[March 2009] [Titan Studios, Los Angeles] [Modeling Division]
It had been nearly three years since Alex last took part in a proper modeling campaign.
During that time, his attention had moved almost entirely toward films, television, publishing, technology, and Titan's growing business divisions. Modeling had remained part of the company, but Alex had stayed behind the scenes. He approved campaigns, reviewed performance reports, and occasionally appeared in promotional material, though he no longer spent hours under studio lights the way he once had.
That changed when Janet arranged a late-evening shoot for Titan Weekly.
The photography floor had already been prepared by the time Alex returned from styling. The earlier commercial setup had been replaced with something more refined. The main backdrop was dark, with warm directional lighting, polished flooring, and simple furniture chosen to keep attention on the models.
Alex wore a fitted black shirt beneath a dark jacket, paired with tailored trousers. The styling was clean and understated.
Angela White had also changed after finishing her earlier campaign work. She stepped onto the set in a fitted black evening dress with simple jewelry and soft makeup. Her hair had been styled loosely around her shoulders.
Her position inside Titan had changed considerably over the past several years.
Her previous contract had expired the year before, but Titan had renewed her for another five years after reviewing her campaign performance, international popularity, sales influence, and reliability. She was now one of Titan's highest-paid exclusive models and had become the strongest performer in the division while Max remained away on maternity leave.
The shoot began with individual photographs.
Alex needed only a few minutes to adjust.
Three years away from regular modeling hadn't erased the instincts he had developed earlier in his career. Once the first few photographs were taken, his posture became more natural, and he began responding to the camera without needing constant direction.
"Dang, boss. I thought you'd be rusty, but you're just natural," Janet praised between the shoots.
"Thanks. I'll take that compliment," Alex said.
"Now, gimme that smoldering look," She said with a smirk.
Janet moved him through several looks throughout the first hour. There were formal shots in a dark suit, more relaxed images with his jacket removed, and a separate set where he wore a simple white shirt with rolled sleeves.
His expressions remained controlled and confident throughout the session.
Janet reviewed the photographs as they appeared on the main monitor and quickly marked several for the weekly magazine.
Angela's solo section followed.
She worked through several outfits, including a dark evening dress, a cream business look, and a more casual luxury campaign set. Her experience showed immediately. She understood how small changes in posture, expression, and body position affected the final image, which allowed the team to move quickly without sacrificing quality.
Alex watched part of the session from beside the monitors.
Angela had earned her position within Titan. She arrived prepared, rarely caused delays, understood direction quickly, and had developed a recognizable image that worked across fashion, perfume, and lifestyle campaigns.
The couple portion began later in the evening.
The lighting was lowered and softened while the set was simplified. The intention was to create photographs that felt intimate and sophisticated rather than openly provocative.
Alex and Angela stood close together for the first series. His hand rested lightly at her waist while she angled herself toward him. Instead of looking directly at the camera, they were asked to focus on each other.
The result worked immediately.
Their familiarity made the poses feel natural rather than staged. Angela rested one hand against Alex's chest in several photographs, while others showed her adjusting the collar of his shirt as he looked down toward her.
'Holy shit! A shoot with Alex. Finally, after years of hard work, I got to pose with him,' Angela thought. She wanted to jump and yell in joy, but right now, she pushed all that excitement out of her head and focused on the shoot.
The second setup used a tall mirror and a darker background.
Angela stood in front of Alex with one hand near his collar while he remained close behind her. Their faces stayed only a few inches apart, giving the photographs a stronger sense of attraction without becoming explicit.
'He smells good... So close. Not good for my heart. Shit! Stop acting like a high school teenager, Ange,' Angela thought.
Janet kept most of the direction minimal once the rhythm was established.
Several images showed Angela seated beside Alex on a black leather bench, her body turned toward him while his arm rested behind her. In another series, she sat at the edge of a table while Alex stood close enough for their shoulders and arms to remain in contact.
The strongest photographs came near the end of the night.
By then, both of them had stopped thinking about each pose individually. The camera captured smaller details instead. Angela looking toward Alex while her fingers rested against his shirt. Alex keeping one hand at her waist. Their expressions becoming softer as the distance between them narrowed.
Then there was a bed shot.
Alex carried Angela in his arms and threw her softly on the bed as she rolled over, stretched her arms above her head with a seductive smile. Then he went on top of her and looked intensely into her eyes.
