His Favorite Piece Of Art

Chapter 7 | Look at me

**A/n: The pictures I put above are just to give you an idea of how I'm imagining the outfits to look. You can always imagine them differently, but I will put them just in case my description isn't clear enough.
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"Well finally! What took so long?" Caroline asks as Bella makes her way to the table by the window. The cafe is busy and filled with people chattering and laughing. Bella finally feels relaxed as she sits across from her best friend.

"There you are, my ladies." Nate walks towards them with three plates filled with lava cakes. He sets the plates down as he joins them at the table.

"What are you doing here?" Bella looks at her best friend that sat next to her, surprised to see him here. She watches him take a sip of his coffee before he answers her. "Caroline was bored so she called me. You can only imagine how nicely she asked of me to come here."

He glares at her but she ignores him and slides Bella's cup of coffee towards her. "Let me guess, she threatened you again." Bella chuckles and looks over at Caroline who avoids their eyes at every cost.

"Who would've thought right." he shakes his head but makes Bella giggle. "Do you see now how often you threaten your best friends that we're not even surprised anymore?" He looks over at Caroline.

"Oh come on that's not true! You better shut up before I-" Both Nate and Bella look at her with raised eyebrows. She was just about to do exactly what she claims it's not true. Nate and Bella chuckle when Caroline realizes that on her own and hides her face in her hands. "Maybe I need some help." She sighs.

"Maybe?" Nate mutters but Bella nudges him in the arm, afraid that one of her threats might come to life if they continue teasing her about it. Caroline just glares at him before she looks over at Bella. "So, how did it go?"

"He gave me a contract to sign, so it's final. I accepted." Caroline's eyes light up. "Yes!" She claps her hands and Bella shakes her head.

"Accepted what? What contract?" Nate looks at Bella confused. She told him about the offer she got from Alexander but didn't tell him that she decided to accept it. "She's going to be a model for that photographer who held that exhibition and one of your classes. Now I wish I was in that class too." Caroline exhales dramatically and Bella tries not to laugh at her best friend.

"Are you serious?" Bella nods at Nate's question. "And she's going to take nakey pics too." Caroline squeals with excitement. Nate's eyes almost pop out of his sockets at the information. "What!?"

"Yeah." Bella sighs. "If needed and when needed, I will have to take those pictures too but he said he won't show anything that I'm uncomfortable with. So I guess it's fine." Bella still feels a bit nervous about that part of the offer, but she trusts everything he said.

"Okay, but if you really take those photos I'm sorry but I won't be coming to that exhibition. I just can't see my best friend naked." Bella laughs but doesn't mind at all. It would be just weird if her best friends saw her like that.

After Caroline says that she wouldn't mind at all, they laugh and finish up their dessert and coffee before going back to the dorms.

...

Bella hurries towards her car, already sensing she might be late. It's 6:30 pm and she should make it in time since she doesn't live far away from him, but you never know with the NYC traffic.

She curses herself as she gets in the car. I just had to sleep after classes. She scolds herself even though she was tired and needed some sleep before meeting that handsome man. The effect he has on her only by his presence doesn't make it easy for her and she needs all the energy she can get.