Writing Exercice #2 - ''Red''

red letter day – spring – city – purse – lemon – camera – Anastasia – leather – date – bed – door – blanket – heart – flower – bite

 

By a cold and peaceful afternoon in February, Ethan was comfortably sitting on a sofa, enjoying the warmth of the fireplace. He was looking at his beloved, snugly huddled against him, when he started remembering the day of their first meeting.

It was on a Sunday afternoon, just like this one, he was getting ready for a shooting like every Sunday afternoon. But what he did not know is that today’s model was not actually the one he was expecting.

At the time that he was tweaking a few last-minute settings on his camera, he suddenly felt a slight vibration in his back pocket, as he received a text from the awaited model:

“Sorry Ethan, I won’t be able to make it today :/
I’m planning on spending the day out with my boyfriend, hope you understand! <3”

Then, with a sigh as he was about to turn off his phone being quite disappointed and start packing away his photo equipment, he received one more message:

“However, I have a friend of mine that should come visit you by then! :smile:
Please be gentle with her since she’s new to this kind of modeling! – oc I know you will :wink: –
Anyway, I really gotta go now, ttyl, cya! xoxo”

As he finished reading, someone suddenly rang the doorbell, forthwith he hurried himself to open the door:

“Hi!... um you’re Ethan… right?”

That’s when he first saw her.

She was holding a small purse with both hands in a very delicate way, only letting go of one hand to rearrange her hair as she gave him this deep and inquiring stare that delivered him quite a blow, the kind of blow you only experience by looking at nothing less than an angel.

“Ugh, Hi! Yea-yes that is me… uh, so you’re here for the shooting? Please, come on in… oh and you’re…?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, my name’s Anastasia, but everyone calls me Nastya…”

“Nastya, right… okay pleased to meet you…”

And as they shacked hands he felt a piece of metal around one of her fingers, a ring presumably.

But he couldn't tell to which finger it was attached, and at the same time was too afraid to look and give up on this little spark of hope that she just lit up in his chest.

He offered to help her take off her belongings, which she accepted quite discombobulated, looking uneasy like if this was the first time somebody had such manners with her.

As he was taking off her leather jacket, a delightful smell came to him, she was wearing this fresh and voluptuous lemony perfume, it was spring before time.

“So… um… it’s your first boudoir photoshoot?”

“Um… actually… yes… to be honest that’s probably why I’m a little nervous…”

“Oh, ok I see, don’t worry, I may actually be even more nervous than you are you know?”

They both exchanged a quite nervous laugh, which against all expectations actually made them both feel a little less awkward and helped create a relaxed atmosphere.

“Uh… so… where can I change myself?”

“Oh, you can use the bathroom, it’s right behind you, the door on your left.”

“Thanks… so… uh I’ll be right back in a minute if it’s ok?”

“Of course, of course take your time I need to finish setting up the camera and all don’t worry.”

As she humbly excused herself to the bathroom, Ethan continued to set up his camera and lit the fireplace up to warm up the room a little. He took the opportunity to add a few blankets here and there as well to make the place feel a bit cozier.

She came back a few minutes later, wearing lace underwear and stockings, arms folded while slightly crossing her legs, looking both excited and anxious.

Ethan, although normally accustomed to the sight of women in such skin-showing outfit, felt the need to look away to avoid making eye-contact and make her uncomfortable.

Although the main reason was probably the fact that he had to admit that she looked rather attractive in such revealing outfit. 

“So… um… are we ready to being?”

She nodded while letting out a “yes” as she exhaled deeply.

Ethan started showing her a few places to sit or lay on and gave her a few instructions on how to start.

Then, as the shooting slowly set in motion, Nastya started to look more and more confident, posing in a more self-assured way, looking more often at the camera than before. Ethan even caught her swiftly biting her upper lip while giving him a seductive look that gave him chills all over his body.

Halfway through the shooting, Ethan observed that she wasn’t currently wearing any ring and that she must have removed it before the photoshoot.

