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Chapter Sixteen

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Mark Watson was walking the streets of downtown Brooklyn, holding a sheet of paper that his buddy - Tom from the divebar he frequented - had given to him after a hefty bribe that Mark had no intention of paying anytime soon.

He wife, Marissa, had left him. She left after finding out that Mary Jane had gone to live with his sister. He didn't know where Marissa went, nor did he care. All she ever did was nag on him about going to get a real job. And she didn't put out to him like she used to. Good riddance to that.

But his daughter? Mary Jane? He wanted her back. He was going to get her back. And he finally found a way to do it.

Tom had told him all about his part-time gig of working for the Big Man. He bragged about all of the loot he was making, all of the big, fancy cars he was now able to buy. Mark didn't want any of that. First, he wanted to find a way to buy back his daughter in court and then he could focus on things like upgrades in his life.

He turned the last corner and made it to the address that he was looking for. The building was average. Discreet. Mark already liked that. It told him that they knew how to keep under the radar.

He walked up the front steps and knocked. He waited only a moment before a little flap on the door slid open to a pair of dark eyes, surveying him with suspicion. "Password?"

Mark scrambled his brain to remember. Tom told him that this part was really important. That if he didn't have the correct answer, they would shoot him on the spot.

"Big Man is King."

The eyes narrowed before they disappeared as the flap slammed shut and next the sound of deadbolts unlocking was heard. Then the door opened wide, revealing a man who looked like he had a hammer for a head. Mark gaped at him, not even trying to hide his obvious staring.

The man sneered at him and gestured down the dimly lit hall. "This way."

Mark followed him hesitantly at first, for a split second, he was unsure of what he had gotten himself into this time. But then he thought of his daughter, and it gave him the strength to continue. He would get her back and then they could start over. He would apologize to her. Hell, he'd even let that punk she had in her bedroom step foot in his house again as a means of compromise.

He was brought to a room in the back of the building. The room was dark.

"Sir?" The hammer-headed guy said next to him.

"What is it?" A menacing voice came from the shadows and Mark actively took a step back before the hammer-headed guy literally shoved him into the room.

"Take a seat," The voice said and Mark scrambled to obey. "Who are you? What do you want?"

He asked this before Mark even took the chance to get situated in the chair. "Uh, money, sir- No, wait! A gig. I want a gig. And my name is Mark. Mark Watson."

The shadow let out a noise of disgust. "We don't have anything available at this time. And now you've seen too much…"

He heard the safety of a gun unlock from behind him. He panicked. "No, wait! Please! I have a daughter! I'm trying to get her back. There must be something I can do! Or put me on standby?!"

He could feel his heart thudding in his ears. Sweat breaking out all over his body. This wasn't how this was supposed to end! This was supposed to be his big break! Now he was going to lose his life? What about Mary Jane? Would he die with her still hating him?

"Sir?" A new voice broke out from behind him and Mark dared to turn his head to see the newcomer. It was a man with glasses and a lab coat. "The first of human trials for experiment 817 are ready to begin. We just need to find a volunteer."

It was quiet for a moment.

"Hmmm…" The menacing voice from the shadows pondered. "You're in luck, Watson. Looks like a position just opened up for you."

….

Mary Jane was channeling her inner confidence up to maximum capacity right now. She told herself that it was just like playing a part. She was an actress, after all. How difficult was it to act like one of New York's most prestigious elite?

She sure dressed the part to the best of her capabilities, and her budget. She found a long, forest green dress at that thrift store. It was strapless that had spaghetti strings interlaced across the back, exposing the skin of her back in the process. Her hair was down, in smooth curls and her makeup was done more dramatically than how she normally wears it. She was confident. She was ready. She could do this.

She walked up the red carpet, the paparazzi not paying her any attention as they waited for someone of social standing and wealth to arrive. She walked right up to the front door, which was open to the public.

"Invitation, please," The man in uniform asked her.

