"Innocence is out of style." -30STM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jared sighed as he waited in the line for customs at the airport. All of this international traveling was crazy and it was really starting to wear him down. He was actually looking forward to filming because at least he'd be in one place long enough to put his clothes away in actual drawers. He had just finished the rest of the European tour and done several acoustic shows with Tomo and he was ready to relax a bit. In the past few days, he'd had a hard time focusing as he kept thinking about coming to Toronto and starting filming. It wasn't because he was getting into character-it was because he couldn't stop thinking about Daphne. He couldn't get her sexy gaze out of his mind. Even though he knew there were rules against the two of them getting involved-rules she had set down and rules David had set down- it didn't stop him from fantasizing about her.
Mara handed the guard their passports and they were waved through after a few questions. She led him to baggage claim where a large group of photographers was waiting. Jared was immediately blinded by their flashes as he rounded the corner, wheeling his suitcase behind him. He moved quickly, making sure his assistant was close by. After a quick wave, he opened the car door for both of them, allowing her to slide in first and following her right after. They rode in silence for a few minutes before she spoke.
"You have tonight off and then tomorrow you do screen tests for costumes to finalize them," she said. "You have tomorrow evening free as well, but Thursday you start filming in the afternoon. It's a twelve hour day at least, I believe."
Jared nodded. "You can take tomorrow night off. I think I'm probably headed out with Daphne for her birthday." He glanced at his cell phone.
"Do you want me to arrange for any flowers or anything?" Mara asked, biting her lip. She had seen how much Jared had been thinking of Daphne and it made her slightly jealous.
"No, I got her something already before we left Rome," he answered in an offhand manner.
"Should I make reservations or anything for you two, then?" she asked.
He shook his head as he stared out of his window. "No, I think we're just going to play it by ear. Plus Kelly could set something up if we needed her to."
Mara rolled her eyes. She didn't know how he expected her to prove herself if h never actually let her do anything to show how capable she was. "Well if you need me to do anything, let me know."
"What do you think of Jake Gyllenhaal?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
She blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.
He shifted in his seat to face her. "I mean, do you think he's attractive?"
Mara looked at Jared in confusion her eyebrows climbing into her hairline. She'd always known he was a big flirt and he flirted with everyone, men and women, but she never would have guessed that he flew THAT way. "I-uh-I guess he's sexy. I didn't think he liked guys, though. Do you-want me to set something up or…?"
He shook his head. "I'm not gay, Mara," he said with a smile. "I just wanted to know what you thought about him. Daphne's dating him."
She took a breath. "It's not really my place to say, Jared. It's not my relationship. And honestly, it's not yours either."
He glanced at her. "But you think he's a good match for Daphne?"
She sighed, understanding why he was asking. "It's not my place to say, Jared."
He bit his lip. He certainly didn't want to break them up, but he just didn't get the feeling that Daphne and Jake were really right for each other. She spoke about him so little, you'd think he didn't even exist in her mind. There was an undeniable connection between the two of them. He felt it every time they were near each other. It was electric. He knew she felt it, too. But he didn't want to push the limits. The car arrived at the hotel and they went to their rooms. Jared passed out on top of the comforter, too tired to even undress or get into bed properly. He fell asleep almost immediately.
The next day was filled with screen tests for costumes which basically entailed Jared and Daphne trying on different costumes wearing their full make up to see how they looked in front of the camera and in different lighting. The purpose was to finalize their costume choices and fix any issues that could arise before filming began. Because they were filming on a different schedule from the rest of the cast initially, their costumes were the last ones to be finalized.
"Jared could you just walk back and forth there?" David asked. "I want to see how it looks when you move."
Jared walked back and forth in front of the camera that had been set up on a tripod. His white suit jacket swayed in the breeze as he walked.
"Are you happy with the white?" the costume designer, Kate Hawley, asked. "We also have a black and a tweed brown that we can try."
Jared looked himself over in front of the mirror. "I like the black I think," he said, sliding the white blazer off and exchanging it for the black one hanging next to him. "It gives him a more debonair feel. Like a bit of 'Mad Men' thrown in there. I like it better. Much more refined and controlled."
"Yes, I like that," David said. "When he's wearing it he's more controlled and when he's not that's when you see the crazy side. Very good."
"So we will need five or six of those jackets," Kate said, making a note.
"But could we get it a bit more aged? It seems too crisp and new for him. It needs to be worn down a bit," Jared added, sliding off the jacket. "I want a few moth holes here and there, just to ruin the pristine image a bit." He handed the jacket over to the costume assistants and sat next to David on the sofa.
"Alright, Daphne," Kate called. "Let's see you next."
David looked at a piece of paper in his hand. "This is the gala dress, right?" he asked. Kate nodded. "Daphne, are you ready?"
Daphne walked out wearing a slinky back and red floor length gown. It was backless, with several strips of beat-up black lace intricately laced across her bare back. Jared perked up as she walked around, getting a feel for the costume's weight.
