Valarie decided to meet Dimitri at the location he suggested since it was not far from where she lived. Though he protested, she gave him no choice but to give in. She hugged herself as the cool breeze blew through her hair. Thoughts spun like a tornado in her head. Clearly she hadn't been like herself lately. Searching her timeline, she had practically hated him immensely, liked him, hate him again and now she's straddling between both worlds. Trust is really a word that controls the way we perceive things. Its effect caused her to act like a whining brat earlier. Valarie squirmed and shook the memory off.

Perhaps she should practice what she preaches. Even the pettiest relationship would fail miserably if trust is not part of its foundation. She scolded herself and promised that she would keep her doubts more in her head than express them through actions.

She approached the park where they had agreed to meet and made her way across the lawn to the white gazebo in the heart of the space. Dimitri leaned against the rails just outside in a loose chiffon shirt and black trousers tailored perfectly for him. A smile played across his face as she approached him.

"Good evening" she greeted.

"Good evening" he replied.

A gush of wind passed between them and it blew the fabric of her white hi-low chiffon dress wildly. Valarie squealed and gripped onto the fabric to prevent it from blowing. Dimitri laughed as she struggled against the wind that was determined to show off her goodies.

"Hey! It's not funny Mr."

"Haha yes it is. Blow breeze, blow" he encouraged.

"I will bitch slap you both if you don't make it stop" she threatened.

"I would love to see you slap the wind. That would be even more entertaining."

She glared and him and scrunched her nose.

"Is that supposed to be an angry face?"

"Yes. Are you scared?"

"I'm petrified really" sarcasm laced his voice.

Valarie rolled her eyed and slowly straightened her stance as the wind subsided. Her eyes shifted to the gazebo that was lit a bit more beautifully than usual. Dimitri couldn't help but to notice how her eyes sparkled under the crystal lights. Her lips pried open as she gazed on.

"Is it just me or they did something more to this place?"

"They did more. I made them add more accessories."

"You made them?"

"The owner of the park, he is my friend. I asked him to add some more things for tonight."

"For tonight? Why?"

He nodded his head and turned to walk up the stairs. Valarie followed behind him. Dimitri walked towards the corner and picked up a professional hand held camera from the ledge. He wrapped the strap around his wrist and held the lens towards Valarie. She furrowed her brows.

"What are you doing?" she questioned.

The camera flashed and she held her hand up to block her face.

"Hey!" she protested.

Dimitri smiled playfully and took another shot at her.

"Dimitri!" she scolded.

He paused for a while to look at her.

"What are you doing?" she demanded an answer this time.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm taking pictures of you."

"Why?"

"Well if you refuse to look at the mirror and see yourself as you really are, I'll show you. Ever since I started working with you, you have always said that you are not beautiful. Acted like you are not beautiful. Earlier today when you compared yourself to the models, it just reminded me of it all so I will show you what I and everyone else sees."

Valarie was no fan of the camera. She begged him not to take any more.

"You know that's not going to happen right? Regardless of if you pose or hide, I'll take the pictures anyway. You might be better off posing though because if you try to hide I might catch you at the wrong angle and stick up those pictures on my office door for everyone to see."

"You wouldn't!"

"Try me hun. Now if you know what's good for your own image, you better start showing off your model instincts and pose."

Valarie grunted and scuffed. She had enough horrible pictures of her in hiding mode that Kyle took to embarrass her for a life time. There was no way that she was going to add more to the list.

Valarie darkened her eyes and struck a fierce pose.

"Ahh good girl" Dimitri said excitedly.

The clicking of the camera aired once more. Pose after pose, Valarie got playful with it. Dimitri took pride in directing her. He took standing shots of her from all angles possible.

"Sit on the ledge" he instructed

Valarie made an attempt to sit on the ledge but she was just too short to reach. Dimitri snorted as she struggled to climb her way up. She glared at him.

"That's not funny."

