“What?” I ask, my voice half shriek, half laugh. “It’s a he, and you think I’m going to pose for pictures in this?”
“Here’s the thing,” Madison says. “We booked this three months ago, and we meant it to be something fun for you and Jacob. When you broke up, Becca and I talked about it. We thought about canceling, but this guy is in such high demand, it was really hard to get this appointment. He doesn’t offer a lot of these sessions, and he does photo shoots for models and catalogs and stuff. He’s completely legit.”
“Wait until you see his photos,” Becca says. “We saw some on his website, and they’re amazing. They’re so classy—not the least bit raunchy or cheesy at all.”
“He has this way of making women look incredible,” Madison says. “So we thought this might be a really cool way to celebrate you, as the gorgeous woman you are. You don’t need a man for that.”
“Wow, you guys,” I say. “That’s amazing. Thank you.”
“Yeah?” Becca says. “We thought you might hate this.”
“No, not at all,” I say. “Actually, I kind of like the idea of doing this for me even more than doing it for a guy. I don’t know if I want to do anything too racy, and I’m freaking out a little at the thought of wearing something like this in front of a male photographer. But what the hell? Let’s do this.”
Becca squeals and Madison smiles. We all get out of the car. Becca digs in the trunk for a minute and pulls out a messenger bag.
“I have a few things in here for you,” she says.
The building is definitely an old church, but it looks like it’s been restored. The grounds are beautiful, and I wonder if this photographer guy does outdoor shoots as well as indoor. Maybe not with women in lingerie, although it’s pretty secluded back here so he certainly could, and the scenery is breathtaking.
I’m completely on board with this whole thing, until the door opens.
We all stare at the man who answers. He’s gorgeous. He must be about our age, with tousled dark hair, light stubble on his jaw, a body to die for, and the most beautiful green eyes.
“Hi, ladies,” he says with a crooked smile. I try not to visibly swoon. “You must be Juliet’s party. I’m Ryan Jacobsen. It’s very nice to meet you.”
Madison clears her throat and shoves me forward. “Nice to meet you, too. We have the birthday girl right here.”
He smiles at me. “Great. Come on in.”
Madison grabs my arm and whispers in my ear. “What did we say about hot guys?”
I’m starting to wonder if Madison is psychic. Or did she plan this whole thing knowing the photographer would be devastatingly hot?
The door leads to a wide-open space with huge windows overlooking the beach. There’s photography equipment everywhere, along with various pieces of furniture and backdrops held up on metal stands. A billowing white curtain hangs down in front of a chaise lounge, and a bouquet rests on a side table.
“So Juliet, feel free to make yourself comfortable,” Ryan says. “Your friends told me this is a surprise for you, so we’ll go slow and take all the time you need. And you let me know if there’s anything you’d like to do, or would prefer not to do. This is all about you, okay?”
I blink, realizing I should answer. His voice is mesmerizing. “All right, sure.”
A door on the side of the studio opens, and a very pretty woman with dark blond hair walks in, carrying a silver tray with three champagne flutes. She smiles and holds out the tray for us. “Hi, ladies,” she says. “Enjoy your session.”
I take the champagne, and my gaze darts from the woman to Ryan. He stands next to her and puts his hand on the small of her back. She lowers the tray, revealing a round belly.
It finally occurs to me to look at his left hand. Yep, he’s wearing a ring. He’s definitely married, and this must be his wife. His very pretty wife. His very pretty, pregnant wife.
Damn.
I’m still a little bewildered, and wondering if I can actually pose in this scrap of nothing. I take a big gulp of champagne.
“You can change behind that curtain,” Ryan says. “If you have something you’d like to wear, that’s fine, or I have a few selections available on the rack. It’s up to you if your friends stay and watch. Sometimes when I have a group of friends, they like to stay together. But if you’d prefer a more intimate setting, I can close off this area and they can wait near the front. My wife Nicole usually helps me out as I shoot, if that’s all right with you.”