"Jared what do you think?" David asked. David had suggested early on that Jared have a bit of a say in Ophelia's costumes because she was a figment of the Joker's imagination and it would make more sense because he saw her in a specific light.
Jared got up and walked around Daphne, looking at the dress. "I like it, but it's too long and it's not decayed enough. I like the style and the slinkiness, but I don't see how she's supposed to do much of anything in this dress if it's so long."
Kate nodded in understanding. "We also toyed around with the concept of making a shorter version, but it looked a little too hooker-ish."
"Can we see those?" Daphne asked. "I always felt like the Joker saw Ophelia in that light. So it might actually be perfect."
Kate nodded and walked over to her drafting table, pulling out a few sheets of paper with a sketch on it. She handed them to Daphne and Jared. The dress was similar to the one she had on now, but it was much shorter and much more revealing. The back was the same, but there was a corset top attached and much more lace around the skirt. It almost looked like a modern, shorter version of a western saloon girl outfit.
"This is so much better. If we pair it with a pair of thigh-highs and stilettos, it's perfect," David said, looking over Jared's shoulder at the drawing. "Are you okay with that, Daphne?"
"I'm in high heels for the entire movie, so why not add another pair," she joked, handing the drawing to Jared. "I'm going to go change."
"Could you put on the daily outfit for us again? I just want to check something. I'm not sure I like the shoes we picked," Kate called after Daphne.
Daphne appeared a few seconds later in the same outfit from their photo shoot. David walked around her, eyeballing everything. "This might sound a little strange, but watching you two at the photo shoot, it hit me that something was missing."
Daphne and Jared looked at each other. "What?" she asked.
"We always viewed their relationship as a dominant/submissive one, right?" David asked. "So why not bring that concept into the costumes?"
"I'm not making her wear a ball gag," Jared said, causing the whole room to laugh. "I like hearing her speak too much." He shot Daphne a wink.
"How kind of you," Daphne replied, stroking his cheek softly.
"What if we added in a bit of latex and BDSM-ed it up a bit?" David asked. "You two can pull it off, obviously. I trust that. I just feel like Ophelia is basically just a cutesy, naughty Catholic school girl crossed with a western saloon girl. It needs something else. Something else to show his control over her."
"What, like a leash?" she asked.
David laughed. "Not that extreme. It has to be PG-13, but as sexy as you can get without pushing that boundary any further."
"I'll see what I can dig up and work out," Kate said, nodding.
"I definitely want a jacket to go over this top-long sleeves," David added. "And will you be able to walk in these?" He pointed to the black five inch stiletto heels Daphne had on her feet.
"It'll take some practice but I can," she said. "Are we using the same ones with each outfit?"
"No, we have another shoe-the same kind Harley wears," Kate said, pulling out a pair of hybrid heels. They looked like a cross between a sky-high stiletto and a gym shoe; sporty but sexy at the same time. "We have these in black."
Daphne nodded. "Alright, I can work with these," she said, handling them in her hands.
"Alright, you two go stand in front of the camera," David said.
Jared took Daphne's hand, helping her off of the pedestal and onto the waxed floor. Immediately, she felt herself slip because the soles of her shoes were not scuffed up enough to give her traction. In one swift movement, Jared had caught her and picked her up into his arms.
"You okay?" he asked quietly. She nodded. Their eyes met for several seconds and Daphne was very aware of the heat from his hands against her body.
"You can put me down now," she said softly.
He shook his head as if to clear it and then put Daphne's legs back down. "Sorry," he said.
"THAT'S the sexual tension I want," David said, oblivious to their conversation. "But Daphne, I need you to be much more sexual and submissive, almost as if you're obsessed with the concept of him dominating you."
Daphne nodded as she turned to face Jared. Jared wrapped his hand in her ponytail and gave it a gentle tug, causing her to gasp lightly. He smirked a little at her reaction, getting into character and putting a bit of a sadistic smile on his face.
"Now kiss her, Jared," David said, bringing the camera in closer.
Jared kept his eyes on hers, and it was a repeat of their audition months beforehand. He brought her face close to his, holding on to her jaw with his hand softly. Slowly, tantalizingly, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her, rolling his tongue against her lips. Daphne sighed against him, feeling herself dissolve into his body. Her head was still reeling when he stopped and David told them they could get changed and head back to the hotel.
"Let's go out and celebrate for your birthday," Jared said, coming into Daphne's room.
Their rooms were connecting, making it easier for them to spend time together without having to go anywhere. She glanced up from the script she was reading as he breezed into her room.
"Go out where?" she asked. "We'll be spotted in a heartbeat, sweetie." He gave her a confused look. "Not too many people have green hair in Toronto, darling. Plus, plenty of people know we're here so they'll be on the lookout for us."
"So?" he said. "It's your birthday. In my family we celebrate them."
"My birthday was five days ago," she said.
"Come on," he said, taking the script from her hands and setting it on the bed next to her. "Once we start filming we won't be able to do anything. Besides, Shannon is coming up to visit."
Daphne sighed. "You want me to go out with you two?"
"Why not? Hot girls always make the night more fun," he said, taking her hand. "Put on something sexy and came get me when you're ready."