"Haha it's really funny actually."

He walked up to her and placed his hands firmly on her hips. Effortlessly, he lifted her up and put her to sit atop the ledge. Dimitri stepped back to get a good view of her.

"'Okay, cross you left leg over your right."

Valarie followed.

"Now shift your weight onto your both hands and lift your chin up slightly."

She did what he said. As he positioned himself behind the lens once more to take more pictures, Valarie snorted.

"What?" Dimitri questioned while smiling.

"Look at you Mr. Photographer. Since when have you become a professional at this?"

"I did a course in photography a while back. Now shut up and keep posing."

Valarie chuckled and shook her head. She allowed him a few more shots of her before protesting once again.

"Okay, okay that's enough vanity moment for now."

"Haha yeah we'll take five" Dimitri feigned a director's voice.

Valarie shook her head and edged the end of the ledge until she was able to jump off. She stumbled for a second until she was able to stand firmly on both feet.

"I'll print these out tomorrow for you."

"Great, I'll love to see how greatly horrible I look."

"I can sure you that these pics are nowhere close to horrible."

Valarie grabbed the camera from him and stole a couple of shots of him. He stood in shock for a few seconds.

"But those. Those are going to be everything but good haha."

"Don't be silly. Your parents blessed you with the good looks."

Dimitri smirked. "It slipped me to book seating at a restaurant but make your pick and I'll get us there. The top three around here are Blue Moon, Little Italy and All Inn."

Valarie raised her brow and folded her arms.

"What?" Dimitri questioned.

"Why would you want to go to a restaurant when there is food right around here?"

He looked at her confusingly "Valarie the park only sells street food."

"So?"

"So, no fancy seating. No fancy lights. No fancy food. No fancy plates."

"And who told you that street food isn't fancy? Do you not put your ketchup on a hotdog like a curly snake?"

Dimitri chuckled and looked at her sceptically. "What exactly are you saying?"

"I don't want to go to one of those restaurants tonight. They are too expensive and you have to act all civil and stuff. I love street food anyway and I wanna be freeee!"

Valarie raised her arms up and leaned her head backwards. His eyes searched her in awe. This was the first woman to have refuse an offer of a fancy dinner for a night out with cheap food. Though he was still processing the change, a burst of excitement crept over him.

"So what do you want to eat?"

"Hmm we can take a walk around and see what they have."

"Okay. Well I saw a lot of food stalls around that area" he pointed across the lawn.

Valarie didn't wait for his lead. She started walking across to where he pointed. Dimitri smiled and shook his head. With two wide strides, he was side to side with her, walking at her pace.

"So have my father told you how much of a celebrity you've become?"

"Me? No way haha. I think that most people were attracted to the drama behind the event more than my designs."

"Don't be silly. Your modesty is admirable. Speaking of the event though, we've never really gotten a chance to talk about that. I just wanted you to know that I am sorry. I'm sorry that I let that tramp parade for too long. I'm sorry for making you look like a fool and for treating you like a fool. Believe me, if I could take back how I handled things earlier, I would. My parents aren't half as forgiving as I thought. They both have this 'look' whenever they see me now. It's like a morph between disappointment and pride. Disappointed that I didn't reveal the truth earlier, but proud that I finally did."

Valarie sighed.

"Look I'm not a fan of how you handled things at the beginning. You were a coward and a jerk. However, you finally came through at the end. Although it involved manipulating my best friend into betraying me, it paid off. About your parents, give them time. I guess the more positive things you do, the less they remember the negative things."

"Hmm" he responded.

"Hmm?" Valarie questioned.

"Nothing. It's just that you're good with words. You've always been. You were never afraid to 'tell me as it is' as they would say. I like that."

Valarie smiled. They stopped at the beginning of the line of food stalls that lined the park.

"So, tell me street girl, what would you like to eat?"

Valarie looked at each stall individually. "You may not believe me but I'm the worse decision maker ever when it comes to petty things. So here's what, you pick something and I'll grade you on your choice of food."

