[1:10 PM] [The Glass Orchid, Midtown]
The restaurant was tucked away behind a wall of climbing ivy and frosted windows. Quiet, understated, and too exclusive to advertise. It wasn't the kind of place influencers posted from. It was the kind of place billionaires disappeared into.
Alex was already seated at a corner table when Evangeline Lilly walked in. The hostess just gestured silently and walked her over.
Evangeline wore dark jeans, a sleeveless silk top, and oversized sunglasses that she removed the moment she saw him. She looked rested, but there was something tired beneath her smile.
"Hey," she said, sliding into the seat across from him.
Alex returned the smile, one brow raised. "You came."
"You're buying," she replied. "I never say no to free food and catching up with someone who probably forgot to sleep."
The server arrived with water and menus, but Alex just waved his away. "Chef's menu. Two courses. Her usual and mine."
The server nodded and disappeared.
Evangeline gave him a look. "You still remember my usual?"
"I remember what you ordered the first time we came here," Alex said. "And every time after. Even the chef knows us by now."
That made her pause, just briefly. Then she relaxed into the seat and leaned her elbows on the table.
"So," she said, "how does it feel? Empire expanding. Models rising. Internet on fire. And you somehow not combusting?"
Alex chuckled. "Give it a week. I'll probably self-destruct during a press conference."
Evangeline smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Alex noticed. He leaned forward, voice low. "You've been quiet lately."
She looked out the window for a second. "Not much to say. Been watching. Thinking."
"About?"
"About how fast everything's changing," she said. "About how it feels like the world is spinning faster, but I'm... I don't know."
The food had arrived: grilled chicken and pasta for her, truffle pasta for him. She picked up her fork but didn't eat yet.
Alex leaned back. "Talk to me."
Evangeline twirled her fork through the pasta, but still didn't bring it to her mouth. Her fingers moved with restless precision, like her mind was somewhere else.
"Rachel called me this morning," she said finally.
Alex glanced up from his plate. "About?"
"She guided me through the contract for the Silver Sable voice in the Spider-Man animated series," Evangeline said, her voice steady. "Season one is already greenlit, and production begins this fall."
Alex gave a small nod. "You good with that?"
"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I am. It's... exciting. Something new. And I like that I don't have to be in full makeup and heels for it."
Alex smirked. "You'll crush it. I'm sure of that."
"Thanks." She finally took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. "That's not the part I'm nervous about."
Alex waited.
"She also mentioned the other thing," Evangeline continued. "The... Hobbit project."
Now he understood. His expression shifted slightly, but he let her finish.
"She said pre-production's starting in March. Filming around May or June. Big-scale location stuff. New Zealand, mostly. And, Alex… the budget on that thing? She said four hundred million."
Alex nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's pretty much accurate. Might increase depending on the situation. It's a dream project after all."
Evangeline stared at him. "You told me about it before. I said yes. I meant it. I still mean it. I want to do it. But I've never worked on something like this before. Not at that scale. That's..."
She paused, letting out a quiet breath. "And the paycheque? That number in the contract? I triple-checked to see if it was a typo. It's absurd."
"It's not," Alex said.
"I haven't even done a franchise movie yet, let alone the franchise movie of the decade."
"Which is exactly why you're the right choice," he said. "No baggage. No fan fatigue or ego on set. And you've got real acting muscle. You've carried indie films with low budgets and still made people cry and smile. I want that in the world we're building."
Evangeline looked at him for a long beat. Then she set her fork down.
"I guess I'm not used to people trusting me with this much. Well, other than you. You always put too much trust in me and that's... I don't know. It makes me happy and scared at the same time."
Alex didn't hesitate. "What you are feeling right now, I felt that feeling too when I first started. Too much pressure and very little room for breathing. And the thoughts of what if things get messed up? What if all the efforts aren't enough? Well, that's normal."
"I felt this before on my first shoot, but this is too big. The more I think... Phew!" She took a deep breath. "Now, I'm acting like a girl with cold feet. This isn't like me, is it? I look like a crybaby now."
"Does it even matter? Big budget or small budget... I want you to just be you. The confident girl I fell for. Just roll with it and act like you usually do. Don't overthink things too much. As for your cold feet, I can massage them for you," Alex said softly with a smile. "You know, help you warm up."
She chuckled a bit and gave him a playful look, but there was warmth in her eyes now. "You offering a foot massage in the middle of Midtown over truffle pasta?"
Alex shrugged with a small grin. "If that's what it takes to get you to breathe easier, I'll do it right here."
She laughed softly, her shoulders finally starting to relax. "God, I forgot how ridiculous you are."
"No, you just forgot how well I know you," he said, setting his fork down and folding his hands in front of him. "You're scared because this matters. You're overwhelmed because you care. That's not a weakness. That's the exact reason I know you're going to crush this."