She flashed him her most stunning grin, "Of course."

Reaching into her small purse, she fished out the thick piece of creme paper that Spider-Man had dropped on her rooftop two nights before and gave it to the man. The man took it from her and eyed it before putting it in a bowl of other invitations. "Welcome to the Lincoln Charity Ball. We will be starting the auctions at nine o'clock. Until then, please enjoy yourself to the many horderves we have available."

Mary Jane flashed him a winning grin. "Thank you."

As she walked forward, she started to hear the paparazzi go crazy behind her. "Osborn! Norman! Over here!"

She walked forward and was directed to an elevator that would lead to the top floor ballroom. When she entered, she was surprised to see an elevator service man in there with her. She thought that they got rid of those in the 1940s… but the man wasn't closing the door. Instead, he gave her a sheepish smile and pointed to the oncoming guests that were bypassing the paparazzi completely. Mary Jane nodded her understanding and waited patiently. The older man entered the elevator first. He was on his cell phone. And trailing behind him was a younger guy, someone who looked to be around her age. She assumed that he was the man's son as they looked remarkably similar with their brown hair and defined, sharp features. He entered the elevator and the service man finally pressed the button for it to close the door.

The elevator started moving.

The man continued talking, or rather, arguing about stats and numbers.

And the boy… he was giving her a side-long glance. She pressed her lips together for a moment to withhold her amusement before she flashed him a knowing smirk. His cheeks turned slightly pink and his gaze averted away from her. Her old tactic worked for her once again. If they were too intimidated to look her in the eye, let alone try and strike up a conversation with her, then they weren't worth her time.

Her own cheeks flushed with pleasure as she remembered Spider-Man outright blurting aloud that he thought that she was hot and then going on to praise her character - something she never knew anyone else to do besides her Aunt Anna. That was why she liked him so much. He outright said whatever it was on his mind. There were no mind-games with him. Spider-Man was genuine.

Suddenly a flash of Peter Parker came to mind and she had to admit… he was the genuine sort, too, in that quirky sort of way.

She was brought out of her thoughts as the elevator doors opened to reveal a grand ballroom. It was stunning. With tall floor to ceiling windows surrounding the room with a fantastic view of the city skyline. Ornate, white orchid flower centerpieces in the middle of round tables. And three crystal chandeliers, outlined in gold lighting.

The man on the phone left the elevator first, not even looking back to see if his son was following him. Mary Jane looked over at the boy and was surprised to see him looking back at her. He had a sheepish smile on his face as he gestured for her to go ahead of him. Huh. Maybe there was more to her initial judgment than she thought. She gave him a smile of thanks before departing the elevator. She went straight for the bar and was immediately attended to, where she ordered a non-alcoholic mojito. Then she turned to survey the room. She wasn't sure exactly what it was that she was looking for. Would Spider-Man swoop in through the window? Would he just stroll in through the elevator in his red and blue suit? The more that she thought on it, the more silly that sounded.

Then, a thought suddenly struck her. What if he was attending the ball without his suit? What if he was coming as a guest in his real identity? The thought caused her to stagger for a moment, suddenly feeling weak. Would she finally get to see his face for the first time?

"You okay?" A male voice said from behind her. She turned to see that it was the boy from the elevator. Another thought suddenly struck her. He was around her age… around the same height as Spider-Man… could this be him?

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine."

The boy grinned crookedly at her and held out his hand. "The name is Harry Osborn."

"Call me Man… Spider-Man." He said in her memory of the night she saved him.

She took his hand in hers, her heart pounding in her ears all the while. "Mary Jane Watson."

As they shook hands, she couldn't help but notice how stiff his hand was… hell, how stiff his entire demeanor was. His posture was too straight. His voice too deep. And as she eyed his body discreetly, she could tell by his lack of defined muscles in his suit jacket weren't the same ones she felt holding her tightly in the alleyway.

This wasn't Spider-Man.

