Never taking his eyes off me, he picked up his glass of water and took a sip. With a sigh, he answered, “I’m being featured in a magazine—in front of the lens.”
“That’s awesome! Congratulations!”
His lips turned upward, but I could see a hint of reservation in his eyes. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
For the first time there was a beat of silence that hung between us. It wasn’t awkward or intimidating, but it was there.
Dropping my voice a bit lower, I broke the quiet moment. “You’re not comfortable being in front of the camera, are you?”
“I know what I’m good at, and that keeps me behind the camera.”
“It’s going to be amazing,” I expressed with determination. “You’re great at what you do, so if you’re able to direct the models that you use, you’ll be able to direct yourself. You got this.”
The right side of his lip quirked upward in a slight smile. Clearing his throat, he shifted the conversation. “What are you studying at Hamilton University?”
“Fashion Business Management.”
“Bachelor’s?”
“For my bachelor’s degree, I double majored in Fashion Design and Business. And I finish my master’s degree in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing this spring.”
He let out an impressed whistle. “Nice. And you have your own line already?”
Pride heated my face, and I sat up a little straighter. “Yes. There’s actually going to be a fashion show soon if you’re interested in coming.”
“Let me know the information and I’ll see if I can make it.”
I grabbed a flyer out of my bag and handed it to him. “Here you go.”
He smirked. “You came prepared, didn’t you?”
“I already gave one to the hostess, the waitress, and now you.” Winking at him, I added, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.”
Licking his lips, he pulled his eyes from me and read the flyer. With a nod of his head, he pulled out his phone. “I’m putting it on my calendar, but I won’t know for sure if I’ll be able to make it until closer to the day.”
“That’s fine. Thank you.” I waited until he looked at me again. “So, what made you do this seminar, and are you doing it again?”
“Honestly?”
“Always.”
“The money.”
“You little gold-digger.”
He laughed. “The money is what convinced me to do it. But I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think it was beneficial for both me and the students involved.”
“Are you doing it again?”
His eyes glimmered. “If I were to do it again, the information would go out on Monday, and the seminar would start in November.”
I nodded, understanding exactly what he was saying. “This must be what insider trading feels like,” I mused, stroking my chin. “You went to Hamilton, right?”
Choking on his water, he laughed before answering. “Yeah, eight years ago. So, when the opportunity presented itself, I decided to come home and spend time with my dad.”
“Home? So, you were born and raised here?” I asked, knitting my brows. “Your accent isn’t giving me Maryland vibes.”
“My mom is from the Bronx, but she was born in Italy. My dad is from Baltimore. My grandma got sick and came to stay with us, so I grew up with my grandma and mom. I didn’t move to Maryland until junior year of high school. I applied to Hamilton and…” He stretched his arms out at his sides. “Here I am.”
“I know photographing Jordan Brewers was the thing that made you famous—”
“I’m not famous.”
Ignoring his interruption, I continued, “But what made you pick up a camera in the first place?”
“I started shooting parties and events in college, and it evolved—”
Wagging my finger at him and playfully glaring across the table, I added, “No, sir… don’t give me the bullshit answer you’d give to an interviewer. I want to know what really got you into photography.”
“Honestly?”
“Always.”
He tapped his finger against his glass as he eyed me. “I have family in Italy—Palermo. I would spend half the summer with my family over there and the other half in West Baltimore. On my thirteenth birthday, my dad got me a camera and told me to spend the summer taking pictures of every beautiful thing I could see.”
“Everything beautiful in Italy?”
“In Italy and in West Baltimore.” He took a sip of his water. “He used to always say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is in the eye of the photographer. And beauty is in the eye of the subject.”
“I like that.” Licking my lips, I considered the statement. “That’s deep.”
“My dad is a deep man.”
We were both quiet, reflective for a moment.
“Here’s your food,” the waitress interrupted, setting our plates between us. “Do you need anything else at the moment?”
“Serena?” Luca questioned.
“No, I think I’m okay,” I replied.
“Looks like we’re okay. Thank you.” Luca flashed a polite smile at the waitress. As soon as she walked away, he smirked at me. “Those fries do look good.”
I shook my head. “Nooooo… you wanted the asparagus,” I teased.
He chuckled just before taking a bite of one of the green stalks. “Mmm.”
Smirking, I took a bite of a fry.
With a serious expression, Luca leaned forward. “Now that we have our food, I want to talk to you about something…”
My heartrate spiked in anticipation as I waited for him to continue. I didn’t move. Seconds ticked by and we just silently stared at one another.
“Vegetarianism,” he deadpanned. “Why did you give up meat?”
I couldn’t take it anymore. Throwing the other half of my fry in the pile of fries from which it came, the question just burst out of me. “Luca, when are you going to tell me about the project?”
I watched the corners of his mouth turn upward.
Feigning confusion, he gasped, “What project? I thought this was a date.”
With a giggle, I rolled my eyes. “Cut the shit! You know damn well what project I’m talking about.”
