Picture Perfect

Chapter 4:

Dan and Phil arrived at Hutong after a short ride. They walked inside, and Phil felt a little awkward. It seemed the place was a homing beacon for couples. Also, he wondered how Dan was going to manage to get them in.

Dan walked up to the maître d', "Daniel Howell; I called last night." He smiled at her.

"Right this way," she replied. Dan turned to Phil and smirked. He walked ahead, following the maître d'. Phil started after Dan. He had to admit, he was impressed.

After Dan and Phil were situated at their table, they were served wine that Dan had chosen ahead of time. Phil picked up his glass and observed the drink, hoping he'd like it so he wouldn't seem rude.

"Thank you for this," said Phil. He took a sip of wine was delighted to discover it was sweet. He instantly felt warm. "This is incredibly kind."

Dan held up his glass of wine and smiled. "It's my pleasure." He sipped his wine. Setting his glass down, he dipped his finger in the wine. "What do you say we start discussing your career?" He ran his wet finger along the rim of the glass, creating a humming sound.

"I'd say so. Though, I do wonder what exactly what there is to discuss that would require such a formal meeting." Phil was thankful for the wine. He was able to relax, so his confidence was finally surfacing. It was a surprise to Dan, but he liked it.

"Well, as you may know my company allows me to approach my work very differently than most photographers. For example, I pick my models. No one else does. And I have some very…fastidious requirements for my models."

Phil raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "Fastidious requirements? Such as?"

"My contracts are very meticulous. I make sure that my models are in perfect condition."

"And how do you manage that?"

"I manage it by making sure they follow certain diets, exercise routines, things like that. Normally the rule is just to maintain a certain weight and physique, but I'm more meticulous than that." Phil laughed in response to Dan's statement. Now it was Dan's turn to raise his eyebrow. "Is something funny?"

Phil stopped his laughter and took another sip of wine. "It just sounds rather Fifty Shades of Grey." He chuckled again.

Dan rolled his eyes. "That god awful movie is a poor example of any type of business agreement. My contract doesn't ask of you to spread yourself on a bed for my enjoyment." He smirked and sank his teeth into his lower lip. "Of course any," he paused, allowing his eyes to graze over Phil agonizingly slowly while his lips were slightly parted, "recreational activities as such are open for discussion outside your modeling contract." He nearly had to catch his breath. Phil was already gorgeous, but in that suit, fuck.

Phil now felt extremely grateful that the candles were the only light at their table. He was certain that his entire face was shining bright red. "The movie wasn't that bad," he attempted to change the subject before his face could burn anymore.

"I can't believe you saw it," remarked Dan in a playful but snarky tone.

"To be fair, I was drug to it by my ex."

Dan made an "hm" sound. "Ex-girlfriend? Boyfriend?" he inquired.

"Girlfriend." Dan almost looked disappointed. Phil allowed a smirk to form on his lips. "Although, I blame that relationship ending on my ex-boyfriend. He didn't like her one bit."

Dan's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "I see. Well, back to the previous conversation. Are you interested?"

Phil took another swig of wine before responding. "Let's say I was. What would happen?"

"You would need to be prepared to quit your current job. Not yet, of course, but it's highly possible. You'd start with some basic shoots, adverts most likely. However, I travel a lot. Whichever model is doing the best, bringing in the most money, and getting my company the most attention, is who I will take to travel with me. If that happens to be you, that's when you'd need to quit your job."

"Ty-Someone mentioned keeping the clothes I model in. Now, that doesn't matter to me, but it does make me wonder if there's a reason behind it."

Dan rolled his eyes, "Tyler just can't keep his mouth shut can he? I allow my models to keep clothes from shoots because, obviously, we won't be using those clothes again. It's simply a token of my gratitude. I wouldn't be where I am without my models, now would I?"

"I suppose not. Though, I feel as if someone like you has a dirty secret to your success that doesn't simply come from picking beautiful people."

"I have my ways, but my methods aren't for sale."

Phil was starting to regret drinking most of the wine so quickly. He tended to be a little less careful with his words once he was tipsy. "I bet I could get you talk someday."

"Try me," Dan replied in a whisper, his eyes slightly hooded and the tip of his tongue resting on his bottom row of teeth. He stared at Phil, and Phil stared back. Neither of them batted an eye. However, both of them noticed the small gestures and body language. Phil curled his fingers on the table, and Dan quickly ran his tongue over his lips.

"What can I get for you gentlemen this evening?" asked a waitress as she approached. She stood awkwardly, knowing she had probably interrupted something.

