‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

SET OF L'ANIMA GEMELLA
tuscany, italy
monday
july 8, 2024
3pm

halfway through filming for today, given that luca's idea was for beau and shay to see each other multiple times before officially meeting...like they are always in the same places, but never directly interacting. they catch glimpses of each other, but never really make a move to talk. then, fate finally intervenes and brings them face to face.

with this in luca's mind, we spent the day filming various scenes where shay and beau would catch glimpses of each other in the charming streets of tuscany. each time drew and i would make eye contact, i could feel a jolt of electricity pass between us.

"cut!" luca called out, signaling the end of the current scene.

drew turned to me with a smile, his eyes sparkling. "that was great, azaria." he said.

"yeah, it's really coming together," i agreed, my heart still pounding from the intensity of the scene.

luca approached us, a satisfied smile on his face. "you two are really bringing the chemistry to life," he said. "the audience is going to love it."

i took a moment to catch my breath, suddenly realizing just how hot the sun was.

"how many more scenes do we have left today?" i asked, wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead.

luca checked his notes. "four more scenes." he said. "shouldn't be more than a few hours."

i groaned internally, my legs already aching from hours of walking. "alright." i said, putting on a smile. "let's get back to work then."

~~

we resumed filming the remaining scenes, each more intense and emotionally charged than the last. by the time luca called cut on the final scene, i was exhausted, both physically and mentally.

"so, when's our free day?" drew asked, his question directed at luca.

luca looked up from his notes, contemplating for a moment. "you'll have your free day tomorrow." he said. "and take it easy. we have a big week ahead of us."

i let out a sigh of relief. a free day tomorrow meant a much-needed break from the cameras and scripts.

"thank god." i said. "i need a break from this heat and these clothes."

drew chuckled and gave me a sympathetic look. "you're not the only one," he agreed. "i think all of us are ready for a free day."

luca clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention. "alright, that's a wrap for today!" he announced. "everyone rest up and we'll meet back here wednesday morning."

the crew began to disassemble the set, packing up cameras and equipment. the actors gathered their belongings and prepared to head back to their villas.

drew and i fell into step together as we left the set, making our way down the path that led to our villas.

"you wanna go grab dinner?" drew asked.

i glanced at him, considering the offer. part of me wanted to just crawl into bed and sleep for the night, but the other part wanted to spend more time with drew. i nodded. "yeah, sure."

drew smiled, visibly pleased at my response. "there's a good restaurant down the road." he said. "it's not too far, and the food is amazing."

"you've been before?" i asked him as i began walking in direction of the restaurant alongside him.

he nodded. "yeah, a few times," he replied. "it's a local spot, but it's one of my favorites. and the owner is a friend of mine."

my curiosity was piqued. "you know the owner?" i questioned, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow.

he chuckled. "yeah, his name's marco. he's a good friend of mine." he said, a fond smile on his face. "we met when i was here for vacation a few years back, and we've kept in touch ever since."

i nodded, impressed by his network of connections. "you have friends everywhere, huh?" i teased.

he shrugged with a smirk. "i get around." he replied, a hint of cockyness to his tone.

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

LA RUSTICA
tuscany, italy
7:30pm

after a short walk, we arrived at the restaurant, called 'la rustica'. the outside was charming, with ivy creeping up the walls and twinkling fairy lights wrapping around the door.

drew pushed open the door, holding it open for me as i stepped inside.

the inside was just as charming as the outside. the walls were painted a warm tuscan yellow, and the ceiling was decorated with intricate white and gold molding. the dining area was lit by hanging pendant lights, bathing the space in a soft, romantic glow.

we were quickly spotted by marco, the owner, who immediately came over to us with a wide smile.

"drew!" marco exclaimed, embracing him in a friendly hug. "it's so good to see you, my friend!"

drew returned the hug, a big smile on his face. "good to see you too, marco." he said. "how's business been?"

"good, good." marco replied, his thick italian accent making his voice rich. "can't complain." he then turned to me, his eyes roaming over me. "and who is your beautiful companion?"

i blushed at the compliment, feeling a bit shy under his gaze.

"this is azaria, my girlfriend." drew said, placing a hand on my lower back and pulling me closer to him. "we're working on a movie together in town, so i figured i'd stop by."

marco's eyes widened in surprise. "girlfriend, eh?" he said, a grin spreading across his face. "well, you're a lucky man, my friend."

drew chuckled, his hand still on my back, his thumb rubbing small circles on my skin. it sent a shiver down my spine, but i tried to ignore it.

