Second Place
Birthday in Italy
(Part One)
Disclaimer: Already have one in chapter 1 – Thank you!
Pairing: Ross/Laura/Riker
Author's Note: Hannah Kat Jones plays 'Carrie' from Austin & Ally.
SP*SP*SP
After R5 and Laura left the stage for the next act to appear, the group of six eagerly chatted about the performance and the audience's reaction to them. The boys in particular were layering numerous compliments onto the girls pretty thick, making it obvious that both should think about performing together more often.
Rydel happily clapped at the thought, beaming at her best friend. "Laura, that's such a great idea," she fairly squealed, "Do you think your record label would let us collaborate? At least on a couple of songs?"
"I don't see why not," the petite brunette answered, smiling. "There was nothing in my contract that didn't say I couldn't. And, I mean, the CEO seemed like a nice guy. I'm sure it'll be fine."
Riker wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's waist, tucking her into his side like two pieces of a puzzle fitting perfectly together. He grinned at Laura. "I'm sure everything will work out," he added. "And Ryland will be able to fix any problems from our end. He's a great manager, after all."
Suddenly, the youngest Lynch sibling's voice cut into the conversation, catching everyone's attention. "I know, but thank you for saying that, Riker. It means a lot to me – Besides, you know, reminding me that I'm doing my job right."
The group of six turned to face Ryland, who was smirking in amusement behind them. His arms were crossed over his slightly broad chest, and the hat he normally wore was flipped backwards despite the sun now shining into his eyes.
He continued speaking, smiling now at his siblings and good friends. "That was an awesome performance, you guys. You totally rocked up there!"
"Ry," Rydel squealed, practically pouncing onto the unsuspecting manager. "You were so busy with setting up the stuff we didn't get a chance to really hang out."
Rocky threw an arm around Ryland's shoulders, grinning. "Come on, little bro. You're gonna hang out with us now."
"Yeah, you totally deserve a break," Ratliff chimed in, smiling widely.
Ross nodded in a sagely manner, arms crossed over his chest to add to the effect. "Yes. Riker and everyone else are right – You're a great manager. You need to cut loose sometimes, too," he said, using a voice that reminded everyone of Yoda from Star Wars.
Of course, considering the vocabulary the blonde teen used, his Yoda-impression was more humorous than wise-sounding. It made everyone else burst into laughter while Ross tried to stop his lips from twitching upwards.
Once the laughing calmed down, Laura, still grinning widely in amusement, suggested, "Hey, we should find Calum and the others. They're probably wondering where we are."
Rydel tossed Rocky a teasing look. "Yeah, I'm surprised Maia isn't calling, wondering where you are, Rocky."
In response, the tall brunette rolled his eyes good-naturedly at his sister. "Ha ha," he dryly said, "Laugh it up, Rydel. Laugh it up. We'll see how you handle things when you finally get a boyfriend."
While the rest watched the two siblings take playful jabs at each other, Ratliff smirked as he thought about his plans to set a certain blonde keyboardist up with an equally certain redheaded actor. His matchmaking scheme just had to work – He wouldn't accept failure.
The drummer's eyes trailed over to glance at Laura, who remained contentedly in Riker's arms. His smile grew as he thought about bringing her into his and Raini's plans. With the petite brunette on their side, Ratliff didn't see things going wrong, per se.
If anything, everything would fall right into place…
SP*SP*SP
When the group reunited with Maia, Raini, and Calum, Ratliff immediately stole Laura from Riker and gave the short Latina a meaningful look, silently telling her that he needed to speak with her. While Riker was confused about the drummer's actions, he shrugged it off. Ratliff and Laura had a brother-sister type of bond, so them going off somewhere to talk wasn't unusual behavior. Ross, on the other hand, was a bit more curious but refrained from following and/or eavesdropping. Instead, the teen focused on a conversation that Ryland and Calum were having, with Rydel randomly dropping bits of knowledge every so often.
