Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 88656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
I did as I was told, and we all started snapping selfies, jockeying for position, laughing, dropping our phones. First I got one of just me and Vanessa, because hey… supermodel. Then I got some of all of us, with Kage pushing his handsome face in from the side.
“Okay, switch,” Vanessa called, and she flipped agilely over the top of me, leaving me in the middle between her and Kage.
I inched closer, he inched closer, and soon we were practically cuddling again. It felt different doing it when I was sober. But once I got going, I was snapping shots like crazy. Smiley shots, serious shots, blurry blooper shots. At one point, we all started making the goofiest faces we could come up with. I wondered fleetingly if these pictures would be worth something someday, because even though I was the epitome of mediocrity myself, I was flanked by two people who were destined to be stars.
I was thinking maybe this publicist gig wasn’t going to be so bad, when Vanessa reached right across my face and hauled Kage to her, nearly scrubbing my lips off with her arm. Then she planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek. “I love seeing you this way,” she crooned. “It’s about damn time.”
Kage gave her a castigating glare and wiped the kiss from his cheek. Then he stood up and stalked away from the bed, bringing our selfie love fest to an uncomfortable close.
“You know...” I spoke to Kage’s back while he stared out the window at Vegas. “This makes me think we should do a more personal style photo shoot for you, Kage. I’ve got lots of pictures of you training, and lots of video, but none of you just hanging out in your apartment.”
“You really think that would be a good idea?” His voice was flat, but at least he was speaking.
“I do. We need to get more eyeballs on you, right?” I got up and joined him at the window, staring out over the city and seeing none of it. “I do. I think it would really humanize you for your fans. It would make you relatable. We’re doing really well already with the social media accounts I’ve started. I post pics of you in different places, and it’s already getting you some followers and web hits. But some personal stuff? Yeah, I think that could be really good for us.”
Kage ran his index finger back and forth along his lips as he mulled it over in his mind. “Alright, how about tomorrow? Never mind, what am I saying? Tomorrow is Sunday. That’s like slave labor, isn’t it? Making you work on Sunday.”
“I don’t mind. What else do I have to do around here? What time tomorrow?”
“I don’t want to take advantage of you, Jamie.”
“No problem. Like I said, I’ve got nothing else to do. You’ll save me from two-thousand calories of straight carbs and fat out of the snack machine.”
“Why are you eating out of the snack machine?” Kage finally looked at me, and his expression was horrified. “I’m going to start having your meals sent up. You obviously can’t be left to your own devices when it comes to choosing food.”
“Hey, I’ve done okay on my own for twenty years. It’s not like I’m a lard-ass or anything.”
He took a moment to assess my body. Slowly, carefully. With his eyes on me like that, I almost came to regret the fact that I hadn’t yet put my clothes back on. I was standing in front of him in nothing but boxer briefs, and they were in danger of becoming too tight.
Kage took a deep breath. “You’re definitely no lard-ass.” He reached out and pinched my slight love handle with a smirk. “But you could stand to cut a carb or two.”
I wanted to huff and stomp, maybe even punch something. Because dammit, I wanted him to think I looked good. Then I compared my bod to his and relented. The guy clearly knew what he was talking about.
“Okay, you’re the boss. I’ll eat whatever you tell me to eat. But I’d better end up with a body like yours, or I’m gonna be pissed.”
Kage’s face stretched into an evil grin. “Guess you’d better start participating in my morning workouts, then. Starting Monday, you’re no longer observing. You’re breaking a sweat.”
“Bring it on,” I said with more confidence than I felt. My muscles were already protesting at the mere thought of Kage’s workout.
“I have to say, I love your choice of intern, Mikey,” Vanessa said, lounging like a cat on the bed. “He’s very eager.” Her emphasis on the last word gave me the distinct impression that she was fucking with me. Or maybe with Kage. I wasn’t sure which.
It ticked me off, but Kage grabbed a balled-up dirty sock off the floor near his bed and threw it at her. “Shut up or I’ll tell Jamie what you do for a living when you’re not modeling.”