“Sure.” I glance at Madison and Becca. “My friends can stay. I’m not sure if I’m brave enough to do this by myself.”
Ryan smiles and puts his arm around Nicole. “That’s no problem. And don’t worry, Juliet. You are brave enough.”
Hearing him say that sends a little shiver through me. Becca hands me the messenger bag, and I go behind the curtain to change. I’m really not sure about this negligee, but I put it on. He has a full-length mirror set up so I can look at myself. Actually, it looks pretty good. Okay, it looks better than pretty good. It looks fucking hot. My friends know me well—they chose something they knew I’d love.
Becca packed a pair of sexy black heels, along with some makeup and hair products. If I’d known what we were doing, I would have spent more time on my hair—it tends to frizz and the humidity out here near the ocean is not doing me any favors. But I do my best with what I have.
I take a deep breath and look in the mirror one last time before coming out from behind the curtain.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Madison says. “Hot, hot, hot, Jules.”
I smile and run my hands along my waist. “I feel so naked.”
“You look beautiful,” Nicole says. “That’s going to shoot really well.”
Ryan nods. “It is. Let’s get started.” He gestures toward the chaise. “I’m going to start you over here. Forgive me if I get too personal, but what I do here is pretty intimate, so it helps me to know what you want out of your session. Your friends tell me you got out of a relationship recently, so I was thinking we could focus on you as a woman, not as the object of one particular man’s desire. Let’s go for sassy and independent Juliet.”
I can’t help but smile. “Okay, I like that.”
“Good.”
Ryan positions me and takes a few test shots, looking down at the camera screen in between. He adjusts some lights, and takes a few more.
Madison and Becca lounge in chairs where they can watch, and Nicole moves in and out, helping Ryan with the shoot. He takes pictures of me in a variety of positions. Although I’m dressed in lingerie, he doesn’t put me in particularly sexual poses. I stand with my feet crossed at the ankles, leaning against a large mirror. He has me sit on the chaise with my legs stretched out in front of me, my arm draped casually across the back. I sit on the edge of the chaise and hold a few roses up to my chin. After a while, he has me change into a silky floor-length gown. Nicole smooths out the fabric and fluffs my hair. Ryan puts me in front of one of the large windows and takes more pictures, moving in to adjust a detail here and there.
Ryan’s soothing voice talks me through the whole thing. I relax after the first few minutes, and start having a lot of fun with it. I feel sexy and flirty. I never would have done this for myself, but I have to admit, Madison and Becca came up with an awesome idea. Nicole brings more champagne, and when Ryan finishes he gives us all a decadent chocolate truffle.
I change back into my regular clothes behind the curtain. I glance at my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks are a little flushed and my hair is fuller than usual, but it looks kind of sexy. I feel amazing—pretty, and relaxed. Ryan is literally a magician.
I emerge from the curtain, shouldering Becca’s bag. Nicole gives me a warm smile and a hug. She’s so sweet, and so adorably pregnant, I can’t even be jealous that she snagged such a hot man. Plus, the way Ryan looks at her… If I ever find a man who looks at me like that, I’ll know he’s the one.
Ryan hands me a
black folder. “These are a few initial proofs. I’m going to touch up the photos and make them look really amazing, but usually my clients like to have something to bring home. Think of these as a teaser. If you love any of these poses, email me, and I’ll make sure they make it into the final selection I send you.”
I take the folder. “Thank you so much. This was really fun.”
He gives me a wide smile. “I’m glad you had a good time. That’s the whole point. I’ll be in touch with the final photos in a couple weeks.” His eyes move from me to Madison and Becca. “You ladies enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
We head out the door and walk to Madison’s car.
“Well?” Madison says.
“Okay, that was amazing,” I say. “I’m actually glad you guys didn’t tell me ahead of time, because I might not have done it. And I would have missed out.”
We all pile into the car.
“Was it just me, or were we all crazy jealous of Nicole?” Becca asks.
“Oh my god,” Madison says. “When she came out and I realized who she was I wanted to die right there. That is one lucky woman.”
