Chapter Text
Chapter I
It was an unusually hot late September afternoon where the student body bustled and hustled around the campus preoccupied with the upcoming academic year.
Standing in front of the bulletin board by the library building, Rey glowered at each job posting. Her eyes scanned quickly across each one as she picked and chose analyzing each one.
The hardest thing she’d learned so far from her limited time in Naboo is that graduate school was expensive and Rey Johnson needed extra cash to pay the bills.
As a masters student in computer science, Rey did get enough financial aid covering her tuition and portion of her one-bedroom apartment rent. However, Naboo had proven to be way more expensive than Takodana where she’d spent most of her adult life.
Her daily routine consisted of one or two classes in the morning, and then working on her longitudinal project in Dr. Kalonia’s droid laboratory. For now, Rey was learning how to run simulations that could eventually be implemented in the droids powered by a mobile application. The ultimate goal of their research was to program droids that could help with laparoscopic outpatient surgeries.
Her slim fingers faintly dragged through different posters pinned onto the foam board. As wind blew through her hair, Rey grew restless.
Food server at the student cafeteria.
Pass. Too smelly for lab. Nope.
Math and Chemistry tutor. $15 per hour. 1-2 hours per week.
Not enough money. No.
Science tech at Children’s museum.
Thirty-minute bus commute to the museum from campus. Nope.
The job had to be on campus, close to her laboratory with flexible hours and good pay. Although Rey had never avoided working in hard laborious jobs, graduate school had proven to be more challenging. In fact, during her undergraduate years, Rey had worked in three jobs at a time including cleaning toilets, serving food, or teaching science to children in science camps. A whole portfolio of various positions.
Then, there was this one.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Job Title: Art Model
University of Naboo Art Institute’s Fine Arts department is looking to hire either a full time or part time life drawing class model. Please read below for details:
Duties:
Posing for art students in classrooms or studios
Posing for students or professional artists individually for drawings and paintings
Holding poses or facial expressions for extended periods of time
Changing posses, facial expressions and gestures to accommodate the artists desires
Qualifications:
There are no specific educational requirements but will need to meet the requirements of the professor.
Hours
Full time or part time depending on your schedule.
Hours may be erratic and be able to stay for after hours.
Salary:
$23 per hour. Will pay double for overtime or after hours.
Contact:
Benjamin Solo | [email protected]
Department Chair
University of Naboo Art Institute
(212).111.1111
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Becoming an art model was not something Rey had considered pursuing in her wildest dreams. Although she frequented museums during her travels, Rey had little idea of art. A foreign world clashing with her science brain. The worst part was stripping naked in front of college kids. No, thank you.
In fact, Rey wasn’t aware that a job like this existed. It was something she’d seen in movies, art studies in New York or hippie stuff that they did in the 1960s. Her ignorance got the better of her judgment, and her one-lobe malfunctioned trying to process this posting.
However maddening, she gaped at the advertisement pinned on the bulletin board for a few seconds calculating her need for money. Her bank account had been weeping ever since she’d moved to Naboo. Moving costs, shopping, furniture, transportation, and any other damn thing needed for a graduate student.
When her mind subsided, she realized that two girls next to her were giggling pointing at the same advertisement while whispering things to one another.
Undergraduates.
Rey huffed under her nose at the girls. Yet, here she was contemplating on applying to this position. Swiftly, she went down her checklist.
On campus. Check.
Good hourly pay. Check.
Flexible hours. Check.
No hard labor. Check.
No customer service. Check.
Overtime double pay. Bonus.
Against her better judgment, Rey ripped a paper sliver from the poster and tucked it in the back of her pocket.
🖌🖌🖌🖌
“Wait, what? A nude model?” Rose snorted almost spitting her wine.
Rey had invited two of her good friends for dinner at her place. Most often than not, they feasted on Trader Joe’s frozen food accompanied by beer, wine or seltzer water. Tonight, the menu was Mac and cheese accompanied by five-dollar wine bottle and ready-made green salad.
“I don’t really know if I could do it, honestly, but it looks like a convenient job.” Rey poked at her gooey carbohydrate meal contained in a plastic cup mixed with melted cheese.
“Rey, are you serious? I can’t believe you’re considering it. You’ll be naked in front of people! People, Rey! People!” Rose exclaimed gesturing with her hands as if that would bring sense into her crazy friend. “Plus, what if the boys get,” a whisper “boners? Ew.”
Rose squinted and Rey scrunched her nose at the idea. Barely out of teenage years, horny students would gawk at her with their dangling appendages.
“The ad said it could be in front of a professor, too. Not necessarily students.” She tired pushing away the boner idea. “I got to pay the bills. I can’t just sit and expect to get financial aid from school. It’s not enough.”
“I get it, but the naked part? Rey, I can hook you up with my friend who works at Whole Foods.”
Rey’s usual smile turned solemn as she considered her friends’ words. “I need an on campus position.”
And, they were saved by the bell.
Poe walked in holding six pack beer with his cheerful demeanor. He looked between their worried faces.
“Did your souls die?”
“Didn’t you hear? Rey will be a stripper!” Rose chanted, and Poe looked quizzically at Rey.
“No! I’m not stripping!”
“Almost. She’ll be posing nude for something class in art school.” Rose brushed away scooping her food.
