Cover Girl

I almost quit when Kakashi told me I had to find him a model. His reasoning was that I attract girls of all ages, shapes, and sizes just by walking down the street, so it wouldn't be any trouble for me to check them out while they were around. But I'm a photographer, not a pervert like him. I don't even have any interest in those girls.

Not that that means I'm gay. I am very much straight, no matter what Naruto might tell you. I just don't find anything attractive about a girl who throws herself at me; who does?

But I didn't end up quitting, as Kakashi probably knew. Instead, I put up signs around town, wherever I knew girls in their late teens and early twenties would see them, set up a date, and waited for them to come to me.

-x-
He said, "There's nothing more attractive than a girl who knows her limits and respects mine."
-x-

Lots of girls end up coming, more than either I or Kakashi expected. Girls love to be told they're pretty, even more than they love being spoken to by someone like me.

I probably sound conceited, but I'm not. I just know the effect I have on girls. I'm rich. I'm smart. I'm strong. I have that tall, dark, and handsome thing going for me. Girls like that kind of thing. But I don't want to be eye-candy, which is why I'm behind a camera and not in front of it.

I enter the room and scan over all the girls briefly. Some are blonde, some are redheads, some are brunettes, and some are raven-haired. There are girls with dyed hair, piercings, miniskirts. There are girls with jeans and long hair and ponytails and bobs and dresses and even one girl in a business-suit. Some have glasses, some are modest, some are short, some are smiling, most are wearing make-up. No one catches my eye – until I see her.

She has long hair, the pink of cotton candy, and green eyes that widen when they land on me. She's probably a foot shorter than me, looks terrified, and isn't smiling, but I already know I want her. I won't find a girl like her again and I need to take the chance I've been given. I'm already planning the poses and backgrounds and angles I'm going to use on the most uniquely pretty girl I've ever seen, when I find that she has disappeared from my line of sight.

Someone screams. "Oh my God, this girl just fainted!"

I hope I didn't cause that – not that it would be the first time.

I look around, just as Kakashi passes me by, already heading for the collapsed girl. I can hear him asking if she's alright, being the polite gentleman I know he's not, so I walk over to make sure he doesn't try to cop a feel and get us sued when I finally see the girl on the floor and realize it's her.

Her cheeks are pink, and she looks embarrassed. She ducks her head, long hair spilling over her shoulder and contrasting with the black t-shirt she wears.

"I'm fine, thank you. Just nervous." Her voice is kind of soft, kind of sweet, kind of makes me think she's a lot older than she looks. She's wearing faded jeans and black boots. I'm staring at her legs, splayed out before her, so I can see this. The right leg of her jeans has ridden up so I can see a flash of skin between it and her boots, and I think, Perfect.

"Well, you don't need to be nervous," Kakashi says with a little laugh. "I'm sure you'll be a prime candidate." And I'm sure he's only saying it to make her smile the way she is right now, but it's ironic, because he's right. I don't want to see another girl, because this is my model.

I haven't moved my eyes from that strip of skin her jeans have revealed, until she shifts and I can't see it anymore. Then I lift my gaze to her face. She's staring at me, her mouth open just the slightest bit, and I crouch down before her so that I can look her straight in those green eyes and see my reflection.

"You're not going to make this a habit, are you?"

"No," she says so quietly I almost miss it. Her hands bunch in the fabric of her shirt, and I can see Kakashi smirking at me.

"Good. You're hired."

I stand up, reach out a hand to pull her up as well, and ignore the indignant whines of the remaining women. Kakashi turns to smooth things over, but I concentrate on the small hand sliding into my palm. Her hand is kind of sweaty from nerves, but it's very soft, and disappears entirely when I close my hand around it.

"I'm Sasuke," I say, dropping her hand when she's stable on her own two feet.

"I'm Sakura," she returns. Fitting name. "Did you mean it? I'm hired?"

"I don't waste breath," I say.

Immediately a thrilled, though incredulous, smile breaks out over her face, and I think she's even prettier than I first thought. She might be the one to make my career.

"Follow me. We need to discuss your hours, your responsibilities, and your pay."

She practically skips to my side at this last word, ignoring the hostile glares she's receiving, and tells me, "Sasuke, I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful relationship."

I'm not about to tell her how completely I agree.

-x-
"I'm going to need you to be on time, ready to work, and smiling."
"Can do."
"Then do it now. Smile for me."
-x-