Dimitri placed his hands in his pockets and smiled lopsidedly in acceptance of the challenge.

"Hmm..." he observed her.

"You seem like a hotdog girl."

Valarie furrowed her brows.

"No? Okay I think that you are more of the exotic girl or spicy girl."

His eyes moved in search of the most unusual stall.

"'Aha!" he said as his eyes laid on one.

"Follow me."

She followed him until he came to a stop.

"Chilly Billy?" Dimitri questioned.

Valarie chuckled. "Cheesy name. We could check them out."

Dimitri walked up to the seller's window and ordered the best dish on the menu. He handed Valarie a wrapper with a spicy chicken filled tortilla.

"Okay" he said it's hot.

"Like really hot so I guess whoever gets this down the fastest without drinking water would be MVP tonight. If I win, I get to take more shots of you tonight in your own designs at my house. If you win, what would you like?"

"Hmm, if you lose, you have to delete all the pictures you took of me earlier."

His eyes widened "What?"

"Are you scared you are going to lose? All your fancy photography work is going to go bye-bye."

Dimitri shook his head and smirked. His mother had not nicknamed him the Ticket Machine during adolescence for no reason. There was no way that this fragile mouse was going to make a meal out of him.

"Okay, whoever gets this down first, gets their wish."

Valarie parted her legs shoulder width apart and dipped slightly into a game position. Dimitri stood relaxed and narrowed his eyes on her.

"Ready?" Valarie questioned.

"I'm always ready" Dimitri responded.

"Okay....Go!"

They both went at it. Valarie took a big first bite but it was nothing compared to Dimitri's. About a third of his tortilla was gone in the first bite. Valarie widened her eyes in awe. Tears pooled as the heat from the chili peppers kicked in.

"Oh gawd!" she protested.

She went for a second bite and Dimitri finished swallowing the contents of his first one.

"Bloody hell!" he groaned as the food turned to red hot lava in his mouth.

Valarie struggled to keep up but the intensity of the heat caused the speed of her chewing to slow down. Tears started pouring over and her face turned blood red. Dimitri got his last piece down in two bites. He struggled to chew but he was determined to finish. Steam hissed from his ears and mouth. Valarie stood in shock as she stared at his empty wrapper. She still had a little less than half of hers to go and there was no way she was going to get through that without her tongue disintegrating into pieces.

Dimitri swallowed his last piece and announced himself champion but even him didn't feel like a winner at all. It was more like self-torture than anything else. His entire face was on fire and his eyes flooded tears.

"What the hell did they put in this? Hell juice?" Valarie questioned.

"He did warn me that it was hot but this is beyond anything that I have eaten before damn."

They paced the floor in attempt to ignore the burn but all attempts failed. Valarie could barely breathe. She tried to keep a poker face but the distress was shining through. Dimitri looked at her and his eyes softened.

He held her hand "Come."

His feet led her to an ice cream bar and he ordered them both ice creams. He sat her down on a bench and took a hefty spoonful of ice-cream out and fed her. Valarie closed her eyes in pleasure as the cool mound of frozen heaven melted over her tongue. Dimitri fed her another spoonful before feeding himself one.

"Okay?" he asked after feeding her a third spoon.

Valarie nodded "It's helping."

"Good. Cool down" he said.

They sat in the night's air until the burn of the dreadful chili became bearable.

"I should have tested a piece of it first to know how hot it was so that I could prepare myself mentally for that hell break" Valarie laughed.

"I still don't think one can actually prepare for that. Even if you know how hot it is, when that heat kicks in, you can never get used to it."

"Haha agreed. Well I guess I owe you some pictures now."

"Yes. You should have known better than to challenge me. "

"Shut up" she elbowed him.

He chuckled and helped her to her feet. They went to his car and took off to go to his house. Dimitri led her to one of the guest rooms. He had not yet taken her to his room. Dimitri laid out three of her designs on the bed for her.

