Mr. Handsome A Billionaire Romance(4)
I simply shook my head and we talked over another beer before he had to go. I finished a third beer on my own, then headed out to the waiting car and my driver drove me back to the townhouse. The place felt kind of big and empty all of a sudden and I didn’t really want to ponder why that was. Yeah, I was lonely and had been for a while after my last serious relationship, which ended abruptly and tore me apart.
Ever since then, I’ve been closed off from any romance. Hopefully, the modeling thing would loosen me up and get me back to normal when it came to women. I sat down on the living room couch and pulled out my phone. My publicist had already sent the news out all over twitter about my new career in modeling. There really was no going back then, it ought to be a crazy adventure, that’s for sure.
I fell asleep on the couch and the next morning, I went about my normal Saturday routine. Breakfast, gym, golf, lunch, visit with my mom, and then home again. Vanessa had called me twice to make sure I wouldn’t forget about the shoot and I assured her that I would show up. When I did arrive at the Third Street Warehouse, Victor was waiting for me with a stupid smirk on his face.
“Why do you have to be here?” I said in annoyance, which Victor only found as funny.
“I told you, I couldn’t miss it. Vanessa is inside also, we want to make sure you have a great first day as a model,” Victor said patronizingly. I told him to f*ck off and he laughed as we walked inside.
The large space was set up as any other photo shoot would be. There were a few dressing tables, a few racks of clothing, and then the lighted backdrop waiting for pictures to be taken. People milled around doing various things. Two photographers held cameras and spoke to two leggy blondes wrapped in satin robes. They were almost preternaturally gorgeous and I recognized their faces from many ads. I was almost certain one used to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel.
“Holy…shit those are my coworkers?” I asked in a hushed tone to no one in particular.
“Yes, they are, and while you’re working, there needs to be professionalism, Mister Bates,” a man’s effeminate voice sounded from behind me. He was holding a clipboard and looking up at me with a calculating gaze. It was as if he were studying me and committing my face to memory all at once.
“You’ll do; you have pretty genes, that’s for sure. We need you to undress and get into one of the suits marked with your name over there. Once you’re dressed, just come right out and we’ll get started.”
I nodded and the man turned crisply on his heel to go and yell at someone setting a few props.
Apparently it was “all wrong, completely wrong.”
“Well, at least you get to wear a suit and aren’t shirtless or in a Roman uniform yet.” I turned to give a warning glare at Victor and he held his hands up innocently. “Just an observation, relax, relax.” Victor clapped my shoulder in reassurance and then went over to Vanessa whom we spotted talking to another clipboard-holding guy. I walked over to the clothes rack and found a garment bag with my name tagged to the hanger. I grabbed it and went into a dressing room to change.
The suit was perfectly tailored to me and I wondered how and when they got my measurements. Vanessa was magic, there was no other explanation. I stepped out and clipboard guy number one grabbed my arm and sat me down at a makeup counter. A makeup artist put some powdery crap on my face with a soft brush and dabbed some chap stick on my lips.
“It’s just so your lips can look their best and the powder was a bit of foundation to blend your skin nicely,” she assured me with an amused grin. I’m sure she was laughing at my sour expression as Victor laughed at me from across the room. “Alright, you’re all set, it helps if you don’t look at the camera unless specifically asked to, the flash can be a pain on your eyes.” I thanked her for her friendly advice before going to join the two models who were already being photographed.
They wore floor length cocktail gowns and looked completely stunning. If these were the type of people I’d be working with, Victor could laugh all he damn well wanted.
“There’s our beautiful escort. So you are taking these lovely ladies to a cocktail party, smile at them, laugh. Look beautiful.” One of the two photographers directed me to the white backdrop and I slipped my hands around the two models’ waists. At first I felt a little silly once the cameras started flashing, but then the girls started giving me subtle direction and the poses came naturally.
“Beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous…you’re having fun, you’re happy to see each other…” the other photographer gave us the cues while they snapped away. The entire shoot went by smoothly, we changed into a few more variations of cocktail attire and that was all there was to it, really.
“So did you like your first shoot?” one of the models, the blonde who had been a Victoria’s Secret Angel, Sarah, touched my arm as I was returning the clothes to the rack. One thing I did learn was that I couldn’t actually keep the clothes after a shoot.
“Yeah, I was surprisingly comfortable doing it,” I said truthfully while my eyes roamed her face and body. She was tall, but not too skinny, she had curves, that was for sure, and her face was almost too perfect. She had big blue eyes framed by thick lashes and high arched brows. She had high, prominent cheekbones, a gracefully sloping nose that led to plump, naturally red lips, and her face was a perfect heart shape.
“It did seem to come to you naturally, the photographers really liked you. Which is always great in getting more high-end jobs like this, take it from me.” She smiled and so did I.