The Photo shop
by Candyman666Β©
Chapter 5 : Astrid again
The next morning I immediately called Linda to tell her the good news.
"Hey Linda, Astrid would like to meet you at your earliest convenience and find out how and what could work for the two of you. By the way, don't tell her I said, but Astrid is in reality a softy, she is absolutely not as unapproachable as she likes to make you believe, I found out myself, that you only have to push the right buttons with her.
I will also, as soon as possible, contact Bethany from the perfumery and beauty parlor to get her on board, I hope to be able to do that the next few days."
"Oh thanks Lew, you've got me all exited now, how will I ever be able to thank you?"
"Don't worry Linda, we will find a way, I am sure of it, so talk to you soon, and keep me posted on your meeting with Astrid."
As usual Tuesday was a very calm day so I called Bethany, who I knew a bit better than I did Astrid and who was, contrary to Astrid, known around the village as a very pleasant person.
"Bethany dear, I have favor to ask you."
"You do Lew? Do tell me, but don't ask for money cause I got none to spare," she said with a chuckle.
"No, no Bethany, nothing like that although, come to think of it, it might involve some financial involvement on your side, you see, I met this young woman, Linda, she's twenty, and she has ambitions to become a model, basically a fashion model, and I promised I would try to help her. I took the first steps on that road, last night, when I met with Astrid to convince her to engage Linda for her regular shows and I am proud to tell you I succeeded!"
"Wow, how did you manage to convince the most difficult business woman in the village to do something for you without paying or bribing her?"
"Mmh not entirely without a bribe, I took her to dinner to ply her with food and wine, but in reality I got to discover a totally different side of her, she is not as austere as she tries to project to the outside world. We had a wonderful evening together, after dinner she even invited me for coffee at her place."
"Wow, again Lew, do tell what you had to do to convince her to give you something for free?"
"I am sorry Bethany but I never divulge my secrets on how persuasive I can be with a lady, especially when I need to be equally persuasive with the woman I'm talking to to do something for me as well."
"Spoil sport!" Bethany replied, "but you're more than welcome to try to persuade me in the same way."
"I guess you saw me coming with the line of business you are in. I'm looking for a makeup artist to take care of my model when she has to pose for pictures wearing those gorgeous dresses Astrid is going to put on her. What's in it for me? I hear you think. I could offer you some free, large size, professional portraits of Linda for your shop to advertise your wares and artistry in makeup and related products..."
"And if you so desire I would really enjoy taking you to dinner as well. I know you are single and so am I, so I wouldn't be stepping on anyone's toes by doing that, would I? Besides it would be absolutely great if I take you out as well, that will definitely get the village tongues wagging to spread gossip of me having dinner, first with Astrid, and then with you as well. The town will absolutely go berserk with gossip."
"You might be very right there Lew, I do love a good gossip and being the subject of it this time would just be heavenly."
"Would dinner at 'The Deerhunter' suit you next Saturday?"
"Oh yes, the top notch restaurant of the neighborhood, that would be very nice indeed."
"I definitely want to thank you with the same royal treatment I gave Astrid. You know I'm almost becoming a regular there, maybe I should start asking for a discount. They do serve excellent food and they have top notch wines and when word gets around that I took, if I may say so, two of the most eligible single women out to dinner that would definitely be the talk of the town for a while."
"Wow one compliment after another Lew; to be counted as one of the most eligible women in town, how did I deserve that title?"
"Bethany you are definitely on my list of the top five best looking single women of this village. Speaking as an old buck, and absolutely not wishing to offend you or anything, we both know the town gossip club dropped you from their list of desirable women worth gossiping about some while back. Don't ask me why, because personally I would be absolutely thrilled if you wanted to share a meal with me."
"Now you've made me really curious about that top five list of yours, I am dying to see it."
"You know what Bethany 'confidence pour confidence' as the French say, I will share that list with you, if and when you share me yours of most eligible village bachelors. So what do you say, can I count on you next Saturday?"
"Absolutely Lew, to launch a juicy village gossip certainly, and I guess this Linda is a good looking girl, uh young woman, otherwise you would have put her off her aspiration to make it as a fashion model now wouldn't you?"
"Yes of course. You know what, I'll mail you some pictures I took of her the other day; take a look at them and come back to me, deal?"
"OK deal!"