by Aly White
I put an arm around her shoulders as we walk towards where my driver waits. “Don’t worry about it,” I tell her, pressing her closer to my side. “I’m really glad that you like it.”
“Of course I do!” she bursts, a face-splitting grin graces her face. “Victoria is like, one of the most critically acclaimed designers in the world! If you tell me a year ago that I will be meeting her someday, I would probably stare at you as if you have grown two heads.” She giggles softly as we round the corner, and there we see my car parked.
“Were you informed of your photo shoot tomorrow?” I ask her as I open the door of the car for her.
She looks at me and nods as she slides into the car. I follow suit after. I inform the driver to take us to Max’s place, and then Max proceeds to tell him her address. Max snuggles in comfortably beside me as another content sigh escapes her lips.
“Tired?” I ask as her eyes flutter close. I take off my jacket and place it over her.
“Yeah,” she mumbles as she looks at me. “It’s been a long day since today’s my first day at Woods Studio and my last at the restaurant,” she explains, adjusting my coat on her body until she is comfortably snuggling with it.
“You should get some rest,” I say to her, giving her a small peck on the forehead. “I’ll wake you up once we’ve arrived home.”
Max hums in reply as she closes her eyes, a soft smile lighting her face.
Maxene
I press my lips together as what the makeup artist has instructed before she applies a coat of clear gloss on my lips as a finishing touch. She gently holds my face on the side as she criticizes her own work.
Her eyes squint for a bit before declaring, “You’re all good, darling.”
She smiles at me as I see my own reflection in the mirror. The makeup artist went for a minimalistic look as she enhances my natural look. A bit of shimmer graces my eyes, and I smile in approval.
From the corner of my eye, I see Violet strutting towards me, confidence oozing through her as if she owns the place.
“Are you ready?” she asks as she checks the tablet she is holding.
So this is what Violet looks like while working.
I nod at her as I stand up. The makeup artist helps me remove my bathrobe before taking it away, revealing a simple white gown with a tight lace bodice.
“Follow me,” Violet says before leading me towards where she came from. “Are you nervous?” She asks as she looks up from her tablet then to me.
“Yes,” I sigh as another bundle of anxiety settles into my stomach. “I’m just nervous that the photos might not be up to their standards.”
Violet halts and turns to me, and then places her hand on my shoulder, giving me a comforting squeeze. “You’ll do just great. Everyone’s going to help you.” She smiles at me before we continue walking towards our destination.
Violet takes me in the center of the shoot and guides me into place. “Okay, so you just have to listen to the photographer, okay?” she advises, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “The dress looks great on you. Just enjoy and relax,” she smiles one more time at me before she leaves to let me settle in the set.
The staff around me is working so hard, and I try my best not to be pressured. From the corner of my eye, I could see Caleb sitting beside Tristan on what seems like the only couch in the studio.
I narrow my eyes as I try to see clearly what they are doing, and it looks like they’re having a heated discussion. Tristan’s face falls when Caleb says something that I couldn’t hear.
“So you are Max.”
I turn towards the direction of the voice and see the photographer, John, directly in front of me. I could feel the heat rising up to my cheeks as I have completely spaced out, as my full attention is on Tristan and Caleb.
“Yes,” I say, smiling at John. “Thank you for having me today.”
“It’s my pleasure to work with you,” John says, flashing me a grin. “We’re going to start now, and all you need is to relax and follow my lead, okay?”
I nod at him, smiling, although deep inside, my heart is racing because of nervousness. For the first time since I have entered the studio, I’ve just noticed the apples scattered on the floor.
We start off with me standing, awkwardly posing as I try and get to the feeling of posing. I stare straight into the camera, tilting my head in different directions after every shot.
“Okay, try lying down on the floor while I take an aerial shot of you, okay?” John says as he calls one of the staff to help me.
I sit down on the floor, my arms stretched at I lean on them, and my gown is an artful mess around me. I look straight into the camera, my eyes slightly hooded, as I lean back comfortably on my arms, tilting my head to the side and show the expanse of neck and shoulder. I start to get the hang of it, and before I even know it, the set ends, with John telling me to change out of my clothes for the next layout.
I change out of the white dress into a pair black silk dress shirt and black pants, paired with a sequined blazer of golds, reds, and blues. Violet comes and gets me for the next part of the shoot. She goes off after, hurrying after muttering something about someone not following the given schedule.
I walk towards to where Tristan and Caleb are, and the atmosphere that surrounds them feels off.
“Hey,” I greet, standing in front of them. The two avoids catching my eyes. “Is everything okay?” I ask. “I saw the two of you having what seems like a heated discussion earlier.”
