"Can I come in?"
Luke opened the door to see Annie standing there with a smile.
She was dressed in white pajamas, her hair still damp, clearly fresh from a shower.
This late at night, what's she up to coming to my room? Luke wondered.
When Luke didn't answer right away, Annie held up a takeout box. "I brought a late-night snack. The spicy shrimp tonight was amazing, so I ordered extra."
She lifted her other hand. "And some beer to go with it."
"For the sake of good food, can I come in now?" Annie asked again, flashing another grin.
"Leave the food, but you stay out."
"Oh, come on! You're such a bad boy!"
Seeing the smile on Luke's face, she knew he was joking and pushed past him into the room.
Once the door closed, Annie asked, "What're you up to?"
"Cleaning my gun."
"Cleaning your gun?"
Annie gave a sly grin, her eyes drifting downward to a certain spot.
"What're you thinking? Didn't you see the rifle parts on my bed?"
"Who knows? Loneliness spares no one." Annie walked to the window. "You closed the window. Can't stand the 'noise' either, huh?"
"I bet they're doing it on purpose," Luke said with a laugh.
"Leaving the window open on purpose? Why would they?"
"Maybe they're having a contest, seeing who comes out on top. You know those two have been real tight lately."
Annie caught on immediately, puffing out her cheeks. "That's just gross!"
"Forget them. Let's dig into the food."
Annie set the shrimp and beer on the small table by the bed, then plopped down on Luke's bed.
"You're sitting on my pillow!"
"I just showered. I'm clean as a whistle."
"Still doesn't mean you can sit on my pillow."
"I thought you'd like it. Maybe after I leave, you'll hug it and take a sniff?"
Luke rolled his eyes. "I'm not a creep, but you sure know a lot about this stuff."
"Pfft!" Annie popped open a beer and handed it to Luke.
He took it casually. "There's an old saying: 'Liquor is the matchmaker of desire.' You know what that means?"
"Of course. We have a similar saying: 'If a woman doesn't want a guy to sleep with her, she won't drink alone with him.'" Annie's eyes twinkled like crescent moons as she sipped her beer.
"Guess some things are universal," Luke said with a nod.
"Is that the point? Shouldn't you be asking if me coming here to drink with you means I want to sleep with you?" Annie's gaze was direct, unflinching.
"Annie, I have a girlfriend."
"Luke, did you say that to Taylor too? I bet you didn't."
"You know Taylor?"
"Of course. She's a talented up-and-coming singer. I met her at New York Fashion Week last week. She told me in secret that she kissed you in a music video, just like in our short film."
"Fine, I should've guessed. Taylor knew you from watching our short film way back."
Annie scooted closer to him on the bed, her curvy figure accentuated by the snug pajamas.
"I'm definitely tastier than that shrimp. Wanna find out?"
"Annie…"
A delicate finger gently pressed against his lips.
"Let me finish, Luke. I really like you. Like, more than I ever thought I could like someone."
"But I know I'm not looking for anything long-term with you. I get you—your intense need to possess."
"I've had boyfriends before, and I won't give up my acting career. I'll keep working with other actors, so we wouldn't work out."
Luke nodded. He understood what she meant.
He'd met Annie Hathaway when she was 19.
After two years in the industry, she'd done a TV show and two movies—not exactly a newbie.
In a place as open as America, unless someone like Taylor had a close connection with Luke early on, how could a 20-year-old not have dated?
Annie was ambitious. She wouldn't put Luke above her career the way someone like GAKKI might.
So, she knew a serious relationship with Luke was never in the cards.
"But I'm still not okay with letting this go. If I don't have something with you, I'll regret it when I'm old."
"You don't need to feel any pressure. I just want a moment of fun. I'm not looking to tie my life to yours."
"You don't have to take any responsibility. This is what I want, what I've been dreaming about day and night."
With that, Annie slowly unbuttoned her top.
White is really white.
Round is really round.
Big is really big.
Luke felt his head spinning—in every sense of the word.
This was all so sudden!
He didn't know how to handle it.
When it came to women, Luke always had a line he wouldn't cross: no purely physical flings without an emotional connection.
Women were trouble. Beautiful women were big trouble.
If he went around crossing that line, he'd eventually trip up.
So, he only got involved with women he had real feelings for.
Did he have that with Annie?
"In the original script, there wasn't a kiss scene."
"But I thought the ending needed one, so I pushed for it."
Her words from a Fox News interview flashed through his mind.
Back then, Annie could've stayed out of it, but she'd taken his side.
(See Chapter 60 for details.)
Over the past two years, they'd worked together on Diary from the Past, The Lover Untouched, and Letters from the Future—the time-travel trilogy of short films.
They'd also collaborated on the first two Pirates of the Caribbean movies, with a third on the way.
Annie Hathaway was the actor he'd worked with the most.
How could there be no feelings?
Push her away? Or go with the flow?
Seeing Luke hesitate, a flicker of sadness passed through Annie's eyes.
She leaned in, whispering in his ear, "If this is moving too fast, I get it. I'll take a step back, but you can't say no to this."
"Huh?"
"In your sayings, if we can't be lifelong partners, we can at least share a moment of closeness."
In an instant, Annie's hands and feet moved, her soft limbs slipping under his clothes.
"Who taught you that? You even know that?"
"Hiss—"
Luke was already at a loss for words.