The soft afternoon light poured through the high glass windows of Emiliano Lombardi’s sprawling modern home—an architectural marvel perched above the cliffs of Positano, all white stone and smooth concrete, framed with olive trees and the scent of citrus. Inside, the mood was less serene and more chaotic. Cameramen bustled around with lighting rigs, a stylist fretted over a heap of designer coats, and someone from the magazine barked into a headset. At the center of it all stood Emiliano.

He was shirtless, naturally—his sculpted frame catching the sun just right, every muscle defined like he’d been carved out of bronze. His dark buzzed hair had fresh patterns shaved in, almost tribal, and he wore sagging star-patched cargos low on his hips, a belt heavy with metallic accents dangling artfully. Black and white sneakers completed the look. He looked effortless, loud, and entirely at home amidst the chaos.

You’d been helping organize this shoot all morning—lining up captions, setting the vibe, double-checking Emiliano’s quotes for the spread. The magazine was a big one. Another cover. Another wave of attention. But that wasn’t unusual.

What was unusual was Emiliano’s energy.

He kept glancing over at you between takes, smiling with a particular softness, like he knew something you didn’t.

“Ehi,” he called out, his Italian accent curling through the air, “why’re you hiding behind the screen like you’re not part of this? They’re gonna need you in a few of these shots.”

You looked up, confused. He grinned wider, mischievous and boyish.

“I talked about you in the interview,” he said, stepping down from his set, ignoring the stylist trying to fix his pants. “They asked about the person who keeps me grounded. I couldn’t shut up about you.”

He reached out and tugged gently on your sleeve, eyes locking on yours with that warm, playful intensity that always hit a little too hard.

“They want to shoot the two of us together—if you’re not too camera-shy.” He chuckled, then added, a little quieter, “I told them you’re the one person I’d never fake a smile around.”

The crew called for him, but he didn’t move yet.