ONE TO WATCH

Charlie

Charlene Viljoen
Nik: Charlie
D.O.B: 02/03/2000
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight: 61kg
Sign of the Zodiac: Pisces
Eye colour: Green
Nationality: South African
Occupation: Model

When Charlie had finished unpacking her clothes into her closet, she made her way to the kitchen to make an almond smoothie. She sat in the window seat with the sun streaming through flipping the pages of a magazine for ten minutes. On her way back to her room, she bumped into Delyan as he came through the front door. He greeted her and hung his coat on the rack. Glancing at the boxes lined flush against the corridor wall, he said.

"Do you want me to move these in?"

She was surprised he'd remembered but she nodded.

"That'd be great. Thanks." She walked towards him and the boxes.

"Just the two marked books," she said. "I can do the rest."

He leaned over and picked up a box and she did the same.

"What are you doing tonight?" he asked, as they made their way to her room.

"Nothing much," she responded. "I've got a presentation at Villa Necchi Campiglio at 5 o'clock."

They arrived at her bedroom door, and she balanced her box in one hand and opened the door with the other, whilst indicating for him to step into the room. "You can just pop that one down by the end of the bed."

Delyan complied and when he straightened up, he said:

"So...work then. And?"

She was taken aback. Was he going to ask her out? She moved from one foot to the other. "We can maybe do something after," she said surprising herself. His gaze and manner were so direct, it was difficult to concentrate on what she was saying. "I can't go big though. My schedule tomorrow is crazy."

"Me neither," he said, glancing around her room. "I'm up at four...for Paris."

She stepped over to her closet and closed the door, feeling self-conscious of the overflow of clothes. "What are you doing there?" she asked.

"KENZO shoot." Delyan turned back for the next box. Over his shoulder, he said: "There's a runway casting too for Paris fashion week."

Charlie followed him into the corridor. She couldn't believe she was contemplating going out with the man she'd just moved in with. Or that he was a KENZO model.

"Coffee then after work?" she said.

He shook his head. "Coffee's no good for me after dark."

She watched as he leaned over and picked up another enormous box of books as if it were light as a feather. As she followed his lead again, she tried not to stare at him. He had a grace and ease that was magnetic. Ever since she'd met him, she'd found she couldn't stop thinking about him.

He glanced at her as they made their way back to her room and she blushed. "I think I might come to the presentation," he said.

"Ha ha!" she said lightly.

"No serious." He smiled at her, and her stomach flip flopped. "I heard the villa is worth seeing."

Charlie laughed. "You can't come. It's a closed event."

"Mmm. We'll see." He carefully placed the box he was carrying on top of the one he'd dropped off earlier.

"Delyan...I'm working."

Charlie placed her box on the bed and opened it up. It was full of all her beauty products, cosmetics, perfumes, hair straighteners.

"Don't worry," he said, glancing in the box. "I won't disturb you. I'll be the mysterious stranger wondering the grounds."