Ana clenched her eyes shut, the colors and bright light from trailer's inside lamps were making her head spin. Her bottom lip was a victim of her constant biting. It must be swollen by now. She tried to focus on Kate's voice through her phone.
"Are you sure, Ana? The box is like a mess. Let's forget it, I really don't mind."
"But I do," she sighed, rubbing her forehead as if it would ease the stress. "I'm sorry I lost it."
"Oh, Ana, it's no biggie. Look, I'll help you searching those damned earrings. I'll be fifteen minutes."
"No! Don't bother coming down here, Kate. You'll have early hour tomorrow," she said, remembering Kate's callsheet. "I'll come home and bring the box with me."
"Ana, we can buy new one! It's just a silly prop."
"You're going to wear that silly prop tomorrow. I really didn't know what's gotten into me, trying it then forgetting where I put it. It's a designer brand for God's sake."
"You did nothing wrong, babe!"
"Your faith in me is flattering," she chuckled despite herself. "Okay, I better get going."
"Be careful, okay? It's almost midnight."
"Will do."
She shut her phone, huffing and puffing for like a thousand times that day. What a night. She was never this careless before. What gives?
Looking at her surroundings, she picked up a few things scattered around. Kate's property box was not that big, actually, but the contents were a tangled mess of jewelry and other knick-knacks. She felt bad again for losing the exquisite earrings.
Sure, she could easily buy another one, but the perfectionist in her had reared its ugly head. Ana had to find it. She had spent nearly four hours searching for two pieces of rose-gold chandelier earrings, with glinting tiny diamonds circling the big ones in the center. At times like that Ana actually realized that she never had a girly possession. Her clothes are simple, monochrome colors at its best, and never any finery.
Oh, well, experience is the best teacher and all that jazz, she mused. She just had to find those earrings and rearrange Kate's trailer for future prevention.
"Miss Thompson?"
Someone was knocking on the trailer's door, calling her out. She moved slowly, unlocking it and pushed it open.
Somehow, she wasn't surprised at what she found outside.
"'Evening, Mr. Miller," a corner of her mouth lifted as she leaned on the threshold, crossing her arms.
Eric gave her lopsided smirk. He was wearing a gray t-shirt with a leather jacket and black jeans, and he never looked more gorgeous. But she didn't miss the tired look in his eyes.
"What are you doing this late?"
"I can ask you the same question," he stepped closer. "I was just on my way to go to the hotel when I saw your trailer's lamps are still on, and I thought you'd fallen asleep."
"I wasn't," she shrugged, feeling the cold air blew from the lot. Eric shivered visibly, and her good manner nudged at her consciousness. "You want to come in?"
He sheepishly smiled. "If you don't mind me intruding."
"No, I was just searching for a prop," she said while suppressing her yawn. Her hand held the door as she walked backward. Oh, no, was their trailer a mess? She looked around and sighed a relief that just the couch was covered with her homework.
"This late?" he stepped inside, pulling the door slightly but left it ajar.
She nodded, bending down to grab her backpack. So many things to be fixed. Ah, well, tomorrow she would do the rest.
"Can I help you?"
"No, it's okay. I'm going home anyway," she grabbed her keys and the box, balancing it in her hands.
Eric opened the door for her, and they walked out of the base camp.
"You're not driving this late, surely."
She frowned at his bossy and intrusive note. "Kate used the car for an interview across the town this afternoon, so, no. I'm going to call a cab."
"Let me drive you home."
Ana was just shaking her head when he came closer to her, pulling the box from her. "I insist."
"But you don't have to carry my box. It's my job."
"I don't want you carrying this heavy box if I'm around. You're already small as it is. Worst case scenario you could trip and injure yourself."
"I will not! It's not like I haven't done this stuff before."
"And that's why I want you to rely on me if I'm around. I like helping you out."
"I'm not your damsel in distress."
"You're not. You're a superhero, but even superheroes need help."
"Are you saying you'll be my sidekick?"
He winked. "I want to be more than your sidekick."
Ana stared at him, speechless. Innuendo from Eric rendered her to a flustering, stuttering mess. She was mortified.
"Cat got your tongue, my petite heroine?"
She grumbled at his teasing. "I am not small."
"You are." He shifted the box to his right hand, and gripped hers with the other. "Whoa, look at this bony hand. So small. And you said you're familiar with this kind of work."