Nothing in the photographs crossed into explicit territory, though the chemistry between them was clear.
Janet selected several images for the main Titan Weekly spread and marked one of the close couple portraits as a possible cover.
The shoot continued much longer than originally planned.
Additional solo shots were taken for future campaigns, followed by another short couple set featuring darker evening clothes and Titan Noir perfume. The production team kept working through several wardrobe and lighting changes until late at night.
At 10:58 PM, the photographer finally lowered the camera.
The shoot officially wrapped at eleven.
Alex remained for several minutes while Janet reviewed the strongest selections on the monitor. His solo photographs had turned out perfect even after such a long break, while Angela's work remained consistently strong.
The couple images stood out most.
They looked polished, elegant, and mature while carrying enough attraction to draw attention once the magazine reached readers.
Angela looked through the final selection. She gave Alex a cute smile before quickly rushing toward the private room.
Alex watched her leave the floor. 'She's hot and beautiful.'
...
By the time Angela came out of the private changing room, most of the modeling floor had already begun shutting down for the night. Assistants were packing jewelry into padded cases, photographers were backing up memory cards.
Angela had changed into a simple black shirt, fitted jeans, and a light jacket. Her makeup had been softened, her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she finally looked like somebody who had finished working instead of someone about to appear on another magazine cover.
Alex was still near the main monitor when she walked back onto the floor.
He had removed his jacket and rolled his sleeves again while Janet showed him a few final selections from the shoot. Angela slowed slightly when she saw him, then immediately reminded herself that staring would be incredibly embarrassing after spending the last several hours practically wrapped around him for photographs. So, she quickly walked toward the exit elevator.
"Alright, since I'm in LA for a while, I'll swing by tomorrow around 2 PM. Have the set ready," Alex said.
"Will do, boss," Janet said with a nod.
Alex then walked toward the exit elevator. He noticed Angela already standing inside. "Hey, hold it for me." He rushed over and got into the elevator.
Angela pressed the lobby button and leaned lightly against the metal wall, trying to look as relaxed as possible after spending several hours posing close enough to Alex that her brain had almost stopped cooperating more than once.
Alex glanced toward her and smiled. "Thanks for holding the elevator, and thanks for tonight too. It was actually really fun working with you. I kinda missed the camera."
Angela looked over at him, surprised by how casual he sounded. "You're thanking me like I did you a favor. I'm pretty sure half the modeling division would've fought me in the parking lot for that shoot."
Alex laughed as he slipped both hands into his pockets. "Janet did mention something about fan requests, although I didn't realize the internal competition had reached physical violence."
Angela smiled and shook her head. "You disappeared from proper modeling for three years, then randomly showed up tonight and still looked like you'd been doing it every week. That's annoying for people who actually practice."
"I'll accept annoying as another compliment," Alex replied as the elevator passed another floor. "You made it easy anyway. Once the couple shots started, everything felt natural."
Angela tried very hard not to let that sentence affect her expression too much. "That's because I'm incredibly professional and definitely wasn't internally panicking when Janet told me we were doing the shoot together."
Alex turned his head toward her with immediate amusement. "You were panicking?"
Angela groaned softly and looked toward the floor indicator. "Maybe that was the wrong word to use around the man who owns the company."
Alex smiled wider. "Relax, your secret is safe with management."
Angela folded her arms and gave him a playful look. "Fine, since we're already here, I'll admit it. I was excited. I've been with Titan for years, and I've watched you do campaigns with Max, Caroline, Angelina, and a bunch of other models and actresses. I always wondered what it would be like getting one proper shoot with you."
"And now you know," Alex replied as he leaned one shoulder against the elevator wall. "Apparently it involves mirrors, expensive perfume, dramatic lighting, and Janet ordering me to smolder every fifteen minutes."
Angela laughed as she remembered the earlier session. "You handled the smoldering part suspiciously well for somebody who hasn't modeled seriously in three years."
Alex lifted an eyebrow. "Suspiciously well sounds like another compliment."
"You're really collecting those tonight," Angela replied with a smile.
The elevator continued downward, and the conversation settled into a more comfortable silence for a few seconds. Alex glanced toward Angela while she watched the floor numbers change above the doors. Without the campaign dress, studio lighting, and carefully controlled poses, she looked more relaxed now.
"You got anything planned tonight?" Alex asked.
Angela looked toward him and raised an eyebrow. "Tonight as in after leaving work at eleven?"
