by Avery Aster
“Red, nice to see you decided to show up for work.” With a cold glare at Fabian, he continued, “You know the rules, Monsieur Henry. Consider yourself fired from Claire La Femme. Pack your things and go.” He turned and left the bathroom.
“Hey!” I ran after him into the main living area.
Blake, Lex, and Vive sat on the sofa with Hedda. Speechless, their mouths hung open.
“Gustave, you can’t fire Fabian. He wasn’t breaking your silly rule.” I gave him a look letting him know I knew about their policies. “I’m not one of your models. This morning, I quit. So technically, I’m an Eden guest who bumped into a friend.”
Fabian came up behind me.
“Is that so?” Gustave got in my face. Eyes intent, he was pissed.
Squaring my shoulders, I wasn’t afraid of him. “You have no model, and now no stylist. Maybe you can take pictures of the beach.”
Out of nowhere, Vive cackled, then snorted and said, “Sorry.”
Anger streaked Gustave’s cheeks. He forced a smiled and stepped to the side of the room with Fabian.
Man to man, he and Fabian cussed one another out. Their shouts turned to a conversation and then, a few minutes later, ended with a chuckle.
I didn’t like the sound of that.
Lex raised her hands up in the air and mouthed, “What’s going on?”
I shrugged.
Together they approached me in one uniform stride. “We have a proposal for you, Mademoiselle.”
There is one thing I hate more than an itt-bitty airplane I can’t stand up in, flip-flops, the Caribbean and the French, and that was a proposal. “What?”
Gustave slung his arm around Fabian’s shoulder. “Tomorrow we do one last shoot with you. Your new lover will get to keep his job, and I’ll double your rate.”
“A quarter of a million dollars,” I stuttered.
“Oui.”
Lex shot up from the sofa. Standing beside me, she asked, “What’s the catch?”
“Yeah.” Vive and Blake followed.
“You are a Brillford. The daughter of the royal house in Austria, are you not?” Gustave stood tall, rocking himself up on to his tippy toes.
“Sorta.” I crossed my arms. I had no flippin’ clue where he was going with this.
“We shoot you, here, in the Eden castle. Made up like a princess.”
“Okay, sounds easy enough,” I said, as my besties started to sit back down.
“Then throughout the shoot, you disrobe.”
“Naked?” Vive shouted, and everyone crowded around him.
“It will be tasteful,” Gustave defended.
“No frickin’ way!” On instinct, my hand came up to strike Gustave across the face.
He grabbed my wrist and hissed at me to cool it. “Mademoiselle, you know my work. If Claudia and Naomi can show their bodies off, why can’t you?”
“We’re not like them,” Vive answered for me. “For starters, Gus, Taddy doesn’t need this job. She’s got my money for school.”
“Yeah, and while your publication has a reputation like Vogue, we can’t start off our first year at college with more tabloid crap.” Lex’s hand rested on her curvy hip.
“Crap,” Gustave echoed her insult. “I see. Well, if you don’t do the shoot, Fabian is out of a job. Leon too.” He glared at me as if he knew of my feelings for them. “And we shall invoice Minnie for our time, airfare, hotel, day rates, and etcetera.”
“You can’t do that!”
“Watch me.” Before I could get another word in, Gustave was out the door.
“Fabian, how could you just stand there and not say anything?” I turned my frustration on him.
He didn’t seem as fazed as I expected him to be. Perhaps Gustave had threatened to fire him before. Or maybe Fabian didn’t dare challenge his boss.
“We shoot at nine in the morning. I’ll be at your room at seven to get you ready.”
“Just a second.” I grabbed his shoulder. “You’re in on this with Gus.”
“I don’t have a choice, Taddy.” He said my name without the “b.”
My heart came to a slamming halt.
The alliances had been set. It was Team Taddy vs. Team Gustave.
“What’s the big deal?” Blake chimed in. “Their magazine is artsy. You’re gorgeous. Gus is the best photographer in the world.”
