Brooke Davis was sitting in another board meeting. Sure being CEO of Clothes over Bros. was an amazing title to have at 21, but it got boring when she was forced to listen to such lame ideas for a photo shoot for B. Davis magazine.
A man was speaking and going off on a tangent about having a calendar idea for their models.
"I think if we gave each girl a month, we could sufficiently touch most of the bases for a themed photo shoot and therefore give our readers a calendar for the New Year." He finished looking very proud of himself.
Brooke cocked her eyebrow and tapped a pencil on her notebook. She figure now would be the time to give her input. A sickeningly sweet smile pasted itself on her face.
The man's smile grew on his face in accomplishment, waiting for her praises for his outlandishly simple idea.
"I'm sorry. What's your name?" She asked after standing up from her chair.
His boyishly good looking features fell and he began to get nervous.
"Um. Jacob, Ms. Davis." He stuttered out. A light sheen of sweat can be seen on his forehead.
Brooke started to pace back and forth. She liked the feeling she had over these people, but never for a second would she forget that they were just that, people.
"Don't worry Jacob. I'm not going to reprimand you for your idea. That's not my style. Plus, you are the only person in the last 30 minutes that could actually give me a nice original idea. However, I just formed an idea of my own."
Jacob deflated at the news in relief.
Brooke turned her face up in an excited smile.
"Now, how many of us know anything about our models aside from their names?"
The faces in the room once again, dropped.
Millicent, Brooke's assistant smiled brightly and raised her hand.
Brooke gave her a proud smile.
"That's exactly my point. Don't beat yourselves up over it. Now, we all know that Maxim does their whole "Hometown Hottie" issue. I was thinking that we did a whole issue dedicated to getting to know our models. Get the readers a chance to know the people underneath the clothes. We can have a huge shoot with all of the models together for the cover. Then we can have individual spreads for each model. Accompanied by small stats about them that can say where they're from, what they like to do, etc… Then we can close the issue with our newest model. Now, how does that sound?" She asked her team. She even gave Millie a questionable look just to see if they were on the right page. Millicent gave her a thumbs up before typing furiously on her tablet.
Brooke looked up and was met with a roaring applause.
"Now Jacob, what do you think we should name the issue?" She asked the young man.
He looked pensive for a moment before smiling.
"How about "Underneath the Clothes"?" He asked.
Brooke smiled brightly. "I love it! You'll be the head on this issue and next issue as well just in time to for your calendar idea." She turned back to the rest of her staff. "Now everyone let's get this issue started and feel free to take an hour lunch." She dismissed everyone.
It was hard being CEO sometimes, but it was nice to have a team that respected her ideas. She might have to keep her eye on Jacob. He could be in the running for a promotion.
The board room was empty, save for Millicent and Brooke.
"I think that went well. How about you Millie?"
"I think you did a great job, Brooke. I'm excited to see how this is going to go."
"Good, because you're going to be helping Jacob get the fun facts on our models."
Millicent's face went pale in utter surprise. "Really?!"
"Yes, really. Before you leave can you give me the info for our newest model? I would like to meet her before we start the shoot."
"Already done. I put her number in your cell while you were addressing the team. Her name is Rachel Gatina, she's 21 and she's from Tree Hill, actually."
Brooke let the name run around in her mind. She didn't remember a Rachel Gatina in high school. Maybe she went to a private school or something.
"Thanks, Millie. I think I will contact our newest addition and invite her to lunch."
Brooke was sitting in her office waiting for Rachel to pick up her phone.
Brrriiiing, brrriiing, brrriing.
"Hello?" A silvery feminine voice greeted from the other end of the line.
"Hello, this is Brooke Davis with Clothes over Bros. I was wondering if I could speak to Rachel Gatina."
"This is her."
"I was just calling to welcome you to Clothes over Bros. I was actually wondering if you would like to have lunch with me this afternoon."
She was met with silence.
"Rachel? Are you still there?"
There was more silence that was then accompanied by a high pitch scream in excitement. Well, at least Brooke hoped it was a sound of joy and not an accident or anything.
There was heavy breathing on the other end of the line and a loud gulp of composure.
