by Randi Ocean
“Let me know if the contract comes in from Adele so we can review it together.”
“Will do,” I said as he ducked around the corner back to the studio. I pulled out my phone to call Sergio.
“Good morning, my sweet,” he said in his unbearably sexy accent. “How’re you feeling this morning?”
“I’m okay. Thank you for the beautiful flowers. You shouldn’t have.”
“They pale in comparison to your beauty, but I wanted you to know I’m thinking about you and missed you last night.”
“You’re very sweet.”
“I have a Christmas party at the restaurant from six to nine tonight, but I thought if you got here around eight-thirty, maybe I could slip away a little early.”
I didn’t know what to say. I fiercely wanted to be with him, but I needed to make the break as soon as possible. “Why don’t you call me when you’re wrapping up?” I said. “I’ll just meet you upstairs at your place. I know it will be hard for Joseph to hold a seat for me at the bar. I’m sure it’ll be packed.”
“Are you okay, Bridget? Are you still feeling bad?”
“I’m okay, really. I would just rather avoid the restaurant tonight, if you don’t mind.”
“That’s fine. As long as you’re okay. You don’t sound like the bubbling Bridget I know.”
“I’m a little off today, but I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, I’ll see you later. I’m counting the hours until I can be in your arms.”
“See you tonight,” I said with little enthusiasm, and hung up. Ugh. I was dreading this.
**
Sergio called around ten minutes to nine. He was all business. “The party is wrapping up, so I can meet you in fifteen minutes. Does that work for you?” He paused for a moment, turning away from the phone, “Yes, Adele, I’ll be there in a moment to say good night.” Coming back to me, he said, “Do you understand?”
“Yes, I can tell you have an audience. I’ll see you in about fifteen minutes or so.”
“That’ll be fine. Thank you,” Sergio said, and hung up.
I was incredibly nervous to see him. I still wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to say, but I had to get it over with.
The entrance to the upstairs residences was right next to the entrance to the restaurant. They had a full house, with a lot of holiday partying going on. It was very loud and quite festive. I felt anything but festive.
I buzzed Sergio’s intercom, and he sent the elevator down to chauffeur me to the fifth floor. He was waiting by the elevator when the door slid open. He took both my hands, pulling me into him for a passionate kiss. I kissed back, but not with the usual affection.
“Bridget, darling, what’s wrong?” Sergio asked with concern, but also sounding slightly annoyed.
“Oh, Sergio. Can we go inside and talk?”
He held my hand and led me to the living room. A fire was already blazing, and he had a bottle of wine on ice. Several small bowls of nuts and snacks lined the edge of the table. We sat on the couch, and Sergio poured the wine. He handed me a glass, then leaned back on the couch, creating a hint of distance between us. “Will you please tell me what’s going on?” he pleaded.
“Everything’s happening so fast, Sergio,” I said. “The last few days have been amazing, you’re amazing….” I added, not knowing what to say next.
Sergio tilted his head waiting for me to continue. When I paused, he said, “But…?”
“It’s not really a ‘but.’ As I’ve been putting the schedule and project details together, I’ve been questioning whether I can manage our romantic relationship and the project effectively. I’m afraid if we’re romantically involved, there’ll be too many distractions and I won’t be able to focus on the job properly.”
Sergio visibly relaxed. “Oh, my sweet Bridget, please don’t stress over these things. I’m sure we can find a balance.” He leaned toward me and started to put his arms around me.
I pushed him away and stood up. “Sergio, we’ve only known each other for a week. Why don’t we take it slow through the project and get to know each other better? We can revisit the relationship when the book is done. It’ll only be a couple of months into the New Year when it’s finished. Dane’s suspicious on my end, and Adele’s already skeptical of your ability to think clearly, too. Let’s prove them both wrong and maintain a purely business relationship, and focus all of our energy on shooting a drop-dead-gorgeous book.”