“Blake! You heard what Lex said. We don’t need any more media mud in our face.”
“This will help your reputation, Mademoiselle.” Fabian said.
“How so?” Vive asked.
“Anyone who poses for Gus has—how do you say in English? A career transformation. They become goddesses, immortal superstars or supermodels, oui.” Fabian spoke with confidence.
“I want to be yours truly, Taddy. Honest. I don’t want fame. I just want my friends and school.”
“Then do it with style, with us.” Fabian rubbed my arms sending an electrical surge of anger and excitement through my body. I didn’t know if I wanted to kiss him or punch him, probably both. “Do you trust us?”
“I don’t know…”
Fabian appeared hurt by my reply. “When you were lost at sea, did you, or did you not, put your life in my boyfriend’s hands?”
“That was different.”
“Answer the question.” His black eyes widened as if hungry for my reply.
“Yes, I trusted Leon with my life.”
“Then allow us this opportunity to do right by you, Mademoiselle.”
I didn’t know what else to say other than, “Let me think about it.”
“Very well.” He said his goodbyes to my besties and left.
My palms at my face, I rubbed my eyes and pulled back my hair. I felt as if I was going to go out of my mind. “Could this week get any more insane? First Leon and I have sex in the water and again on the beach. Now this,” I said, frustrated without thinking.
“Come again?” Blake asked.
“You lost your virginity to a gay guy?” Lex blurted.
“Shut up, Alexandra!” Vive snapped as if Lex had hit a nerve.
“Oh. My. God.” I smacked my lips, realizing as Blake and Vive stared at one another with a look of “been there, done that” on their faces—they had sex when we were at Avon Porter.
“Holy shit!” Lex, who was sometimes a little slow, even without the Xanax, caught on.
“Seriously, Vive, Blake popped your cherry? It wasn’t Sanderloo?”
Lex’s mouth hung open, “Holy—” I covered it with my hand.
“We were fifteen,” Blake said.
Unfrickin’ believable.
“Sixteen,” Vive corrected. “We were drunk.”
“And stoned,” Blake admitted.
Lex and I were getting dizzy from turning our heads back and forth.
Vive’s voice rose, “I was nervous. Sex was awkward back then.”
“No. You were perfect, Vive.” Blake reached out for her hand, kissed the top of it, and said, “I couldn’t think of any other woman in the world that I would’ve rather lost my virginity to. That night was special for us.”
“Why do I suddenly feel jealous?” Lex asked, when I released her muzzle.
“That explains why you two are so close,” I reasoned.
Together, we all sat on the sofa and talked.
Blake looked at me and said, “Can you imagine if society said that you had to have sex with a woman? You knew it wasn’t your cup of tea. But you’d be willing to try, to see if it was or was not for you. Would you do it?”
“Maybe,” I offered.
“Who would you pick?” Blake pressed on.
“Vive, no doubt.”
“Forget jealous. Now I’m offended.” Lex tossed me a decorative pillow.
“I’m sorry, honey, but Vive is…hot.”
“Thanks, Taddy. You’re pretty too,” Vive said, acting as if we were about to have a lesbian moment.
We weren’t.
“And Lex who would you pic
k?”
“I don’t like this game,” Lex said, reminding me of the dream I had earlier of our childhood. It was obvious this conversation was making her uncomfortable.
Later, Vive and Lex went to the spa for facials while I crawled in bed with Hedda and slept. I don’t know how I could get any sleep with all of the insanity going on between my friends, the boys, and now this opportunity to pose nude, but I did. When my head hit that pillow, I was out.
No Candy Land dreams. No sexy moments either.
“Stop,” I awoke to Hedda licking my face. I looked at the clock, 8:00 pm. Ugh. I walked out to the main area and noticed Lex was watching TV.
“Where is everybody?” I asked.
“Vive is at the bar. Blake is asleep in his room. Leon came by.”
