Casey stepped out of the car, squinting in the morning sun as she adjusted her bag over her shoulder. The lot was busy but familiar, and this time, it didn't feel as overwhelming as her first visit. It felt...good. Exciting
As she walked towards the set, her phone buzzed.
nicholasalexanderchavez
you're late
Casey smiled, shaking her head as she quickened her pace. Late was pushing it — she was maybe three minutes behind schedule. She tucked her phone away, feeling the nervous energy building in her stomach. Nicholas had asked her to come, to actually spend time with him, which still felt surreal. She wasn't used to people acting this forward, let alone someone like Nicholas.
When she reached the set, Trish wasn't waiting for her this time. Instead, Nicholas strolled over from the direction of his trailer, looking casual in a hoodie and jeans, his hair slightly tousled. He grinned as soon as he saw her.
"Took you long enough," he teased, hands in his pockets.
Casey rolled her eyes, letting out a small laugh, "Are you really going to give me shit for being, like what, three minutes late?"
"Absolutely. That's three minutes we could've spent... doing something else."
"Oh like what?" She shot back, falling in step beside him as they headed toward the trailers.
"Well," he started, pretending to think hard. "We could've been on a coffee run, or doing a mini-tour of the set, or, I don't know, I could've been convincing you that I'm not a total weirdo."
Casey snorted. "You're not doing a great job of that last part so far."
He laughed, glancing over at her. "I'm working on it."
They reached his trailer, and he held the door open for her, motioning for her to come inside.
Casey paused just before the doorway, raising an eyebrow. "Do you bring every girl in here?"
Nicholas grinned, leaning against the door frame glancing down at her. "Only the pretty ones"
She rolled her eyes, trying not to smile at how ridiculous he sounded.
His trailer was small but cozy, with a couch, a mini fridge, and a few scattered scripts on the counter. She sat down on the couch while Nicholas grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and handed it to her.
"Here. Gotta stay hydrated if you're gonna survive another day on set. Do you want anything else?" He asked, sitting down next to her.
"Uh could I have something with caffeine? Ooo an alani maybe? And a bagel? With cream cheese?"
"Of course, I'll text Trish." He replied pulling out his phone.
"Thanks. So what's this fun tour you promised?"
Nicholas leaned back, resting his arm casually on the back of the couch. "I figured I'd show you the less boring parts of the set. You've already done the 'official' tour, so this time, I'll show you where we all hand out between takes. Maybe introduce you to some more of the cast. And... there's this taco truck that parks by the lot sometimes — absolute life saver."
"Tacos. Now you're speaking my language."
"See? I knew I'd win you over eventually." Nicholas said, flashing her a grin.
Casey laughed, feeling more at ease. There was something so laid-back about him today, like they'd known each other for longer than a week. It felt more natural, comfortable, and she found herself enjoying every second of it.
"So," Nicholas continued, "I know we didn't get to talk much last time, but now you've got all day. What do you wanna know?"
Casey raised an eyebrow. "Oh so we're doing the twenty questions thing?"
"Why not?" He shrugged. "I'll even let you go first. Fair warning, I'm an open book. Mostly."
"Mostly," She teased, leaning forward.
a/n
hey! sorry for taking so long to update! i'm working on the next chapter rn! I'm probably going to post a decent amount in the next couple days since i don't have class
lmk what you think so far!!
love ya!