Sergio got up and walked over to the fire. Turning to me, he said, “Is it really about the project, Bridget, or is there something else going on? You feel so distant tonight compared with the intimate connection we’ve shared. Is there something I’ve said or done that has made you push away from me?”
A voice inside me was screaming, I want you more than you can imagine! “No, not at all! I’ve had to psyche myself up to try to put our relationship back on a professional footing. This isn’t easy for me, Sergio. I’m using every last ounce of willpower I have to resist the feelings I have for you and be the businesswoman I need to be for your project.”
He studied me for a moment with his seductive brown eyes. “And you won’t let me present an argument to change your mind?”
“Sergio, I told you this isn’t easy for me.” I was pacing. My job is on the line. If I slip up during the shoot and my emotions get in the way, I’m toast. I’m sure Adele would love to catch us at something that she feels is compromising the job, too. If we put a little distance between us, no one can accuse us of anything except hard work.”
Sergio put his glass down and walked over to stop me from pacing. He held my cheeks in his hands and said, “Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?” He kissed me on each cheek and then passionately on the lips.
I pulled away. “Sergio, you’re not making this easy.”
“That’s because it isn’t easy, my sweet Bridget. I can’t just turn off these feelings I have for you. If you said you didn’t want to be with me or I didn’t make you happy, fine. I’d have to accept that. You’re asking me to accept that we both care deeply for each other but have to ignore it. I don’t know if I can do that.”
“I have to, Sergio. It’s the only way for me to focus and do the best job I can for you.” I stood staring at him as tears streamed down my cheeks.
He gently wiped them away and began to acquiesce. He led me back over to the couch and sat down with his arm around me. “I understand, Bridget,” he said and kissed my forehead. “I will not make this harder on you than it already is. We can make adjustments. It won’t be easy for me, either, but I see your logic.”
“Oh, Sergio,” I said, throwing my arms around his neck, hugging him as the tears came uncontrollably.
“Shh,” he whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”
We kissed tenderly, and then he poured another glass of wine for each of us. Once again, he sat back on the couch a few feet away. It was a small gesture, but it showed me he’d accepted putting some space between us.
“Tell me about the conversation with Dane and Valerie about working with Nicole. What’s their take on it?”
Relieved we were back to discussing business, I recapped. “Well, Dane was a bit unsure at first, but Valerie said she would do what was best for the project, and if that meant working with Nicole as the assistant, she’d do it. Dane went out of his way to be sure she was really on board with it but, in the end, I think we all agree - this is too important to dig our heels in about it. If Valerie was being cut out altogether, that would be different, but she wants to be a part of it. We all want to do an amazing job for you, and that’s the bottom line. If having Nicole there gives you and Adele a comfort factor, it’s done.”
Sergio watched me as I talked, and a smile came over his face. “You really are passionate about this, aren’t you?”
“More than you will probably ever know,” I said, taking a sip of wine, trying to calm down.
He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Are you hungry?�
� he asked as he got up and headed for the kitchen.
“I haven’t eaten much in the last twenty-four hours. I’ve been so twisted up about this. I could probably use a bite.”
“I made some paella as a special on the menu and brought some leftovers up. Can I heat some up for you?”
“That sounds fabulous,” I said, relaxing more by the minute. I followed him to the kitchen and watched as he fixed another exquisite meal effortlessly. He sautéed some fresh shrimp and tossed them with the rice. Within fifteen minutes he produced a meal fit for a queen.
“It’s a joy to watch you in the kitchen. You’re such an artist,” I said, feeling my resolve weakening for keeping this strictly a business relationship.
“Well, you can’t walk around hungry,” Sergio said, joking with me.
He sat down next to me at the counter and poured a Morandé pinot noir that complimented the paella perfectly. “Bridget, I understand your passion for this project. I will back off and give you the space you need to manage it to your heart’s content. Just know that I adore you and long to be with you. If you change your mind at any point along the journey, I’ll be waiting with open arms.”
