by L A Moore
“Well, it looks like you have it all planned out.” Avianna said, setting his plate down in front of him. “I made you friend chicken, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob, like you like.” She added.
“It look’s fabulous, as usual, Mom! I don’t know what I would do without you.” Ari said, digging into his plate of food with gusto.
“I got a feeling you’d starve or learn to cook one!” Avianna replied sarcastically, joking with her son.
Ari laughed and replied “You’re right Mom! I probably would starve because you know I can’t boil water without burning it.”
Chapter 11
Poppy dropped Willa off at her apartment in town and rode home, thinking about Ari and his offer. She was beyond excited, but she was worried too. She had just started her extended classes at school and was far from finishing. Sure, her Professor had said she had natural talent, and was one of his best students, but she wasn’t so sure of her own skills, especially after this last assignment. What if she couldn’t give him exactly what he needed? She had nearly talked herself out of the whole thing by the time she reached home, but once she walked through the door and was face to face with her wall of inspiration, she remembered why she was doing all this to begin with, and she knew she would take the chance. Quickly, before she could talk herself out of it, she began going through her photos and printing out only her best work. There were pictures of animals, people, places, and things by the time she was done and she arranged them all according to what they were of in her portfolio and then fell into bed, exhausted. It was late, and if she was going to call him before class in the morning, she was going to have to get up early.
“Hello, this is Poppy Wilde from the state park yesterday.” Poppy began, worried he would have forgotten her.
“Hello Poppy, I was hoping it would be you.” Ari replied.
“Yes, well I have that portfolio put together for you. I have school this morning and work this evening, but you’re welcome to come by the pet shop and see it there.” Poppy said, hoping he wouldn’t mind coming to her job to see it. “Or I could meet with you on Wednesday. I have Wednesday’s off.” She explained, offering her next available day.
“No, I don’t mind coming to the pet shop. What time will you be there?” Ari asked, anxious to see her again.
“I get out of class about noon, so I can get there about 1 pm if I hurry and if I pack my lunch.” She replied.
“How about you see if you can come in a little late, and I will meet you at the Pizza Hut in town for lunch at say, 12:30pm? We can go over everything there.” Ari asked her.
“Lunch sounds great. I’ll just call my boss and let him know I’ll be a little late today.” Poppy said, grateful Willa’s dad was the owner of the pet shop and would be very understanding.
“See you then.” Ari said and hung up the phone.
Poppy gathered her bag, purse, and a granola bar and headed out the door, opening the granola bar once she was in the Jeep. She had spent too much time applying makeup, doing her hair, and trying to find just the right outfit to meet a man like Ari. She had finally settled on a capped sleeve, v neck, thigh high dress in a blue and white floral print that brought out the blue in her eyes, with nude colored strappy sandals. She let her hair down to curl and soften her face, plus she knew most men liked long hair. She took special care with her makeup too, choosing a light smoky eye in shades of nudes, golds, and browns and put on her favorite peach lip gloss. She wanted the effect to be natural beauty, and she thought she did pretty well at pulling it off. She was sure he only wanted to see her photos, but it couldn’t hurt for a girl to try, just in case. At any rate, if he was really interested in her as well, she should be able to tell by the end of the lunch date, as the deep v of her dress drew a lot of attention to her ample bosom, and the cut of the dress highlighted her legs, which she thought was her best feature.
Chapter 12
School passed in record time, way too fast in her opinion, and she hoped and prayed she did well on her test. She was so distracted by the thought of the meeting with Ari and all the possible scenarios that she could barely pay attention to her test and now she wasn’t so sure she did so well. She gave a final look through her test and waited until nearly everyone was leaving before getting up to turn in her test.
“Planning to fuck your way to the top?” Wayne asked as she went past. He was one of her contenders, and was a know it all, geeky, jerk in her opinion. He rarely gave anyone else a chance to answer questions, and at five foot something with a pimple pocked face, greasy black hair, plaid button shirt with the pocket protector, khaki pants, and Dr. Scholl’s shoes, he more than fit the bill for a sleazy porn photographer than anything serious.
“Jealous much?” Poppy asked, and tossed her hair as she passed by. Then, to really get his ire up, she made a show of bending over in front of the Professor and turning her paper in, then standing and sashaying out the door. She knew the Professor would think her flirtatious, but that little panty wet really got on her nerves. How dare he think of her that way! She was a skilled artist, and damn good at what she did, and she was on the way to meet a well-known columnist for a job interview. She had just made up her mind to go back and tell him so when she turned and bumped into her Professor.
“Is something wrong Poppy? You seem to be acting really odd today.” Mr. Smith asked, concerned.
“Yes, no, it’s nothing.” Poppy replied.
“Why don’t you tell me and let me decide if it’s nothing. I want to help if I can.” Mr. Smith said gently, and pulled her aside in the hallway.
“It’s just that jerk Wayne. He made a very rude comment about me and you, based on how I was dressed today, and I let him get to me. See, nothing to worry about.” Poppy explained.
