Behind His Lens(59)

“That’s awesome,” I comment. “He seems like a cool guy. I’ve worked with some interesting directors over the past two years. I hate when we start the day and no one seems to have a clue of how they want the shots to be laid out. It makes the whole process drag,” I add, brushing past a bright pink hydrangea plant that seems to be blooming in every direction.

“Yeah, you don’t have to worry about that with Ryan and Jude. They’re like the dynamic duo.”

I laugh, “I like the sound of that.”

After two more concrete steps, the palm trees and lush island vegetation open up to reveal a white sand beach. Vibrant blue waters with white capped waves roll into view as salt dances in the air, no doubt leaving a thin layer of dew atop my fresh makeup. Definitely not a bad day at the office.

Just as soon as paradise is unveiled before us, the moment is interrupted by the paparazzi’s snapping lenses and jarring camera flashes. I groan inwardly at the vultures peering over that thin line of orange tape. Then as if the entire scene wasn’t ludicrous enough, one overly-ambitious photographer spies Bella and I veering out from behind the line of palm trees and leans so far over the rope that his camera flashes into his face as he plummets to the sand in an awkward somersault. I clasp my hand over my mouth while Bella laughs hysterically. In all, the poor man has taken down nearly half the platoon of paparazzi before everyone’s righted themselves again.

With a sharp tongue, Ryan huffs over to them and casts half of them away, threatening to call security and the local authorities. Thankfully, they’re clapping lenses die down somewhat after that. Having Jude’s lens trained on me in a few minutes will be more than enough.

Bella and I take a seat in collapsible metal chairs near the crew area so that we don’t interrupt the current shots taking place even more. Bella reaches toward the table for a plate of fruit for us to share just as Ryan’s assistant smiles and waves. It’s her job to make sure I’ve arrived on time, and she looks relieved to see me on set a few minutes ahead of schedule. After she’s marked that I’m present, I let my eyes drift past her, toward Jude. I completely ignore the plate of pineapple and strawberries Bella shoves in front of my face because I’ve spied something much more tantalizing.

He’s completely focused on his work, unaware of the calamity that just took place around him. He’s squatting low in the sand, knees bent, every sexy ounce of muscle balancing deftly on the balls of his feet. The elegant muscles in his back stretch beneath his shirt. He has no clue that I’ve arrived and I like it that way. I feel sneaky, watching him work like this.

He moves fluidly as he snaps pictures of the model on set, as if his sole purpose in this life is to capture beauty in the precise moment in which it presents itself. I don’t know who the model is, but she has dirty blonde hair and the biggest boobs I’ve ever seen. I’m not kidding; I think they could potentially have their own time zone. She’s poised in the sand with her arms angled behind her head. Jude’s shooting her from every angle as her breasts practically spill out of her black string bikini, no doubt pulling every pair of male eyes into their gravitational pull.

“Any chance that she’s married too?” I laugh bitterly, recalling Bella’s giant rock from the day before as I pull my gaze away from the set and fidget on my uncomfortable metal seat. Even though the island’s weather is warm and humid, I wrap my arms tightly around my robe trying to quell the unwelcome jealousy leaking from my heart.

“Pfft, no,” Bella snorts, and shakes her head dramatically. “Veronica is probably the craziest girl I know. But she’s hilarious. You’d like her.”

I smile, feeling the tinge of jealously wane slightly as I steal a piece of mango from Bella’s plate and pop the morsel of sweetness into my mouth without smudging my lipstick. “Sounds like my best friend back home.”


Bella sets her finished plate of fruit back on the table in front of us and nods. “Maybe you’ll get to meet her later? I think the models might go out after the shoot wraps for the day.”

Jude’s sexy promises from the night before spring to mind and I don’t even have to think about which I’d rather do. “Oh, yeah we’ll see. I have no clue how tired I’ll be after this.”

Bella smiles, not pushing the subject. “No problem. I’ll just keep you posted.”

Ryan’s voice suddenly booms across the beach, catching our attention. “Alright, Veronica. You’re done! Good job.” He claps encouragingly and the model, Veronica, beams and practically follows after him like a puppy. Ryan doesn’t notice though, he’s already turning toward his assistant, staying focused on the photo shoot. I choose to follow Ryan’s movements for the time being, not yet prepared to stare into the pair of sharp blue eyes just behind him.