Crash

Caught Red Handed

As soon as Penelope pulled up to the airport, the first thing she noticed was the paparazzi. It wasn't unusual for them to sit in gaggles near the terminals, hoping to catch some stray celeb as they re-entered the city, but this was different. The place was practically crawling with them, cameras at the ready. 

Penelope had done her best to prepare. Her hair was tied back, tucked into a black cap, and her eyes were hidden behind large sunglasses. She'd taken her own car, but there was no getting around that, but she'd purposely kept her gym gear on, hoping that maybe she'd just blend with the crowds. Still, she was anxious. 

However, it did help that Charles knew his way around LA enough that she didn't need to guide him from the landing strip. She could wait here, behind the comfort and safety of her tinted windows, until he emerged. 

And that was exactly what she did. It took twenty minutes, but she spotted Charles heading towards her from the main building, wearing a similar getup. No one seemed to be paying attention as he walked through, and the familiar cheeky smile that he gave her on his approach made her nerves simply melt away. 

"Hey," he said as he opened the door, throwing his bag across the back seat. "Miss me?"

Penelope pulled him towards her, cupping his face as she kissed him. "You have no idea. I can't believe you're here."

Charles sat back against the seat, never letting go of her hand. "I was going crazy without you. But by the way, if Mattia asks, this trip is purely business, no pleasure."

She tried to put on a serious expression but failed, collapsing into laughter. "You used the business card, didn't you?"

He winked at her. "A magician never reveals his secrets." His eyes landed on the car dashboard, raising an eyebrow. "You sure you don't want me to drive?"

"I can handle it. My city, my rules. No judging my driving either!"

"I can't make any promises."

********************

Penelope poked her head through the set door, checking both directions before tugging on Charles's sleeve to give him the all clear.

"Hurry up!" she hissed, barely able to form the words through floods of giggles. Charles gripped her hand, following close behind.

"What happens if we get caught?" he asked, almost tripping over a wire as Penelope dragged him towards the main set. 

"Depends on who catches us," she told him, yanking him to the right as one of the sound engineers walked past. "If it's one of those guys, we'll get away with it. I'll say I'm rehearsing or something. But if Li catches us then...well, let's not think about it."

Above them, the bell rang for end of day. Set filming was finished, and most of the crew had already packed away. The only obstacles in their way on their quest to reach the main set were a few stragglers and, if luck wasn't on their side, the show's director and runner Li Suen. 

Penelope held Charles back again as Lindsey King, head of lighting, trudged past them, flicking the switch to the main light and shrouding the set in almost darkness. Then, with her head in her phone, she headed to the exit, not paying Penelope and Charles any mind. Her exit was a good thing - she was normally the last to leave for the day and if all went as planned, meant that the coast should now be clear. 

"Come on," Penelope giggled, deciding to make a run for it. "Keep your head down!"

"Okay, okay," Charles laughed as they ran towards the stage. 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they made it. The show had two main sets - the warehouse they were in right now and the outdoor set they used for Camp Half-Blood. The warehouse was used for the Big House and all other inside locations that made the show famous, and it was nothing short of impressive to look at.