Page 66 of Jude

I wasn’t sure I could play games like that, or that Jude was a man you could manipulate, but I swallowed my doubts and tucked her advice away.

‘Thank you for the perspective, Anya,’ I said, smiling through my lingering uncertainty. ‘I’ve got to go before you pop a blood vessel.’

‘Ti voglio bene, Sofia! If you can snag me even just one of their signed vinyls, I’ll love you forever,’ she called out before I rang off.

Leaving me alone gazing up at the sky, none the wiser.

Later that evening, I sat buried in the plush sofa in the den, with a bowl of prawn and garlic pasta.

At the same time, my newest favorite soap opera, I Segreti Del Vigneto, blasted on the massive TV.

Following the dramatic plot twists on screen brought back a flood of memories from my time under the studio lights.

It reminded me of my old castmates, the tight-knit crew, and the chaotic, beautiful camaraderie I missed on the set.

However, I knew I would never go back to that world.

The intense pressure of being so exposed to the media, the relentless paparazzi, the dangerous reach of the mafia, and even a few terrifying stalker fans proved too much for me to handle.

I’d only pursued modeling and acting back then as a quick way to pay off my steep university fees.

Instead, I became a household name across Italy for five years.

Now, I was content to sit back and let other actors make me laugh.

I didn’t miss the grueling sixteen-hour workdays, the toxic industry expectations, and the constant fear that came with a life in the public eye.

I also wasn’t sure when to tell Jude about my former career, uncertain of how to put it to him.

Did it matter to him who I was in my previous life?

Probably not, given our relationship was purely platonic, minus the mind-blowing sex last night.

I tamped the thought and focused on the scene playing out onscreen, which was pure comedy gold.

The main guy, Roman, had just gotten caught hiding in a closet by his girlfriend’s dad.

He was trying so hard to act tough and look hot in his silk button-down, but he got covered in dry-cleaning plastic and trailing hangers behind him.

Meanwhile, his girl was in the background crying, screaming at the top of her lungs, and swearing to the heavens that it was all a huge misunderstanding.

I shook my head, laughing out loud just as my phone rang.

My heart skipped a beat as Jude’s name flashed on the display.

I picked up.

‘Hey.’

‘How are you?’

His signature, timbred rasp sent shivers down my spine.

‘I’m awesome, eating and bingeing a show.’

‘Let me guess a soap opera and the main guy is acting macho while his girl cries a river?’

‘It’s so tragic, but I’m addicted.’