He let out a short laugh as he wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Okay, okay. I was hired to do a conceptual shoot about finding beauty in unconventional places. If you’re up for it and available next weekend, that’s when I’d like to get started. The theme—”
“I’m in.”
He gave me a look. “Just like that.”
I shrugged. “Just like that.”
“Serena, Serena, Serena.” Grinning, he picked up his water. “You are nothing like I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
He sat back in his chair, studying me. “Honestly?”
“Always.”
“I expected you to be a little difficult.”
I winked. “Oh, I am.”
He laughed. “Got it.”
“But seriously, you are a legend. I could learn so much from you, and that alone would be good for my career. Maybe…” I suddenly got nervous at the thought of asking him to work on photos for me. Glancing down at my plate, I summoned my courage. “Maybe, um…between shots and makeup changes, you could give me some tips on how to shoot an idea I have for my line.”
“Yeah, of course.”
A sigh of relief left my body, and I took a big bite of my veggie burger.
He held my gaze for a minute. “Did you think I was going to tell you no?”
My lips curled upward after I swallowed. “It was a possibility.”
He nodded as he chewed a piece of steak. “You think I’m the kind of asshole that’ll ask you to model for me and wouldn’t help you in return?”
Giggling, I shook my head. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I just didn’t know what you might say—you being a big celebrity and all. The school basically forbid us to approach you,
so I was hesitant to mention my idea.”
“That was because—”
“Because you’re a celebrity and you had the school in a tizzy.” I chomped down on a fry as I watched his eyes dance in amusement. “You don’t have time for mere mortals.”
“Cut that shit out right now,” he groaned.
Giving him my most innocent look, I widened my eyes. “What shit? Whatever do you mean?”
He glared at me. “You’re right. You are difficult.”
I giggled at his expression and words, but when his chuckles mixed with mine, it just made me laugh harder.
Once his laughter died down, his expression turned thoughtful. “The only difference between me and you is platform and audience. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for what you want—especially with me. If I can help you, I will.”
A warmth filled my chest. “Thank you. I really appreciate that.”
He held my gaze for a beat too long.
“Are you two still doing alright?” the waitress asked, refilling our glasses of water.
“Yes, we are,” he answered for the both of us. “Thank you.”
“Um, this is for you,” she said to him.
Looking away from his face, I noticed the tray in her hand with the tumbler filled with amber liquid. She sat it down in front of him.
He eyed the glass. “I didn’t order this.”
“Yeah…” She glanced at me, giving me an apologetic look. “I didn’t want to bring it, but my boss said I had to.”
“I appreciate it.” He handed the drink back to her. “But no thank you.”
She nodded once and scurried away.
I raised an eyebrow and tried not to laugh. “Well, well, well…” I murmured before taking another bite of my food.
Luca shook his head. “What?”
I pointed to my mouth as I chewed. After swallowing, I sang, “Oh nothing.”
He glared at me, but a smile played on his lips, so I continued.
“You didn’t have to turn down the drink on account of me.” I lifted my hand up. “I mean, we are on a date after all. But we’re keeping it casual, so you didn’t have to turn down a free drink.”
He shook his head. “I turned it down out of principle. I’m here with you—and whoever sent it doesn’t know if you’re my date or not. So, it was disrespectful of them to send it over. And I’m many things, but I’m not disrespectful.”
I saw that he was serious, so I switched gears. “Yeah… it’s definitely a bold move. I mean, you’re a good-looking guy. You are talented, and you dress well. I completely get why they would be interested. But I wouldn’t ever send a drink to a man if I didn’t know for sure they weren’t on a date.”
I could tell he was struggling not to smile. “So, you wouldn’t have sent me a drink?”
“Hell no.”
He put his hand over his heart. “Ouch.”
I started giggling.
“You didn’t have to say ‘hell no’, Serena,” Luca sulked in jest. “Just a no would’ve sufficed.”
Laughing harder, I shook my head. “No, no, no… this isn’t about me. This is about your hotness driving women to waste their money on rude drinks.” I looked around the room. “Who do you think it is?”
“I have no idea who it could be. I’m not worried about it. I have a beautiful date. What would I need with someone else?”
I hated that my entire body heated at his words, so I ignored the question. “I’m curious.” I looked around and didn’t see anyone really standing out. When I returned my eyes to Luca’s face, he was watching me. “What?”
He sat back in his chair. “I don’t know.” His words had a hint of amusement within them. “There’s something about you that’s just—”
“Luca! Hey, Luca!”
I turned my head just in time to see the blonde from the gallery walk up to our table.
“Jennifer?” Luca balked.
She stopped just past me and positioned herself so that her back was to me. Trailing her bright red fingernails across the tablecloth, she greeted Luca again. “Hi. Did you get my drink?”
“I did, thank you.” He gestured my way and then locked eyes with me. “But my lovely date and I aren’t drinking this evening.”
Date…? Interesting.
She moved a little closer to him. “Can I talk to you? It’s important.”
“No.”
“No?”
The shock in her voice almost brought me into a fit of giggles.
“I’m sorry; but as you can see, I’m here with Serena and I don’t want to be rude. But it was nice to see you.”
