by Alexis Gold
“Alright, you two, I have a meeting. Nessa, I’ll actually want to talk to you about the Ireland deal a little later, so don’t go too far.” I dismissed them and soon Cromwell was striding purposefully into my office. Cromwell manufactured specialized parts for military level aircraft and wanted to settle a deal with me and Stargate. I grasped his hand in a firm shake just before he sat down across from my desk. Cromwell was middle aged with grey encroaching the black hair around his temples. He looked good for his age, though.
His skin was tanned from much travel, but it wasn’t too leathery and he had an intense focus to his dark brown eyes. His features were hawkish and the way he held himself was almost superior. He was very well put together and a bit intimidating. Even with his dark blue suit and white pinstriped shirt, he reminded me of my father. Almost eerily so.
“I hope you don’t mind if we get right down to it. I have a tight schedule today.” Cromwell’s tone was cordial and warm, yet, I saw the impatience in his eyes. I wondered what crazy morning he must have had.
“Of course, what businessman doesn’t have a tight schedule? Let’s get to it, then.” I rounded my desk and sat down to pull out his proposal for a possible contract between our companies.
“We love your ignition designs and they were tested to be incredibly efficient with our engines,” I began, but before I could comment further. Cromwell lifted a finger.
“It’s good that you bring that up as the first point. We made those designs especially for your engines because we loved the idea that aircraft should be incredibly fuel efficient as well as maximized on performance. Our guys had a lot of fun cooking up those designs and the prototypes really did work great.” There was a spark in Cromwell’s eye that only a true engineer would get when talking about their work.
“That being said, we’d actually like to draw up a few more modifications for the fighter jets and unmanned crafts specifically for Stargate aircraft, so I’d agree for a more open ended contract so we can freely add more products to the list,” Cromwell suggested.
I smiled, also excited about where this could take Stargate in the future. “Of course, Stargate loves innovation and anything you can come up with for us we won’t turn away. Either way, I didn’t have much issue with your proposal other than the time frame for our contract. I’m thinking we could lower it to five years and then renew if need be.”
Cromwell pursed his lips and I waited for his answer. Usually these partnerships would last at the very least for ten years. But with Cromwell’s recent hiccup with one of his other partners there was definitely room for concern.
“So, basically this would be a sort of trial partnership then. Because of the incident with Morgan Skye?” Cromwell was blunt about it, he got to the point quickly.
“Yes, you can understand my concern with a complete breach in contract. You sold their parts to another company just so you could get out of the deal with Skye,” I replied just as bluntly, not bothered by his intense gaze and souring expression.
“I know the public side of things looked bad, but I assure you, Morgan Skye was double crossing us, so I simply returned the favor. Needless to say, I understand your caution. I like you, Bates, and what you and your father have built here. So I’m prepared to jump through a few hoops to ensure that I want a healthy and thriving relationship between our companies,” said Cromwell, surprising me with his sincerity.
“I can get behind that ideal, Cromwell, well said.” I addressed a few more points with him and we were able to come to agreements relatively quickly.
“Alright then, Bates, I’ll see you back here to sign once your people get everything drawn up.” Cromwell stood to leave and I got up to walk him out. We shook hands in parting once we reached the elevators that would lead Cromwell to the lobby.
After the meeting with Cromwell, my Friday went by pretty quickly.
“Hey Jeff, how about some drinks tonight, yeah?” Victor was packing up as I passed by his office directly next to mine.
“That’s not a bad idea, I’ll meet you at Shift’s?” Shift’s was our favorite bar on Fourth Avenue, the vibe was laid back and the food and drinks were always good. Victor told me that he’d see me in a few hours and I went home to get in a quick nap. Knowing Victor, a few simple drinks at the bar could turn into something much crazier. I wondered briefly if I should watch it on my drinking and not stay up too late.
I didn’t want to look drawn and hung-over on my first modeling gig. I chuckled to myself as I walked into my house and went back to the kitchen where I dropped my briefcase on the counter. Great, I sounded like some sort of diva and I hadn’t even had my first shoot yet.
I opened the fridge to grab a bottle of water and then went up the rear staircase hidden towards the back of the kitchen. It lead directly up to the second and third floor of my townhouse. When I reached the top level, I all but sprinted and leaped into my bed. The last few days had been rough on sleep, thanks to work. I set an alarm to wake me in a few hours to go and get drinks with Vic.
* * *
“Hey man, we’re gonna have to keep it to just a few drinks. I have plans for later,” Victor waggled his eyebrows at me like an idiot and I took a drink of my beer. Shift’s was a little packed that night, but Vic was able to grab a couple of seats at the bar.
What kind of plans?” I asked cautiously. Knowing him, we’d end up in some sort of underground subway rave. Victor laughed at my expression and shook his head at me.
“Don’t worry, I won’t take you to some crazy party. I have plans, with a fantastic woman tonight,” Victor said almost smugly. My eyes widened as the thought of Vanessa popped into my head.
