by Faver, JD
Helmut finished his chores and drove into town. He pulled up in front of the Haynes Realty office and walked inside. He hailed Barton who rose and came around his desk to shake hands.
Barton slapped him on the shoulder. “So, tell me, how’s the little city girl?”
Helmut grinned. “She is wonderful.”
“And how did you like the city? Did you see all the bright lights?”
“Mel took me many places where we saw bright lights, but the best thing was to be with her.”
Barton gestured to a chair and returned to settle into his creaky desk chair. “I think I have what you need.” He opened a drawer and removed a folder. “I got bids from Klaus Blaufeld, the plumber and Carl Ennis the building contractor to add a bathroom onto your house.” He showed Helmut the drawings that had been rendered and gave him the bids.
Helmut looked them over. “I think this is too small. And we need a bathtub that makes bubbles.” He looked up to meet Barton’s puzzled gaze. “And a big closet.”
Barton took a deep breath. “If I were you I would work on the kitchen while I was at it. It really needs a major update. You couldn’t expect a city girl to cook on a wood stove.”
Helmut frowned. “You are right. It needs a major update.”
Barton leaned across the desk. “Don’t worry, Helmut. Updating the kitchen and bathroom will increase the value of your home.”
“I only want her to be comfortable with me.”
Barton grinned. “Sounds like it’s getting serious.”
Helmut closed the file. “I am serious.”
“And she’s also serious about you, right?” Barton cocked an eyebrow at him.
“I am in hopes that she is.”
#
CHAPTER SEVEN
Mel surprised him by driving back to the farm in the early part of the week, and she had Gina with her. The little red car was apparently road-worthy now. Mel strolled into the barn where he was cleaning out the horse stalls.
He’d been expecting Barton to drive out to the farm with the contractor who had supposedly prepared drawings of the proposed kitchen and bathroom updates for his inspection.
“Surprise!” She grinned at him over the top rail of the stall. Her nose wrinkled and she made a face. “Whew! Ripe aroma!”
Helmut grinned at her. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I have Gina with me. She has some good news for you.”
“You can take her to the house and I will wash up.”
She gazed up at him. “Is the door open?”
Helmut smiled. “My door is always open. There is no need to have a lock here.”
She rolled her eyes and laughed before disappearing in the direction of the house.
He watched her departure, glad that she’d come, but not sure what Gina’s presence meant. After he’d washed up and left his work boots by the door, he entered the house in his stocking feet.
Mel gave him a kiss and gestured toward Gina. “Gina has something to talk to you abo0ut and I knew she’d never find her way here by herself.”
He gestured for them to be seated at the sturdy oak table and set out three mugs. He took a stainless steel coffee pot from the wood-burning stove and poured strong black coffee all around.
When he’d settled himself across from the women, he glanced from one to the other, questioningly.
“I worked out a truce between Alain and ZiZi,” Gina said. “You can have contracts with both within boundaries. For Elan cosmetics, you would only represent their men’s fragrance line called Hombre. And for St. Croix, you would not represent his fragrance line, but instead be the exclusive model for his men’s clothing as well as appear in some of the layouts for women’s fashion as part of your branding.”
Both women gazed at him, grinning.
“You are telling me that this is good?”
Mel reached for his hand across the table. “It is so good, Helmut. You have to believe me. It is so good.”
He nodded. “Well, good then. Now what?”
Gina produced thick stacks of papers from two files and asked for his signature. She explained that he had just signed contracts with both companies to represent their lines for a period of one year.
Helmut looked at the lengthy documents. “And Mel is the only photographer I will work with. Is that in there?”
Gina showed him where it was stipulated in each contract.
Helmut glanced at Mel, but she was beaming at him. Her facial expression alone would have convinced him to sign the papers.
“I think we should just use your first name professionally,” Gina said. “It’s not like there are a lot of Helmuts in the modeling world.”
“Whatever you think.” He glanced at Mel again for approval.
Gina glanced at her cell phone and rose from the table. She stepped out onto the porch to take a call, leaving Mel and Helmut alone.
“I’m so proud of you,” she said. “I think you’re going to be surprised at how much you enjoy your new career.” She squeezed his hand.
He looked down at her hand and slowly rubbed his fingers over the top of it. “I am still a farmer, Mel. That is what I will always be. Next week I will begin harvesting the sorghum and after that the corn so that my cattle will have feed for the winter. Farming is my business.”
She smiled. “I know that. But we can work around your farming priorities. It’s going to be so exciting to be working together.”
He raised her hand to his lips. “I will like working with you. Are you going to stay tonight?”
She smiled and laid her cheek against his hand. “I can’t. This is just a hit and run trip.”
He stroked his other hand over her hair. “I see. I do not think I like this hit and run.”
“Oh, I almost forgot!” She reached in her handbag. “This cell phone is for you.” She placed it on the table in front of him and added the box it came in with its accessories.
He held the object in his hand. “I do not know how to use this.”
“Easy,” she said. “You can plug the charger in to an outlet in the barn or in your truck cigarette lighter. I put my number in it so you can call me when you want to talk to me.”
