Whisper

- Hello! Rachel here!

- Hi, you asked me to call you, has something happened? - Laura's voice was worried.

Rachel makes a worried face, her mind is already miles away from the lunch.

- Right now? Yes, right now. I'm coming, wait for me in the office! - She forces her voice to sound urgent.

- Hello? What are you talking about? We're still in the middle of lunch. - Laura tries to understand what's going on.

- Right. I got it! I'll be right there. - Rachel ends the call, puts her cell phone in her purse, and quickly calls the waitress.

- Are you leaving? - Lohan asks in a deep, surprised voice.

Rachel completely ignores the question, not that she didn't hear it, she just didn't want to take out her frustration on the boy for a fight that wasn't even his. She stands with cold elegance and turns to the waitress.

- My check, please! I'll be right out.

- Yes, ma'am! Follow me, please. - The waitress nods and leads the way.

Before she can make a move, Thomas stops her and grabs her wrist.

- I'm not finished, darling. - He says, his voice threatening, trying to maintain control and a false smile. - You can't leave like this. I haven't said everything I want to say.

Rachel faces the hand that holds her wrist. Her gaze is fixed on his with an intensity that only she can convey.

- You have one minute. Say what you want or get out of my face. - She says in a low, cutting voice and takes a step forward, forcing Thomas to take two steps back.

Lohan watches in silence, his fist clenched over his knees, forcing himself to stay in control and not get involved in the couple's argument. But something inside him pulses with every gesture Thomas makes toward Rachel.

Thomas finally sits back down, his gaze darkening as the words he has been avoiding finally escape his mouth.

- The costume... - He says urgently, though his voice is calm. - I wanted you to work on a special costume for Lohan.

Rachel lets out a sarcastic laugh, her gaze cutting through him like a sharp blade. She turns to the cashier and hurries over to where the waitress is waiting.

Before Rachel can pay, Lohan joins her and with a hasty gesture, swipes his card and pays the bill she requested.

- What do you think you're doing? - she asks, her patience wearing thin.

Lohan, with an uncomfortable look on her face, tries to apologize.

- I'm sorry! - the deep, bass voice, almost a whisper, shows how upset Lohan is by the situation. - Not for that. I did it because I wanted to. - he gestured to the cashier. - But because before. I didn't know about the costume thing.

Rachel stared at him, indifferent even though she knew what he was saying was true but lacked the energy to continue the conversation.

- Whatever, I don't care. - She turns and heads for the exit.

Lohan, with a racing heart and the feeling that something is about to break between them, can't help himself. He intercepts her before she can leave, his firm presence blocking her path.

- But I care. - He says, his voice firm but filled with anguished sincerity. - I don't want you to be angry with me because you got the wrong impression.

Rachel hesitates for a moment, looks deep into Lohan's dark eyes and begs him to let her go for now. He understands and doesn't stop her. She continues walking, leaving him alone in front of the exit door.

- Damn it! - he grunts, his fists clenched at his sides.

_________________________________________________________________________

On the way back to the office, Rachel drives with her hands firmly on the wheel, feeling the tension in her body grow as chaotic thoughts invade her mind. The memory of Thomas' sarcastic smile makes her even angrier.

"That asshole. Who does he think he is? Wasting my precious time like this... I must be very stupid. How could I fall into this trap? I should have made up some excuse and ignored him like I've done so many times before... AAAAH!" - She squeezes the steering wheel hard, feeling the padded texture under her fingers, trying to relieve the frustration that still consumes her after the unpleasant lunch.

"And to make matters worse, there's that boy..." - The image of Lohan appears in her mind, vivid and unmistakable. She remembers him standing in front of her, and now she can clearly see how different he looked from the boy she had coffee with earlier. It wasn't just his posture that had changed, but also his manner, now more controlled, more imposing, completely different from the cheeky boy who had kissed her hand without permission and made her want to slap him in the morning.

"He really has a look...disturbingly penetrating, and that jaw? He'll be a hit as the lead. The period clothes will fit that body like a glove without him having to try." - Rachel thought, before realizing she was laughing to herself and nibbling at her lower lip.

- What am I doing? - she scolds herself aloud. - Have I gone mad? Pull yourself together, Rachel! He's just a pretty, seductive face. Besides, you're married and have twice his identity.

She sighs, trying to regain control of her thoughts as she settles into her car seat. Without wasting any time, she calls Laura, who answers on the first ring.

- Hello! - Laura's voice sounds urgent on the other end.

- Hi, Laura. - Rachel replies, trying to keep her composure. - I just wanted to let you know that it was nothing, just an excuse to get out of a situation I didn't want to be in right now.

- Oh, I see. I thought it was something like that.

- That's right. Now, get on with planning for the day. I'm going to stop by the office to pick up some fabric samples, and then I'm going to the set. Let the others know that I'll be there in about thirty minutes.

- Okay! - Laura replies and ends the call.

The passage through the office is quick. Rachel walks in, picks up the block of fabric samples and puts it in her bag before heading to the downtown set where the final scenes of the series will be shot.

When she arrives on the set, right on time, she finds her team already organized. Everything is under control. The actors are dressed and made up, the props are in place, and the little details that go unnoticed by many have been taken care of. Rachel's only job is to make sure everything is according to the script.

She pulls her clipboard out of her bag, checks the minute details one by one, and walks to the center of the set. She looks at the way the lights fit on the clothes, the way the fabric moves in the breeze - all the little things that most people don't notice, but that make all the difference.

As Rachel observes the perfect fit of one of the characters' clothes, she is completely absorbed by the scene through the camera's viewfinder. The soft light illuminating the fabrics, the delicate movement of the garments in the breeze - everything seems to be in harmony. But suddenly, something snaps her out of her concentration. An unexpected heat hits her, as if the air temperature had suddenly risen.

Lohan approaches her from behind, his body almost touching hers, and she feels his presence like a force enveloping her. He whispers in her ear, his voice soft and calm, but charged with something impossible to ignore:

- Your work sounds very interesting.

Rachel feels the vibration of his words run through her skin, a shiver that starts at the back of her neck and spreads throughout her body. He positions himself even closer, watching the same image in the camera's viewfinder, but his presence invades almost every space around Rachel. Lohan's face is so close that she feels the lightness of his warm breath touching her skin, his body immersed in hers, as if he were beside her in every movement.

- Are you going to look at me like that when I'm shooting the movie? - He asks, his mischievous smile brimming with confidence that makes Rachel almost lose control. She swallows, the tension between them growing by the second.

She feels the heat rise to her face, a shiver runs down her spine and she involuntarily takes a small step to the side, trying to regain her composure. But her eyes lock with Lohan's, intense and penetrating. What is this? she asks herself, unable to look away.

- What are you... - Rachel tries to say, but the words come out slurred, her hands shaking slightly. Nervousness overwhelms her, making every movement even harder to control. She feels vulnerable and at the same time completely captivated.

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