The studio doors opened, and the smell of fresh paint and coffee filled the air. The room was busy crew members were running around, adjusting lights and cameras. It was chaotic, but exciting. Nova gripped her makeup kit tightly, feeling nervous. This was the world she had always wanted to be a part of, and now she was here, close to making her dream come true.
She looked around the room, searching for him, Liam Chase, the reason she had worked so hard to get this job. She had followed his career for years, memorized his songs, and admired him from afar. Now, she was part of the crew, only a few steps away from him. Her heart raced, but she told herself to stay focused. 'Stay professional' she reminded herself.
"Hey, are you the new girl?" a voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned to see a woman with a headset and a clipboard. "You'll be working with the talent, set up your station, they'll be here soon."
Nova nodded quickly and went to her spot, but before she could get there, the woman called her again. "Hey, new girl... I'm sorry, what's your name?" She asked, realizing she couldn't call her 'new girl' all day.
"Nova... my name is Nova," she answered nervously as she waited for further instructions.
"So, Nova, I think you know that you're also responsible for organizing the clothes for the talent," the woman said.
"Yes, they told me that," Nova answered. "But I don't know where to go or what to do." She asked for directions to get started.
"For today, you'll just do makeup... just focus on that," the woman replied and left before Nova could respond.
"I think I need to get used to this..." Nova muttered to herself as she made her way to the designated area, carefully setting up her brushes and makeup tools.
The buzz of the crew and the noise of the cameras faded into the background, but she could still feel the excitement inside. This was her moment to shine, to prove she belonged here.
Then, she saw her, Eva Liam's girlfriend. She was tall, confident, and looked effortlessly beautiful. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Nova recognized her from school. They hadn't spoken back then, but now the tension was clear.
Eva looked away, acting as though she didn't notice her, but Nova could still feel the coldness in that glance. "She hasn't changed one bit," Nova told herself, picking up on the silent warning: 'Stay in your place'.
Nova took a deep breath and steadied herself. She wasn't here to get caught up in old rivalries. This was her dream job, her chance to be close to Liam, not just admire him from afar, but to be part of his world. She couldn't let anyone stop her. Even though she knew Liam had a girlfriend, she couldn't stop herself; she just wanted to be near him.
Then, the atmosphere in the room changed, all eyes turned to the entrance.
Liam walked in, and the room seemed to light up around him. His presence was powerful, and everyone noticed. For a moment, his eyes skimmed over Nova, but didn't stop. He didn't know her. Not yet, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. To shake things off, he asked about her.
"Is this the new makeup girl?" he asked, pointing at Nova.
"Yes, and I think everyone is ready; they're just waiting for you to get ready," the woman from earlier replied. "Okay, then let's get into it."
Nova was nervous. She couldn't believe that she was standing so close to him. She had craved this moment for so long, but now that it was here, she didn't want to mess it up. So, she focused on her work, doing her best to act like nothing was going on. Liam was busy with his phone, but she didn't mind. It wasn't like she expected his attention.
She did her job, applying makeup for the other talent, all while trying to keep her thoughts from wandering too much. She couldn't help but notice, though, how Liam would glance over at her every so often. At first, it was subtle, but it happened enough times that she started to wonder. Was he curious about her, or was it just a passing thought? The work went on until late into the night.
When everything was finally ready, Liam stood up and addressed the crew. "Is everyone here?" he asked, his voice carrying through the room.
The crew quickly answered, and Liam nodded before continuing, "I called you all here so I can thank you for your hard work, everyone did their best, and I'm so grateful to have this crew, I'm sure whatever is left to do will be great, and I really hope this crew sticks together when the tour begins, It'll be an honor to have everyone on tour with me, great work, everyone!"
The room filled with applause, but it wasn't time to rest yet. Liam wasn't done.
"I need to have a word with the new members, please," he said, his tone shifting to something a little more serious.
Nova's heart skipped a beat. What does he want with us? She wondered. She wasn't sure why, but the idea of him wanting to speak with them made her feel a mix of excitement and anxiety.
She followed the group to a more secluded part of the studio, her mind racing. She wasn't sure what to expect. Was Liam going to compliment her work? Or was he going to tell them what they were doing wrong? When they gathered in a circle, Liam looked at each of them, then turned his gaze to Nova. His eyes lingered on her for a moment, and she couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious under his stare.
"Just four of you? I requested six members," Liam said, raising an eyebrow. "Where are the others?"
"Some of them couldn't make it, so we're the ones who got the job," someone from the crew answered.
Liam nodded, but there was still something on his mind.
"Can you all be comfortable around here? I'm just a simple guy, I don't want people acting like I'm different from them, we're all the same, right? "He ended the sentence while looking directly at Nova.
Her stomach flipped at the attention, but she tried not to let it show ."Hey, shy girl..." Liam said, catching her off guard. "What's your name?"
"Me? My name is Nova," she replied, surprised by how casually he spoke to her.
"Can I have a word with you?" He put a stop then he added "Alone"
Her eyes widened, she didn't expect that but she replied "Sure" but still wondering what is it he wants to talk to her
Other members left them alone.
"I heard you know a bit about design stuff, is that right?" he asked.
"Yes, I know a bit about design, but I'm more experienced in makeup," Nova answered, trying to sound confident, even though she was still processing the fact that Liam Chase was speaking to her directly.
"Wow, that's a relief, feels like my problem is solved a little... Can you help my singers with some designs until I find someone permanent?" Liam asked, his tone serious but with a hint of warmth.
"Yeah, sure, I can do that," Nova replied, trying to hide the excitement in her voice.
She couldn't believe she was getting a chance to work so closely with him. Before she could say anything else, Eva walked in, and the mood in the room shifted.
"Hey babe," Eva greeted Liam, kissing him on the lips. "How was the shoot?" she asked, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"It's been great," Liam replied, smiling at her, but his tone was distracted. "Busy, but I'm glad it's almost done."
Eva smiled, but her eyes flickered toward Nova, a slight glimmer of something she couldn't quite place.
"I had such a great time at the party," she said, "but I'm glad to see you now." Liam looked at Nova briefly, then back at Eva.
"That's good to hear, I've been caught up here, but I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."
Nova felt her stomach twist. 'Is this really happening?' she thought.
Liam smiled at Eva, and then looked back at Nova, but before he could say anything more, Eva interrupted again.
"Can we just have some private time now?" Eva asked, wrapping her arm around Liam's. "I need my man all to myself."
Liam glanced at Nova one last time before nodding. "Yeah, sure, we'll talk later, Nova."
Nova felt the tension rise in the room but didn't want to stick around to feel uncomfortable. She quickly muttered a quick goodbye, forcing a smile before turning to leave. As she walked away, she could feel Eva's eyes on her, but she kept her focus straight ahead, determined to stay professional and not let her emotions get the better of her.