That day, after Lilia finished her final scene in the studio, some of the film crew gave her flowers and cake. It was a tradition among the crew to celebrate the actors completing their filming.
"Congratulations, Lilia! Your shooting here is finally over!"
"You are now officially an actress, huh! Don't forget us when you become famous later!"
"Tell me if you want to be in another film after this! I will invite you to meet a director I know!"
The crew's cheering congratulations made Lilia's smile widen. She couldn't stop thanking all of them. Even though this was just a small celebration, Lilia was touched by their concern.
The crew's actions showed that she still had people who supported and loved her. When compared to other actors, Lilia had the least acting experience. But her humble and polite demeanor made her popular with the film crew.
After that little celebration, Lilia said goodbye to the crew. Three days after this, the actors and film crew would go to the next shooting location. In other words, Lilia had three days of vacation. If possible, she intended to use this time to accompany Jean.
Lilia felt guilty for the man because she was so busy this week. She just went back to the hotel to sleep and shower, then headed back to the studio. Even though Jean always waited for her to come home every night, Lilia's schedule was unpredictable. Sometimes, she came home so late that Jean was almost asleep waiting for her.
Another thing that made Lilia feel even more guilty was that their hotel location was not strategic. The hotel was indeed very close to the film studio, but far from the city center. This hotel was perfect for Lilia, but it was a whole different experience for Jean. The man had to drive for an hour and a half just to reach his office, which was in the middle of the city.
Jean never complained or protested against this, but Lilia didn't have the heart to see him this way.
"How about you move to another hotel, Jean?" Lilia suggested one night, when she saw the man's tired face.
Jean raised an eyebrow, "Are you saying you want to kick me out?"
Under normal circumstances, Lilia would hit the guy on the shoulder for his jokes. But she didn't have enough energy to do that.
Lilia just replied, "It would be better if you stayed in a hotel close to your office. You don't have to waste time on the trip and you don't have to wait for me to come home."
Jean smiled gently and rubbed Lilia's head, "Thank you for worrying about me, but I'm not moving. If I couldn't be with you, why would I bother to come to Jakarta?"
Hearing that, Lilia stopped arguing any further. She was grateful to have a man as romantic as her husband.
*****
Lilia returned to the hotel around half past three in the afternoon. She was cleaning her makeup in the bathroom when she heard a knock on the door. She hurriedly wiped her face with a towel before going out to open the door.
When Lilia opened the door, a tall man was waiting in the hallway. The woman's face was dyed with confusion as she stared at her husband.
"Jean? Why did you come back to the hotel? I'll just see you later!" Lilia said.
"Didn't you say yesterday that your shooting in the studio was over?" Jean replied calmly as he stepped in and closed the door behind him.
Those words successfully surprised Lilia. She did not think that the man would still remember what she said last night. Apparently, Jean was worried that he would be lonely or need something, so the man hurriedly returned to the hotel. He did all that just to please Lilia.
The woman gave Jean her widest smile and hugged her husband tightly. Then she landed a light kiss on the man's cheek.
Jean smiled faintly and hugged his wife back. He enjoyed the scent of flowers mixed with the scent of soap that filled his nose.
"President Jean, if you continue to act like this, I won't be able to leave you." Lilia teased.
Jean squinted and tightened his hug when he heard the joke, "Since when did you start thinking about leaving me?" He asked, pretending to be angry.
Lilia laughed and wiped a drop of water down Jean's cheek, "Do you think I have the heart to leave a man who's willing to stay up late to wait for me to come home every night?" She said while looking straight into the man's eyes.
Seeing the seriousness and overflowing love in Lilia's eyes, the man loosened his hug. But he still refused to let go of the woman's body.
"By the way, since you've come home, how about we go out for dinner?" Lilia suggested in a cheerful voice, "I've been so busy with filming lately that I don't have time for anything else. If I don't neutralize my thoughts, I probably won't be able to get away from my role in this film."
Acting was more tiring than Lilia imagined. She was not only physically exhausted, but also mentally exhausted. She should be able to understand the feelings of the character she's playing, but she shouldn't be immersed in the role either. If that happened, Lilia might not be able to tell the difference between the real world and the fiction. She had heard from Louis that there were many actors who became depressed because of that problem.
"… We can't go tonight." Jean's unexpected answer wiped the smile from Lilia's face. The man hesitated for a moment before finally continuing, "Mrs. Irwan invited us to dinner today."
"Mrs. Irwan?" Lilia tilted her head, "You mean Leila's mom invited us? What for?"
Jean shrugged his shoulders, "I think she wants to thank us for our help during the incident in Surabaya." He replied with an indifferent expression.
Lilia's body turned stiff when Jean mentioned the incident. Jean clicked his tongue in his heart. His wife repeatedly emphasized that she was fine, but her face always turned grim whenever she thought about that incident. Jean didn't want to remind Lilia about her mother and Leila.
Jean cupped Lilia's face with both hands and said in a serious tone, "Lilia, it's fine if you don't want to go. I will decline the invitation and we can go to dinner together."
For a moment, Lilia was very, very tempted by the offer. It felt like it had been centuries since she had last spent time alone with that man. But Lilia didn't want to be rude to someone who just wanted to thank you.
The woman smiled faintly and replied, "You don't need to refuse. I don't mind coming to their invitation. After all, my mom helped Leila the other day."
Talking about Sylvia made Lilia frown. But she immediately neutralized her expression again before Jean could comment.
"Besides, I want to know what kind of family that the most famous painter in all of Indonesia like Simon Irwan has." Lilia added in a more cheerful voice.
Jean stared at his wife for a few moments before landing a light kiss on her lips. He fell in love with the strength and optimism Lilia showed again. She was like the sunshine that illuminated his dark, colorless life. Jean was determined to protect Lilia's smile, no matter what.
Of course, neither of them knew that this invitation to dinner would lead to a more complex problem than the previous one.
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