Chapter Text
It’s a hot day in LA. You’re lucky you don’t live here, because you hate the air. And the cars. You hate traffic in general. And sometimes the people too. Your PR manager J.P. has called you and your co-star Carmilla Karnstein in, to meet him at his LA office, because he needs to talk to you.
You don’t really know what all this fuss is about, but you can guess that it has to do with some sort of promotion for the second season of the series ‘Afterlife’ that you’ve been shooting with Carmilla in Vancouver in the past few weeks. You always just nod your head and do what is wanted from you, when it comes to J.P. Armitage. He knows what’s best, he also worked for your parents.
Currently though your twitter is blowing up with a picture some paparazzi took of you and Carmilla having lunch in Venice two hours ago. The fans are crazy sometimes, you know that much. There are already various blogs on tumblr speculating about your personal relationship with Carmilla, and now they all are thinking that they got the next piece of ‘confirmation’ of your (non-existent) relationship.
You laughed, when your director showed you a page dedicated to ‘Hollstein’. That’s what your ship name is. (You are a little proud of the fact that your name is the first one, but only a little.) You and Carmilla have stalked some of those pages, and your conclusion was that she looks much better on gifs of you both kissing. It’s her sharp jawline. And also maybe the fact that she is gorgeous, but she already knows that. She made you feel better though, when she said that you were the one looking better in interviews on red carpets (something about the lights making her look like a ghost).
Carmilla is much better off, when it comes to dealing with the fans. She only recently made herself a twitter account, because you pushed her. She isn’t as much in touch with technology (yet), but you guess it’s because she didn’t grow up in an all-actors family.
The spotlight’s been on you ever since you were born. Your father Benjamin Hollis is an multiple awards winning actor, so the pressure has always been on you. He met your mother on set of ‘In Fear Of Breaking You’, so both of your parents are absolute hotshots in this business. They are not married anymore, and of course that also has made your childhood into a living hell sometimes.
“Do you have any idea, what this might be about?”, Carmilla asks you from her position beside you. You shake your head.
Conveniently enough the uber stops just in that moment and you get out, thanking the driver. Carmilla places her left hand on your waist and guides you into the tall building and to the elevator (you manage to do so without being recongnized). She knows her way around now, because you’ve been to J.P.’s office often with her.
After you get in, she presses the button for the 48th floor and lets go of you to check herself in the mirror. You can only roll your eyes, because she is being ridiculous, as always. She arches an eyebrow at her own reflection and then combs through her wavy hair with her bare fingers.
“Had a rough night out again? Were many girls involved this time?”, you tease her, because yeah. It’s no secret that she likes to go out from time to time, especially when in LA. The last time you two were here a couple of months ago, she managed to come an hour too late to an interview, because a girl she had spent the night with wouldn’t let her go.
You see a smirk forming on her lips, and then she meets your eyes through the mirror, before turning around, “I’m faithful to you, Laura.”
She comes unnecessarily closer to you and you can only look unimpressed and roll your eyes at her, although you have to admit that her comments never fail to amuse you.
“Ever the charmer.”, you say with a shake of your head, because what else can you add to that statement?
“Oh, unfortunately my charms don’t work on you, cutie.”
“As if you ever mean anything you say to me, Carmilla.”
You don’t wait for her response, as the doors of the elevator slide open and you aim for J.P.’s office. Carmilla is hot on your trails, following you through a clutter of people, who mostly are so into their work that they don’t notice you and the few that do, shoot you a knowing smile.
Yes, even they think you are dating Carmilla. You just don’t understand it.
Your co-star opens the door for you and there is the slightest of touch on the small of your back, as you enter J.P.’s office. She does that often. Also when you’re shooting a scene, where no touching is involved, she will always find a way to touch you. It’s simply Carmilla.
“Good! Ladies, you’re here!”, the man in his fifties calls out for you two and motions over to his desk. You notice Carmilla’s PR agent Matska Belmonde already standing in the office. That’s odd. Usually she never leaves New York. You have seen her once at the series premiere a year ago, but that was it.
“What’s going on? Why’s Mattie here?”, Carmilla asks the question that has been burning in your mouth.
“We need to talk about Hollstein.”, the woman stares you both down and you don’t know where to look with her gaze so intense.
Carmilla begins to chuckle slightly beside you, “Oh yeah, have you seen today’s headline? Carmilla Karnstein and Laura Hollis seen in romantic atmosphere at Venice beach… It’s all over our twitters, I swear.”
“Just because you had to play it up again.”, you whisper under your breath.
Mattie and J.P. are sharing a look, before they both sit down opposite to you.
“You two have quite the fanbase. People all over the country, and lately also all around the world follow your hashtag. People watch your show, just because they hope you two kiss in that particular episode or share any kind of romantic moment. There is undeniable chemistry between you two.”
“We are aware.”, your co-star drawls. She yawns shortly afterwards. Sometimes she is infuriating. Your eyes will get stuck one of those days, because you roll them so often, when you’re around her.
“People won’t let us escape the questions anymore. They all wanna know what the deal is.”, J.P. looks nervously from you to Carmilla.
“Well, why don’t you just tell them? We are not dating. Period. Our chemistry on-screen might be bomb, but personally there is nothing between us.”
Duh. Why do you have to tell them that? And why isn’t Carmilla saying something?
“That’s the thing.”, Mattie starts and you don’t like the hesitant tone, “Carmilla and you are both fairly young. You two have stellar careers ahead of you, if you play along with the press for now.”
J.P. undertakes for her, “Yes, and if you keep the fans happy -just for a bit- then there is a chance that the show will last longer and that you draw more attention to it. Real life couples get a lot more views, because humans have voyeuristic qualities. And with a chemistry like yours, it would be a shame not to use it for our good. Matska and I both came to the conclusion that it would be a masterstroke.”
“Wait, wait, wait. What are you saying? What real life couple? Am I having a stroke?”
You hear Carmilla groan from beside you, “Creampuff, he’s saying we should pretend to be a couple for the views.”
Oh.