Chapter 246: Aromatic Pheromones

"Coffee…" Eve repeated. "Yeah, I can do that."

Now that she heard it, the idea sounded like common sense. She was trying to be a wine lover all this time but she wasn't and she wouldn't be any time soon. Instead of trying to pretend to be something she's not, she could pretend that the drink was something else.

Because what they would be looking for was the passion in her eyes.

Ambryan turned his chair back around and peeked at the monitor. Emails rolled from the top of his inbox. Several of them bore the red exclamation mark for urgent attention. "I can't help you if they want something more creative though. It would have to be up to you."

"This is more than enough. Thank you," Eve couldn't think of anything else to say. She wished she could find the words in order to fully convey her gratitude. "Sorry for disturbing your work."

"It's not a problem. Hand the phone over to Cale, please."

"Oh…" Frowning, she did as she was told. "Cale, he's asking for you."

Her hazel eyes narrowed at her modelling manager. Cale didn't seem to mind the call. He pressed the phone against his ear and wore a bright smile. "Hello?"

"Alert me when the photoshoot is over," Ambryan stated at once. There were more emails coming in where a few should have been directed to the other executives. He clicked on the company's private messaging program. 

"I can't sit still knowing that she's going to be drunk by the end of it," he concluded in a rush.

Cale understood him right away and nodded his head. "You got it."

"Thank you."

"What's that about?" Eve pried, crossing her arms over her chest. What could it have been for Ambryan to speak directly to Cale when he could have asked her to rely on the message? It was a short conversation from the looks of it.

"Nothing much. He doesn't believe that you're not tipsy." Cale gave her a look. He waved the mini fan in front of her face and lingered on each of her cheeks.

Eve snorted. "I'm fine. Fit as a fiddle."

"Sure, sure," he surrendered. Then, he noticed the crew gathering back together to resume the photo session. He held out a hand to help Eve get off the chair. "Come on, break time is over."

Eve closed her eyes for a moment. In her mind, she had teleported to a coffee shop. The air smelled of freshly brewed coffee instead of dirt and damp leaves. The wine glass in her hand contained an iced cappuccino. Her lips curled into a shy smile like they did whenever she basked in the aroma of coffee, awaiting its taste to swarm her mouth.

The cameraman's shoulder jerked back. 

The entire aura and aesthetic of the scene changed. Warmth flooded the expression of the model. He pressed on the shutter as she brought the glass close to her lips. A soft moan sounded behind her closed lips. 

She turned her head to the side and raised her chin.

Her hazel eyes flashed at the camera—as if she caught it staring at her. 

A smirk replaced her smile and she bowed her head, taking another sip. Adrenaline rushed into her veins. She was in her element. She was portraying a character. A breeze flew by and swayed the leaves of the grape plants. Her hand rose higher to catch the wind as if to finish a magic spell.

Then, the glass leaned on one side and poured the wine on her face. 

She angled her nose towards the sky, gasping from the sensation. The red wine dripped down from her jawline and down to the side of her neck. It stained her white toga and emphasized the redness of her cheeks. A drop trailed from the corner of her mouth as if she just sucked on blood like a vampire.

"Evangeline!" Cale scolded and demanded for a towel.

Eve couldn't explain what just happened. The moment just felt right. Her name went in one ear and out the other. Her eyes searched for the camera as she scraped the wine with the rim of the glass—pressing the same between her lips and portraying the irresistible taste of the wine.

The client stood up from his chair. He walked over to the cameraman and whispered in the latter's ear. Eve continued to taste the beverage. This time, from her fingers that once held the glass. She brushed the knuckles across her lips.

"And that's a wrap," the cameraman announced. He directed a thumbs up in her direction. "I think we got it. Good job. Keep this up and I'll recommend you to some friends I know."

"That's very kind. Thank you for the hard work." 

The magic of the moment disappeared and Eve only felt the need for a shower. The wine had begun to dry and to stick onto her. A bit of it also seeped into her hairline. She used the toga to wipe it off. 