And if Ross noticed his only sister sending beaming smiles towards the tall redhead, he didn't think too deeply about it.
Meanwhile, Laura gave her two friends a curious look as they finally found a secluded spot to talk. "What's going on, guys?"
Ratliff grinned reassuringly, not wanting to worry the model/singer-songwriter. "We just wanted to know if you'd be interested in helping us with something," he said.
"It's totally great," Raini added in, grinning.
Laura slightly narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "… It's nothing illegal, right?" she whispered. She gave the drummer a particularly dark look. "Because I still remember that one time–"
"Hey, I didn't know that was against the law," he quickly defended himself, throwing his hands up in a surrendering gesture with wide eyes.
The Latina gave her two companions a curious look. "What's this?" she asked.
Ratliff shook his head. "Nothing, nothing," he said, "It's not something we need to bring up again… Or ever." Peaking over his shoulder to make sure nobody could hear them, he harshly whispered out, "Especially when Riker doesn't know the whole story. I'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much."
Raini raised her brow, truly interested now. She gave her best female friend a pointed look. "Laura?"
The petite brunette shook her head. "Let's just say Riker would be… displeased with Ellington, here, if he found out everything that happened," she said, smiling sweetly – too sweetly – towards the end. Mentally, she added, And I can only imagine how Ross would react. "But, back to the main topic: What's with all the secrecy?"
The taller brunette eagerly took up the explanation for why he and Raini wanted to talk to Laura in private. "We're planning on hopefully setting up Rydel and Calum," he blurted out.
"Setting up?"
Raini replied, "Yeah, you know – Dating? We think those two would be cute together."
Laura crossed her arms under her breasts as she gave her two friends a look. Vaguely, she realized she hadn't changed out of the navy colored leather leggings, but there wasn't anything she could do about that. She and the band members weren't planning on staying much longer, especially since they already had an early morning start, and she and Rydel would be leaving for Italy within the next couple of days.
"I thought Calum was dating that model and actress… Hannah Kat Jones?" The name 'Hannah' put a sour taste in Laura's mouth, but not because she disliked Calum's on-and-off again girlfriend (whom he mentioned only a couple of times while filming Austin & Ally). No, it was mostly because 'Hannah' happened to be the same name as Rocky's last girlfriend, who Laura definitely disliked.
And Laura tried not to dislike anybody. But that wasn't the point of the current conversation.
"No," Raini thoughtfully intoned, "I'm pretty sure they've been 'off' for a few months now. This is the perfect time to try to set him up with someone."
"And who better than Rydel?" Ratliff chimed in, smiling widely at the thought. "Come on, Laura, you love love! Don't you wanna see one of your best friends be happy?"
Laura wavered under their scrutiny. What they said was true, after all. She may not have hung out with Calum lately, but that didn't mean they didn't text each other every so often. He would have mentioned if he and Hannah had gotten back together.
And she really did want to see Rydel happy. Her bubbly blonde friend never had a boyfriend before, which Laura didn't understand. Rydel was gorgeous, inside and out. Calum might be the perfect guy for her, especially since they could both be pretty crazy and spontaneous and fun.
Taking a deep breath, Laura slowly nodded her consent. "Okay, let's do this," she agreed, smiling at her two companions. "Let's set up Rydel and Calum."
"Yes!" Raini and Ratliff exclaimed excitedly, high-fiving each other.
SP*SP*SP
After returning home from the Summer Beach Bash a couple of hours later, Laura lazily stretched while she draped herself over Ross's lap in the living room. It wasn't like the blonde teen was going to complain. No, he was planning on soaking up as much attention from Laura as possible before she left for Italy.
"So, let me get this straight," he said, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You, Raini, and Ratliff are going to try to set up Rydel and Calum? As in boyfriend and girlfriend?"
The petite brunette nodded, shifting her body slowly and carefully. The last thing she needed was to accidentally injure Ross while trying to find a comfortable position to lie down across his lap. She also wasn't worried about anyone finding them in such a compromising position. If Laura wasn't draping herself over Riker, it was normally Ross, so the sight wouldn't be a strange one.