"Meet me on the balcony after you change" he instructed.

She did he said. Dimitri took endless pictures of her. Lying, standing, close ups, far shots. He took advantage of his reward. As much as it took for him to forget the pain he endured after eating the devil's food.

"I should have put a limit to the amount of pictures you get before we confirmed this deal" Valarie said as she walked out in her last outfit.

"Haha thankfully you didn't. It's just this last set and I'm done...for tonight."

"For tonight? That's enough pics for a few years."

"What a crazy girl you are. I'll take this last set by the pool."

He took her down to the pool and wrapped up his project.

"You know; you should really consider modelling for your own line."

"Nah, I don't have the height to be a model."

"Not all models are extremely tall. In fact, height is mostly made a big deal of when it comes to high fashion runway. Valarie, you're beautiful. Many of your features are unique."

She smiled at him. "Thanks."

Dimitri's eyes lowered to her body. The wind caused the lower part of the fabric to wrap around thighs and cling to her skin wickedly. He swallowed a lump in his throat and darkened his eyes.

"What?" Valarie questioned as she observed his features.

He took his camera from around his neck and rested in on the table next to him. His legs took slow steps towards her until they were less than a breath apart. He exhaled and Valarie closed her eyes as the warm air blanketed her face. He leaned down to lay a kiss at the side of her neck then reached up to pull on the strap of her halter back dress.

"What are you doing?" she questioned.

"Shh" he hushed her.

Both minds immediately clicked back to the storage room and blood heated beneath skin. Valarie tried to clear her thoughts but the feel of his fingers tracing down her spine made it impossible. He was like a switch; he could turn her on and off in an instant. She channeled her energy into a different stream of thoughts.

"So, do we have anything in particular to take care of at work tomorrow?"

"What is work?" Dimitri questioned in a whisper.

The straps of her dress attempted to slide off her shoulder but she caught them.

"Hey!" Dimitri protested. "Let it fall."

"No" she pulled the straps over her shoulder.

Dimitri held her hands and suck his teeth into the back of her right one. She shifted her hands in an attempt to shake him off but he was a persistent fly. He could smell her uneasiness, her yearning. Besides, they had unfinished business.

"Do you know why you are so frustrated at work all the time and tensed?"

"Because you started working there?"

"Haha, partly. For the most part however, it's because you don't take the time to take care of yourself. To think about you and what you want."

"Maybe it's because I don't know what I want."

"It's because you refuse to see it but I do."

"You do?"

"Yes."

"Tell me then, what is it that I want?"

Dimitri smirked "I told you before that I am not much of a fan of talking. I will show you."

He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder once more.

"Ughh! You really got to stop doing that" Valarie complained.

He walked across to the shower area near the pool.

"Dammit Dimitri! Put me down!"

He let her stand on her feet once more.

"You are- "

He didn't let her finish. Dimitri crushed his lips onto hers and turned on the shower. The water blasted on them with full force. He broke the kiss with an echoing sound.

"You know; you really have to stop talking so much"

Before she could utter another sound, his lips meshed with hers. Dimitri peeled the dress off her as the water drenched the fabric. He skillfully unbuttoned his shirt with one hand and his pants with the next. Valarie's underwear stuck to her skin like glue. Her eyes scanned him from head to toe. The way his muscles tensed, the way the water slid down his skin, she couldn't bear it. When you haven't been touched by a man in years, the sight of one in such a light would pull the pin from the grenade and set it off.

Valarie was surrounded by water yet she had an undying thirst that not even a river could quench. Dimitri pushed her gently against the wall laid light torturous kisses on her neck and down her body until her thighs. He slurped the water from her skin as he made his way back up to her neck. Valarie stood immovable with parted lips. In her head she put up a great fight against him but in reality, her body stood no chance.

"Let's get you cleaned up" he said as hands began to slide down her back.

