Temptation Waits

Logan stared at the photos before him on the monitor, studying them intensely. He almost didn't want to admit to himself how beautiful they actually were. Edie Carraway had certainly grown up.



Her unique dark green eyes that he remembered stared boldly into the camera, the dark hair that framed her face contrasting with them nicely. Her expression was serene, but strong, and held a beauty that she did not possess at the age of 16 when he had known her. The email that his mother had forwarded to him had also contained a body shot that expressed that Edie was certainly fit and could hold a strong sex appeal.



"Well, that figures, considering her occupation..." he muttered to himself.



Even though she was undoubtedly perfect for what he was looking for, he couldn't give in this easily. Besides, hiring someone who didn't even live in New York was just stupid. Guilt factor or not, he was determined to find someone on his own.



So why couldn't he stop staring at her photo?



Before he could stop himself, his fingers rapidly opened a new tab in the browser. He clicked on Facebook and typed in Edie's name in the search bar. A photo of her popped up, and he quickly clicked on it. Though he could not see much of her information, her profile pictures were viewable. Feeling like a stalker, Logan began to click through them. They were not fashion photos or headshots, but genuine photos taken by friends. Even without the professional camera lens, Edie looked beautiful. She was tall, thin, and tan. With her dark hair and green eyes, she looked almost exotic. He came to a photo of her and her friends poolside in bikinis. His eyes traveled over her form, trying his best to maintain a professional eye, but couldn't stop his gaze from lingering on her long legs and flat stomach.



He sighed, realizing what he was doing, and clicked out of Facebook. Shaking his head, he rose from his computer and made his way into his workroom. He pulled a finished dress from the rack and held it up, imagining Edie in it. He mentally darkened her enticing eyes with shadow and imagined her dark hair in an edgy, sharp up do. Placing imaginary knee high black leather boots onto her tanned, lean legs, he had to admit, she would model his style well.



"I can't believe I'm even considering this," he grunted to himself, shoving the dress back on the rack. He ran his fingers through his long hair, feeling the effects of a busy day and the lack of time to shower. He rubbed his eyes and made his way into the bathroom, planning on a hot shower before bed.



I'll sleep on it, he thought. No decisions just yet.



Feeling confident that by tomorrow, his sense would have returned, Logan tried his best to take his mind off of Edie.



Emphasis on tried.



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Edie shot up in bed, a loud sound interrupting her sleep. Her sleep swollen eyes darted to the bedside table where her phone was ringing obnoxiously. She picked it up, seeing a number she didn't recognize.



"Hello?" she said into the phone, her voice thick from sleep. She cleared her throat.



"Um...is this Edie?" a male voice asked on the other end.



"Yes, who is this?" she replied shortly. Who on earth would be calling at 7:30 am?



"This is Logan Neitzel."



"Oh!" Edie suddenly became more awake. She cleared her throat again, trying to sound more alert.



"Sorry for calling so early, I forgot about the time difference."



"It's okay...so what's up?"



"I know this is totally out of the blue and I feel so weird doing this, but apparently our mothers have been in contact and they both seem to think that you would be a good choice for a model for my new line."



"Yeah, my mom kinda did that on her own, you really don't have to--"



"The thing is," Logan cut her off, "I'd actually like to see more of you."



Edie's heart leapt.



"Er...really?"



"Yeah. I thought my mom was crazy to even suggest it at first, and as much as I don't want to admit it, she's right. You would make a great model for my campaign. At least I think. I'm only going off of pictures here."



"Wow. Well, my mom said she'd fly me out to New York if you agreed. She's really pushing for this..."



"Yeah. But I just have a concern about this whole thing. Even if I decide to hire you, you live in Vegas...."



"I'll move," Edie said quickly.



"What? That's crazy!"



"No, really. I will. I need to get out of here. I'm not trying to bring on a pity party, but my life has really gone down the drain since I moved out of Idaho. My efforts at being independent have left me in a really shitty situation. I haven't had an excuse to leave, but I've been looking for one for a long time."



"Edie, I feel for you, but you realize that this is just one campaign? You can't support yourself on this, especially in New York."



"I know," she sighed. "I'm sure your mom told you what I'm doing down here? I can do that anywhere. Not to sound trashy, but I'm good at what I do. Even though I'd much rather find a real job, it's always a good back up plan. And a modeling gig is definitely a step up. It's what I've wanted for so long."



Logan was silent on the other end for a few moments. Edie anxiously tapped her bare foot on the dirty floor, waiting for a response.



"Why don't you talk to your mom about flying out and we'll go from there," he finally suggested. "The line premieres in a little over a month, so the sooner the better."



"Okay," Edie smiled, excitement filling her.



"Save my number. Give me a call when you figure out the details."



"Will do."



"See you soon, Edie."



"Bye."



Edie pressed end and stared at the phone in disbelief. After months and months of unsuccessful modeling attempts, Logan Neitzel, one of New York's hottest upcoming designers, was interested! She squealed in excitement. Even though she had only been sleeping for three hours due to her work schedule, she flew out of bed and ran to the adjacent bedroom to hers, flinging open the door.



"What the fuck?" a muffled voice exclaimed as the door banged against the wall.



"I've got a gig! At least, I think I do!" Edie announced.



"You're insane. What time is it?" Natasha, Edie's roommate, grumbled.



"7:30. Remember how my mom ran into Logan Neitzel's mom and all that?"



"Yeah. The hot guy from Project Runway?"



Edie laughed. "Yeah, him. Well, she sent him some of my headshots, and he wants me to fly out to New York! I've finally got a modeling job!"



"That's great!" Natasha grinned. "Now get out of my room, it's so damn early."



Edie swooped in on Natasha, planting a large kiss on her forehead before prancing out of her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She made her way into the kitchen and began making a fresh pot of coffee, too excited to think about sleeping now.



It had been a long time since she had last seen Logan. The pair had hung out on occasion in high school due to the close proximity of their homes, and their mutual "loner" status at school. Though they had never been close, she was anxious to see him. She knew that she had changed a lot since high school, and she prayed that she was what Logan was looking for.



Moving to Vegas had been a stubborn act of independence for Edie. Deciding to prove to the world that she could in fact be a model, she moved to the closest busy city to pursue her career. However after many disappointing denials from almost all reputable modeling agencies in the Las Vegas area (due to an apparently full roster), she had been forced to turn to stripping when no other jobs presented itself and the rent became due. Now, two years later, Edie couldn't wait to get out.



She poured herself a cup of the steaming coffee and stared at her faded reflection in the door of the microwave.



"NYC, here I come," she said, holding her cup up to her reflection in a mock toast. It was time for a new beginning.