Until Forever Ink Fades

       "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice cautious.

Ryan leaned forward, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I mean that I'm willing to forget the whole thing," he said. "But I want you to know that I'm not doing it for the money. I'm doing it because... well, let's just say that I'm a reasonable man."

Lily's eyes narrowed, suspicion written all over her face. She didn't believe him for a second. She thought he was just playing games with her, trying to get more money out of her.

"Fine," she said, trying to sound calm. "If you don't want the money, then why did you ask me to meet you here today?"

Ryan smiled again, and this time, there was a hint of challenge in his eyes. "Oh, I think you know why," he said. "You see, I've been thinking, and I've decided that $200,000 is a bit... insulting, don't you think?"

Lily's eyes widened in outrage as she realized what he was getting at. "You want more money?" she asked, her voice incredulous.

Ryan nodded, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Yes, I do," he said. "And I think you know exactly how much I'm worth."

Lily's face fell as she realized that she had underestimated him. She had thought he was just a sleazy blackmailer, but now she saw that he was something more, he was sa gigolo a man prostitute. 

With a sense of trepidation, Lily reached into her purse and pulled out a chequebook. "How much do you want?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Ryan smiled again, and this time, there was a hint of triumph in his eyes. "Oh, I think $500,000 would be a good starting point," he said.

      "Do you charge every woman you sleep with that amount, or is it just me"? Lily asked already boiling with anger, more at herself than the man. 

         Ryan signaled for the waitress to come over, and when she arrived, he ordered a bottle of fine wine and two plates of the restaurant's signature dish. Lily watched him, still seething with anger, but trying to keep her cool.

When it was her turn to order, Ryan turned to her and said, "And what will you have, Lily?"

Lily hesitated for a moment, then reached up to remove her glasses and face mask. She blinked in the bright light of the restaurant, and Ryan's eyes widened slightly as he took in her bare face.

She scanned the menu quickly, then looked up at Ryan and said, "I'll just have water, please."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Water?" he repeated. "You're not going to eat anything?"

Lily shook her head, trying to appear nonchalant. "I'm not hungry," she said.

Ryan smiled, and his eyes glinted with amusement. "I think you are," he said, and turned to the waitress. "Bring her the same thing I ordered," he said.

Lily's eyes flashed with anger, but she bit back a retort. She was determined to keep her cool, no matter what Ryan threw at her.

The waitress nodded and walked away, leaving Ryan and Lily alone once again.

Ryan leaned back in his chair, a self-satisfied smile on his face. "So, Lily," he said. "Tell me. What do you think I'm worth?"

Lily's eyes narrowed, and she felt a surge of anger. "I already told you," she said. "I think you're worth $200,000."

Ryan chuckled, and his eyes glinted with amusement. "Oh, no," he said. "I think I'm worth a lot more than that , anyways I plan to blackmail you. " Ryan said taking out his phone from his coat pocket. 

             Lily scoffed at the man's forwardness, he was really an opportunist. 

        Ryan's eyes locked onto Lily's as he scrolled through his phone, a sly smile spreading across his face. "You see, I have something that I think you'll be very interested in," he said, his voice dripping with malice.

Lily's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with possibilities. What could he possibly have that would give him leverage over her?

Ryan's smile grew wider as he turned his phone around, revealing a photograph on the screen. Lily's eyes widened in horror as she took in the image.

It was a picture of her, asleep in a car, with a man fastening her seatbelt. But this angle was different from the one the blackmailer had sent her. This one was clearer, more incriminating.

Lily's face burned with shame and anger. "How do you have this picture"? She asked but then realized this must have been his plan, after all he was the one in the car, he must have gotten someone to take a picture that day, she was too drunk she didn't notice, he prolly..... 

           "I paid quite a fortune to this from a certain person, your blackmailer works in the hotel's surveillance room and had seen us that night." Ryan explained. 

       Lily's eyes widened in shock as the pieces fell into place. She had been so blind, so naive. She had thought she was just being paranoid, but it turned out that her fears were justified.

"You were really the one who was in the car with me that night," she accused, her voice trembling with anger.

Ryan nodded, a smug smile spreading across his face. "Yes, I was, I was also the one who sent you in the hotel room making sure your sleep wasn't disturbed, and I can't believe after all these I'm rewarded only $200,000 I'm hurt."

          Lily sighed feeling a headace." I will make it $400,000, but you have to stay away from me." Lily stated about to write another cheque, but Ryan leaned over and took her pen. 

         "I said I Don't want money, all I want is a service worth that amount." 

      Lily's eyes widened in alarm as Ryan's words hung in the air. "What kind of service?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ryan smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, I think you'll find it quite... enlightening," he said.

Lily's mind was racing with possibilities, none of them good. She thought he was going to ask her for sex, but Ryan laughed, reading her expression.

"No, no, nothing like that," he said, chuckling. "Although, I must say, you're quite... tempting."

Lily's face burned with anger and embarrassment. "What do you want, then?" she demanded.

Ryan smiled, his eyes locked onto hers. "Because, Lily, you're a work of art," he said. "And I want to capture that on film."

The waitress arrived with their food, "we can talk about that after, lunch."