@cloudboxing VALERIYA SAID: "When someone tells me not to worry, they're usually hiding something."
NOVA CHECKS HERSELF IN THE VANITY MIRROR, refusing to meet V's eyes as she attempts to collect herself after her latest brush with her past. V wasn't supposed to see that. Even more alarmingly, her little 'friend' from her past wasn't supposed to be here. These studios had security for a reason, didn't they? Not just anybody could walk right in off the street and be able to harass her, especially not a very obvious Valentino gang member. Why didn't they stop him at the door? Unless the studio had just let them in willingly; unless the studio was privy to her predicament and let him in on purpose to scare herβa thought she'd rather not entertain at the moment when her mind was already spiraling. It was one thing to be harassed at a funeral in Heywood, deep in Valentino territory, but at her jobβall the way out in Westbrook?
Her heart is still racing, even though the man had thankfully been scared off by the merc hovering near her door. She rifles through the scattered makeup on the countertop, trying to find the right shade of lipstick. Just for something to do that isn't talking to V about what happened, or focusing on the unexpected visitor from her old life in Heywood. It's when she begins applying the rouge to her lips that she realizes her hands are shaking.
"Really, V, everything's fine." She brushes off the other's concern with a wave of her hand, as she slowly, carefully, paints her lips. "Just an old friend who wants money, really it's nothing."
She catches V's eye through her reflection, and gives her a smile. It's then she notices that, despite her attempts, her lipstick had managed to get a little wobbly. With a tissue, she wipes it all off. Better to start fresh, better to just wipe it all away as if it didn't happen in the first place and let it go. At least for the sake of present company, later, when she's all alone she can sit and ruminate on what happened today, but for now she had a guest. And it would be rude to make everything all about her all the time, wouldn't it? It's as she's applying a new coat of lipstick that she swiftly changes topics. "How'd the latest job go? You know they didn't tell me any of the details about it at all? Only that they liked youβwhich I had no doubt they wouldβand that you were working on doing something BIG for the studio."