“He did?” My spirit lifted.
“Yes, and he brought you those.” She pointed to a crystal vase filled with long stem roses. Blossoms of pink, yellow, and white were mixed together. “There’s a card too.”
“Did ‘ya read it?”
“Duh!” Lex smirked.
“Don’t tell me,” I said and plucked the envelope from the bouquet. Inhaling the scent, I closed my eyes and realized I’d never had anyone send me flowers before. Once again, Leon broke a new first for me.
Opening the card, I tried to read his cursive writing. It was in French. Err.
This note was clearly written by a dude. I couldn’t make out what it said.
Lex smiled as I came back into the room.
“What does this say?”
She laughed and read out loud, “Princess Lolly, you are beautiful. Own it.”
“Wow.” My insides melted all over again. I sat beside her on the sofa.
“When did you two talk about Candy Land?”
“At sea, we chatted about a lot of things.” I thought back to that raft for a minute. “Lex, why do you think I gravitated toward Lolly when we were little?”
Setting the dessert plate she munched from on to the side, she said, “Why do kids like what they like? Sponge Bob. The Smurfs. Who knows? Lolly was the spirit of adventure. She danced to the sound of her own music, following shiny things that fascinated her. Isn’t that you?”
I nodded. “It’s exhausting being me sometimes.”
“I can only imagine,” she replied jokingly, then lifted the plate and offered, “Cookie?”
Uncertain if I’d go through with it or not, I found myself showered and ready the next morning, as if my subconscious had wanted me to move forward with the photo shoot.
There was a knock at the door. Blake was still asleep. Dang those pills knocked him out. I went to answer it.
“Coming,” I tied the robe around my waist and turned the knob, expecting to see Fabian with his make-up kit and clothes for today.
“Salut,” Leon greeted me, taller than I remembered.
“Hi,” I managed back at him.
Holding a large lollypop in his hand, he appeared nervous. “May I come in?”
I stepped back, giving him space to enter.
Leon glanced at the flowers. “I did not know if you had a favorite flower. Red is your favorite color but I did not want to send the wrong message, twice.”
“Thank you. They’re lovely, and the card’s message was touching.” I pointed to the prop in his hand. “So we’re really doing a Candy Land theme, huh?”
“Oui.” He stepped closer and handed me the lollypop. It was a scepter carved from colorful wood. “Master made this for you. He’s transformed the entire ballroom downstairs into the Lollipop Woods.”
My heartbeat quickened at the thought that today I’d get to live out my childhood dream.
“Taddy, I am sorry for taking advantage of you and our situation.”
“Don’t be silly. You didn’t. I encouraged you to have sex with me.”
“I should have told you about Fabian,” he lowered his voice.
“True, perhaps you thought you’d never see him again.” I reached for him.
He nodded slowly, taking me into his arms. It felt good to have him hold me again. That citrus smell of his was back. I loved that. “Do you have regrets?”
“None.” To be honest, I didn’t want to know if Leon regretted sleeping with me. That would crush me into a million pieces. Regardless, I asked anyway. “And do you?”
His forehead touched mine lovingly. “You were my first woman.”
“What?”
“Fabian is the only person I have ever had sex with.”
Whoa! I wasn’t expecting him to say that. “For a newbie, you certainly were pretty darn good, considering we were floating with little sunlight.”
“Merci beaucoup.”
“Don’t get all proud or anything. It’s not like I have nothing to compare you against.” Well, other than yesterday when I sat on your boyfriend’s face.
“You are an amazing person, Mademoiselle. Boys at the university will fight over you.”
“Did you enjoy being with the opposite sex?”
“Very much,” he answered and then he kissed me. Pulling my body against his, our tongues interlaced, I couldn’t resist this man. We’re a lot alike, I supposed. Curious about life. We beat to our own drum.
“You don’t have to do the photos if you don’t want to. Fabian and I can look for new jobs when we get back to Paris.”