"So, tell me…" The boy turned and leaned his elbows on the bar as he gave her another one of those side-glances. "How did you manage to get into a party like this?"

She sputtered, immediately offended but mostly panicked. "What do you mean? I was invited. Just as you were."

He let out an amused chuckle as the bartender approached to drop off her drink. Harry flagged him down and ordered a lime and soda.

When the bartender left, Harry turned to look at her. "No you weren't. You are totally crashing this party."

Her face became an angry red. To think that she assumed for a second that this pompous, arrogant ass was her sweet and lovable Spider-Man.

She crossed her arms and gave him a glare. "What makes you think that?"

His drink was set down in front of him and he grabbed the glass to take a drink. "Your lack of jewelry gives it away." He pointed to her bare neck with his glass and swigged another drink. "The people who attend these sort of parties tend to show off their wealth through their materialistic things."

She grabbed her drink from the bar and gave him one last look. "Thanks for the enlightening conversation, but I was invited."

She then turned on her heel and started to stride away.

"Wait!" He yelled from behind her.

Ugh. She didn't have time for this. She needed to be on the lookout for other teen boys that she hoped that she could figure out to be Spider-Man. Now, it seemed like she had an elitist stalker that wanted to try and kick her out of the ball. Not a very charitable act, in her opinion.

She didn't stop her stride until the boy literally jumped in front of her and blocked her way. "I never said that any of that was a bad thing. It's actually kinda refreshing. Having a real person to talk to. In fact, I would say that you have a lot of guts crashing a party like this."

She blinked at him, stunned, before she shot him a shrewd look. "You need to work on your tact a bit."

His brows furrowed. "How so?"

She rolled her eyes. "Here I thought that you were trying to accuse me as a party-crasher in order to get me kicked out."

His eyes widened. "What? No! I'm sorry that it came across that way… I'm not very good around people. In fact, the many Headmasters at the private schools I got kicked out of would probably agree."

She fixed him with a level stare. "You got kicked out of multiple private schools?"

Harry nodded, the prideful gleam in his eye matching the broad grin that he had. "Deliberately too. And it's made my dad so fed up with me that he is finally sending me to public school. Something that I've been asking for since I was ten."

Huh. Harry was shaping up to be more interesting than she initially thought. He had officially managed to pique her curiosity. "What school are you going to attend now, then?"

It was Harry's turn to roll his eyes. "Some dumb science and engineering school called MSST. It was the only way that I was able to get my dad to compromise with me being free of private boarding schools. Now, maybe I can get to know some normal people for once. My family is considered 'new money' to those who have had their wealth passed down through their families throughout the generations. And those who are considered new money are looked down on."

She felt a level of pity for him. Yes, he was a rich kid, but imagine being shipped off against your will to a place you didn't want to go? A place where he obviously had a difficult time making friends. "I have a friend that goes to MSST. His name is Peter Parker. You should look him up once the school year starts."

Harry took a moment to look thoughtful. "Peter Parker, huh? I'll be sure to keep that in mind. If he's a friend of yours, I'm sure he's alright."

She opened her mouth to respond but had to actively stop herself from saying aloud that Peter Parker was more than just 'alright'. Back in the very recesses of her mind, where she refused to acknowledge as much, the words 'cute' and 'Peter Parker' wove together into a complicated knot. She stamped it down and refused to think further on that subject matter.

She switched the gears in her mind and was about to say something else when they were interrupted. "Harry, my man! How's it goin'?"

Another teenage boy approached them and by the look on Harry's face, he wasn't pleased by this new addition. The new boy was Indian with dark, wavy hair. And… he had his phone out and was currently live-streaming. He turned to look back at the camera. "What's up, my people! Flash Thompson here at the Lincoln Charity Ball with my boy, Harry Osborn."

It was then that he seemed to notice Mary Jane for the first time and his eyes appraised her from head to toes, blatantly checking her out.

"Whoa!" Flash said in an exaggerated tone before he turned the camera on her. "Who is this hunny?"

Mary Jane crossed her arms and glared at him over the camera. I think she was safe to assume that this boy wasn't her Spider-Man either.

"Wow, feisty. I like it!" Flash exclaimed. "The comment section wants to know your name."

That was when Harry interjected and grabbed his arm. "Come on, Flash. Leave her alone. She's not into it."

Since meeting him, she never thought that she would prefer Harry's company than that to another but she was proven wrong. Nor that she would actually be grateful to him.

"What do you mean?" Flash turned his phone back onto Harry's face. "The camera loves her! They are already starting the hashtag #FeistyRed, see? Let's see if we can get it trending, guys!"

She took the distraction that Harry created as a moment where she could escape. She turned and started to walk away, deliberately disappearing behind a large crowd so that she could remain unseen. But still, her eyes were ever-searching for the boy that could possibly be the one that she dressed up and came here for tonight.

As she searched, the elevator doors opened beside her and in walked the largest man that she had ever seen. He was bald and wore a crisp, white suit, surrounded by four men in black black suits. She swore that with each step that he took, the glasses at the surrounding tables shook slightly. She averted her gaze, trying not to gap at the man.

"Welcome, Mr. Fisk," A waiter said distantly from behind her as she walked away to continue her search, "Would you like a glass of our finest champagne?"

She sighed. Did Spider-Man somehow know that she was here and was avoiding her? Did he slip out? Or was he choosing not to arrive at all?

"May I have everyone's attention, please?" A voice from the podium stage broke out on a microphone and conversations dulled to a hum. "As dinner is being served, we will now commence with the dinner portion of the evening. We ask that everyone please take their seats."

Mary Jane panicked for a moment, trying to peak at one of the tables near her to see if the seats were potentially assigned, when someone grabbed her elbow.

"There you are," Harry said with genuine relief at finding her, "You can sit next to me at my table, if you like? My mom couldn't make it so there is a seat open."

Mary Jane sighed in relief. "That would be great, thanks Harry."

He lead the way to his table and pulled out a seat for her. She smiled her thanks to him before she looked out to the other occupants at the table, only to see Mr. Osborn staring at her with mild curiosity. Harry seemed to notice. "Dad, this is Mary Jane Wastson. She's a new friend. Mary Jane, this is my dad, Norman Osborn."

Norman nodded at her from across the table. "A pleasure, Miss. Watson."

Man… and she thought that Harry was stiff. His dad was all things deadly serious. And some part of her could understand it. It was in the tabloids that the man in front of her had battled a rare disease for years but he had managed to manufacture a cure for himself through his company.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Osborn."

They didn't have a chance to further any conversation - though, she seriously doubted that Norman Osborn would set out to say anything past her last spoken statement.

"Thank you all for coming on this fine evening. On behalf of our host, Mr. L. Thompson Lincoln, we would like to say-"

"Will Spider-Man come out to play?" A menacing voice broke out over the speakers wired into the ceiling, hijacking the speech. Mary Jane jumped in her chair at both the voice and at the mention of him. "Come out, little Spider. I know you're here somewhere…"

The atmosphere in the room was tense as everyone waited on bated breath.

Her eyes were wildly searching the room. For either signs of him or signs of whoever it was that was behind the voice.

Harry leaned in close to her as whispered, "What's going on?"

She shook her head at him. "I'm not sure…"

"I know that you have revisited of what was supposed to be the crimescene of your murder," The voice continued. Everyone gasped at this, looking about wildly at each other for answers. Stunned, Mary Jane's mind flashed back to that night of the explosion, where she had first met Spider-Man. "You see, I have eyes and ears everywhere in this city. Allow me to formally introduce myself, I am the Big Man of crime and I own this city.

"So, I know that everything went according to plan when you went into that abandoned building and found the clue that was left for you - which leads us to here and now."

Mary Jane gasped as her face drained of color. The invitation. He was talking about the invitation! Spider-Man wasn't carrying that because he was taking a night off to join a fancy ball. No, he had it because he was trying to investigate the night of his potential murder.

Harry was watching her face worriedly. "Are you okay?"

She didn't have it in her to answer him. Partly because she didn't know the answer.

"There is a bomb in this very room right now-" Screams immediately broke the tense silence, "-that will go off in two minutes. All exits have been blocked. All of these innocent people are now trapped. So, what will it be, Spider-Man? Will you swing off to save yourself? Or will you risk your life to save these people? Your choice…"

As the voice continued, people were scrambling out of their chairs in order to make for the exit, despite what the voice said about all exits being blocked. Mary Jane herself sat in momentary shock as the horror of the situation was finally settling in. Oh God. What if Spider-Man wasn't here? What if he wasn't here because she picked up the one invitation and lead that he had?

Was this it? Was she going to die?

But then, fast movement out of the corner of her eye caught at her attention. She tried to follow the movement but her eyes weren't able to fixate on him until he landed on the ceiling. He held his hands out in what looked like an attempt at a placating manner. "Please! Nobody panic. I'm going to find the bomb! Please calm down!"

She looked up at him with a level of confusion before understanding settled in her. With a snap decision, she stood on her chair and whistled loudly.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" She cried at the top of her lungs, "CAN'T YOU SEE HE'S TRYING TO SAVE OUR LIVES?"

Not everyone quieted down. In fact, the boy - Flash - was still livestreaming hysterically. But enough stopped at looked at her in shock to the point that the noise and distraction was at a more tolerable level for Spider-Man…

She looked up at him again, still standing on her chair and saw that he now had his suit's lenses closed. Why were his eyes closed? What was he doing? Anxiety bit at her throat and the back of her eyes and she had to actively remind herself that she trusted Spider-Man with her life.

Then, Spider-Man pounced, using the ornate ceiling as a launching pad before he landed on the floor close to her table. He approached in two nimble and quick strides, then grabbed the edge of her table and lifted it high in the air.

Mary Jane fell into her chair in shock, where she could now see the bomb that was strapped to the underside of the table she was just sitting at.

Instantly, Spider-Man jumped into action. He grabbed the bomb before shooting a web to launch himself in the air, carrying the deadly weapon as though it were nothing but a football. He landed on one of the floor to ceiling windows that surrounded the room and punched the window pane next to the one he was sticking to. It immediately crashed and shattered into a thousand pieces. Some people covered their heads and screamed.

Then, Spider-Man flipped off of the window and landed on his feet in front of the open air of the city and threw the bomb with all of his might high in the air outside of the building. Not three seconds later, an explosion was heard - the aftershocks of the blast shook the building as more people screamed and took cover. Mary Jane found herself to be among them.

Her body trembled as she slowly uncovered her head. Her ears were ringing from the explosion that was far too close. She felt a gentle hand on her back. "Mary Jane, are you alright?"

She looked over shakily at Harry. His eyes were wide and full of fear. She managed a slight nod, her head suddenly feeling light-headed as the events caught up to her. Then, Harry looked over to the side.

"Dad!" Harry cried as he got to his feet and ran over to his father, who was on the floor and rubbing at his head. There was a scratch on his forehead.

"I'm fine," Norman said as Harry helped him to his feet. "Was just hit by the table when Spider-Man lifted it, is all."

Her shock was slowly starting to wear off as she turned in her chair at once to look at the man in question. He was bending over an older woman who had been cut by some of the glass. Of course he was, even though they looked to be minor injuries. The woman seemed to reassure him that she was alright before he stood and addressed the room at large. "Is everyone alright?"

The response was quiet in the room except for the sounds of quiet sobbing, before- "WAY TO GO, SPIDEY!" Flash Thompson yelled and cheered from his place next to the elevator that was blocked by steel doors. When had those gotten there?

Soon, others joined in until the whole room was clapping and cheering for him saving their lives. Spider-Man held up his hands to try and get them to stop, sheepish as always when it came to praise. Then, he purposefully made his way to the elevators and strained his muscles to break apart the steel doors that blocked the elevator doors. Some people immediately started to scramble in as Spider-Man stepped aside.

"Has anyone called the police yet?" He called to the general surrounding masses.

Mary Jane took out her phone to do just that when Harry approached her, looking down at her with a furrow in his brow. "Hey, so listen. I'm going to take my dad to get checked out by our physician. But I was wondering if I could give you my number? So we can keep in touch."

Concern touched her as she looked past Harry to his father, where he was rubbing slightly at his head. "Of course. I hope that your dad is alright?" She said as she handed her phone over to him to add himself to her contacts.

He took it from her and quickly added his name and digits then handed it back to her. "Me too."

It seemed like he tried not to show it, but his face looked solemn. She smiled weakly at him. "See you around, Harry."

He managed a twitch around his lips. "You too, Feisty Red."

Then he walked off and helped his father up from the chair, heading toward the long line for the elevator.

Finally alone.

She immediately set her gaze out to look for Spider-Man's whereabouts again but frowned when she didn't see him where he had been last standing. She whirled her head about wildly, trying to spot his bright red and blue uniform.

"Are you looking for someone?" A voice spoke from above her. Her head jerked up. He was on the ceiling again, his hands working at dismantling the speaker system built into the ornate design.

"You, actually," Mary Jane admitted softly as she watched his hands work.

"Huh." His voice was flat and he didn't say anything further as he continued his work.

She stared up at him, incredulous. "Is that all you have to say?"

He finally looked up at her and his eye lenses narrowed slightly as he regarded her. "What are you even doing here?" His tone had a small accusatory edge to it but she also detected a level of anxiety that he was trying to hide.

She flushed, knowing that she couldn't lie to him but also knowing that her next words were bound to make him upset.

"Y-You dropped the invitation on the rooftop," She said nervously as she tucked her hair behind her right ear and peered down at her lap, "I thought… man, I feel so stupid - I thought that you were invited to this ball and I… well, I wanted to see you again. Since we never got the chance to set up when we would meet next when you had to rush off the other night."

She took a chance to peek up at him to try and gauge his reaction. His eye lenses widened dramatically. "You came here deliberately to look for me?"

She bit her lip and nodded.

"Dammit, Mary Jane!" Spider-Man said as he abandoned the speaker and flipped off the ceiling and onto the floor. "Do you have any idea how scared I was when I spotted you in this very room from my hiding place? I came here, positive that I was going to confront the Big Man! You could have been hurt!"

"I didn't know that you were chasing a lead," Mary Jane said quiet but still firm. She understood that he was scared for her, and a large part of her was flattered by that admission, but how was she to know that she was walking headfirst into danger? "All I wanted was to see you again. Honest."

Spider-Man sighed as he ran a tired hand down his masked face. It was a tense moment before he spoke. "I should be mad… but I'm more worried than anything - and also a bit flattered to have such a beautiful girl as a stalker."

Her jaw dropped at the term that he applied to her before another word caught up to her as it replayed in her mind. Beautiful? He thought that she was beautiful?

He was nodding slowly at her and she realized with a jolt that she had spoken her thoughts aloud. Warmth flooded her heart and her cheeks. He called her beautiful - not 'hot' - but beautiful.

She shook her head heavily to rid herself of the distracting thoughts. "If you didn't make it so difficult to keep some sort of friendship going between us, I wouldn't have to resort to such tactics to track you down. I think that fate has brought us together enough times for you to realize that we are meant to be staple figures in each other's lives."

He stared at her for a long moment. The room was nearly empty now, so his silence was getting more and more profound. Then, he sighed deeply and shook his head at her. "You aren't going to let this go, are you? And you'll keep following me into danger in order to try and find me?"

