Model to Holywood

During the lunch break, the cast and crew of the film sat together to eat.

The food provided by the crew was abundant. There was a buffet with a variety of options: bread, pizza, rice, beef and potatoes, fried chicken, green beans, and more. There was also coffee and fruit—everyone could choose whatever they wanted to eat.

Luca got himself some fried chicken, beef with potatoes, rice, and two slices of orange, and sat down across from Amanda.

"Luca, are you Brazilian?" Amanda asked.

"Yes," Luca raised his eyebrows playfully, "You're not going to discriminate against me, are you?"

"Of course not," Amanda rolled her eyes at him, "Do you guys eat the same food as we do?"

"Pretty much. Brazil used to be a Portuguese colony, so our eating habits are heavily influenced by European cuisine. We usually eat Western food—grilled meats, black bean rice, sushi, egg tarts. The only difference is our food tends to be spicier," Luca explained slowly.

"I like spicy food too, but every time I eat it, my lips swell up, so I avoid it," Amanda said, pouting her red lips, which looked quite appetizing.

"No worries, swollen lips can look even prettier—like Angelina Jolie," Luca teased.

"Are you serious?" Amanda pouted, slightly annoyed.

"Okay, I was joking, but your lips really are beautiful," Luca said with a light chuckle.

Amanda's lips were glossy and plump, though not as big as Angelina Jolie's, they were still quite sexy—a highlight of her appearance.

"Thank you," Amanda smiled, her lips still slightly puckered. "Your lips are quite... sexy too."

Luca smirked slightly as he looked at the girl in front of him. Putting down his fork, he said, "Amanda, I feel like I should apologize to you for what happened during the audition."

"It's no big deal, you don't need to apologize. We started it. I should apologize to you too," Amanda waved her hand, remembering the last time they met. She blushed. He had held her hand that day, and they talked so much. She felt like a lovesick girl—it was so embarrassing.

"How about we call it even?" Luca offered his hand with a smile.

"Alright, classmate Ryan!" Amanda laughed and shook his hand.

"What are you two doing?" Rachel and Lindsay Lohan walked into the dining area after changing outfits.

"We had a misunderstanding last time, so we're reintroducing ourselves," Amanda explained with a smile.

"Reintroducing yourselves?" Lindsay Lohan raised her thin eyebrows, "Luca, are you trying to scam Amanda again? A new scheme?"

Luca glanced at her, tempted to knock some sense into her. But since they didn't know each other well, he held back. Should he befriend her first, then knock some sense into her later?

"What are you planning, Luca?" Lindsay asked, holding a fork in front of her chest protectively, her expression showing a bit of fear because Luca's gaze had suddenly turned scary—like a wolf's.

"Haha, don't be silly, Lindsay. Let's eat!" Rachel laughed. Among the four lead actors in the crew, she was the oldest, eight years older than Lindsay, so she got along well with everyone.

"Fine," Lindsay put down her fork, speared a green bean, and glanced at Luca before biting it in half with a crunch.

Luca smiled, picked up a plump chicken leg, and bit down, breaking the bone with a snap.

"..." Lindsay quickly lowered her head, thinking to herself, *Too fierce—don't mess with him.*

Rachel noticed the scene and smiled softly. "Luca, Ryan said you bought an estate in Malibu. Is that true?"

"Estate?"

"Really?" Amanda and Lindsay both stopped to look at him.

"Yes, but it's just a villa. It's much smaller than the surrounding estates," Luca replied.

"A villa is still impressive. I heard property there starts at five million dollars," Amanda said enviously.

It was well known that houses in Malibu were expensive. Many big-name celebrities and wealthy Jewish families owned property there. But when she thought about him being a supermodel, and his sister being a famous writer, she wasn't too surprised.

"I bought it on a payment plan, so the pressure isn't too bad," Luca said.

"That's still great. When I become a big star, I'll buy a house in Los Angeles too. I want to live in Beverly Hills—that's where the real stars live. Malibu's more for old men," Lindsay said, casting a teasing glance at someone.

Luca smiled lightly. "You're not wrong. Malibu has a population of just over ten thousand, so it's pretty quiet. But the scenery is great, and it's close to Zuma Beach."

"Wow, that sounds amazing! I love the beach," Amanda said.

"When we wrap up filming, I'll invite everyone over for a party. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great!" Amanda and Lindsay agreed enthusiastically.

"It's settled then!"

"Scene 6, Take 1, Action!" the director called.

After finishing the restaurant scene, the crew moved to a classroom to film scenes between Katie and Aaron.

"Hi, can I borrow a pen?" Luca asked, turning to Lindsay after rummaging through his bag.

This was the scene where their characters meet for the first time.

The female lead, Katie, sees that the male lead is handsome and has a melancholic look, and instantly falls for him.

So, Luca tilted his chin up, showing off his perfectly chiseled profile.

"Luca really suits the role of Aaron," said Mark, the director, watching the monitor.

"Yes, but the only downside is that he's almost too good-looking—he looks more like a movie star than a student," joked Tina Fey, the screenwriter.

"That's okay. If the male lead is more striking, it gives the female leads more reason to fight over him," Mark replied.

"True!"

"Cut! That's a wrap for this one. On to the next scene!"

The classroom scenes were very fragmented, with Luca often just needing to show up, say a couple of lines, and move on. In one afternoon, they shot four scenes, and he changed outfits four times.

The last scene was the one he auditioned for.

"Hey Aaron, I didn't understand this problem. Can you help me with it?" Katie, the female lead, likes Aaron and tries to flirt with him in various ways. Though she's a math genius, she pretends not to understand the problem so Aaron will explain it. Aaron, who isn't good at math, pretends to know it all to impress her.

"No problem!" Luca turned around, smiling confidently. "See, this is factorial. Each one multiplies by another 'N.'"

"And the sum is the same?" Lindsay, playing the role of Katie, looked at his face with admiration.

"Yes, the same."

"Thanks, I get it now," Lindsay said with a smile.

"Cut!"

Director Mark reviewed the footage. "Luca, at this stage, Aaron already knows Katie likes him, and he also likes her. So you need to be a bit more enthusiastic."

"Got it!" Luca nodded.

"Luca, you messed up five times today. I only messed up four. Do you know what that means?" Lindsay teased, holding up her fingers.

"You're trying to say I'm not as good an actor as you?" Luca quipped.

"Well, you said it, not me!" Lindsay grinned.

Luca smirked. Lindsay Lohan was one of those naturally gifted actresses—great looks, effortless acting talent, and every character she played was lovable.

He couldn't help but admit she was better than him at the moment. But who knows about the future? He thought to himself, *She's not good at managing her career. This movie might be her peak.*

Should he help her out?

Luca stared at her, pondering.

"Creep! Why are you staring at me?" she snapped.

Never mind. She doesn't need help.

"Scene 10, Take 5, Action!"

(End of Chapter)