Evangeline leaned back in her seat, eyes locked with his. "Why do you always do that?"
"Do what?"
"Say exactly what I need to hear. Make it sound like it's simple when it feels like a storm in my chest."
"Because I've walked through that storm," he said. "And because I believe in you more than you believe in yourself. Then, there's that love part. I think that the love part played a big role in this. Yup! Definitely that."
She went quiet for a moment. Her fingers brushed the edge of her water glass as she thought.
"I don't want to let you down," she finally said.
"You won't," Alex said immediately.
"You don't know that."
"I do," he said. "Now, kick those stupid feelings out of your heart and give me back my confident and cool Lilly."
Evangeline smiled softly at Alex's last comment. Her walls were still up, but they felt thinner now. When he referred to her as "my confident and cool Lilly," it didn't come across as possessive; it felt more like faith, like gravity.
"I missed this," she admitted.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "What, the lunch or the existential pep talk?"
She grinned. "Both. But mostly you. I missed... us. Talking like this."
"We never stopped," he said.
"No, but it's different now," she replied. "Back then, it was stolen moments and quiet weekends. Now it's contracts and fan polls and paparazzi waiting behind bushes."
Alex nodded. "That's fame. It changes the landscape. But it doesn't change people unless they let it."
"You ever worry it's changing you?" she asked.
He thought for a second, then answered honestly. "Sometimes. But then I have days like this. Sitting across from someone who sees past the headlines. Who remembers who I was before any of this. It keeps me grounded."
Evangeline tilted her head. "You ever regret it? Building this whole thing?"
He shook his head. "Not once. Regret's a luxury I couldn't afford back then. Still can't."
She smiled again, quieter this time. "You're still that guy, huh?"
"Yeah," he said. "Just better dressed."
They both laughed.
The server reappeared, discreetly clearing the plates. Dessert was coming next. Alex didn't look at the menu. He never had to. The chef knew what he wanted before he asked.
Evangeline leaned forward a little. "So what's next for you? You've got the campaign killing it. The Alien trailer broke every metric. Everyone's watching."
Alex nodded, drumming his fingers lightly on the table. "Next is expansion. I want the name of Titan to reach even further. But I think I'll take it a little slow this time and have some personal time for myself. Things been a little exhausting lately."
...They continued their little chats...
The dessert arrived: a delicate mille-feuille with citrus cream for her and a dark chocolate tart laced with sea salt for him. It was elegant but not flashy, the kind of dish that made you slow down and appreciate every bite.
Evangeline took her fork and carved off a corner of the mille-feuille. She tasted it, then tilted her head in mock amazement.
"Why is this so unfairly good?" she asked. "This should be illegal in at least five countries."
Alex smirked and took a bite of his tart. "That's why this place is unlisted. Hidden luxury. Like good decisions."
She rested her elbow on the table, chin in her palm, watching him. "You really are different now. More polished and powerful. But you still eat like you've got all the time in the world."
"That's because this," he said, holding up his fork with a sliver of chocolate, "is the one part of my day no one gets to touch."
She grinned, shaking her head. "Still romantic about the small things."
"Always," Alex said, eyes locking with hers.
There was a small silence between them, not awkward but full of quiet understanding. She looked at him the way someone looks at a familiar song they hadn't heard in a while. Then she leaned in. "Thank you. For this. For today. I didn't know how much I needed it."
"You never have to thank me for showing up for you," Alex said. "It's not charity. It's just... us."
They finished dessert slowly, letting the last bits melt on their tongues.
When the server returned with the check, Alex had already tapped his card. Evangeline didn't even try to stop him. She just watched with a smirk and said, "You're predictable."
"And yet, charming."
As they stood, she reached for her sunglasses but didn't put them on yet. Instead, she looked at him across the small distance between them.
"Well," she said, "this was probably the best lunch I've had in a while. But your cooking is still better."
Alex stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "I'll take the compliment. So, I guess I'll have to cook for us again next week... Your apartment this time."
"Next week?" she teased, voice soft.
"Unless you want to wait longer for that foot massage."
That made her laugh. She leaned in and gave him a soft, warm kiss, brief but genuine. Her hand lingered against his chest for a moment longer than the kiss itself.
When she pulled back, her voice took on that low, teasing tone again. "Call me when you're free. I'll clear my schedule for that massage."
"I'll hold you to that," Alex said.
...
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[5 advance chs] [All chs available for all tiers] [No double billing.]
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AN: That's it for today. Time to stockpile again. See ya all on Sunday night. CLICK FOR SPOILERS[1]
[1] Ch: 142 [The Cult of Max Black]
Ch: 143 [Alex vs John Wick]
Ch: 144 [Interlude- Freedom]
Ch: 145 [Rising stars]
Ch: 146 [An episode of the Golden Spatula]