Nobody moved. Nobody said anything. She squeezed herself between her insufferable thesis subject, and an aggressive stranger. Her face was just a couple of inches away from his, looking straight into his eyes. Oh! And her hands were still on his solid chest.
Awkward.
Her body reacted anyway. She hated it.
Luca West was staring at her too, speechless, one eyebrow raised. She felt Tom Vega behind her backing off.
Thank God!
She quickly removed her hands and took a step back. What a reckless decision... Noelle could easily have gotten hurt.
And she felt dozens of shocked stares fixed on her. But she would continue to be reckless.
She grabbed Luca's arm and said in a low voice: "We need to go. Now."
Noelle pulled his arm and was quite surprised when he actually started following her. She dared not look around and walked quickly away from the gathered crowd. Only after a while did she realize she wasn't heading toward the actors' trailers.
When she was far enough from the crew, she stopped and released his arm. Her fingers were kind of itching. She had been holding his arm, right? Now her brain was itching too. She had to face him now.
Fuck!
Noelle turned around and saw him giving her a sidelong glance. She had no choice but to attack.
"Why are you so irresponsible? You created a lot of fuss back there. Rumors will spread like wildfire."
"Why should I care? Noah and Chloe will take care of everything."
"They always do, right? Cleaning up after your mess? Try not to create one for once."
Luca West narrowed his eyes and examined her. His gaze weighed all her expressions. What was he looking for?
"I'll try... You're my personal assistant now, so I should value your advice," he said with a mocking smile.
"Why did you get into a fight with him?"
"Didn't you figure it out? He's a fucking prick. He doesn't respect anyone and acts like the boss. I explicitly asked for him not to be involved in this project, but Chloe wouldn't listen."
"You're overreacting. He seems like a nice guy. He was always kind and polite to me," Noelle contradicted.
Well until now at least…
"Yeah, probably because he was hoping to sleep with you," he said.
Noelle gasped. The casual way he said it made her stomach twist. "What?" she asked, her cheeks feeling warmer.
"Don't flatter yourself. He hits on every woman on set—except the leading actresses, of course. He knows they're out of reach. But he likes to think he's a player," Luca said, a wicked smile across his lips.
Noelle lowered her eyes, trying to hide her uneasiness. Was she shocked because that Vega guy possibly wanted to get into her pants and she hadn't realized a thing, or because Lucafer was speaking about this so casually?
"Oh no!" Luca suddenly said, gasping theatrically and tapping his lips with his fingers. "Apologies! Do you happen to like him? Did I go and offend your sweetheart?"
Noelle's blood was boiling. How dared he make assumptions—false ones, most importantly? She could see him smirk and wanted badly to smack his beautiful cheek.
No. Not beautiful. Just cheek.
She clenched her fists and said as professionally as she could manage: "I just need to help Lexi and keep you out of trouble until she gets here. Please, let's go to your trailer."
Luca kept smiling broadly. "Yes, ma'am! As I said before, I value your opinion. But first... can I ask you for a small favor, since you're here now?"
"I'm not your assistant today."
"But I said I value you... Come on! I want your help so I don't create any more fuss."
She decided not to risk further problems. "Okay, tell me what you want," she said, and they started walking toward the trailers.
"Well, it's Camilla. She finished her part early today and left. I lent her my tablet this morning and she forgot to return it. As she was leaving, I reminded her of that, but she isn't very considerate, you know. She didn't bother to go back and fetch it. She just gave me the key and told me to pick it up from the table. Her words exactly," Luca said, pulling a key from his pocket, one with a red hue.
"Don't you know how to use keys? Is that why you need my assistance?" Noelle asked, clearly mocking him.
"No, I do know how to use them. But I thought, 'Luca, what if someone sees you coming out of her trailer and takes a picture? What if it goes public and people misunderstand? What if my lovely Isabella sees it? What will she think?' But since you're here now, you can fetch it for me," he concluded.
Noelle was amazed. Amidst his protests and his fight with that guy, he had the nerve to think about his tablet. Why on earth was he carrying a tablet, and why had he lent it to his co-star? And why did he want it back so quickly? "Why such a rush?"
"There are things in there that... must not be seen."
She exhaled sharply. "Give me that. Where's that table?" she asked.
"Thank you... Well, the trailer should be like mine. Once you open the door, go straight ahead—it should be on your right," he advised, handing her the key.
Noelle hesitated. She stared at him for a long moment. That fixation with that tablet of his…
The stars' trailers were in the most remote section, close to a bunch of trees. Each had one back door, and production had even set up wooden space dividers for extra privacy.
Lucafer's and Camilla's trailers were next to each other. Noelle had fetched things for Luca before but had never entered his trailer. She had no idea how the inside looked, but surely it would be easy to find a table and a tablet on it.
"I'll wait here for you. And be quiet—we don't want anyone to hear us," Luca said as they stopped in front of the door.
Noelle shook her head in disbelief. There was no one around, but she'd just do as instructed. She only had to keep him contained until Lexi arrived.
She put the key in the lock and opened the door. The trailer was dark inside, and a heavy scent hit her nostrils. It wasn't unpleasant, just too intense—like a hundred cinnamon candles burning in that small space.
She moved forward, glancing to her right, but saw no table. The space wasn't large. Where could it be hidden? She turned around—and froze. On the opposite side, where the table should have been, a big sofa stood.
