“Hey,” I said shortly, gripping her hand briefly and letting go.
Jenny gestured at me. “Cara, can you move beside Stefan and do your thing? Give me cool confidence, like you own Stefan.”
I swallowed as Cara moved beside me and did as Jenny commanded. The beginning of anxiety began to grip my stomach. While I was used to keeping my cool in tense situations, I hadn’t been expecting to take pictures with a beautiful foreign model.
It’s totally natural to feel attraction for a beautiful girl, I told myself to assuage my growing anxiety. Still, considering the rant I’d given my dad jut a few weeks before, I still didn’t feel right.
Jenny took a few pictures and gestured again. “Now, can you rest your head against his shoulder?” Cara did as she asked. Jenny began to peer into her camera but stopped short. “Move in a little closer. Good.”
Jenny took a few more shots, all while having us change to various poses together, some involving Cara placing her hands on my abs and grabbing my ass. Each one made me start feeling more uncomfortable than the last, and it was becoming difficult to maintain the poses. “Good, the both of you. Now, Cara, can you place your hands on Stefan’s crotch?”
Cara let out a little giggle and placed her hand on my junk, and I immediately tensed up.
If Bella knew this was happening, she'd be pissed, I thought. And what if this winds up in a magazine and she somehow happens upon this picture?
“Stefan, can you cup Cara’s left breast with your right hand?”
Sweating, I began to reach for Cara’s breast before pulling away.
Jenny pulled back from her camera, noting my apprehension. “Is there a problem?”
“I don't mean any offense,” I said to Cara before turning to Jenny, “but this isn't what I expected. I didn’t sign up for this.”
Jenny frowned. “It was in your contract that you signed.”
When I didn’t offer a rebuttal, she gestured at Cara. “It's not a big deal. It's just a picture. Now, will you please perform the pose?”
Cara placed a reassuring arm on my shoulder, rubbing it gently. “It’s okay, handsome boy,” she purred in her heavy accent. “I'll guide you.” Smiling, she took my hand and placed it on her breast.
Desire roiled through me and I quickly snatched my hand away. Cara looked like she’d been struck by my rejection, but I didn’t care.
“I can’t do this.”
Several of the studio hands stopped what they were doing to stare at me, and Jenny scowled.
“Either do as you’re told and take the photo with Cara, or leave.”
Without saying a word, I walked over and gathered up my clothes that I’d taken off for the shoot and walked out.
“What happened?” Bella asked as I walked back into our apartment during mid-afternoon. “Did everything go well?”
She was perched on the couch, dressed in tiny shorts and a cut-off top, browsing my laptop. Each day, it seemed Bella put on a few more pounds. I didn’t mind it, though. I actually liked seeing Bella, who’d been thin all her life, with a little more meat on her bones.
I walked over and sat down next to her, tossing my extra clothes along the arm of the couch. “I walked out of the photo shoot.”
Surprise etched across Bella’s features as she placed the laptop on the coffee table and repositioned herself to face me. “What? Why?”
My eyes were drawn to Bella’s top. She wasn’t wearing a bra, and her hard nipples pressed against the flimsy material.
My first instinct was to make up some BS, but then I thought better of it. I quickly told Bella what happened, leaving out only the ‘fuck me’ eyes the model gave me. I did the right thing. No need to go bragging about it.
“I left because I didn’t want you to get pissed if you ever happened upon those photos. I want to do right by you.”
Bella bit her lip, but I saw appreciation flash in her eyes. “You didn’t have to do that just for me, Stefan. I would've been annoyed, but I would have understood.”
Sure you would have, I thought. But you deserve better than having to.
“It’s okay. I’ll just find another gig.”
Hopefully.
It sucked because the pay would've been good for us, but Bella seemed to already be suffering from self-esteem issues, and I didn’t want to further exacerbate the problem.
“Well, maybe I can try to help by getting a job,” Bella suggested.
I shook my head. I’d rather go down to the plasma center and get money out of my damn veins than have Bella go through that stress. “No, I already told you that I’ll take care of everything.”
“But—” Bella began to protest as my cell ringtone went off.