"Yep, that's what we're doing," she answered, smiling. "Do you want in? Out of the guys, you're the closest to Calum." Again, she shifted, though most of her focus was on the conversation.
Sighing, Ross decided to put his secret girlfriend out of her misery. Really, why did she torture herself like this when he could easily fix it?
Laura released a startled squeak when the blonde suddenly stood up with her in his arms. Her arms immediately wrapped around his neck to make sure she didn't tumble onto the unforgiving floor, but Ross was already lying down on the couch with her body cushioned against his own. Her legs ended up resting between his, with his head cradled on the armrest as a make-shift pillow.
He smirked. "You comfortable now?" When she nodded with a soft flush to her cheeks, he continued, "Good. Now, where were we? – Right, we were talking about Calum and Rydel. I thought he was dating Hannah?" He mentally cringed, but knew that just because two girls shared the same name didn't mean they were anything alike.
"Raini is pretty sure that they haven't gotten back together for a few months."
Ross sighed, using one hand to prop his head up to make conversing easier while the other played with Laura's silky tresses. "Well, if that's the case, I guess I could ask him," he slowly said. "But, I mean, with Rydel gone it's gonna make things a little difficult."
The petite brunette rested her chin on his chest. "I know," she replied, "But that doesn't mean we can't ask if something's there, right? They've spent time together while we filmed Austin & Ally, and again at the Beach Bash. They even danced together!"
"I did sort of notice that Rydel was being a little extra… bubbly when she talked to Calum after your guys' duet."
"Really?" she asked, grinning excitedly. "Did she really seem that way, Ross?"
He shrugged, smiling warmly at her. "I don't want to get your hopes up, Laura. Honestly, I wasn't paying that much attention, but it's possible," he answered.
She easily perked up, beaming. "I'll take what I can get." Giving her blonde companion a considering look, she asked, "So, does this mean you'll help me, Raini, and Ratliff?"
Ross leaned forward enough to press a tender kiss to her forehead. Laura giggled. "Sure, why not? I already played matchmaker once before. This could turn out even more fun."
SP*SP*SP
On the day of departure, Raini and Maia met at the Lynch residence, where Neo would drive him and the four young women to the airport. With all of their luggage packed into the SUV, the group of five said goodbye to everyone (including Ratliff and Calum, who both showed up to wish them a safe flight) before getting into the car and leaving. Of course, Maia and Rocky had an extra long goodbye considering this was the first time the couple would be so far away since the start of their relationship.
On the other hand, Laura and Riker had spent the early morning hours in each other's embrace (with Laura cuddling with Ross before that). Their goodbye wasn't as long but still heartfelt.
And if, during Rydel's farewell hug with Calum, it was a little longer than expected… Well, Ratliff and Raini shared a secretive glance, while Laura threw a sly smirk at Ross, none of them said anything. They still needed confirmation from both parties to see if an actual attraction was there before they really started planning.
Now, the four young women were gathered, waiting for their flight to be called, while Neo was off to the side making last minute phone calls. Rydel and Maia (who was also texting Rocky) were chatting about what they thought Italy was like, commenting on the shopping they would do and all the people they would see.
Laura turned to Raini, who was texting her brother, Rico. Knowing the young boy, the petite brunette had a sneaking suspicion that he was asking Raini for a souvenir.
"So," Laura commented, catching the Latina's attention, "I'm kind of surprised you wanted to set up Calum and Rydel."
Raini placed her phone into her lap, giving her best friend a confused look. "What do you mean?"
"Honestly? I thought you had… You know, a 'thing' for Calum."
"A 'thing'?"
Laura waved a hand airily. "Yeah, you know, a crush, I guess," she answered. "I mean, you two spent a lot of time together while we were filming Austin & Ally. I thought I saw a spark or two between you guys, that's all."