Holy shit!
Noelle was facing a completely naked Camilla Jones, sleeping on that sofa.
For a second she froze still. She blinked a few times just to be sure she was seeing correctly.
And then she turned and rushed to the door.
As she was stepping out, she witnessed another worrying sight. Lucafer was standing outside, a mischievous smile on his face, taking pictures of her as she stood with a stupefied expression on her face.
She panicked but couldn't say a word. She carefully closed the door and took deep breaths to calm down. What the hell had just happened? She walked away from the crime scene and Lucafer came next to her with a victorious grin.
"Got you now!" he said.
"What the fuck?" Noelle managed to say.
"Why do you think I let you work next to me? It didn't take long, did it? Now it's time for you to leave," Lucafer said.
"Again? You're going too far to get rid of an intern."
"Anything it takes! Did you enjoy the show in there?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. "What do you think of the wonderful world you came to dissect?"
"Do you think I am shocked by naked women? I've got all the same equipment!"
"Do you?" he asked, still smiling. His gaze began scanning her body, like judging if her curves were the same as Camilla's.
You've crossed the lines, mister!
The hot blood flooding her brain was too much to stop it. She raised her hand to slap him on the face.
But he was much faster.
Lucafer grabbed her wrist, immobilizing her.
"Attempting assault? Eager for more… crime?" he said, eyes sparkling.
He let her go. She rubbed the area he touched, trying to rub away the sensation lingering there.
"So now, go back to the office and email Chloe that you're quitting. Otherwise, these beautiful shots will go public. Imagine the headline: 'Intern caught creeping on sleeping star. What was she doing in there?' It's hilarious!"
"Are you mad? Who would be interested in that?" Noelle asked. It wasn't even the problem, but she felt the urge to question his logic.
"Everybody. Don't you know that Camilla has an open-door policy? She gave me this key from day one, asking me to visit her whenever I want. Everyone knows she gives keys to certain people — of any gender — and waits for them during breaks. You know, I have a serious relationship. But I knew this key would come in handy!" Lucafer said excitedly.
Noelle was certain the man in front of her was a demented, scheming bastard. He had gone this far just to trap her—a nobody.
She stared at him, his lips curling with that devious smile. She wanted so badly to punch him in the face—the second time in a matter of minutes—but stopped herself. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction.
Noelle weighed her options.
Option 1: Be afraid and agree to resign right now.
No freaking way.
He would never dare to post anything. But what if he did? The only one truly affected would be Camilla Jones and the production. A scandal before airing would definitely harm the show.
Option 2: Attack him and call Chloe, tell her everything.
He'd be scared—but she wouldn't be proud of herself. She couldn't run for help every time something happened.
Option 3: Attack him openly and threaten retaliation.
That sounded more intriguing.
"Go ahead and publish it. I don't care even if my own parents see it—they'll believe me, not the internet. But guess what... guess who believes everything online? Your fans. And probably Isabella Bosi—the one who assaulted me just because I was in the same room with you. What if someone then publishes that lovely story about the keys? You know, a true story. What if everyone finds out you had a key? What if people start thinking there's something between you and Camilla? What if—"
"Stop it. You can't do that!" he snapped, nostrils flaring.
Noelle was surprised at how easily her bluff had worked. She'd found a sweet spot.
"You think I'm weak, or that I get scared easily. But you don't know me at all. I'm crazier than I look, and I've got a lot less to lose. Publish anything, and you'll be sorry," Noelle said.
"You think you can fight me? You are studying the world that Conrad Fisher has built. Haven't you yet realized how this machine works?"
For a second she paused, analysing what she heard. The man standing in front of her seemed to have the answer to her research, the answer that was still eluding her comprehension. Though, his focus was not academic. It was intimidation.
"I can try and find out."
"Then you'll be crushed. Leave now and I might spare you."
"I am not leaving. Sorry to disappoint you! Let's clear this up here and now. I'm not interested in finding out about your shit. I want to write an essay and go back home. I have zero interest in you or your life. So back off! Stop being insane!"
Luca looked at her with a very serious expression. "I'm not insane. I'm resourceful. I don't want to attack you—I want to protect myself. And I'm not letting you off. I will never trust you."
She couldn't stand this madness, though he was partially right. She had threatened him; in her mind, she was protecting them both, but in his, she was confirming she was a threat.
Noelle wasn't sure if she had indeed won this battle, but she was still losing the war.
"So there you are!" Lexi's voice broke the silence. "Tell me everything—what happened?" she asked, probably referring to the strike and his fight with Tom Vega.
"Nothing! I'm going back to work!" Luca yelled and started walking toward the set.
"What happened? Where is he going? Was it all for nothing?" a desperate Lexi asked.
They watched him take a few more steps before stopping. After a pause, he turned around and walked back. "I don't want anyone in," he muttered as he passed them and slammed the door of his trailer.
"Oh my God! He's losing it! I have to reach Chloe—Noah at least! What is going on?" Lexi cried.
Noelle decided to say nothing about Camilla. She was certain he wouldn't either. She started recounting what had happened earlier. Lexi began making calls while Noelle excused herself and headed back to the office.
They had warned her—Abby and Noah both said: "Don't let your guard down." But she hadn't listened. She felt ashamed, because deep down she'd hoped that them working close could bridge that big gap.
That gap had now widened into a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon.