Chapter 9: My Camera Never Lies

"These are good, "Michael Roslow (aka Mick) the Editor In Chief of RR replied. He flipped through the photographs Craig took of Ginger in the MS line for La Femme. "I didn't know Ms. Santos was also in the group even though she solo in this one." Mick stared at one of the photos before handing it to Craig.

"Oh, that was just a practice shot." Craig took the photo from Mick.

Mick flipped through the remaining stack of photos. "You must have really needed the practice" He glanced at a couple of various pictures of Ms. Santos. Craig glanced over Mick's shoulder and grimaced.

"I can explain."

"What's to explain," Mick interrupted. He picked up one of the pictures of Ms. Santos. "You know, some of these aren't half bad. If you weren't working for me and such a high commodity right now I wouldn't mind recommending you to shoot some photos for La Femme. And since you're so fond of Ms. Santos." Mick smiled. "And La Femme has been short staffed with their photographers." He passed the photos to Craig. "Maybe, just maybe, I'll think about it."

"Thank you." Craig mumbled.

"What's with this sir stuff everyone here including you just calls me Mick."

"OK, si.. I mean Mick."

"See that wasn't so bad.

"Yeah Craig mumbled before getting ready to leave.

"Craig!"

"Yes."

"Next time don't take too many pictures of beautiful women especially Ms. Santos. Fred is a good friend of mine and I don't know if he would like his fiancé being the object of someone's affection even if he is a big fan of your work." Mick pulled one of his eyebrows up in his signature concerned look.

"No... I," Craig stuttered. You see she's a..."

"You don't have to explain it's just practice." Mick went back to work on his computer. Craig stayed in the office a while he didn't know if it was safe to leave or not and just as he got up the nerve to leave Mick interrupted him. "Craig."

"Yes."

"Make sure you put the photo's on computer next time this is the 21st Century.

"Will do, bos..Mick.." Craig smiled before leaving the office he shuffled through the photo's while walking to his office.

"Hi, Craig." Craig stopped shuffling and looked up.The three receptionist for RR were smiling at him Chrissy, Sandra and Lisa otherwise know as Charlie's Angels(As Ron liked to call them. They were more like Charlie's Vixens to him.) always waved at him in the morning at eight even though the girls didn't start work until nine and at noon whenever he decided to go out for lunch instead of eating in the office(Which one of the girls would insist on ordering lunch for him and keeping him company if he wanted it. He never took them up on there offer.) and even at night when he worked late, the girls would still be there even though their shift had been over for at least three or four hours.

This time the girls were surrounding the water cooler which was next to Mick's office but not even near the receptionist booth(Because there was one at the front by the booth.). If Craig didn't know any better he would've thought that the only reason the girls were standing by the water cooler (Without a cup of water in their hands.) was just so they could talk to him but then that would make him one vain self-absorbed individual.

"Craig, umm." Chrissy the tall blond with medium length hair replied. "I mean Mr. Manning how did you're first shoot go?"

"It was good." Craig smiled. He noticed Chrissy was wearing a low cut v-neck top much different from the full length sweater she had on earlier today.

"Good." She twirled her long silver necklace around which was close to her faintly exposed chest.

Craig turned his head. "Uh, thanks."

Are those the photos? Sandra the brunette with a head full of long curly ringlets asked. "Can I see." She moved closer to the point he could feel her breath. She tried to slowly reach for the photos but before Craig knew it the stack had fallen out of his hand onto the ground.

"I'll get it," Craig mumbled before bending down.

"Let me help," All three girls said simultaneously while rushing to help Craig retrieve the pile of scattered photographs. Craig had hurriedly picked up all of the photos but one.

"Wow is she a new addition to Ginger," Lisa the small petite Asian girl with the power cut every girl and woman in New York had, exclaimed. She stared at the photo wide eyed.

"No, she isn't." Craig tried to reach for the photo.

"Hey, I know her," Chrissy exclaimed while looking at the photo Lisa held along with Sandra who was also peeking at it. "Don't you guys remember she was one of those fashion interns with La Femme a few years back until she got that high powered job with them.

"Yeah, like we don't know how she really got the job." Chrissy rolled her eyes. "It's must be great being the big boss main squeeze."

"Oh, shut up," Lisa said. "You're just mad because you didn't think about dating Fred first."

"Or the fact that he wouldn't give you the time of day." Chrissy snickered.

Sandra gave Lisa and Chrissy an evil glare before focusing her attention back to Craig. "So," Sandra snatched the picture from Lisa. "What are you doing with her picture?"

"Oh," Craig said. "She was with Ginger last night."

Sandra glanced at the photo. "But she's by herself in this one."

"Give me that." Lisa snatched the picture back. " It's really none of our business why you're taking pictures of her." Lisa handed the picture to Craig. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Craig mumbled. He put the picture in the stack with the rest of the photo's. "I have to go." Craig walked back to his office and overheard the girls in the background.

Lisa, why did you give that photo back to him he was going to tell us everything."

"It was none of our concern."

"We'll I think it is. Why would he have her picture anyway? I swear some girls are never satisfied,she's engaged to one of the richest men in New York and she just has to sink her claws into Craig too."

"Oh shut up he just took a picture of her because she was with Ginger. Stop getting jealous."

"I'm not..."

Craig closed his door behind him and sighed. He realized his chair was facing the window when he distinctly remember leaving it facing the opposite way. Craig walked up towards the chair and just before he could turn it around Ron did it for him.

"Hey," Ron exclaimed.

"What are you doing here," Craig asked.

"I just want to see those photo's." Ron looked at the photos Craig was holding onto. "Can I see them?"

"Oh, yeah." Craig gave the pictures to Ron.

Ron shuffled through the pictures. "Not bad." Ron mumbled. "The pictures of Ms. Santos are almost as good as the rest although hers are a little better. You really went all out on her, she looks really pretty." Ron shuffled through the stack again before handing them back to Craig. "I hope you got it up on a disk they're a little crumpled especially the one's of Ms Santos. How many times did you look at them?"

Craig took the photos."They're all copies, the originals are in the dark room upstairs and I'm not putting Manny's pics in the magazine those were just practice photo's."

"From the looks of it you really like to practice." Ron laughed.

Craig ignored Ron. "The pictures of Ginger I'm going to have to scan them on the computer later on today."

"Can you put it off until tomorrow?"

"No, I mean, I could, they're not due for a couple of days but why would I when I could do it right now."

"Because of this." Ron pulled out a piece of paper and passed it to Craig. "Don't say I never did anything for you." Ron smiled.

Craig picked up the paper and read seven numbers. "What is this?"

"A phone number."

"Yeah I know that but whose number is it."

Ron picked up Craig's phone from it's cradle and handed it to Craig.. "Why don't you find out."