End of the Day

In Earnest’s emotionally taut second Night and Day romance (after All the Best Nights) Hollywood makeup artist Benjamina “Benj” Wasik must fake a relationship with her nemesis, actor Milo Fox. When Jackson Fox, Milo’s identical twin, gets caught by paparazzi leaving the home of married pop star Nelle, Benj’s client, it causes a scandal. With Jackson off the grid on vacation, and thus unable to clear things up with the press, Benj hatches a complex plan to save Nelle’s reputation. They’ll say that Jackson and Benj are dating and that he was at Nelle’s visiting her—and to sustain the ruse, Milo will pretend to be his own twin brother and Benj’s boyfriend. Even as the pair fake-date, Benj is determined to keep things platonic, having been burned by Milo before when a steamy kiss between them got her fired from her first movie set, where Milo was the star. Now resentment—and unresolved sexual tension—make the act hard to maintain, especially as, unbeknownst to Benj, Milo has been pining for her. The emotional tug-of-war between the characters crackles with chemistry and romantic tension. This should garner Earnest some new fans. Agent: Elaine Spencer, Knight Agency. (Oct.)