"Lunch this afternoon? That'd be great. Is there anything specific I should wear or bring?"
Brooke smiled into the receiver.
"Casual clothes and yourself will be just fine. I'll send a driver to your apartment at around 12:30 p.m."
"Um, okay. That sounds great. I'll see you then."
"Alright. I'll see you later, Rachel."
She replied before hanging up the phone. Brooke had a feeling that this lunch and whole campaign were going to go very well.
Rachel saw a black town car pull up to her studio apartment in Manhattan. The apartment itself wasn't that bad it was just small. She lived by herself, but she would've liked it if she could have some room to work out or something.
She took the elevator as fast she could to the downstairs lobby in fear of the car leaving her. It was hard to run through the lobby in her heels, but she managed to get outside safely. She was even met with a few interested glances from a girl named Sherry that lived across the hall from her and a guy named Mike that lived a floor below her.
"I guess wearing a simple light blue blouse and jeans will get you places in this city." she muttered to herself before stopping at the car where a tall older man greeted her with a smile.
"Ms. Gatina? Hello, my name is Rupert and I believe this is your chariot." He opened the back door so she could settle herself in a seat. When, she was finally settled in her seat; Rupert went around the car to the driver's side.
"Thank you, Rupert." She said politely.
He started the car after putting on his seatbelt. "For what?" He looked at her through the rearview mirror, before pulling the car out of the parking spot and into traffic.
"For picking me up and holding the door so I could get in to the car." She answered. She was looking at the many city buildings and different people of New York City. It was odd for her to think that just a few weeks ago she was just Rachel Gattina walking up and down the streets of New York looking for a new modeling job. Now, she was Rachel Gatina the new face for Clothes over Bros.
A boisterous laugh broke her out of her reverie. When she caught Rupert's eye in the mirror he choked on a laugh and composed himself. "I'm sorry." He said smiling. "It's just that the only other person to thank me for my services is Ms. Davis."
Rachel was taken aback by the sudden news about her new boss. She heard other people talk about Brooke Davis, but they never said that she was exceptionally well mannered.
Rupert looked at her through the mirror again.
"You look surprised."
"I don't mean to be rude. It's just that the things that I heard about her were never of that Merritt." Rachel was ashamed to admit that she listened to rumors. She was always brought up to know a person before judging them.
"It happens. I think those people that talked to you were spreading rumors. It happens to Ms. Davis all the time. People assume that she's like that woman from "The Devil Wears Prada", but she's actually the opposite. I think you'll see that after your meeting with her today." He finished smiling. He returned his focus back to the road ahead of them.
Rachel let a smile etch itself on to her features. "I hope so." She said to herself.
Brooke was sat in the middle of Tom's Restaurant. She changed after her phone call with Rachel. Now she was wearing a dark maroon bodycon dress with black booties. She was looking over the menu and humming along to the music in the restaurant's background, when she saw a young woman standing in the doorway.
The young red head looked nervous. Brooke thought she looked so cute with her blouse, jeans and heels on. Boy, was she mesmerized by the new customer. It was no secret that Brooke didn't care what gender someone was, if they were gorgeous she was attracted to them. So, she put her girls on display. She was about to say something flirtatious to the redhead as she approached, but the town car pulling away tipped her off on who the new customer was.
Damn. She had a feeling this was gonna happen, but she had to let the attraction fade into the background. It was time to work.
"Please, sit down. You must be Rachel. I'm Brooke Davis, nice to meet you." She greeted shaking the other woman's hand.
"It's nice to meet you too. So, are we gonna jump right in or did you want to order first?" Rachel asked picking at the menu.
The brunette noticed the other girl's nervous quirks and decided to ease her mind. She gave her a smile.
"How about we do a bit of both?" She asked waving a waiter over.
"That would be great. I hear they have the best burgers and shakes around." Rachel started.
"Believe it or not, but I'm a sucker for burgers and shakes." Brooke laughed.
The red head pulled a shocked expression.
"I never pegged you for a greasy goodness kind of girl." She joked.
"Well, I was raised in a small town. Although, my parents were wealthy; my best friend and I would always get burgers at our local diner. When, I first moved here I found this place. It was the closest thing that reminded me of Tree Hill." Brooke looked longingly at her menu.