Tristan looks at me and flashes me his famous grin. “Everything’s fine, Max. There’s nothing to be worried about.” He assures. “Really, you should go back to the shoot.”
I turn towards Caleb who has an upset expression plastered on his face, although he tries his best not to show it. “Go and enjoy your shoot. Everything’s okay,” Caleb says, smiling weakly.
I raise an eyebrow at the two of them when the feeling of something off settles into me. “Okay,” I echo as I watch the two of them avoid my gaze. “I’ll be heading back to the shoot now.”
I get in the set, and we immediately start with the shoot as John guides me for every shot. The shoot ends, and it feels like I’ve only been under the camera for mere minutes, when in fact, it takes us nearly an hour to get the shots that John wanted. As soon as John wraps up the shoot, I see Caleb walking towards me.
“Hi,” I beam, meeting him halfway.
“Hey,” he greets back. “I’ll be waiting for you here while you change,” he starts, scratching the back of his head. “And Tristan wouldn’t be able to join us for dinner tonight.”
“Oh.”
“Go and get change so we can finally have dinner,” Caleb smiles at me, albeit a sad one. “I know that you’re hungry.”
As if on cue, my stomach grumbles, and I thought I am the only one who heard it, but Caleb chuckle beside me.
“Okay. I’ll be back fast,” I reply, smiling at him.
As I make my way towards the dressing room, I couldn’t help myself but ponder on what Tristan did to make Caleb upset that much.
Caleb
The whole trip back to the estate is silent. Partly because Max is dozing off beside me, and because I don’t want to talk to Max about the discussion that Tristan and I had earlier. The car slows down as we enter the estate, before stopping right in front of the house.
“Hey, Max,” I whisper, nudging her awake. “We’re already here.”
Max’s eyes flutter open and stare at me for a second too long as if she’s trying to figure it out where she is. “Oh. Okay,” she mutters under her breathe as she straightens.
I open the door and get out, with Max following afterward. I shut the door as soon as she’s out and leads the way towards the house.
“Make yourself comfortable,” I tell her as I gesture to the couches in the living room. “I will be right back.”
“Master Caleb,” My Head of Staff, Maurice, greets me as soon as I step inside the house. “What can
I do for you?”
“Did Tristan dropped by earlier?” I ask, rubbing circles into my temples as I can feel another surge of a migraine coming.
Of all the days to get a fucking headache.
“Master Tristan hasn’t been home all day,” Maurice informs me courteously. “Do you want me to let you know once he has arrived?”
I shake my head, regretting my action as soon as possible as my head throbs slightly in pain. “No, you don’t have to,” I reply, smiling at him. “Is the dinner ready?”
“Yes, Master,” Maurice answers. “Dinner is waiting for you and your companion in the dining room. I will tell Sebastien that you will be coming in a while.” With that, Maurice leaves me alone with Max, who is sitting comfortably in one of the couches.
“Max, let’s go and grab some dinner.”
Max then follows me through the dining room, and I’m quite glad that Max hasn’t said anything about Tristan and me. I’m still upset at Tristan, and I don’t want to lash out at Max, because it’s not just fair.
Sebastien, my personal chef, greets us both as we take our seats in front of the table. “How’s your day, Master Caleb?” Sebastien asks as he places both of our plates. He flashes a smile at Max who smiles back.
“It’s a long and tiring day for both me and Max, Sebastien,” I reply, picking up my spoon and fork. “I see that you have served your specialty. Are you trying to impress Max?” I say teasingly as Max’s cheeks go red.
Sebastien throws Max one of his charming smiles, and I chuckle, his flirtatious personality taking over him. “When Maurice told me that you’re bringing home a woman, a lovely lady at that, I just have to make one of my specialties,” Sebastien smile as I anticipate the name of his dish. “Your dinner for tonight is Honey Butter Shrimp and Broccoli served with white rice.”
“Thank you,” Max says as Sebastien lifts off the cover of her plate. “Wow, this smells so good.”
“Master, as usual, an array of dishes is prepared for a whole course, just ask for the staff to serve them. I hope the dessert washes away the tiredness,” he turns to Max and smiles. “I leave the two of you alone,” He says, winking at me. “Enjoy your dinner.”
Sebastien takes his leave as Max, and I immediately gobble up the scrumptious meal that he has served.
Max and I eat in silence, but I could occasionally see the weird glances from Max whenever she is chewing her food. Still, I try to ignore the pressing weight of the topic that is Tristan.
“What’s wrong, Max?” I ask as if I didn’t know exactly what’s wrong. “You’ve been staring at me weirdly for the past hour.” I take a sip from my glass of water and Max does the same.
Max sighs. “What’s wrong, Caleb?” she throws the question back at me as she places her fork and spoon at the side of the plate. “I know that something’s up with you and Tristan, or else he would be here and you will not have that upset look on your face that you’re trying so hard to hide.”
