In the evening, the sky over Long Island was covered with dark clouds, and a heavy rain started pouring down.
In the spring and summer, rainfall in the New York area gradually increases. Being an island surrounded by the sea, Long Island receives more annual rainfall than other regions.
After finishing filming, Luca walked out of the villa with an umbrella. His part wasn't much—only five or six scenes—which took less than a day to shoot. It went faster than he had expected, and he wondered if he should adjust his upcoming plans.
"Hey, Luca!"
In the misty rain, a shadow holding an umbrella approached quickly. The person didn't care about his wet pants and shoes, splashing through the puddles with every step.
"Hi, Thomas."
Luca greeted him, pointing to his leg. "How's it now?"
"Not bad."
Thomas moved his leg a bit. It had been fine for a few hours. He pointed to a nearby café, "Want to go in and have a seat?"
Luca glanced at the villa gate behind him. He wasn't sure if what Britney had said was true, but why was he feeling a little hopeful?
Ugh, shameful!
Luca scolded himself silently. "Alright, let's go get some coffee!"
The two walked a short distance under their umbrellas and entered a small vanilla café.
Because of the rain, the streets were quiet, but the café was bustling. There were only ten booths, and nine of them were occupied, hosting about twenty people, most of them middle-aged men. Some were reading newspapers, others were sipping coffee while watching the rain, and some were discussing the Iraq War. The air was full of lively chatter.
Luca and Thomas shook off the rain from their shoulders and found a corner booth, ordering two lattes.
"Thomas, have you switched careers?"
"No!"
Thomas took a sip of his steaming coffee. "I'll still model whenever I get the chance. Unfortunately, those opportunities aren't plentiful."
"True."
Luca shrugged.
In the fashion world, male models have fewer opportunities. They not only have to compete with each other but also with male actors and sports stars, making it a challenging field. Many models end up doing side jobs.
"Luca, how's Miranda doing?" Thomas asked hesitantly.
"Not bad!"
Miranda had been lucky. She signed with Nina just when Nina became the vice director of the agency department. With Kate's support, Miranda was thriving in the fashion industry.
Recently, she signed with Levi's to become their jeans spokesperson. She also did well in two fashion weeks, becoming Maybelline's regional spokesperson and participating in shows for Dior, Chanel, and other brands.
She was almost an A-lister now.
"Luca, thank you. Thank you for helping Miranda get into IMG," Thomas said emotionally, blinking his eyes.
Luca shook his head. "Thomas, you're in the industry. You know the fashion world is a giant mixing pot. It's not easy to stand out. The circle is so restless that nobody can stay the same."
"I understand."
Thomas stared at his coffee cup, saying seriously, "Becoming a supermodel is Miranda's dream. I'll support her no matter what."
"Alright."
Luca shrugged. He had no interest in being someone else's life coach or advising Thomas to turn back. People need to hold on to something, don't they?
"Luca, there's a lot of talk about you in the industry. Have you heard?"
"Yeah, there were some rumors going around recently. Lately, there seems to be a new one—saying I'm riding on Britney's coattails. Is that right?"
Luca said casually.
"Yes."
Thomas glanced around and then said quietly, "I heard it's coming from Ben Hill. He's looking to get back at you."
"Revenge?"
"Yes."
Thomas smirked, "He claims the CK endorsement was his, and you took it away."
"Then let him come."
Luca chuckled dismissively.
The afternoon rain intensified, and the world was shrouded in a gray mist.
Luca left the café with his umbrella.
At the parking lot, he glanced at the villa in the distance and hesitated about making a phone call.
Clack!
Suddenly, a dark figure dashed out from the corner, opened the car door, and quickly slipped into the back seat.
Luca twitched his mouth. "Britney, you're really doing this?"
"Of course."
Britney took off her raincoat, proudly lifting her chin. "I keep my word."
Luca rubbed his forehead. Before coming, he had been a bit excited, but now he felt a headache.
He cautiously looked around. The rain was too heavy; even if someone was taking pictures, nothing would be clear. Calming his racing heart, he slowly started the car.
"Luca, what were you doing just now?"
Britney hugged his neck from behind, her breath warm as she whispered.
"Britney, sit down. Your paparazzi are ruthless. I can't afford to mess with them."
Luca quickly advised.
"Alright, alright. I waited for so long just now. Achoo!"
Britney sneezed as she spoke.
"Sorry, Britney. Thomas asked me out for coffee," Luca said apologetically, glancing at the pop star. He pulled a blanket out of the glove compartment and tossed it to the back seat.
"No worries."
Britney rubbed her nose and snuggled into the soft blanket.
"Luca, why does your blanket smell like a woman's perfume? And such long hair?"
"Nonsense. Kate and Lima often sit in my car. Of course, there would be a woman's scent. If it smelled like a man, then we'd have a problem."
"Haha, true. If you were gay, I definitely wouldn't like you."
"I'm certainly not!"
Luca started the car slowly.
Britney, wrapped in the blanket in the back seat, kept muttering at first, but as the car drove on for a few minutes, she fell asleep.
Luca slowed down the car.
The car moved slowly in the rain towards 76th Street Apartments.
(End of this chapter)