Chapter Twenty-two

Dawn smiled when she woke up. She had done that a lot yesterday, especially last night. It was all because of Mark. He had started to take down her walls. Brick by brick. Already a decade's worth of bricks were taken down and placed on the ground around her heart.

Her eyes adjusted to Mark's sleeping face. Just like yesterday morning. Both times he was turned toward her with his hand holding hers. Today he was on his back with his face turned toward her. His feet tangled lightly with hers and his free hand rested on his abdomen. His sheets were tangled with their legs.

She voicelessly giggled as she escaped the bed like yesterday. She just 'popped' or 'shifted' out of bed to stand looking at him as the sheets fluttered down to the bed covering where she had just been.

Also like yesterday, Mark's hand stretched a little trying to find her hand again. His body shifted into another position. He was subconsciously trying to find her. To find her warmth and essence.

Dawn studied him as his body got comfortable. When it did, she went to her bags of clothes and then went for her shower. She was feeling more confident in herself and using Mark's shower without any worries. She could strip without her shyness and step into the warm water.

She almost felt like singing at how happy Mark has made her feel. She walked through his..their place with a spring in her step. She danced around as she started breakfast. She didn't want to stop herself from feeling this sensation again.

She giggle the moment she heard Mark groan awake. His groan was sweet because it meant that he could smell the coffee she had put on for him. His footsteps as he walked through the condo weren't like yesterday. They seemed groggy like his groan.

She had just poured his cup of coffee as he appeared at the door. "God you're perfect!" He exclaimed as he gave her a small peck on the lips before he took the mug from her and put his sugar and cream in it.

Dawn just giggled and took the plates of eggs to the table. Mark followed in his robe to cover his silk boxers he was wearing to sleep in. He couldn't help but be delighted to hear her laugh first thing in the morning.

"Oh. Do you get the paper? I could go get it for you."

Mark smirk at how different Dawn seemed. So much brighter than before. Did their date really do so much for her? "Darius got me a free subscription for being good at his wedding. Should be on the mat outside the door."

Dawn skipped over to the front door and opened it. She smiled as she crouched down to pick up the rolled newspaper.

"Well look-y here. If it isn't mystery girl Dawn." Dawn snapped her head up to see a man smiling mischievously to her. He was leaned against an adjacent doorway with a paper lazily held in his hands. He looked casually at her. He looked like he was about to lick his lips at her.

Dawn clenched the paper to her chest as she took a step back. She heard Mark's chair scrap and his hurried footsteps from behind her. "You okay Dawn?" He looked at her then down the hall. His shoulders fell at seeing Joseph appeasing Dawn.

"I see you caught the prize."

"Don't be a dick Joseph." Mark turned to Dawn. "If you don't feel comfortable, then go back inside. Alright?" She gave a stiff nod that looked like a thank you. Mark growled on the inside when he turned back to Joseph and glared.

"What?" Joseph said trying to sound innocent. His goofy grin was saying it all. He like what he saw.

"Just keep your hands to yourself. And be nice to her or you'll find your balls at the pub down the street."

"Ouch! Touchy. I was just looking." He raised an eyebrow. "So she's living with you?"

Mark narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Why?"

"Just wondering if we will still have our time to hang is all?" Joseph had shrugged his shoulders at Mark. He was trying to look like he was asking something innocent.

"Give us some time to settle. She's been through more than you could possibly know. And don't scare her again. She doesn't need that right now."

"Wow. You really have fallen for her. And bad." Joseph held his hands up in surrender. "Fine. No going near beauty there. Got it. I'll only simply say hi and the normal pleasantries from now on in the most gentlemanly way. Maybe I could buy her a drink sometime."

"Not without me. I don't trust you around my girl." Mark was definitely territorial around Dawn.

"Ooh. My girl huh? So she said you could be her boyfriend. Good for the both of you." Joseph actually sounded decent when he said that. His trickery taking a hike. "All you had to do was say that in the beginning. Would have saved you from having to say some threats."

