"Hi!" Luca said.
Noelle could only stare, unable to speak. It was the first time ever she was close to a celebrity. She just didn't know how to behave.
"Do you speak… English?" he asked, raising both eyebrows.
A thought flashed through her mind.
He thinks I'm dumb. Fair enough, I'm just standing here like furniture.
That thought alone helped her find her senses, and she managed to mumble: "Hi… Yes, I do."
"Sorry, did I scare you?" he continued.
No, you didn't scare me. You dazzled me.
But it wasn't time for dazzling, it was time to work. Her project was right in front of her. "No. I'm fine!"
Wasn't he supposed to be at a photo shoot? What is he doing here?
"Going in?" he asked again.
"Yeah..." she replied, still standing perfectly still.
He smiled widely and gestured with his right arm toward the office. He was close. Too close. His presence wrapped around her, his face beaming down at her. "That way, then!"
"Right…" Noelle spun around and hurried inside, quickly scanning the room. It was empty.
Where do I stand? What should I do?
She decided to lightly lean on the edge of a vacant desk, still clutching the contracts in her arms, her bag still on her back.
"Where has everyone gone?" he wondered.
Was he expecting a reply? She just raised her shoulders.
"Noah, dove cazzo sei andato?" he hissed under his breath.
Noelle caught the curse in Italian: 'Where the hell did you go?' Noah was probably in trouble.
"Sorry! I forget not everyone speaks Italian," he said when he noticed the curious look of Noelle. Apparently he thought he was the only one in the room speaking the language. Noelle didn't bother to correct him.
He smiled casually - for him. For Noelle, it was a punch to the gut. All his features shone radiantly. Not like he shone in movies, but in a more natural, dangerously irresistible way. Luca was someone who could make hearts pound.
He was tall, with intense hazel eyes and unruly brown hair framing a face with objectively flawless angles. She wouldn't let herself think about his body, or she would blush - and it wasn't the right time. The hours he spent in the gym definitely paid off. His fans could tell in every movie. Now she could attest in person - they weren't special effects.
She felt somewhat small next to him. Her oversized white shirt, skinny jeans and white sneakers didn't exactly compete with the presence of a star. Even casually dressed, he smelled like expensive cologne and luxury. Her hair and makeup were plain, as always. How could she speak to someone who was radiant even without a drop of product on his hair or face?
Noelle, however, was uncomfortable around beautiful people. She was always cautious of perfect creatures. They seemed fake - and usually were. She preferred people with a few cracks. Slightly damaged goods. Perfection intimidated her; flaws made her feel safe.
Nevertheless, she wouldn't deny that beauty affected her. Like at that moment, when she watched him getting closer and sitting on the edge of the desk beside her. Is he seriously going to stand next to me?
He turned towards her and asked: "Who are you here to see?"
"Ms. Brown."
"Ah! Chloe. That's her office, but she's not here," he said, with a playful shrug.
Unexpectedly, he reached out his hand. "I'm Luca. Luca West."
Well, she knew that.
I'm supposed to touch him now, right? Isn't that what people do in situations like this? She just needed to find the strength to lift her hand.
She took a deep breath in and extended her right arm. His hand was so warm, and he held hers lightly but firmly. "I'm Noelle. Noelle Auclair."
"Nice to meet you, Noelle! Where are you from?" he asked, letting her hand go to Noelle's great disappointment.
"France."
"Oh, Paris!" he said excitedly. "I went there as a kid. I don't remember much, but I liked it a lot," Luca said, his expression turning nostalgic. "What are you doing all the way out here, so far away from home?"
"I'm studying."
"What are you studying?"
"Business Administration. My Master's."
"And how is that going?"
"Good, I guess," she said, finally managing a smile.
It was surreal. They were just sitting side-by-side, talking casually. This surpassed all her expectations. What a way to start!
She wasn't sure what kind of person he really was. All his videos and interviews were staged; she knew that much. His public image was flawless. She was pleased to discover he seemed like an approachable guy, not a snobbish and distant star.
"You don't sound certain, maybe you didn't get straight A's," he said, laughing lightly.
Is he teasing me?
She laughed back, startled by how natural it felt laughing together over something he said.
"And what are you doing here?" he asked, spreading his arms to indicate the office.
"I'm an intern."
He was about to throw out her his next question, but Noelle's eyes caught a movement in the hallway and she looked over. He followed her gaze, and they both saw the rest of the team walking down the hall.
Lexi noticed them first. She froze. Abby walked right into her. They all turned to see what had happened, their expressions confused and slightly alarmed.
What's wrong?
"There they are!" Luca said. He raised his hand and beckoned them in.
But they didn't move.
Chloe was the first to march into the office. "Good morning, Luca," she said calmly, though Noelle could tell she wasn't as relaxed as she had been half an hour ago. "What a surprise for you to drop by."
In the meantime, the others filed in.
"Good morning, Chloe! Good morning, everyone! Don't I have the right to drop by whenever I want? Do I need an appointment?"
"Of course you can come whenever you want, but you have obligations today," she replied.
"Yes, my schedule is pretty heavy these days. I wonder why," Luca replied, shooting a look at Noah. "Where were you?"
"In the meeting room down the hall. We had a… briefing," Chloe said.
"And I wasn't invited?"
"It was about office issues."
"That's so unfair! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I read my name on the office door as I was coming through!"
"Why are you here, Luca?" Chloe asked, having regained her composure.
"Noah told me to pick him up!"
"I told you to call me and meet downstairs," Noah intervened.
"I did. You didn't answer."
Noah patted his pocket and obviously realized something was missing. He then glanced toward the desk where Luca was standing. His phone was lying there.
"What's going on?" Luca said. "You are all acting very strange."
"Everything is okay, Luca," Chloe said.
"No, it isn't. And on top of that, you left that poor girl looking for you in vain," Luca said, pointing at Noelle.
Me? A poor girl? Is he… sympathizing with me?
"I can see you met Noelle," Chloe commented, her voice cool.
"Yes, I did. Shouldn't I?" Luca asked.
Chloe didn't answer. Then Lexi took a step forward. "Now that you've met her, you're okay, right? You don't have any problem? We need a bit of help."
Chloe bit her lip.
"Help? Problem?" Luca wondered, his brow furrowing. He was silent for a moment, thinking hard. Then he asked cautiously: "Chloe… Why would I have a problem?"
Chloe planted her feet firmly and raised her chin in a gesture of strained defiance. "I took in Noelle as an intern."
"You got an intern? Without asking me?" he inquired, his eyes flashing with anger at Chloe.
What just happened? Why is he angry? Who is he angry at? Me? Chloe?
"My office. Now," Chloe said, and started walking toward that direction. Luca followed without another word, but not before he glanced sideways at Noelle. The friendly guy from moments ago was gone, replaced by a cold, reserved stranger. They closed the door behind them.
"Well done, Lexi! All plans—A, B and C—were just ruined," Noah said.
"You forgot your phone! How is that my mistake?" Lexi fired back.
"Stop accusing each other. It would have happened eventually," Abby said.
Noelle was lost. "Excuse me… What's going on?" she asked modestly.
They all looked at her. Abby was the one to explain. "Well… Luca, let's say, he doesn't like changes."
It was hard to think of him as someone who resisted change. He was constantly changing… everything. His style, his roles, his public image. Even his girlfriends changed with the speed of sound - if not the speed of light.
"What do you mean, changes? What changed?" Noelle asked.
"The team. What else?" Abby said. "He doesn't easily approve of new people. You have no idea how difficult it was for Chloe to persuade him to get Lexi on board four years ago. And since then, nothing else has changed."
Shit! He doesn't want anything new. Including… me.