Note: Regarding the spelling of Manny's real name as for now the name Manuella will stay the same with two l's I looked on various DegrassiTNG sites to research the correct spelling of her name including the official site(Which unfortunately didn't have it.) and all the sites(Except for the official one and the N) had two l's instead of one. I'm not sure why they spell it that way maybe it's just a typo or the writers of the show did it for artistic reason's to make her name look different and unique but until they change the spelling of Manny's real name I'm going to keep it with two l's instead of one.

Chapter 10: Call Me

"Ms. Santos," Joanne, Manuella's secretary, replied over the intercom.

"Yes," Manuella answered.

"You have a call on line one."

"Whoever it is tell them I'm busy," Manuella exclaimed.

"Uh, Ms Santos it's a Mr. Manning and he says it's rather important."

"I'll take the call." Manuella said before pushing line one. "Hello, Mr Manning."

"Manny..I mean Manuell...Ms. Santos how are you?"

"Fine." Manuella sighed. "How did you get this number?"

"I,ummm." Craig stuttered while looking at Ron who was still sitting in his chair.

"Never mind it shouldn't have been too hard you did manage to send me flowers and I appreciate the Godiva truffles how did you know they were my favorites?"

"Flowers? Truffles?" Craig thought. He looked at Ron who had a big grin on his face suitable for a Cheshire Cat. "I just assumed." Craig answered.

"We'll it was a pretty good assumption." Manuella chuckled. "So are you calling to see if I'm going to take you up on you're little offer."

Craig looked confused. Ron took a pad and a pencil and started scribbling fiercely. He passed the note to Craig. Craig read it. On the card I said that you wanted to see her tonight and that you wanted to take her out to that new restaurant Caro to discuss business. "You got to be kidding me." Craig said after reading the note.

"What," Manuella exclaimed.

"Uh, I mean yeah that's exactly why I'm calling." Craig looked at Ron. "You know I will understand if you're not up for it."

"And miss out on a opportunity to see the pictures before they hit the stands, I have to know if the photos you took of my clothes did them any justice."

"We'll I can show them to you over the comp.. ouch." Ron kicked Craig leg. "I mean how about if we meet at eight tonight."

"I'll meet you around eight."

"I can't believe you talked me into this." Craig said to Ron over his cell while riding in a cab to the restaurant.

"I just thought you two needed to catch up on old times, you know see how things are going. That little convo in the lobby and that brief chat at the photo shoot, you know, Ms Santos move a little to the right and smile, click,snap, you did with your camera wasn't much of anything."

"You set me up on a date."

"It's not a date. A date is for single people you two aren't exactly single. If you're that upset about it I'll just call up the restaurant and tell the waiter to tell her that you came down with the flu everyone is getting these days."

"No, that will make it seem like I'm blowing her off I'll just order a couple of drinks, get an appetizer, show her the pictures and then say I have to get up early for a meeting or somethng."

"Whatever." Ron mumbled. "I still think you two have a lot to talk about I wouldn't be surprised if you're just putting up a front and deep down you're really excited about this little rendezvous."

"I have to go." Craig replied someone's on my other line.

"Yeah, yeah if you wanted to get me off the phone you could have just said so." Ron hung up.

Craig chuckled before clicking over to the the other line. "Hello, Craig speaking."

"Hey."

"Ash." Craig exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's me." Ashley said. "How's everything going?"

"Good, I was just going to call you but I had to go to the new restaurant Caro to see Ma...umm I had to go for a business meeting."

"Caro isn't that a little expensive not to mention too romantic for a business meeting."

"Yeah it is." Craig mumbled before changing the subject. "So what have you been up too?"

"Still here in London thinking about you." Ashley replied.

"I'm thinking about you too."

"I knew it. I came to early," Manuella said to Gina over the phone.

"You mean he's not there yet," Gina exclaimed. "Oh, honey I hope you haven't been stood up."

"Yeah I hope not either." Manuella looked at her watch which was going on thirty minutes passed the hour. "I think I'm just going to call it a night."

"No, don't do that," Gina exclaimed. "Give him another five minutes I'm sure he's going to show up."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because no man invites a woman on a date to the most expensive romantic restaurant in New York City and doesn't arrive after thirty minutes without a good explanation."

"Gina this isn't a date, it's more like a business meeting."

"Meetings are done in the morning during work hours or at least the evening, no man would ask any woman out at night for a business meeting especially a young attractive woman like yourself, trust me, it's a date."

"Gina you're.." Manuella paused she saw Craig walking into the restaurant. "Oh Gina he's here what do I do?"

"Go in the bathroom, freshing up, and make it look like your the one whose late it would make you look desperate if your waiting around at the dinner table for him."

"OK, I'll call you later" Manuella closed her cell. She rushed into the bathroom as fast as she could without being seen. She freshened up her makeup put on a fresh coat of lipstick and just as she was going to spray on a little perfume she paused. "What am I doing." Manuella said to herself. "This isn't a date."

"Great I'm on time." Craig said to himself while looking at the table for signs of Manny being there. "Or I'm late. I hope she didn't leave. Great Craig, you just had to screw up everything." Craig sat down in the booth. He looked around. Ash was right the restaurant was very romantic most of the people there were couples who were snuggling over one of the private candle lit booths. The restaurant was dimly lit with Tiffany glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. If Craig didn't tell the cab to take the long way to the restaurant so that he wouldn't have to prematurely end his conversation with Ashely maybe he would have been on time. "Please Manny, be late."

