𝓕𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮

1

In the early morning, I woke up with an intense headache, the worst I've ever experienced. I reluctantly left my bed and made my way straight to the bathroom. As I stepped into the shower, I discarded the clothes from the previous night onto the floor. The cold water cascaded over my body, jolting me awake from my hangover. I quickly adjusted the temperature to hot and began to cleanse myself, feeling the water droplets run down my face as I submerged my head.

After the shower, I grabbed a towel on my way to the sink and briskly dried myself off. The towel joined the pile of dirty clothes on the floor. Glancing at my reflection in the mirror, I noticed faint purplish circles under my eyes. I brushed my teeth and left the bathroom, heading towards my closet. A quick glance at the alarm clock reminded me that I was running late. I hastily selected an outfit and swiftly put it on, trying not to stumble over my own feet.

With my keys, phone, equipment, and wallet in hand, I locked the apartment door behind me and rushed to my car. As I placed everything on the passenger seat, I started the engine and arrived at the shooting location in less than 10 minutes.

"Riggs, you're late," a voice from my right startled me. I turned to see my best friend Alex, who could be sweet when she was drunk but not so much when she wasn't.

Alex was not only my best friend but also the person who rescued me when I was on the streets. Despite appearing like a 16-year-old girl, she was actually 25. She started as my desk mate, then became my roommate, and now works as my assistant.

"One minute won't hurt anyone. Where's my model?" I replied without even looking at her, as I began setting up my equipment.

"She's with the make-up artist. Her name is Chloe Jones," Alex informed me. I followed Alex's gaze and saw a stunning girl with hazel eyes. She looked amazing, but could she model as well as she appeared?

"Wow, she looks incredible!" I couldn't help but make eye contact with Chloe before quickly diverting my gaze back to my equipment.

"Alright, Romeo, do your job. By the way, how's your head?" Alex asked, adopting the concerned tone of a mother, reminiscent of our days as roommates when I would come home late.

"I've had better days, but I'm fine, mom," I replied, sporting a wide smile as I observed her flustered expression.

After inserting a memory card into my Nikon DSLR D7200 camera with a 28-300mm lens, I made some adjustments. Before pursuing a career in photography, I worked as a bartender, saving every penny to invest in my equipment. I used to share a two-bedroom apartment with Alex until photography took off, and I moved out. I hired Alex as soon as I realized I couldn't do it all alone. Together, we started earning more and more money. Last year, I purchased my own studio, complete with lights, additional cameras, and various coloured backgrounds.

Less than 30 minutes later, we began the photoshoot. Despite her age, Chloe posed better than some seasoned models. She instinctively knew how to strike the perfect pose without any direction from me. We finished much quicker than expected. After the shoot, we all decided to celebrate the two-day job completed in one by going to a club tonight. It seemed that Chloe and I would have a long-term partnership, as we worked incredibly well together. I must say, I was impressed by her talent.

Once everything was wrapped up at the studio, I returned home to change for the evening. I knew Chloe would be there, so it would be the perfect opportunity to discuss a long-term contract over a drink. I quickly got ready, knowing I didn't have much time, and made my way to the agreed-upon bar in no time.

As I entered, the scent of sweat and cigarette smoke enveloped me. I navigated through the crowd, bumping into people as I made my way to my friends. And there she was, Chloe, with her captivating hazel eyes.

"Hey Chloe!" I greeted her, feeling quite lame as she turned her head and smiled.

"Hey Riggs!" Her voice was enchanting, and I couldn't help but feel an immediate attraction to someone I had just met.

"I need to talk to you," I blurted out quickly.

"Sure, what is it?" she asked, appearing slightly confused.

"Shall we grab a drink first?"

"Let's do it." We manoeuvred through the crowd, making our way to the bar. I caught the bartender's attention and ordered drinks for both of us.

"So, what do you want to talk about, Riggs?" Chloe wasted no time getting to the point.

"First of all, please call me Emma. And secondly, what do you think about making today a permanent arrangement? We have a connection, Chloe. Your body speaks directly to my camera. I've worked with numerous professional models, but there's something different about you," I rambled on, unsure if she truly understood the depth of my words.

"That sounds interesting, Emma, but I need a favour in return," she replied, her talent leaving me willing to be her personal cook if she agreed to my proposition.

"Anything," I blurted out, realising that I might regret it based on her reaction.

"I need you to be my fake girlfriend for a month," she stated plainly.

"I'd be willing to do it for life if that's what you want," I joked, hoping she understood.

"In your dreams, Emma," she retorted. Perhaps there was a glimmer of possibility in her response, but I couldn't decipher her true intentions.

"Why do you want me to be your girlfriend, though?"

"Personal reasons. Look, you'll only need to attend some family dinners, and we'll have to pretend in front of the crew," I explained. I was fine with keeping our interactions limited and drama-free when we weren't in public view. I didn't need any unnecessary complications in my life