In Love With A Good Man

Chapter 19: Job Opportunity

Now that Harley was safely back in Casey's home, she spent a week moving all of her things into his home: clothes, money, and belongings. Casey took some time off of work to help her get everything settled in. He was just happy that she no longer needed to risk her life.

Now that they were able to pick up where they left off, Casey decided to present a unique opportunity to Harley: a job opportunity – one that would pay cash and wouldn't require any background checks.

"We won't have to worry about coming up with any stories. I honestly think it would work perfectly for you." Casey said.

"Oh yeah? Look at my baby being all shady, haha! What is it, hun?" Harley asked curiously.

"Modeling." He answered with a chuckle.

"Huh? A model?"

"Yeah! I know a guy who does photo shoots for magazines and ads and posters in stores; stuff like that. I could introduce you to him and he can give you a feel for the process – let you see if it's something you'd be interested in." Casey described.

"Hmm," Harley pressed a finger to the corner of her mouth. "I dunno, baby. Do you really think that I could pass as a model?" She asked.

"Babe," Casey raised an eyebrow at her. "You're literally one of the prettiest girls in the city. There is no way you couldn't do this job." He said.

"Wow, so straightforward," She giggled. "Well in that case, let's give it a try!" She agreed.

"Great! I'mma call him right now." Casey said, springing up to his feet. He hurried into the next room to call his friend...

Later that afternoon, Casey and Harley went out to meet with this guy. They drove to an apartment complex and took an elevator to the 5th floor. Harley kept her hand on Casey's arm, looking around protectively while Casey knocked on the door.

A skinny gentleman with slicked back blonde hair and pale skin answered the door. He was dressed surprisingly nicely, wearing jeans and a striped sweater with the sleeves rolled back. He grinned and greeted Casey with a laugh and a hug.

"Casey! It's so good to see you again, man! Wow, you've lost some weight since I last saw you. You look good, dude."

"Thanks, man. This is my girlfriend that I told you about. Harley, this is Jonathan, my friend in photography. We took a course together a couple years back and stayed in touch." He briefly introduced them.

"Yes! Those were some good times. This guy here taught me a lot about framing and lining up shots right. I'm still jealous of how effortlessly this guy can get a good angle," Jonathan laughed and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"So this is your new girlfriend, huh? She's beautiful – you're incredibly beautiful, let me just say. Casey's a lucky guy!" He complimented her.

"Aww haha, thanks," Harley giggled bashfully. "Nice to meet you! So, uh, what do I need to know about this whole modeling thing?" She asked.

"Well, come inside for a bit. Let me show you around and I'll talk you through what we do here." Jonathan invited for them to come in.

Harley and Casey followed Jonathan into the studio. Right away, she was able to see where the cameras and backdrop were set up. A few models were standing around chatting or on their phones. Harley looked around, feeling both nervous and curious.

"So...what kinda stuff do ya shoot for?" Harley asked.

"Oh, a number of things! Mostly advertisements: clothes, perfume, swimsuits, rings; you name it! The important thing is having conventionally beautiful people willing to fit into different 'roles', as it were. It's like when you were a kid and you'd play dress up, just with cameras." Jonathan explained.

"I see...sounds weird." Harley commented bluntly.

"It is! But we have a good team here – things are comfortable and laid back around here." Jonathan said to reassure her.

"Jonathan's a good guy. He'll get you straight." Casey added.

"Really? I mean, I'm willing to try it. I could use some money." Harley admitted with a laugh.

"Don't we all?" Jonathan joked. "Well, how's your schedule look this week? We can bring you in and let you go solo for your first day – that way you can see what the process is like." Jonathan offered.

"Huh? Just like that? Don't you wanna...I dunno, interview me first?" Harley asked.

"Haha, I already knew I wanted to hire you. As soon as Casey told me about you and showed me your picture, I knew you'd make a good fit. This was all about seeing how you would feel about being here." Jonathan explained.

"Oh! Wow, Casey! You really got this all set up, huh?" She said, looking at him. Casey smiled and nodded.

"Well, the opportunity is all yours if you want it."

"Hmm..." Harley took a moment to think about this. She had her reservations about this arrangement, but Casey seemed confident vouching for this guy. And besides, with her background, it's not like she had too many chances like this available right now.

"Could you come with me for my first day, baby?" She requested, looking up at Casey.

"Sure." He agreed with a shrug.

"Great! Awesome! Ok, I gotta get back to shooting, but we'll discuss what day will work for you. Sit tight, Harley!" Jonathan said excitedly before returning to his camera.

"He's a real eccentric type, huh?" Harley said. Casey chuckled at this.

"Oh yeah. That's just a part of this business, it feels like. What're your thoughts on it though?" He asked.

"Not sure yet. I'll have to try it first. What about you?" She asked.

"What about me?"

"Are ya sure you'd be comfortable with me doing something like this?" She asked.

"Tch, you kidding? My girlfriend's a model. You got any idea what kinda bragging rights that'll give me?" Casey pointed out with a laugh.

"You dork," Harley snorted. "Alright. Well I guess we'll see this week."

"Yep. And hey, if this works out then you'll officially have your own job. You'll get to spend money that you actually made." He pointed out humorously.

"Ouch!" Harley laughed again. "But yeah, that's true. That'll be nice, and it'll help you out some too. With the house." She added.

"Well, I'm not asking you to do that, but I appreciate you thinking of me." He said with a smile.

"Well of course! We live under the same roof now, right? You best believe I'm gonna do my part. That's what good girlfriends do, right?" Harley smiled, walking up to Casey and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you." Casey said appreciatively. Harley grinned and gave him a kiss.

"Love you too."