After leaving Luc in a huff, Viviane returned to the maze of gray cubicles at the National Laboratory which she called “work.” As she wandered around the sea of gray which looked the same in all directions, she kept thinking back to the mean things Luc said.

The nerve of Luc to look down on my modeling job as if I’m just an amateur! To think I actually used to admire him. Hmph!

Perhaps because her thoughts distracted her or perhaps because of her distracting thoughts, she found herself walking right into Kylian’s cubicle and not her own. It surprised both of them.

“Hi Viviane! What an unexpected surprise.” It was a happy surprise for him though.

“Oh, how did I end up here?” Viviane asked with a quizzical look on her face.

“You mean you didn’t come over to see me?” The realization dawned on Kylian.

“I was trying to find my way back, but because I was distracted by something Luc said to me, I got all confused and wound up here instead.”

On hearing Luc’s name, Kylian’s ego deflated like a popped balloon. He realized that 1) Viviane’s visit to his cube was a mistake after all and 2) Luc had been talking with her earlier today. Nonetheless, his interest piqued since he noticed that Viviane, who was normally very nice to everyone, appeared to be mad which did not happen often with her.

“Oh? What did he say?” asked Kylian. He was curious what could have made her mad.

“Rrrrrrr!” fumed Viviane. “OK, here’s what happened.”

In the next few minutes, Viviane related the entire story to Kylian about how she was at the Soyeux photo studio doing her modeling job in the morning when she was picked out by Acel Yu, the artist-photographer, who asked her to come to his studio tomorrow for a test shoot on a campaign he’s working on with Louna Lapin, haute couture fashion designer.

Kylian hung onto every word from Viviane’s soft lips, but truth be told, he understood very little about the workings of the fashion industry. Nonetheless, he pretended he understood just so Viviane would keep talking to him.

“You don’t say!” an incredulous Kylian exclaimed, not really knowing what he was being incredulous about.

Viviane continued on to the point where Luc found out about her test shoot with Acel and how Luc became all suspicious of the famous photographer and how Luc thought she was just an amateur model who wasn’t qualified to work with real artists and other top-notch professionals.

“And that’s why I’m just a bit angry with everyone right now,” she told Kylian.

After hearing the whole story, Kylian found himself ashamed for feeling happy at the news that Viviane was upset with Luc, but this feeling of shame was so minute that he was able to ignore it. Nonetheless, he could not help but agree with Luc’s assessment of the situation.

“But you know, Viviane,” started up Kylian, “I think Luc may have a point.”

Saying that only shocked Viviane. “What? You, too? Are you taking his side?”

“No! Not at all! But I have a different take on it. I’m a bit suspicious that maybe this photographer is just trying to impress good looking girls that he wants to come on to!”

On first hearing this theory, Viviane was still shocked and still indignant. “Really? Is that what you think?”

“I don’t know! But didn’t he ask only you from the photo shoot to visit him at his private studio?”

“I think so…”

“And did he say it was just going to be the two of you? Alone? At his place?”

Viviane started to get the message. Her imagination filled her with the beginnings of worry.

“He didn’t say…exactly.”

“Well, then,” concluded Kylian, “how can you trust a person you just met, just because he’s a famous photographer? Maybe he expects something ‘in return’ for casting you in that campaign? Doesn’t that sort of thing happen between models and photographers? After all, he’s still a man who has an interest in having his way with good looking women.”

Keenly aware of how her beauty caused trouble for her with men in the past, Viviane went into a defensive mode. Her thoughts caused some anxiety to well up within her as she started to question what she had gotten herself into. In her mind, she imagined a dominating Acel grabbing her by the thighs and pulling her close to him while she scrambled to push herself away, the buttons on her top having come undone exposing a bit of her bra underneath. She remembered what Acel said to her earlier. I don’t want there to be distance between us.

“Oh no!” Viviane was frightened now. “What have I done?”

Doubt and dread filled Viviane’s mind as she thought back to what Luc told her earlier. I’m just trying to figure out what these guys want from you, that’s all.

“Maybe Luc was right! Maybe there is something sneaky going on and I’m just being taken for a fool! I can’t believe I said ‘yes’ so quickly to his invitation. Why didn’t I see it coming?”

Kylian thought quickly and saw an opportunity to swoop in and save the day!

“Don’t be scared, Viviane! Why don’t I come with you tomorrow just so you’ll have someone else there so it won’t be just the two of you alone by yourselves?”

“Oh please? Would you do that for me?” Viviane begged.

“No problem!” was Kylian’s obvious answer.

Kylian felt quite pleased with himself, smug to be honest, at having seized on this serendipitous opportunity. Getting a chance to spend some quality time with Viviane, just the two of them on their way over to Acel Yu’s studio may not sound like a real date, but it was good enough for now. Neither he nor Viviane knew what would happen tomorrow at Acel’s studio, but in Viviane’s case, she was much relieved to have a “bodyguard” with her and Kylian was pretty sure nothing untoward would happen with him around.

For now, it was smiles all around.