Just as I was lost in thought, the photographer's voice rang out again. "Jasper, what's going on with you? That smile looks so forced. Anyone who didn't know better would think someone was holding a knife to your back!" "Sorry." Jasper gave a dry laugh. Only then did I suddenly realize that Jasper had been off the entire day. This wasn't the first time the shoot had been interrupted because of him. "Forget it. Take a break for now. We'll continue in a bit." The photographer finally gave in, checking his watch and waving for everyone to take a breather. I lifted my head, just about to glance over at Jasper, only to see that he'd already walked off to the side. He sat quietly on one of the lounge chairs, staring blankly at his phone, not even noticing Sandra talking beside him. I pursed my lips, watching silently. She was the only person capable of making Jasper look this lost. For a moment, a strange sense of satisfaction bubbled up in my chest. Yet, it did not last. Almost in an instant, that feeling became a dull ache. His expression was for someone he was unable to move on from, and wasn't I experiencing the same thing right now? Thankfully, today's schedule was light. We only had some promo stills and a short trailer to shoot, so it was wrapped up by late morning. Once filming was done, I turned to look for Jasper but found that he'd already left. As I stood there dazed, someone tapped me on the shoulder. "What are you looking at? Your Dr. Foster?" Sandra asked teasingly. "Well, it's nothing." I shrugged her hand off and looked down, starting to gather my things. Sandra shook her head in mock exasperation. "Go on already; don't keep him waiting too long. You've been completely out of it today. What, falling in love means abandoning your career now?" "Go where? Is there dinner today?" I blinked, genuinely confused. It did feel like I'd forgotten something. "Dr. Foster's been waiting for you in the parking lot forever! Don't tell me you really forgot?" Sandra stared at me, looking incredulous. "I swear, I didn't pack your schedule that tight!"I slapped my forehead, suddenly remembering that I had a date with Samuel this afternoon. I quickly ran my fingers through my hair, stuffed my things haphazardly into my backpack, and dashed off toward the parking lot. Samuel was leaning against his car. The moment he saw me, he took a few steps forward to meet me. Wearing heels and running in a hurry, I lost my balance just as I tried to slow down and ended up crashing into Samuel's chest. My nose bumped into him, and I let out a soft yelp of pain. "Take it easy," Samuel said with a helpless smile, reaching out as if to rub my nose. I quickly stood up straight and covered my face, feeling embarrassed. "You have been waiting for a while, haven't you? I am so sorry I completely forgot about our date this afternoon." "It's okay. Was the shoot smooth today?" Samuel paused for a second, then shook his head and opened the car door for me. "It was alright ... " I wrinkled my nose and blinked, but for some reason, Jasper's image kept surfacing in my mind. Turning my head again, I noticed Samuel's face was alarmingly close. My immediate reaction was to turn away. "No!" "What did you say?" Samuel looked a bit surprised. I froze. Oh right, he ismyboyfriend. Thingslikethisshould not feelstrange. Thinking that, I gently pressed my lips together and leaned toward him, closing my eyes cautiously. But after a long moment, there was still no sensation on my cheek. Just as I was beginning to wonder what was going on, I heard Samuel's soft laugh beside me. I opened my eyes in confusion, only to see his warm, smiling face. "What are you laughing at?" I muttered, flustered, turning my face away. "Fine, forget it. Don't kiss me then." "You thought I was going to kiss you when you said no?" Samuel finally seemed to get it, looking up at me. "I don't know," I grumbled, a bit annoyed. "I was trying to fasten your seatbelt. Who knew you'd suddenly shout ‘no'?" Samuel sighed lightly and leaned in to buckle the strap for me."S-seatbelt?" My face immediately turned beet red. Samuel leaned nearer, his voice softening to a whisper that brushed against my ear like a gentle violin. "How can you be this cute? Well, may I kiss you now?" My heart began to pound wildly. I stared at Samuel, watching his face gradually grow larger in the reflection of my own eyes. His kiss was always gentle, like he was touching something precious. When his lips landed softly on mine, it was ticklish so much so that I instinctively pulled my neck back slightly. Suddenly, someone knocked on the car window. Startled, both of us pulled apart at once. I clutched my seatbelt in a panic and looked outside, only to see Sandra standing there with an awkward smile on her face. "Sorry, I really didn't want to interrupt, but I've been standing here for ages and couldn't find the right moment to cut in," Sandra apologized sheepishly. "What is it?" I took a deep breath and looked at her, clearly embarrassed. "You seem to have forgotten your phone. I brought it back for you. I hope you both have a pleasant date," Sandra said rapidly, placing the phone in my hands before turning and hurrying off at an almost running pace.