Shy in Los Angeles

Chapter Ten: The Date

I walked through the halls and watched as the numbers slowly counted up. 25. 26. 27. 27. I stopped and looked at the door. It looked like all the others, what was I expecting? I raised my arm up and knocked on the door.
I could hear foot steps coming closer until the door opened. Standing behind the door was Noah. His hair was as perfect as ever and he still looked devilishly handsome. He wore simple light gray joggers and another black t-shirt, but this one had Darth Vader's helmet on the front. It was very different from my Jean shorts and pink flowery tank top.
He smiled and I bit the corner of my lower lip.
"Come in." He stepped to the side. "Make yourself comfortable."
I walked in and he shut the door. His place was bigger and nicer than mine, but not as big as Dot's. Once I entered, the living room was immediately in front of me. Behind it was the kitchen and the rooms were separated by a large bar counter. In the left corner, opposite the front door, was the door to the bedroom.
I moved over to the couch and sat down setting my purse on the floor next to me. Noah walked behind me and into the kitchen. He opened the fridge.
"Can I get you something to drink?" He asked while pulling out a Diet Coke for himself.
"What you're having is fine." I replied and tried to swallow my nerves, but I'm pretty sure I choked because when he walked behind me the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
He reached over the couch leaning his chest against my head and dangled the can in front of my face. I grabbed it from him and he stepped back. Noah moved around to the side of the couch and sat on the chair diagonal from the couch.
I cracked open the can and took a sip of the bubbly liquid. I then reached over to the coffee table and set it down. Noah pretty much did the same thing I did.
Now things were awkward.
I looked at him and waited patiently. I thought I should let him talk first because whatever I would say would just be a bad idea. He looked at me and studied my face. Oh no! He wanted me to talk first. Maybe to prove that I'm not as shy as I appear.
I swallowed. "I guess I'll just cut to the chase then. Why did you want to see me?" I asked.
The corners of his mouth went up. "You are beautiful. I like to look at pretty things. And I enjoyed talking to you." He replied.
I blushed. "Okay, what do you want to talk about?"
"You are here in America. Why?"
"Oh, that's the big question. Well, like I said before, I'm a model. Back in Australia I was quite a popular model, not to brag though. I used to like model. I could wear fun clothes and pose for a camera. I felt beautiful and it was fun. Then, when I was 19, my mum and my manager decided that I should use my body for more than just dresses. She had me doing swimsuits and other revealing outfits. That's not fun. I was sick of it." I explained.
"So you just left? Was there something specific that happened that made you throw in the towel?" He asked and laid back a little.
"Well, after a shoot one day, I went outside to have a smoke. My mum was unaware that I even smoked, but she found out along with the rest of Australia when some paparazzi took a few pictures of me." I frowned.
He furrowed his brow. "So what? You smoked. No big deal."
"Models don't smoke. Models don't drink. Models don't party, at least not serious ones."
"Who said that?" He asked.
"My mum." I answered. "But I knew she was wrong. That's why I left."
"You should be able to live your life the way you want. Have you done that here?"
I shrugged. "Kind of. I am modeling still, but it is fun. My friend Dot is a designer. I enjoy what I do definitely."
"I sense a 'but.'" Noah sat forward.
I sighed. "I love singing. I always have. My mum never really noticed or cared. Maybe because I suck at it and don't know, but I guess I would be a singer if I could."
Noah smiled. "Singing. Alright, demonstrate."
My eyes widened. "What?"
"Yeah." He stood up and grabbed my arms.
Noah pulled me off the couch and forced me to stand. He then sat down back down in his chair.
"Any requests?" I asked in a nervous voice.
"I don't know. Pick something. Your favorite song to sing." He waited patiently while I prepared myself.
I looked at into his eyes for a moment. I should have been shitting myself, but something about his face was calming.
I took a deep breath and started to sing Chandelier by Sia. I got through the chorus the first time and stopped. I didn't realize till I was finished that I had had my eyes closed the whole time. I opened them and looked at Noah. He looked serious and then smiled once he met my eyes.
"That was great." He stood up.
We both took a step closer to each other.
I blushed. "Really?"
"Yeah. You could easily be a singer. The next big thing." He smiled.
"Thanks." I giggled. "Now it's your turn."
"To sing?"
"No, to tell me your life story. You know mine, let me know yours." I said.
"Shy, That was hardly a life story. You told me one little part." He corrected me.
I rolled my eyes. "Okay, fine. Then tell me about how you became a movie critic." I sat down on the couch, the opposite end that I sat on before.
Noah sat on the couch too.
"Well, I'm from Findlay, Ohio. It's a small town, you wouldn't know it. I realized quickly that I wasn't meant for the small town life. I moved to New York after high school and went to NYU for economics. I thought I would get into the stock business. A friend took me to a broadway play one day. Afterwards, he asked me what I thought and I gave him a very brutal review. He seemed to understand my side of it, but he still loved the show anyway. The next movie I went too, I realized that I was critiquing it in my head while watching. The things is, I did that growing up too. I never really bought into any of hat movie magic bullshit, but some people just love that. I tend to review on that...I'm off track. Anyway, I graduated college and then joined a newspaper. I was in charge of writing all the stock updates. On day, I submitted a movie review and my boss liked it. I was promoted. From there I went to two different magazines before People hired me and had me move to the LA headquarters." He explained.
I nodded. "Interesting. Broadway. Did you go to many other shows?" I asked.
"Yeah. A few more for some of the mags and for my own enjoyment. The problem is that I have the mind of a critic, so I am all judging whatever I watch." He shrugged. "Sometimes I wish I could just watch something for fun instead of constantly analyzing it."
I gestured to his shirt. "What about Star Wars?" I asked.
He raised an eyebrow. "Who could ever have a bad thing to say about Star Wars? But don't get me started on the prequels." He rolled his eyes. "The original movies are pure joy and just perfect. They are the only movies I can watch for fun."
I winced. "Well, I've actually never seen them."
He placed his hand over his heart. "That actually hurt me."
I giggled.
"We can remedy that later." He smiled.
"Later?" I asked.
"Next time we hang out." Noah inched a little closer to me. "Have I mentioned that I enjoy your company?"
My heart started to bear faster. "I think you said something along those lines." I licked my drying lips.
He grabbed my hand. "Quick question."
"Yeah?" I looked at him with great anticipation.
"How long will you be in LA?" He asked.
I tightened my grip on his hand. "Until August." I frowned.
"So, forming any kind of romantic attraction would be a bad idea." Noah moved a little closer to me so our knees touched.
"Probably." I bit my lip.
He was right. Would that stop us? Probably not.
Noah's free hand came up and caressed my cheek. "You know, I'm a person who knows easily when they are going to get along with a person."
"Me too."
"I don't like to waste time."
"Same."
Noah moved his hand behind my head and pulled me closer. He turned his head and his lips lightly touched mine. I shut my eyes and kissed him back.