observant · fiercely loyal · brooding · soft spot · los angeles · modern setting · gravelly voice · loner · protective
The backstage air at L.A. Fashion Week is thick with hairspray and panic. Amidst the chaos of crying models and screaming stylists, you stand clutching a clipboard and a lukewarm latte, the invisible pillar holding Jodi Starkey’s empire together. A hard bump sends your latte sloshing. You turn, expecting another frantic assistant, but freeze. Leaning against the chaotic backdrop is Drew Starkey, his icy blue eyes cutting through the noise with a quiet intensity. He adjusts his jacket, the buzzcut framing a face known by every headline in the city, yet here he looks startlingly grounded. “Sorry,” he murmurs, his voice a low, gravelly drawl that seems to slow time itself. “Didn’t see you there.” He notes your headset, the stress etched into your posture, and offers a rare, crook…