"I do."
"Hm. In that case, you have to eat more, Ana," he observed her hand on his.
She rolled her eyes. Honestly, this guy. "Okay, daddy."
When he lifted his gaze to her eyes, she noticed his pupils were dilated. She gulped at the intensity.
"Come, my car is this way."
They walked into the open air of Portland night. His car was the only one left on the parking lot, besides the staff's minivans. He unlocked the car with one hand, and ushered her to the passenger seat. She was just touching the handle when he beat her to it and opened the door for her.
"I can manage on my own," she sighed.
"Ah, but I like to be at your service," his mouth twitched. He lifted his palm and pressed it down on her head. "Mind your lovely head, milady."
She giggled as she slid in. His hand protected her. "Thank you, kind sir."
As he drove down to her apartment, she was finally relaxed. She put her head on the headrest, falling in and out of slumber by the lovely voice from his music player. But then his voice broke the daze.
"You said you were searching for prop. What kind of prop?"
"Um, it's Kate's earrings. They had given her this set of beautiful jewelry from her favorite designer for the party scene tomorrow. I tried one of it on, but in my hurry to meet the assistant director, I forgot where I had put it."
"Earrings? What did they look like?"
"Oh, they're sparkling little thing. Beautiful. Kinda unfitting for someone like me," her laugh was humorless, eliciting his deep frown.
"What do you mean?"
She shrugged. "I'm much too plain for something so blinding."
Suddenly he grasped her hand tightly like a warning. Ana flinched, not from the pain, but from the surprise at his growl: "Don't ever say something like that."
"But, but I—"
"You're much too perfect for anything this world could offer."
He glanced at her for a second and the sincere look on his eyes tugged at her heart.
And when he finally smiled, she wasn't aware that he had lifted her hand, kissing the back of it reverentially.
She was too stunned to speak, so she let him grip her hand for the rest of the ride. His warm skin evaded her mind, and she knew without a single doubt that his words would make her unable to sleep this long and strange night.
Inside, her heart was drumming like crazy.
She hummed an old, cringy love song while engrossed herself with some plates on the kitchen counter, when Kate emerged from her bedroom. She grinned at Ana.
"Oh, you're packing that, too?"
She closed her orange lunch box, arranging the smaller ones inside a go-to bag. "Yeah. Don't wanna waste a good food."
"I heard Eric Miller likes mac 'n cheese, don't you?"
She scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous, Kate. It's my lunch."
Kate stuck out her tongue. "Alright miss grumpy. Let's just go already."
After parking the car, Kate said she would meet someone from makeup department, so Ana could take a minute or two to stroll the place. She looked around, but not wanting to appear obvious that she was searching for a certain copper haired gentleman. She spied around the set but didn't manage to find him.
Oh, well, if it was like past days, he would greet her in no time. She had just to wait—
"… you see Miller today?"
One of the staff walked past her, speaking with his friend loud enough for the room to hear. She stood still and listened.
"Oh, he's in his trailer, taking a break."
"Poor guy."
"I know. Like he's not sleeping recently."
What?
They turned around the corner, leaving Ana confused than before.
Eric was taking a break, and he looked like he's not sleeping?
She dashed to the opposite direction.
________________________________________
"Mr. Miller, are you there?"
By the time she knocked at his trailer door, she was out of breath. A guy named Taylor said Eric was taking a nap inside, but he said Ana could try to see if he was awakened already. She knew Taylor was Eric's sort-of PA and security detail. So, she proceeded with his advice.
And she let out a sigh when he opened the door.
Those people were right. He did look like he didn't asleep for days.
"Hello, Ana," he smiled.
"Hi," she threw him a nervous grin.
"What are you doing here?"
Oh, crap. Should she say she was worried about him?
"I… I uh, just want to say thank you for your lift the other night."
"My pleasure," he shrugged. "Anything else?"
Obviously, she was disturbing him and he wanted her to go.
"Oh, I heard earlier that your shoot had been delayed."
He nodded. "I got a permission to take a break for a couple hours."
"Oh, am I interrupting your sleep? I better go—"
"No. please, stay," he blurted out.
She nibbled on her bottom lip, hesitated.
"You want to come in?"
"I… yes, but I think I should go."
He waved his hand at her suggestion. "Nonsense. Look, let me tidy up a bit, then you can come inside."
"O-okay."