bathroom. You can't just traipse around naked outside the studio. At the very least, have your camera crew around. You need to wait for someone to go with you, even if it's just walking upstairs."
I can't argue with that. It was a little weird walking around naked all alone, anyway. "Thanks, Billy. I'm really glad you're here. It makes a difference."
He smiles and turns around. "Hurry up, I'm starving and we can't eat until we're done. Hopefully the next painting will go fast."
"Oh," I say, squeezing out the sponge and rubbing down my chest. "Are you coming with us to dinner? Ronin just said I was eating with Antoine tonight."
Billy laughs. "Antoine doesn't go anywhere with the models alone. Ever. Not even you, Rook. He keeps a healthy distance from all of them, that's why he's got Ronin. To run interference."
"Makes sense, I guess." I scrub the bikini bottoms off my front and then get as much of my ass as I can before holding the sponge out to Billy. "Get the rest of it, hurry."
He does as I ask and I just have to privately shake my head at what my life has become. It's weird. All these guys looking at me naked. Getting my picture taken. Being a sort of girlfriend to Ronin, yet my job is allowing his former best friend to touch and kiss me. And Billy here, washing paint off my backside.
"OK," he says, turning me around so the water washes off the soap. "You're good. Let's go." He hands me my towel, I wrap myself up again, and we go back to the art room.
Ford is back in his director's chair in the corner of Spencer's space, Spencer is messing with the music, and Team Rook is looking tired and bored. I'd hate to be the camera person for a reality show. It's like you do nothing but hang out until something exciting happens. Even Ford looks bored out of his mind. He's holding the tablet in his lap, reading.
I walk over to him. " Gatsby, Odd, or Billionaire?"
He grins and a dimple flashes in his chin when the smile reaches his eyes. "Guess."
" Gatsby, " I say.
"Correct."
I shrug, "It was the first one on the carousel."
"Do you like Gatsby, Rook?"
"Never read it. I pretty much dropped out of school at sixteen, so I never got past Lord of the Flies ." He's scowling at me. "What?"
"You didn't finish high school?"
"I took the GED. Why? Is there an educational requirement to pose naked with bikes?"
"It surprises me, that's all. You come off as smart, like I said earlier."
Yeah, Ronin likes the dumb ones. I shake my head at him. "You know, Ford, every time I start to like you, you act like a pretentious asshole."
He points his finger at me. "See, that right there is what trips me up. Most drop-outs don't use the word pretentious."
Spencer walks over to me. "Never mind him, Blackbird, disrobe, let's go. This is a one-piece, let's get a move on."
Ford huffs out a laugh under his breath.
"What?" I ask, looking back at him again.
"You'll see," is all he says.
Ford chats with me as Spencer paints, calling out book titles to see if I'd like to read them. He starts with classics, none of which appeal to me. He turns his nose up at every rejection, like he's taking it personally. Which I can totally see. He looks like a classics lover.
"Just skip to the romance, Ford. Why torture yourself?"
"Billionaires?"
I laugh at that, along with Spencer's new fascination with my armpits. He's painting bathing suit strings in very interesting places. "No, I'm not into fantasy billionaires. I've got Ronin, remember?"
My team chuckles at this dig. I think I like my team, they seem to be on my side.
"Right, yes, I do recall that."
"Just try the regular romances, or the ones they write for kids my age."
He cringes at the word kid, but fuck it. Why pretend? I'm still a kid. I like being a kid, I missed a lot of kid time in my earlier life, and I'm in no hurry to grow up now, even if I am standing here naked in front of a whole room full of men.
Ford's brow twists a little as he searches. "Coming-of-age or college life?"
"Um, the
I can't argue with that. It was a little weird walking around naked all alone, anyway. "Thanks, Billy. I'm really glad you're here. It makes a difference."
He smiles and turns around. "Hurry up, I'm starving and we can't eat until we're done. Hopefully the next painting will go fast."
"Oh," I say, squeezing out the sponge and rubbing down my chest. "Are you coming with us to dinner? Ronin just said I was eating with Antoine tonight."
Billy laughs. "Antoine doesn't go anywhere with the models alone. Ever. Not even you, Rook. He keeps a healthy distance from all of them, that's why he's got Ronin. To run interference."
"Makes sense, I guess." I scrub the bikini bottoms off my front and then get as much of my ass as I can before holding the sponge out to Billy. "Get the rest of it, hurry."
He does as I ask and I just have to privately shake my head at what my life has become. It's weird. All these guys looking at me naked. Getting my picture taken. Being a sort of girlfriend to Ronin, yet my job is allowing his former best friend to touch and kiss me. And Billy here, washing paint off my backside.
"OK," he says, turning me around so the water washes off the soap. "You're good. Let's go." He hands me my towel, I wrap myself up again, and we go back to the art room.
Ford is back in his director's chair in the corner of Spencer's space, Spencer is messing with the music, and Team Rook is looking tired and bored. I'd hate to be the camera person for a reality show. It's like you do nothing but hang out until something exciting happens. Even Ford looks bored out of his mind. He's holding the tablet in his lap, reading.
I walk over to him. " Gatsby, Odd, or Billionaire?"
He grins and a dimple flashes in his chin when the smile reaches his eyes. "Guess."
" Gatsby, " I say.
"Correct."
I shrug, "It was the first one on the carousel."
"Do you like Gatsby, Rook?"
"Never read it. I pretty much dropped out of school at sixteen, so I never got past Lord of the Flies ." He's scowling at me. "What?"
"You didn't finish high school?"
"I took the GED. Why? Is there an educational requirement to pose naked with bikes?"
"It surprises me, that's all. You come off as smart, like I said earlier."
Yeah, Ronin likes the dumb ones. I shake my head at him. "You know, Ford, every time I start to like you, you act like a pretentious asshole."
He points his finger at me. "See, that right there is what trips me up. Most drop-outs don't use the word pretentious."
Spencer walks over to me. "Never mind him, Blackbird, disrobe, let's go. This is a one-piece, let's get a move on."
Ford huffs out a laugh under his breath.
"What?" I ask, looking back at him again.
"You'll see," is all he says.
Ford chats with me as Spencer paints, calling out book titles to see if I'd like to read them. He starts with classics, none of which appeal to me. He turns his nose up at every rejection, like he's taking it personally. Which I can totally see. He looks like a classics lover.
"Just skip to the romance, Ford. Why torture yourself?"
"Billionaires?"
I laugh at that, along with Spencer's new fascination with my armpits. He's painting bathing suit strings in very interesting places. "No, I'm not into fantasy billionaires. I've got Ronin, remember?"
My team chuckles at this dig. I think I like my team, they seem to be on my side.
"Right, yes, I do recall that."
"Just try the regular romances, or the ones they write for kids my age."
He cringes at the word kid, but fuck it. Why pretend? I'm still a kid. I like being a kid, I missed a lot of kid time in my earlier life, and I'm in no hurry to grow up now, even if I am standing here naked in front of a whole room full of men.
Ford's brow twists a little as he searches. "Coming-of-age or college life?"
"Um, the
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