Behind the Lens

Chapter 2

Rolling over every side of her bed, Jordan seemed so interested in the chat. It was exhilarating how she felt exchanging conversations with a total stranger. She felt her energy pumped and she needed no coffee to stay up all night, chatting with the mysterious 'Aceking'.

Misshearty: "I've never done this before you know?"

Aceking: "Well, neither have I, but I surely couldn't resist talking with you all night long."

All night long?! She immediately checked her time and it was a few minutes away from the time her alarm was set to go off. She began wondering if this was how Cynthia always kept late night chatting with various guys. There was no way she could make it to work early that day with this going on.

The chat kept on for a couple more minutes before they both took a beat to it. There was the sound she'd been longing for, the most annoying and the loudest sound breaking the decorum of the environment.

As she snoozed it off, there was a terrain of peace floating around her face as she laid flat on her bed. She kept on fantasising about how Aceking would really look like and how they might meet someday. The happiness drove her to sleep, which unfortunately didn't last for long.

Alex came to work with a cup of coffee for the first time ever. The atmosphere shone brighter than he anticipated and he rushed quickly into the building away from the ray of sunlight. With his hastening speed, he collided with Jordan, making all her folders fall to the ground.

Jordan: "I've been very peaceful and quiet but you had to bring your bad luck and ruin my morning."

Alex: "If only you could allow others to speak while you listen, you could probably learn a lot on how to communicate."

Jordan: "I guess you skip the class where your peers were taught the five magic words, because, even one, you don't know how to say."

Alex: "Those words are not for ordinary people, trust me. Guess who didn't attend the class"

Jordan could only stare at him as he walked away as the door closed behind him. She could not believe a man like Aceking existence amongst these men who she interacts with live on a daily basis. "If only" she thought as she bent over to pack the files and headed to the studio.

Cynthia and Micheal were there already, arranging the setting for the photography session. The company had just received a contract to shoot for a magazine cover and Jordan had been selected for the model. Who else to take the best picture if not for their most talented photographer, Alex.

Jordan: "Sir, there are better and more qualified photographers out there we can get to take photos. I'm sorry, but I can't work with someone who is rude to me."

Director: "Good thing this is my company and not yours. Now please get out of my office and get the session done before noon. And Jordan," looking closely into her eyes with Jordan staring right into his eyeballs, "don't make me regret you two working together. You guys are the best at what you do. Do not ever let your personal rift bring down the quality of your potential. Get Alex in here for me."

A sense of confusion clouds her face as to whether she was praised by being the best at her job or that she was shut out of her report of not being comfortable working with Alex. It seemed to her the boss is taking his side over her without even caring to hear her side of the story.

"You are summoned" hesitantly said to him as she walked briskly past him. He turned to look at her in disbelief and looked at Micheal.

Micheal: "What? Don't get me involved. You guys figure out your differences fast. This is a huge deal. It might open new opportunities for who knows. So, don't you mess this up with your irrational hatred towards each other," he left his sight disgustedly.

Alex: "Oh now you're taking her side? Fine. Have at it. I'm always the perpetrator here, when clearly I'm the victim. You've always seen how she talked to me every time like I'm some lowlife" he raised his voice at his departing friend who couldn't hear much of the whole statement.

He went on to meet the director who gave him directions on how the session of the photography is to go and what the editors want for the cover page. He collected all the details and left the room with a level of satisfaction on his face. As he arrived into the studio with an unchanged mood, Jordan could only mustered within herself as to how the director is being biased towards him against her.

Engulfed in her own thoughts, Cynthia came over to her and changed the dynamic of the atmosphere.

Cynthia: "How was the guy?" She looked seemingly uninterested in the conversation as she was about to rampage on her friend for signing her up, but as soon as she remembered the nice moment she had, she couldn't resist telling her friend every bit of the whole story.

Alex: "how nice it would be if you could talk to take your work as seriously as your chitchat. Come on, it is time for the session," he confronted her and left to get set for the photo session.

Cynthia: "don't mind him, he's not always like that. You too you have to be nicer to him. You don't really like the guy special, or is it that you like him too much you disguise it with not liking him?"

Jordan: "I can take any joke, not that" with a serious look on her face, she left her friend and got ready for the session.

Jordan was looking super sexy in this outfit. Her leg merched into the dress and her face toned the color of a light chocolate mashed with milk. She shone brighter than the moonlight on a full moon night. Her glow brightened the room and Micheal could only look with his mouth wide open. Cynthia came over to his side and used her hand to close his mouth gently.

A peaceful session this was, how surprising. All the workers in the building were surprised not to hear any arguments of sorts from both parties and rushed down to the studio to see if everything was alright. Micheal and Cynthia drove them away before they could cause a scene.

All Cynthia was on about was for the session to finish so she could hear about her friend's ordeal. What could she miss out on something she orchestrated? She listened to every little detail as Jordan narrated the whole event as to how she went to bed late.

Cynthia: "there is no way I sleep late just because I'm chatting with a guy. I thought I was coaching you, turns out the student is more well learned than the teacher," they both laughed hysterically.

Jordan: "it's nothing of the sort. The guy is just so gentle and nice. The way he talks is so simple and daring. I've never had anyone talk to me like that ever"

Cynthia: "I wonder why" she eyed at her.

Jordan: "what do you mean by that?"

They both left the room after she'd changed her outfit from her shooting clothes. She had not uploaded her i********: account since she left work yesterday and realized it was because of Aceking, a name she hasn't even told her friend yet, who kept pressuring her.

Micheal and Alex had not had any time to catch up on anything that day. Immediately after the shooting, Micheal had been called by his mother that her sister had been hospitalised, so he had to rush there. Alex offered to follow but he insisted he stayed back so he could overrun the department in his absence. Since he doesn't have any other shooting to do that day, he took over for his friend and tidied up his work for him.

On his way home, Alex saw Cynthia and Jordan going the same way as him and decided to offer them a ride in his car. As they piled in, an uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Alex gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. Jordan stared out the window, her brow furrowed in a scowl.

The drive was tense and awkward, with no one daring to break the silence. When they finally pulled up to Cynthia's place, she thanked Alex, sensing the tension. "Well, this is my stop. Thanks for the ride, Alex."

"Sure, you're welcome." Jordan muttered a quick "yeah, thanks" and practically fled the car, her handbag slung over her shoulder. Alex watched her go, an intense dislike burning in his chest.

Later that evening, Alex angrily typed out a message on his phone, thumbs flying across the screen.

Aceking: "How I wish all ladies are like you. So easy to talk to and still, so understanding."

Misshearty: "I can relate, some men are just rude. I've had the worst day today at work but, I don't want to bore you with that. Let's discuss something interesting."

Aceking: "Sure, you can tell me about your work."

The stage was set to burn!