“Luca!” She lowered her voice. “What are you doing here with her? You know she’s a student, right?”
Oh, so she’s a snitch. Got it. I laughed hard internally.
“Who I dine with is none of your business.” He gave her a look to punctuate the end of the sentence. “Now, if you’ll excuse us.”
“I thought you said you didn’t date students,” she hissed.
Even though she purposely tried to keep her back toward me, I could still see her profile, and her face was reddening. I pursed my lips to keep from smiling. But the moment Luca’s eyes met mine again, I started grinning.
“We’re in the middle of something, and you’re interrupting our meal.” Luca’s voice was firm but not harsh. He shifted his gaze to her. “Please, enjoy the rest of your night.”
She turned to glare at me before looking back at Luca. “When you’re done slumming it with that ho, you know where to find me,” Jennifer snipped before storming off.
“Yikes,” I murmured, eating another fry.
“I’m sorry about that,” Luca apologized before scrubbing his face with his hands.
“Lovers quarrel?” I joked, trying to ease the irritation off his face.
“More like obsessed student.”
I chomped on another fry and waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, I quirked an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“I shouldn’t discuss a student with you.”
“Technically, you’re no longer an instructor at Hamilton, so…”
He chewed his last bite of steak and seemed to be considering. “All I can say is that she has been throwing herself at me since the first day of class.”
“Scandalous!” I leaned over the table. “Did anything happen? Did you two have a moment?”
“Hell no. I don’t mix business with pleasure.”
“No business and pleasure?” I pursed my lips. “So, you’ve never slept with any of the models you’ve photographed?”
“Early in my career. But not in the last five or six years. And I wouldn’t sleep with one of my students.”
“Hm.” I felt my face twist even though I tried to keep it emotionless.
“What was that?” He pointed at me. “What’s that face?”
“I’m just…” I shrugged my shoulders and searched for the words I wanted to say next in the space above his head.
“You just what?”
“I’m just surprised,” I said slowly. “No judgment either way.”
“Why are you surprised? I like boundaries. When I’m single, I’m single. When I’m in a relationship, I’m in a relationship. When I’m working, I’m working.”
I searched his eyes and took in the handsomeness of his face. “I just figured this can’t be the first time a student has thrown herself at you because, believe me, there are a lot of Jennifers on campus.” I let out a little giggle as I thought about all the people—men and women—who mentioned they wanted to shoot their shot with the talented photographer. “You’re very attractive and successful. You’ve been here for what? Six weeks? It wouldn’t have surprised me if you had some sort of wild, illicit hookup with one of your students.” I tilted my head, scrutinizing his every movement.
There was a glint in his eyes as he picked up his water glass and took a long gulp.
Gasping, my hand flew to my chest. “You have slept with a student!” I whispered
enthusiastically.
He just looked at me for a minute and I met his gaze. The longer we eyed one another, the more his lips twitched.
Breaking the silence, he leaned forward in his chair. “Honestly?”
“Always.”
“I’ve never slept with any of my students.”
I narrowed my eyes because I felt like there was more to it than that.
He took a sip of water, but still couldn’t manage to mask the smile that tugged at his lips.
And it dawned on me.
My jaw dropped. “You’ve slept with students—they just weren’t yours!”
“Unintentionally, I slept with a twenty-nine-year-old woman and a forty-year-old woman… who happen to be students… here.”
His honesty and candor made me feel closer to him.
“Hey,” I started gently. “I’m not judging.”
He made a face. “Judging or not, I’m thirty-one. I wanted you to know that I didn’t sleep with some nineteen-year-old or something. Your peer group is a little too young for me.”
“First of all,” I started, causing him to laugh. “I’m twenty-six.”
His eyebrows raised fractionally. “So, you’re saying you’re old enough for me?”
It was my turn to laugh. My face heated because I was caught off guard. “No!”
“Interesting,” he joked sarcastically.
“Stop it! No! What I’m saying is that I’m twenty-six, and nineteen isn’t exactly my peer group. I’m closer to your age than a teenager.” I glared at him, stifling my amusement. “Shut up!”
He laughed harder. “I’m just messing with you. I know you didn’t mean it like that.”
“You’re going to be in big trouble messing with me, Luca Romano.”
His eyes dropped from my eyes to my lips. “I believe it, Serena Brooks.”
My mouth went dry.
Chapter Four
My dinner with Luca Romano was a success. We talked and joked around until we realized that we’d been there for hours and it was closing time. After he paid the bill, he walked me to my car and thanked me for my company. We shook hands and agreed to meet on campus—in the classroom where his seminar was being held—after my class on Monday.
He wanted to coordinate schedules for the locations of his shoot, and he agreed to look at my designs and give me feedback for my Simply Serena promotional ad campaign. It was a good time, but knowing I had a Monday night meeting with him kept me on edge for the rest of the weekend. By Sunday night, I convinced myself that I needed to approach my meeting with Luca as if we didn’t hang out like friends the night before.
Cuffing Season Page 4