"Oh." Raini's fingers started to fiddle with her iPhone, not exactly knowing what to say. Laura patiently waited, not wanting to rush her friend in admitting anything. However, she needed to know where Raini's feelings stood. Yes, Laura wanted Rydel to be happy and finally have a boyfriend – and Calum was a great catch – but she didn't want Raini's feelings to seem like they didn't matter. They did. "To tell you the truth, Laura… I kind of thought we had something, too…" Raini softly confessed.
Laura's expression softened. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked. Discreetly, she looked towards Rydel and Maia, but saw that the other two were still deep in conversation.
The darker haired girl smiled at her friend. "After we finished filming the movie, Calum and I hung out, but it didn't feel the same," she answered, shrugging. "I guess it was just the 'Miami air' or something." She released a chuckle. "Besides, back then, he was still moping about his last break-up with Hannah. It wouldn't have been an honest relationship if we tried."
"But you think he's fine now?"
Raini's smile turned warm. "Yeah, I think he is. He and Hannah have been broken up for some time now, and Rydel is a sweetheart. I think they can find a bit of happiness with each other, don't you think so, too?"
Laura glanced once more at Rydel, who was laughing at something Maia said. A smile formed on her face as she watched her best blonde (female) friend.
"Find a bit of happiness with each other, huh? Yeah, yeah, I think so," she softly agreed.
SP*SP*SP
After the girls and Neo left, Stormie invited Calum and Ratliff to a late-breakfast/early-lunch with the rest of the family. The two graciously agreed and, afterwards, they joined the Lynch boys in the living room to play some video games.
An hour later, Rocky announced, "The girls and Neo are getting on the plane now."
"Wish them a safe flight for us again," Ratliff said.
"Already did," Riker smugly said, placing his blue iPhone back into his pocket.
Ross chimed in, "Done and done."
Then, as one, the two blondes smirked at Rocky, who gave them a dirty look in response. Grumbling under his breath, the tall brunette tapped a text message out to Maia and sent it, while the others laughed.
A few minutes later, the guys switched game controllers so that everyone would have a chance to play. Ross gave his to Ryland, while Calum handed his to Rocky. The blonde teen saw this as the perfect opportunity to talk to his friend about a possible romance blooming in the near future.
"Hey, Calum, help me grab some drinks from the kitchen?"
"Sure, man," the redhead replied.
Standing, the two left the living room while the others requested their preferred drink. Arriving inside the kitchen, Ross and Calum began assembling cups, ice, and beverages to take back to the other guys.
Ross paused, standing at the kitchen island, as he looked at his freckled friend. "So," he began, feeling his way through the conversation, "how have things been going for you?"
"Nothing too different, I guess." Calum shrugged, with his focus mostly on making sure he didn't spill soda onto the counter. "I've got some upcoming roles my manager wants me to look at, but I don't know. I haven't been home to Canada in a while, so I thought about taking some acting gigs up there."
"That's cool. It would be nice to see your family," he said, nodding. Then, he decided to blurt out, "What about you and Hannah? How are things between you two?" Between Ross, Laura, and Raini, the blonde felt confident that Calum spoke to Ross about Hannah the most.
Calum put the liter of soda down, blue eyes connecting with brown. His expression was unreadable. "We're fine," he answered, "I haven't really talked to her in a few weeks, but she's been busy with this new modeling gig in New York, so it's not surprising."
Ross nodded in acceptance. Now, he had to ask the harder question. "What do you think of Rydel?"
"What about her?" the redhead asked, blinking in surprise by the swift subject change. "And weren't you just asking me about Hannah?"
The blonde waved a hand dismissively at the last part. "If you two were back together, you would have said so. Just answer my question: What do you think of Rydel?" Placing his hands onto the counter, he leaned forward to watch his friend's facial expressions.
Calum could feel his cheeks heating. Suddenly, he couldn't look Ross in the eyes, and his gaze darted around the kitchen for something else to stare at. What did he think of Rydel? Where had that come from?
