Page 56 of Touch in the Dark

Another soft knock and the door opens. I expect it to be Louis, but it’s not. It’s Nick.

“I have to go,” I squeak to Remi and hang up before he can say anything, although I do hear him shouting to me as I hang up.

Nick comes inside and closes the door. He has his sweats and a t-shirt on. I’m still in my robe and the bondage underwear. I pull it closed around me, clutching my phone to my chest.

“I want to apologise, I embarrassed the fuck out of myself, and it was inappropriate and unintentional. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

He looks really concerned about it and I hate that he feels bad. I give a slight shake of my head.

“Thank you for that. It was a bit of a shock, but I’m not offended.”

“No?”

“It was a little unexpected but it’s… natural, I guess.”

“Believe it or not, I don’t just pop stiffy’s around anyone, Elsa,” he chuckles.

“So I’m privileged then?”

“Yes.”

We stare at each other again and he starts to take a step toward me but leans back and puts his hands in the pockets of his pants, like he’s trying to stop himself reaching out for me. Part of me is screaming for him to do it. God, what I wouldn’t give to just step up to him. But my heart won’t let me. My head is so conflicted. Just being in the same room as him is doing all kinds of things to me. I can’t help it when my eyes dart downwards and back up.

“Please, don’t,” he holds up both hands. “We have to go back out there and finish this, and it’s taking a hell of a lot of willpower and thinking about my grandma to keep from making a dick of myself again,” he grins when my cheeks flush. “Pardon the pun. So, er, do you have a ride back to the city when we’re done? I have a car.”

My eyes widen. I do in fact have a ride, but it’s with Louis. I didn’t want Thomas to drive all the way out here and have to hang around and when Louis offered, I took her up on it. I have to stay for the full day to get back home though. And given they’ve utilised me as a model and not a make-up artist, they’ve organised for another person to take over my duties for the day, so once this is done, I’m no longer needed on the set. I’ll be back tomorrow for the other shoots and again for the commercials later in the week. Question is, do I want to risk getting in a car with Nick, or hang around and wait for Louis, when she’s told me it could run late.

Screw it, we’re adults. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to be finished a lot earlier given the change in job today.”

“No problem,” he says. “And we’re okay, right? Despite me making an ass of myself?”

I laugh quietly but nod, he dips his head then we both turn when there is another knock at the door. It’s Louis telling us they’re ready to get back to it, she’s brought the wardrobe person to change me into my final outfit, which is fine by me. By the time I get back out, Nick is back in his own outfit, if it can be called that, but this time he has a silk robe on that makes him look like a pimp, albeit a sexy one, and I bust out laughing.

“What?” he holds his arms out, a shit eating grin on his face that reminds me of Jordan. “I’ve already asked if I can take this home. It’s incredibly comfortable,” he rubs the sleeves, but I can see the amusement in his face.

He’s making fun of himself and as we get back to it, I wonder if the robe was an impromptu addition because everyone could see the reaction he had while rubbing up against me earlier. No one had come in to ask me about it though and I’m pretty sure if they thought there is anything even remotely uncomfortable going on, they’d put a stop to it. I’m pretty sure a couple of the other models noticed but I’m guessing the photographer and Louis didn’t. Thank the gods. I couldn’t bear having that conversation as well.

We finish up, running just an hour over schedule. Another guitarist from a band arrives for his photoshoot and Nick greets him warmly heading over to the drinks machine to chat. I take the opportunity to slip into the dressing room, which has a shower, thank God, because even though I know how much make-up it takes to put on models, I’ve never actually had to take it off my own face and body. I try to be quick because I don’t want to keep Nick waiting, yet he still somehow manages to beat me out. His hair is wet, and his curls are back, all the gel slicking it back washed out. He’s talking to a woman, who is staring up at him like he hung the moon, a dreamy glaze over her eyes. She laughs like a donkey when Nick says something. My nose wrinkles when she touches his arm.

And he lets her.

He glances over and notices me. He lifts his chin to acknowledge me then says something to the woman. She pouts but Nick grabs his bag. I don’t know what he is saying to her now, but she takes something from her pocket, a piece of paper, and hands it to him. Nick smiles and pockets it, then heads over to me.

“Ready to go?”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask if she just gave him her phone number. Of course she did. But what I want to know the answer to is, will he call her. She’s attractive, if a little forward. But I’ve noticed that in my time around famous people. Strangers assume it’s okay to approach celebrities because they’re in the public eye. It’s like they think they know them, even though they’re perfect strangers. I’ve seen many mixed reactions to this kind of behaviour over the years. Jordan always welcomes it with a laugh and a joke, even when he isn’t in the mood, because that is the way Jordan is built. Adam will make people aware he isn’t interested or get security to move people on. Nick and Archer are similar in their approach, charming, friendly, but very adept at steering people away without being rude. Remi is a mixture of all of them. I’m sure he’d stop and talk to every fan if his security allowed it.

Yet, he pocketed her phone number.

“Elsa?” I flinch when he touches my arm. “Everything okay?” he asks.

“Fine, yes, sorry. I was just thinking about something,” I say as airily as I can. But I don’t think I pulled it off because Nick stares intently at me before he holds out a hand to head to the exit. He glances at the woman again who looks murderous that Nick’s leaving with me. What is it with these women? Is she going to get me fired from this job now too?

Damn, if that happens again, I’m going to get seriously irritated. A black SUV with tinted windows is waiting for us outside.

I hadn’t realised it had gotten so late, the afternoon sky beginning to darken. The snow is still falling, and I pause and hold out my hands, a smile splitting my face. It’s not like I haven’t seen snow before, sure I grew up in L.A., but I’ve been on vacation and I’ve been snowboarding too. It’s just so out of the ordinary for day-to-day life and everything looks so beautiful, so white and pure, the snow hardly touched, with just a few tyre prints on the roads. I have this need to stop and take it all in, holding my hands out to catch some snowflakes.

I notice Nick watching me and embarrassment flushes my cheeks again.

---