pretty yellow lobby, warm with Christmas decorations and an elegant tree decorated purely in silver and white, and stepped into the elevator.
“Thank you!” She called and I waved at her before the door slid closed.
I sipped my hot coffee as I waited on the elevator to rise to the top floor, it was way early, not even seven thirty yet, but this shoot was supposed to be over before dinner so everyone could get back home to their families. The doors slid open and I stepped onto the shiny white laminate flooring, my boots clapping loudly in the empty apartment.
“I hear feet!” Someone called from the kitchen.
I walked in and placed my things down on the long breakfast bar and a beautiful man with short, stylish curly hair came waltzing around the open half wall holding his hands out to me. He wasn’t an inch taller than I was, and I thought he would almost seem tiny if he weren’t so buff, he kissed my cheeks, holding my hands in his.
“You must be Chaste.” He sang, a quirky little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth before he clasped his hands flamboyantly under his chin and gazed at me.
“Yes.” I sighed, grinning at him before I took another sip of my coffee.
“You are sublimely beautiful, girl. I’m a big fan of your Peril Girls spread, the one with the guns… Gawd! It was fantastic. ”
“Wow, thank you…” I said, and shifted my weight from one foot to the other, I never really knew how to respond to people complementing my nude photo shoots.
“You’re nervous?” He asked, his tight mauve shirt hugged his sculpted biceps and accentuated his crisp green eyes.
“Yes, very.” I replied, looking around at the familiar surroundings with new nerves in my stomach. I felt as if I hadn’t been in this room a hundred times before.
“Don’t be, you’re working with someone great today.” He said, almost conspiratorially. “This is your first video shoot right?” He asked.
“Yeah.” I looked down at my coffee, and circled the lid with my finger.
“Well don’t you worry honey, Jesse James is the best there is.”
Mercy Walker, Eva Sloan, Ella Stone
Mary Kay Andrews, Kathy Hogan Trocheck