"I'm not sure what you mean," he muttered.
Ross scoffed, rising a playful brow. "Are you seriously gonna pull that on me, Calum? Clearly you don't know me at all." Resting his elbows on the counter now, he leaned even closer. "Come on, it's just me and you here – and it's just a simple question." Of course, he would be telling Ratliff, Laura, and Raini everything Calum admitted, but the redhead didn't need to know that.
Calum blew out a breath, his bangs ruffling slightly. He gave his younger friend a considering look, silently debating the pros and cons. Then, coming to a decision, he said, "I think Rydel is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met, inside and out. She's always full of energy, and her smile could light up a room. She's crazy talented and fans love her for a reason, not just because she's a girl in an otherwise all-boy group. She's got equal parts spunk and sweetness. Rydel is truly different and original from other girls, in a good way."
That was the last thing Ross expected his friend to admit, but he was blown away nonetheless. He could clearly hear how Calum liked Rydel as a person, not just an admiring fan or someone with a silly puppy-love crush. The depth of emotion in the redhead's voice had spoken volumes, at least to Ross it had. It was the type of emotion that inspired the greatest love songs and the most beautiful poems; a true work of art.
It strongly reminded Ross about how he felt for Laura.
"Wow," Ross breathed out, staring at Calum in astonishment. "Why haven't you told her?"
Calum shook his head before turning back to the drinks that still needed to be put together. "For one thing, I don't know if she feels the same way for me," he said. "And, besides, I need to figure out if my feelings are real. I don't want to say anything to Rydel if it turns out I'm rebounding from Hannah – I don't want to hurt her, and she doesn't deserve that."
"Right, I understand. But I thought it's been a while since you and Hannah broke up?"
"You don't keep an on-and-off relationship with someone for almost three years because you don't feel something for that person, Ross," Calum patiently explained, smiling a little sadly. "You feel a deep connection with that person, and that's the main thing that keeps you coming back for more, no matter the odds. I've learned that through experience."
Ross asked, "So, you think you may have some leftover feelings for Hannah, which is stopping you from possibly pursuing a relationship with Rydel?"
Calum nodded. "Precisely, my blonde headed friend." Hesitating slightly, he decided to admit something else. "While we were filming Austin & Ally, I thought I was moving on. Raini and I were hanging out a lot. We could talk about practically anything without feeling awkward. I really thought we had something."
Oh God, does Laura and Ratliff know about this? Ross wondered, feeling dread pool in his stomach. If Calum had developed feelings for Raini – and/or vice versa – they had to rethink their plans. But why didn't Raini say anything? Laura didn't even know about this. Obviously, Ross needed to investigate further into the matter, starting with getting Raini's side of the story.
Until then, however, Ross would focus on Calum's (possible) romantic feelings for Rydel.
"I sense a 'but' coming up," he commented, trying to mask his emotions.
Calum winced. "But when we got back to LA, it wasn't the same. My feelings didn't go anywhere further than friendship. It turned out what I felt for Raini was just that: Friendship. Sure, it's a deep and everlasting type of friendship, but friendship nonetheless."
Summing up the information, Ross slowly said, "You thought you were over Hannah, because you thought you were developing romantic feelings for Raini. When that didn't work out, you waited for more time to pass, which brings us to now. You think you have feelings for Rydel, but you don't wanna say anything until you know for sure that it's real and not a rebound-thing. Right?"
The redhead released a relieved sigh. "I'm so glad you understand what I'm going through." He suddenly grinned. "You know, it feels great to get all of that off my chest. Thanks, buddy."
"Anytime, dude." Ross returned the grin. Standing straight, he slapped Calum on the shoulder. "If you need to talk to someone, you have my number. Call me and we'll have a man-to-man talk. With pizza."
Calum chuckled. "Only if you do the same. I know you have your brothers and Ellington, but I'm here, too." Then, he also slapped Ross on the shoulder. "But thanks again. I didn't realize how much I needed to talk to someone."
