Page 38 of Love: Take Two

I level him with a look.

"What are we celebrating?"

"An uneventful day of shooting," he answers while packing up his laptop. I do the same. "No fighting. No missed cues. No one threatening to walk off the production. I call that a win."

"It did go surprisingly well," I admit. "Then again, Tabitha's done this dozens of times. It's Yong-rae who's the newbie."

Now it's Noah's turn to level me with a look.

"You justhadto get a jab in, huh?"

"Sorry," I say, but I'm smiling.

"You're right, though. It seems tempers have cooled. Maybe we won't have to come every day after all. Or at least not for the whole day."

"Yeah…," Noah hedges, "but seeing as 'Forced Proximity' is priority one for Luxe and I can work from anywhere, I'll probably stay."

He catches my wince.

"What? Were you hoping I would go? Even after the truce?"

"It's not that," I assure him. "It's just…'Forced Proximity'? Do you really think that name is going to make it to the box office?"

He smiles, his shoulders relaxing.

"No, I don't. It's not catchy enough."

"Right?!" I respond. "That's what I thought. Forced proximity is a romance trope, not a movie title."

"A romance trope?"

His brows furrow, and I stop packing to gawk at him.

"Yeah. It's when the main characters are forced to stay together until the romance inevitably builds and they fall in love. You didn't know that?"

"I had no idea," he says, shaking his head. "Now, I kinda like it."

I snort, and Rory comes over, looking much more at ease than when she first exiled us.

"So, how goes it in Video Village?" she asks. I can sense her bracing for a protest, but we both smile instead.

"It's actually been great," Noah answers first.

"Yeah," I agree. "Things are going well, don't you think?"

Rory blinks in confusion before her brain finally catches up to the fact that we're not attacking her. We must've really been putting her through it.

"Uh…Actually, yes," she manages through her shock. "Tabitha and Yong-rae are finally starting to gel."

"We were going to get drinks to celebrate," Noah says. "Would you like to join us?"

My good mood evaporates in six words, and it's all because of thatdamnsmile. I fell for it at USC, and apparently, I'm falling for it now. Of course he wasn't asking me out earlier. He's an agent; he can't help but flirt. He probably doesn't even date.

I should know better. Idoknow better. Noah Park was only ever about a good time, and it seems nothing has changed.

I zip my laptop bag closed with more force than necessary and sling it over my shoulder.

"You two have fun. I have a few NDAs to review before I crash. See you tomorrow!"