He grinned at her. “I will want to talk to you all the time.”
“Good. And I can call you to let you know when I’m coming your way so you can clean out the horse stalls another time.”
“That will be nice.” He gazed at her with affection. She did have serious feelings for him. She wanted to be in touch with him and she wanted to work with him. When she saw the new kitchen and bathroom, she would make a commitment.
#
On the drive back to the city, Mel overheard Gina’s side of several conversations, most of which revolved around Helmut. Though the ink was barely dry on the contracts, both Alain and ZiZi were anxious to obtain his immediate services.
Mel reminded Gina that Helmut would be harvesting his crops in the next couple of weeks and met with an anguished cry from Alain. She could hear him yelling through the cell phone.
Mel glanced at Gina. “Tell him to relax and that we can work out a shooting schedule.” She shook her head as the wind rushed through her hair.
Gina laughed. “Alain wants to talk to you.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “Tell him that I’m driving and he doesn’t need to distract me.”
Gina closed her phone. “Alain hung up. Seriously, do you think that you can work with those two crazies and keep Helmut in the groove with his farming chores? He signed contracts to represent both companies and he will have to follow through. They’re each paying him a big chunk of money.”
“Yeah, I’m going to manage some of the initial studio shots there at his place. I can take my portable lighting and backdrops and give both Alain and ZiZi enough of a selection to keep them off Helmut’s back and mine for a while.”
Gina shot her a sharp glance. “Good luck with that.”
Mel’s cell phone rang. She sighed, thin
king it must be Alain calling with yet another hysterical rant, but grinned when the name Helmut showed in the window. “Hello.”
“Hello, Mel. It is Helmut.”
“Yes, I know.” There was a long silence.
“I want to talk to you.”
She imagined his big hand wrapped around the small phone. “Good. Talk to me.”
“I do not know what to say.”
“Tell me that you’re going to make time for me tomorrow when I show up to take your photograph for your contracts.” She heard his intake of breath.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, are you two-timing me? Did you have plans with another woman?”
“You are making fun, Mel.”
“Yes, I am. But I do want to come and photograph you tomorrow. Is that okay?”
“Will it be another hit and run?”
Mel felt a rush of warmth swirl through her gut. “No, I’ll be staying all night.”
“That will make me very happy.”
#
Helmut stuck the cell phone back into his pocket, glad that he now had Mel so close at hand. He could hear her voice anytime, even when he couldn’t hold her close. And she was coming to be with him tomorrow and to sleep in his bed. There would be more photographs. He frowned momentarily. He had to make sure that he had his clothes on in all of them. Maybe he should sleep in his clothes.
The dog sat at his feet. Helmut bent to stroke his fingers over the dog’s head. “Good boy.”
A horn tooted and he looked up to see Barton Haynes pull his Explorer into the drive. Helmut waved as Barton and Carl Ennis climbed out.
He showed the men inside and they sat at the same table he had occupied an hour earlier with Mel and Gina.
“Here’s what I came up with.” Carl spread a sheaf of papers across the table. “With a few changes, we can deliver a functional modern kitchen and bath while still retaining the charm of the 1800s original.”
“That will be good.” He gazed at the contractor’s vision of the kitchen, amazed at the way he redesigned the space.
“This can be very energy efficient with the addition of a couple of solar panels on the roof. It’s an all-electric kitchen with state of the art appliances.”
“What do you think, Helmut?” Barton asked.
“I think it is good. What of the bathroom?”
Carl shuffled the papers and slipped another on top of the pile. “The bathroom, with a large spa tub and a rain shower compartment.” Carl cleared his throat. “I took the liberty of sketching out another possibility. He rummaged through the papers and slid one in front of Helmut. “If you decided to go for an addition built onto the back of the house for a master suite, it would give you a larger bedroom, the bathroom and a walk-in closet for the little lady.” The contractor leaned back looking pleased with himself. “That way you can use the two bedrooms you have now for the kids.”
Helmut took a breath and a wide grin spread across his face. The kids.
#
Mel gazed at Helmut as he moved around helping her unload her equipment and the overnight bag that confirmed she was spending the night. His hair was getting a little longer. She thought she could put it in a pony tail at the back of his neck for yet another look. Another hot look.
“Do you cut your own hair?” she asked.
He nodded.
“Do me a favor, Helmut. Don’t cut it for a while. Let it grow a little longer. Will you do that?”
“For you, I will do that.”
She handed him s roll of velour fabric and a stapling gun. “Can you tack this up on the wall for me?”
Helmut stretched to attach the chocolate brown fabric to the far wall of his living room. He stapled it to the thick wood paneling close to the fireplace. “So what is this brown curtain I am putting on the wall?”
Mel set up her portable lighting and measured the ambient light with her meter. “That brown fabric is the signature color of the Hombre collection of men’s toiletries. I’m using it as the background for this shoot.”
“And what is it that you want me to do?” He returned to stand so near she could smell his soap and water clean man scent.
