This is it. I didn’t know you were working on it too.”
You nodded. “I was called in for the editing department. They needed a head editor who could also help with script adjustments. I had no idea this was your project.”
There was a brief silence. His eyes lingered on your face, full of unspoken words. It was clear he had missed you, a lot. You could see it. You, however, still felt that sting from everything that happened. Even so, being this close to him again made it hard to stay indifferent.
There was a short silence between you. His eyes stayed on yours, full of longing. You could tell he had missed you. You tried to ignore the knot in your stomach and changed the subject.
“By the way… why doesn’t James like any of the actresses?” you asked, genuinely curious. “What exactly is he looking for? He seems really frustrated.”
Joe let out a small sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
“He keeps saying none of them have the right chemistry. He wants real tension, longing, something deep and emotional. He says he needs to feel it when the actors look at each other. So far no one has given him that.”
The moment he finished speaking, James clapped his hands so loudly that the entire room went quiet.
“YES! THAT! THAT RIGHT THERE!” he shouted dramatically, pointing straight at both of you. “Those eyes! That tension! That connection! That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for this whole time!”
He marched toward you with big theatrical steps, his colorful outfit flowing behind him.
“You!” he exclaimed, pointing at you with excitement. “I want YOU for the role. Forget every other girl I’ve seen today. This… THIS is what I’ve been waiting for!”
James turned to his assistant with the same energy.
“Get her the contract right now! We’ve found our leading lady!”
You literally panicked.
“Wait, James, there must be a misunderstanding,” you said quickly, raising your hands. “I’m here for the editing department. I’m not an actress. I came to edit, not to act.”
James waved his hand dramatically, completely unbothered.
“I don’t care, darling! You have exactly what I need. If I have to pay you double, I will. But you are not escaping this. You are my new leading lady!”
You looked at Joe for help, but he was standing beside you looking completely stunned. His face showed a mix of surprise, confusion, and something deeper. The girl he had been secretly seeing for months was now going to be his co-star. This was going to be complicated.
After a long and passionate conversation with James in private, you finally accepted the role.
He had spent nearly twenty minutes explaining his vision for the film with dramatic gestures and sparkling eyes. He told you how important this project was to him and how he had been searching for weeks for the perfect actress who could bring real emotional depth to the character. Most of all, he kept praising the undeniable chemistry he had seen between you and Joe.
“You two have something natural, something raw,” he said, placing a hand over his heart. “When you look at each other… the air changes. That’s what I’ve been desperate to capture.”
You hesitated for a long time, explaining your concerns about balancing editing duties with acting, but James was relentless in the best way possible. He promised to adjust your schedule, offered to pay you significantly more, and even said he would bring in extra support for the editing team if needed.
Eventually, you gave in.
The moment you said yes, James asked about your background. When you told him that, although your main focus had always been editing and directing, you had also trained in acting during your film studies, his reaction was priceless.
He dramatically placed both hands on his cheeks, eyes wide.
“No… you’re joking!” he gasped. Then he actually looked like he was about to cry from pure joy. “This is fate! Absolute fate! Not only do you have the look and the chemistry, but you actually know how to act? Darling, the universe is smiling on this production!”
He pulled you into a big, theatrical hug, practically vibrating with excitement.
Later that afternoon, as you were leaving the building, Joe caught up with you in a quiet corner near the exit.
You both stopped, facing each other. The air felt heavy.
“So…” Joe started, clearly tense. “This is going to be interesting.”
You crossed your arms, still hurt from the rumors months ago. “Yeah. Looks like it.”
Joe took a breath. “Look, I have no problem acting with you. We’re both professionals.”
“Neither do I,” you replied, trying to sound firm. “As long as we keep it strictly professional. No complications. No personal feelings involved.”
Joe looked at you for a long second. You could feel the strong sexual tension crackling between you, the same attraction that had always been there, now even stronger after months apart. But both of you were hurt, you because you still believed there was something with Emily, and him because you had suddenly disappeared without giving him a chance to explain.
“Alright,” he said quietly, though his eyes said something completely different. “Strictly professional.”
You nodded
“See you on set, then.”
You turned and walked away toward your car. Once inside, you closed the door, leaned your head back against the seat, and let out a long, deep sigh. Your heart was racing.
Both of you can make it professional, right?