The photoshoot ended a few hours later as the afternoon slowly drifted away to let its place to dusk.

“Well, I think that’s it for today, thank you very much for your time, you can get dressed now.”

“Thanks… It was great…”

She rushed back to the bathroom and came back a few moments later to give him her farewell and leave hastily:

“Bye…”

“Bye!…”

As he replied, Ethan stopped for a second and then dashed to the door and called her out:

“Nastya!”

She stopped, stood still for a second, before turning back with an almost imperceptible smirk.

“Yes?”

“You um… uh… d-do you have something planned tonight? Cause if you don’t, um… would it be ok to… I w-would like to um… you know… to celebrate your first photoshoot somehow?”

“Take me to lunch? Sure. Text me where and when and I’ll meet you there!”

“Uh… okay sure, well uh, later then!...”

“Later!”

She chuckled as she turned back and rushed down the stairs.

As he saw her silhouette slowly drifting away in the distance he leisurely closed the door till he could no longer hear the sound of her heels hammering on the floor.

Two hours passed till they get to meet again later this night, 212 Broad Street, to eat at one of the most elegant lounge bar of all New York City.

During this enchanting dinner, they both exchanged amusing stories and witticisms usually followed by heartfelt laughs as well as a few silences, not the uncomfortable ones, but the pleasant ones, accompanied by tender looks and delighted faces.

When the meal came to its end, Ethan offered to accompany Nastya home as she told him she was living in an apartment nearby.

Before they could kiss goodbye, she offered him a last drink, which he gladly accepted.

As they were gently talking while entering the room, an awkward silence suddenly took place.

Ethan started looking around the room solely to escape this unsettling pause in the conversation, gazing upon every item present in the room. From a family picture beside a glass vase which contained a single flower, a rose, with a card saying “Un souvenir de Paris”.

While he was still looking here and there till a trinket would catch his eye, he noticed what looked like the handle of an acoustic guitar under the bed till he glanced at a calendar with today’s date circled with a heart shaped figure.

That’s when he realized:

“Oh, but today was Valentine’s day…”

Quite surprised, she replied:

“What… you weren’t aware of it?”

“Wow, I legit forgot about it…”

She couldn't retain her laugh, looking perkier than ever, which made her look more appealing all the more, delivering another blow to his chest.

“So basically, I just realize that I got you on a date without even knowing it…”

She gave him this mischievous and ravishing stare as she smiled while readjusting a strand of hair:

“Was that a bad thing?”

“No! No… of course not! But uh… you know, I can imagine what it might have looked like…”

“What…? What might it have looked like to you?”

“Well…, you know… a photograph dating one of his model… a new one furthermore, pretty cliché isn’t it?”

They both chuckled. He was the one feeling a bit uneasy right now as she, on the other hand, clearly gained confidence throughout the conversation.

“Oh that! Well… would it make you feel better if I told you that all I saw tonight was a date with a… I must admit… pretty nice guy… rather cute I’d even say.”

He replied both flattered and embarrassed:

“Eh… uh… thanks?”

He suddenly noticed that she was playing with this beautiful silver ring she was wearing… and then realized that this ring was attached to her left ring finger…

This very moment was the final blow to his chest.

He was so bumped that he almost spilled his drink.

All he could do was being able to mumble while trying to remain as impassive as possible:

“*cough* um… Is that an engagement ring you have?”

She replied, quite amused by such biased and leery question:

“Oh that?”

She giggled as she was removing it from her finger.

“No, believe it or not, I usually wear it on my right hand but it bothers me when I’m playing with my guitar for some reason…”

This reply was everything he could have ever dreamed of, in fact, it was the most relieving words he ever heard. And as he pictured himself dreaming of the day he will be able to offer her this missing ring, he started wrapping his arms tightly around her, giving her his warmest embrace, while gently caressing her lips with his, thus followed by a slow and languorous tender kiss, as she chuckled mildly with content. This really was, one red letter day.