The Journalist and Her Actor

Chapter 2

I was standing in a movie stars house, having just covered him in cheese and red sauce, ruining his meal, and sealing my fate. The pizza slowly slid off his body and hit the ground with a deafening splat.

I am so getting fired.

"Oops..." I managed, staring at his chest, like a marinara war zone. "Um... order up," I added before I was able to shut my mouth.

A muscle worked in Luke's jaw as he used his bathroom towel to wipe down his chest. "I'll ask again. What are you doing here?"

"I was just... delivering your pizza?" I offered lamely gesturing at his chest.

He finished covering his perfectly white towel in sauce and dropped it on the counter, raising a brow at me. "You don't sound sure. Is this how you deliver all your pizzas? Hitting customers with their orders after sneaking inside?"

I crossed my arms, torn between anger and melting into the ground and dying of embarrassment. "Sorry," I said in a very unapologetic tone. I tried again to sound somewhat innocent. "I didn't expect to see a half naked man on my night rounds."

His eyes narrowed. "And I didn't expect to find my pizza delivery person INSIDE my home. I didn't let you inside."

I waved my hand towards the elevator, the culprit behind this entire accidental breaking into his home thing. "The elevator did. Who has an elevator who lets strangers into their home?"

"You need a pass to get up here," he replied like that was the most obvious thing in the world.

I yanked the small pass that the front desk guy gave me out of my pocket, watching Luke stare down at my pink shorts for the first time, taking them in like they were a bright pink carnival of nope.

I ignored his gaze, clearing my throat. "The front fancy desk guy who is afraid of pizzas let me upstairs. So I clearly didn't break in. I was let in."

"Bert? He isn't afraid of pizzas. He was probably just surprised by your delivery method." He took in all of me with an unreadable expression. "Which leaves a lot to be desired."

I bristled, suddenly defensive of my rainbow hair, Nyan Cat sweater, bright pink shorts and combat boots. Sure I looked absolutely ridiculous standing in his house, but he was the one who ordered pizza from a nerd shop. I took a slow breath, trying to calm down."I didn't mean to hit you with your own pizza—"

"That wasn't part of the delivery? Like some kind of unwanted video game side quest?" he asked, completely serious.

"Listen tall nerd dude," I said through gritted teeth, glaring up at him, feeling utterly small against his ridiculous height, somewhat surprised by my own anger. "That was an accident. Not a Legends of Zelda side mission where I go into someone's house and smash up all of their pots," I replied dryly, upping his nerd reference.

"I didn't mean to come in here unannounced. I didn't mean to get so startled that I chucked your own food at you."

Side stepping him, I backed up towards the elevator, desperate to get out of his house. "I'll just... leave you with... the pizza and go. It's free of charge obviously since my side quest was soooo successful."

He watched me go, a muscle working in his jaw, his expression a mix of surprise and irritation.

"So... goodbye," I said as I turned dramatically towards the elevator, only to realize that I was going to have to wait for the elevator to arrive before I could make my escape.

So much for a dramatic exist.

I hit the button frantically, feeling Luke's eyes on the back of my head. Chocolate colored lasers that threatened to melt me into a colorful puddle.