Chapter 22

Now it was Aurora who was in a tremendous rush through the apartment. As soon as she arrived, she went straight to the bathroom to take a shower, and Adelaide's endless questioning was not left out.

"Where did you sleep last night?" Adelaide asked from the other side of the bathroom door.

Aurora answered a bit louder so she could hear, "At Seraphina's house!"

Adelaide started to suspect. Her sister always used that excuse for anything. She would definitely investigate this later.

Once she finished showering, Aurora tried to get ready in a decent way, but as she was in a hurry, she ended up wearing a black skirt, a simple light pink shirt, and worn-out sneakers. She bid a brief farewell to Adelaide and ran to the front of the building. She had money to buy her morning coffee, but decided to spend it on a taxi. As soon as she got into the vehicle, she applied some simple makeup to hide her dark circles. Sometimes, when the car hit a pothole, she missed some parts and felt like cursing the driver, but she held back.

Upon arriving at her destination, she paid the driver and got out of the car. She entered the building and showed her badge to the receptionist, who authorized her to go to the elevator. As the doors opened on the penultimate floor, she walked quickly towards the studio. As she approached, she saw a security guard and Seraphina at the door, with an unpleasant expression.

"There you are!" Seraphina grabbed Aurora's arm, leading her inside the studio. "Luna is not feeling well, and you still decide to arrive late?!"

"I'm sorry, but the important thing is that I'm here," Aurora said, with a pounding headache from her hangover. Arguing with Seraphina wouldn't help her. "What happened to Luna?"

"The photo shoot scheduled for today doesn't sit well with her," Seraphina sighed, leaving the young woman confused.

"Why not?" Aurora asked.

"We had a meeting to decide who would be on the cover this month, and most of the team voted for a man whom, from what I heard, Luna doesn't get along with very well."

"Why didn't she just decline? She's the boss and owns all of this," Aurora inquired.

"If you knew Luna well, you'd know that she supports democracy. Now, hurry up so we can start; we are already very late," Seraphina ordered and walked away.

It was only then that Aurora noticed more of the surroundings. Some people were crowded around the model, while others were adjusting the lights of the all-white set. She picked up her camera and positioned herself to start working, but the model was still getting ready.

"Is it for today or is it too difficult?" Aurora tapped her foot impatiently.

"I wonder the same thing," Aurora jumped a little in surprise as she noticed her boss, Luna, right by her side. "You changed your look? I like it, very cute and sexy," Luna smiled slightly, observing her employee and friend's outfit.

"Thank you. I'm still trying to adopt a style," Aurora replied.

"If you want, you can borrow some clothes from the agency's storage," Luna suggested.

"Really?" Aurora asked, flabbergasted.

"Yes. They are from last year's collection, but they're still brand new," Luna explained.

"Thank you very much," Aurora bowed, displaying a big smile.

"It looks like the model is ready," Luna looked over Aurora's shoulder. "Hello, Callahan."

She shivered from head to toe at the name spoken by her boss. She turned around to face him, dressed in a button-up shirt, dress pants, and formal shoes. His hair was slightly messy, which made him utterly and extremely sexy!

"Hello, Luna," greeted Tristan.

"We are here for professional reasons, but know that it's very unpleasant for me to see you again," Luna said, recalling the arrival party when she had passed by the man.

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual," Tristan replied to the brunette, who scowled. "Shall we begin, Aurora?"

"What?" Aurora was a bit lost in the conversation.

"The photos," Tristan clarified.

"Oh, yes!" Aurora nodded and stepped away from the two. Tristan watched her a little nervously and gave a slight smirk, but it was a brief smile. He had enjoyed seeing her again, and his eyes betrayed that.

"Do you two know each other?" Luna inquired.

"As you said, we are here for professional reasons, so don't meddle in my personal affairs," Tristan retorted.

"As if I care about what you do or don't do," Luna rolled her eyes. "Go in front of the camera, strike a pose, and get out of here."

