"Excuse me, Andrew was it?" A faint voice echoed through his ears as he made his way down to the lobby. He didn't need to look to know who it was.
"Hello Gisela, how may I be of service to you?" A small smile plastered on his face. The empty halls provided the confidentiality the two required from any stray prying noses. "I just wanted to ask, back at the stage, were you acting or not? I've met a lot of actors but in comparison to you, they all fall short."
Her demeanor fervent as her brown hazelnut eyes avoided any form of contact with his. For a professional model, she lacked the confidence in front of Andrew. It came off as amusing to Andrew. "Depends, what do you think?"
Closing the distance, her body shuddered slightly. "I... I don't know, were you?" Forcing herself to look into his eyes, she felt an unnatural calm enveloping his figure. It wasn't menacing to ward her off however it wasn't welcoming either. It was simply there.
A strange silence warped the scene. The air growing denser by the minute however to her, she felt as if she had been looking at him for eternity. Trying to discern what truly lay underneath that warm smile and the calmness that felt too clinical to exist for any human to have.
The more she admired him, the more out of scene he felt. As if he wasn't meant to be and yet here he was. The man who had been capable of making her heart falter from it's professionalism in a matter of minutes.
The distance between the two now close, she could feel his warmth breathe graze her skin as he leaned in not for a kiss but a faint whisper. "Yes and no. However if you'd like a proper answer, try not to be too absorbed by my presence."
His tone wasn't full of hubris but rather mystery, as if daring her to gauge what he truly was. Her body tense with her hands cupped on her chest. She could feel his heart beat, steady as ever unlike hers which ran in clear and distinct palpitations.
'How is he capable of being so calm in such a scenario?' Her mind wondered as he pulled back. His smile taunting her to dare him. Seeing that she was entranced in her own world, he brought her back. "How about exchanging contacts, I'm sure that we discuss more elsewhere."
"... Right!" Snapping back to the scene, she clumsily brought out her phone before the two exchanged contacts. "I'll be seeing you soon Gisela." And with that, he took his leave. His steps deliberate as they echoed down the hall.
Even now, she still couldn't wrap her head around as to what had transpired. She looked at her now shaking hands, wondering as to what would make her fall to such a state. 'It's just some random person I've never met and yet, there's something about him that I can't quite pinpoint. Is this what they describe as love or...'
***
"There you are, I actually thought that I would have to go back home all by myself. I don't even have the money to afford bus fare." Diana mused as she rose to her feet seeing his figure. "What? I'm sure that a little trek wouldn't kill you." A playful smile teetering on his lips as the two walked out of the building.
This time it wasn't a limo but a sleek black car that awaited the two parked outside. "So did you feel anything when you did that bit with Gisela?" Diana shot up as they cruised through the city. "Please, it was all nothing more than an act. You know me better than that Diana."
Despite how callous and carefree his tone was, her mind was heavy. His hands becoming a blur, he wrapped them around her waist drawing her closer to him. "Argh! Andrew! Don't scare me like that!"
Her cheeks puffed but his mind knew. "What, I do think that I owe you an apology for not telling you about the audition so consider this a day where I'll spoil you to your whims." She noticed his grip getting tighter, drawing her closer to him however she didn't say anything.
"As you should, do you know the heart attack I had to bear during the whole thing? Sure it's great that I got the role however that doesn't mean that you get to walk off easy." Her theatrics kicking in as she made a light punch on his face.
Their first stop was a boutique nestled in the upscale corner of the city. Tall glass windows glistened in the morning sun, the display mannequins already dressed in soft creams and scarlet silks. Inside, the lighting was warm and inviting, each beam placed intentionally to make the fabrics glow.
Diana raised a brow as he pushed the door open for her. "You had all of this planned, didn't you?" Andrew gave the faintest of smiles. "Since you're now a model, I take it that you'd wish to drown in lavish and luxurious clothing. Not to mention I don't usually see you in anything special."
She scoffed. "My clothes don't need to be over the top given that they get the job done. But I'll be forced to indulge in today thanks to you."
"Their functional at best." He said it lacking cruelty, just that unshakable calm he always carried. A model's posture and a strategist's gaze.
Despite herself, she laughed. "Fine. But I pick the shoes." Thirty minutes turned to an hour, and before she knew it, a sea of outfits had been draped across her dressing room. He'd pick out dresses without batting an eye. Soft satin slip gowns in champagne tones, high-waisted trousers with sculpted cuts, winter coats in muted mauves.