She shook her head and laughed as she watched him shut the door behind himself. A few seconds later as she was digging through her closet for clothes, she heard Shannon's voice next door. It was strange that they spent so much time together, but Daphne figured it must be nice to have someone you can commiserate with when you're feeling kind of bad. She'd never had that, really. Of course she had friends and costars, but it wasn't the same when they weren't your relatives.
Daphne selected a navy blue halter top mini dress that her stylist had packed for her. She left her hair down-it had curled into loose ringlets-and slid on a pair of black and silver stiletto ankle booties. She brushed a bit of mascara across her eyelashes and added a bit of nude lipstick and a bit of a dramatic smoky eye before grabbing a black clutch and leaving a note for Kelly on the desk. She went into Jared's room, tilting her head at the vision that met her eyes.
"Well this is a nice sight to behold," she said with a smile.
Shannon and Jared were both lounging on the bed and sofa, respectively. Jared had just gotten out of the shower and only had a towel wrapped around his waist. Jared was working on his laptop and Shannon was watching a TV show. He did a double take when he saw her in the doorway.
"Damn," he said, looking her up and down. He got up and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, resting his arms around her waist. "You look sexier every time I see you."
She blushed a little at his open flirting. "You're not too bad yourself, Shannon." She turned to Jared. "Jared, as much as I'm enjoying this sexy image, you can't go out nude in Toronto. They'll arrest you for it."
Jared got up and walked toward her, well aware that her eyes were trailing down his bare chest and resting on the towel that barely clung to his hips. "You know you like it," he teased her softly.
She smiled at him sweetly before shoving him lightly away. "If you won't get dressed, I'll just go out with Shannon."
Shannon's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. He took her hand and led her to the door, waving Jared off as he passed him. "See ya baby bro," he said with a smile.
Jared laughed. "Alright, give me like two minutes."
"We'll be in the hall," Shannon said, closing the door behind him.
Daphne noticed he hadn't dropped her hand yet. She smiled at him. He was sexy in an odd ball way-kind of like the way Ben Stiller or Owen Wilson or Dax Shepherd were. Quirky, but still sexy.
"You must have a lot of guys going crazy over you," he said, leaning against the wall on his side to face her.
She nodded. "It would appear that way, yes." She turned to lean against the wall and face him. "What about you? Are you crazy about me?" She fixed him with her signature flirtatious gaze, enjoying him fidget under it.
"I'd be lying if I said I haven't thought of things," he said, meeting her eyes with his. "You certainly are a good pole dancer."
She smiled and bit her lip. "I thought you'd enjoy those." He chuckled softly, lowering his head to avoid being recognized as two younger women passed by them. "I know you've got a crush on me," she added after they passed by.
Shannon gave her a bit of a shocked look. "How do you know?"
"Let's just say I'm pretty good at reading people," she laughed, reaching up to lightly push his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. She enjoyed his small shudder as her fingers barely brushed his face. "I also know Jared's got a crush, too. That one is slightly more obvious."
"You enjoy teasing don't you?" Shannon laughed.
"Considering my relationships hardly work out, I figure what's the harm in flirting," she replied, giving him a smile.
"But you're dating that Jake Gyllenhaal guy," he said. She nodded with a sigh and Shannon laughed. "Gee, you seem so excited about that."
She shook her head. "It's not that," she said. "It's just that I get a feeling that he likes me, but he doesn't want to sleep with me."
He gave her a dumbfounded look. "Is he secretly blind?" She laughed and blushed a little. "Seriously, Daphne. Is he? You'd have to be blind or gay not to even think about doing that with you. And even then, I know a few gay men who would gladly turn straight just to fuck you-not to be crude or anything."
She smiled at him. "Are you on that list?"
"I'm not gay," he laughed. "And I'm definitely not blind."
"It's just strange. I've known how he's felt for a long time," she said. She was suddenly aware of how easy it was to talk to Shannon and how easy things came between them. "But it feels like he's reluctant to move forward now that he's gotten where he is with me."
Shannon nodded. "The anticipation was more fun than the actual act."
She shook her head. "I think it's both of us, to be honest. We've been friends for so long it's hard to make that transition."
He nodded in understanding. "Yeah. The Friend Zone is never easy to get out of," he laughed. "Maybe you two aren't meant to have that type of relationship. I'm close with lots of girls I'm attracted to, but I know nothing will ever come from it just because we've been friends so long that it would be weird to make that jump. Doesn't mean I don't find them attractive or even think about them that way, though."
She nodded with a smile. "So what have you thought about doing to me, then?" she asked, getting closer to him.
He inhaled sharply and ran his tongue across his bottom lip. "The mind wanders," he replied with a smile.
"But how far?" she asked, giving him a sexy wink.
Just then Jared came out of the room and stopped in his tracks, giving Shannon a bit of a glare. "Am I interrupting something? Do you want the room for a while, Shan?"
Daphne looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "Jealous?"
He gave her a seductive grin. "Come on," he said, taking her hand. Shannon followed behind.