Model to Holywood

"Where's Lindsay and the others?"

"They got sleepy and went back early. Are you not waiting for Director Mark and the rest?"

"Forget it. They'll probably be busy until dawn!"

It was nighttime in Toronto, and the moon hung high in the sky.

On York Mills Avenue, Luca and Rachel walked side by side, their steps illuminated by the neon lights.

Bayview Street was east of York Mills, with half a block between them, about a four-kilometer walk. Walking seemed like a good option.

"Luca, I heard from Lindsay that she played a ghost prank in the dressing room, and you screamed and covered your face. Is that true?" Rachel smirked.

"You heard?"

Luca glanced at her. Even though the room had been dark, he could still distinguish who was who by their scent. The one who had shouted "Get him!" had been none other than Rachel.

"What are you looking at?" Rachel frowned, looking serious. "You don't think I was part of it, do you?"

"Weren't you?"

"Ha, such a childish game. Do you really think I'd participate?"

Rachel scoffed.

Luca shrugged. "Okay, I didn't think the graceful and elegant Miss McAdams would partake in such childish games… unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless you'd lost your mind!"

"Haha, you're the one who's lost it!"

Rachel laughed heartily and playfully smacked his shoulder.

Two sound-activated streetlights flicked on, casting the dark street in a dim yellow glow.

In the circle of light, their figures were exposed as if they'd stepped onto a stage under a spotlight.

The two didn't speak for a while as they walked another twenty meters. The streetlights dimmed, and the road plunged back into a hazy gloom, with the flashing neon lights deepening the sense of mystery.

"Fine, I was involved too," Rachel chuckled softly. "Guess which one was me?"

"The one behind the door, right?"

Luca smiled knowingly.

"How did you figure that out?" Rachel looked surprised.

"Simple. The person behind the door had to turn off the lights and close the door, preventing my escape. Such an important task would naturally fall to the graceful and elegant Miss McAdams."

"Haha, stop calling me graceful and elegant. You're no different! You always act like an old man, but this afternoon you screamed like a girl in the room. Who's the childish one now?"

Rachel gave him a sidelong glance and bumped his arm with her shoulder.

Luca shrugged again. "That was my acting. Lindsay wanted to play, so I had to join in. How was my performance?"

"Not great. Too over the top. I could tell you were faking it right away."

"Not my fault. When I'm really scared, I just freeze up. But freezing isn't dramatic enough, so I had to scream a bit to make Lindsay happy. I sacrificed a lot to calm her down."

"Haha!"

Rachel stifled her laughter, and this time, the streetlights stayed dark.

Suddenly, a group of four or five young Asian men approached from the shadows. They were smoking, shirtless with their T-shirts slung over their shoulders. Their arms bore blue tattoos, and as they got closer, a whiff of fried food filled the air—they must have worked in a restaurant.

"Damn that boss! All he does is make us work overtime without extra pay! Screw him!"

"Yeah, once I save enough money, I'll quit!"

The group grumbled in Cantonese and other dialects, cursing their boss angrily.

As they passed by, Rachel suddenly clung tightly to Luca's arm.

Luca smiled softly and put his arm around her shoulder, walking past the group.

"That white guy is so buff and handsome!"

"The chick he's holding is hot!"

"Rich guys always get the pretty ones. I'm gonna be rich too!"

Their voices faded into the darkness with more muttered curses.

Luca let go of Rachel, rubbed the back of his head, and glanced at the night sky.

"Thanks," Rachel said softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"No problem. That's what I'm here for."

"Alright then."

Rachel glanced at his tall figure, admiring his broad, muscular back, and then suddenly smiled. "Now that you know it was me behind the door, don't you think you owe me an apology?"

"Apology?" Luca turned to her. "Why?"

Rachel locked eyes with him and, after a moment, bit her lip and puffed out her chest.

Luca blinked, suddenly recalling the soft sensation from earlier. He cursed himself inwardly.

Scratching his head, he sighed. "Fine, I'm sorry… wait, no, I don't have to apologize."

"Why not? You did something inappropriate. Don't you think you should apologize?"

