Broken Beast

"Yeah, I see that. And then he takes the tie and…" Remy raises a brow.

"And, uh, well…" She bites her lip. "When are those drinks getting here?"

"Oh?" he asks. "So it is bad news."

"No. Not bad. Just… news." She taps her nails against the bar. Watches the bartender fix the drinks.

"Are you going to give me a hint, loverboy?" he asks.

"She already did," I say.

"Did she?" He taps his chin, turning over their last few exchanges, trying to find clues.

The bartender finishes. Drops off our drinks.

I slide her my credit card.

Remy shoots Danielle a nice look. "Quite the gentleman you've landed."

"Uh-huh." She takes a long sip of her grapefruit martini. Swallows hard. "Can you get started on the next?" She smiles at the bartender. "Please."

"Are you at a college party, Danny? You need some tequila slammers? Do a body shot off a hot guy's belly button." He motions to me. "Take off your boyfriend's shirt?"

"No, uh… that was too specific." Her nose wrinkles. "Why do you have so many stories about college parties?"

"Free drinks," he says. "Open-minded men."

"Way too much information." She shakes her head. "It's always way too much information."

He blows her a kiss.

She downs her drink in one gulp. "I have my first art show."

"And the pressure is driving you to drink?" he asks.

"No. Well. Maybe. It's terrifying." She watches the bartender carefully.

I wrap my arms around her.

She melts into me. "I, uh… the photos are of me. Me and an anonymous male model."

"Adam?" he asks.

"Yes," I say.

"Wait, are you saying, you're putting your fucking sexts on display?" His eyes go wide. "Straight people… you guys are crazy."

"No. They're artistic. Like Dana DeLaney."

He laughs. "Of course. You're obsessed with her."

"I'm not obsessed. I'm just…" The bartender drops off her drink and she lunges for it. "Finally. I mean, thank you."

"Already an impatient rich girl." Remy shakes his head in faux disapproval. "So rude."

"I said thank you. And Adam will tip generously," she says.

"Oh, so if you pay enough, you can be an asshole?" he asks.

"Remy!" Her cheeks flush. "You're so… omg, just look at the pictures now so I don't die of embarrassment at the show."

"What about you, Prince Charming?" He looks to me.

"I'm proud of her work," I say.

"Of course, he's nervous. This a public show," she says. "Don't be an asshole."

"You don't understand men, Danny."

She pulls out her cell. Opens a password protected page on the gallery site. One with her photos, her bio, the descriptions of the set.

"Men want the world to know where their dick has been." He looks to me. "Am I right?"

"It happens," I say.

"Of course Prince Charming wants people to know he's banging you. Look at you. With your boobs out. Straight guys love boobs." Again he looks to me the way Liam does. Back me up here, Adam.

"We do," I say.

"Oh my god, did you just ask my boyfriend if he likes my boobs?" she asks.

"Not yours. All. And not him. All straight men," he says.

"It's the same thing!"

"Subtle difference."

"What if I asked the last guy you fucked if he liked your dick."

"I already know the answer to that." He smiles.

"What if he said no?"

"He wouldn't."

"Maybe I should call him. Find out."

"Okay." He pulls out his cell. "I'll buy your drinks if you do it."

"Oh my god." She tries to hide behind her hands, but she's still holding her phone. She shakes her head you're impossible and shoves the phone in his hands. "Just don't be an asshole."

"What exactly does that entail?"

"You know what it means to not be an asshole!"

He chuckles maybe and takes her cell. His eyes go wide as he looks at the images. "Fuck."

"Is that a good fuck?"

"That's you?" He looks at her. "Shit, Danny… I didn't know you had this in you."

She freezes.

I pull her closer.

"You look hot. And this… it's classy. But sexy too. It is like the photographer with the stupid name. But better. Because there's a hunk in the frame. In a lot of clothes, but…" He looks to me with approval. "That's the point of it. He's in his clothes. You're not."

She just barely nods.

"It's a statement."

"It is," she says.

"They're beautiful." He hands back the phone. "But I really don't want to see that much of your body."

"I, uh… I have a website too. And social media. It's mostly my body though. So don't look," she says. "I mean, you can if you want. But I'd rather you didn't."

"I don't want to see your tits, Danny."

"I do," a loud voice volunteers. Liam.

"They are really nice," Briar says. "I wish I was as endowed."

"Baby, don't talk about your tits that way," Liam says.

She presses her palm into her forehead. "You did not just say that."

"What if I did?" he asks.

"Who is the very cute guy next to you, Danielle?" Briar asks.

"My brother, Remy," she says. "This is Liam, Adam's brother. And Briar, his—"