"Have a drink!"
"No more, the sunset is beautiful enough."
"What's the point of beauty if you can't sleep with it?"
"Good point."
In Long Neck Town on Long Island, New York, atop the roof of Britney's estate, the orange-red sunset blanketed the town, the estate, and the roof of the mansion.
At the highest point of the roof, Luca and Britney sat side by side, watching the sunset.
Scattered around them were seven or eight empty beer cans, resting on the red glass tiles.
As the evening breeze blew, the cans high up made hollow whistling sounds and clattered as some rolled to the edge, falling to the ground below with a clanging noise.
"Have another drink. You won't be so nervous when I climb on top of you later," Britney said, opening a beer and nudging his arm.
"Britney, can you please talk normally?" Luca said, accepting the can, exasperated.
By now, he knew Britney pretty well. She was wild by nature but not loose. Though she constantly threw around phrases like "fuck," she didn't actually mean it. She once explained that talking this way felt exciting and boosted hormone levels.
"Haha, can't handle it?"
Britney tilted her head, gazing at his profile. The sunset highlighted his brow and temple, just as handsome as ever. His deep, dark eyes blinked slightly, as captivating as the night sky.
She gently brushed aside a strand of wind-blown blonde hair. "Luca, are we friends?"
"I think so!"
"Friends should be honest with each other, right?"
"Good friends should be, yes."
"I want to sleep with you. I'm not hiding it from you, so what's wrong with that?"
Britney smiled mischievously, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Emmm... you're good. I have no response."
"Hahaha, Luca, you're too cute."
Luca shook his head, lying down with his arms behind his head, staring up at the sky. He watched the sunset paint the western sky with vibrant colors, saw seabirds landing on distant branches, and noticed how the sunset's orange-red hues made the girl beside him even more alluring.
Turning his head slightly, he said softly, "Britney, it's best to keep things simple between friends. Once you cross that line, the relationship gets complicated. We won't be able to just sit here quietly watching the sunset anymore."
"Is that so?"
Britney laid down beside him, trying to get comfortable. Not finding it easy, she grabbed his arm and pulled it under her head.
"Much better."
She exhaled, letting the alcohol-laced breath drift into the air, and closed her eyes gently.
"Don't fall asleep, or I'll throw you off the roof."
Luca chuckled softly.
Britney smirked. "Luca, do you want to sleep with me?"
"Em..."
"Be honest, we're friends."
Britney nudged his stomach to push for an answer.
"Alright, sure, I've thought about it. You're beautiful, have an amazing body, and you're a superstar. I think anyone who isn't dysfunctional has probably fantasized about you."
"Then why haven't you made a move? I'm right here in your arms."
Britney leaned in suddenly, kissing his ear.
"Stop it!"
Luca covered her face with his hand. "I have a girlfriend, Lima. You know her, right? She's a really good girl."
"Lima, I know. Big chest, curvy hips, very sexy."
Britney drew an exaggerated hourglass shape in the air with her hand. "Lima's great, but are you really going to stick with just one woman your whole life?"
Luca shrugged. "I don't know. A lifetime's a long time, who can say for sure? But for now, having her is enough. Life is comfortable this way. Having two women would probably be exhausting, right?"
"Not necessarily. What if the other woman only wants to sleep with you and doesn't care about a relationship?"
Britney turned her head, looking at him.
"Is that so?"
Luca glanced at her and grinned. "That could work... as long as that woman isn't you."
"Why not?"
Britney shouted in frustration, "Why can't it be me?"
"Because we're friends!"
"Fuck! Damn friends. I don't want to be your friend; I just want to sleep with you."
Britney suddenly sat up, straddling his waist. She glared at him. "Luca, do you know why I brought you up here for drinks?"
"Hmm?"
"Because I knew you weren't ready, and I didn't want to force you. I wanted to set the mood first with some drinks, but you're so dense. Now, don't blame me for being rough."
"Hahaha, Britney, stop it. We're on the roof!"
