Page 101 of Plus Size Player

Everything muted as our eyes locked. For several long seconds, I was transfixed.

I could pretend I didn’t miss that man in the privacy of my own home, but it was hard to deny it in his presence.

Jonah tapped on my back, and I sucked in a sharp breath. Tearing my eyes away from Russ, I tried to focus on my work. But it was too late.

“No, no, no, it’s gone,” the photographer grumbled. “You had something, but you lost it. Let’s try this with Jacqueline and Matias.”

I walked toward Taisha, Jonah on my heels.

“You two looked good,” Taisha whispered excitedly. “If I didn’t know any better…” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“We were sharing something special,” Jonah replied, draping his arm around my shoulders.

My eyebrows shot up. “Oop! Not you lying!”

“She’s just shy,” he joked to Taisha in a low tone.

Rolling my eyes, I spun out of his embrace. “Jonah, please.”

The three of us snickered quietly, hoping not to be overheard by the photographer or his team.

I glanced in the direction where Russ was, but he was gone. I didn’t want to make it obvious, so I watched Matias and Jacqueline for a few seconds before discreetly turning to look behind me.

Russ was staring directly at me.

My gut twisted violently. So much so, I whipped back around.

“That’s it,” the photographer stated with finality.

His assistants turned off the LED lights and that’s how we knew the shoot was over.

“I guess that’s it,” I murmured as we headed toward the changing areas.

“He isn’t the nicest, but he is an epic photographer,” Jacqueline whispered. “These photos are probably going to be the best of all of them.”

I smiled. “I can’t wait to see them.”

Trying to play it cool, I looked over toward the back of the room where the RLF team had spent the entirety of the shoot. Russ was in a conversation with Remedy. He wasn’t looking in my direction, but she was. Quickly averting my eyes, I filed out with the rest of the models.

My heart thumped nervously.

Even if Remedy saw me looking in that direction, there was no way for her to know that I was looking at Russ.

It’s fine, it’s fine.

I talked myself down as I changed. By the time I exited the studio, I felt more at ease. I was just about to get into my car when I saw Remedy walking my way.

“Nina,” she greeted me with a pleasant tone.

Definitely not the tone of someone suspicious of my past with her brother.

“Hi, Remedy,” I said, smiling.

“I was right about you.” She pointed at me. “You’re a natural. You’re a star.”

She put her cell phone to her ear and continued walking down the sidewalk.

I watched her for a moment and then I climbed into the car.

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