Chapter 3

Chapter III

BRIDGETTE was already dressed when she stepped out of her room and headed straight to the kitchen. She immediately saw her child eating.

"Good morning, baby," she greeted with a smile and kissed his cheek.

He stopped eating for a moment and smiled back at her. "Good morning, too, Mom," he replied and resumed eating.

Trisha put down her spoon. "Where are you going, Ate?" she asked, frowning.

"We have a shoot today," she answered, picking up a sandwich from the table.

"I'm leaving now, baby. Be good, okay?" she reminded her son, raising an eyebrow playfully.

"Of course, Mommy," he replied.

She looked at Trisha. "Take care of him. Don't let him go outside the gate. And make sure he takes a nap later."

Trisha nodded with a chuckle. "Alright, I'm off. Bye, son." She waved at her son. He blew her a kiss, and she sent one right back.

Taking a bite of her sandwich, she immediately turned around to head out. She had already walked out of the gate, but Lyndon was nowhere to be seen.

She was reaching for her phone inside her bag when a car pulled up right in front of her.

"Let's go!" he said with a smile, prompting her to get inside right away.

"Am I late?" she heard him ask, though his eyes remained fixed on the road.

"No, not really," she answered, leaning back into her seat. She gazed outside the window.

"What was the shoot for?" she asked with a furrowed brow, her eyes still directed outside.

"It wasn't really a shoot; we're practicing for the auction tonight," he replied, making a sudden left turn that caused her to bump her head.

"I'm sorry! Are you alright? Does your head hurt?" he asked anxiously, pulling the car over by the side of the building.

She simply shook her head in response.

"Are you sure?" he asked, quickly cupping her face to check if she had a bump.

"Let's go," she said, gently freeing herself from his grasp.

She got out of the car first, and he quickly followed.

Lyndon jogged to catch up with her stride.

"Uhm, honey, are you free this afternoon? Can we go out?" he asked. She didn't look back at him, continuing to walk straight ahead.

"Sure, honey," she replied, stopping in front of a door. She turned to face him and offered a sweet smile.

Lyndon was her boyfriend, so it was only right to accommodate him. Truth be told, he was remarkably understanding, never pressuring her because he claimed to understand her need to take care of her child.

A broad smile broke across his face, clearly delighted. He followed her inside, and they began practicing alongside the other models.

JAKE loosened his necktie right after his meeting concluded. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

He was still exhausted. He had barely settled into a restful sleep when his alarm went off, leaving him thoroughly drained.

"Hey, bro." He opened his eyes to see Mr. Smith standing in front of him.

"What is it?" he asked, knitting his brows.

"Are you free this evening?" the man asked with a smile. Jake stared at him. Tall, handsome, and well-built. It made him wonder why the man was asking about his availability. Was he asking him out on a date?

God. What on earth is going through my head?

"Why?"

"'Cause I want to invite you to attend an auction party this evening if you are free," he said with a smile.

Ah.

"Of course, why not," he answered, standing up. He checked his wristwatch—it was already nearly eleven in the morning.

"See you there then," Mr. Smith said, turning to leave.

Jake immediately grabbed his briefcase and stepped out as well. He desperately needed to sleep.

LYNDON took her hand, brought it to his lips, and placed a soft kiss on it.

They had just finished eating and were sitting beneath the shade of a mahogany tree.

They had spread a blanket on the ground to sit on. They had stopped by a restaurant earlier to order takeout.

She leaned back against the tree trunk, staring off into the distance.

Lyndon's lips traced their way up to her shoulder. She simply let him.

She closed her eyes as his kisses shifted toward her neck. He gently held her face, prompting her to open her eyes.

The flush on his face was strikingly visible given his fair skin. She could see the clear desire in his eyes, and before long, he leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

She parted her lips to return his kiss, drawing a low groan from him. That small invitation seemed to shatter whatever restraint he had left.

He cupped her face with both hands, kissing her with an intense hunger.

This wasn't the first time Lyndon had kissed her, but that was as far as they ever went. They never went beyond kissing.

So when his hand slid down and slipped beneath her blouse, she instantly broke away from him.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a frown, a clear wave of disappointment washing over his face.

"Nothing. Let's go. We need to get ready for the auction later." She stood up immediately and extended her hand to him.

He let out a heavy sigh and took her hand. Though he remained silent, she knew he was upset by her reaction. It wasn't the first time he had tried to take things further. She always managed to pull back—just as she did now—by offering quick excuses.

At times, a pang of guilt hit her for failing to fulfill certain aspects of their relationship. Yet, even if her mind wanted to give in, her body instinctively resisted. It was as though a bucket of ice-cold water were dumped over her whenever things escalated.

He walked ahead of her toward the car,

not even bothering to open the door for her this time.