"Yes, ma'am," Tristan spoke sarcastically and walked over to the white backdrop.

Aurora had changed her posture upon learning that she would be photographing Tristan. She was nervous but concealed it; she didn't want to show it. Just the thought of their last moments together made her embarrassed.

Getting back to the task at hand, she brought the camera to her face and started taking the photos. She used all her focus and concentration to do a good job. The way he looked at the lens made it seem like he was looking at the very girl photographing him.

She knelt down to change the angle, and at that moment, Tristan started unbuttoning his shirt, button by button, in a slow and torturous manner. When he wasn't biting his lower lip, he was smiling in a cold and seductive way.

"Oh God! Deliver me from this very handsome man!" Aurora thought.

"Aurora," Luna interrupted the session, and the girl thanked the heavens.

"Is there a problem?" Aurora asked.

"Your boyfriend wants to see you," Luna informed her.

"Boyfriend?" Aurora and Tristan spoke in unison and looked at the studio door, where the security guard was preventing a man from entering.

"But what is he doing here?!" Aurora thought, completely surprised.

Klaus waved with a smile and exclaimed, "Aurora! Can you tell this big guy here to let me in?!"

Everyone was looking at her, waiting for an answer. She didn't know if she should allow the pursuer to enter her workplace or dismiss him as if she didn't know him. Then she thought that pretending to have never seen him in her life would be acting the same way Tristan always did. She wouldn't be that cold.

"Please, let him in," Aurora requested.

"I told you I knew her!" Klaus boasted to the security guard.

"Fifteen-minute break," Luna announced, sitting in front of the monitors, showing the photos taken moments before.

Aurora rushed over to Klaus, who still had that innocent smile.

"What are you doing here? Are you following me?" Aurora questioned.

Klaus put his hand in his pants pocket and took out a cellphone. "Sort of," he replied. "You forgot your phone in my room. To be honest, I couldn't resist snooping and saw messages from a woman named Seraphina telling you to come here."

Aurora snatched the phone from his hand a bit aggressively. He seemed very different from the guy she met at the club. "You went through my phone and read my messages?!" she complained.

"Don't look at me like that. I can't control my curiosity, but on the other hand, know that I find you more interesting. We share the same interests," explained Klaus.

"Sorry, but what we had was just casual sex. I'm not interested in being in a relationship with anyone at the moment," Aurora replied.

"When I say we share the same interests, I even mean sexual preferences," Klaus added simply. Aurora took a moment to process the statement.

"What do you mean?!" the redhead inquired.

A forced cough caught their attention. They turned and saw Tristan approaching.

"Am I interrupting?" Tristan asked.

"Well, yes..." Aurora started to reply, but was interrupted by Klaus, who gave her a slight push. "Hi, my name is Klaus!" he extended his hand for a handshake, but Tristan didn't take it. Klaus lowered his hand somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh Lord, give me patience," Aurora grumbled. "Klaus, this is Tristan. Tristan, this is Klaus."

"Are you two dating?" Tristan asked coldly.

"No. We're just having a fling," Klaus replied, putting his arm around Aurora's neck. She tried to move away, but he held her tighter.

"We're not having anything," Aurora stated.

"That night meant nothing to you?" Klaus placed his hand over his chest, pretending to be hurt.

While they argued about their "relationship," Tristan observed them with a serious expression. Soon, he decided to distance himself from the "couple." He felt weird and uncomfortable about the whole situation, but he didn't know why.

Once they were alone, Aurora couldn't contain the question that was eating her up inside. "What's your deal? Are you gay?"

"I'm not gay, but I'm not exactly straight either," Klaus explained.

"So, what are you?" Aurora inquired.

"Don't label me. It seems like people have this habit," Klaus grew a bit frustrated. "I enjoy having new experiences with different people, regardless of gender. And don't worry, because I'm not one to fall in love. Not now. I'm just enjoying my life. When it's time to stop, then I'll stop. Meaning, when I truly love someone."

Aurora fell silent for a while. Aside from the "new experiences" part, she could relate to him.

