Clearly

I have been working for Marcie for a few days now and I can now say that I have fallen into a comfortable routine. Every day I drive myself to their mansion and let myself in through the monstrous front door. I climb the winding staircase and walk the long hallway to Pierce’s room where I let myself in and normally find him waiting for me, sprawled out on his bed or the couch. Once, he was even sprawled out on the floor, looking dead on his feet though he was awake. Normally, after around ten to fifteen minutes of Pierce and I engaging in friendly conversation, Marcie would come to collect me and I would take those horrid pictures of her, secretly hoping that it really wasn’t her that was standing half naked before me.

I feel like my physical attraction to Pierce has slowly blossomed into something more and is now bordering on an obsession. I mean, it’s not like I’m a creepy stalker or anything, but I really do like him. When I’m not with him, I’m constantly thinking about him and when I know that he’s somewhere else in the same house as me, I’d so much rather be with him then with the desperate and disgusting Marcie.

Through our talks, I’ve learned that he really is a good guy and has morals, something that isn’t seen often in men or women these days. He is honestly the ideal man for me. I mean, he is tall, something that I find to be a total turn on. He is mature and has morals and can actually hold up an intelligent conversation with me instead of trailing off when he hears a big word. He’s good looking which is always a plus since it’s hard to be in a relationship when you aren’t physically attracted to your person. And his hazel eyes… I could get lost in them and swim in their depths forever. His lovely, lovely voice neither ceases to make me weak in the knees either.

However, as much as I have learned about Pierce, his sexuality is still a secret. I mean, I feel like I’ve been flirting with him a bit, though really badly since I suck at flirting, but even though I suck, I feel like he may be flirting back. And he compliments me every day whether it is my hair or my jeans or my eyes. Those compliments could easily be in a friendly way, but I’m hoping that they’re because he’s attracted to me in more of a romantic way like I am to him. I mean, come on! He’s complimenting my eyes then staring into them for a few seconds before he snaps out of his trance. Friends don’t do that, prospective lovers do.

…Right?

Yeah, I’m just going to go with that though I’m probably wrong since I basically fail at relationships.

I sighed as I pulled up to the massive gate outside of the Gordon Estate; not even having to press the button since whoever the hell monitors the gate knows my car by now. Maybe it’s the butler that sort of freaks me out a bit because he’s always in the worst place at the worst possible time when you turn around. He’s old too! He could be fresh out of one of those poorly made horror movies that make really squeamish people scream and quake in fear.

I easily parked in the spot that I’ve been parking in since day one, getting out of my car and throwing my arms above my head, my joints popping. I didn’t get much sleep last night. I don’t know why, but I guess it’s just one of those nights that you can’t sleep. It’s not even like I had much on my mind. I just had the usual stuff on my mind. Those thoughts centering around my job, my rent, and my newest focus: Pierce. God, I’m so pathetic, crushing on a rich guy that would probably never reciprocate the feelings.

I jumped slightly as I walked towards the front steps of the house, the monstrous door opening before I could reach it. However, it wasn’t all that bad since it was Pierce who had opened it instead of the creepy butler guy. He closed the door behind him and sat on the top stone step, patting the spot next to him for me to join him. Who was I to decline such a nice offer?

I put my trusty photography bag down next to me as I sat next to him, looking at him expectantly since him coming out to meet me and insisting that we stay outside is pretty abnormal for us. He looked at me, fidgeting with his fingers a bit. I could have sworn I saw his eyebrows briefly tilt together for a moment, showing that he was nervous, before they went back to normal, his normally cool and calm appearance appearing once more. It makes me wonder about him and question if the Pierce I’ve come to know is just a façade…

“Figured I’d save you some trouble since Marcie’s got, like, eight friends over today,” he said, peeking at me from the corner of his eyes.

“Oh my God. If I don’t come back alive, you can have my cat,” I said seriously.

“You don’t have a cat,” he said around a chuckle.

“Yeah, but I don’t have anything else to give you,” I said, nudging him slightly in the shoulder with my fist.

He laughed and shook his head before going back to fidgeting his fingers again. “What’s up?” I asked him, trying to figure out why he seemed so… unlike himself?

“Promise not to laugh,” he said, peeking at me.

My mind immediately jumped to a million and one conclusions as to why he would be embarrassed and worried about me laughing at him for what he wants to say to me. Is he trying to admit that he feels the same way about me? Honestly, I’d highly doubt that, though I’d understand why he would be embarrassed since he’s this sexy socialite and I’m… me.

“I promise not to laugh,” I assured him, mentally tacking on how I could never laugh at him, but only with him.

“I went out last night and took a bunch of pictures on my mom’s old camera,” he admitted, holding out his palm to me. “And I know they’re probably really amateur, but I’ve always been fascinated by photography.”

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of!” I cut in, looking at his hands that so clearly had a film canister waiting for me to take.

“I was just wondering if you could develop them for me since I don’t know how. I’ll pay you and everything, but don’t laugh at them if they suck. Seriously!” He said around a tiny smile, taking my hand and placing the film canister in it gently.

“I won’t laugh. Everyone has to start somewhere,” I told him as I safely tucked it in the side pocket of my photography bag, making sure it wasn’t anywhere near the other rolls of film I brought so I wouldn’t accidentally get them mixed up.

“I guess,” he muttered, turning away from me as the skin of his neck started to get a bit redder. Oh, that’s adorable, he’s getting embarrassed.

“You don’t have to pay me,” I tacked on. “I get paid enough by the family. Think of it as a friendly gesture,” I muttered.

He turned towards me, smiling before he wrapped his muscled arms around my tiny frame, pulling my body to his. “Thanks, Dalton,” he muttered before removing his arms, backing away and getting up, waving goodbye as he walked back into the house.

My skin tingled all over from where his body had touched my own, but I did my best to ignore that since I have to get back down to business. I can obsess over his roll of film later when I’m not supposed to be focusing on Marcie and her disturbing best friends.

However, it’s impossible to get Pierce completely off of my mind. As much as photography fascinates him to the point that he’s sort of embarrassed, he fascinates me.