Chapter 6- A Tempting Offer
Layla’s mind was busy as she walked to her apartment after leaving him, the stranger. She was always hesitant of opportunities that seemed too good to be true. After all, it was a cliché, being discovered on the streets of New York.
Could this photographer truly be legit? What about her looks set her apart from all the unique faces of the crowds in the city? These were just a few of the questions she had running in her head. Asking Natasha about the situation was the only solution she came up with.
She unlocked the door and found her roommate available on their couch. She was lucky to catch her roommate on the days where she didn’t work the previous night because Natasha was usually out blowing her hard-earned money or sleeping off a hangover from clubbing. It was surprising to see her roommate actually sitting still for a change and a treat to spend time with her when she was herself, free from being under the influence. Layla plopped down on the seat next to her.
“How was work?” Natasha asked, taking her eyes off the television for a brief moment.
Layla slipped off her shoes and tucked her feet beneath herself on the couch to get comfortable before explaining about her encounter with the curious Roxbury character.
“Fine…but today a man asked me to model for him.” She replied.
Natasha muted the program she was watching a looked at her friend with interest.
“Like nude modeling?” Natasha joked as she tugged on Layla’s shirt.
Layla lightly nudged her with her elbow to scold her for her inappropriate comment. But the truth was that she didn’t know what kind of modeling she was being offered to do. She wasn’t sure that it really mattered; her portfolio was full of cobwebs from the lack of jobs lately. This could be just the opportunity she needed to revive her slacking career in modeling. She wasn’t completely closed off to the idea of posing au natural, she accepted her full bust and curves with pride…and to pose in front of the man she found curiously attractive, well that would be an adventure.
The offer had caught her off guard, especially after she had gotten her hopes up when she thought Roxbury was trying to contact someone else besides her. She recalled how nervously her heart pounded as he called out her name in the middle of the busy foot traffic, how content she was as he asked for a moment of her time, and how flattered she was to hear that her “look” was what he was searching for. She turned her attention back to the conversation she was carrying on with her roommate.
“Is it a paying job?” Her friend asked.
Layla shrugged her shoulders and told her she didn’t really know any details yet.
“So should I do it?”
“Duh! Life is about experiences, Layla! Stop being so tense and live a little.” Natasha urged.
Layla valued her opinion but was apprehensive still. She wasn’t the same risk taker as her friend who risked her life everyday she met with her clients. Layla had used up most of her courage to leave home; she wondered if she had the courage to engage in the intriguing endeavor. That’s when it hit her…she would continue to live a mediocre life until she took some risks and made some mistakes.
She watched TV with Natasha and ordered in for dinner but she had made up her mind. She didn’t want to seem desperate to her potential boss so she waited till mid-evening to give him a call. She sat on her bed in nothing but her oversized sleep shirt with her phone in one hand and his number in the other.
This is it. She thought to herself as she dialed the number.
As the line started to ring, her anxiety had returned. One ring…two rings…three rings. She was filled with disappointment as she took the phone from her ear.
Before she hung up, she heard a voice on the other end. She immediately returned the device to her ear.
“Hello?” The masculine voice called out.
“Is this Roxbury?” Layla asked as she tried to mask her shaky voice.
There was a pause. “Layla?”
“Yes…I accept your offer. I’m off tomorrow, so when do we start?” At that point, there was no way for her to know the spark that she had ignited in both of their hearts.
