Never Too Soon

What Kind of Money

POV: Harper

"No, I'm letting her sleep in some more. She needs it. Our reservations aren't for another six hours." I rolled my eyes as Max begged me to wake up his best friend on speakerphone as I dug through the kitchen for food.

"You could just wake her up now. I want to see how the fit comes together." Max mumbled.

"The fit will be stellar as always. You put it together." I climbed onto the counter as I found a lone bag of chips. Dinner couldn't come soon enough. We skipped lunch since it's going to be a big dinner or something like that. I was half listening.

"Are you trying to boost my ego so I drop it?"

"Yes." I laughed to myself until I felt arms snake around my waist. "What the fuck- oh hey." I paused mid-elbowing to see Lauren looking at me with wide eyes.

"That's new." Lauren looked at my elbow that was going right for her nose.

"I'm no longer under my mother's control remember?" I shrugged as I hopped off of the counter. "Max, Lauren's up now so I'll let you go."

"Fine fine. Go do the nasty." Max sighed.

"What?" I squeaked out.

"Bye baby doll!" Max hung up with that while Lauren cracked up to herself.

"I wasn't expecting that." I muttered.

"We have plans unfortunately." Lauren sighed. "You have a photoshoot before dinner so we actually need to leave within the next few minutes."

"Will Darius be doing the shoot...?" I furrowed my eyebrows as I slowly turned around.

"I had him over booked and gave him the next few days off. It'll be someone who is a backup to Darius. He's good too, but if he makes you feel uncomfortable you can call it and I can wait for Darius in a few days." Lauren quickly explained.

"No no, I need to get used to people outside of my comfort zone. I'm assuming someone different from Max as well?"

Lauren only nodded her head. "I did the best I could. In a few days you've got a shoot with the sisters, but your usual support team will be here for that. Max and Darius come in two days from now."

I nodded my head and ignored the fear that I had swarming in my stomach from the thought of some random guy taking pictures of my body in various clothing.

"Hey, if it makes you uncomfortable-" Lauren tried to be Lauren, but I stopped her.

"No, I chose this profession so I need to be the best I can be and comfortable with everyone."

"Not even the sisters are comfortable with everyone taking their pictures. They have preferences too. The photographer is new, but he's good from what I've seen."

"I'll be fine then." I gave her a tight, hopefully not fake looking, smile.

"That's a fake smile." Lauren sighed. "Let me cancel."

"I swear to god if you cancel my shoot I'll be pissed. That's fucking with my wallet." I tried to go for something she would say. Her own words may ring a bell for her.

"The same money you haven't spent?" Lauren quirked a brow.

"Saving up." I gave a quick lie.

"For what? You planning on investing in real estate? A yacht? Come on, mamí. You can't fool me. Don't even try." Lauren rolled her eyes.

"Just don't cancel it, okay? Please?" I begged her my way. Puppy eyes and a tilted head. Usually works.

Lauren sighed and shook her head. "If you ever get the slightest bit uncomfortable-"

"You will be able to tell and call it off." I cut her off and she stayed silent, knowing I was right.

"This is a first time Miss Jauregui has stayed to watch my work. What kind of money am I working with?" The new photographer, Charles, asked me.

"I don't understand the question." I quirked a brow as I got into the first position.

"How much are you worth to her? A lot if she is watching over us." The photographer asked.

"Um, I don't know my net worth off the top of my head, but she tries to keep me comfortable after making her all the money I did at that runway." I hoped to god that he'd change the awkward subject, but he didn't.

"Kinda odd still. She didn't show favoritism until you." Charles eyed Lauren out of the corner of his eye.

"That's enough questions, Charles." Lauren spoke up and he straightened up quickly.

"Protective also." Charles muttered under his breath. "Chin up and relax. I'm not Darius, but I'm close enough."

No one can compete with Darius. Literally no one. Charles is far from 'close enough.'

"I need you to relax Harper. You're still tense." Charles sighed in annoyance.

"Ever think the problem may be that you're making her uncomfortable?" Lauren asked.

"Ever think that it may be that the boss of us all is watching?" Charles shot back. Oh dear.

Lauren threw her head back and laughed before answering with a straight face. "Sweetie, Harper and I are close. You're the new person. Act like it and make her comfortable. Even I would be uncomfortable with your lack of flow."

"Women." Charles scoffed under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Lauren quirked a brow. "What was that?"

"Nothing." He gave Lauren a tight smile which only earned a bone chilling glare from her. Don't piss that woman off Charles. Wrong lady.

The shoot went by quickly and I was left uncomfortable with the new guy, but I did my best not to let it show. My occasional looks over to Lauren didn't go unnoticed though.

"I don't like him at all." I mumbled once we got back into the prep room. Luckily the makeup artist was gone for the day by now.

"I know baby. He's the best I had at the moment." Lauren sighed and helped me out of the tight fitting attire.

"Best you had was a masochistic asshole? He probably had a fucking boner taking pictures of me in these clothes, but his little dick energy tells me I wouldn't know even if he was." I threw my hands up before stripping myself of the pants.

Lauren snorted at my remarks before answering. "He has talent. That's what I went off of. I didn't know of his attitude."

"I am not working with him again." I emphasized my words and Lauren nodded in agreement.

"I'd be surprised if he still has a job at the end of the month if I were you." Lauren added.

"This is why I'm dating this boss." I giggled and she smiled.

"That's the only reason? Damn." She teased.

I rolled my eyes with a small smile playing on my lips. "Can we go to dinner now?" I asked as I started to change in front of her into the clothes Max insisted I wear.

"My dinner is standing in front of me what do you mean?" Lauren looked me up and down as I slid the dress over my head.

"Lo, no. We have places to be and places to see." I rolled my eyes again as I made quick work of changing.

"Fine." Lauren playfully scoffed. "Dinner it is."

I giggled at her attitude. "You also said we'd look for places for me to move in to." I reminded her.

"We'll do that another day. Tonight it's just dinner and then we come back and relax. Don't make me work on my day off." Lauren playfully frowned.

"You never have a day off." I scoffed as I grabbed my purse. "You made that clear to me in the beginning of the relationship."

"Meh meh meh." Lauren mocked me as she lead the way out the door.