Page 18 of The Swap
It had been two weeks since my somewhat date with Samuel and I was still floating on cloud nine. I’d hoped to see him again right away, but I’d flown to New York two days later to do a fashion show and an interview on Good Morning America, where Robin Roberts asked me what it was like to be the fresh face of men’s fashion. I must have said the right things because she called me charming and invited me to come back again. Korey was so happy he even stopped to buy me a slice of pepperoni pizza as we walked around, enjoying the sights.
The following week had been filled with one photoshoot after another. It was long and exhausting, but I couldn’t complain too much since Korey had stuck to our agreement and not scheduled anything for that weekend. All I had to do was get through the next few hours and I’d be free for an entire two days.
Samuel and I had texted each other nearly every day since our night together and we’d even managed to call a couple of times at night. Each time, we’d stayed up talking until one or both of us fell asleep. He was a very special man; funny and caring and extremely intelligent. I’d never met anyone who I connected with so quickly and so completely. Even the differences between us, like our ages or our jobs, didn’t carry much weight once we got to know each other.
I heard my phone beep from across the room and quickly tied the belt around the waist of the plush terry cloth robe Ben had given me. Luckily, we were on a break and Korey and Ben were busy discussing, or rather arguing over, how the next series of shots should go. I rolled my eyes at the two of them and left them to hash things out while I hurried over to my bag. I pulled my phone out and smiled when I saw it was a text from Samuel.
Samuel:I agreed to go to the swap party tomorrow night. I wasn’t going to, but Gayle asked if I’d go with her one more time. Personally, I think she’s met someone she really likes and that’s what’s making her so nervous. Will you be there?
Me:Why weren’t you going to go?
Samuel:Because I was hoping to spend time alone with you instead.
Me:Good answer. I’ll see you there, Samuel.
I started to put my phone away, but a second later, my phone chirped again.
Samuel:Why do you call me Samuel? Everyone else I know calls me Sam.
Me:Oh, sweetie. Don’t you know by now? I’m not like everyone else.
Samuel:Thank God for that.
“What are you smiling about?” I looked up from my phone to find Korey standing over me. His arms were crossed, and his eyes were narrowed.
“Just talking to a friend,” I told him, tucking my phone back inside my bag.
“Well, if it’s the same ‘friend,’” he said using air quotes, “that’s been distracting you all week, then you might want to tell him that you’re on company time right now and you’ll talk to him later, okay?”
I glanced over his shoulder. Ben was fiddling with his camera, but I was sure he’d heard every word. I was used to Korey’s holier-than-thou attitude, and I was usually able to take it with a grain of salt, but I’d be damned if I was going to let him tell me who I could speak to or when. I stepped closer to him, lowering my voice so only he would hear.
“Listen to me very carefully, Korey. You may be my agent, but I don’t work for you. If anything, it’s the other way around. So, this company time you speak of, it’smine. I take my job very seriously. I work my ass off and do everything that’s asked of me, butno oneis going to dictate who I can talk to. That’s where I draw the line. Are we clear?”
Korey’s eyes had widened as I spoke until I was sure they would fall out of his head. I’d never stood up to him like that and he obviously wasn’t sure what to do with it. I supposed some of it was my fault. I’d allowed him to do or say whatever he wanted for so long, never feeling like it was worth arguing about, but he’d hit a nerve when he spoke that way about Samuel and I wasn’t going to put up with it.
He gave me a terse nod instead of answering and went back over to his corner of the room to sulk. I was sure I’d be getting the cold shoulder for a while, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. With a sigh, I wandered back over to where we’d been working. Ben was busy swapping out some of the props on the elaborate beach set he’d made.
When I’d first started modeling, it had seemed strange to be shooting a summer line of clothing in the winter and vice versa. It had made sense though once Korey explained the process and the time it took to get those photos ready for the big summer magazine issues.
For this session, Ben had pulled out all the stops; hauling in an enormous pile of sand which he’d smoothed out over the entire area and added a large beach umbrella, surfboards, and even a picnic basket. I knew he would’ve rather taken the photos down on the actual beach, but it was a little too chilly for me to be out there wearing nothing but swimwear.
“Go ahead and take a seat on the towel and I’ll arrange you how I need to in a minute. I just have to grab a different lens for this.”
I peeled my robe off and set it aside, then reached down to adjust the swim trunks the magazine’s wardrobe department had sent for me to wear. They were little more than dental floss disguised as swimwear, but it didn’t bother me. I’d learned early on that modesty was a luxury models couldn’t afford. There were way too many hair, makeup, and wardrobe people touching our bodies, adjusting and tucking things in they didn’t want seen and sometimes even taping them down. None of it was sexual or inappropriate, it was all just part of the job.
I sat down on the blue and white beach towel and pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs. Ben had very thoughtfully turned the heat up inside his studio, but the temperature outside had dropped considerably, and I still felt a little chilly.
“I turned the temperature up a bit more for you,” Ben said as he came over, setting his camera down on top of the picnic basket. “With any luck, we’ll get Mr. Sunshine so hot, he’ll decide to go for a walk or something,” he joked. I glanced over in Korey’s direction. He wasn’t paying any attention to us as he fiddled with his phone, but his forehead was dotted with sweat and he reached up and ran a finger around the collar of his shirt, trying to catch a cool breeze no doubt.
“You’re bad,” I responded, but I couldn’t hold back a tiny laugh.
“Seriously though, I was glad to hear you stand up for yourself,” he said.
“Eh, Korey’s not a bad guy,” I told him. Ben gave me a skeptical look. “He’s really not. He’s done a lot for me. I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for him. He just has to be reminded what my boundaries are sometimes.”
“If you say so,” he said, obviously unconvinced by my words. I let it go though. I wasn’t sure what had led to the animosity between the two of them, but I didn’t plan on getting anywhere near the middle of it.
“So, tell me about this guy.” I smiled, thankful for the change in topic and also because it was impossible not to smile whenever I thought of Samuel. “Oooh! That good huh?”
