B is for Bargain
"Come on, please? Please? Pretty please with sugar on top?" Tori had been begging incessantly for the past half hour of lunch break, but Beck still hadn't budged an inch. "Just this ONE time, then I'll never ask for anything like this ever again, I swear!" The girl put on her most pathetic expression and steepled her hands in a pleading gesture.
Andre, Cat, and Robbie had been watching this display carry on in bemused silence, waiting to see what Beck's ultimate response would be.
"What do you want the pictures for again?" Beck asked with a pained expression. Tori's eyes flashed with renewed hope.
"I just want to do a simple photo-shoot for a contest on iCarly ." Tori gave her best puppy-dog eyes.
"A 'simple' photo-shoot where I'm washing a car… With my shirt off." Beck crossed his arms and dropped his chin, looking out at her from under his curtain of glossy hair with chagrin.
"Oh come on, you do modeling work like that all the time! Pleeeease?" Tori pouted.
"I get paid to do that. What are you gonna offer me?" Beck cocked a dark eyebrow. The tableside spectators leaned forward in anticipation, their gaze shifting between him and Tori in almost perfect synchronization.
"If the contest winner lives in the United States, they get to have a web-cast of iCarly filmed at their school! How amazing would that be?" Tori gushed, nearly bubbling over with excitement. Beck looked less than impressed with the prospect.
"Wait, what if the winner doesn't live in the U.S.?" Andre asked.
"Oh, they get an iCarly care package and a free twelve-month subscription for Global Bacon magazine." Tori answered him, but kept her eyes trained on Beck.
"My brother ate bacon from Zimbabwe once. He still has nightmares about it." Cat commented absently, twirling a lock of her red velvet cake-hued hair in her fingertips. Everyone paused to stare at her, but she just giggled. Tori shook her head and then refocused on her objective.
"Come on, Beck! If you win this for me…" Tori bit her lower lip, considering a counter offer, "You can ask me for any favor in the world and I'll do it. No questions, no complaints, no refusals! Please? There's no way you'll lose the Hottest Guy I Know contest! You're YOU! Am I right?" Tori glanced around the table for confirmation, everyone nodded in agreement.
"The contest is called 'Hottest Guy I Know?' Come on Andre, don't you think this is ridiculous?" Beck groaned, looking to his best friend for support. Andre simply shrugged.
"Well, the girl does have a point. You would probably win man. I mean have you even seen your hair?" Andre waved his hand over his head to emphasize his point. He winced at the exasperated look Beck shot at him.
"It's true! This stuff is downright luxurious. What kind of conditioner do you use?" Robbie chimed in, reaching out to pet Beck's hair. Beck yelped in frustration and recoiled from the invasion of his personal space. It appeared no one at the table was going to jump to his defense.
"I can ask you for ANY one favor if I win, and you'll do it." Beck reiterated with a sideways glance in Tori's direction. Tori's face lit up with triumph.
"Yes, anything!" Tori nodded profusely in response.
"And there's no time frame, I can ask you whenever I want?" He continued, covering his bases.
"Yes! Whatever, whenever, wherever!" Tori was on the edge of her seat, but so was everyone else except for Cat who was entirely distracted with molding a swan out of the tin foil wrapper her burrito came in.
Beck rolled his eyes and sighed, "All right, I'll do it." He stuck out his hand and Tori clasped it tightly, sealing their deal. She hoped she hadn't gotten herself into anything too ridiculous, but if they could get iCarly to bring their show to Hollywood Arts, it would be worth it. "If I don't win, you have to wash MY car for agreeing to do this. Fair enough?" He added.
"Yes sir!" Tori saluted him, smiling brightly.