"I'll have the special," said Dan not taking his eyes off of Phil.

Phil's gaze remained on Dan as well. "I'll have what he's having."

The waitress made a "mhm" sound and quickly left, somehow managing to feel like a third wheel despite just being a sever.

"So," Dan ran his finger along the rim of the wine glass again, "what do you say?"

The humming sound from the glass made it to Phil's ears, and he almost felt hypnotized as he watched Dan's every move. He held up his glass, "I need to look it over, but I can almost promise I'll sign." Dan tapped his glass against Phil's and they both took a small sip. He smirked seeing Phil's cheeks looking so warm. Something told him it wasn't just the wine.

Casual conversation bounced back and forth between Dan and Phil as they enjoyed their meal. Both of them were tipsy, so neither of them were thinking very clearly. Phil could feel his judgement slipping, so he didn't want to drink anymore. However, once more was poured in his glass, he found it hard to resist. Dan also started on his second glass.

Dinner came to a close, and both men had finished their second glass of wine, and little bit of a third. Dan paid the bill, and he and Phil walked out to the limousine. They arrived at the studio so Phil could get his contract and get things moving as fast as possible.

Dan led Phil into his office that was towards the back of the studio. He pulled out the contract and handed it to Phil. "Look it over, and then let me know."

"I will," stated Phil. He then made the mistake of looking up at Dan. The room was only lit by the small lamp on Dan's desk. Phil couldn't help but to notice that dim light seemed to highlight all of the perfect rounded edges to Dan's face. Dan's face wasn't a baby face by any means, but it was so soft. "I u-uh," Phil stuttered. I should go home. May I phone a cab? My phone battery is dead."

"Sure," said Dan smoothly as he took out his phone. He entered the passcode and handed it to Phil.

Phil quickly called for a cab. Once he was done, he handed Dan back his cell phone. "It'll be about ten minutes at most."

"Well," Dan smirked as he leaned on his desk, placing his hands on either side of his body and onto the wooden surface, "I'll keep you company."

"I'd like that," replied Phil. He leaned his back against a wall, hooking his thumbs into his pants pockets. That's when Dan couldn't take it anymore.

Dan got up from his desk and approached Phil. He placed one hand above Phil's head, pressing it to the wall. Phil responded by straightening his stance, bringing himself to his real height, which was still just a pinch shorter than Dan. Phil eyes had to just barely flick up, as he and Dan were mere inches apart. They said nothing for a moment, and then Dan's hands flew to Phil's neck as he pulled him in for a kiss. Phil responded by grabbing Dan's waist, pulling the younger man closer.

He hooked his fingers onto the belt loops of Dan's pants, keeping a firm grip. Dan swiped his tongue along Phil's bottom lip, begging for an entrance. Phil reacted by granting Dan access, but he pushed Dan's tongue aside with his own and began to explore. Dan let a quiet moan escape his throat as he pushed his hips against Phil's, pressing him against the wall tightly. He reached around and started tugging at Phil's hair with his right hand. With his left hand, he yanked up the hem of Phil's shirt and snaked his hand up the older man's back, letting his fingers dance across Phil's skin.

He roughly pushed Phil's tongue aside with his own and took control of the kiss. Grabbing at Phil's back, he pulled him as close as they could be. It was Phil's turn to let a small moan out from his throat. Dan thought he was going to go crazy. Phil's sounds were so deep and rough, he just wanted to strip him down right now. Phil kept his grip on Dan's pants and rubbed their growing erections together, giving them both the friction they desperately needed. Dan let go of Phil's back and brought his hand to the button of Phil's pants. He started to work, but then a car horn snapped them both out of their trances.

"That's the um, that's the cab," stated Phil as he awkwardly fixed the button and re-tucked his shirt.

Dan turned away from Phil, "Right," he said as he grabbed the contract from the desk. "You can keep the suit, and I'll have your clothes sent to you. And the check for the thousand pounds." He took a deep, quiet breath. Shit. No. No, it was okay. Phil wasn't technically his model yet. He hadn't done anything wrong. He handed the contract to Phil and smiled. "I hope you sign."

Phil let out a breath, failing at trying to catch it. "I'm sure I will. I'll see you soon." He left the building and got into the cab, leaving Dan to sit at his desk and run his fingers through his hair. Dan placed his face into his hands and let out a sound of pure frustration. He wanted to slap himself across the face. How could he have been so careless? He knows the rules. However, breaking the rules was just the bad part. The worst part was that for the first time, he had kissed someone, and he felt something.