She smiled up at him. “Just sit down on this stool and relax. I have to measure the lights and finish setting up.”
He obeyed, watching with curiosity as she went about her routine.
Usually, Janissa assisted her on the location shoots, but Mel planned on spending the night romping in Helmut’s bed, and she didn’t need an assistant for that. She secured her camera on a tripod and looked through the lens.
Her throat constricted as she saw Helmut’s image through the camera’s eye. His blonde hair was back-lit against the dark brown of the background and his golden tanned skin was the perfect contrast. The most startling thing was the riveting blue eyes that gazed at her with interest.
She cleared her throat. “Take off your shirt, please.”
“Now, Mel,” he said, his voice deep and challenging. “There will be no more naked pictures of me.”
She looked up from the camera to catch his serious expression and laughed. “Not naked. Just your shoulders.”
He remained staring at her solemnly.
She breathed out a sigh. “Let me explain why I want to take your picture with your shirt off.” She came to stand in front of him. “This picture is supposed to make people believe that this men’s fragrance is strong and masculine and desirable...like you.” She stroked her hand over his cheek. “ZiZi, the woman who’s paying you lots of money to represent her fragrance, believes that when people see your image, they’ll think they can be like you if they buy the fragrance and smell like you do.”
“But, I do not smell like a fragrance.”
“That’s another thing. When we go out somewhere in public, it would be a good thing if you could splash on some of the Hombre cologne.”
He snorted.
“I’m not joking.”
He raised his brows, questioningly.
“Helmut, you are the Hombre man. You need to remember it always. Wherever you go, you represent Elan cosmetics. You are Hombre.” She began unbuttoning his shirt. “I don’t want the shirt to compete with your face. I just want people to see you and your eyes and be mesmerized.”
He allowed her to remove the shirt and stroke her fingers over the bare skin on his chest and shoulders. A little twitch of his lips betrayed his amusement. “If you keep doing that I will have you in my bedroom.”
She grinned at him. “Oh, you’ll have me in your bedroom, all right. Remain perfectly still. Don’t move a muscle.” She kissed his lips and then lowered her head to tease his nipples with her tongue. He drew in his breath and closed his eyes as she stepped back out of camera range and released the remote shutter trigger several times in rapid succession when he opened his eyes.
“You are playing with me.”
“Yes I am. I want to see the look in your eyes that says you’re going to carry me off to your bedroom and have your way with me.”
He grinned. “Then we will not be taking pictures.”
“Just play with me for a little while in front of the camera and then you can play with me in the bedroom.” She captured the way his eyes turned smoky.
She had him stand up and put one foot on the stool, then lean one elbow on his knee. His broad shoulders and well defined arms looked so buff when the lighting just kissed the surface of his skin and cast deep shadows in the crevices. Her fingers itched to stroke the crease running between his pectorals down his six-pack abs to his naval.
Helmut watched her adjust the lighting and take her shots. She had to admit that he was a natural. He took direction well and as she talked to him his expression changed from jovial, to sensual to pensive.
Her goal was to take enough photographs that she could feed them into the Elan marketing system over time and not disturb Helmut when he was busy with his harvesting.
They took a break for a late lunch and she drove him into town t
o slide in to their designated booth at Greta’s restaurant.
“You look happy,” he said.
“I am.”
He stroked his hand over hers. “I am too. I am always happy when we are together.”
She took a deep breath. She had to admit that when she was with Helmut, happiness was the order of the day.
#
Helmut was not too pleased that he had to drive his truck into the city on Friday evening. Mel had him park at a station and take the train the rest of the way in. She was there to meet him when he stepped off the train. No matter that the city made him feel claustrophobic, just seeing Mel’s sweet face and the joy she radiated when she first saw him, made it all worthwhile.
She tucked herself under his arm and they walked to her car. She took him to a restaurant and ordered them both a delicious prime rib dinner.
Several people came to the table and spoke to Mel during the course of the meal.
“Are you a famous person, Mel Hannigan?”
She laughed. “Not by a long shot. The people who know me are the advertisers who have hired me to produce their images for the public and the models and wannabees who hope I’ll use them in a shoot.”
“And that is what I have become? A model?”
She covered his hand with both of hers. “You are so much more. You, my dear Helmut, have started out at the top. A famous fashion designer and an exclusive cosmetics company have contracted for your services. You don’t have to go begging for work.”
He frowned. “This is not work. I do work everyday on the farm. When you point your little camera at me, this is not work I am doing.”
She raised her brows and gave him a look of mock indignation. “Watch it, buddy. This is my work and you’re receiving a lot of money to be in front of my lens...What are you going to do with all the extra income anyway?”
A smile spread across his face. He lifted her fingers to his lips. “I have something in mind.”
At Mel’s apartment, Helmut was pleased to see that the clothes she had selected for him retained a prominent place in her large closet.
She explained that the next morning they would return to the St. Croix workroom and meet with Alain St. Croix and Solange to choose some garments for Helmut’s first ever fashion shoot. Mel had decided to use several famous New York City landmarks in his debut location shoot.