The One He's Been Looking For

“You brought the magic, Jordan. There’s no doubt about it.” He played along with her as he walked over to the computer. “Why don’t you go get changed while I start to review the images. I definitely want you to take a look at these before you go—I think you’re going to be surprised.”

Jordan rushed to change into her own top so she could hurry back to Ian. She was nervous and excited to see the finished product. Was it possible that he’d managed to get usable shots of her? Rent and painting supplies were hanging in the balance. She checked her reflection in the mirror one last time before she returned. On the short round trip to Ian’s side, a sharp sense of humiliation began to creep into her system. Without knowing why she had felt compelled to do it, she had let her guard down and showed him the silly, private side that only her close friends and family had ever seen. Not only had she shown that side to him, she had actually let him capture it with his camera! As she walked over to him, she wished she could press Rewind and take back the last fifty frames.

“What’s the verdict?” she asked with feigned bravado as she joined Ian at the computer. Nonchalantly, he switched places with her so she was standing to his right before he clicked on one of his favorite shots.

“Some of the images we got at the end are ridiculously good. Just look at this one.” He pointed to a shot of her giving him her Billy Idol snarl. She stared at the pictures on the screen wordlessly, and after a second or two, Ian prodded her impatiently. “Well? What do you think?”

Jordan shook her head slowly, transfixed by the photographs. The woman staring back at her didn’t resemble her at all. That woman looked as if she belonged in front of a camera.

“I can’t believe it,” she finally said. “I actually look...”

“Beautiful? Edgy? Badass?”

“Well...I wouldn’t go that far—”

“I would,” Ian declared.

“But I look good. Really good.”

“You have very complicated angles, but that’s what’s so exciting about your face,” he explained as he clicked on another of his favorite shots. “Look at this. See how the light is reflecting from your cheekbone? You can actually see the structure of your face and appreciate the beauty. Now here...” Ian switched photos. “Look at this one. Your face is in shadow and your beauty is lost.”

“So...what you’re saying is that I have a tricky face to photograph?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying! But with the right lighting, with the right photographer, your face photographs like a dream.” Ian looked down at her with a pleased smile. “You’re a natural.”

Jordan couldn’t believe what she was seeing. One amazing shot after another. She actually looked like a model, and for the first time in her life she enjoyed seeing herself in a photograph. And she felt so good about the results that she brushed aside her humiliation and allowed herself to enjoy the moment.

“I’ve gotta admit I’m blown away,” she said to him. “I haven’t seen a decent picture of myself since I was in elementary school.”

Ian stared down at Jordan and couldn’t remember the last time he had been so intrigued by a woman. It wasn’t just her gorgeous face. It was more than that. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he knew instinctively that he had never met anyone like Jordan Brand before. She was a quirky combination of innocent sensuality and edgy attitude. She lacked the purely superficial obsession that most models in his acquaintance possessed. But then, she wasn’t a model, was she? She was something entirely new. Something entirely different. And she was the woman he needed to create the final book that he envisioned. Now all he had to do was get her under contract.

“Let’s go up front and talk about the project,” Ian said.

Jordan followed him to the front of the studio; he gestured to one side of the couch. “Can I get you something to drink?”

Now that her adrenaline was starting to drop back to normal levels, she was reminded about the excesses the night before. Her stomach was upset and her head was pounding.

“Water’d be good,” Jordan said, and then as an afterthought, “Do you have an aspirin or something in the same general analgesic family?”

“Still feeling lousy from last night?”

She nodded as she perched on the edge of the couch. “Note to self. Beware of the pink-champagne fountain. Of course, I admit that I’m a bit of a lightweight. I’m usually the designated driver.”

Ian returned with a highball glass filled with fizzing water. “What were you celebrating?” He held out the glass to her. “Here. Drink this.”

“Bachelorette party.” Jordan took the glass. She wrinkled her nose and smelled the liquid. “What is it?”

“Drink it quick. Before the fizzing stops,” he instructed.

She made a face. “What is it?”

“Brioschi.”

“What?”

“Brioschi. It’s an antacid. My mom swore by it. If I had an upset stomach when I was a kid, that’s what I got.”

When Jordan still hesitated, Ian repeated, “It’s an antacid, I swear. I’m not slipping you a roofie. Drink it before it stops fizzing or it won’t work,” he added when Jordan continued to stare at it.

“All right, bossy. Geez.” She brought the glass up to her mouth.

“Drink it all down at once.”

Jordan raised her eyebrows at him. “I will. Give me a minute to emotionally prepare myself.”

She reached up and pinched her nose as she gulped the liquid down. After she was done, she coughed a few times. “That was disgusting.”

“It’ll cure what ails you. Guaranteed.”

“Couldn’t you give me something to chase it with at least?” Jordan held out the empty glass to him.

“It’s not a shot, it’s an antacid.” He took the glass and with a smile in his voice said, “You’re welcome.”

“Thank you.” The words were laced with her trademark sarcasm. “Were you trying to cure me or kill me?”

Ian returned from the kitchen, sat down on the couch, stretched out his long legs with one ankle over the other. He rested his head on his hand as he looked at her. “That’s a new one. I’ve never heard of death by antacid before.”

“There’s a first time for everything, GQ.” Jordan’s lips quirked up into a smile.

“I bet you’re feeling better already.” He nodded his head toward her.

She thought about it before she responded. “You know what? I do feel a little better. That stuff’s a miracle drug.”

“Told you.”

Jordan studied Ian for a moment. “You know...I thought you’d be a lot different.”

“What did you think I’d be like?” he asked. Then he held up his hand. “No, wait. Let me try to fill in the blanks.” He raised his pointer finger. “Arrogant.”

Jordan nodded and shrugged one shoulder in agreement.

Ian held up another finger. “Egotistical.”

She nodded again.

He held up a third finger. “Womanizer.”

“That’s a pretty comprehensive list. You must’ve heard it all before,” Jordan said. In truth, he had hit all the major headings she had labeled him with. Maybe she had judged him too harshly too soon.