"Hey, what are friends for, right?"
SP*SP*SP
When the girls finally reached Italy, they couldn't resist Oh-ing and Ah-ing at all the sights, the people, and the culture that surrounded them. Neo was equally impressed, but he was able to keep his emotions in better check. Instead, he put most of his focus into steering the girls in the right direction – namely towards the hotel they would be staying in for the next few weeks.
After collecting the luggage, Neo had requested a private car to pick them up at the airport and take them to their hotel. From there, the group of five would have a couple of hours to relax; Neo also had reservations at the hotel's featured restaurant for them, then he would make some calls concerning Laura's modeling gig the next day. He wanted to make sure everything was running on-schedule, especially since he knew the girls would want to explore and shop.
All in all, their first night in Italy would be the most relaxing one during the rest of the trip for everyone.
SP*SP*SP
Since Neo had been in charge of booking the rooms, the girls were assigned adjoining ones, while he had his own room right across the hall from them. Laura and Rydel decided to be roommates, while Raini and Maia took the remaining room. The plan for the evening was to unpack and rest up from the long flight, then meet up in a few hours for dinner.
Seeing this as her chance to speak to Rydel privately, Laura quickly unpacked and organized her clothes and other belongings before turning her attention onto the blonde.
"So, are you excited about being in Italy?"
Rydel placed a stack of clothes into a drawer, throwing a bright smile over her shoulder. "Of course I am," she exclaimed. "It's even more beautiful than I thought it would be. Thank you again for inviting me, Laura. This is the best birthday gift, ever!"
Laura laughed, glad that her best blonde (female) friend was already enjoying herself. "That's good to hear, and no problem. I would have been bored to tears otherwise."
"Don't let Neo hear you say that," the other young woman giggled.
"Neo knows I love him, but we can't be together during these types of trips twenty-four/seven. He'd be running all over the place, and I would be either stuck behind a camera or in my room, watching TV or staring at my iPad."
Rydel continued to giggle. "What? You wouldn't be texting Riker, you know, your boyfriend?"
Laura playfully smirked. Gotcha. "Speaking of boyfriends…" she hinted. "Has anyone caught your attention recently?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't be coy, Delly. I could have sworn I saw sparks flying between you and a certain redhead named Mister Calum Worthy."
The blonde felt her cheeks flush pink, but she quickly laughed to hide her reaction. "I'm not sure what you saw, but it wasn't anything like that, Laura," she deflected. "I think you need to go back to wearing glasses. Your contacts are making you see things."
Laura decided not to push it. She had time to press for more information, so for now she'd retreat. But it wouldn't be for long; she could be tenacious when she wanted to be.
Holding her hands up in mock-surrender, she lightly conceded, "Okay, okay. I see how it is. You're not ready to admit anything. That's fine. Let's just catch up on some sleep before meeting the others for dinner, alright? I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."
Rydel let a relieved smile cross her features. As much as she loved Laura and thought of her as a sister, she wasn't quite ready to talk about her feelings for Calum. Rydel couldn't even figure out what she felt yet. Nodding, she agreed, "Yeah, that flight was pretty long. I feel like I could sleep for a week."
With that, the two crawled into their respective beds and let the Sandman drift them into the land of dreams.
However, Rydel couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face as she thought about the aforementioned redheaded actor.
SP*SP*SP
Later that night, Laura and Raini finally found an excuse to break away from Rydel and Maia to discuss what Laura had discovered. Raini had also been texting Ross, who had needed some clarifications from the Latina, but things were cleared up quickly. This also gave Raini a chance to catch Laura up on what had been discovered from Ross's end.
While waiting for the ice machine to fill their buckets to take back to their respective rooms, Laura thoughtfully hummed. "Basically, Calum wants to be sure his feelings for Rydel are real, and then we have Rydel, who won't even admit to possibly having romantic feelings for him."
"Yep," Raini agreed, "that's everything."
