Page 76 of You Had Me at Chateau
I can just about tell that he’s looking at me but I still can’t make out his expression, and he seems awfully quiet.
‘Yeah, that sounds great,’ he eventually says. ‘I’ll grab my camera. You look amazing, by the way.’
Hmm, I’m not sure about that one. I feel like my general awkwardness is making me look stiff and strange, like I’m not at home on this planet, never mind in fancy underwear. But I’m being motivated by the money. More money for me, more money for Caleb, more money for charity. Can you think of a more noble reason to slip on a nightie?
I blush, glad he can’t see my face clearly under the mask.
‘Thanks,’ I mumble, feeling a mix of nerves and unexpected excitement.
‘Honestly, you look great,’ he says again, clearly picking up on my body language. ‘And you know you don’t have to promote this stuff if you don’t want to, we’ve got plenty of other bits.’
‘No, no, it’s fine,’ I insist, literally trying to shake it off – but carefully, so I don’t flash him. ‘I was thinking you could just get arty shots – just glimmers of what I’m wearing, rather than body shots. Either way… I just feel a bit silly.’
‘Hey, if you feel silly, I’ll just do my best to focus on your face this time.’
‘Fab,’ I say, feeling more at ease already.
He starts lining up shots, and although I don’t feel uncomfortable with him, I do feel a bit like an underwear model. Oh, if my parents could see me now.
‘Amber?’ I hear my dad’s voice call out.
I freeze on the spot. I imagined that, right? My dad isn’t here, he can’t be, and even if he were, how would he get in the chalet?
‘Amber,’ he calls out again.
Right, that’s definitely my dad’s voice.
I grab my glasses from where I set them down on the table, next to my laptop, and pop them on my face – face mask be damned – and that’s when I notice my dad’s face on my laptop screen. Oh, shit. He’s right there, in real time, looking bewildered, and I am just gawping back at him.
Panic mode: activated. I bolt from the living room, sprinting to the bedroom, and then into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. What just happened? I try to piece it together, my heart racing. My laptop must have heard something that sounded like a request to FaceTime my dad, I’m guessing, because there he was. Oh God, there he was. And there I was, in full view of the camera, posing for photos in my underwear.
I wipe off the green face mask, hoping the redness on my face is from some kind of reaction to it, but no, it’s sheer embarrassment.
I can hear voices in the other room – my dad and Caleb chatting. Oh, why are they still chatting? Great, just great.
I lean against the bathroom door, debating my next move. I can’t stay in here forever, can I?Can I?No, I can’t.
Eventually, with a deep breath, I put my top back on – a real top – and reluctantly head back out into the living room.
As I approach the dining area, I see Caleb and my dad deep in conversation. Caleb spots me and grins, then turns to the screen. ‘Ah, Johnny, here she is.’
I approach the laptop cautiously, like I’m a teenager again, and like my dad has the power to reach through the screen, grab me, drag me home, and ground me for catching me with a boy.
‘Hi, Dad,’ I say, trying to sound casual, like this isn’t the most embarrassing moment of my life – and, believe me, there are some other strong contenders this week alone.
Dad looks… happy? That’s odd. I’m not sure I’ve seen my dad look happy since, I don’t know, the nineties.
‘Amber, Caleb explained everything. I get it – good work if you can get it,’ Dad tells me.
I laugh awkwardly.
‘Erm, thanks, Dad. Are you okay?’ I ask.
‘Yes, I’m fine. Just checking in,’ he says. ‘Nice to meet you, Caleb. Thanks for the chat.’
‘Nice to meet you too, Johnny,’ he tells him. ‘Anytime.’
After a bit more small talk between the three of us, we end the call.
