Page 75 of Love Unscripted
“So when I ask for the second banquet…” she said.
“You pause,” he finished. “You smile. And you make it feel inevitable.”
Camille smiled then—not playful, not flirtatious. Assured.
“Poor Haman,” she murmured.
Aaron laughed under his breath. “He has no idea.”
~*~*~*~
Under the soft glow of the banquet hall, Camille’s Esther moved like water—unhurried, composed. She entered already at ease, already queen.
When her eyes passed over Haman, played by Yves Hutton, they lingered just long enough to acknowledge him—no more.Polite warmth. Measured grace. He straightened, preened, drank it in.
But it was with Xerxes that the current ran deeper.
She didn’t cling to him. She didn’t shrink either. When she spoke, her voice was warm and firm, each word chosen. When she listened, she let silence work for her.
Aaron felt it as Xerxes first—and then as himself.
She didn’t rush the moment when he offered her anything she desired. She let it hang. Lethimfeel generous.
And when she finally spoke, asking them both to return the next day, her smile was gentle, almost casual.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Haman beamed.
Xerxes leaned forward, already captivated.
And beneath the silk and ceremony, Esther held her ground—unmoved, unexposed, utterly in control.
“Cut.”
Aaron didn’t speak right away. He just looked at her.
“That,” he said finally, quiet but certain, “is exactly it.”
Camille exhaled, the tension she’d been holding finally loosening. “I could feel him leaning in,” she said. “Both of you.”
Aaron smiled, something warm and unmistakable passing between them. “That’s Esther,” he said. “She doesn’t chase power. She lets it come to her.”
Their eyes met—collaborators, partners, the story humming between them.
~*~*~*~
The day ended without ceremony.
Camille was removing her crown when Aaron stopped by her trailer. He didn’t come in—just leaned against the frame, arms folded, watching her.
“You changed the pause,” he said.
She glanced up. “Too long?”
“No,” he replied. “It worked.”
She studied his face, searching for the director’s verdict, but found instead the actor’s gratitude.