"I feel like we'll get along just fine," Aurora said. He smiled.

"You seem cool. Besides, you work at Emotion!" Klaus looked around with excitement in his eyes. "I don't know if I mentioned it, but I'm a model. Well, I'm trying to be one."

"So you came after me purely out of interest?" Aurora pretended to be annoyed. "Curious, interested, and no sexual preference. What else?"

"I'm a bit of everything," Klaus replied, shrugging.

Luna questioned Klaus, "So you're my favorite employee's boyfriend?" as Aurora looked around to make sure Luna was referring to her.

"We're just friends. I'm Klaus," he replied.

"I've heard of you," Luna said, trying to recall that name. "Ah yes! You were on the list of beginner models from an agency that partners with Emotion."

"Yes," Klaus replied a bit nervously. "My dream is to have the opportunity to be on the cover of your magazine."

"Who knows, maybe we'll work together in the near future? You're very handsome, and I'm sure you'd do well here," she smiled sweetly. Klaus was internally ecstatic. "Aurora, the break is over. Please come back to your spot."

"I'm coming," Aurora said, seeing her boss head to the desk.

"I feel like I just won the lottery!" Klaus exclaimed excitedly, hugging Aurora and lifting her off the ground. "You've just become my good luck charm!"

"Put me down!" Aurora requested, and he complied. "I need to get back to work, and you have to leave."

"Can't I stay for a few more minutes?" Klaus asked with a pout.

"No, and stop insisting!" Aurora replied.

"Okay," he reluctantly accepted. "I saved my number on your phone. Goodbye, my good luck charm." He bid farewell with a quick peck on her cheek and left the studio.

Aurora returned to the set and saw that they had placed a chair right in the middle, where Tristan was sitting with an air of superiority. His expression was more serious than usual, and it seemed like everyone was submissive to him.

Aurora resumed the photoshoot. Tristan unbuttoned the remaining buttons of his shirt, revealing his defined abdomen, and she instinctively bit her lip.

"Get closer," Luna advised, and Aurora struggled with the torture of seeing him undress but not being able to touch him.

She moved closer to him and got back to work. She had the impression that he was taking advantage of the situation to try to seduce her. Whether that was true or not, he was succeeding!

"Stop it, Aurora! You lose control so easily when it comes to him; it's like you're a teenager!" the redhead thought.

Luna interrupted the session, and Aurora sighed with relief. She went over to Luna without looking at Tristan, pretending not to be interested in him anymore.

"Did the photos turn out well?" Aurora asked.

"They turned out marvelous! Good job," Luna replied proudly.

Seraphina interrupted their conversation, "Excuse me, Luna. We have a meeting with the team in ten minutes," she said, holding some papers.

"Aurora, could you do me a favor and lock up the studio?" Luna asked.

"Of course," Aurora nodded. Luna handed her the key. "Have a good meeting!" She waved to both of them as they walked out.

Aurora sat in the chair and waited for all the employees to leave so she could lock up the studio. As it was taking a while, she decided to check her phone. She went to "contacts" and saw the most recent one, labeled "Hot Klaus." She chuckled softly and changed the name to "The Opportunist."

As she turned off her phone and looked around, she noticed she was alone in the studio, which was now dimly lit. When she stood up, her heart skipped a beat as she saw Tristan standing there, observing her in a dimly lit area.

"Hey, Mr. Arrogant, what are you still doing here?" Aurora questioned. He didn't respond but approached her cautiously, like a predator closing in on its prey. She noticed he was still in costume and tried to avoid looking at his exposed chest.

"Did you sleep with that guy?" Tristan asked, referring to Klaus.

"Maybe," Aurora replied.

"Did you or didn't you?" he insisted impatiently.

"We had a casual encounter; I can't give you all the details," she smiled slyly. Tristan felt a bit angry knowing that another man, besides him, had touched and satisfied her body.

"It doesn't matter how many guys you've slept with; none of them are better than me," Tristan declared.

