Olivia's POV
The hall felt vast and quiet, except for the soft hum of the air conditioner. All eyes were on the four of us—me, awkwardly positioned off to the side, and the three girls who had plotted against me. My nerves were on edge, but I held my head high.
The batch organizer held the clipboard in her hand. "Grace Balor," she called out and the red head stepped forward. So her name was Grace.
Grace walked down the catwalk, her trademark smirk firmly in place, as if the stage was hers for the owning. Her gait was sharp and purposeful, her hips swaying with exaggerated precision. The judges murmured quietly among themselves, nodding as she reached the end of the makeshift runway, posed dramatically, and returned with a triumphant flip of her hair.
Once she was done, her lackeys followed, mimicking her movements with near-perfect synchrony. They didn't have anywhere near the same elegance as their leader, but their walks were good, strong enough to draw nodding approval from the panel. The head judge leaned back in his chair, his face a mask of satisfaction, as if he'd already made up his mind.
Then it was my turn.
I swallowed hard, my heartbeat a roar in my ears. Ryan gave me a slight nod from his seat beside the judges, and it was all the encouragement I needed. I took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage.
My first heel clicked loudly in that room. Long and confident, each stride was purposed as I moved forward. I put into that walk every bit of emotion-my anger, my frustration, my determination. I wasn't walking; I was making a statement.
I stopped at the end of the runway, weight shifted onto one hip, and locked eyes with the judges. I didn't give them a sultry smile or a dramatic pose. I let my presence be enough. Then, I turned and walked back with the same poise and conviction.
As I stepped off the stage, the room fell silent. My heart sank. Perhaps I had misjudged it all. Perhaps I'd gone too far, pushed too hard—
Then, Ryan stood.
He began to clap, slow and deliberate, his face a mask of admiration. "That," he said, his voice breaking the silence, "was the best walk I've seen all day.
My breath caught, and before I knew it, the other judges joined in, their hands clapping through the room. The head judge was far more reluctant but finally gave a curt nod of acknowledgment.
Ryan turned to me; his smile was warm and genuine. "Miss Richardson," he said, "consider this your first step into the industry. We'll see you tomorrow to finalize your contract."
I stared at him with wide eyes. Was this really happening?
"Thank you," I managed to say-my voice shaking. "Thank you so much."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the three girls standing frozen, their faces a mixture of disbelieving and indignant. I didn't care anymore. This wasn't about them.
After the audition, I had stayed behind the hall. Without thanking him properly for what he had done, I just could not go. As he finally emerged, with his phone in his hand and jacket slung over his shoulder, I stepped forward sheepishly.
"Ryan," I began softly.
He glanced up; recognition lit across his face. "Olivia," he said, tucking his phone into a pocket. "I was hoping still you would be here."
I took a deep breath. "I just… I wanted to thank you. For everything. If it weren't for you, I don't think I would have been able to prove myself."
He shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You don't owe me anything. You earned it, Olivia. That walk, you made them sit up and take notice. All I did was give you the chance to show what you're capable of.
But you believed me," I pressed. "No one else did, and you did. That means the world to me."
Finally, his gaze softened, and we were silent for a moment. Then, a sly grin spread across his face. "If you're that grateful, how about taking me out to dinner?"
I blinked. "Dinner?"
He nodded, his face teasing. "Call it a thank-you present. Nothing fancy.
I laughed nervously. "I'm not exactly rolling in cash, you know."
He chuckled. "Don't worry. Dinner's on me."
Ryan took us to a fine dining restaurant, one that I would only see in movies. I could only dream of eating here. Chandeliers glittered, the walls shone with polished wood, and the air was filled with the faint scent of flowers. It was the kind of place I'd never dared enter before.
"I feel like I'm crashing a billionaire's party," I whispered, amazed at the grandeur of the restaurant.
Ryan chuckled as he opened the menu. "Relax. You're with me."
"I don't know about that," I grumbled, looking at the prices of the items on the menu. It felt like I was leeching off him.
He waved a hand without looking at me. "Dinner's on me, remember? Order whatever you want."
The meal was extraordinary, filled with flavors with each single bite that I couldn't even name. As we ate, the tension of the day melted away into a night of calm and comfort long forgotten.
"You haven't changed much," Ryan said suddenly, his voice cutting through the comfortable silence.
I looked up at him in surprise. "What do you mean?
He smiled, his eyes warm. "You're still the same Olivia I remember from high school. Determined, fearless, and… beautiful."
I felt blush creeping up my cheeks, and I quickly looked down at my plate. "You remember me from high school?"
He chuckled. "Of course I do. How could I forget? You were… well, let's just say you stood out."
I raised an eyebrow confused. If there was anything, I was the most unpopular person back in high school. "Ryan Bennett, most popular guy in school, remembers me? I find that hard to believe."
He leaned back in his chair, his smile wistful. "You were different, Olivia. Focused. Driven. You didn't get caught up in all the high school drama. And while every other girl tried to get my attention, the one girl I actually liked didn't even notice me."
I looked at him trying to make sense of what he just said and when I realized, I choked on my water. "You liked me?"