Love Through Your Lens (Completed)

Chapter Seven: The Contract

On Monday morning, I met Melissa at the agency and went over my schedule for the week. Once our morning was over, she arranged for a car to take me to the restaurant Julia had requested for our meeting.

"I haven't seen Julia all day - will she be meeting us there?" I asked Melissa as she walked me out to the sidewalk.

"I'm so sorry, she just texted me saying she can't make it today. Something came up..." Melissa looked down and held onto her work phone for dear life.

I gripped the door of the car tightly as I opened it to get in. "It can't be helped. Should we reschedule?"

Melissa shook her head. "Julia was adamant that you keep the meeting and she can call Mr. Acker to work out the fine print."

Looked like I wasn't getting out of this one.

"Ok, thanks...." I got into the car and shut the door.

How bad could a lunch work date be with your past one night stand?

- - -

Melissa made a reservation for us at a modern Asian fusion restaurant.

When I walked in, Chris was already seated. He waved over to me.

I extended my hand for a firm business handshake before taking a seat. I could feel whispers of his touch all over me from the contact. Averting my eyes, I set my clutch down on the table and took a seat.

"Chris. Good to see you." I kept my tone diplomatic and even. "Unfortunately, Julia isn't able to make it today. But she'll reach out to you to settle a few details."

"That's fine by me."

I finally brought myself to look at him. I felt like a deflated balloon when the air left my lungs.

I'd never seen him dress anything but casual before. But this was unexpected. And I hated that I liked it.

His layered dress shirt and maroon sweater flattered his frame perfectly, along with his navy dress slacks. He was dressed for business - and intended to leave with a deal.

"So the waitress came by a few minutes ago, do you need a moment to decide what you want?"

"Oh - yes, thank you." I nervously looked down to scan the menu. So far, this wasn't going anything like I imagined.

"Word of advice..." He leaned in slightly. "Don't order a salad."

I scoffed and continued to read the options. "Why do you care what I eat?" I couldn't hold the slight barb in my tone.

"That's a fair question." He leaned back in his chair and I could hear him stroking his scruff. "For one, I'm not excluding models from this campaign based on their weight. So you don't need to restrict yourself around me."

I arched an eyebrow, but refused to look up. "That's interesting... I could order whatever I want anyways." I set the menu down with my choice in mind.

"Oh yeah?"

"I'm retiring," I stated matter-of-factly.

Chris stared at me for a long moment, his hands gripping the table. I had him sweating now, didn't I?

"Relax, I'm done at the end of fall. If I decide to take part in your project-"

Chris laughed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Would we even be having this meeting if you weren't going to?"

Touché. That one backfired on me.

"I'm-"

Just then the waitress came in to take our orders. I ordered the pork adobo ramen, while he ordered a Hawaiian pork burger with red cabbage slaw, along with waters for the table.

Chris propped his elbows on the table, bringing his hands together before his face. "So where were we? Oh yes, you were talking about how you weren't going to join this project."

I bit my lip in frustration. All these years and practice confrontations with him in my mind, and THIS was where we were at?

"I never said that. I said 'if'." I unwrapped my napkin and set it delicately across my lap. I could not let him see I was rattled.

"So how do I turn that 'if' into a 'yes'?"

I absorbed his words and watched the city crowd pass by through the window, wracking my brain for thoughts. Our waitress brought our waters moments later.

What could I do to make him work for me? How could I show him what he missed out on?

And then it hit me. Chris claimed he didn't date models. Him and Lisette didn't quite look cozy the other night. And I would no longer be a model this fall.

"I'll do the campaign under one condition," I finally declared.

He looked at me curiously. "I have a feeling this won't be easy."

"No, it won't." I laughed, then took a sip of my water. "You're single, right?"

Chris narrowed his eyes at me. "I don't see how that's relevant-"

"Just answer the question," I interrupted, unashamed.

I found curiosity in his ocean blue eyes, although I anticipated annoyance.

"I am."

I smiled, then sat back in my chair. "I'll do the campaign... On the condition that you take me on three dates." I waited breathlessly for his response.

He pondered my proposition, deep in thought for a moment. I couldn't believe he was actually considering it.

"When do these dates have to take place?" He finally asked.

"Before the end of the project."

He arched an eyebrow at me. "We've talked about this before, Alexis." He lowered his tone, just for me to hear. "I don't date who I work with."

I brushed back a lock of my hair away from my face. "Lucky for you, I'm leaving the industry."

"But why?"

We paused as our food was brought out and placed in front of us.

"Like you said, modeling doesn't last forever," I finally answered, as I picked up my spoon to taste the broth of my ramen. "I found what I really want to pursue in life."

We took the first few bites of our food in silence. I tried not to let it show how much his lack of a response was getting to me.

He set his burger down and wiped off his hands with his napkin, setting his elbows widely on the table and bringing his hands together. "So why do you want me to date you?"

I felt my skin flush at his inquiry and took a few more sips of my ramen broth before answering. "Curiosity. I wanted to see if you really meant what you said back then. About it not being a one night stand and stuff..." I breathed out my reply.

Mostly, I wanted to see if he still thought of me at all. I wanted to know so I could finally shake myself of this.

"I always mean what I say." Chris's tone was low, but sincere. He reached out for my hand and I jumped up in my seat in surprise. "What conditions do you have for these dates?"

My mind struggled not to short-circuit as I felt the same vibe from when he passed me in the club.

"As long as we don't do the same thing three times, anything is fair game." I was surprised I managed to muster up any cohesive words. "And each date must last at least one hour."

"Well then..." Chris released my hand and turned his attention back to his plate. "Game on."