"Does Ratliff know what's going on?"
"Ross said he'll tell him, but with the time difference between here and there, he probably already did."
"Good, good." Laura removed the now-full bucket, replacing it with Raini's. "Now, what do we do?"
The Latina shrugged. "I guess we work on Rydel, and Ross and Ratliff will work on Calum," she answered. She paused for a split second before saying, "You know, I'm glad you brought Ross in on this. I doubt we would be making this much progress this fast."
It was Laura's turn to shrug. "Well, I figured it would be a good move. I mean, he set up Rocky and Maia – and those two are as happy as two love bugs. Why wouldn't he be able to help with Rydel and Calum?"
"True. Having him help will only improve our chances of being successful matchmakers."
"Exactly," she brightly said. Removing the ice bucket, she handed it to Raini. "We should get back to Rydel and Maia before they decide to look for us or, God forbid, tell Neo we went missing. He'll totally flip out if that happens!"
With a small laugh, Raini nodded, and the two friends walked back to the room the girls were using to hang out in. There would be more time to discuss things at a later time but, for now, they were content with the knowledge that Rydel and Calum were at least thinking about each other. That would have to be enough for now.
SP*SP*SP
"Okay, Laura," the photographer said, "Turn this way, please. That's it. Give us a big smile now – Perfect!" The rapid-fire clicks of the camera were in time with the dozens of lights flashing on and off to add depth to her photos. "That was beautiful. We have a few more rolls of film before we start taking shots outside. Okay?"
"Got it," the petite brunette replied, smiling widely at the photographer. Turning around, she shot a semi-flirty glance over her shoulder; her emphasized eye make-up would make the shot more dramatic. "When did you want to break for lunch, Jean-Paul?"
Jean-Paul was the professional photographer that would be taking the majority of Laura's pictures for the Italian magazine she was covering. He was between the ages of twenty-five and thirty, with short, brown hair and enigmatic hazel eyes. His body was leanly muscled in the true artist sense, and dressed impeccably, including a leather fedora on his head. Lastly, he always wore black, thickly framed glasses.
"Before we head outside should be soon enough," he answered. His complete attention was on the camera in his hand and on the one attached to the tripod. "Let's have you move a little to the right. Are you sure you're only half-Italian? I swear you could be full."
Laura laughed, which set off more flashes. She had a feeling that Jean-Paul had said that last part on purpose. They had only met two hours ago, but that had been the first thing he'd uttered upon their meeting. Laura had found it amusing then, as she did now.
"Careful, Laura," Neo, standing on the side, said, smirking, "his smooth-talking may convince you to stay here longer."
The photographer laughed. "I wouldn't complain. She's one of the easiest models I've worked with, and her smile is amazing."
"Flatterer," Laura and Neo said in unison.
"Perhaps, but I don't lie either."
Rolling her eyes playfully, Laura decided to ask, "So, when is lunch? I'm starving!"
SP*SP*SP
Lunch consisted of light refreshments, fruits, crackers and freshly baked bread, smoked meats, and assorted cheeses. Laura felt like she'd died and gone to Italian heaven, and Neo and the rest of the girls agreed. Jean-Paul had proudly informed them that everything had been locally grown or made, while he sat and ate with them. A few other crew members joined the festivities, asking questions about Los Angeles and how it was different from Italy. Maia was also questioned about Australia and how she liked relocating to America.
After their stomachs were full, the four friends chatted amongst themselves for a while before Laura had to get back to work, along with Jean-Paul and Neo. This left Rydel, Raini, and Maia on their own, but neither seemed to mind; they liked seeing Laura work and the different outfits she had to model. Each was unique and classy, in colors and shades that complimented Laura in various ways.
"Don't forget about the interviews we have lined up after we're done here," Neo said, already pulling out his cell phone to make sure everything was running on-schedule. "Don't be caught off guard if they ask about your music career. We want to promote that as much as possible."
