I’m in the studio, which is set up as a strip club complete with the poles. Charlie and Mike are somewhere around town doing shots with the new girl. The band and I are supposed to appear as if we’re partying as I nurse a broken heart. I text Raven again to make sure she knows where we are. She fucking promised to be here for this shit.
Screens drop down from the ceiling across the stage and someone yells for us all to get into our chairs. The director explains one more time what we need to do and then starts the music. I watch actual dancers go onto the stage behind the screens, which gives off a shadowbox effect. Music fills the room and we all toast our fake shots. There are several ‘extra’s’ walking around to fill the space as if we were in a crowded club.
The dancers are on the poles while we do as we’re told. This goes on for about an hour until the director yells cut. He seems satisfied, so we don’t have to do it again. Out of the whole four and a half minutes, this scene will only be about 20 seconds. The crew starts yelling and doing catcalls. Pretty soon Blake, Nate, and Cooper start clapping and yelling. The three dancers are walking off the stage.
My vision goes spotty, and my stomach drops. As she walks straight to me, I can’t speak. She’s a fucking vision. Her smile lights up her face. When she gets close, I snap out of my haze. Then I realize she barely has any clothes on. I lift her up and spin us around.
People in the room are now cheering loudly at us. Raven starts laughing. I’m not so sure what’s so fucking funny, so I raise my eyebrows waiting for an explanation.
“Surprise!” she yells.
“What the fuck is going on. Were you one of those dancers?” I walk her to a dark corner away from all the perverts staring at her ass.
“Yep, I’ve been training for weeks with the choreographer.”
“What, why?” I ask shocked.
“As a surprise to you.”
“Babe, I think it’s hot as fuck what you just did up there, but I would have preferred a private show. There’s about thirty fucking people in here that watched you, including my band.”
“Lighten up Declan, there’s more.”
“Wha–”
“Did you tell him yet? I see his possessive ass has you in a corner.” Charlie interrupts.
“Not yet, I was about to.”
A crowd forms around us. I’m shocked to see Kendall and Harper with Charlie. Everyone is looking at me, and Mike has a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Someone want to fucking clue me in?” I ask the group.
“Yes, Holy Hotness, Raven is your other half in the video. She agreed to play your love interest.”
I’m speechless. There are howls coming from everyone around me. Raven giggles and I tighten my hold on her. Finally, I find my voice.
“I don’t understand.”
“Jesus Christ, did Raven bang out your brain cells? What don’t you understand? Raven is your new model.” Charlie answers me.
“Charlie! Watch your mouth!” Raven scolds her.
“Sorry, couldn’t help it. It’s fun messing with him.”
“Who all knew about this?”
“Honey, everyone knew but you. I wanted to keep it a secret. If you’re not happy about it, we can call someone else in.” she answers me quietly.
“No, babe, I’m wondering whose ass to kick first.”
“Declan, don’t be upset. Let me explain.” She tells me about her meeting with Mike and Charlie and their insistence that she be in the video. I give a death stare at each member of my band when she tells me they approved this weeks ago. She’s been attending pole dancing classes for today’s shoot and filming small pieces around town.
The next two days will be me and her mostly alone. We’ll go over the scenes in the morning, but Mike explains we’ll start with sweet and move slowly towards the sexy. If we need to we can do retakes next week but the plan is to be done by Saturday afternoon. I understand now why this shoot was scheduled on Raven’s Fall Break.
“Um, you can put me down now.” Raven says in my ear.
“Not a chance, I’m carrying you to wherever the rest of your clothes are. Then I’m taking you home and stripping you out of everything for at least ten hours.”