“Dude, don’t fucking tell me it’s Vanessa you’re seeing. She’s our employee.” I gave him a hard stare and he simply grinned at me. I sighed heavily and took another long drink from my beer.
“Don’t worry, Jeff, I really like her. She really likes me and we’re going out for a harmless nightcap.”
I groaned and banged my head against my fist.
“A nightcap? You’re going to get her drunk and then what? Victor you really need to be careful. We need Vanessa at Stargate.” Vic grew a little annoyed with my cautioning him.
“Like I said, don’t worry about it. I’m not going to mess up with her, I think something could really happen with us.” Victor hated talking about his feelings and was annoyed that he had to explain himself. I simply sighed and then shrugged my shoulders.
“Alright, man, I hope things really do work out with you guys, then. You seemed awfully chummy in the office today,” I pointed out, as I tried to steer the conversation away from a potential argument.
“Yeah, girl sure does know how to flirt. Anyway, what about you? What’s on the agenda for this weekend?”
I shrugged at his question.
“Sleep, then tomorrow I have the photo shoot so that should be interesting.”
Victor chuckled before he took a drink of his beer. “That should be interesting indeed. I really have to be there to see these people dress you up pretty to take pictures of you,” Victor laughed at his stupid quip and I rolled my eyes. “I can only imagine what they’ll dress you up in. They’ll probably put you in one of those Roman outfits and have you pose next to a bottle of cologne.”
Victor laughed harder at the visual. I tried not to laugh, but I could see how he’d find this to be hilarious.
“You suggested it, so I don’t know why it’s so funny to you,” I snapped at him, which only made him laugh harder. I took another long drink of my beer, finishing it and then I ordered another.
“I’m sorry, it’s just…it’s rich. I’ll get a good laugh out of this for years,” Victor chuckled.
“Dude, if you suggested I take up modeling as some practical joke, I’m kicking your ass. I hope it has all the benefits you said it would have,” I warned him, but all he did was grin.
“Of course, women will be throwing themselves at you with a bit more advertising…” Victor trai
led off and I waited for him to continue, to tell me how this would help the business.
“Stargate won’t suffer from it, as long as you don’t take your shirt off too much,” Victor assured me, still laughing at me.
“I swear if you don’t stop laughing I’m backing out.”
Victor’s chuckling quieted and his eyes widened. “No, no, no. Nessa would kick my ass, apparently that thing with Armani was difficult to set up. Plus, she truly believes it could be a great pastime for you. Some people might even want to take pictures of you in a Roman costume standing next to a plane and that’s good advertising.”
I punched Victor in the arm and he started chortling all over again. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, that was the last one for today, I promise.”
I simply shook my head and we talked over another beer before he had to go. I finished a third beer on my own, then headed out to the waiting car and my driver drove me back to the townhouse. The place felt kind of big and empty all of a sudden and I didn’t really want to ponder why that was. Yeah, I was lonely and had been for a while after my last serious relationship, which ended abruptly and tore me apart.
Ever since then, I’ve been closed off from any romance. Hopefully, the modeling thing would loosen me up and get me back to normal when it came to women. I sat down on the living room couch and pulled out my phone. My publicist had already sent the news out all over twitter about my new career in modeling. There really was no going back then, it ought to be a crazy adventure, that’s for sure.
I fell asleep on the couch and the next morning, I went about my normal Saturday routine. Breakfast, gym, golf, lunch, visit with my mom, and then home again. Vanessa had called me twice to make sure I wouldn’t forget about the shoot and I assured her that I would show up. When I did arrive at the Third Street Warehouse, Victor was waiting for me with a stupid smirk on his face.
“Why do you have to be here?” I said in annoyance, which Victor only found as funny.
“I told you, I couldn’t miss it. Vanessa is inside also, we want to make sure you have a great first day as a model,” Victor said patronizingly. I told him to fuck off and he laughed as we walked inside.
The large space was set up as any other photo shoot would be. There were a few dressing tables, a few racks of clothing, and then the lighted backdrop waiting for pictures to be taken. People milled around doing various things. Two photographers held cameras and spoke to two leggy blondes wrapped in satin robes. They were almost preternaturally gorgeous and I recognized their faces from many ads. I was almost certain one used to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel.
“Holy…shit those are my coworkers?” I asked in a hushed tone to no one in particular.
“Yes, they are, and while you’re working, there needs to be professionalism, Mister Bates,” a man’s effeminate voice sounded from behind me. He was holding a clipboard and looking up at me with a calculating gaze. It was as if he were studying me and committing my face to memory all at once.
“You’ll do; you have pretty genes, that’s for sure. We need you to undress and get into one of the suits marked with your name over there. Once you’re dressed, just come right out and we’ll get started.”
I nodded and the man turned crisply on his heel to go and yell at someone setting a few props.
Apparently it was “all wrong, completely wrong.”