I was overwhelmed by his acceptance. He really did care for me and want to make this work for everyone. “I appreciate that, Sergio. I want this to be your best book ever. And it will be.”
Sergio smiled and kissed me tenderly. “I know, Bridget. I have the utmost faith in you.”
His kiss reverberated through me. I wanted to make love to him, and I sensed he felt the same way. “How about we start our celibacy tomorrow?” I teased.
He laughed. “We could, but if we prolong the inevitable, it’s only going to be harder for me to resist you.”
“You’re right. I should probably go.”
“You’re a true professional, Bridget. I love and respect you even more for what you’re doing.”
“Thank you, Sergio,” I said, trying to fight back tears again.
“My sweet Bridget, please don’t cry. It’s all going to be okay,” Sergio comforted me.
“I know.” Tears streamed down my cheeks as he hugged me tightly. I didn’t want to let go.
**
That night, I was totally restless. It broke my heart to push Sergio away. I kept hearing Sally’s voice telling me that it was possible neither one of us would be safe if our relationship became public. Could those goons really still care about me? The FBI had recorded video of my testimony about the mobsters and my boss, Clint Sinclair, so the damage was done. But Sally seemed to think they could come after me for revenge. She should know. There was no point in risking my safety or Sergio’s. I’d come too far to take chances.
I was wide awake when the alarm went off at six. I threw myself into the shower and lingered a little longer than usual in the steamy water imagining Sergio’s tingling touch skating over my bare skin. He’d connected with every corner of my being, not just with his caresses, but with his charismatic personality. It was torture to suppress my attraction to him, particularly when we would see each other at work almost every day.
When I got to the studio, I brewed a full pot of coffee. The caffeine would help jump-start my concentration to review the contract Adele had sent over just as we were walking out the door the night before. Neither Dane nor I had the energy or brainpower to start going over it at that late hour.
I downloaded the document and began to comb through it. It was a sloppy revision of their standard form. There was one place where the company name still read “Savory Shots,” another food photographer in town who had shot their last project. I began to compare the details of our proposal and our stipulations with the details of the contract. Very little of our proposal had been incorporated, and the verbiage was extremely one-sided in their favor. The timeline for completion was also fast-tracked, much more than I expected. When Dane and Valerie arrived, I’d been through about half of it and was very charged up.
“How does it look?” Dane asked.
I scowled. “Well, I guess I should’ve expected it, since Adele was pushing for another photographer, but it needs to be totally reworked.”
Valerie was intrigued. “What’s up with that? You hadn’t mentioned anyone else was being considered seriously.”
“Sergio was sold from the moment I presented our proposal, but Adele and Sergio’s brother had someone else in mind that they’d been pushing before we were in the picture. He’s a friend of Sergio’s brother and I gather Nicole works with him a lot.”
“Any chance if we balk at their contract, they’ll go back to the other guy?” Dane asked with concern.
“I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. They accepted the points in our proposal, so hopefully it will be a formality to make the revisions. I’ll include Sergio in the communication with the revised contract so he’s aware that Adele hasn’t acknowledged our stipulations. He wants to work with you, Dane, so I’m sure he’ll fight for it.”
“Whatever you think, Bridget. I just don’t want to lose the job.”
“Please don’t worry. I’ll make it happen.” Sergio would be a good sounding board if I could talk to him, but I would hammer this out with Adele and the lawyers, and stick with my commitment to put distance between us.
Dane, Valerie, and I spent the next few hours dissecting the contract. I had plenty of notes for revisions, but the timeline was probably going to be nonnegotiable. Adele wanted everything completed by mid-February, and to make that happen, Valerie would have to work straight through the holiday, prepping.
I sifted through the particulars of the deliverables and payments. I had to be sure there wouldn’t be any surprises or expectations that couldn’t be met. I sent the red-lined document with our changes to the lawyer so she could get going on our version while we continued wrestling with the schedule.
