Page 3 of The Swap
My back ached and every muscle in my body screamed its displeasure. I clenched my jaw, breathing deeply through my nostrils as I struggled to hold still.
“You look constipated,” Korey said from across the room. He sounded rather pleased with himself. Sometimes, I wondered if he didn’t enjoy my discomfort a little too much.
“Sorry,” I muttered. I released the breath I’d been holding and tried to relax my face into a more serene expression.
“Ignore him. You’re doing great,” Ben whispered. He gave me a kind smile as he continued to move around me, dipping his body and turning the camera to get the right angle.
I looked at Korey out of the corner of my eye and saw him frown. He’d obviously heard what Ben said and didn’t like it. There was definitely no love lost between the two men, but Korey knew better than to cross Ben. Ben had threatened to kick him out of his studio on more than one occasion and I had no doubt that he’d follow through on those threats if Korey pushed him.
Ben was the most sought-after photographer in the business and my favorite to work with. He’d worked with some of the top names in modeling and his photos could be seen in every fashion magazine, from Cosmo to Vogue. I was honored that he was willing to work with me, especially given how he and Korey butted heads. But Ben was always nice to me and made the long hours pass more quickly by telling me stories of the places he’d traveled to and the people he’d worked with.
However, that day, I’d nearly reached my breaking point and even Ben’s tales weren’t distracting me from the pain I was in. We’d been at it for over six hours and my ass had long since gone numb from sitting on the unforgiving metal stool. My neck felt like it had a permanent kink in it and I could feel my composure starting to crumble. Surely, in the three thousand photos Ben had taken, there would be at least one that would be worth turning in to the magazine.
“Are we almost done?” I whispered through barely parted lips.
“Almost. I just want to get a few more now that the sun has finally decided to make its appearance. It’s streaming through the windows and the way it’s landing on your face…” He trailed off, his voice sounding reverent. I knew it was more about the lighting he was seeing filtered through his lens that was making him sound that way than my actual face. Ben was my friend. He liked me, but he was also very professional, and as far as I knew, very straight.
I held still as he took several more pictures. “You can relax now. I’m finished.” I let out the breath I’d been holding and stood on shaky legs, my body screaming in protest of the abuse I’d put it through.
“I’ll get started on the proofs right away and then send them over to the magazine. They’ll let us know if they aren’t satisfied with what we’ve provided, but I doubt that’ll be the case. The camera loves you.” He walked across the room to where his camera bag lay and began putting away the expensive equipment.
I tilted my head from side to side, trying to work the stiffness out of my neck then jumped as a pair of warm hands landed on my shoulders. I hadn’t even heard Korey walking up behind me, but I let out a moan as his fingers started kneading my aching muscles.
“You’ve had a long day. I think you deserve a surprise,” he whispered.
I looked over my shoulder, arching my brow at him. “What are you up to?”
“If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise now, would it?” Korey teased, wagging his eyebrows at me.
I turned back around at the sound of a throat clearing and flushed with embarrassment when I saw Ben standing in front of us. For a moment, I’d forgotten he was in the room. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the man behind me. I felt Korey tense up and his fingers dug into my shoulders, almost to the point of pain.
“Thank you so much for everything,” I told Ben sincerely, trying to defuse the tension between the two men. I’d never understood why they disliked each other so much. Ben’s eyes darted over to mine and the hard edge that had been there before disappeared as he smiled at me.
“As always, it was a pleasure working with you. I look forward to seeing you again.” With that, he turned and left, but his emphasis on the wordyouhad made it quite clear that he wasn’t including Korey in his sentiments.
“Pompous asshole,” Korey gritted out. “He obviously doesn’t know who he’s talking to. I should have him fired!”
I struggled not to roll my eyes, knowing it probably wasn’t the best time to point out that Ben was an independent contractor and magazines hired him for individual projects because he was the best. He was his own boss and therefore couldn’t be fired.
I turned to face him. “So, what’s my surprise?” I asked, eager to change the subject.
Korey stepped away from me with a shake of his head. “You’ll have to wait and see,” he said, giving me a mischievous grin. I relaxed a bit with the return of his playful mood and smiled at him.
I quickly changed back into my own clothes, throwing everything into my bag and zipping it up. Korey was waiting for me at the front door and without a word, he reached for the heavy duffle bag I had on my shoulder. I could’ve carried it, but I let him take it instead, knowing he wouldn’t listen even if I argued. He enjoyed taking care of me, claiming it was all part of his job as my agent. I disagreed, but it was easier to just let him have his way.
Korey and I had met three years earlier. I’d moved to Los Angeles just a year before and was still suffering a bit of culture shock. I’d grown up in a small town in Alabama, where being different was frowned upon. I never admitted to anyone back home that I was gay, especially not my father or mother. Although, I was pretty sure they suspected.
The older I got and tried to dress or style my hair the way I wanted, the more restrictions they put on me. They were never abusive, but they were controlling to the point of suffocation. I knew they acted that way because they were afraid. Afraid that one day I’d speak out about my “sinful thoughts” and the town’s preacher would have to explain to his congregation that his only child was gay.
Not long after graduating high school, I moved to L.A. in hopes of finding a job somewhere in the fashion industry. I’d never expected to see so many other people like me. It was liberating, to say the least, and I immediately felt like I’d found my tribe, even though I hadn’t actually met anyone yet.
I put my resume in every store, from the biggest names in the industry to tiny, corner boutiques. It didn’t matter to me what job I got as long as I was able to work in fashion. After several weeks with no response and my savings dwindling, I was forced to get a job serving drinks in a swanky nightclub.
It was there that I met Korey. He’d come into the club with a group of friends, each of them more beautiful than the next, but somehow, I caught his eye. Despite having his friends there, Korey seemed more interested in getting to know me. He talked with me every time I came back to refill their drinks, and I responded, even though I was nervous as hell. I’d never met anyone quite as suave and sophisticated as him.
I admit to being naïve back then. Everything about the city was like an awakening for me, and Korey Duncan was no exception. He was still hanging around by the time my shift ended and asked if I wanted to go get something to eat. He took me to an all-night diner and we spent the rest of the night together, talking and getting to know each other.
He told me that he was a modeling agent and then proceeded to entertain me with stories about his travels and the models he’d worked with. I’d nervously admitted that I wanted to work in fashion. I’d never spoken my dreams out loud to another soul, but Korey didn’t laugh at me. Instead, he’d taken a step back, tilting his head as he scrutinized me. His eyes swept over me, analyzing every inch as he shook his head from side to side. Just as I started to feel self-conscious, he explained that I was wasting my time trying to get a job as a personal shopper or window dresser. He told me that with my bone structure and willowy shape, he thought I had what it took to become a model. Once again, my world was opened up to new and wondrous possibilities.
