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Normal (11)

"Let's get down to business, then, shall we?"  Hugh asked with a smile. 

"Yes, of course," June jumped in.  "What idea did you have in mind for the shoot?"

"Sultry enchantment," Hugh quipped.  He radiated enthusiasm, infecting everyone in the room.  I fiddled with a button on my coat.  "We're thinking light and airy, wondrous and mysterious.  Lots of pastel colors.  Are you available in two days?  Tomorrow I'll need to instruct my decor crew to set up the place of my vision," he rambled to us instructively.  We watched as he pulled out a sleek black phone from his chest coat pocket.

"Anytime that works for you works for us," June replied profesionally.  Hugh slid his eyes over to me for confirmation and I gave him my practiced smile.  As nice as he was, I still didn't want to be here doing this.

I missed Sam.

"Perfectm so it's settled.  Would you like me to make any arrangements for your free day in New York, Sea?"  Hugh asked curiously.

I shook my head.  "No thank you, I'll probably just do some catching up?"  I ended my supposed-to-be statement as a question to check if my schedule was clear with June.  She pursed her lips slightly and glanced down discreetly at her iPhone.

Guess that was a negative.

"Please don't think me too unprofessional, but do you want to head down the stairs and dance?"  Hugh grinned mischievously.  I saw a spark lit in the back of his eyes.

June fixed me with a warning look that told me I had better be sweet as pie to my employer slash photographer.

I swallowed uncomfortably.  "Sure," I said slowly, standing.  "but I'm not a very experienced dancer."

Hugh threw his head back and guffawed.  "Well, then!  I'll have to introduce you to a couple of the moves I've mastered."  I smiled shyly as he placed his hand lightly against the small of my back.  He thanked June for managing to get me to New York so quickly, and then whisked me off.

Once we were out of June's earshot, Hugh turned to me with his face all wrinkled up in dismay.

"What?"  I asked self-consciously, sparing a glance at myself.  My heart pounded anxiously.  June, and my mother, would skin me alive if I messed up my biggest booking yet.

"Sea, are you alright?  You're looking unwell," Hugh frowned.  I smoothed some blonde strands of hair behind my ear and flashed him a mega-watt smile.  He blinked and  would've sworn his jaw was unhinged momentarily.

"I'm peachy," I said quietly, twisting my fingers together at the lie.  He scanned my face for any hint of dishonesty before narrowing his eyes.  Instead of calling me out for being untruthful, he led me to the pulsating dancefloor, deep into the throng of well-dressed, gyrating clubbers.

The song was really lively.  I felt myself blush whenever I made eye contact with anyone surrounding me.  Hugh grabbed my hand and spun me in a circle before snapping me back toward him.  Not expecting that at all, I stumbled and squashed his foot.

"Hugh!"  I inhaled sharply in mortification.  "I'm so sorry!" 

He laughed at the look of horror on my face and shrugged it off.  I let him raise our hands in the air, swaying with the music's rhythm.  After the next couple of songs, we were finally enjoying ourselves when I felt something strange buzz in my clutch, which I had slung over my shoulder despite Hugh's offers to put it somewhere safe.

"What's the look on your face for, love?"  Hugh shouted at me over the song.

I hurriedly tugged my phone out of the bag and held it up.  Recognition lit his eyes and he jokingly bowed before gesturing me to take the call.  "I'll wait for your return!" he promised.  I shook my head with a smile and pointed at a pretty brunette who had been making wistfuleyes at him all throughout our dancing.  He looked back at me with a playfully irritated face, but I turned around and began inching my way out of the crowd.