"yeah, yeah." he said, a hint of smugness in his voice. "i know."

marco laughed and gestured towards one of the tables by the window. "come, come, take a seat." he said. "i have the best table for you."

we followed marco to the table, settling into the plush seats. i glanced out the window, taking in the view of the scenery below, illuminated by the setting sun. it was picturesque.

marco grabbed two menus and placed them on the table in front of us. "i will have your usual, yes?" he said, addressing drew.

drew nodded. "yeah, that sounds good. and could you bring a bottle of your best red wine?"

marco nodded, his eyes then turning to me. "and for the lady, what would you like?"

i opened the menu and scanned the items, overwhelmed by the many authentic italian choices. "um, i'll have the penne with the bolognese sauce." i said, hoping i wasn't mispronouncing.

marco smiled and nodded. "excellent choice." he said before he excused himself to go fetch our drinks and put in our order.

drew leaned back in his chair, studying me with a small smile on his face.

"your usual, hm?" i said.

he chuckled and nodded. "yeah, i have a few go-to spots whenever i'm here in tuscany." he said. "and i've been coming to this restaurant for years, so marco knows my usual order. it's almost always the same."

i raised an eyebrow. "oh, really?" i said, a teasing tone to my voice. "i bet you bring all your dates here."

he barked out a laugh, his eyes sparkling in the soft light of the restaurant. "only the special ones." he said, his gaze fixed on me.

"i'm happy i made the list as 'special.'" i joked back.

he chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling pleasantly. "you're definitely special." he said, the sincerity in his voice making my heart flutter.

fortunately, we were interrupted by marco's return, carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses. "here you are, my friends." he said, setting the glasses in front of us and beginning to pour the wine.

"thank you, marco." i said as marco filled our glasses.

he nodded. "of course. the food shouldn't be long."

once marco left, we were left alone again. i took a sip of my wine, the deep red liquid warm and rich on my tongue.

"this is good stuff." i commented, swirling the liquid in the glass.

"only the best for my girl." drew said with a smirk, his eyes fixed on me. he lifted his glass to his lips and took a swallow, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

i could feel a flush creeping up my neck and into my cheeks. there was something about the way he said 'my girl' that made my insides feel like molten lava.

~~

dinner at the restaurant was nothing less than perfect. we shared a delicious meal consisting of pasta dishes and sips of rich red wine. drew and i continued with our playful banter, the tension between us growing with each flirtatious comment. the romantic atmosphere of the restaurant only adding to the attraction that drew and i felt towards each other.

we left the restaurant as the sun had completely gone away, now it was completely dark, the air cooled by the night breeze. our bellies full of good food and wine, we began the short walk back to our villas, our hands linked together.

"are you crashing in my villa again tonight or are you going to be in yours?" i asked.

drew hummed in thought, pretending to consider the question. "hmm, i don't know." he said, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "i might be tempted to crash in yours again."

i laughed softly, "you see. you said that you were tossing and turning and couldn't sleep in your villa but at mine you fell right asleep." i pointed out.

he chuckled and squeezed my hand. "well what can i say? you're very comfortable." he said, a smile playing at his lips. "i sleep much better when you're next to me."

i felt my heart rate increase at his words, a tingle of electricity shooting through me.

"flattery won't get you into my bed again, you know." i teased.

he feigned a look of hurt. "oh, so you're denying me the pleasure of cuddling with you?" he said, playing along.

i laughed and shook my head. "stop being such a baby." i said with a roll of my eyes. "of course you can stay in my villa tonight."

he grinned, visibly pleased by my answer. "i knew i could charm you into letting me in." he said, his tone smug. "i mean, who could resist this face?" he added, gesturing to his face.

i rolled my eyes once more. "you're so full of yourself." i said, pretending to be annoyed, but unable to keep the smile from my lips.

"hey, you know you love it." he said, his hand giving mine a slight pull, causing my body to stumble closer to his. he kissed my forehead before speaking again, "i have a fun day planned for us tomorrow."

i nodded into his chest. "ah yes, our free day."

"yes, free day full of fun." he said, leaning down to plant another kiss on the top of my head. "don't worry. you'll love it."

~~

INSTAGRAM
celebsightings

liked by 138,839 others
celebsightings azaria parker and drew starkey seen exiting a restaurant in tuscany, italy together while holding hands. it's safe to say, they're a couple.

view all 2,921 comments

user1 duh they're a couple. did you not see that cooking video?

user2 the CUTEST couple i may add.

user3 she can get off my man.

user4 was amo not good enough she had to go for my drew??

~~

INSTAGRAM
azariaraine

liked by drewstarkey and 5,829,229 others
azariaraine long hair zari is back for a couple days out of the week for a month 💋 hope you like what you see!

view all 11,103 comments

user1 i like what i see

user2 thats drew in the second slide i swear

alexademie i LOVE what i see zari bby 💋💋🏹🏹

ayoedebiri love it!

user3 🤮🤮

user4 her really? @drewstarkey, you can do better.

bellahadid how is it that you can pull off any style? what a beautiful lady!

user5 so this means she's filming? her and drew could just be acting in a movie together and not dating at all.

~~