c h a p t e r | 03
BOMB SQUAD
'To ask me to join the bomb squad
would've been more believable.'
__________
"WAIT, HOLD UP. WHAT?" Tessa held up her hand to stop John from talking anymore utter nonsense.
When John had called her up this morning, she thought they had to go over the common public appearances and contracts for Parker and the fitting image he saw for him like they usually did once a month, but never would she have foreseen this.
"Tessa," John picked up and offered her a cup with scolding hot coffee, which she gladly accepted since her mind quite possibly had not woken up yet and was therefore still imagining things.
Hoping to God, she was still drunk from yesterday, she took a huge gulp of the coffee, grimacing a little as the raw strong burning liquid tore at her throat, leaving it even more parched than before so she took another sip, this time reminding herself to blow at it.
"To ask me to join the bomb squad would've been more believable than this proposition," she glowered and refused to sit down as John Brenton gestured towards the opposite chair, looking at her pleadingly.
With an exasperated sigh he left himself fall into his leather office chair, smoothing out his tie, which seemed to be his adapted nervous habit and Tessa thought it served him right for springing this on her at 7 o'clock in the morning.
Right now, she cursed herself for not remembering to put her phone on silent as she instead of being here, trying to outlive the middle-aged man's puppy eyes, she could be in her own fluffy queen-sized bed, firmly disappeared into her mountain of pillows, sleeping away the forming headache that had formed behind her eyes, which quite possibly was one of the side effects from letting Indy make sure her glass of Cristal never went empty.
"Tessa, I'm really in a bind here. The timing is horrible, and—" He pressed two fingers at the top of his nose, closing his eyes for a moment. "Look, You've been extremely professional and your work is always on point. None of the power houses complain and they love to work with you as you fulfill their requirements with impeccable detail..."
"Really, flattery? That's your approach?" Tessa eyed him grudgingly over the cup before turning her attention back to the cup like it was the most precious thing in the world, which right now to her it was.
Blowing the steam off her cup, John spoke up again with another desperate sigh, "I'll double your pay," he offered and leaned towards her, his elbows resting on the table and his hands outspread in surrender.
"Double?" Tessa finally sat down on the opposing chair, looking at him suspiciously and wondered if he was just playing dirty now.
"Yes, double." He sent her one of his pleased smiles as he knew he had finally caught her attention.
To embark on Mission Impossible without an Ethan Hunt by her side seemed absolutely outrageous, but nevertheless she found herself considering it. As she kept staring at the pesky manager in front of her, she knew he was counting on her hazy mind to sweet-talk her into it.
"Hm, I don't know. Can't you get Pete to do it? Pete is free... And gay," she asserted and leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs as she overbearingly took another sip of her coffee, enjoying the fact that John was once again squirming in his seat, his eyes bulging slightly, before he shook his head in protest, and started tapping his fingers on the smooth wooden surface of his desk.
"You know as well as I that he'll be chewed to pieces and eaten raw. I need someone who—"
"Who isn't prone to his misplaced charm?" Tessa quirked an eyebrow questioningly upwards and John reluctantly nodded.
"I need someone who isn't gonna run away just by being looked at wrong," he admitted and a silence fell over the room.
"Triple," Tessa finally broke the silence and sat her now empty cup on his desk.
"Excuse me?" John blinked, his insistent tapping on the table stopped, as he strained even further in his seat to look at a pokerfaced Tessa.
"Triple," Tessa nodded in reaffirmation and stood up again. "As you said it yourself. Being his stylist is like waving a piece of meat in front of a starving tiger. Let's see the payment as a way to patch up the scars I'm sure to obtain," she continued and walked towards the windows, turning her back to him as he thought over the counter offer.
Looking out the windows, she chewed her lip quite aware that she would regret it, but she could not deny it was a splendid opportunity to finally get the circumstantial sum of money her bank account so desperately needed for her to get on with her dreams.
"Fine!" John hammered his hand on the table and turned in his chair, jumping up from it and over to her. "I'll triple your pay," he spoke reluctantly before eyeing her thoughtfully and she gave him a curt nod.
"Now, I know you must already know of his—"
"Please," Tessa snorted and held up her hand to stop him as she was quite certain of what he was going to spring on her.
