"Hey, Jen!"
It was midday at the elevator entrance on the ground floor of the 4 Times Square building.
Luca was waiting for the elevator when he saw Jennifer Aniston walking over with two assistants.
Her golden hair flowed down her back, and she wore a long brown trench coat. She looked stunning, with a sweet smile, truly deserving of her title as this year's "Most Beautiful Woman in the World" according to People magazine.
"Luca, congratulations on winning the Silver Bear Award."
Aniston walked up and gave him a hug. "I was so surprised when I heard. I didn't expect that you, this little guy, would become the Berlin Film Festival's Best Actor."
"Thank you, but honestly, you shouldn't be that surprised. We've worked together; you know my acting skills. Winning this award was purely based on my talent."
"Your talent?"
Aniston raised an eyebrow. "Your talent for stripping on set, you mean?"
Luca's face darkened instantly. "Jen, that was a long time ago. Can we move on?"
"Hehe."
Aniston shot him a teasing glance and walked into the elevator, chuckling.
Luca shook his head. That incident had turned into a permanent stain on his reputation, something he could never fully erase.
The elevator doors closed, and it began to ascend.
Luca and Aniston stood at the front, with Tony and Veena, their assistants, standing behind them.
"Have you been busy lately? I haven't seen any gossip about you in the papers," Aniston asked, her hands in her pockets.
Luca glanced at her. "What does me being busy have to do with gossip?"
"Doesn't it? I figured when you're busy, there's less gossip," Aniston replied, smirking.
Luca shook his head. "Last month, Step Up started filming. I'm the screenwriter and producer, so I've been too busy to stir up any gossip."
Aniston smiled faintly. "The news said you mortgaged your house to finance the film?"
"Yeah, no production company wanted to pick it up, so we had to invest ourselves," Luca said, spreading his hands.
"That's risky," Aniston said, shaking her head slightly. "How confident are you in this project?"
"100%. We have the best director, the best writer, and the best actors. I'm sure we'll succeed."
"100%?"
Aniston chuckled. "According to The Baltimore Sun, the Step Up production has faced a lot of internal problems. For example, a certain screenwriter is often absent, the producer Anne Fletcher and the director Billy frequently clash, and recently Billy was hospitalized. Now Anne, a rookie director, is leading the entire project. You still think you're 100% sure this will work?"
Luca frowned. "Jen, has that info been leaked? I thought we did a good job keeping it under wraps."
Aniston smiled wryly. "How long do you think you can hide things on a film set? Don't forget, you were the most talked-about actor in 2003. Lots of people are watching you, waiting to see how badly you fail this time."
"Everyone wants me to fail?" Luca asked, frowning.
"Yep. The media reports on you with a tone of schadenfreude. People don't want to see a Brazilian like you rise up, so you'd better work harder."
Luca nodded thoughtfully.
"If you need any help, let me know. Don't always act so tough; it makes you look like you're asking for a punch," Aniston teased, patting his shoulder.
"Haha, alright!"
Ding! The elevator stopped at the 32nd floor, and the group stepped out.
They arrived at the set for a commercial shoot, where the two separated to get into hair, makeup, and wardrobe.
This time, they were shooting ads and posters for the spring/summer suit collection—two lines for men and six new designs for women.
Once again, Luca played the supporting role to Aniston.
During the shoot, all he had to do was stand beside her like a handsome prop or backdrop, or maybe a cool sidekick. The work was easy, though it bruised his macho pride.
The handsome man was feeling a bit down.
"Cut! Luca, don't look so gloomy. This shot needs a sunnier vibe," the commercial director called out.
"Got it!"
Luca shook off his mood, his face lighting up with a bright smile, warm as a spring day.
"Perfect!" the director exclaimed in delight.
That afternoon, after the shoot wrapped, Luca and Aniston met up for coffee to discuss The Blind Side.
That project had already been confirmed, with Universal Pictures and Aniston's Echo Films co-producing.
The budget was $35 million, with Aniston's salary alone being $15 million. Filming was scheduled to start in October, with a six-month shoot, and Luca would need to join the production.
When he heard the timeline, Luca just smiled. With Mr. & Mrs. Smith starting production soon, he wondered if she'd still be in the mood to film by then.
"What are you smiling at?" Aniston asked, staring at the corners of his mouth. "You've got a very punchable smirk right now, you know?"
Luca immediately dropped the expression and looked into her eyes seriously. "Jen, I'm just happy to be having coffee with you. It makes me feel good, and I can't help but smile."
"Really?"
Aniston looked at him, her lips pursed. "Kid, are you flirting with me?"
"No, just admiring. You're the most beautiful woman in the world. Having coffee with you is a dream come true for so many people, including me. I didn't think it'd happen, but here I am."
Luca sighed and pointed at himself. "I've got to say, I'm one lucky guy."
Aniston smiled softly and brushed back her hair. "Kid, don't try your tricks on me. That might work on young girls, but not on me."
"I know, that's why I'm being honest. And can you stop calling me 'kid'? I'm not that young. If you keep calling me that, I'll start calling you 'auntie.'"
"I'll call you 'kid' if I want to. Kid, kid, kid! Dare you call me 'auntie'?"
Aniston bit her lower lip, raising her steaming coffee.
Luca immediately backed down, laughing. "No, no, I wouldn't dare. Calm down, Jen!"
"Hmph!"
Aniston rolled her eyes at him. "A guy like you needs to be taught a lesson. I should've let them blacklist you last year."
"Blacklist?"
Luca looked at her in surprise. After facing rumors last year, his company had worked hard to smooth things over, and by October, the issue had disappeared. He had thought it was thanks to the company's efforts and his own low profile, but now he realized Aniston had also helped.
"Jen, did you help me out last year?"
"Hmph, I shouldn't have!"
After the rumors emerged, Aniston had immediately reached out to the media to suppress the stories. She had also spoken with Brad Pitt a few times.
Pitt had promised not to target Luca anymore.
"Going forward, be more careful. Last year, Pitt misunderstood something, and it cost you financially. Now, I have two options for compensation. The first is to give you a payout of around $1.5 million, and the second—"
"Stop! Jen, if we're still friends, don't mention compensation."
He had his pride. How could he accept compensation? Though, if it came from Brad Pitt, he might consider it. After all, it's only fair to take from the enemy.
"Luca, Pitt's actions impacted your work last year. You deserve this," Aniston said earnestly.
Luca shook his head. "No more, Jen. We're friends. Besides, if I take your money, people might think you're my sugar mama."
"Sugar mama?!"
Aniston raised her coffee cup again, her lips pursed in irritation. "You little punk, I'm tempted to throw this coffee in your face."
"You wouldn't! If I get scarred, where will you find another face this handsome to look at?"
"Are you serious?"
"Ah, wait, Jen, I was joking! Please, don't!"
"Hmph!"
By six in the evening, as the sky darkened and the streets of Manhattan glowed under the setting sun, Luca and Aniston chatted briefly by their cars before parting ways.
Aniston's car beeped as it pulled away, merging into the busy traffic.
Luca smiled to himself and started his car.
Ring, ring, ring.
"Hey, Billy. What's up? … What? Summit Entertainment is pulling out? Why? Didn't we already sign the contract? … Alright, we'll talk when I get back."
"Fuck!"
Luca slammed his phone down in frustration. Just as the production had stabilized, the investors decided to back out. It was infuriating.
Vroom!
Luca revved the engine, angrily merging into the stream of cars.
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