Sienna was stunned into silence as Oliver helped her stand. She’d seen him in photos many times on the company's website, but rarely did she actually see him in person. That was usually Maria’s job since she was still just an assistant. But up close, he looked like an angel. He brought the back of his hand to her forehead, causing her to turn red.

“Doesn’t seem like you have a fever.” He brought his hand back to his side.

Sienna realized she hadn’t answered his question from before. “I’m fine, sir. I’ve just been a little out of it this morning.”

It was the truth, but not the entire truth. This had been going on for far too long now. Oliver kept his face serious, like he could see through her lie in that moment, and maybe see through her entire being.

“If you’re not feeling well, you should’ve stayed home. I can finish the rest of your work.”

Sienna’s heart thumped a little. She needed to clear up this misunderstanding. “I promise I’m not sick, sir, really. This is more like a chronic condition…” She whispered that last part to herself.

He looked at her with curious eyes, wanting her to elaborate. She backed away from the tree and hurried to another part of the park. The camera swung as she ran, only stopping when she hid behind another tree. She peeked around the trunk and saw him staring right at her, an unsuccessful getaway. However, he let her go and went to the pavilion to speak with Maria. Sienna let out a sigh of relief and slumped down under the shade of the leaves. How much longer could she even go on like this? She couldn’t keep showing up to work like this, at least not without an official doctor’s note, but could they even diagnose her without revealing her as a vampire? A rabbit hopped out of a nearby bush and right in front of her. It was aligned perfectly with the stream and other vegetation. Quietly, she adjusted her camera, making sure to get all of it in the shot. With one snap, the rabbit ran off. Fortunately, the picture turned out well. Once again she looked around the trunk and saw the other two packing the equipment away. Maria was smiling brightly, something she rarely showed around Sienna. It must’ve been Oliver’s naturally likeable personality. The few times Sienna had interacted with him he was always nice to her, if not a little mysterious. Maybe that was what made her so intrigued by him. Despite being the face of the company, no one ever really talked about him outside work. She’d certainly never heard Maria bring it up with all her other gossip.

She checked the time and saw it was already mid-afternoon. They still needed to edit and touch up the photos. She came out from the tree and rushed to the pavilion. She dreaded that the sun was rather brutal that day. Oliver and Maria had finished putting away the gear when she arrived. Maria avoided eye contact with her and Sienna knew she was feeling guilty about something. Sienna also avoided looking at Oliver, still embarrassed from earlier. They were all locked in a reverse staring contest.

Finally, Oliver spoke up, “Let’s return to the office. Once we’re done I’ll send the photos to the client and you two can go home for the day.”

If there was one thing Sienna was thankful about it was the flexible work schedule. Not only were days on the shorter side, but she was still paid fairly well. While Maria picked up the first few bags and rolling cases and headed to her car, Oliver stopped Sienna.

“Would you mind if I had a look?” He pointed to her camera.

Though she didn’t actually take many pictures, or think they were good, she hesitantly handed it over. All she could see were his eyes analyzing the screen, unsure of what photo he was on. She thought he’d hate them and fire her right then and there and she wouldn’t have blamed him given her recent performance. Instead, he turned the camera around and pointed to the photo of the rabbit she had taken.

“This one’s great.”

His words made her heart beat faster. She relished the feeling of being praised by someone she admired. “I just got lucky is all.”

He returned the camera to her. “Don’t sell yourself short, you’ve got talent.”

Hearing that from him sparked something inside her. Maybe she could actually achieve her dream. If her boss, the great Oliver Fox, who had once spent half a day in a downpour just to photograph a single bird, said that she had potential then she would roll with it. She helped him transport the rest of the equipment to his car before realizing how far away their office was. He practically read her mind and offered, “I can take you back if you’d like?”

She had no reason to refuse and nodded, climbing into the passenger seat. The car smelled of lemon with a new car freshener hanging from the mirror. The scent relaxed her body into the leather seats. Best of all, the tinted windows helped lessen the effects of the sun. Oliver joined her shortly, putting on a pair of sunglasses in the console, giving him a slightly sexy flair. Sienna was glad she wasn’t driving, she’d probably get them into an accident from being distracted. He drove them a few blocks away to Foxy Pictures’ office. It was a small space with only a handful of employees actually present. A chunk of their people worked out of the city and emailed any pictures to the main office for final checks. Sienna was also responsible for making sure they looked good before sending them to Oliver for confirmation. When they weren’t at a shoot, that was mainly what she did all day along with editing. Luckily, there wasn’t much left to do when they got back to the office. By the time she had finished putting all the equipment back in the closet, everything was already done. She was thankful for having the rest of the day to hopefully sleep. She turned to clock out, but before she could, Oliver was standing there. He was leaning against the door frame, looking rather serious.

“Ms. Parker, are you free later today?” he asked, “I have some things I’d like to discuss with you.

Sienna really didn’t want to, but she was too worried about what he could possibly want. “Yes…”

“Great. Could you meet me at Rare this evening around six?”

“I’ll be there.” Though her words lacked enthusiasm.

With her attendance confirmed, he stepped out of the way and let her pass. She clocked out and rushed back to her apartment freaking out. What did he want and why couldn’t they discuss this at the office? A wild thought crossed her mind given what had transpired at the park: Was this a date?