“I see. Well, I am offended as well, if I get your meaning correctly. While I don’t necessarily agree with the way you handled the situation, I thank you for sticking up for me just the same. In the future, please report it to me and let me handle it. I’ll speak with Wayne tomorrow after class. For what it’s worth, I think you’re a better photographer than he is and will likely go much further than him” Mr. Smith said, patting Poppy on the shoulder and walking off.
It wasn’t until Mr. Smith was half way down the hallway, that it occurred to her that she should have asked for a letter of recommendation. Oh well, too late now, thought Poppy as she turned and headed to her Jeep. She needed to get to that interview and it wouldn’t do her any good to show up late.
Chapter 13
Ari pulled up at the restaurant and got a table in the corner, where they could talk alone and ordered drinks while he waited on her. He could have taken her to the nicer restaurant in town, but he was saving that for a later date’; besides pizza was a perfectly respectable first date, he told himself. He saw her come in, and his mouth dropped before he could catch it, but thankfully, she hadn’t seen him so he had been able to recover before she did. He stood and motioned her to come join him.
“Hello Mr. Mooreland.” She said, as she came up to the table and stuck out her hand to shake his.
“Hello. I’m glad you could make it. I hope you don’t mind I ordered you a coke, and please, call me Ari. Mr. Mooreland was my father.” Ari said and took her hand, holding it a tad longer than he was supposed to. “You look nice. I wish I had taken you to a fancier restaurant now.” He added, taking a moment to fully appreciate her outfit.
“What! Oh, thank you, but it isn’t necessary, this is fine.” Poppy said, happy that he did seem interested in her as well.
“Are those your photos?” Ari asked, reaching for the portfolio.
“Yes, I’ve put together several photos encompassing all my current mediums. Some of them will not suit your needs but should give you an idea of the quality of my work. I do want to remind you that I am still in school, and I’ve only just begun the extended course. It will be several months before I am through. I meant to get a letter of recommendation from my Professor, but he left
before I could ask; if you would like, I could still get one.” Poppy said, handing over the portfolio nervously.
“I’m sure that won’t be necessary, and I’m sure they will be as stunning as you are.” Ari stated, taking the portfolio from her and opening it up. He was surprised to find that she was, indeed, a natural with the camera, and that her photos, although raw around the edges, were actually quite good. He flipped through the book slowly, looking over each picture carefully until he got to the one of him as a chipmunk. He couldn’t help but to stare at that photo for quite some time before moving along. It was odd to see himself as anything but human, having never transformed before a mirror. “These are good. Better than I had been expecting by what you said. You are really good; you have a natural talent with the camera, and a good understanding of the equipment. I have no doubt that with these extended classes you will only get better and better. You have all the makings of a great professional photographer.” Ari compliment her.
Poppy let out the breath she had been holding since he opened her portfolio and replied “Thank you, I suppose I criticize myself a bit much.”
“You’re still a bit raw about the edges but you do good work. I realize you are still in school but, in the meantime, I could still use you if you have the time?” Ari offered her the job and waited, holding his breath, hoping she would say yes.
“What days are you looking for, and I’ll speak to my boss.” Poppy countered.
“All of them.” Ari stated before he even realized what he’d said.
“All seven days, or all five days?” Poppy asked.
“I never know when I might run into the animal I’m studying, so I need a full time photographer who’s not afraid to go traipsing about the woods with me alone. I’ll pay for any acceptable photos you take that I can turn in to my boss and I’ll match the pay your current boss is paying you hourly.” Ari offered, not blinking an eye. It would cost him, but she was worth it, and if there was one thing he had, it was money, and plenty of it. He had learned from an early age to invest his money wisely and, because of that, he had become quite well off; not rich, but he wanted for nothing.
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you. I accept the offer.” Poppy said excitedly. It was her first real photography job and she was thrilled to have scored her first week in classes. Take that Wayne! She thought to herself.
“Great! I’d like to get started tomorrow, if that’s possible.” Ari said, just as the waitress came up to take their order.
The server was a middle aged woman who had long blonde hair that was pulled up into a bun on the very top of her head. She was maybe five foot and of medium build and was dressed in black pants and a white shirt which had pizza stains on it and a black apron with the Pizza Hut logo on it. She had a normal looking face with nothing special to note and wore barely any makeup. “My name is Mandy, and I’ll be your server today. Are you ready to order?” she asked in a squeaky little voice.
“Whatever the lady wants.” Ari said, and indicated to Poppy.
“Is a cheese lover’s pizza ok?” Poppy asked Ari.
“It’s fine. One of my favorites.” Ari replied.
Mandy, the waitress took their order and refilled Ari’s drink winking at him and smiling at Poppy then walked off to turn the order in.
“So Poppy, tell me about yourself.” Ari said and waited for her to answer.
“What do you want to know?” Poppy countered, uncomfortable with talking about herself.
“What brought you here?” Ari asked.
“The local college has the only photography degree program for several states around, and I didn’t want to move but so far off, so I moved here, rented a house and signed up for classes. That was about two weeks ago.” Poppy explained. “What brought you here?” she countered.
