“Who?” I ask, not caring if they know I was listening. I’m a friendly person in general, and if I’m on a shoot with other girls, I try to make conversation.
One of the girls looks at me from her mirror and talks while she curls her hair. “Flynn Long.”
“Oh, the marketing guy?”
She raises an eyebrow at me and turns around in her chair. “No, he owns the company. He owns half of the companies in LA, but I guess he’s getting into lingerie now, too.”
The other girl turns around to look at me and leans back in her chair. “He’s got a stick up his ass about something. He didn’t seem happy to be here.”
“Looks like I’m gonna have to shake him out of his bad mood with all of this,” I joke, shaking my booty a little. The girls laugh, but the woman sewing up my bra makes a grunting sound. “Sorry,” I apologize and try to stay still.
I make small talk with the girls. This is the part of modeling I enjoy most. I like wearing clothes and taking pictures, but if I’m honest, half the clothes I wear never fit right, and it’s always a lot of work to make them look good. I can never slide something on and pose like the thinner girls. And I’m really trying to enjoy modeling while I can because I don’t have much time left in it. This industry is ever-changing, and the closer I get to twenty-five, the fewer calls for jobs I get. I’ve got some money saved up, but it’s not enough to do what I really want to. Starting my own clothing line has been my dream ever since I was a young girl and couldn’t find the clothes I wanted in my size. But it’s an expensive dream, and unfortunately, the plus-size modeling world isn’t booming like I’d hoped. Maybe when I get back to Atlanta I can look for a job. I have a degree in fashion design. Maybe I can find someone to hire me.
“Okay, Cali. We’re ready for you.”
Lynn, my contact person for Curved Intimates, comes back and informs me. I check over my hair and make-up one last time, then walk out into the studio, ready to work.
The space is big, and the photo shoot is set up at the end of the room. An expansive, wrought-iron bed sits in the middle of the floor. The bed is piled with over-sized, fluffy, white pillows and a white down comforter. It looks cozy, and I’m sure the black lingerie will look sexy against the white backdrop.
“Hi, Cali. I’m Ryan, your photographer today.”
Ryan is a young guy with dark hair just past his ears and pretty blue eyes. I shake his hand, and I like him immediately. His smile is kind, and he makes me feel at ease as he explains what he envisions for today’s shoot. It also helps that his eyes don’t roam. Some male photographers can make you feel uncomfortable, but I don’t think this one is even playing for my team.
“So I’d like to see you on the bed, surrounded by the pillows and blankets. Maybe have you over the edge to get all the angles of the lingerie. I’ve been thinking we could even tie you to the bed for a portion of it, just to push the boundaries a bit.”
I hear an audible growl off to the side, but the lights are so bright that I can’t see beyond them. It’s nothing but black shadows behind the lights, so I ignore it and go back to listening to Ryan.
“The feel today is classic pinup, so the pictures will be softened a bit after they’re taken. I just want to add a little punch to the innocent poses by throwing in some BDSM. Do you think you’d be okay with that?”
The sound of something crashing against a wall has us both turning our heads. But when it’s followed by silence, I turn back to Ryan to see what he does.
He just takes a deep breath like he’s annoyed but just shakes his head, turning back to me. “Okay. So let’s get you on the bed.”
I go over and climb up, getting in the center. The bed is soft and so are the pillows piled around me, and it makes me smile.
“Perfect. I love the smile. Let me have you up on your knees in the middle. Legs spread and arms above your head.”
I hear another loud crash as I get into position, and I look to Ryan, wondering what the hell is going on. Maybe there’s another shoot next door or something and they’re being really loud. After a second, Lynn comes over and whispers something in Ryan’s ear. He says something back to her, and they exchange words for a few moments. Finally, after what looks like a heated discussion, he nods.
He walks over to the side of the bed as Lynn scurries away.
“Looks like we’re going to have a closed photo shoot, and we’re going to have to adjust some of the poses. If you don’t mind, one of the owners has decided to call the shots, but I want to make sure you’re comfortable with that first. I realize this is a bit unusual.”
The fact that he’s checking with me to make sure it’s okay makes me like Ryan even more. Normally the relationship between the model and the photographer is the thing that makes great pictures. Someone coming between us and dictating how everything goes down might not be something either of us wants. But Curved Intimates is paying me to be here, so it’s not really up to me who calls the shots. If I ever feel uncomfortable, I can walk, and knowing that makes me okay with letting someone else handle things.
“I’m willing to try it if you are,” I say, giving him the reins.
He winks at me and gives me a smile. “Let’s go for it.”
Ryan walks over to the side as a man approaches, and I feel a little weak in the knees. Good thing I’m sitting down. A dark-haired giant of a man comes forward, his eyes locked on mine. His hands are clenched in fists at his side, but he doesn’t look angry. No, this man looks hungry.