Newly Exposed (12 page)

“Y-you can’t use that photo,” I stuttered from his proximity.
 

“No, that photo is for me and no one else.” He turned quickly, lifted his shirt, smiled, and then took a picture like he’d been doing it for years. “That’s for the fans.”

He typed away on his phone and then looked up at me. “First post complete.” He leaned in again and ran his finger along my jaw, making a dull ache form in the pit of my stomach. I wanted this man, no, I needed this man like I needed to breathe. He was slowly winding his way into my life, and there was not much more denying I could put out there. I could only be so strong.
 

“I have my first consultation tonight?” I nodded my head and he continued. “Will you be there?”

“No, that’s more Zia’s thing.”

“Can you be there…please?”

“Adam…”

He grabbed my hands and brought them up to his lips to lightly kiss my knuckles. The feel of his lips on my skin sent my heart into a beating frenzy, so much that I thought it might just beat right out of my chest.
 

“Solo, I need you. It might be a pussy thing to say, but right now, I’m terrified. I took this job because I need it, more than anything, not because of the apparent fame or the adoring comments, but because I need the money for reasons I don’t want to get into right now. I’m out of my element, and I feel like I’m drowning when walking around in this new world by myself. You’re the one who makes it easier, and not just because you’re damn good at your job, but because I can count on you making me laugh, and I can count on you easing the knot that this new experience is creating. Will you please be there…for me?”

Well, how the fuck was I supposed to say no to that?

I nodded my head, eliciting a heart stopping smile from him, which was also full of relief. We both walked back out to the main room together, where our computers still rested, and the studio was empty. I packed everything up for him, and then handed him an envelope.
 

“What’s this?” he asked, looking at it with confusion. “A love note?”

“No, you dork, it’s your advance. Don’t spend it all in one place.”

Relief spread over his features while he looked down at the envelope, as if it was the key to all his problems. I didn’t know why he was so desperate for money, but by the look on his face, it seemed like I just bought him a couple more days of whatever kind of situation he was going through.
 

“Thank you,” he said with all sincerity. “I can’t tell you how much this made my day.” He looked down at his watch and said, “I have to go. Is your phone number in my new phone?”

“Of course,” I replied, while trying to gauge his urgency.
 

“Good, I’ll talk to you later, Solo. Thank you for your help and for coming tonight.”

In one quick movement, he bent down and placed a kiss on my cheek before pulling away and taking off to the front door, leaving a blaze of heat encompassing my body.

My hand instinctively went to my cheek as I watched him walk away, observing that beautiful ass of his. There was no way I would be getting over him anytime soon.
 

Shaking the thoughts of Adam out of my head, or at least trying to, I grabbed my computer and went back to my desk to get some work done before Zia came in. I was just getting settled when the studio doors flew open and Zia charged toward me with her assistant at her side.
 

“Solo, where the hell is Nikko? He was supposed to meet me in the garden at nine this morning.”

Panic flew through my stomach as I quickly looked through my calendar, hoping I didn’t set up the boys’ schedules wrong and send them to different places. I was distracted by Adam, but not that distracted.
 

“One second,” I said, as I clicked through my computer. Nikko’s name popped up and he wasn’t supposed to be in the garden at all. He was actually coming in at noon for a studio shoot.
 

“Zia, he has a studio shoot for a book cover at noon. It’s a football-themed series. The author needs a few shots for book teasers and her cover.”

Zia pulled her phone out of her purse and looked through it. Once she saw the mistake, she shot a glare at her assistant and said, “Why does it say I have a garden shoot this morning?”

Her assistant stumbled around, trying to figure out what to say, while Zia bored holes into her little body.
 

“I-I don’t know, Ms. Teeg.”

“Save it, pack your things. If you can’t handle a simple schedule, then you can’t handle this job.”
 

The assistant didn’t even argue; she just nodded her head and walked away. Poor girl, she had no clue what she was getting herself into when she signed up for the job.
 

“Zia, was that necessary?” I asked.

“Yes, she was getting annoying anyway. Why don’t you just handle my schedule from now on?” Zia asked, flipping through her phone.
 

“Because I’m not an assistant and because I take care of the guys. Wouldn’t you rather them be organized?”

Zia took a deep breath and nodded “Yes, because they are a giant shit show.” She looked around the studio and then sat on the edge of my desk. “Did the new guy leave already? What did we call him?”

“Axel.”

“Yes, did he leave?”

“Yes, you have a consultation with him tonight.”

“Oh, isn’t that nice to know?” Zia said, pulling up the calendar on her phone. “Funny, because that idiot of an assistant I had never put it on my schedule.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and said, “Can you please find me another assistant? Someone who is competent like you? Meryl keeps hiring me incompetent, horny girls who only want a good show, rather than doing their job. Just because Meryl is my top investor, she thinks she can have a say in everything. That’s why I had to hire that Axel kid, because she has some kind of old lady crush on him.”

“You didn’t want to hire Adam?” I asked, slightly confused.
 

“Oh, no, not at all. He’s not Teeg Model material, too…what’s the word, innocent? He took small town boy to a whole new level, and now that he’s on my payroll, I have to shake him of that persona and change him into some kind of LA bad boy.” Zia rolled her eyes, while putting her phone back in her purse. “The things Meryl makes me do. I guess I will see you tonight, then? Don’t leave me alone with that corn husker.”