Manuella peeked out of the ladies washroom to make sure the coast was all clear. It was. Manuella tip toed around the restaurant she was glad the place was so dimly lit that most of the people didn't even know she was walking on her tip toes so her heels wouldn't hit the pavement and cause too much of a ruckus even though the sound of her heels hitting the marble floors wouldn't have made much of a difference because many of the couples were in their own little world. She could have walked in with a marching band and they wouldn't have noticed. "Why would Craig ask me out to a place like this for a business meeting?" Manny thought. She didn't have much time to think about it Craig had noticed her walking towards their booth he stood up and smiled.

"Manny," Craig kissed her on the cheek. "I mean, Manuella, I keep forgetting I'm just so use to calling you by that name old habits die hard."

"It's OK." Manuella replied. "You can call me Manny we're not at work."

"Not if you don't want me too."

"Craig it's fine." Manny smiled.

"OK," Craig said while picking up a menu. "Should we order?"

"Yes," Manny smiled. She glanced at the menu until a waiter came to the table. The waiter sat down a crisp salad in front of her.

"You're order Miss."

"Umm, thank you." Manny mumbled. She had completely forgot she ordered a salad just to stall time when she was waiting for Craig to show up.

"Wow the service is really fast around here." Craig said to Manny.

"Yeah it is." Manny smiled.

"These are great." Manny shuffled through the pictures. The two had just finished their food and drinks. After talking for over an hour they finally decided it was time to look at the pictures.

"You're not just saying that." Craig blushed.

"No, they're exceptional. I can't believe you took these I mean you took good photographs when you were on the yearbook at high school and the infamous RR picture was extraordinary but these are breathtaking the colors on my clothing never look so vibrant." Manny shuffle through the pictures. "And the girls really look cute and oh.." Manny paused at a picture of herself solo. "You're not putting this in the mag are you?" Manny showed the picture to Craig.

"What," Craig exclaimed. "Oh that," Craig tried to explain. Craig had made sure he had took out all the pictures of Manny in the pile he had even triple checked it but there it was staring at him. He could only think of one person who would put that picture in the pile when he wasn't looking, Ron.

"Don't worry," Manny giggled. "I know these won't be in RR unless I start a singing career."

"You could, I always thought you had a nice voice."

"Thanks, but I think I'll stick to fashion for now but I can't believe that picture came out so great, especially since you caught me off guard, most of the pictures people take of me that way I always look like I could be a extra in a horror flick but that one was quite nice."

"What are you talking about your beautiful it would be hard not to take a nice picture of you, you melt in front of the camera, all those pictures I took of you weren't stiff at all you're the perfect muse."

Thanks." Manny smiled they're was a long pause after that. "Well," Manny gave the pictures back to Craig. "They're fabulous I wish you could use them all." Manny got up from the booth. "I have to get home it's getting really late we should do this again sometime."

"Yeah," Craig agreed he put the pictures back into manila brown envelope. "I'm sorry we couldn't have met sooner, I should have been here on time."

"We'll I wasn't either," Manny replied "Next time we should schedule it for an earlier time, like at lunch."

"Yeah," Craig picked up the check."We'll the dinners on me."

"Next time I'll treat you." Manny smiled as the waiter slipped on her coat.

"Let me walk you out." Craig said before Manny could leave the restaurant.

"OK," Manny replied.

The two walked to the front and Craig held a cab for Manny. The cab halted and Craig opened up the door for her she got in walked and just as he was going to shut the door Manny interrupted.

"We can share one if you like," Manny said.

"Yeah I think..." Craig cell rung. "I need to answer this." Craig help on to the door.

"Hey," Ashley said. "You're still at Caro I guess."

"Yeah I am." Craig moved a little further from the door way and whispered."Ash it's four in the morning there aren't you tired?"

"Yeah I would be if I were in London but I'm not."

"Where are you?" Craig suspiciously asked.

"We'll, if you can just stay put for a couple of minutes you're going to find out for."

Craig looked around and noticed Manny was wondering why he was taking so long.

"Is something wrong?" Manny silently asked.

Craig shook his head. "Ashley hold on." He mumbled. Craig walked back to the cab."Manny, I think I'm going to have to call it a night, you should probably go home without me."

"OK," Manny said disappointedly. "Thanks again." Manny closed the taxi door. She looked out the window at Craig waiting around until another cab pulled up and a sophisticated woman walked out of it. Craig hugged her.

"Miss are you ready to leave now," The driver asked.

"Wilshire Tower." She said to the driver while staring at Craig hugging who she finally realized was Ashley before the driver pulled off.

"I'm so happy to see you." Craig exclaimed.

"I'll knew you would be happy to see me if I surprised you." Ashley released herself from Craig's embrace she noticed Craig was holding onto a brown manila envelope. "What's in the envelope?"

"The pictures for my first shoot." Craig replied.

"Can I see them?"

"Yeah," Craig said he pulled the pictures out of the envelope and the first one he saw was the photograph of Manny. He stared at it.

"Craig," Ashely exclaimed. "Can I see now?"

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Godiva and in no way is it endorsed by me it's just a minor part of the story.