Chapter 1: Noah Arrives

"Sir?" a voice from the cockpit said.

Noah Magellan, rock star and reluctant actor, had been perusing the script for his latest movie. He hated everything about it, but his agent had convinced him to take it on. Noah sighed and he suspected that he would be doing that a lot.

The film was a superhero film and Noah didn't consider himself capable of that genre, but they were hot right now so his agent had strong-armed him into signing the contract. Noah suspected it was the giant paycheck that his agent would receive from the movie whether it did well or not.

"We're going to land in a few minutes, but out your window, you'll get a great view of Philadelphia," the pilot said.

He'd recently opened the door to talk to Noah and hadn't closed it. No need for the intercom when they were only a few feet apart. The plane had been his agent's idea to stop Noah from getting mobbed at the airport.

Noah had to admit he liked traveling like this. "Thanks."

He glanced in the direction the pilot had indicated and indeed saw the skyline of the City of Brotherly Love. There sat William Penn atop City Hall, dwarfed by the buildings around him. Noah knew how the man must feel. There was a lot of star power in his latest project and he would be the smallest of that.

Noah rubbed a hand down his face. He should stop thinking about it and just get the job done. Then he could go back to making music. He'd put his foot down this time and tell his agent he didn't want to act anymore.

"Please get ready for landing," the pilot said.

Noah checked his seatbelt, but he hadn't unfastened it for the trip from North Carolina where he'd been performing a benefit concert. He liked those the best. It had been an intimate affair with a few hundred people in a small venue. The audience had contributed to a charity of his choice for the chance to see him perform.

There'd been a meet and greet afterward and then he'd hopped on this place. He rested his head on the back of his seat as the plane left the city and banked. He listened to the pilot talk to the tower wherever they were going to land, but he didn't know all that they were saying.

The plane leveled off and the pilot said, "We'll be on the ground in ten minutes."

Noah nodded even though the man wasn't looking his way. Whatever. He wanted to get to his hotel without any paparazzi finding out he was already there. The movie was being filmed north of the city where the famed director always shot his movies.

As promised, ten minutes later the plane landed on the runway. "You can make any calls if you need to. We'll be taxing a few minutes."

The airport wasn't small, but it wasn't big either, Noah observed. He didn't have any calls to make, but he took his phone out of airplane mode and immediately it dinged.

"Hope you made the trip safely," his agent, Marvin Comps had texted him.

Noah would reply to that later. He had an incoming call. His eyes fell closed when the screen told him it was his ex-girlfriend and current co-star, Cassandra Felton. What a mistake it had been dating her. It was like dating a commercial. She was all about sitting in the right place or making sure the photographers had her best side. She'd been tiring and he wasn't sure he wanted to talk to her just yet.

His thumb had other ideas and he answered the call. "Cassandra."

"Oh, Noah. Aren't you excited?"

No, he wasn't excited. He wanted to get this move over with and return to his normal life. One where he'd never trust a woman again, especially not one who just wanted him for her own gain. "About?"

"We're working together. We can put things behind us and start a new friendship."

So she thought they could be friends? He'd been in love with her and she hadn't felt the same. He'd give his heart freely and now it was in pieces. "Whatever, Cassandra."

"Don't be that way, Noah. This'll be good for us."

"There is no 'us' Cassandra. You made that clear not only for me but for every reporter and photographer in a three-square-mile radius of us that night."

He shuddered when he remembered the public breakup. It had hurt his ego and made him wonder just what was wrong with him that he couldn't find someone to love. Well, he wouldn't know because he stopped looking. Women were more trouble than they were worth.

"You're still mad about that?"

He settled further into his seat knowing this conversation was pointless. Just like the movie, he wanted to get this over with. "Why did you call Cassandra?"

"I'm having a shindig to celebrate the beginning of filming. I'd love for you to come. It wouldn't be the same without the other star."

"I'm not the other star. I'm one of five stars and the one with the least street cred in this industry."

"Don't put yourself down, Noah. You can hold your own with anyone," Cassandra said.

Cassandra had always been good about pumping up his ego and she'd come into his life when he'd needed just that. Now, not so much. His music career was taking off and the didn't need this film to enhance that.

Once again, he wondered why he'd let himself get talked into this project. "I'm not coming got your shindig. You know my feelings about big parties."

"You're going to hole yourself up in your hotel room?"

Should he tell her that he wasn't staying in Center City like she was? He was staying in a quiet home at the end of a long driveway. The driveway in question had a gate and security system. That's what his agent had said.

"Yes."

Cassandra sighed. "Fine. Don't come, but I'm not going to make excuses for your absence."

"Say whatever you want, Cassandra."

She would anyway.

He disconnected the call and then dropped his phone onto his lap.

"There's some disturbance by the hangar so we're going to wait on the taxiway for a few minutes until the cops clear it away."

Great. The paparazzi had found him.