Page 27 of Taken By Her Two Savage Bikers
With the table set up and food served the men took their respective spots on either side of me. Considering I’d only had a partial bowl of oatmeal earlier in the day the food nearly put me in a frenzy as I grabbed several of the chops and rounded my plate with potato and veggies and began eating. Nearly halfway through the first piece of heaven I was eating I heard a chuckling coming from the left of me – Ash.
Looking up I raised a brow at him, waiting for him to explain what he found so amusing.
“I’ve never seen a woman eat as much as you can. I don’t understand how you’re so tiny.”
I looked at my plate and then at both of the men. Mine had nearly double the amount that they had on theirs. “Ooops. I’m sorry. I just thought…” Embarrassed I was making a glutton of myself, I cringed.
Stabbing a chop, I started to put it back, only to feel Phoenix’s hand on mine, pushing it back onto the plate. “No, eat as much as you want. That’s not what he was getting at. We know Cisco was most likely an asshole to you and you were lucky to get fed breakfast by him. It’s just funny to see a woman eat as much as you do. It’s not a bad thing. It’s good – really.”
Relieved, I nodded. “I usually am on a very restrictive diet, but since I’m here for God knows how long I might as well enjoy some good food.” With a shrug and a sheepish grin, I added, “Never know, might be my last meal.”
Ash and Phoenix exchanged a look – I couldn’t say either way if it was a good or bad look but I was certainly being kept in the dark about something and I didn’t like it.
“What’s wrong? What aren’t you guys telling me?”
“Nothing,” Ash placed his hand on mine and smiled. Really. “There’s nothing to worry about. You’ll get your life back eventually. It’s just going to take some time.”
The warmth of his hand and the reassurance he gave when he squeezed it ever so lightly helped to soothe me, but the nagging feeling was still there. “If you say so. It doesn’t make any sense that I have to stay here. I’m not going to tell anyone – I promise.”
“It’s not that easy. It’ll all be fine.” He gave my hand another squeeze before pulling it back. “I promise.”
“So tell us what it’s like to be a famous model,” Phoenix said.
“I appreciate the change in topic, but I’m not sure if that’s the best topic to talk about. My career isn’t doing all that great.”
He frowned as if truly baffled. “I don’t understand. You must be killing it.” Leaning back in the chair, he motioned toward me. “Look at you.”
Rolling my eyes at him, I scooped up some mashed potatoes. “I’m a twenty-eight-year-old model who hasn’t made it big despite being a model for a decade.”
“That’s bullshit. You’re gorgeous.”
Suddenly losing my appetite, I placed the forkful of potato on my plate. “You know before you two grabbed me I was on my way to a gig in Las Vegas. The kind of gig you’d expect someone just starting out landing. It wasn’t even going to pay for my gas to get there. And before I left L.A., I was told by my manager that I was too old for runway and editorial. I’ll be lucky to get commercial work. He has zero faith in me. Maybe he’s right. If I haven’t made it in ten years of auditions and shoots then it’s unlikely I’ll make it now that I’m old.”
The men exchanged a confused look. It was Ash that finally spoke. “Neither one of us knows what editorial and all that means, but we both saw your photos and you’re one of the hottest women we’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Lowering my gaze, I stared at my plate of half-eaten food. “It’s not all about hotness. They want young, human clothes hangers for runway. And I’m also getting to old to be in swimsuit ads. It’s just not as simple as so-called hotness.”
The men exchanged a look. It was Ash that replied, “If twenty-eight is old then us being in our thirties is ancient.” He then looked at Phoenix, “Do you feel ancient, brother?”
With a grimace, Phoenix shook his head. “Can’t say that I do.”
“There ya have it.” Ash threw his hand up in the air. “It’s been decided you’re not old. Why they’d want kids on covers and modeling clothing is beyond me. Maybe it’s a chick thing, but only pervs like trolling the high schools.”
They looked so sincere that I couldn’t help but laugh. They didn’t get the industry, and to be honest a good chunk of the time I didn’t understand it either. It was fickle and soul draining, but it’s hard to give up on your dreams. After ten years of chasing something, it’s hard to just turn back and give it up because that meant the past decade was a waste of time. “Maybe it’s time for me to move on.”
“What would you do?” Ash asked.
“Dunno. I really don’t have any skills. I never went to college. I didn’t have a back-up plan. My plan was to be famous by now.”
“You’ve got a lot of great qualities that are well beyond your looks.” Phoenix took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t undervalue yourself.”
He looked so sincere. They both did. It was like they were different people and I’d be lying if I didn’t say I felt drawn to them. Maybe it was because I’d been craving this sort of concern and affection for way too long. It wasn’t something I was accustomed to – not since my parents died – and I didn’t realize how much I craved it until now. I’d been surrounded by industry people and the vanity that comes with L.A. culture for so long I’d forgotten what it was like to be valued for more than just looks. I’d love nothing more than to throw myself into their arms and have them hold me until all the bad went away.
Ash pointed to my plate, a hint of a devilish grin on his face. “Eat up. We’ve got a surprise for you that might cheer you up.”
“A surprise?” I looked over at Phoenix whose grin was equally as visible.
“You bet.” Phoenix gave me a wink and then went back to devouring his meal.
