Baal
The beautiful red-haired witch sitting opposite me was the last person I expected to see tonight, but that did nothing to stop the blood rushing to my ears.
This was the chance I’d been waiting for. I’d hoped to suggest a date to her at the end of our photography project, but now I had an earlier chance, I wasn’t going to wait. She was at speed dating, which meant that she was definitely single, and probably open to more than just a fling. That was something I could get on board with.
“Baal, I didn’t expect you to be here,” she said a little breathlessly.
“I can’t say I expected you to show up either,” I responded. “But here we are.”
“Yes.”
“Do you come here often?” I asked.
“It’s my first time. What about you?”
“I’ve been a few times. I’ve never met anyone I liked from it.” Which did raise the question of why I kept returning, I supposed I was just a romantic at heart whether I wanted to admit it or not.
“That’s a shame.” She didn’t sound like she believed that.
“Maybe,” I responded. “But there’s always time to change that.” I smiled at her, hoping she realised that I was talking about her.
“Right.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair. “How are you dealing with your next door neighbour?” She nodded towards the leprechaun she’d just been talking to. Though that suggested a conversation, when it very much seemed as if she was being talked at.
“With more amusement than you, I think.” I grinned.
“Was it that obvious?”
“To me, I don’t think he noticed, so you’re safe.”
“Oh good.”
“So, what should we talk about?” I asked.
“You could tell me what you were going to ask me about over coffee,” she responded. “It would be a nice change from being flirted with badly.”
My heart fell but I kept a smile on my face. I didn’t need her to know that I’d had every intention of flirting with her myself. But that was fine. If she didn’t want to, then I wasn’t going to force the issue, that wasn’t fair of me.
“That’s a good idea. So I’ve been asked to do a charity photoshoot,” I said.
“And you want me to see if the shop will develop them for free?” she asked.
“What? Oh, no, that’s not necessary, I can do that in my home studio,” I said without realising what it revealed.
“You have a home photography studio?”
“I am a photographer,” I pointed out sheepishly.
“Then why come into the copy shop? There’s nothing special that we do there.”
Only you.
I ignored the intruding thought, knowing that it wasn’t wise to let that truth out into the open if she wasn’t ready to hear it.
“You do a much better job than I would,” I said instead. And it was even partly true. Without some of her potions, my photos would never come out as crisply as they did. It was a real advantage when I wanted to show them to people. Perhaps I should see if she wanted to develop the images for Horus’ calendar after all.
“Thank you, but I doubt that’s true,” she said.
“I’m more of a take the photos than a deal with them after person,” I responded. “Anyway, what I was actually wondering is whether you wanted to assist me on the shoot.”
Her eyes widened. “You want me to help?”
I nodded. “You know what you’re doing, and you’ve said yourself that you need the experience with actual shoots. I talked to Horace, the client for the shoot, and he said that he’d be willing to give you a by-line, so you’d be able to add the images to your portfolio.”
“But what’s the use of that if I don’t take them myself?”
“That’s the best bit.” I struggled to contain my excitement. “We can make sure that you do take some of the photos. That way, you’ll get the experience and the credit.”
A look of consideration crossed her face and she swirled the wine around her glass while she thought. “Are you sure I’m qualified for this?”
“If you say you are, then I believe you,” I assured her. Though if she wasn’t, that was also fine, I knew all of the gods and angels who had signed up for the calendar, I was sure I’d be able to talk to them if we ran into any issues, though I didn’t think that was going to be the case.
“I take it there’s no money.”
“I’ll pay you if you want it, but no, it’s a charity project, everyone is donating their time.” I hoped that wasn’t a deal breaker for her, but I understood if it was.
“And you really want me?”
I chuckled. “Yes.” In more ways than one. “I’d really like your help. I think we’d make a good team.”
Pride flashed across her face. “And I get a by-line?”
I nodded. “Absolutely.”
“Why do I feel like there’s a catch?” She eyed me suspiciously.
“There isn’t. Unless you consider photographing naked gods as a catch.”
Her eyebrow shot up. “Gods?”
“Yes. I thought you realised they existed.”
“I did, but I’ve never met any. Or at least, I thought I hadn’t.”
“And?”
“Are you a god?” she asked.
A smirk lifted the side of my lips. “When did you work it out?”
“Earlier today.”
Surprise flashed through me.
“You thought it would be earlier?” she guessed.
“I introduced myself by my real name,” I pointed out. “I guess I thought you’d search me after we’d met a few times or something.”
“I don’t do that.”
“But you did earlier.”
“Only because my friend was asking about you and I was trying to find your photography,” she responded.
Hope welled up within me. “You were telling your friends about me?”
A blush rose to her cheeks, revealing that she hadn’t quite intended to tell me that much. “It came up,” she muttered.
“If you give me your number, I can send you my website so you don’t have to wade through all of the search results to find it.”
“You should really work on your SEO so you appear at the top of the search,” she responded.
“I’ve tried, but honestly, it would be easier to change the name of my site.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Because Baal Photography sounds good.”
She shook her head in bemusement. “So what you’re trying to tell me is that your ego won’t let you.”
“That’s not how I’d put it. I also don’t need to update it. I get most of my commissions from word of mouth.”
“Like this one for a naked calendar?” she asked.
“Kind of. This is a favour to a friend,” I responded.
“Are you going to get naked for it?”
I quirked an eyebrow, debating whether to ask her whether she wanted that to be the case, but I thought better of it. I didn’t want to push her too far. “No, I won’t be getting naked for this.” But for other things with her, I would be sorely tempted.
“So who is?” Intrigue piqued in her voice.
The bell rang before I could respond.
“I guess I’ll find out next time,” she said.
“Make sure you tick me on your card so they’ll give me your number,” I said, pulling out my speed dating card and putting a big tick next to her name. I didn’t expect to be using it tonight, but I had to admit to being glad that I could, especially if it helped me find a new way to connect with Chelsea.
She put her own card on the table between us and found my name, letting out a small laugh. “If I’d looked at this, I’d have known you were here.”
“Were you hoping that I was?”
She looked up, her gaze meeting mine and revealing untold secrets she was hiding there. “Yes,” she whispered, putting the tick by my name and smiling once more before moving down the line to her next date.
I leaned back in my chair and tried not to feel too smug about the situation. She might have changed the subject straight to the opportunity I’d mentioned in the copy shop, but there was no way she’d be talking to her friends about me and then hoping that I was here over something as simple as a job opportunity. If she hoped I was here, it was because she wanted to see me, and I could work with that. Now all I had to do was convince her that we could have something special.