Find a quiet spot, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🌙 ✦ “You have to understand,” Frederick said in a corner of the party, sounding entirely too pleased with himself, “a television show has a lot of writers.
The more people involved, the more conflicts you get.
It’s inevitable.” He was explaining the little performance from earlier.
From greeting Rosenthal, to calling Adrian over, to Eric Reese appearing at exactly the right moment, all of it had been arranged.
Before he could keep lecturing, Adrian cut in.
“So Stevenson had enemies too.” “Exactly.” Frederick spread his hands, unbothered.
“When a person is lucky, his enemies may not be able to do much.
Once he makes a mistake, though, they all start circling.
At that point, you only need to prod the person who supported him and got hurt by the decision.” “I didn’t know you were this shady.” “That is basic analysis, not shadiness.” Frederick looked offended for roughly half a second.
“Besides, you and Eric got to vent, and Philip got a reason to clean up his own room.
Several problems solved at once.
That’s practically civic service.” “Right.” Adrian gave him a look.
“But are you sure it will work?” “Of course it will.
I planned it.” Frederick grinned.
“We’ve done what we needed to do.
The rest is a matter of time.
Just wait.” He sounded confident.
Adrian remained skeptical.
Two weeks later, Eric Reese brought him the news himself: Jeremy Stevenson, who had been serving as both writer and producer on Everybody Loves Raymond, had left the show.
The reason was not hard to guess.
The next two Friends episodes had held strong in the ratings.
The competition on the chart was fierce, but Friends remained comfortably ahead of Everybody Loves Raymond.
Worse, the spark behind the whole thing was the newcomer the Raymond team had passed on.
Against that kind of visible miscalculation, Rosenthal had finally let Stevenson go.
Reese looked almost radiant when he talked about it, and his warmth toward Adrian grew even more obvious afterward.
Adrian himself did not feel as much as he expected to.
Lyman Versa had almost certainly gone down with Stevenson, but Adrian had not seen it happen with his own eyes.
And even if he had, he would not have strutted up to gloat.
He knew exactly where he stood.
He was still a newcomer.
This was not the time to become arrogant.
Of course, he believed that day would come.
For now, the most important thing was to finish the two additional Friends episodes well.
Which was why the small problem he ran into felt so irritating.
“What’s going on, Adrian?” the director asked after calling cut again, frustration bleeding through his voice.
Then, half joking, he added, “You know, this is the sort of thing a lot of men would call a dream assignment.” “Aaron,” Jennifer said sharply.
The director raised both hands and shut his mouth.
Jennifer walked over to Adrian.
“You okay?” “I’m fine, Jen.
It’s just…” Adrian rubbed the back of his head and gave her a helpless smile.
“I’m not used to it.” “Not used to what?” Jennifer blinked, then leaned closer with narrowed eyes and a wicked little smile.
“You know, this is the sort of thing a lot of men would call a dream assignment.” She repeated the director’s line without mercy.
The famous smile on her face made it worse, not better.
Adrian’s smile turned pained.
He shifted back a little before he could stop himself.
“I don’t know.
It’s like a reflex.
I tense up before I can control it.” “I get it,” Lisa Kudrow said, wandering over.
“David is standing too close and pressuring you.” David Schwimmer looked up from his water.
“Why am I involved?” “If anyone’s applying pressure, it’s probably you, Lisa,” Courteney Cox said, tapping Lisa lightly on the arm as she joined them.
Jennifer thought for a moment, then said, “Adrian, come with me for a minute?” She spoke briefly with Aaron, then waited for Adrian’s nod before leading him toward her trailer.
Courteney and Lisa exchanged a look and followed.
Matt LeBlanc, who saw the movement, tried to tag along too.
At the trailer door, Jennifer blocked him.
“Sorry, Matt.
Girl time.” Matt pointed at Adrian.
“Him too?” “Mmm.” Jennifer made a face.
“For today, yes.” Already inside, Adrian rolled his eyes and kept quiet.
Ever since Jennifer had started calling him cute, the three actresses had found opportunities to tease him.
If Adrian protested, they answered with complete confidence that it was emotional research for Marco.
Wasn’t his character shy enough that women wanted to tease him?
Weren’t they helping him build truth?
Because he was a newcomer, and because they were not cruel about it, he had mostly learned to endure it.
Being pulled into a private work conversation in a trailer was new, but Jennifer had asked, and Adrian had chosen to follow.
“All right,” Jennifer said once the door was closed.
She sat beside him.
“No extra people.
Tell us why you’re nervous.” She looked friendly enough, but Lisa leaning against the wall with her arms folded and Courteney sitting with one leg crossed over the other made the whole thing feel less like a conversation and more like a hearing.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Adrian said.
“My body just reacts.” “Come on.” Jennifer waved that away, eyes bright with mischief.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never kissed a girl.” “Talk to us, Adrian,” Courteney said.