Wait, Brooke was from Tree Hill? Rachel thought.
"What a surprise. I'm from Tree Hill too. I went to South Catholic's. My parents refused to put me in public school no matter how many times I begged. It was a nice school academically, but it was also very strict." Rachel said looking into Brooke's honey eyes.
"I went to Tree Hill High. Go Ravens." Brooke cheered mockingly with a fist bump.
Her gesture released a laugh from Rachel's mouth.
"I take it. You were a cheerleader. After, that mock cheer I want to infer that you didn't like high school all that much."
The waiter came to their table and asked for their drink order and if they were ready to order their food yet. Brooke order a water and burgers and fries, as did Rachel.
"I liked high school. I just hated who I was back then. I wasn't always nice to be around."
"That's why high school is the past. I was a calculus nerd. Now look at me. I model for the best clothing line for young adults." Rachel said with a mild husk in her voice, which caused Brooke to shiver.
"So, what should I know about Rachel Gattina?" Brooke asked as their food arrived.
"I'm reliable, I can't stand tomatoes. I guess you already know my calculus secret. Um…I've only lived in New York for a few months before getting this job that I have yet to start, but I'm super excited for." Rachel joked.
Brooke swallowed a fry before replying.
"Interesting. So, we hired a hot nerd. Millicent must be happy that you have been added to our team." Brooke didn't mean for her statement to come out flirtatious, but it did. She started to sweat bullets, until she saw Rachel's eyes darken.
"I hope this doesn't ruin my job with the company or anything, but I'm also a lesbian." Rachel mulled out before quickly sipping her water.
Brooke was quiet. Something about the other woman's demeanor comforted Rachel's nerves. For a second she thought her boss looked at her with a wanting glance.
The brunette smiled before she continued the conversation.
"Clothes over Bros. does not discriminate over sexual orientation or anything else for that matter. I think the readers and consumers would love to see more variety in our models anyway."
"That's good to know. I just wanted you to know something personal about me, since we're doing the whole get to know you lunch thing. Is there anything I should know about you Brooke?"
The CEO had to think. Does she tell Rachel how she feels now or wait until after the campaign?
"I like chocolate, going to the movies and I sucked at calculus. I'm pansexual and I have a thing for Redheads." She replied before eating the rest of her food.
Rachel was taken aback. She was definitely interested if Brooke was asking, but she didn't want to be the girl that slept with her boss to get a job and she didn't want to put out that vibe either. If this was real they could wait until after the campaign.
"Duly noted, now what's this new campaign about?"
Brooke noticed thee change of subject. She was mentally kicking herself. How could she hit on a new model or anyone that worked for her? The redhead was just so beautiful that she couldn't help, but want her.
The waiter came back and took their empty plates.
"It's gonna be a get to know the Clothes over Bros. models issue For B. Davis magazine. We're calling it "Underneath the Clothes"." Rachel looked intrigued, so she continued. "The cover will feature all of our models, and then each page will be a spread for each model, alongside will be fun facts about them. The last bit will feature our newest model a.k.a you. What do you think?"
Rachel was beaming. She was going to have the last few pages of B. Davis magazine to herself.
"I love it!" Without thinking she grabbed Brooke's hand that was resting on the table. A slight buzz ran up both of their arms like the flow of electricity in a street light. It was new and enjoyable, but they both broke away from the mutual bond.
"That's great. We start a few of the photo shoots tomorrow."
Rachel nodded her head in agreement. She had a feeling that not wanting to be with Brooke for the duration of the campaign would prove to be difficult.
They finished their lunch meeting. It was easy for the two of them to keep conversation and partake in witty banter. However, the ever growing tension between them kept growing like a black hole in the middle of space. It was hard not to give in to the desire that either girl was feeling, but they got through the rest of their meeting unscathed.
Days went by since their first meeting, alongside most of the photo shoots. Brooke was there to oversee any types of changes just in case Millie or Jacob was too busy to approve of certain pictures.
