Christina stepped onto the pavement outside Mark’s apartment complex and looked around for Dominic’s Jaguar. It wasn’t hard to find because his car was the only one on the street with its headlights on. Christina went up to it and peered through the windshield at the driver. Yeah, with those shades, it couldn’t be anyone else besides Dominic.

She reached for the car handle, but the door was locked. He had to be that kind of jerkwad, didn’t he? She tapped on the window with her knuckles and Dominic unlocked the door. With that, she dropped her bag onto the backseat before getting into the passenger side herself.

“You really are the devil,” Christina said nonchalantly as she hooked up her seatbelt.

Dominic took off his sunglasses and turned his body a whole ninety degrees to get a better look at Christina. “Tina, is that you?”

“Of course, it’s me,” she answered, flicking him an annoyed expression before turning her head resolutely toward the window. “Would any other woman get into your car and call you the devil without knowing you?”

“Hey, look at me,” Dominic ordered.

Christina turned her head deliberately and looked him in the eye.

At first, she wasn’t sure what his reaction to her regular appearance was. It was his first time seeing her as herself. There was no glimmer in his eyes or twist of his lips to indicate if he was pleased or repulsed. Mark said he didn’t think Dominic would be put off by her real appearance, but Christina didn’t know what Mark was basing that opinion on. It might be nothing. Was that why his car door had been locked? Because he didn’t recognize her?

Finally, Dominic put his glasses back on and put his hands on the steering wheel. “You need a tattoo on your ankle,” he finally said and Christina concluded he must think she wasn’t ‘all that’ after all.

“Is that all you have to say? I was expecting you to be more critical,” she sparked. 

“About what?” he asked, turning the car onto the street.

Christina took a long-suffering breath before she answered, “About the real me. Shouldn’t you be making some comment about how I’m not fit to be seen with you in public without my wig or something? If you hired an escort and you got me the way I look right now, you’d surely be disappointed. So, why not just say it?”

“You’re right. If I called and asked for an escort to be my personal eye-candy and you showed up looking like that, I’d be disappointed, but not for the reason you think.”

“Oh?”

“I’d be disappointed you didn’t take your job more seriously. A certain amount of polish is necessary, don’t you think? Right now, it sounds like you think I don’t find you attractive because you’re not covered in glamor. But, the thing is, you’re making a mistake.”

“I am?” Christina asked, astonished.

“Actually, I’m impressed you’re so pretty without it. Not a lot of women are, you know, and I know a lot of female models who look like nothing at all without their mascara. I wasn’t expecting you to be half as beautiful as you are now. I’m very impressed.” 

Christina was speechless.

“Besides, it was never your looks that interested me. I told you before, I have never met a woman who was so good at reading my moods and giving me what I want. That’s why I thought you were interesting and why I thought you might make a good model.”

“Do you really want to become my agent?” Christina asked abruptly. It was the one question she wanted the answer to. Everything else he said was probably fluff.

“Not really,” Dominic said, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t want to have that much responsibility regarding what you do. I’m merely offering this as an opportunity. If you want to make a big deal out of this campaign with Alexander, you might end up as a model instead of an office gopher, but that’s up to you.”

“So, why even suggest the 'opportunity?'” she asked, using his word. “Only because you thought I’d be good at it? That seems unlike you.”

“It is. See what I mean about you reading me? You have a special talent. Are you sure you don't already know the real reason behind my actions?” he asked dangerously, turning a corner at high speeds.

“I don't know. Why don't you just tell me? We're alone.”

Dominic abruptly maneuvered into a parking lot and stopped the car. Then he turned toward Christina and began hovering over her like a storm cloud. She felt like he was invading her space. “I can't believe how alike we are,” he said darkly. His brown eyes shone over the rims of his red shades as he continued. “I'd like to tell you what I've got in mind, but... uh… I’m a little concerned you have your own motives through all this. If you do—I doubt they're the same as mine. Maybe we could both get what we want if we work together.”

“I scratch your back, you scratch mine?” Christina asked smoothly, refusing to lose her composure or to be bullied by Dominic.

“Exactly,” he answered calmly. “Hmm. I don’t want to take you home. How about my place?”

“So we can talk about this in a more ‘comfortable’ setting?” Christina asked dryly.

Dominic touched his nose and put the car in reverse.