At first, she played hard to get. She rolled her eyes, shot back sarcastic comments, even deliberately came out in the most ridiculous options just to get a reaction. But he never took the bait. He'd just sit there, legs crossed, fingers laced as he studied her like she was an equation he already solved.
It unnerved her in a way that was both flattering and flustering. "You have good taste." She muttered under her breath after slipping into a backless crimson dress that fit like it had been made for her.
Andrew glanced up, his expression unreadable. "I know." When they finally left, bags in hand and hearts oddly lighter, the sun had reached its highest point. Their next stop was nothing short of cinematic.
A reserved suite at a five-star hotel perched at the edge of the city skyline. The windows stretched floor-to-ceiling, unveiling the chaos of the city from a safe, distant vantage point. The room was minimalist in design, marble surfaces, deep velvet armchairs, and a champagne bottle already chilling in a silver bucket.
She turned to him slowly. "What is this, exactly?"
"A meal." He replied, cool as ever. "Sprinkled with a conversation to boot. I wasn't planning on holding back with you." Diana walked toward the window and placed a hand on the glass, eyes trailing the cars far below. "You really are impossible to read."
Dinner was served moments later on a private rooftop terrace. Soft jazz played in the background, the ambient lighting reflecting in her wine glass as she twirled the stem idly.
The conversation flowed with surprising ease. She asked him about the tournament he was training for, the music he played when no one was watching, the fights he entered without ever seeming to enjoy.
He answered of course but in layers. The more they went on, the more she caught pieces of him, fragmented like glimpses of something powerful beneath ice.
"What about modeling?" She asked, lips brushing the rim of her glass. "With you it's hard to tell whether you enjoy what you do or not?" He leaned back in his seat, watching the flicker of candlelight between them. "It's nothing more than a performance. Stillness masquerading as a story. I don't mind it."
He gave a light sigh. "But it's not what I am." His eyes found hers then. Not in a way that demanded or devoured but in a way that saw too much, too fast forcing her to look away before she was lost in them.
They left the hotel just as the sun began it's descent leaving a red and orange hue in it's wake. At first when she heard that he could predict what would happen, she feigned bullshit but the more time she spent with him, the more she found herself starting to believe it.
Everything went about at a natural pace, not too fast where it could all be brushed aside like an after thought but not too slow to be draggy and unnecessary. What began as simple shopping now felt like a memory that would linger in her mind longer than it should.
They walked together through a park, the sounds of the world around them fading into the background. The warm air and the serenity of it all was something she took it all in.
Diana didn't say much. Not when her chest felt heavier than it had any right to. Her fingers itched to reach for his again, like they had before. But she refrained herself. She told herself this was normal. Just kindness. Just comfort.
He slowed beside her and pointed at a bench near a sleeping oak tree. They sat, side by side, silence slipping between them like fog. He rested an arm over the backrest, not touching her but close enough for warmth to hum between them.
"You've changed." She said softly, eyes ahead. "From before. When I first met you. You're no longer that little kid who was constantly trying to calm the world the same way you tried with Kevin."
Andrew tilted his head slightly. "And how have I changed?"
"You're something more... silent, more efficient and more of a mystery the more I spend time with you." Her voice wavered. "But you shift time and time again. From a detached strategist to a warm and close comfort. The masks you wear are both reassuring and scary"
Their knees brushed. Her breath hitched once more now small, but loud in her own head. "You're not hard to talk to, you know." She admitted. "You're just hard to feel safe around."
He turned his gaze fully toward her, expression unreadable again. But his voice was gentle. "You're always safe when you're with me. I don't need a mask for my sister." The words wrapped around her like a soft cord, pulling her in.
She exhaled and closed her eyes. Let the moment simmer. She didn't know when she'd started falling into him. Somewhere between the silk dress and the candlelight, between the sound of his voice and the way he never asked for anything but always offered something.
Seeing the darkness starting to settle, they made their way back to Juliette's condo. She felt a tinge of pain flash across her chest,she didn't want to say goodbye however the moment demanded it.
Laying in her bed, she recalled what had happened. The shopping, the hotel and the walk in the park. It was meant to punish him and yet she found herself losing herself in him. She knew what she was falling into and somehow, she didn't want to stop herself from hitting the ground.