“Yes, I’ll be there,” I responded, not all that happy that Zia was being mean about Adam. He didn’t give off the innocent act like Zia was saying, he was just kind and sweet, something you didn’t find in men very often in this industry…at least Zia didn’t. She’s had a hard road when it comes to men in her life, so I could understand her indifference when it came to Adam.

“Good. Work on that assistant for me, Solo.”

The click of Zia’s heels against the concrete flooring echoed through the studio as she retreated. Zia and I got along most of the time. We had our differences on occasion, but right now, I was irritated with her. Even though I didn’t want Adam to be a model for selfish reasons, I knew he had the potential to be amazing, because not only was he sweet and had a good heart, but because he was sexy as sin and any lady with two eyes and a who-ha would be able to notice that.
 

I started to attend to my work again when my phone beeped with a notification. I pulled out my phone and saw it was from Adam. A traitorous smile spread across my lips as I pulled open his text.
 

Adam: What’s the verdict Obi Wan? Did I pass my first test?”

A picture of his selfie popped up on my phone and I instantly melted. His smile was bright, showing off that dimple of his, and he was lifting his shirt just high enough to give everyone a sneak peek of what I was so luckily able to rub oil all over the other day. He really was perfection. After staring at the photo for probably way too long, I answered him back.
 

Solo: You did well, my young Jedi

I laughed at the corniness of myself, but loved the way I could be myself around Adam.
 

Adam: It is my goal in life to please you.
 

Solo: That is a hefty goal, not sure you can handle it.

Adam: I’m up for a good challenge, especially when it involves eating up a little muffin like you.

Solo: That comment is so wrong.
 

Adam: Is it?

I clenched my legs as I thought about how it wasn’t wrong. It so fucking wasn’t.
 

Chapter Eleven

Adam

Aunt Sarah met me out in the hallway before shutting the door to my mom’s room quietly.
 

“Is she asleep?” I asked.

“No, she just has a bad headache. Being in a hospital bed twenty-four-seven has stressed and tweaked her muscles, so she has a really bad tension headache right now.”

“Have the nurses been informed?” I asked, looking around for some help.
 

“Yes, they are bringing in a massage therapist to ease the tension in her neck. Calm down, Adam,” Aunt Sarah said, putting her hand on my shoulder. “Now, why do I have to meet you out in the hallway?”

I looked around again and shielded my body from onlookers. “Here,” I handed her the envelope with my advance.
 

“What’s this?” she asked, confused, as she looked inside. Her hand flew to her mouth and a look of shock crossed her face. “Adam James, where did you get this money?”

“It’s a signing bonus, Aunt Sarah.”

“How much is in here?” she asked, looking around, trying to cover the wad of cash I just handed her.
 

“A thousand, and hopefully I’ll be able to give you more soon. Tomorrow I have a few meetings to find out my schedule, so I will have a better idea of cash flow.”

“Adam, I can’t…I can’t believe this,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
 

“This will give mom at least two more months in the hospital with a little extra income. We just bought some breathing room, Aunt Sarah.”

“No, you did.” Aunt Sarah stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around me. “You’re such a good boy, but are you sure this is what you want to do? Modeling doesn’t seem like something up your alley.”

“It isn’t,” I confessed. “But right now, it’s not hard. I get to live in a nice house and I’m paying the bills. It will have to do for now.”

“Okay,” Aunt Sarah said with hesitation. “I just don’t want you to get lost along the way. I know you’re trying to help out your mom, but I don’t want you to give up your morals and what you believe in.”

I laughed and hugged Aunt Sarah to my chest. “Right now, I believe in my family, and that means you and my mom. All I care about is making sure you two are alright. Let me take care of the money part, you just be there for Mom, okay?”

She nodded her head into my chest and then pulled away, while wiping away tears.
 

“Your dad would be proud of you, for stepping up and taking care of us.”

I nodded, choking back the emotions of losing my father that wanted to bubble over. I hoped that my dad would be proud of me. I clutched his dog tags that I wore around my neck every day and thought about him briefly, something I didn’t allow myself to do very often, because if I did, I got lost in a pit of darkness and despair.
 

My dad was my best friend and the one person I looked up to, the person I strived to be like…and the cruel world that I lived in had taken him away from me too early.
 

“Why don’t you go talk to your mom while I take care of the bill with that pestering nurse?”

I laughed and said, “She’s been very helpful, Aunt Sarah.”

“I know.”

She walked off toward the nurses’ station and I turned in the opposite direction toward my mom’s room.
 

The room was covered in bland white walls with dusty pink colored curtains over the windows. It wasn’t the nicest room, but it was keeping my mom alive, so I couldn’t complain much. The flowers from friends and distant relatives that used to grace the room when my mom was first admitted into the hospital were no longer present because it’s been so long. People have moved on with their lives, and even though this is at the forefront of my mind, it might not be in theirs, and it showed. I wasn’t mad; I was just sad that I wasn’t able to provide my mom with the flowers and love from friends that would bring a smile to her face. If anything, I just wanted to give my mom the best medical care and scatter her room with flowers. It was the small things that could bring joy to someone’s life.
 

When I walked in the room, my mom’s head turned slowly, and when she made eye contact with me, her face lit up. It was the smile I grew up with, the smile that has loved me from the day I was born; it would make any son proud to see.
 

“Hey mom-a-lade,” I said, using the nickname I gave her a long time ago.
 

“Adam, what a nice surprise.” Her breath was short, but her voice still carried the same loving tone. It burned my soul that such a vibrant and loving woman had to not only lose her husband, but suffer such a devastating disease as well. Life was so not fucking fair.