I laugh. “You both need to book a session with him and do this for yourselves. I don’t think watching it gave you the full experience. I almost feel like I just had an orgasm. Seriously, it was amazing. Thank you guys so much.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that guy could make me come with just his voice,” Madison says. “Anyway, I don’t know about you two but I’m starving. Let’s get some food and we can look at your pictures.”
I glance at the folder in my lap. I’m not so sure about having these pictures out where people might see them, but I figure what the hell. Maybe my friends were a tiny bit right about me needing to throw caution to the wind more often.
“Sounds good,” I say. “Lead the way.”
3
Finn
I don’t have much time before I have to be at the pub, so I stop in at The Mariner’s Grill to get a quick bite. It’s kind of a weird time for lunch, but I slept in. I worked late last night and I’m closing up again tonight, so my sleep schedule is off. Not that I care much. I don’t have anyone to answer to, so I suppose if I want to stay up half the night and sleep until one, it isn’t hurting anything.
A group of three women are coming out of the restaurant, so I pause and hold the door for them. They’re cute. I try to catch their eyes, but they’re all laughing together and don’t notice me. Oh well. I head inside, listening to them laugh as they walk down the sidewalk.
I go to the front counter and order a sandwich to go. I could eat at my pub—I usually do, since it has a full kitchen. But I’ve been eating there a lot lately, and I’m in the mood for a change of pace. I’ve been spending a lot of time there; it seems like there’s always something extra that needs to be done. No one ever said running a business would be easy, and I certainly didn’t expect to coast along without having to work hard. But since I took over for my dad, it seems like all I ever do is work.
I take a seat while I wait. The place is totally empty; those girls must have been the only customers they’ve had this afternoon. I glance over at the table next to me, still piled with dishes. There’s a black folder sitting among the plates. I wonder if it’s something that group of women left.
I wait another minute to see if the guy who works here is coming out to clear the table, but he doesn’t. I glance back at the door, wondering if they’ll realize they left the folder and come back for it. It’s none of my business, but I’m a nosy bastard, so I walk over to the table and pick it up.
Embossed on the outside is a stamp that says Ryan Jacobsen Photography. Oh, shit. I know Ryan, and I know what kind of photography he does. I really shouldn’t look. I open the folder just a little and peek inside.
I snap it shut again. Whoever it is, she’s hot. Really hot. She’s wearing something black and sheer, and she’s a fucking knockout. I glance over my shoulder again to make sure no one else is around and take another peek. Yeah, I know it’s a dick move to look at this girl’s pictures without her knowing, and I don’t mean to be a creeper about it. But holy shit, she’s beautiful.
“I’ve got your order,” the waiter says. He comes up to the front counter with a brown bag in his hand.
I’m still holding the folder, and I don’t want to put it back while he’s watching. I keep it in my hand and wander to the counter, trying to act casual.
“Thanks.”
He puts the bag down on the counter. “Did you see those girls who were here before you?”
Something about the way he says those girls makes my shoulders clench. “Um, I think so.”
“Dude, they were hot.” He gives me a grin that I think is meant to be some kind of guy code—like an invitation to leer at the memory of the women who were here a few minutes ago.
“Oh-kay,” I say. “Cool, I guess.”
He nods, like I just said exactly what he expected me to say. I still have the folder in my hand, and the logical thing to do is leave it here. At some point, those women are going to realize it’s missing and come back to look for it. I have two choices. One, wait until the guy goes back to the kitchen and put it back where I found it, so I don’t get caught with it. Or two, give it to this knuckle-dragger so he can keep it behind the counter in case they come back for it.
Fuck it. I’ll take option three. I tuck the folder under my arm, grab my sandwich, and head out the door.
If I leave the folder in the restaurant, that guy will find it. And he’ll look. For reasons I cannot explain, the thought of him looking at her photos pisses me off. I have no idea who she is, but I don’t want that guy ogling her. I’m unnecessarily angry at the very thought of it, and I storm down the sidewalk toward my pub, my blood boiling.