"I don't care. If you resist, I'll drag you down with me."
Clang!
Just as they were teasing each other, the iron door to the rooftop opened.
Mr. Jamie Spears stepped out, holding an empty beer can, rubbing his forehead, muttering, "Damn it, how did beer cans fall from the roof?"
He looked up and saw the two on the ridge of the roof. "Oh, damn it, what are you two doing?"
"Oh, fuck!" Britney groaned lazily, "Dad, nothing. We're just watching the sunset."
"Did you throw this?" Mr. Spears angrily waved the beer can.
Seeing the large bump on his head, Britney stuck out her tongue, stifling a laugh.
"Hello, Mr. Spears!" Luca quickly stood up to greet him.
Mr. Spears squinted, glaring at him coldly. "You're Luca?"
"Yes, Mr. Spears!"
"Were you behind that videotape incident?"
Mr. Spears was nearly six feet tall, with slicked-back hair and a large hooked nose, which made him look rather intimidating.
"Dad, that video had nothing to do with Luca. It was made by Adnan Ghalib, a paparazzo who's been following me for two years. I recognized his voice in the video."
Britney quickly explained.
"Hmph. Who knows if he's in cahoots with that paparazzo."
"Mr. Spears, I don't know that man," Luca said.
Mr. Spears snorted, clearly not buying it.
"Britney, you're a big name now. You need to be careful about the people around you. Some make friends with you for money, some for fame, and some just want you for yourself, like this guy next to you."
Mr. Spears paused, frowning at Luca. "Can you tell me, what are you trying to get from Britney?"
Luca shrugged. "Mr. Spears, I have to thank Britney for promoting my book. I've benefited a lot from her."
"No, no, Luca, it was a fair deal. You gave me a song, I helped promote your book. It was fair," Britney interjected.
Luca shook his head slightly. "Britney, a song isn't worth much, and you're a superstar. You don't need more songs. I gained a lot from this deal. I owe you a big thank you."
"Heh."
Mr. Spears sneered. "The rumors about Mr. Big being polite and gentlemanly are true, I see."
Luca felt awkward for a second, realizing Mr. Spears was calling him a hypocrite.
"Mr. Spears, I won't deny that I've gained a lot from Britney—fame and money included. If I ever have the chance, I'll find a way to repay her."
"Repay her?"
Mr. Spears scoffed. "Britney is a world-class superstar, knighted by the Queen herself, with millions of fans. You, a mere model—what do you have to repay her with?"
"Luca, you could repay her with your body," Britney suddenly chimed in.
The rooftop fell silent. The only sound was the wind blowing the empty cans around, clattering softly.
Mr. Spears twitched, looking at his daughter.
Luca wiped sweat from his forehead.
"The sun's going down," Mr. Spears said calmly.
"Britney, I should get going. Goodbye, Mr. Spears. Goodbye, Britney!"
Luca made a hasty exit, but as he descended the stairs, he could still hear the father-daughter argument above.
"Britney, stop right there!"
"I'm going to see Luca off!"
"No, you're staying home for the next few days. You're not going anywhere."
"You can't take away my freedom!"
"Freedom? Your idea of freedom is embarrassing the family in Manhattan?"
"Haha, did I embarrass you? I'm a global superstar. Has anyone in the Spears family ever been more famous than me?"
"...You're not going anywhere!"
"I'll sue you!"
"Go ahead!"
At the estate's gate, Luca glanced back at the luxurious country-style mansion. Not bad. If I ever get rich, I could consider buying a place like this.
Honk honk~
"Taxi!"
Luca caught a taxi with ease.
Ding ding~
His phone buzzed with two new messages.
The first read: "Luca, I'll let you off this time, but next time I'm definitely going to sleep with you. Don't doubt it, I didn't even play my trump card just now. Wanna know what it is?"
The second: "Here's a hint: My limo has cameras. If you don't lie down and let me have my way with you, you can guess what's next, hehe~"
Luca let out a deep sigh. Being famous could be such a hassle.