Page 6 of Camera Chemistry
This photo shoot could kick off a new era. An appreciation for the day and reclaiming it for reasons other than relationship torment. Maybe I’ll buy myself flowers and a new piece of lingerie. I’ll enjoy a glass of chardonnay in a steamy bubble bath as I get myself off after a fun day with a guy I’ll never see again.
I’ll imagine this mystery man—Aiden—running his hand up my leg. Nudging my knees apart and trailing hot, searing kisses down my neck as he slides a finger inside me, stretching and filling me beyond belief. He’d be game for anything I want to try, offering a resounding agreement when I propose a new position or the addition of a toy.
“Mags? Daydreaming over there?”
I crash back to reality. My eyes adjust to my surroundings as I realize I’m not in the privacy of my home but with my best friends, one of whom is grinning at me like she can read my mind.
“Sorry. Distracted.” I fumble for my water glass, the liquid refreshing down my parched throat. The room feels hotter than when we sat down, and it takes three long sips until my equilibrium balances out. “Thank you for convincing me to do the shoot. This is going to be a good thing.”
Jeremiah beams. “Wait until you see his smile.”
FOUR
AIDEN
“You looklike you’re struggling to take a shit.”
I glance up from the mound of clothes littering my bed to find Maven, my foul-mouthed sixteen-year-old daughter, leaning against the door jamb of my room. She’s still in her one-piece bathing suit from swim practice and holding a sports drink full of electrolytes. A puddle of water pools on the hardwood floor beneath her, and I wave my security deposit goodbye with every chlorinated drop.
“Want to try that again without the colorful commentary?” I ask. I’m not mad about the vernacular; ifshitis the worst thing to come out of her mouth, I deserve a pat on the back for a parenting job well done.
She laughs and joins me at the footboard to assess the war zone she’s walked into. “Are you going on a trip? Cleaning out your closet? Please tell me you’re donating that god-awful pair of loafers. Or, better yet, tossing them in the incinerator. Good riddance.”
“Glad to see your bluntness hasn’t faded with age. I’m being subjected to something against my will, thanks to the idiocy of Uncle Shawn.”
“Is he really an idiot if he won an award from the NFL for his contributions to his community, dedication to preserving local ecosystems, and global involvement not just in sports, but advocacy for humankind?”
“How much did that prick pay you to flaunt his achievements?”
“Fifty bucks,” she says, taking a sip of her drink. “What’s going on?”
“I’m doing a photo shoot tomorrow. Your uncle,” I say bitterly, “signed me up for the gig. It’s with a stranger, too, and I’m out of sorts about it.”
“Whoa. You’re leaving the house?”
“I leave the house plenty.”
“Not for something other than the hospital.”
“I take you to—”
“Or swim practice.”
“Okay, I also—”
“Picking me up from Mom’s doesn’t count, either.”
My mouth snaps closed. The little weasel has backed me into a corner.Checkmate. “Fine,” I relent. “You might have a point.”
“I can’t believe you’re going to model. That’s so fun.”
“We have very different definitions of fun.”
“Why do you look so stressed out?”
“Besides the fear of having to do something I’m not going to be good at with a woman I don’t know in front of professionals?”
“Dad.” Mae gives me a look. I’m a sucker for those puppy dog eyes, and she knows it. I sigh and rub my temples. “Spill.”