I’ll just call Ryan and tell him I found one of his client’s folders. He can get in touch with her and make sure she gets these back. I’ll even be a gentleman, and I won’t go through them. Although, fuck, I want to. That little glimpse of her in that sexy negligee makes me extremely curious as to what the rest of these photos look like.
But I won’t. It’s bad enough that I looked in the first place, although I could argue that I was only trying to see what they are.
I push open the door to the pub. It’s always kind of dark in here, even in the middle of the afternoon. Today the sky is covered with clouds, so there isn’t a ton of sunlight outside anyway. Maybe we’ll get some business tonight. We don’t have any customers at the moment, but it’s our usual dead time before the dinner crowd starts to show up.
Jesse comes out from the kitchen and nods. “Hey, man. I think we have a problem back here.” Jesse is in his mid-forties, and he’s part cook, part waiter, part bartender, part whatever I need him to be. He worked for my dad, and stayed on after I took over.
“Sure, what’s up?” I walk into the back and put my stuff down.
“I think the small freezer might be broken,” he says. “The temperature isn’t right. I unloaded everything and crammed it in the big freezer, so we didn’t lose anything. But you might want to take a look.”
“Thanks.” I head back to the freezer. Sure enough, it’s too warm. I’m no repairman, but I’m pretty handy, and I learned a lot of this stuff from my old man. I go to a back closet and pull out a toolbox. “If you watch the front, I’ll see if I can figure out what’s up.”
“Sounds good,” Jesse says, and goes out to the front.
By the time I get the freezer working again, the dinner rush is starting. I completely forget about my sandwich and end up chucking it in the garbage a few hours later. I’m hungry as hell, but I wait until there’s a lull and grab something from the kitchen. It’s busier than I’d expect for a Thursday in the off-season, but I’m not complaining. Business is business, and we have bills to pay.
The customers start to clear out and my friend Lucas saunters in and takes a seat at the bar. Gabe isn’t far behind. I nod to both of them. Lucas is a good-looking dude—
even the straightest guy in the world would have to admit that. Women love him, although he’s single more often than not. He’s not a long-term commitment sort of guy.
Gabe is the owner and head chef at the Ocean Mark, one of the best restaurants in the state. Since his wife left him a few years ago, he’s pretty much been married to his job. He’s a great guy though. They both are. The three of us have been friends for years. We all grew up here in Jetty Beach and, even though life took us in different directions for a while, we all ended up back here. Somehow we fell into a pattern of meeting here most Thursday nights, now unofficially known as pub night.
I hand them each a beer and wipe down the counter with a clean rag.
“How’s it going up at the restaurant?” I ask Gabe. “Is that magazine still going to feature you?”
Gabe rolls his eyes and takes a drink of his beer. “Yeah, but it got postponed, thank goodness. I thought I might get out of it, but they told me they’ll reschedule.”
“Come on, it won’t be so bad,” I say.
He raises his eyebrows. “Someone is coming out here for at least a week to follow me around, ask me questions, and take pictures. It’s going to be torture.”
“That’s what you get for being so successful,” Lucas says. “Who knows, maybe the journalist will be a gorgeous woman.”
“I’m not sure how that would make it better,” Gabe says.
“Gabe, you’re divorced, not dead,” Lucas says. “You need some hot ass once in a while.”
“Piss off,” Gabe says.
Lucas laughs and takes a drink.
“Speaking of,” I say to Lucas, “what’s up with Angela? You haven’t said anything about her for a while.”
“Oh, that ended weeks ago,” he says, his voice nonchalant.
“Is anyone here surprised by that?” Gabe asks.
Lucas shrugs. “Whatever. You guys know I’m waiting for the perfect woman. If I have a little fun in the meantime, what’s the harm in that?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Perfect woman? Is that your excuse?”
Could Be Forever: (Finn and Juliet) (A Back to Jetty Beach Romance Book 1) Page 2