***

Dimitri went to visit his father at his office after dropping Valarie off upstairs. He walked with a new fire that was instantly noticeable. Nikolai narrowed his eyes on him as he approached his desk.

"Good morning" Dimitri greeted.

His father raised both eyebrows.

"Is it raining gumballs outside? I can't remember the last time you've been so pleasant."

"Would you rather me go back to my old self?"

"No, no. Not at all. I like this you. How are you son? Your mother tried calling you last night but she said that your phone went unanswered."

"I'm great. Oh, I was with Valarie last night."

Nikolai sunk back into his chair to look at him. "Is that so?"

"You were out with Valarie at 11:30 in the night?"

"No she was at my house that time."

"You took her to your house?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes. Why? What's the problem?"

"Was this Jake guy okay with that?"

Dimitri tensed as soon as he heard the name. "What is his business that Valarie stay at my house?"

"I don't know. I just thought that something was going on between those two, especially since he paid off her loan at the bank."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Loan? What loan are you talking about?"

"Ohh, I thought Valarie had told you about it but never mind then."

"'What loan?" Dimitri demanded.

"I assume if she wanted you to know, she would have told you. It's not my place to tell."

"Father." his tone threatened. "It's too late for that. You already told me about the loan. Now finish the details!"

Nikolai sighed. "Ahh. A while back, Valarie's aunt tricked her into co-signing a loan with her. The deal was that she would pay and Valarie would just sign so that the bank would grant it to her but when it came to paying back, her aunt chickened out and left the burden on Valarie. For a while, she has been trying to save the money to pay it back since the bank threatened to take all from her if she didn't but Jake recently cleared it off for her. It was a hefty sum so that's what brought me to my assumption that they are deeper than the surface looks. But don't mind me, I am most likely wrong."

Dimitri clenched his fists and bit down on his lower lip. He spun around to leave the room without saying a word.

"Dimitri!" his father called after him but it went unheard.

It was no longer blood coursing through his vein. Molten lava now took its place. He stormed up the stairs to the office to confront Valarie about what he had just learned. Her smile wiped off her face as he slammed the door behind him.

"What is your problem" she questioned, noticing his anger.

He walked past her to stand behind his desk. Valarie looked at him confusingly. She folded her arms and demanded an answer.

"What's wrong? You talk about me playing when you have been playing me all along."

"What the hell are you even talking about?"

Dimitri chuckled. "You and your little Jake. Joke is on me right?"

Valarie raised an eyebrow "I still don't follow you."

"Why didn't you tell me about your loan Valarie. Why didn't you let me pay it off for you? But no, you chose to tell Jake, a practical stranger and now the both of you are just taking me for an ass. Is it some scheme to get back at me for the fashion show? Tell me if what I did at the last one wasn't good enough to make it up to you. I'll rip the head off Ashley and serve it to you on a silver platter if that is what you want."

"Who told you about the loan?" she questioned.

"That doesn't matter. Now focus on answering my questions."

"First of all, I didn't tell Jake about the loan, he found out. Second, I didn't ask him to pay it, he just did. Third I didn't tell you or him about it because I didn't want to. Problem?"

Dimitri rolled his eyes and took his car keys up from his desk.

"Whatever you say Valarie. If you think that he can do more for you than I can..."

He walked past her again and headed for the door.

"Dimitri wait!" she stopped him.

"Why are you so worked up about this? Why does it matter if Jake paid it or not? I don't want your money."

He chuckled. "Ahh I see. What is it about him that you like so much? Am I not good enough to share your problems with? How do you think I feel that you let him do such a thing for you?"

She furrowed her brows "Wait...Are you jealous because Jake knew about the loan and you didn't?"

"Pfft! Me? Jealous? I never get jealous" he mocked.

She rolled her eyes.

"There is a difference between being jealous and territorial Valarie. Learn the F*cking difference!"

With that he walked out the door and slammed the door behind him.