"That's what you think, and don't flatter yourself; it's not a big deal," Aurora lied, disguising it well with her tone of voice.

"Take back what you said," Tristan demanded.

"No," Aurora replied.

"Then I'll have to prove you wrong," Tristan said in a husky, sexy voice. Without saying another word, he pulled her waist and kissed her passionately. She tried to resist, but when it came to him, she never felt good enough. So, she returned the kiss with the same intensity, running her hands over his bare chest, occasionally scratching it.

With their bodies heated, they walked blindly toward the armchair. Tristan sat down, placing Aurora on his lap. He took advantage of her wearing a skirt and ran his hand along her thigh, squeezing it while kissing her neck and hearing her sighs.

"Tris...tan..." Aurora let out a moan, making Tristan smile.

"I missed hearing that," he said, looking at the blushing face of the girl and capturing her lips. This time, it was a calm kiss, but equally exciting. With his hands, he gripped her waist, making her grind on his lap, and both moaned muffled sounds as they kissed.

The two were so involved that they didn't notice someone opening the door and catching them.

"Wow!" Xavier exclaimed, astonished by the scene that would be hard to forget.

"What the hell, Xavier!" Tristan shouted annoyed, while Aurora got off his lap and hid behind the armchair, feeling overwhelming shame.

"I'm sorry for interrupting," Xavier said.

"Get out of here!" Tristan ordered.

"I'm leaving, but before that, have you guys seen my sister? She asked for a ride home after work," Xavier inquired.

"She's in a meeting, and just so you know, because of this incident right now, I'll cut your salary," Tristan replied.

"What?!" Xavier exclaimed indignantly. "It's not my fault! The door was open; anyone could have seen."

While the two friends argued, Aurora realized how wrong they had been a few seconds ago. She had almost allowed Tristan to use her again.

She was surprised that he wanted a second round, but she wasn't naive, and she knew it was just another one of his whims. Now that she knew Mr. Arrogant still desired her, she would take advantage of the situation to make him taste his own medicine. She would get back at him on behalf of all the girls he had taken advantage of and humiliated.

Summoning courage, she stood up and saw the two friends arguing face to face. She ignored the scene and grabbed her bag, walking towards the exit. She almost went unnoticed if it weren't for Tristan.

"Aurora, wait..." he tried to go after her but was stopped by Xavier.

"The conversation here isn't over yet!" Xavier said, crossing his arms in irritation. "I think it's a big injustice that you pay me so little, considering I work harder than you in that company, and you're even going to cut my salary because you made the stupid mistake of trying to hook up in an open studio!?"

"I'll give you a raise and extend your lunch break if you let me pass," Tristan replied with a smile. Xavier agreed and stepped aside.

"Go with God!"

Tristan walked quickly behind the girl, looking around, but lost sight of her. He continued searching until his eyes landed on the elevator and spotted the girl alone inside. The doors were almost closing, but he was faster and managed to hold them.

"Can you stop following me? You're the one who said that after one night, I would leave you alone."

"But you owe me a date," he replied. Aurora looked confused. "Did you forget that I paid 1 million for charity to go out with you?"

"D-doesn't that night count?" she referred to the night she lost her virginity. He shook his head negatively. What a creep! "I'm not going out with you."

"If you don't, it will be a breach of contract, and you'll have to pay me the same amount I paid for you, which is 1 million," Tristan explained.

"What time will you pick me up?" Aurora asked. He chuckled softly at her quick change of attitude.

"1:47 PM," Tristan replied. She frowned at the specific time. She looked at her phone and saw the time. It was exactly 1:47 PM.

"Where are we going?" Aurora inquired.

"I've reserved a table for both of us at a restaurant, but it's for later. So, I'll let you decide where we go now," Tristan replied.

"Seriously?" Aurora smiled openly, and he just nodded his head.

A plan began to form in the girl's mind. She would take advantage of that moment to go to places she hadn't been to in a while, like the cinema, and then she would have her revenge.