A huff escaped her. "Give me some credit, Spider. I'm not stupid. I would never deliberately go head-first in a place where I know that my life will be threatened."

He pointed a finger at her. "You promise?"

"Of course."

His tense body seemed to sag with relief and then he started to nod to himself. "Good. Th-That's really good." He looked up at her. "Thank you."

It was said so earnestly, that for some reason, Mary Jane felt her cheeks flush with pleasure at his pointed attention. "You're welcome."

He hesitated another moment and said to her, "A-And I suppose as a sign of good faith to the fates that be…" He swallowed thickly as Mary Jane watched him with rapt attention. "Maybe we could sort of… meet up?"

A wide grin split her face as she nodded at him eagerly. Was this really happening? Was he finally giving in?

His body relaxed further and his confidence seemed to bolster. "Great. So, some Sunday evenings seem to work best for me. They are the slowest crime day. So, I was thinking… on your rooftop? How does that sound?"

Was it possible for her grin to grow even wider? She was positively glowing. "I'll be there."

He gave a firm nod. "Awesome."

"Totally awesome." She parroted back at him, staring at him in a dazed and affectionate manner. She'd better be careful as her heart was in serious danger of falling…

"So… See you Sunday at seven?" He asked her.

She pressed her lips together. Were they both deliberately trying to draw this out? "You can count on it."

And with that, he released a web to launch him to the ceiling again, plucked the speaker out of the customer marble, then swung his way indoors to the broken window. She watched him until he disappeared into the night sky.

She finally stood from her seat and turned in the empty room to make her way toward the available elevator. But froze when she noticed a smartly dressed man standing and staring at her with a curious gleam in his eye. She automatically took a step back.

"Please," The man placated as he held up his hands in a sign that meant he intended no harm as he took steps toward her, "I didn't mean to frighten you. My name is L. Thompson Lincoln."

He stopped when he was right in front of her and held out his hand. "And you are?"

She studied the man as she took his hand in a handshake. He had short, gray hair and a grayish pallor to his skin, and yet, he didn't look old. In fact, he looked to be only in his 40s. Then, a spark of recognition in her memory at his name came to her. "I've heard about you. You are that billionaire humanitarian and environmentalist. My name is Mary Jane."

"Mary Jane," Mr. Lincoln repeated, as though he were trying to plaster it to his memory. "It's a pleasure."

They released their hands. "You've done a lot of good work for the city, sir. My Aunt Anna really likes the strides that you've taken toward cleaner energy."

He nodded slowly. "It always feels nice to be appreciated," He paused for a moment as his eyes surveyed her face. "But I must say, that I am more impressed by you than you must be by me."

Her brows furrowed. "How so, sir?"

He chuckled. "Call me Lincoln. Everyone does. And it took a lot of initiative to stand on that chair and demand quiet from a chaotic room of panicked people."

She flushed at the praise. He noticed that? This ambitious humanitarian was complimenting her?

"I like initiative in people. I like it a lot." He said as he reached for his suit pocket and withdrew a piece of paper and handed it to her. "My card. Have you ever considered a career in modeling?"

Her jaw dropped as she gaped at him. Her lower abdomen muscles started clenching in excitement and disbelief. W-Was he offering her the start to her modeling career? "I-I've thought of it." She managed to get out as she clutched his card so tightly between her thumb and forefinger.

"Good. I own an agency within my company. If you build your portfolio, perhaps this could be a start of a beautiful career path."

She was only able to manage a staggered nod. "I-I'll be sure to build it by this weekend!"

He gave her an encouraging nod as his gaze still studied her features. It no longer concerned her. He was offering her a job based off of taking pictures of her face, after all.

"Good." He said with a cheers of the glass she didn't even notice he was carrying. "I'll be expecting your call very soon then."

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A/N: Please leave a comment! What do you all think?

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