Alex smiled. "That's usually what tonight means."
Angela laughed softly and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Nothing exciting. I was planning to go home, find something decent to watch, order food, and probably fall asleep halfway through the movie."
Alex looked mildly disappointed on her behalf. "All by yourself? That sounds incredibly boring."
Angela gave him an amused look. "It wouldn't be boring if I had a boyfriend waiting for me, but sadly I've been a little too busy for that kind of life."
The elevator slowed, and a soft chime sounded before the doors opened onto Titan's main lobby.
They stepped out together.
Most of the building had gone quiet by then. Only a few security officers remained near the reception area, while cleaning crews moved through the distant hallways. The bright daytime atmosphere of Titan HQ had disappeared, leaving softer lights reflecting across the polished floors and glass walls.
Alex slipped both hands into his pockets as they headed toward the main exit. "You really haven't dated anyone seriously?"
Angela shook her head while walking beside him. "Nothing worth mentioning. I've gone on a few dates, but I was so focused on getting somewhere with my career that I never made much time for anything else."
Alex glanced toward her. "No friends either?"
"I have people I know," Angela replied as they crossed the lobby. "Models, photographers, stylists, people from different campaigns. I just don't have many people I'd call at midnight because I'm bored or upset."
She gave a small shrug before continuing. "The last few years went really fast. One campaign became another, then international shoots started happening, then the contract renewal came up, then suddenly I was chasing the number one spot. Somewhere along the way, everything outside work became something I'd deal with later."
The security doors opened automatically as they approached.
Cool night air met them outside, and the quiet hum of Los Angeles traffic drifted from beyond the studio grounds. The parking area stretched ahead beneath rows of overhead lights, with only a handful of cars remaining this late.
Alex walked beside her toward the lot. "I know that feeling better than I probably should. Work starts taking little pieces of your day until you suddenly realize there's barely anything left for yourself."
Angela looked toward him with a faint smile. "That sounds strange coming from you, because you somehow have movies, studios, books, businesses, kids, relationships, and about fifty other things happening at the same time."
Alex laughed quietly. "Trust me, it's still chaos. I've just gotten better at pretending I know what I'm doing."
Angela smiled as they passed another row of parked cars. "That might actually be the most normal thing I've ever heard you admit."
Alex looked toward her with mock offense. "I'm extremely normal."
Angela laughed harder this time. "You own half of Hollywood, create billion-dollar franchises like hobbies, and apparently decided modeling again was something you could casually do after disappearing for three years."
"When you put it like that, I sound slightly unreasonable."
"Slightly?" Angela asked, giving him a teasing look as they continued walking.
Alex smiled, then glanced toward the nearly empty parking lot. "Still, going home alone and watching some random movie after a night like this feels like a waste."
Angela slowed slightly and looked toward him. "What exactly are you suggesting?"
Alex stopped near the divider between two parking sections and turned toward her. "Dinner."
'Yes, yes, yes, yes.' Angela blinked once. "Dinner?"
Alex nodded with an easy smile. "Somewhere quiet. Good food, no cameras, or Janet telling us where to put our hands."
Angela folded her arms and studied him for a second. "You're actually asking me out right after spending hours pretending to be a ridiculously attractive couple for a magazine."
"I wouldn't call it pretending that hard," Alex replied with a grin.
Angela stared at him for a moment before laughing and shaking her head. "That was dangerously smooth."
"I'll take that as another compliment."
They started walking again toward Angela's car.
She looked ahead for several seconds, though Alex could see the smile she was trying to hide. "I was seriously planning to eat leftovers on my couch tonight."
Alex nodded thoughtfully. "Your couch is going to be devastated, but I think it'll recover eventually."
Angela laughed as they reached her car. She stopped beside the driver's door and turned toward him, resting one hand on the roof.
Alex stayed a few feet away, giving her space while waiting for the answer.
Angela looked at him for another second before her smile softened.
"Yeah," she said. "Dinner sounds good."
Alex smiled back at her.
Angela nodded once, looking much more certain now. "Actually, dinner sounds really good."
==
[AN: I'm finally back from my work trip and really exhausted. I barely wrote 1 chapter for this one in 5 days. And the constant updates (11 chs in 2 weeks) you got, well, I kinda exhausted all my stock 😅. So, I'll be taking some time off to stock up.] [From now on, 2 weeks of updates, 1 week break.]
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