Page 89 of Victorious: Part I

Phoenix sits back, taking in the ambiance of the place. “Despite their lack of gross Elvis-inspired food that I was looking forward to tasting, this place is pretty fucking cool.”

“Who knew you were such an Elvis fan? I sure didn’t?” I state, beginning to pull out my equipment to take some shots for the campaign.

He goes quiet, and the sudden drop in conversation causes me to look up. It’s like the fire I saw burning inside him is slowly fizzling out. Furrowing my brows, I tilt my head in confusion. “Hey, did I say something wrong?”

Chapter Twenty-One

CLOVER

Phoenix inhales sharply, clearly faking a smile, then turns to me. “No, nothing at all. You gonna get some shots of this place before we’re overrun with food?”

Grimacing, I immediately start setting up a small camera to capture some time-lapse footage of the diner. “Seriously, how are they going to fit it all on this table?” I giggle as he sits back, continuing to absorb the ambiance.

I can’t resist taking some shots of the diner, the jukebox, the vintage signs on the walls. Phoenix watches me with a half-smile, and feeling his gaze on me the entire time somehow calms me.

“This is amazing,” I breathe out, taking in the retro decor.

Phoenix looks around with a bemused expression. “It’s… pink.”

“It’s the artistic appeal,” I correct him, already plotting my angles. “Those milkshakes are going to look incredible on camera.”

“You never stop, do you?” he asks.

“When inspiration strikes, you don’t question it.” I pause. “Does it bother you?”

He shakes his head. “Nah. It’s cool seeing someone so into their thing.”

Spinning to face him, I raise my brow. “So then, what’syourthing?”

He snorts out a mocking laugh. “I don’t have a thing.”

Bringing my camera back up, I peer through the lens, aiming it at him. “Everyone has a thing. Presley, maybe you just haven’t found yours yet?” I reply, clicking a few times to get candid pictures of him, the sun shining through the window behind him perfectly, causing his face to be shadowed out.

An audible groan comes from him just as Carol steps up beside us with our milkshakes. Picture-perfect creations topped with whipped cream and cherries. She slides them onto the table with a wink but says nothing and scurries off. Smirking, I arrange them carefully, adjusting the angle, the lighting, and the general vibe.

“You’rearegonna let me drink that before it melts, right?” Phoenix asks dryly.

Rolling my eyes, I scowl at him. “In a minute. Don’t touch it yet. I need you in this shot.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Me?Why?”

“Because we’re on this road trip together, and it makes sense to show that. It’s more authentic.” I position my phone. “Just pretend you’re about to take a sip. And please try not to look like you’re in pain.”

He rolls his eyes but does as I ask, leaning forward over his chocolate milkshake. I snap a few photos, then switch to video.

“Perfect!Nowyou can drink it.”

Phoenix takes a long sip and raises his eyebrows. “Damn, that’s actually really good.”

“See?Sometimes, the aesthetic places have substance too.”

I edit a quick story for the campaign in their account, tagging both the diner and the company I’m working for. Then, without thinking too much about it, I tag Phoenix too.

He frowns when the notification pops up on his phone. “What the fuck are you doing, Clo?”

“Just tagged you. No big deal.” I shrug.

His expression darkens. “It is abigfucking deal. We’re supposed to be keeping incognito,remember?That’s the whole point of this trip. To get away from anyone who might be looking for club members. To keepyoufucking safe.”

---