“Well, at least you get to wear a suit and aren’t shirtless or in a Roman uniform yet.” I turned to give a warning glare at Victor and he held his hands up innocently. “Just an observation, relax, relax.” Victor clapped my shoulder in reassurance and then went over to Vanessa whom we spotted talking to another clipboard-holding guy. I walked over to the clothes rack and found a garment bag with my name tagged to the hanger. I grabbed it and went into a dressing room to change.
The suit was perfectly tailored to me and I wondered how and when they got my measurements. Vanessa was magic, there was no other explanation. I stepped out and clipboard guy number one grabbed my arm and sat me down at a makeup counter. A makeup artist put some powdery crap on my face with a soft brush and dabbed some chap stick on my lips.
“It’s just so your lips can look their best and the powder was a bit of foundation to blend your skin nicely,” she assured me with an amused grin. I’m sure she was laughing at my sour expression as Victor laughed at me from across the room. “Alright, you’re all set, it helps if you don’t look at the camera unless specifically asked to, the flash can be a pain on your eyes.” I thanked her for her friendly advice before going to join the two models who were already being photographed.
They wore floor length cocktail gowns and looked completely stunning. If these were the type of people I’d be working with, Victor could laugh all he damn well wanted.
“There’s our beautiful escort. So you are taking these lovely ladies to a cocktail party, smile at them, laugh. Look beautiful.” One of the two photographers directed me to the white backdrop and I slipped my hands around the two models’ waists. At first I felt a little silly once the cameras started flashing, but then the girls started giving me subtle direction and the poses came naturally.
“Beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous…you’re having fun, you’re happy to see each other…” the other photographer gave us the cues while they snapped away. The entire shoot went by smoothly, we changed into a few more variations of cocktail attire and that was all there was to it, really.
“So did you like your first shoot?” one of the models, the blonde who had been a Victoria’s Secret Angel, Sarah, touched my arm as I was returning the clothes to the rack. One thing I did learn was that I couldn’t actually keep the clothes after a shoot.
“Yeah, I was surprisingly comfortable doing it,” I said truthfully while my eyes roamed her face and body. She was tall, but not too skinny, she had curves, that was for sure, and her face was almost too perfect. She had big blue eyes framed by thick lashes and high arched brows. She had high, prominent cheekbones, a gracefully sloping nose that led to plump, naturally red lips, and her face was a perfect heart shape.
“It did seem to come to you naturally, the photographers really liked you. Which is always great in getting more high-end jobs like this, take it from me.” She smiled and so did I.
I tried to act cool, even though I had plenty of reason to be confident and aloof, I couldn’t get over the fact that I was talking to a freaking Victoria’s Secret model.
“Yeah, I’m hoping to keep the modeling thing going, it gives me something to do…” I said almost lamely.
She quirked an eyebrow at me and smirked.
“Oh honey, modeling will give you plenty to do, especially with a face like that.” She winked at me and sauntered off to return her dresses to the other clothing racks.
“Alright, I was making fun of you before, but…man, are you going to have some gorgeous girls hanging around you.” Victor came up behind my shoulder and I nodded absently, still watching Sarah.
“Yeah, yeah, go and be with Nessa, I’ll catch you later.” Victor snorted and called me a prima donna before leaving. Sarah glanced behind her and saw me watching, she smiled and crooked her finger at me. Yeah, this would definitely be a great pastime.
“You have a really intense gaze you know, it does things to a girl,” Sarah said with a coy smile.
I shrugged and then winked at her playfully.
“Just using what I learned tonight is all.”
Sarah laughed and I glanced around the room. People were starting to pack up and head out.
“How about we go for a drink if you’re up for it,” I asked, framing it as less of a question and more of a suggestion.
Sarah seemed to like that as her smile widened.
“I like your style, a drink sounds nice. How about we save it until after, though.” Sarah took my hand and we headed outside. I led her to my car and had the driver take us home. Sarah rolled up the privacy window and climbed into my lap. She was quite eager to get things started and I wasn’t one to
complain. By the time we reached the house she had come twice in my hand. Needless to say, we didn’t make it out to get drinks afterwards.
The following weeks after my first shoot were crazy, once the photos were released and the ads came out with my face on them, women recognized me everywhere. They threw themselves at me just as readily as Sarah did, some not even requiring any pretense beforehand.
Of course, I didn’t just sleep with every woman who smiled at me invitingly. I kept it safe and paced myself between lovers. Some women I’d have flings with for days at a time. Like Sarah; she often showed up at my place late at night, only wanting sex. Until she got bored of me, then I stopped hearing from her and seeing her altogether.
I learned that there were a few different types of women out in the world, not all wanted the hearts and flowers romance. Some just liked to keep guys at a distance. Others just wanted you for a night, and a few wouldn’t remember you in the morning. Then, of course, there were the star-struck ones, they tended to be clingy and I quickly learned not to lead those women on.