"This deal is strictly business, and momentary until you find another one fitting to put up with his bullshit," she started and shot him a look, which once again had him smoothing out his maroon tie, and she let out a sigh walking over to the chair again.
"So it might—" John hesitated apologetically and turned towards her as she bumped down on the chair, one leg folded under her.
"Promise me you'll at least try? And please stop throwing these weak-minded girls at him, okay? Otherwise you'll have the same crisis on your hands way too soon," she shot him a look before she pulled out a calendar from her bag.
"Which is why I asked you," he said cheerily in another attempt of flattery and Tessa glowered at him again causing him to let out a sheepish laugh.
"Look. A lot of plans and offers are being debated back and forth lately which are going to definitively set his career in stone, and it will keep me a lot more calm knowing that I wouldn't have to deal which these sort of," he grimaced and sat down in his chair again too, "Ah, minor predicaments."
His choice of words made Tessa let out another snort and he waved her off.
"Well, give me the information, his appointments, appearances and whatnot and I'll make sure to follow up on the required details," she said and opened her calendar and uncapped her pen.
John settled into his business attitude and was quick to conjure up a folder from the top drawer of his desk, ready to relay the details when they got interrupted.
A knock sounded on the door and John jumped out of his chair again, suddenly very eager and Tessa dropped her pen down on the calendar as she leaned back in her chair, drumming her fingers against the armrests.
"So, what is it that can't possibly wait until a decent hour?" An all too familiar voice grumbled the minute the door opened and it did not wait until being invited inside before the person behind the voice sauntered into the room with a look of boredom etched on his face.
Up close it was hard not to acknowledge the astounding features that made up the tall model in the room. His nose was straight and sculptured like one of those depicted on roman statues. His cheekbones high and prominent, which fitted his very angular face that seemed carved with precision. The jaw was strong and smooth, and close to not needing a protractor to know it was set in a perfect 90 degree angle. His lips were full and lush but right now without the smug smile that usually lingered at the corners, just like his eyes, which were this rich warm brown color, one could reflect oneself in, but were now closed off with tiredness. His hair was disheveled and ruffled at the top of his head just like it had been at the photoshoot the day before. However this time, it was certain it was simply due to the fact that he had only bothered with running his hands through it.
Everything about him screamed like he had just thrown on whatever was closest and walked out of the door. Yet somehow, he still managed to look like one ready to model Calvin Klein's new collection of boxer briefs.
"Hale, I don't know if you already know her, but this is Tessa Maccio," John announced and gestured towards Tessa who remained seated in the chair, and only looked up briefly when her name was called.
She did not say anything and the same went for Hale Westbrook. As he lazily turned his attention towards her, she noticed there was a faint 5 o'clock shadow on his jaw, indicating he really had not spent much time cleaning himself up this morning.
"Tessa here has been so kind as to extend her time and accept my offer considering recent events." Again John made a grimace, eyeing Hale knowingly, however he did not seem to notice, as he took in the blonde in the chair, who once again had turned her attention away from the model and instead grabbed a piece of paper from the folder. She looked it over before making brief notes into her calendar.
"Anyways," John chuckled as Hale did not respond. His face was voided of all emotion and acknowledgement.
"Tessa here is gonna be your new stylist," John informed a bit too merrily and accompanied it with a nervous chuckle.
Tessa who finished writing down the dates and names in her calendar, closed her book before slowly turning in her seat to meet Hale's unwavering gaze. Her eyes cold and calculating did not give off any indication of her thoughts about the mute elephant in the room.
One thing she did wonder though was the fact that he had yet to speak ever since his condescending morning greeting. She never pictured him to be someone who lacked his way with words.
She did want to believe she could credit the girls for not wetting their panties merely due to him looking in their direction. Nevertheless, as the uncomfortable silence settled into the room, she dreaded that it might not be so.
John let out a breath of relief as his phone blew up into the intolerable awkward atmosphere. "Excuse me, but I have to take this. Very important. I'll leave you to get acquainted," he spoke with an uneasy chuckle and gave Hale a look over as he realized he was likely to take that the wrong way and Tessa let out a cough of disbelief.
Before finally leaving, he shot Tessa an apologetical look before it morphed into an expression of reassurance and gave her a thumbs up.