Dane’s approach for the art direction of the book was to shoot the ingredients for the recipes separately in addition to the finished plates. That’s what sold Sergio. He loved the idea of showing the raw ingredients as still life, so that couldn’t be trimmed, but we still needed to meet the deadline.
Dane was frustrated. “It’s really pushing it to have all of this done by mid-February. Can’t we open up it up a little bit to give us time to be creative? It’ll become a very average book if we have to crank it out at this pace.”
I tried to calm him down. “Let’s give them a schedule that works for us, one that gives you time to be creative and do the work they expect. We’ll keep it as streamlined as possible, but they came to you because they love your work. That style takes time, and I just need to help them understand that. Do you think it can be done by the end of February?”
Dane was mulling it over when Valerie brought up a very good point. “We know nothing about how Nicole works. If she’s slow, she could throw off the whole process.”
“You’re right!” I said. “I need to add a caveat in the contract that takes the onus off us if she doesn’t deliver.” The realization hit me that Nicole could sabotage the entire project.
“Now, girls,” Dane said in the best fatherly voice he could muster, “let’s not go into this thinking that it won’t be a team effort. We’re all in it together, including Sergio and Adele. They aren’t going to settle for mediocre, either.”
I agreed, “You’re right. I’ll feel better after we’ve met Nicole, though. And I’m still going to add the language to the contract about her being their pick, and if she causes schedule delays, it’s on them.”
Dane warned me, “Okay, but be careful how it’s worded. As I said earlier, I don’t want to lose this contract.”
“You’ve got it.”
I went to e-mail the additional stipulations to the lawyer while Dane and Valerie finished up the schedule that extended the work for an extra two weeks. I thought, Surely by the end of February it’ll be safe to be with Sergio. Two months. An eternity!
By late afternoon we had the revised document back. It all looked good, and the l
anguage wasn’t too heavy-handed. We added the calendar to the contract as an addendum, and I sent the whole package, including the original red-lined document, back to Adele and copied Sergio. I fiercely wanted to call him and talk about it, but I knew if I did, I would be contradicting everything we’d discussed the night before. I had to let it go.
After the contract with all the revisions was successfully en route to Adele and Sergio, I went back out to the studio to join Dane and Valerie. We hadn’t had a moment to celebrate the award of the job until now. I popped a bottle of champagne that had been sitting in the refrigerator, waiting for just such an occasion.
“Here’s to another award-winning shoot!” I said, raising my glass to Dane and Valerie.
“Hear, hear!” Valerie added.
“Thanks, girls,” Dane said. “I’m pumped! I’m actually glad we’re getting started a little sooner than we originally talked about. I’ve already got some ideas, and can’t wait to get going on it. I’m going to pull some reference photos, and do a test shot or two before next Tuesday’s meeting.”
“I’m in if you want help,” said Valerie.
“I’m around, too, even if you want to work over the weekend,” I added.
Dane looked at me questioningly. “Don’t you have plans with ‘Mr. Red Roses’?”
“Yeah, you’ve been holding out on me, girlfriend,” Valerie teased. “You haven’t told me about your secret admirer.”
“That’s because there’s nothing to tell. He wants there to be something to it, but I’m not interested, so that’s that,” I said, as blasé as possible.
“Whatever you say,” Valerie said, not believing a word of it.
“Well, then, if you girls are up for it, let’s get a few shots done tomorrow.”
“Let’s do it!” Valerie said.
Dane laid out his plan so Valerie and I could prep before we came into the office. He’d identified a simple recipe from one of Sergio’s previous books that hadn’t been photographed. We’d shoot the ingredients and the dish in the style he imagined shooting the Buena Comida book. It was perfect. Dane didn’t want to be accused of panning another photographer or stylist. He wanted to demonstrate his understanding and immersion in the assignment. Sergio had fought for us, and we’d make sure Adele realized it was the right decision.