“Don’t be foolish.” I slipped on a pair of sandals. “I thought about it, Leon, and I want to do the pictures. But not for the reasons you think.”
“Why then?”
“Something you said to me in the water about embracing what I have. I’m happy to be alive and that we met. You’ve changed my life in ways I don’t think you’ll ever know.”
“I feel the same way about you, Mademoiselle.”
“One day when I’m not so young, I’ll look back at the photos and wish I had liked myself a little bit more than I do right now.”
“You are wise.”
“Ha! Not really. I also need the money, and I figured having this nude pictorial out there for the world to see is the first step in accepting who I really am.”
“And who is that?”
“Why…Miss Taddy Brill, of course.”
During the shoot, as I stood naked in front of Leon, Fabian and Gustave I realized why I didn’t like having my picture taken before. I’d never given myself the permission to feel pretty, until now.
My last time having sex with Leon was under that tree. Somehow, that made our time together even more special. I wondered if I’d always be Leon’s first and only girl. Something deep down inside me said, yes. At least, that’s what I’d told myself.
A week later, school started. With Blake at my side and a dozen or so other students around us we sat and listened to the professor of our morning class talk about Brand Marketing. According to his business savvy insights, luxury goods were on the rise and professionals were in high demand.
“We should start a firm repping handbags and stuff,” Blake said in my ear. His sores from the fire were healing nicely.
“I like the sound of that,” I said. As Blake listened to the lecture, I returned to an email I was writing on my laptop…
Hey Leon, Fabian, and Gustave,
Thank you for sending me copies of the photos and letting me decide which ones go to print. When I stare at them, I don’t recognize myself. I’m convinced you hired a body-double to pose after my besties and I left Eden. Hehehe.
In all seriousness, I was touched by the respect and care you showed me that day. You three are true gentlemen, making me regret all of the horrible things I’ve ever said about Frenchmen. Thank you for that.
In your previous email, you mentioned that another magazine in the States wants to run the photos in tandem with Claire La Femme. You tell that Mr. Hefner there is not enough money in the world to have my face in his publication. Let’s keep the photos exclusive to Europe.
Before I forget, Lex, Vive, Blake, and I are coming to Paris for Thanksgiving. Seems I�
�ll be seeing the three of you very soon.
Yours Truly,
Taddy
PS, Fabian, we still have some unfinished matters to attend to. I’m curious, remember.
Join Avery’s fans in a buddy read online at Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1754827-yours-truly-taddy-discussion-group-buddy-read and get the dialogue going by asking the following questions:
1. If booked on a photo shoot far from home, would you bring your besties with you? Or go alone?
2. Have you ever had a false perception about someone’s sexual orientation? Were you surprised to learn that they were not what you thought?
3. What’s your fantasy? Maybe it’s acting out a childhood game like Candy Land or having three men worship you at the same time!
Be sure to leave your review at: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20567969-yours-truly-taddy
Add the next installment in The Undergrad Years #3 featuring Blake Morgan in XO, Blake to your TBR shelf or I’ll never speak to you again, (wink). https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20567999-xo-blake
Aren’t you dying to know who Taddy Brill got her happily ever after with ten years later? Gurl, I thought so. I’ll give you three clues. He’s hung like an anaconda, one of the richest men in the world, and goes by the nickname Big Daddy. Find out how Taddy met her man in my full length contemporary romance novel Unscrupulous (The Manhattanites #2) http://averyaster.com/unscrupulous
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Avery Aster writes the naughty romantic soap opera series of full-length, stand-alone novels, The Manhattanites and its juicy prequel companion The Undergrad Years.
Talk Supe Book Reviews says that Avery’s narrative voice is a throwback to Judith Krantz, weaving dazzling tales of love, glitz, and drama while Ever After Romance reports Avery’s characters are like Sex and the City on steroids but younger and sexier. Avery graduated from New York University and lives on the Upper East Side.
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