Juho’s breath nearly left him the moment he saw the blue-eyed girl walk into the studio, white silk pooling around her body.
He’d seen countless beauties pass through that door, wearing all kinds of glamorous outfits, but not once had his chest tightened the way it did when the deep green of his eyes met the deep blue of hers.
She blinked, just once, as if making sure she wasn’t seeing him wrong, and that alone was enough to make his whole body feel weak. And yet, none of that could compare to the cold way she declared that his entire life was nothing but a curse from God himself.
The girl settled at the center of the refined backdrop, already striking a pose he’d shown her during one of their modeling sessions.
"Should I do it like this?" she asked, her voice pulling him out of his stunned state.
"Looks good to me," Juho replied at once, regaining his composure. The camera soon covered half his face. "Seems my methods did wonders for your confidence. Your modeling is no different from the cover girls I’ve shot recently now."
"Hmmm, I don’t think it’s the shoots we did," Kaija replied, shifting into another pose. "I think it’s just you. I’ve gotten way too comfortable being around you now, for some strange reason."
Juho’s finger stiffened before he could click another shot. "Comfortable around me?" he repeated, unsure whether to feel pleased or bitter hearing that.
"How’s the little job you promised you’d help me with?" she asked instead, ignoring his question completely.
A smooth answer slipped from Juho almost immediately, despite his quiet disappointment. "Everything’s going just as I planned. You should have some good drama to watch very soon."
The snapping sounds filled the room again, until the young photographer was satisfied with what he saw on the small rectangular screen.
"Let’s get you changed into the next look," he said, lifting the next gown from the rack, and Kaija’s face stiffened instantly.
"Don’t tell me you want me to change right here, right now, in front of you," Kaija muttered, eyes narrowing at the smug look on his face.
"Didn’t you just say you’ve gotten way too comfortable around me?" Juho asked, mischief coating his tone.
Kaija frowned, but she wasn’t exactly fond of having people coming in and out the studio two more times just to help her with some dress. Besides, the remaining outfits seemed way more minimal than the first one.
With a sharp exhale through her nose and a decisive tug at the zipper on her waist, the ball gown slid off Kaija’s body, pooling onto the floor in a white spill of silk.
"Then at least help me deal with this absolute mess of a gown," Kaija muttered, stepping free of the fabric with nothing on her but sheer undergarments barely covering her intimate areas.
Across from her, Juho stood frozen once more, unable to recover from the shock of seeing her fingers pull the zipper down so decisively.
He’d only meant to tease her for ignoring him. How on earth could he have predicted she’d actually strip in front of him that fast, especially when she was wearing just... that?
"Hey, why are you still standing there?" Kaija called, struggling to gather the silk off the floor and out of the backdrop.
"W-wait, leave it," Juho stammered, moving forward almost on instinct. "You... you’re doing it wrong, Kaija. Just leave it to me and get into this gown now."
The second gown was shoved into Kaija’s hands at once.
While Juho struggled to get the gown onto the rack, Kaija slipped into the second gown, not even noticing how the young man’s ears had gone all red right before her eyes.
Had Juho turned around now, she would almost certainly see how his cheeks were tinging red, but there was no way he would let her see any of that.
"You... you done?" Juho stuttered, so unlike him, who had seen countless beautiful women without a single piece of cloth on their skin.
"How the hell can this thing have so much less fabric, but be so much more complicated to wear?" Kaija mumbled behind him, voice irritated. "Hey, Juho. I need a little help. Come over here, mister photographer. How am I supposed to fit my arms inside these sleeves?"
A sharp sigh escaped Juho, as the last thing he’d wanted to hear right now had been spoken.
"These are not sleeves," he said, coming closer reluctantly. "They’re just parts of the asymmetric off-shoulder neckline of this gown."
"Asym... what?" Kaija’s face tightened, shrugging herself into the fabric with Juho’s help.
Little did she notice, his breath had grown heavy, eyes fixed intently on the deep gap created by the plumpness of her full breasts being pushed together by the tight bra.
"Say, how many girls have you helped get dressed during shoots like this, Juho?" Kaija asked, amazed by how skilled Juho was at helping her with the clothes.
The question was meant as a compliment, and yet, when it hit Juho’s ears, the irritation in his chest rose at once.
"I hate to disappoint you," Juho muttered, the movement of his hands suddenly quickening. "I’ve never helped any girl with her clothes, unless it’s taking them off."
"Oh, you didn’t?" Kaija replied, still oblivious to the ice in his tone. "Didn’t you say just now you’ve had quite some fun with a few girls in this room? Given how good you are at helping me right now, I thought you’d had just as much experience helping them as you did stripping them."
Juho’s hands stiffened over the chiffon of the neckline he was adjusting, before they slid down to her waist, pulling her flushed against him.
"You’re quite terrible at reading my jokes, for how crazily cunning you can be sometimes," he said, stressing every word. "Let me clarify this once and for all. I only started working here last week, and I didn’t sleep with a single woman who stepped inside this room."
Knock, knock, knock.
Came someone’s knocking on the door.
"Photographer Maley," the assistant’s voice came. "I’m afraid I have to interrupt your session for a minute. There’s a little... mistake we’ve made with Ms. Sepala’s outfits for the shoot. Could you please let us come in?"
Relief washed over Juho almost at once upon hearing the voice.
Had the assistant not interfered so suddenly, perhaps he wouldn’t have been able to hold himself back anymore, and would have claimed her lips in a furious kiss.
"Of course, please, come in," he said, releasing Kaija’s waist.
"What was the mistake again?" Kaija asked the moment the assistant walked in.
"Oh no, you’ve already got it on?" the assistant exclaimed with a sorry look on her face. "The gown you’re wearing... we mistook it for the gown for the cover photoshoot. You must find it slightly loose for your size. The model that gown is meant for is about six months pregnant now."
"Have you managed to find my dress yet? Is it in there?" a female voice came from outside the door, her heels clicking gradually on the floor.
"Oh my god, you need not have traveled all the way here!" the assistant replied at once. "Please give me just a minute. I’ll be bringing your gown to the dressing room right now, Ms. Ralpha."