Chapter 10: Cameraman, Supper, and Date?
"He invited himself over?" said Hermione, surprised.
"Yeah," Ginny replied, laughing.
"Then embarrassed Harry?" said Hermione.
"Yup," Ginny chuckled. "It was pretty funny. Not to be mean, of course, but it was funny nevertheless."
"Well, are you sure you don't want to just to treat him at a restaurant or something?" asked Hermione worriedly, "I mean, you know how Ron feels..."
"I don't think it'll be too much of a problem," said Ginny thoughtfully. "Just a friendly dinner. Besides, if it's just me and him, it might give him the wrong idea."
Hermione grinned. "What wrong idea?"
"Oh, shut up," said Ginny.
"What do you mean, the costumes are not in?" asked Ginny angrily over the phone. Kayla Cuke, the seventeen-year old, stood in front of her practically naked. "Oh, will you put on some clothes?" she said, covering the mouthpiece for a second.
"But I need to change into the costume!" cried Kayla. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Put something on until the costumes come in, will you, Kayla?" she said impatiently. "And how come I have to make this phone call? Where are the show managers?" Then, she spotted a man coming in. "Can I help you, sir?" she asked.
He looked transfixed at Kayla's nudity, which she seemed to find amusing. She struck a few poses until Ginny glared at her angrily.
"Um, um, I have an appointment with Mr. Zabini," he said awkwardly.
"Name?" she said, holding up her clipboard. "Can you hold for a sec? I need those costumes in!" she yelled into her mouthpiece before covering it up again.
"Jonathan McKay," he replied, still staring at where Kayla had run off to. Ginny tried to ignore the bulge in his pants.
"An interview for the position of cameraman?" she said, staring down at her clipboard.
"Yes, I used to work for Floo Entertainment," he replied sheepishly. "Kind of new in this industry."
"It says here you applied for this job five months ago," she read.
"Yeah, this job is hard to get," he said, embarrassed. Ginny sighed and uncovered the mouthpiece on the telephone.
"Costumes in ten minutes, please. Yes, I mean today! Geez!" she said before hanging up. She picked it up again and pressed a button.
"Mr. Zabini?"
"Yes?" he said from his office telephone.
"Mr. McKay is here for the position of cameraman," she said, realizing that he was being hired because Larry got fired.
"Tell him to come in. And Miss Weasley, you come in, too," Blaise said.
"Me? There's an awful amount of work here," she said.
"It's okay," he said. "I'll have someone else cover for you."
Ginny and Jonathan entered Blaise's office. He was sitting on his desk with a pile of documents and waved them in. Ginny sat on a chair next to his desk, facing the interviewee's chair. Jonathan McKay sat awkwardly, trying to conceal his still-bulging pants.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Zabini," he said sheepishly.
"It's fine. Let's take a look at your resume," he said. Ginny handed him her clipboard. "How was work at Floo Entertainment?"
"I just did a lot of show recordings," Jonathan replied.
"I see," Blaise murmured. "Why did you want this position?"
"Oh," he replied. "I thought it'd be a good opportunity, and..."
"You would see a lot of naked girls?" Blaise interrupted indifferently. Jonathan looked uncomfortable, at which Blaise laughed. "It's okay, Mr. McKay, it's perfectly fine. But I must warn you, though."
"Of what?" Jonathan asked, curious. Blaise leaned closer to him and lowered his voice.
"If you work here for a year or two..." he whispered, and the rest Ginny could not hear, but Jonathan's eyes widened in sudden realization. Blaise leaned back into his chair, looking satisfied. "So, do you still want the position?"
"Er," said Jonathan. "I'll...I'll think about it and get back to you."
"Thank you," said Blaise, waving as Jonathan left. "He isn't coming back," he muttered.
"What did you say?" asked Ginny.
"Oh, the truth," droned Blaise. "That I only tell to those I don't want to hire. I'm not about to hire some kid from the Floo Entertainment! They started like two years ago, he's got like zero experience!"
"What did you tell him?" asked Ginny, even more curious. Blaise grinned.
"It gets more difficult to get it up if you work here too long," he said, trying to look serious. "That's why Kevin got divorced. But you didn't hear that from me."
It took about an hour for the costumes to arrive, Kayla Cuke fussed about her skirt being too long, and about three more cameramen were interviewed and turned down ("informed," according to Blaise).
"So, when am I being treated with a homemade supper?" asked Blaise as the third cameraman left with a worried look on his face.
"Hermione said you can come tomorrow night," she informed him.
"I notice you are leaving out Ronald Weasley?" he said playfully. "I demand to know the truth, Miss Weasley. Does he or does he not know I'm coming over?"
Ginny sighed. "Okay, fine, he doesn't know."
"And is this wise, not letting him know?" asked Blaise.
"Er...I'm telling him tonight," Ginny said quickly. I mean, what's there not to tell? There is nothing to tell or not tell. Just a boss coming over to eat supper. What's so abnormal about that...?
"There's a lot of things abnormal about that!" cried Ron, the evening after. Ginny had only come around telling him an hour before Blaise was expected. "You don't see me inviting the Minister of Magic in here!"
"Actually, that would seem quite normal," said Hermione, earning a glare from Ron which she conveniently ignored.
"I don't even know this guy! I haven't really talked to him since freaking Hogwarts!" cried Ron exasperatedly.
"He saved me, Ron!" said Ginny.
"A Slytherin!"
"Stop being immature, Ron," said Hermione. "I don't see anything wrong with inviting him over. Besides, I made breakfast-for-dinner."
"Hermione!" cried Ginny. "You can't make breakfast-for-"
"Kidding! Kidding!" laughed Hermione. "We're having steaks."
The doorbell rang precisely at seven o' clock. Ginny answered the door promptly and smiled as she greeted Blaise.
"Good evening," said Blaise, entering. He smiled at Hermione and Ron. "Thank you for inviting me over."
"Shut up, Ron," whispered Hermione through her smiling, gritted teeth before Ron could say anything.
Ron barely spoke, but Hermione, Ginny, and Blaise had an animated discussion about different things.
"Well, I wouldn't exactly say we have a shortage of proficient models," replied Blaise to Hermione's rather blunt question. "But we're always looking for the best."
"I see," replied Hermione. "Do you think I could get a job there?"
"HERMIONE!" cried Ron, making bits of beef fly everywhere.
"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" laughed Hermione. She took up a napkin and wiped her fiance's mouth fondly as Ginny stared embarrassedy at Blaise. He merely smiled at her.
"That was a lot of fun," said Blaise as he and Ginny walked out of the flat.
"I'm glad you liked it," said Ginny, smiling.
"In response, I'd like to treat you some time," said Blaise with a soft smile on his lips. She stared at him in slight surprise.
"Like...on a date?" she asked timidly, to which he chuckled.
"If you want it to be," he replied easily. "But if you don't, it's fine with me."
"What kind of an answer is that?" she cried, laughing.
"What kind of an answer is yours, then?" he asked playfully. "Is that a yes or a no?"
"Well," replied Ginny, trying to look serious. "Is it a date or no?"
"I really hope your answer doesn't depend on it," he said. "Because I'd really like it to be one."
Ginny sighed, letting out a laugh. "Yes."
Grinning, Blaise leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "See you on Monday, Ginny," he whispered.