"Ian!" Lucy blew the few loose hairs escaping her ponytail out of her face. "Ian, help me! I'm gonna drop them!" She felt the boxes start to slide again and froze.
"Here, I've got them." Ian easily grabbed the stack of boxes from Lucy.
"Thanks bay." She pushed the hair out of her face.
Does she wonder how I feel when she calls me that? Ian thought to himself while he carried the boxes to the studio. Marlene had brought some office supplies and a few special order props for the scene they were working on shooting today with her and had asked Lucy and Ian to get them from her car. Lucy being the stubborn person she was, tried to grab the boxes all herself. But Ian admired that about her. She always tried to do more than what was expected of her.
He approached the door and waited for Lucy to open it for him. "After you, Mr. Harding." "Thank you Miss Hale." She playfully shoved his shoulder and giggled. My god. Hearing something as simple as a giggle from her drives me wild. Ian watched Lucy make her way to the other girls, laughing at a video that Ashley was showing them. He studied her posture, and the delicate way her hair curled at the nape of her neck now that she was just the slightest bit sweaty. The way she tilted her head up when she laughed. The way her lips curved and how white her perfect teeth were. He could see the way her eyes shined.
A door slammed behind him, knocking him out of his reverie. He realized he was still holding the boxes and made his way to Marlene's office. "Oh hi, Ian. Just set them down there and we'll get everything situated later. Where's Lucy?"
"Ah, she bailed on me. She's with the girls."
Marlene smirked and gave a knowing nod. "If anyone could manipulate you into doing everything, it'd be Lucy. I needed to see you both though, we made a few changes to the script late last night and an Ezria scene was one of them."
"Okay", Ian said nodding. "Just let me run and get her really quick and you can let us both know together." He was already bouncing on his heels and getting ready to turn out of the room when Marlene stopped him.
"Ian, wait."
"I've been meaning to ask you something I've been… hearing about." Her tone was concerned, a tad curious. Ian wondered what in the world she was about to ask him. "You know here at the WB we do not discourage actors and actresses from having off set relationships, but we do like to sit down with the pair and discuss how it could affect their character's on-screen chemistry and such."
Ian was struck dumb. What?
"I don't like to pry or meddle in people's personal lives Ian, but is there something going on with you and Lucy off-screen?"
WHAT? Ian was sure his face was the epitome of shock. He didn't even know what to say. "Marlene, with all due respect, you've got it all wrong. Lucy and I are simply friends. I'm not sure why people would have been talking about us, but there is honestly nothing going on."
Marlene studied his face. She knew Ian well enough to know that he couldn't play off a joke very well, and judging by the way he was acting shocked right now, she didn't doubt for a minute that he was telling the truth. Does he…really have no idea? "Oh. Well like I said it was just a few things I had been hearing around the set. Just taking precaution." She turned her back towards him and began shuffling papers around on her desk. She had a quick meeting with the rest of the writer's to go over what they had changed the night before.
"I'll just get you and Lucy together later on and we can go over everything."
Ian was still rooted to the spot. "Tog-together?" His hands began moving in front of him with the syllables of the word like they did when he grew nervous.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. "To study the new lines, Ian."
"Right. Well, I'll.. see you later then.." He walked unsurely out of her office and down the hall to where the rest of the cast was still seated around Ashley's chair, laughing. Probably another Youtube video, he thought. He was about to walk on and head over to his dressing room where he could sit in silence and read the new book he had picked up from Barnes and Nobles the following morning when a particularly glorious and beautiful laugh hit his ears. He looked over to see Lucy with her head held back letting loose a guttural laugh, tears streaming from her eyes. She had her hand on the back of Ashley's chair to steady herself. A few more locks of shiny brunette hair had slipped loose from her ponytail. Ian had the sudden urge to run his fingers through them. He slowed till he had almost stopped, just staring at her.
She straightened back up and her eyes found their way to Ian's. They were glistening and there were tear tracks down her cheeks. Her cheeks were flushed pink and she had the most marvelous smile on her face. God, she is so beautiful. She gave him a sweet smile and broke her eye contact when Ashley, completely oblivious to the exchange, nudged her to show her something else.
Ian seemed to realize that he was staring yet again and hastily made his way towards his dressing room.
Lucy looked back where Ian had been standing and instead briefly saw him before he disappeared behind a set. Probably on his way to his dressing room she thought. Her smile faltered just the slightest before she was nudged again by Ashley, being sucked back into the laugh fest.
Someone that had been watching the two exchange smiles and stares leaned against a wall, deep in thought. Nothing going on…. Her thoughts were broken when she heard her name being called.
"Marlene? You ready?"
"Yeah, I'm coming."
She took one last look at Lucy before walking away. They really have no idea.
