The Reunion by Kayla Olson(44)
It’s about as close to a compliment as we’re going to get from him today, and it’s actually quite a nice one considering we threw a wrench in the schedule and took a ridiculously circuitous path to get here, what with Ransom tripping over so many of his lines this morning.
Bryan tells us to take twenty—well, technically, he tells Ransom to take twenty, since I’m not in the next scene—a shorter break in the name of trying to get the shoot back on schedule.
“I’m sorry I was such a wreck,” Ransom says under his breath as we make our way off set.
I wave him off, even though it is kind of a big deal, and I do appreciate him acknowledging it. It’s also partially my fault. “We’re good,” I say. I glance at him, find his eyes already locked on me, and he grins.
“Do you want to—” I start, at the same time as he says, “Your trailer or mine?”
“Yours,” I manage, just before we’re intercepted by the same assistant who was eyeing him over doughnuts this morning. Evy Langford, her badge reads.
“Hi, Ransom,” she says, falling into step beside him. No greeting for me. “Just wanted to let you know your lunch will be delivered to you ASAP, since you don’t have much of a break. Would you prefer the barbecued chicken or the coconut curry?”
“Let’s go with the curry today,” he says. “Thanks.”
She passes the message on via walkie-talkie, keeping pace with us even after he’s answered her question. “Great work today,” she says, and like the nice guy he is, he takes the compliment.
It’s a good thing she only has eyes for Ransom—I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing. I adore Ransom, but I’m not blind. That was one of the worst mornings on set he’s ever had, if not the worst. This girl has it bad.
“I’ll wait here to make sure there aren’t any issues with your food,” Evy says when we get to Ransom’s trailer.
So much for my plan to follow him inside.
“That won’t be necessary,” he says. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Evy doesn’t get the hint. Like me, she can’t resist Ransom’s magnetic pull.
“Oh, I don’t mind at all!” she says brightly. “It’s totally my job.”
I feel the seconds slipping away with every word she says. Ransom gives a polite nod, even though I know he must be dying for a moment of privacy. If we can’t be private together, the least I can do is help him get a private moment alone.
“Hey, Evy, want to join me for some coffee? My treat. That sludge from this morning isn’t cutting it.” I strongly suspect Bryan withheld my usual flat white as punishment for being late.
Her eyebrows practically go through the roof—this isn’t a thing we do, usually, mixing cast and crew on breaks, and even though she’s new around here, I can tell she knows enough to appreciate the offer.
“Let me just— I need to ask—”
I wave her off. “I’ve got you.” We won’t be gone more than fifteen minutes—there’s a good coffee shop right here on the lot.
Ransom gives a small wave and mouths a relieved Thank you when he’s sure Evy isn’t looking.
Thank me later, I mouth back.
He grins, eyes sparkling as he shuts the door between us.
Later can’t come soon enough.
#5Facts: Rising Star Millie Matson!
By Octavia Benetton // Staff Writer, Love & Lightning Rounds
Hey heyyyy, Lightning Bugs—welcome back to this week’s edition of #5Facts, featuring everything you never knew you needed to know about rising star (and former scene-stealing child actress from GotV) Millie Matson! Unless you’ve been living on the moon for the past week, you’ve no doubt heard Millie’s latest single, “Midnight,” which skyrocketed to the top of the charts. And it’s only gaining traction—understandably, as it is one SERIOUSLY catchy melody that somehow makes you love it more every time you hear it. SO! With that in mind, even though Sasha-Kate has been our Girl obsession for years, we thought we’d do something a little different and give some love to Millie, who’s gone a bit under the radar for too long. We have a feeling her star might just outshine the others in her orbit soon—and that’s truly saying something, coming from us.
1. Millie wrote all her own songs for the upcoming Midnight album! Unlike her first two ventures—Bubblegum! and Peaches—Millie took a three-year break between albums, handpicked a new producer to collaborate with (and might we add, his musical sense is as hot as he happens to be), and wrote every single song herself. You’ve already heard “Midnight,” but we were given an exclusive preview of three more songs on the upcoming album, and let us just say: you are NOT ready for them, they WILL be on repeat for the rest of this year, and you’re going to love every single second. Be on the lookout for sparse, sexy, infectious late-in-the-album track “Spark,” as well as the wild ride that is “Tiger Queen,” and—of course—the next single set to drop, “Meet Me in the Garden.”
2. Millie masterminded her own launch strategy for this album, which is debatably even more impressive than the fact that she wrote every track. It’s clear she’s intent on taking the reins of her career in her own hands, and even clearer that she’s incredibly competent at it. From her Snapaday presence (anyone else following along with the hints she’s been dropping?) to the makeup look themed specifically for this album (please tell me I’m not the only one who spent an hour picking silver star-and-moon confetti from my carpet after a particularly vindictive cat knocked the tube off the table) to the timing of when/how she drops each single for maximum effectiveness (hi, yes, how many of you are only just now hearing about Girl on the Verge because of Millie’s music/Snapaday account? THOUGHT SO. On the flip side, I suspect there’s an equal number of GotV viewers hearing about Millie’s music because they’re fans of the show. Girl’s got good instincts.), Millie’s had a hand in every step of the way. Her approach is clearly working.