“Communication solves problems.” “Exactly,” Lisa added.
“No one else is here.
It’s safe.” They were not letting the subject go, but the choice to answer was still his.
Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose, then let his jaw tighten for a second.
Fine.
They had asked.
“Okay,” he said, lifting both hands before the next wave of persuasion could begin.
“The problem is that I…
I do want to kiss Jen.” All three women stared.
For a few seconds, none of them seemed to understand what he meant.
Then it landed.
Jennifer’s expression turned complicated.
Courteney and Lisa looked from him to her with open delight.
“Congratulations, Rachel,” Lisa said.
“You’ve gained another devoted fan.” “I’m starting to feel cheated,” Courteney said.
“I want a scene partner like this.” “All right.” Jennifer shot them both a look, then turned back to Adrian.
Her tone softened.
“You mean you want to, so when the camera rolls…” She did not finish the sentence.
She did not need to.
Adrian nodded.
There was no point denying it.
Jennifer Aniston’s appeal was obvious, and Adrian had admired her in both lives.
Adrian was not quite that helpless, but he had loved Friends in both lives.
Attraction was inevitable.
That was why, when he first heard there might be a kiss, a part of him had looked forward to it.
Then the writers and director actually arranged the scene, and the problem became painfully practical.
How was he supposed to kiss her?
A simple kiss?
Something deeper?
A light brush and pull away?
If he went too far, would she resent it?
If he held back too much, would the scene die?
The director had not given a precise answer, and it was awkward to ask.
The angle did not look like it would hide much.
So every time Jennifer moved in to kiss him, Adrian’s whole body tightened.
“I didn’t expect our Adrian to be such a gentleman,” Jennifer said after a moment, recovering her teasing tone.
Adrian lowered his head and coughed, missing the quick flicker in her eyes.
“All right,” she said.
“No more jokes.
I appreciate the respect.
But we’re actors.
This is work.
Don’t overthink it.
Kiss me the way you normally would in the scene.
I won’t take offense.” Then she turned toward him.
The humor returned to her eyes.
“And if you’re still not sure where the line is, I can show you what I mean.” “Can I?” Jennifer asked.
Adrian swallowed, then nodded.
“Yes.” She cupped his face and looked directly into his eyes.
After a few seconds, she leaned in.
Her lips touched his, light and warm.
There was no aggressive movement, just a gentle press, a slow pull, and a small teasing flick at the end.
It lasted barely more than ten seconds.
When she drew back, Jennifer stayed still, staring at him as if she had lost the thread of what came next.
Courteney finally said her name.
“Oh my God,” Jennifer said, standing abruptly.
A faint blush crossed her face before she took several steps back and inhaled.
“His eyes do things.” The line came out half amused, half accusing.
Courteney and Lisa looked at Jennifer, then at Adrian, who had done his best to appear innocent.
“You’re being dramatic, Jen.” Courteney slid onto the seat beside him and studied him from top to bottom.
“Is he really that good?” “I don’t think that’s…” Adrian began, then stopped when Courteney looked at him.
“May I?” she asked, more amused than serious, but still waiting.
“If this is still rehearsal,” Adrian said, “yes.” Courteney took his face lightly in her hands.
Like Jennifer, she met his eyes first.
Like Jennifer, she leaned in after a pause.
The kiss lasted only a handful of seconds.
When Courteney pulled back, she did not jump up, but she did go quiet for a beat.
Then she rubbed one cheek and forced a small smile.
“Not bad,” she said.
“You do know how to kiss.” “You two are acting strange,” Lisa said, looking between Jennifer, who had tilted her head back as if the trailer ceiling were fascinating, and Courteney, who was hiding part of her mouth behind her hand.
Then Lisa sat down beside Adrian.
“My turn, if you’re still all right with it.” For one shining second, she looked so much like Phoebe that Adrian almost laughed.
“Still all right,” Adrian said, embarrassed and amused at once.
Lisa framed his face the same way, held his gaze, then kissed him.
Again, it was gentle.
Again, it was brief.
Again, when it ended, her eyes drifted for a second before she refocused.
“You,” Lisa said after a long pause, “have kissed a lot of girls.” Adrian opened his hands, intending to explain something.
Anything.
He did not get the chance.
Jennifer sat down again.
“You really are full of surprises, little gentleman.” Her smile turned bright and curious.
“Still okay?” “Yeah,” Adrian said.
“Keep going.” “Okay,” Jennifer said.
“A few more tries and you’ll know exactly what to do.” “Next is me,” Courteney said, moving in on his other side.
“Me too,” Lisa added, caught up in the absurdity before she could pretend otherwise.
And that was how Adrian found himself in Jennifer Aniston’s trailer, taking turns rehearsing kisses with the three women of Friends until a knock sounded at the door.
✦ ✦ ✦ Ready for more?
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS TheBacklot Thank you for reading.
I hope this chapter drew you further into the story.
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