"Got it, Neo," Laura replied, smiling reassuringly at her agent/manager. Hopping to her feet, she waved at the others. "Well, the camera awaits," she playfully chirped. "I'll see you girls in a little bit."
"Bye, Laura," they called back in unison.
When their petite brunette friend was out of sight, Raini turned her attention onto her companions. "Hey, do you think they'll let her perform during one of their live interviews?" she asked, a hopeful spark in her dark eyes. "That would be great exposure for her, and her fan-base could expand internationally."
"That would be a great idea," Maia enthused in her cute, Australian accent.
Rydel nodded in agreement. "It would be," she said, "especially since she'll be promoting Austin & Ally before she knows it. Ross, too." Turning her attention onto the only Latina, she added, "And you, Raini, and Calum."
Raini waved off her concerns. "I'm not too worried. It's a summer movie, so we have practically a year before we have to start seriously promoting the film. But, speaking of Calum," she slyly added, "I was texting Ross the other day. He says he was talking about you, Rydel." If the direct approach wouldn't work, Raini would try subtle prodding.
Choosing to be obtuse, Rydel scoffed, "Who, Ross? I'm not surprised. What did he say about me this time? Wait – Let me guess. He said something about my love for tutus, right? Like I keep telling him, he's just jealous that I can pull the look off and he can't."
"Ooh, someone is being a bit coy," Maia teased good-naturedly, grinning. "Is there something going on between you and Calum, Rydel? Spill!"
The blonde keyboardist sputtered. "W-What? What are you talking about? There's nothing going on between me and Calum – Don't be ridiculous!"
Maia and Raini shared a conspiratorial look.
"Doth the lady protest too much?" the latter asked, mimicking an old World English accent. Maia giggled.
Rydel rolled her eyes. "Believe whatever you guys want – the 'lady' is not protesting anything too much," she said.
"We will," the other two chimed together, smiling indulgently, "and sure, if you say so."
In response, their blonde counterpart stuck out her tongue playfully.
SP*SP*SP
Later that night, Rydel stared at her cell phone in trepidation. Her thumbs were poised over the screen, ready to type her message, but she hesitated. Would texting him be a good idea? She knew that Laura and the others were curious about her feelings for a certain Canadian actor. But Rydel wasn't ready to admit anything yet, especially when she couldn't figure out her own feelings for him.
She wasn't sure when things had changed. Calum had always been funny, since their first meeting while he filmed Austin & Ally with her brother and best friend. They didn't talk as much as they could have – especially when R5 was composing for the soundtrack – but they did talk whenever the opportunity arose. They always had a good time, and could practically talk about anything.
It was especially obvious that things could change for Rydel and Calum when Laura and Riker went on vacation. Ross had brought Calum to the house more than once to hang out, seeing as how Rocky was busy with his new relationship with Maia (Rydel still found it mind-boggling how many dates those two had fit within such a limited time).
And it wasn't like Calum hadn't been hanging out with others in-between visits to the Lynch house. Ross had mentioned multiple times how Calum already had plans with either Raini or another co-star the redhead had met during his career. He had a rather active social life, even during the times he was taking classes at the local University. What made Rydel special, in the scheme of things? What made her stand out amongst the other pretty young women that were drawn to Calum for various reasons?
She didn't know, and that's what ultimately scared her.
Breathing out a sigh, Rydel stared at the ceiling for a second before glancing back down at her pink iPhone. She may not be able to pinpoint when her feelings for Calum had turned from platonic to hopefully-romantic, but she did know one thing:
He could make her heart flutter when he focused those sparkling blue eyes on her.
I'm in trouble, she concluded, though it wasn't in dread. It felt more… Inevitable.
Yeah, that sounded about right.
Until*Next*Time
Thank you for reading and please review at the bottom!
What did you guys think of this chapter? Is Rydel's Birthday arc going okay? How about her blooming romance with Calum? I'm trying to keep this story as unpredictable as possible – How am I doing?
~babydoll92