Tilting her head, Mia glanced at Meier, who stood beside her with an arm casually draped over her shoulder. She raised a brow and chuckled softly.

"What's this, Mei?" Mia asked, her tone playful as she gestured toward Meier's arm.

"What?" Meier replied, feigning innocence.

Mia leaned in slightly, smirking. "Your arm," she clarified.

Meier shrugged but made no move to remove it. "Oh, that," she said nonchalantly, then chuckled. "Looks like your bodyguard isn't around, huh?"

Mia rolled her eyes. "Why? Is she your type or something?" she asked, already preparing to smack Meier if the answer was yes.

Meier laughed, shaking her head. "It's not that she's my type or anything," she said with a teasing grin. "I just get the feeling she has a thing for you. I thought it'd be fun to, you know... poke the bear a little."

Mia blinked, staring at Meier in disbelief. "Wait, so all this... is just to make Ash jealous? Seriously, Mei?" she asked, her laughter bubbling up despite herself.

"Not exactly jealous," Meier said with an impish grin. "I just enjoy the teasing part."

"Right. Well, you might want to move your arm before she sees and gets the wrong idea," Mia said, shaking her head. Ashley was incredibly understanding most of the time, but this scene could easily push the boundaries of even her patience.

"It's harmless," Meier insisted, waving it off. "Just a little 'loveteam' action. Not like I'm going to court you or anything."

"Still—" Mia's words were cut off by the sound of a soft honk behind them. The nearby fans cheering for her quieted abruptly, their attention shifting.

Mia turned and froze when she saw the familiar motorcycle. Hastily, she shrugged Meier's arm off her shoulder.

"Don't tell me..." Meier blinked, her gaze shifting between Mia and the rider dismounting the bike. "That's your bodyguard?" she mumbled.

Mia swallowed hard as Ashley removed her helmet and placed it on the leather seat. Her expression was unreadable, but the raised brow and piercing gaze directed at Meier said enough.

The fans erupted into hushed shrieks of excitement, recognizing Ashley. Meier chuckled, clearly amused. "Wow, your bodyguard seems to have her own fan club," she teased.

Mia crossed her arms, her gaze locked on Ashley. "Could you stop calling her 'my bodyguard' already?"

"Why? Isn't she—oh no." Meier's eyes widened in realization.

Mia smirked smugly, turning to Meier with a playful glint in her eye. "Oh, yes. That beauty right there is mine," she said, pride lacing her voice. "So maybe don't go overboard with the teasing. I wouldn't know how to handle her if she got too jealous."

Meier's jaw dropped, then she burst out laughing. "Oh. My. Freaking. Gosh! Are you serious?"

Ashley walked toward them, her focus shifting briefly between the two women. Without a word, she extended a helmet toward Mia. "Didn't you say you wanted me to fetch you with my bike?" she asked, her voice casual but firm.

Mia's cheeks flushed as her eyes landed on the helmet. Its furry, animated design had movable ears. "It's... cute," she murmured, hugging it to her chest like a treasured gift.

Meier snorted, covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh. "Oh gosh, Mia!" she exclaimed. "This is too much. I should go before I die of secondhand embarrassment."

"Wait a second," Mia said, stopping her. She sighed before looking at Ashley. "Ash, this is Meier," she said, gesturing toward her co-star. "She's my loveteam in the movie and a fellow artist under the same management."

Ashley tilted her head slightly, offering Meier a small nod.

"And Meier," Mia continued, her tone deliberate as she motioned toward Ashley. "This is Ashley. My girlfriend."

Ashley blinked, clearly caught off guard. "W-what?" she stammered.

"What?" Mia raised a brow at her. "Aren't you?"

"I mean, I am, but—"

Meier laughed, waving her hands dismissively. "Don't mind me," she said, her tone apologetic. "I was just teasing earlier. I didn't think you two were actually... together."

Ashley blinked again, her face flushing.

"I told her not to make you too jealous," Mia said with a laugh.

"And don't worry," Meier added, raising her hands as if taking an oath. "I'm not into Mia. Teasing is just my thing. She's all yours." She grinned before giving Mia a gentle push toward Ashley.

Ashley steadied Mia, her lips quirking into a soft smile despite her lingering flustered expression. "Let's go," she murmured, her voice low and warm.

Mia smiled back, her heart fluttering as she slipped the quirky helmet on. "Lead the way, Detective," she said, her tone playful yet affectionate.



Glancing at the magazine showcasing Sienna's latest fashion lineup, Maya and Mia exchanged a look. The two had been called to a meeting by Sienna, who wanted Mia to model for her fashion line.

"So, what do you think?" Sienna asked with a bright smile, leaning forward eagerly as she studied their reactions.

Mia glanced at Sienna, then back at the folder of designs she was being asked to model. "I mean... these are amazing, Sienna!" she said, her excitement evident as she turned to Maya. "Can we sign up for this, Maya?"

Maya scoffed lightly, raising a brow at Mia. "You do realize we already have a contract with Ms. Sienna here, don't you? You could have just signed up to be the magazine's official model ages ago," she said with a soft laugh.

"Well," Mia said, shrugging, "even with the contract, if our schedules don't align, it won't work out. But..." She closed the folder and slid it back toward Sienna. "I'm in for this," she said with a smile.

Sienna clicked her tongue thoughtfully, tapping her chin with her index finger. "I'm actually looking for another model too," she mused. "Someone tall, with a tanned complexion, and..."

She trailed off as the door to the private room inside Ashley's coffee shop that they were renting opened. All three turned their heads in unison.

"Ash!" they said together, pointing at the newcomer.

Ashley blinked, startled by the sudden attention as she approached with a tray of orders. "What's all this commotion, ladies?" she asked, looking between them in confusion.

Sienna's grin widened. "Do you want to be a model?"

Ashley raised an eyebrow as she set the tray down on the table. "What?" she asked, glancing at Sienna, then at Maya and Mia. "What's going on?"

"Please be my model!" Sienna clasped her hands together, looking as though she were praying for Ashley to agree. "I'll pay you really well, I swear!"

Ashley leaned back, her confusion only deepening. "Model for what?"

Sienna slid the folder toward Ashley with excitement. "Here, take a look. I'm searching for someone tall, tanned, and with a toned build," she explained. "You're a perfect match."

Ashley flipped through the pages of designs, tilting her head thoughtfully. "I mean... I have a lot of cases piling up right now—"

"I promise this won't interfere with your schedule," Sienna interrupted. "It'll only take a day or two, tops!"

Ashley scoffed lightly, casting a sideways glance at Mia.

"Oh, and Mia's modeling too!" Sienna added, her enthusiasm bubbling over. "I was planning to pair the person I'm looking for with Mia—"

"I'm in," Ashley said abruptly, placing the designs back on the table and avoiding Sienna's gaze. "I'll do it for free. You don't need to pay me or anything," she added, her cheeks faintly flushed.

Sienna blinked in disbelief. "Are you—"

"I'm in," Ashley repeated firmly. "Just let me know the date so I can clear my schedule."

Mia laughed softly, shaking her head at Ashley's sudden change in demeanor. "Wow, Detective. That's... unexpected of you."

Ashley crossed her arms, pretending not to hear the teasing tone in Mia's voice. "Just tell me when," she muttered, her face betraying a small, embarrassed smile.