slapping him on the back. “You lucky dog, you. Decided to go for it.”
Chad ran a hand through his hair. That woman had an effect on him on every level, especially the groin level. “I’ve got a workshop to run.”
Chad took his coffee and ignored the words coming from Ned’s mouth. This trip had turned into one bizarre incident after another. Not that he had expected it to be normal, but no matter how much he didn’t want to have that woman take his picture, he wanted that woman.
Chapter Three
Chad pushed back the outside door to the pool area, entertaining second thoughts about everything. Hot, humid air assaulted his body while the faint smell of chlorine tickled his nose. Never much of a cabana boy, pools were better than the ocean. Something about sharks just gave him the jitters.
Not too many people milled about, even though there wasn’t a cloud in sky, but it was still early. Signs everywhere indicated that the hot tub and the surrounding areas were closed until at least two. He took in a deep breath, almost gagging on the thickness of the oxygen entering his lungs.
He stuck his head between the drawn curtains. A man in jeans and a white T-shirt waved his finger under Angie’s nose. She nodded and seemed to be in total agreement, but something in her stoic stance and white knuckles told Chad, she was biting her tongue.
“Can I help you?” some guy asked, stepping in front of Chad and blocking his view.
“I’m Chad Gregory.” He tried to look over the guy’s shoulder, shuffling to the left a bit, and then to the right, but the idiot kept moving with him.
“I’m Kirk. So?”
“I’m here to see Angie.” Chad couldn’t bring himself to utter the word ‘model.’ “She’s, um, expecting me.”
“Is that so,” Kirk said. His voice flew up an octave, if that were possible. He smirked, and then looked over his shoulder. “Just wait here, sweetness.”
Sweetness? “Fine,” Chad mumbled.
Half of him wanted to run, and run fast. The other half wanted to find a way to get close to her so maybe he could spend the night with her. He’d take her to dinner, talk her fucking ear off, and then maybe strip her down to her underwear and see what pops up. If that meant he had to model first, so be it. He’d model. Better than talking to his sister on the phone all night.
He loosened his tie and undid the top button to his dress shirt. Perspiration beaded along his forehead, and not just because of the heat. His heart pounded so fast it hurt. He watched Kirk talk with Angie, who glanced in his direction then said something to Kirk, who took his sweet time walking back to where Chad was standing. Talk about a hip sway.
“She wants me to get you into wardrobe.” Kirk planted his hands on his hips, making some kind of sighing noise. Total sweetness,” He sent his right hip out. “You are going to look totally fab.” He shifted his weight, thrusting his left hip to the side.
“Great. About how long will this take?”
Kirk giggled. It was an odd noise coming from a man. Then again, the way he swayed his hips was downright disturbing. “That depends on you, sweetness.”
“What do you mean? And would you stop calling me that.”
“I call everyone sweetness.” Kirk paused in front of a small makeshift changing area. One of those old-fashioned room dividers pushed close to the hotel wall.
Chad stopped dead in his tracks. He was going to have get behind those divider things and take off his clothes.
“You look a little pale. You okay?” Kirk put his hand on Chad’s arm and gave it a good squeeze.
Chad glanced at the hand on his arm.
“Sorry,” Kirk said, pulling his hand away. “Angie was right about you.”
“What did Angie tell you about me?”
“Just that you might be a little uptight.”
“I’m not uptight,” Chad said. “Just never done this before.”
“Just relax. Modeling is sort of like the opposite of having sex.”
“Huh?” Chad frowned, not