Landon's head throbbed as he silently cursed the mess the original owner of this body had left behind, yet he still had to keep his expression gentle and patient.
He didn't dare be too blunt; provoking this volatile little princess was out of the question.
If she ran home heartbroken and spilled everything to her hot-tempered father, he was finished. Keep her calm—at any cost.
"It's not that I don't like you," Landon murmured, brushing away her tears with his thumb, voice tinged with resignation.
"Don't you know? You've always been my favorite." He gazed at Amanda devotedly, though the words made him a little nauseous.
"But, Amanda, we're still too young—especially you. We have to be careful and keep this beautiful feeling hidden for now, like protecting a precious seed."
He paused, studying her expression; seeing she was listening, he continued in a seductive whisper:
"When you turn eighteen, when you're grown and independent, we can be together openly—anything you want. Alright?"
"Really?" Amanda lifted her tear-filled eyes. "You're not lying?"
"Really. I promise." Landon sounded utterly sincere, while thinking: Two-plus years—there's no way a girl her age will still remember me.
"Then promise you'll always answer my calls!" she demanded.
"I promise."
"And when I come see you, you can't ignore me or hide!"
"…All right, I agree." Landon forced the words out, desperate for her to leave.
"But you have to go home now. If you stay out too long, your mom will get suspicious."
Amanda was still reluctant, but Landon's mix of coaxing, gentle threats, and promises for the future finally calmed her down.
She rose on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply, her girlish scent enveloping him.
After a long moment she released him—only to nip his lip at the last second, not quite hard enough to break skin.
She stared at him with dark eyes. "Remember your promise, Landon. I'll be waiting. Otherwise… humph!"
With that, she pulled her baseball cap back on and slipped out of the apartment as silently as she'd arrived.
Landon shut the door and exhaled in relief, cold sweat dampening his back.
That had been more nerve-wracking than facing an armed Robber!
Handling a girl's blazing affection was like cradling a bomb that could detonate at any second—one wrong move and everything exploded.
He lifted the curtain a crack, watching her petite figure vanish around the corner before he finally relaxed.
"Looks like I need to find a safer, more discreet place to live—fast," he muttered.
Rubbing his temples, Landon sensed that the road ahead wouldn't be all smooth.
Time flew, and soon it was his first day on the set of 24 hours.
Early that morning Landon drove to the Los Angeles–area studio with his temp-assistant-cum-Makeup Artist, Zoey.
His character, Tony Almeida, was a core agent at Los Angeles' Counter Terrorist Unit.
Loyal, decisive, and highly capable, Tony was Jack Bauer's most trusted partner—yet tragically fell for Nina Myers, the super-mole inside CTU.
Torn between personal feelings and life-or-death missions, Tony's arc was packed with dramatic tension.
As a key player whose importance spanned the entire season, Tony was effectively the show's third lead.
For Landon, new to television, it was a solid role.
After checking in, he met the main cast and crew.
Producers, directors, and several principal actors arrived one after another.
To Landon's surprise, everyone on set greeted him with unusual warmth and curiosity.
"Hey, Landon! Welcome to CTU!" Kiefer Sutherland called heartily, striding over.
"Look who's here—our 'Hero of the hour!'" Dennis Haysbert, who played President David Palmer, added, shaking Landon's hand.
"Hi, Landon. I'm Sarah Clarke. That can-throw was epic!" Sarah Clarke greeted him with a European-style cheek kiss; her Nina Myers would be the very mole Tony foolishly loved.
He exchanged pleasantries with each of them.
Only then did Landon fully realize how much that recent news story had boosted his profile.
Two people in particular stood out.
The first was Mia Kirshner, who played the bisexual wild-card agent Mandy.
With long dark hair and features blending wildness and allure, Mia possessed a unique beauty.
Landon recognized her at once—she would later appear in Season 3 of The Vampire Diaries.
Famous for being daringly sexy, Mia had even been named one of the planet's sexiest women by Stuff magazine.
As they exchanged cheek kisses, a waft of fragrance—gardenia shampoo or sun-warmed skin—made Landon's thoughts blur for a second.
In that instant he felt her seemingly casual hand slide down and sneak a quick squeeze of his oblique muscles.
She brushed her lips to his ear and whispered, "Nice texture."
When she stepped back, her deep eyes sparkled with open, predatory appreciation.
Landon's heart skipped, though his face stayed calm.
Meeting that unabashed, primal gaze, he admitted to himself the wild temptation had hit its mark—yet he kept his reaction locked down.
The second newcomer was Elisha Cuthbert, the Canadian actress—about his age—cast as Jack Bauer's daughter, Kim.
Her smile was radiant and sincere, eyes bright with curiosity.
"Hi, Landon! I saw the news—awesome!" Elisha's voice was bright and friendly, carrying the easy warmth of a peer. "So glad we'll be working together."
Instantly more relaxed, Landon smiled back. "Hi, Elisha. Looking forward to it."
And so, Landon's days on the 24 hours set began in the friendliest of fashions.