Joseph gave Mark a lazy salute as he turned on his heels and went into his own condo closing the door behind him. Mark didn't know whether this was a good thing or not. The way Joseph was into Dawn didn't feel right. Mark felt jealousy stir toward his friend and neighbor.

Mark sighed as he went back into his condo. He closed his door as he leaned back against it closing his eyes. He didn't need his neighbor scaring Dawn. Not when she was opening up and letting herself be happy for once.

Thinking of Dawn made him open his eyes and look around. In the kitchen he saw her hair glowing like bright golden flames as the sunlight shone on it. Her head was bowed and her arms were wrapped around her with something translucent and shinning too.

Mark pushed off the door and went to her side. She was shaking a bit. Mark knelt down and wrapped his arms around her. He felt her stop shaking and leaned into him. She let the paper fall to the floor as she shifted and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Better?"

"Yes thank you." She whispered into his ear. "Maybe I should let you get the paper from now on."

Mark smiled and chuckled. "I think that would be good." He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "How about we have breakfast and then..." He smirked. There was somewhere he wanted to take her. "I take you to see my studio." She smiled shyly and nodded.

He felt a ping of excitement as he got up and took his seat. Overall they had a lovely morning together. When Dawn saw his coffee mug running low, she would smile as she got up and picked up the coffee pot. Mark would just laugh and call her perfect.

"Please stop calling me that. I'm not perfect."

Dawn started to turn away with coffee pot, but Mark caught her arm and gently pulled her back to him. She went willingly to where he wanted her. He took the pot from her hand and set in on the table as he guided her to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder looking up at her.

"I think you're right. You're better than perfect." He lifted up his head and kissed her softly and gently. She kissed him back as his words were like bulldozers to half the remaining walls around her heart.

He broke their kiss to put their forehead together. "Do you believe me?" He could see she was still in a daze from the kiss. None-the-less she nodded all the same. "I'm glad." He smiled as he tilted his head again and kissed her again.

After a while they broke apart again so he could get dressed. He was so anxious to dress, he forgot about the dishes. She smiled and took care of it for him. Thankfully she didn't use as many plates this morning like yesterday. She had them done and drying the last one when Mark came back dressed.

He sighed shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I forgot that I was supposed to clean the dishes."

"I wanted to clean them." Dawn said a bit perkily as she set the last dish on the towel to dry.

Mark loved seeing her back to her happy self because of his slight forgetfulness. He watched as she walked over to the shoe bench by the front door. She seemed to dance lightly as she went. He couldn't help the silly, goofy smile on his face as he slipped his shoes on too.

They smiled at each other as they left his condo and went to his studio. On the way, Mark held her hand and even intertwined their fingers together. Dawn blushed a little and leaned on his shoulder as he drove.

Dawn was amazed by his studio. After they moved behind the heavily frosted glass divider, a pure white great room opened to them. So many lights were set up all over the place. Some with white umbrellas attached to them. There was even a mock runway set up.

Mark loved seeing her face when she saw his studio. Then he had an idea. "Would you like to feel like a model for a few hours?"

Dawn blushed and turned shy. "But I don't have the figure of one."

"Oh yes you do. Your figure is better than over half of the so-called models out there. Have some fun with me."

Dawn thought about it over and over in her head and saw no harm in letting him relax her. She wanted to have fun again. Real fun at that. She had kept her curiosity about modeling not flourish because she had to hide. Now she doesn't have to hide. She was free.

"What did you have in mind?" Dawn looked up at Mark fully curious.

Mark wanted to jump and bounce off the walls when he heard the pure curiosity in her voice. He was so thankful she was coming out of her little shell she had around herself.

"Well..." He started as he looped his hands around her waist. "I was thinking that I would take pictures of you in different outfits and in different poses. We can have so much fun in doing this." His eyes pleaded with her to say yes. "Will you?"