“I was born and raised here. I guess if you stay long enough in one area, you learn to just stay put.” Ari answered. “What are you plans for the future?” Ari asked.
“If things go well I hope to become a nature photographer. Until now, I have worked mostly odd jobs, working my way through college.” Poppy answered. “What about you? How did you get your start?” Poppy asked.
“Well, I went to college and won a contest for writing. At first I wrote a column in the local paper until the guys at Nature got ahold of one of my articles and hired me on, and the rest is, well as they say, history.” Ari explained.
“What are your plans for the future?” Poppy asked, before he could ask any more questions about her.
“I would like to find the right girl, settle down, and have a family.” Ari answered and reached across the table to gently caress her hands, entwining his hand with hers. “How about you, do you want a family?” Ari asked.
“If it’s with the right guy I would, but only after college.” Poppy answered.
The pizza came then, carried by the short waitress who refilled their glasses and left them alone.
Poppy was glad for the distraction. She didn’t much like talking about herself. She hadn’t had the best upbringing and people had a tendency to feel sorry for her. Carefully she served up a slice of pizza for each of them. Between bites she asked “So, what will our first assignment be?”
“Deer’s.” Ari answered and took a bit of his own pizza.
“Won’t they be hard to find? I have gone out to the state park several times now and I have yet to see one.” Poppy asked.
“They are easy to find when you know where to look.” Ari responded, and brushed away a strand of hair that fell in Poppy’s face.
“What are you, some sort of animal whisperer?” Poppy asked curiously.
“Something like that.” Ari responded.
They spent the rest of the time trading questions and eating until they were both stuffed.
Ari had remained mostly business like during their conversation until business was concluded. After that he had flirted with her touching her hand, and moving her hair from her face and, when they left, he had taken her hand in his and walked her out. He wanted her to know his intentions from the get go, but didn’t want to push her either. He hadn’t found out much about her except she lived in town in a rented house , didn’t own any pets although she loved animals, and that she was fond of all colors. He noticed she was a bit evasive about his questions into her past early on so he avoided those, focusing on the here and now instead.
Poppy had enjoyed lunch. Ari was mostly easy to talk to, and she felt a comfort with him she had never known with another human being. There was no doubt he was interested in her either. Twice he had touched her hand, and he even moved her hair from her face once. He had been all businesslike mostly until business was concluded and then had begun flirting with her. She learned that he lived alone, but that his mother had her own place on their land, and that other than the rare trip to town he stayed mostly at home writing, or in the woods gathering information to write about. She hadn’t personally bought a subscription to Nature magazine, but she followed them on FaceIt, the online nature equivalent to Facebook, and had dreamt of working for them someday. Working through Ari was a great start, who knows, maybe it will lead to her being hired on by them and she could work with Ari still. She had to admit, she really liked him. He treated her like she was the only woman in the world, and she had to admit it was a bit intoxicating. He walked her to her Jeep and they had said their goodbyes. She had wanted him to kiss her but she knew it was a bit too soon for that.
Ari couldn’t remember when he had had such a good time. Poppy was everything he was looking for, and he was glad he had found her. She hadn’t seemed put off by his intentions either, and had even reached for his hand the second time they had touched during lunch, and when he had moved her hair from her face, she had leaned into his hand just slightly. He couldn’t wait to see her the next day and promised himself he would make it as special as he could. One thing about being a shapeshifting big foot was that animals weren’t afraid of you, so he hoped to use that to his advantage
to show her the woods the way he saw them every time he went out.
Chapter 14
“SO, how did it go?” Willa asked the moment she walked through the doors of the pet shop.
“It went great! He hired me full- time to do all his photography.” Poppy said excitedly.
“That’s great! You do such good work, I was sure he would love your photos.” Willa said.
“Yeah, but, the problem is, I can’t work here and work for him. I’m afraid I’m going to have to give this job up.” Poppy explained.
“Oh, don’t worry about this place. I can get one of my friends’ to fill your shoes. You just go talk to Daddy and let him know tonight’s your last night. He will understand.” Willa said and waved Poppy towards the back of the register where her Father was in his office. “Go on back, the stores not busy.” She added.
Poppy went around the register and knocked on Mr. Tomlins door. Mr. Tomlin was a much older man in his seventies, if Poppy had to guess. He had a solid white head of hair streaked with gray and a medium build with a deep tan and kind green eyes and a warm smile.
“Come in!” He called out.
“Mr. Tomlin, it’s Poppy. I need to talk to you about my job.” Poppy began.
“Well come on in and have a seat.” Mr. Tomlin offered.
“Thank you Mr. Tomlin. See, the thing is, my goal has always been to be a nature photographer and, as you know, I am in college for exactly that. Well, when I first applied here, I hadn’t had any other offers, but I’ve had an offer that, frankly, I just can’t turn down.” Poppy continued.
“I see.” Mr. Tomlin said, and sat back in his chair with his hands folded over his slightly protruding stomach.