It was the last leg of "Underneath the Clothes" photo shoot and the primary focus was Rachel. The redhead was pacing back and forth in the dressing room thinking about how not to throw up on the photographer.
The campaign was easier when the other girls around. She just started wringing her hands and taking in deep breaths, when a knock at the door stopped her movements.
"Rachel? Are you okay?" The raspy asked from behind the door. It was Brooke.
And there goes more churning in her stomach with a mix of a butterfly party flapping away in her intestines.
Rachel took a deep breath and released it trying to calm her nerves enough to answer.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had to look over my outfit one more time." She replied staring at herself in the mirror finding words of comfort in her head.
"Is it okay if I come in?" Brooke asked trying to the knob on the door, but stopped after discovering that the door was locked.
The model's heart started beating faster.
"I'll be out in a minute. Please, I'm fine." Her voice was shaky again. She started panicking. She wasn't fine. She felt like she was going to blow chunks or pass out. Her breathing was labored and her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
"You don't sound fine. Please let me in. I can help." Brooke replied.
Rachel ran a shaky hand through her fiery locks before unlocking and opening the door. She didn't notice Brooke closing and locking the door back.
Brooke faced her. "Alright, don't worry about the shoot or anything else. Just think of things that make you happy like milkshakes, calculus or sunsets on the beach." Rachel complied. Slowly but surely it was working. "Now breathe in and out slowly." The redhead didn't feel as dizzy as she did before. Brooke led her to a chair in front of one of the mirrors and produced a bottle of water from thin air.
Rachel chugged half the bottle before giving her thanks. "How did you know what was wrong with me?" She asked checking herself in the mirror.
Brooke sighed. "I used to get them a lot when I started the company. My mom was around then and she was nothing, but a constant pain in my ass and brought on unnecessary stress. I would lock myself in my office before board meetings when I would have a panic attack it was hard, but I learned how to control it." She took one of Rachel's hands in her own comfortingly. It's been a while since she last touched her and the buzz was still there.
There was one question that has been lingering at the back of Rachel's mind for a few weeks. "Why'd you pick me?"
Brooke looked at her taken a back. "I picked you because your resume was unique. You are a fresh face Rachel, but you are also different than the rest of the girls that come to us. Yeah, all of our models are unique and we respect that, but you are well rounded. You care for people, your smart and you have a killer personality. That's what Clothes over Bros. and B. Davis Magazine is all about. It's not about me it's about the people showcasing themselves to the world while wearing my brand. So, don't you think for a second that you aren't good enough because you are extraordinary. I find it amazing that you chose me and this life. You could be out their being the next Einstein, but you are here following your dream and that inspires me." She was looking into Rachel's dark eyes. Her heart ached for the redhead. There was this beautiful woman in front of her and all she wanted to do was show her the world.
Rachel felt her heart explode. "I want to do something, but I'm afraid of losing my job, so I'll wait until after the shoot." Rachel caressed Brooke's cheek before getting up and leaving Brooke staring after her in astonishment.
After, 8 hours of shooting, Rachel was finally free. She smiled meekly as the crew clapped and congratulated her on her first shoot for Clothes over Bros. In the midst of all of the celebratory madness, she made a beeline for Brooke who was over-seeing her photos of the day.
"Hey." Rachel greeted her.
Brooke looked up and smiled. "Hey yourself. These pictures are great, Rachel."
"Thanks. I actually wanted to know if I could speak with you for a second."
"Yeah, of course."
Rachel led the brunette back to the dressing room. She locked the door as soon as Brooke walked inside.
"There's this tension between us and I don't want to step over any boundaries. So, I'm going to ask before I lose my job over this. Can I kiss you?" She asked looking into Brooke's warm brown eyes.
The brunette smiled. "Only if I can call you mine."
The redhead's heart melted. She moved closer to Brooke and put her hands behind her neck. Their faces were now mere inches from one another. "Yours." She replied before bringing their lips together in a soft kiss. Brooke's lips were soft and she tasted like oranges. When she felt the other woman's hands on her waist she deepened the kiss. A moan reverberated in the room when their tongues met each other.
Brooke broke the kiss with a peck to Rachel's lips.
"Would you like to get dinner later?"
"I would love to."