Dawn smiled sweetly up at him. "Yes." Then she pointed her finger at him. "But! No nudity or those pictures with just a sheet. I'm not ready to do that just yet."

Not Ready? Did that mean she may try it in the future? She was thinking of the future? Mark nodded excitedly hearing the possibility of the future in her statement.

"Um..." She looked from side to side. "What do I do?"

Mark laughed and took her to a chair over in front of some lights. "First I want you to sit and wait. I need to get my equipment setup. It will take about ten to twenty minutes."

Dawn nodded and let him set up while she waited on the chair he took her to. She watched in curiosity at what he was doing. She even asked questions which he happily answered for her. He loved how interested she was and not afraid to ask anything no matter how silly they seemed to be to her. She was curious about his profession which he liked a lot. She wanted to know so much about him.

After he got setup, he took one of her sitting on the chair as she was. Then he got into their photo session. He took his time and let her be comfortable with him taking her picture and suggesting positions. They had fun with it. He loved that she had gotten into the photo shoot. She was the perfect subject.

Mark didn't stop at taking her pictures. He also showed her how he developed the film. She was fascinated by it all. She didn't seem to be in his way when they were in the dark room. She just watched him glide from plastic tub to plastic tub and was in awe to seeing the image form on the paper.

Once the photos dried, Mark showed her the picture on his large flat table. Her eyes grew wide when she saw herself. She was beautiful. She couldn't deny it seeing the evidence before her. He had made her look beautiful.

"I cannot capture anything that doesn't already exist. These show you how I see you. The image of beyond perfection in my eyes." Mark said holding Dawn from behind with his chin on her shoulder. This felt just so natural to him.

They heard the creak and slam of the studio door opening and closing. Mark huffed because he wasn't expecting anyone in his studio. His answering service would have notified him if someone wanted to make an appointment with him.

A older gentleman in a business suit and a woman that looked like his secretary or personal assistant walked around the divider. They both looked to be very serious as they walked over to the two. They stepped with pride and confidence.

Mark turned to Dawn. "Why don't you go into the dark room and wait. I'm sure this is nothing." She nodded and scurried away. He knew she was getting nervous.

He turned to the two as they drew close. "May I help you?"

"Mark Darlene?" The man asked with a deep and straight voice.

"Yes? I'm Mark Darlene."

"Forgive me profoundly for not contacting you for an appointment, but I wished to meet you in person. I'm Donald Xiner. I was wondering if you would like a job. My wife is an up and coming designer who wishes to have her designs photographed by you personally."

Mark raised an eyebrow. "And you couldn't make an appointment?"

"Like I said. I wanted to meet you personally first." The man glanced down at the table and then snapped his head to the photos again. "She is quite lovely. Is she a new model I don't know about?"

Mark moved the photos away. "She's my girlfriend and we were just having some fun today."

"The young lady that went into the other room? She would make a perfect model." Mr. Xiner was completely impressed by the photos of Dawn. "You are very talented with getting the perfect shot."

"It's the subject, not me. I just manage to let my subject to shine." Mark smiled thinking of how bright Dawn had been shining because of him. She is certainly sparkling like the brightest, clearest diamond out there.

"Well. Are you interested?"

"Yes, but I will need some time before I am ready for a photo session."

"That's perfectly alright. She won't be ready for two months anyways. I just wanted to check you out early on. Veronica here will be in touch with you. Good day." The man tipped his invisible hat at Mark and started to walk away. The woman presented Mark with their business card then turned and followed her boss.

Mark skipped over to the dark room and knock. Dawn peeked out. "They were here to offer me a job. A paying job." Dawn smiled and congratulated him. Mark looked at the clock. "Oh. We should go. Your appointment with Keith is in half an hour. We'll stop by the condo and get your outfit too."

Mark took her hand and they left taking her photos with them. He put them in a folder to protect them. He was going to show them to Keith because he was so proud of her for doing that with him. He was on cloud nine as they got to the condo and then headed to the salon.

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