“I haven’t even gotten the job yet! I’m going to apply for this job posting in the art school. They’re looking for a nude model.” Rey said matter of factly, and put a clean plate down for Poe who by now had taken his seat around the dining table.
“That’s great Rey! I can hook you up with the people there.” Poe exclaimed opening his beer can.
“Oh, right, you are interning at the art school. Do you know this man…” Rey pulled the small sliver of paper tucked in the back of her pants, “Benjamin Solo?”
“Do you not know him?” Food spilled out of his mouth as he hate and spoke at the same time.
“Clean your mouth,” Rose gestured, and Rey furrowed her brows.
“Why would I know him?”
“He’s this famous painter from New York, super rich dude from what I hear. He lived in Paris most of his life, and now, he’s here for a while to teach.”
“If he’s super rich, why is he teaching?” Rey wondered rotating the paper between her fingers.
Benjamin Solo.
“How should I know? Ask him when you go for the interview.” Poe stuffed salad mixed with Mac and cheese into his mouth and washed it down with beer.
“He’s pretty handsome though,” Poe stated nonchalantly.
Rose smirked at Rey wickedly.
“I have no time for any of that, Rose. Remove all those ideas from your brain.”
“How is he? What kind of a person is he?” Rey sat back down at her chair, firmly engaged with Poe.
“As far as I could tell, he’s a nice dude, doesn’t talk much but definitely polite when you ask him questions, plus he’s super hot. If I wasn’t dating Finn, I’d seriously ask him out.”
Rose fell into a fit of laughter, “I’m telling Finn!”
“Don’t you dare!” Poe threw a napkin at her.
Meanwhile, Rey walked away from her laughing friends and registered Benjamin Solo’s phone number in her contacts.
She’d have to retort to her own methods. An extended Pros and Cons list.
🖌🖌🖌🖌
Large coffee with three sugars and cream is how Rey started her morning. She’d spent most of her night creating pros and cons lists. She had tossed and turned in bed debating whether she should contact Benjamin Solo.
More than anytime in her life, she was aware of her body. She’d ran her hands across her skin cupping her figure including her breasts, thighs, stomach, elbows, and arms. Her body was still hers. Nothing was going to change. And, maybe, Benjamin Solo wouldn’t hire her. She’d be saved yet when she checked her bank statement, fear and worry took over her mind.
Sitting at her desk in her research laboratory, Rey kept pressing at her keyboard as the electron orbitals moved from one shape to another. The codes weren’t working, and her patience was running out. This job and the lack of money had taken over her being. Before the bank took away her belongings, which amounted to nothing, Rey needed to pay her bills.
Giving herself a mental break for now, she looked up Benjamin Solo on the good old internet.
Oh.
He is famous.
A famous painter and a New York based artist. Just like Poe had said last night.
There was a website of one of his SOHO based galleries. And, there he was. Oh.
She tilted her head gaping closely at her screen. He had a luscious long black hair coming right at the nape of his neck, Warby Parker-esque glasses making him look younger behind these soft whiskey eyes, broad body covered with simple black sweater, and a peak of his expensive watch.
Oh.
He’s kind of handsome.
He is handsome.
Abort Mission.
Rey pushed her chair back, gulped at her water bottle quenching her thirst. All of a sudden, her throat ran dry. She then moved back to her desk and read his autobiography.
Posh Parisian and a New Yorker combination.
No.
Do not email him.
Code Red.
No.
Rey bit her lower lip. Perhaps, emailing him for a quick interview would not hurt. He seemed nice enough with a slight smirk decorated with dimples creased around his lips. And, against all her natural instincts, something pulled her towards this man.
No, the job. Towards this job.
Then, there was social media. Rey couldn’t find much about him other than people tagging his galleries, and occasional pictures with some famous actors or directors. He was always a head taller than the rest with a humble smile or a stern face. The glasses wrapped around his classy face, and Rey was sure that he was older than her by at least six or seven years.
Why did his age matter again?
Rey shoed away all evil ideas.
This was a completely professional work environment, and she was simply going to meet him.
After sending the email, Rey kept pressing on the refresh button hoping he’d respond as fast as her impatience level. After a while, realizing her silliness, she immersed herself back into that broken electron orbitals. The code was the most important part of her life. No distractions.
By five in the evening, Rey tugged her notebook, pen and planner in her tote, and right as she was about to turn off her laptop, there was an email from Benjamin Solo.
The famous painter.
No. Potential employer.
She read the email with one breath.
He wants to meet her.
Tomorrow morning at eight.
Rey jotted down the time and date of their meeting in her planner. Surely, a nude modeling job for art school shouldn’t twist her stomach to this length, but the idea scared her. The extent that she went for a job just made her spine prickle. Benjamin Solo’s calm face from those photos assured her that a famous painter won’t ogle at her body. And, if her luck was of any indication, she’d get those post-pubescent, barely legal-to-drink-alcohol boys’ boners.
He’s seen plenty women strip for him, right? Right.
She would lay bare in front of him where he could see all of her. All. Of. Her. Parts.
However, he was the art school’s department chair, and she was just a master’s student in computer science needing the extra cash. Nothing is wrong with this set-up.
A lot of people do this job. Many Reddit posts she’d scrolled through last night.
Everything was going to be completely professional.
And, Rey repeated those last words in her head like a sacred mantra.