Managers and their optimistic view on everything, even job offers from hell.
The door closed shut after John, leaving the two to stare at each other to see who was to break first. As Tessa studied the statue like guy, she noticed how he started to thoughtfully rub his finger over his chin before it moved to his lip, which tugged slightly at the corner, and it took everything in her not to roll her eyes, as she knew what was coming.
"Look, this will only work out one way, and one way only," she started and placed her calendar on the desk before she got up from her chair and took a step towards him.
"When a specific time and place have been agreed upon there is no 5 minutes delay. Not even a 5 seconds delay. You'll be on time and you'll be professional about it. Keep your secret rendezvouses for your free time." She air quoted the secret part.
"When you're on a shoot, you'll respect the time slots too. None of us got time for your bullshit. Apparently, something big is underway for your career and because I like John, I will do everything I can to help the both of you achieve that, but for it to actually happen, you need to drop the attitude," she spoke with conviction however she might as well have talked to the wall, as it seemed talking to Hale was like teaching algebra to a kindergarten.
"Well?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips, as he had yet to speak and had just looked at her with a sense of indifference, which made her regret accepting the job already.
Hale's gaze did another swoop over the petite and slim figured girl in front of him, which caused her to chew on the inside of her cheek and she tapped her foot waiting for his brain to catch up to him.
"Aren't you Parker's sister?" He scrutinized her and went to rub the back of his head in confusion and Tessa's shoulders slumped in disbelief by the response to her monologue before she realized exactly what he had asked.
"I beg your pardon?" She uttered incredulously, her jaw dropping slightly as Hale turned around to look at the door John had escaped through like he was wondering if he was playing a game on him.
"I am most definitely not his sister," she voiced a bit too shrilly.
"Oh, clingy girlfriend then. I got it," he concluded and balled his hand into a celebratory fist, as he looked at her again. The skin around his eyes scrunched together as a smile lit up on his face, proud of himself for making that connection, and Tessa was certain had he snapped his fingers too she would have smacked him for talking this demeaningly.
That right there was the reason why Tessa had zero respect for the guy.
"Look, Smartass," Tessa walked forward and jabbed her finger into his chest, ignoring how his smirk intensified.
"I am not anyone's girlfriend. I am Parker's stylist and even though I'm already wondering what the hell John put in the coffee making me say yes to this job, I am now yours too and let me let you in on a secret. I am not a force to be reckoned with." She repeatedly poked at his chest as she spoke the words before stepping around him and strode towards the door.
"Way to get it in there that you're free on the market," Hale remarked making Tessa yank the door open a bit more forcefully than she intended.
She stopped on the threshold and looked back at him stubbornly, "8 am. Your suite—"
"Woah, coming on a little strong there, aren't you?" He cut her off with a grin that showed off his aligned pearly white teeth and raised his hands with the palms up as if pleading her to take it down a notch while taking a dramatic step backwards.
She scowled back at him with a glare dark enough to send Voldemort running for the hills.
"Fitting, 8 am and don't you dare waste my time," she threatened before she slammed the door shut after her, leaving a stupefied Hale to once again rub his head.
"Triple pay, Brenton!" She bellowed and raised her arm for emphasis as she passed John who just finished up the call. However, she did not wait for his response as she stormed through the doors, eager to breathe the unpolluted air of Hale Westbrook, the most obnoxious model on the planet.
_____*_____
A/N: Hale Westbrook has landed everyone ! Such a short interacting and still... What a douche? Seriously, looking down at woman like that? Didn't his Momma breastfeed him as a kid?
Nevertheless I went for a different kind of official meeting between those two as yeah well... they are not normal. Let me once again say that this story is not normal. At least I'm trying to go out of my way for it not to be.
And I better go before I start rambling about rectifying something I shouldn't because really the story speaks for itself and I need to shower. Well that's the most irrelevant piece of information of the day. Okay then! I'm gonna have a blast with some friends tonight! Woot! Start pouring the drinks!
Oh hush. It's 5 o'clock somewhere. xD
Just a tiny little heads up. I posted this chapter already because I don't know if I have the time for it next week. So if there are no new upload next week, then please remember you got 2 this week ! ;)
Toodles noodles !