It was already stained so this should be excused. 

"What on earth were you thinking?" Cale demanded when he reached her side. He draped a towel over her head and rubbed on her face. His aqua blue eyes glared as he worked to dry her off. "I don't know what offerings you gave at some shrine but you are lucky that they loved your little stunt. Otherwise, they could have been angry instead! And it would result in delaying the shoot! Next time run by your ideas with me or the client or the cameraman. You hear me, missy?"

"Loud and clear, Cale," Eve replied. Soft giggled flowed out of her lips.

Her modelling manager stiffened. That wasn't a good sign. He resumed cleaning her face and said, "Don't tell me you snorted the wine like it's powdered drugs."

"You and I know that's not possible," she merely laughed. The towel felt soft on her skin despite the harsh strokes. Unfortunately, the sticky feeling remained and made her uncomfortable.

'I hope Ambryan is here soon,' Cale thought. He had messaged the CEO as soon as Eve poured that wine over her. He was almost thankful that she didn't direct it to her hair. 

The crew packed up quickly. The client left first, needing to attend to his business matters. Cale snapped his head from left to right. Eve had changed out of the toga and into her long-sleeved dress. They only had a portable toilet on set. There hadn't been a sign of running tap water they could use either.

Cale suggested that they walk up to the owner of the vineyard and ask where the nearest sink was. But Eve grabbed his wrist and protested. "Let's just go home. I can wash this off once we're in the apartment. I don't want to trouble them for my reckless act."

"If they loved it, they should show some appreciation and help you!" Cale rebutted with a huff.

"The apartment is not that far. I can survive until we arrive. It's not a big deal." 

Eve rose to her feet before he could protest. Without the toga, no one could tell that she had just spewed wine on her face. Modelling proved to find more ways to be troublesome the longer she stayed in the industry. There should be other gigs she could book.

Maybe runway modelling?

But that meant training.

'Hmmm…' she played the idea in her head, not paying attention to where she was headed. 

Ambryan spotted her from a distance. He had dropped the pending work to Riffle and Madison before rushing over. The deep crease lines on Eve's forehead clued him that she must be in a sound state of mind. It relieved him that she acted normal. 

He strode in her direction and cut off her path halfway. The scent of red wine teased his nose.

"Why do you smell like wine?" He asked.

Eve broke out of her reverie, blinking up at him. The sun beamed behind his head. "I really must be drunk if I'm hallucinating right now."

"You're drunk because you think you're hallucinating," Ambryan corrected her. He slipped one arm behind her waist and the other underneath her knees. 

"HEY!" Eve yelled. She instantly sobered up. "Put me down! I can walk!"

Ambryan ignored her, walking back to his car. He nodded at Cale when he noticed the modelling manager from the corner of his eye. Then, he shifted his attention back to Eve. A playful smirk curved on his lips.

"You should have expected this," he said. "I am as gentle as I promised too."

Eve opened her mouth and closed it again. A second passed before she realized what he meant. The last time she drank, she had something embarrassing about him carrying her out of the party. 

And he teased her about it, offering to make it come true!

Thanks to the wine, the blush on her cheeks didn't seem completely out of place.

"But this is the bridal style carry!" Eve opted to use logic. "Made for brides! Not drunk people!"

Ambryan was unfazed. "That can be arranged."

She smacked his chest. "Ambee, be serious!"

He made a face of hurt but she simply huffed in return. The car was only a few meters ahead. The security team surrounded the area and kept the reports at bay. The recent sightings of them visiting each other's apartments was hot on the news. 

The media quickly latched onto their next public display of affection.

A bystander even filmed the whole thing as a livestream on her account.

"I am serious in not trusting your current condition," Ambryan explained. He grunted under his breath, picking up the pace. "I don't trust mine either."

"What do you mean?" Eve wondered. Did something happen at work? Was he in a bad mood?

He leaned down until his lips nearly touched her ear. "Either I carry you like this or I wouldn't be able to stop from tasting this aromatic wine on you."