Rachel pouted slightly, clearly dissatisfied.

Luca shook his head with a grin. "You smacked my butt."

"What? I didn't… okay, fine, I did. But it wasn't on purpose, I swear!"

Rachel's face flushed as she admitted it, lowering her head.

"Yeah, it's hard to imagine the graceful and elegant Miss McAdams…"

"Enough!"

Rachel shot him a glare, then broke into laughter again. She extended her hand. "Let's call it even, okay?"

"Alright."

Luca clapped her hand, sealing the truce.

As they walked into the neighborhood where the crew was staying, the neon lights faded, and the night grew deeper. Only the stars twinkled above.

"How many times did we kiss today?"

The two strolled side by side down the long, dark sidewalk.

"Six times. We had to redo the second kissing scene three times. You cracked up twice, and I laughed once," Luca chuckled.

"Did you do it on purpose?"

Rachel blinked.

"Well… not really. We're too familiar with each other, so it's hard not to laugh during kissing scenes."

"Yeah, we've known each other for less than three months, and we've kissed… what, forty times?"

"More than that. We kissed twenty times in that one scene alone. It's got to be over seventy or eighty by now."

"That many?" Rachel smiled as she looked at the villa not far ahead. She suddenly stopped.

"Want to kiss one more time? It might be our last."

Luca turned to face her, seeing Rachel gazing deeply into his eyes, her full red lips curving upward with the elegance of Julia Roberts.

He didn't say anything, stepping forward as Rachel did the same.

They embraced tightly and kissed deeply.

Beep, beep~

After who knows how long, two honks rang out from a distance, and the streetlights turned on again. The couple, lost in the moment, quickly parted.

"Still up for a run tomorrow?" Rachel asked, standing on the curb, wiping the corner of her now even redder lips.

"Of course. We made a deal!"

Luca smiled gently.

"Goodnight then!"

Rachel waved as a car passed by.

"Goodnight!"

Luca waved back.

Rachel laughed heartily and walked into the villa with a breezy smile.

Luca stood there for a moment, shaking his head before dragging his tired feet back to his place across the street.

Creak~

On the second floor of the villa, Rachel quietly pushed open the bedroom door.

The bedside lamp cast a warm orange glow across the room, where Lindsay Lohan sat cross-legged, wearing a tank top and playing a video game like a little sorceress burning the midnight oil.

Seeing her enter, Lindsay looked up, unable to suppress a mischievous grin.

"You're back!"

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Rachel frowned.

"I was scared to sleep alone," Lindsay laughed.

"You? Scared?" Rachel shook her head. If she wasn't so young, Rachel would've kicked her out long ago.

Rachel took off her jacket and lay down on the couch, staring blankly at the flickering TV screen. She absently touched her slightly swollen lips.

"Rachel, why are you back so late?" Lindsay cracked open two beers, handing one to her.

Rachel took a sip, licking her lips. "I'm going home tomorrow. I need to discuss tomorrow's schedule with the director."

"That's all?"

"What else?"

"You weren't waiting for Luca?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Now go to sleep!"

Rachel put down the beer and headed to the bathroom.

"I'm not being ridiculous. You like him, don't you?"

Lindsay leaned against the bathroom door, grinning.

Rachel, sitting on the toilet, rolled her eyes and ignored her.

"Haha, I was right, wasn't I? Luca may have a bit of a bad boy side, but he's fun, super cool, and really hot. Most importantly… Mr. Big lives up to his name!"

Lindsay grinned wickedly, making a hand gesture.

"How do you know? Did you two sleep together?"

"Last night in the dressing room. I accidentally touched him."

"..."

Rachel stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter. "You're way too bold!"

"What's there to be scared of? It was dark, no one saw, and Luca doesn't know who did it."

Lindsay shrugged, unfazed.

Rachel shook her head, getting up to close the door. "Get lost. I'm taking a bath."

"Wait, are you running tomorrow?"

"Yep."

"Count me in! I want to run too!"

"Alright."

Rachel smiled as she shut the door.

With Lindsay, Amanda, and Lacey all hanging around Luca, tomorrow's race would be a breeze.

(End of Chapter)