We have only known each other not that long, and yet she can already read me?
“What have you heard?” I ask, sighing in defeat.
I might as well tell her.
“I haven’t heard anything,” Max replies, her voice low and quiet as if she doesn’t really want to pry. “I just noticed the two of you earlier having a heated discussion, and I couldn’t ignore the upset look on your face, so I got worried. I mean, if you do not want to tell me, it’s okay,” she rambles as she takes my hand into hers. “You can tell me if something’s bothering you, okay?”
I sigh. I guess there is really no point in avoiding the topic and not tell her about what Tristan and I fought over a while ago.
“I was just pissed off at Tristan because he keeps telling me, the whole time we were together earlier, how much he wants to introduce you to his family,” I start as another deep sigh escapes my lips. “I mean, you are smart, beautiful, and talented. Plus, you’re going to be a hit singer. I mean, I have already met Tristan’s family, not as his boyfriend but as his best friend,”
I pause, trying to reel in my emotions back. “I already know that his family is going to love you the moment Tristan told me that he’s considering of introducing you to his family.”
I look directly into Max’s eyes as the next words leave my mouth. “I’m just jealous of you because he could introduce you to his family not as his friend, but as something more, as his girlfriend.”
“Oh, Caleb,” Max whispers as she grips my hand tighter. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” I tell her, and suddenly, I feel relieved because I have someone to talk to about it. “I just feel insecure because I feel like that I’m not worthy enough for Tristan to be introduced to his family as his boyfriend,” I groan as my emotions start flowing out of me. “I mean, we have been going out for two years for fuck’s sake, and no one knows outside this house of our relationship.”
Max squeezes my hand again as she listens intently.
“I’m pretty sure that Tristan doesn’t mean it like that, Caleb,” Max says softly after a while. I look up at her, only to see her staring at me. “I can see that Tristan loves you very much, as much as you love him. I’m sure that Tristan didn’t mean to make you feel insecure.”
I nod. “I know, but I just couldn’t help but sometimes think that if he loves me so much, he should’ve already introduced me to his family as his boyfriend.”
“Well, maybe Tristan still has to settle some issues with his family which is why he can’t introduce you just yet as his boyfriend,” Max explains. “I mean, you know Tristan better than I do, Caleb. I’m pretty sure you know why he hasn’t introduced you yet as his boyfriend.”
I let out a heartless chuckle at what she said. “Yeah,” I tell her, the tone of my voice coming off harsh. “Tristan has been asking for his father’s stamp of approval ever since he pursued his career as a model.”
“Just give Tristan a little more time, okay?” Max says comfortingly. “He’ll figure it out soon. Let’s just trust him, alright?”
I nod at Max in agreement, hoping that she is right. I guess I just have to trust Tristan and let him do his thing at his own pace. I know how his father can be hard on him, and perhaps I’m being too selfish if I suddenly force Tristan to introduce me as his boyfriend to his whole family. It is just hard when you are being kept as a secret from the people close to the person you love the most.
“Okay,” I tell Max. “Are you done eating? I could give you a tour of the house or bring you to your room where you’ll be staying for the next few days until your own penthouse is completed,” I add, completely changing the subject.
I’m still upset, but I’m glad that I could talk to Max about it. I feel so feathery light as if a huge burden has just been lifted off my shoulders.
Max, perhaps sensing the change in my mood, smiles at me. “Of course.”
Maxene
I follow Caleb towards one of the narrow hallways in the estate that he and Tristan own. To say that their house is huge is an understatement. The word ‘estate’ is an apt word for it. Caleb stops at the end of the hallway and then turns to me with a smile, to which I smile back.
“Well,” he starts, his hands reaching over the handles of the double doors. “Here’s where you will be staying until your penthouse is ready.” He throws the doors open, revealing a room that looks a lot bigger than my former apartment.
I follow him inside, my eyes wandering around the fully furnished room. It is big, bigger than most of the apartments that I have rented in my entire life.
“Do you like it?” Caleb asks, eyeing me curiously, as he stands near the end table beside the bed.
“Of course!” I beam, walking over the floor-length glass window near the door that would perhaps lead me to the balcony. I gasp at the view. My room has the perfect view of the city and its blinding lights.
I walk towards the balcony, opening the doors, and I immediately welcome the cold, night air that brushe
s over me as I step outside. The midnight blue sky is stark clear of the light pollution, as the manor is far enough from the city that the stars are visibly shining from the sky.
The estate is not that far though, as I can still see the gleaming city lights, that even from afar, the city is alive as the people prepare for their nightlife. It looks beautiful from afar, but I cannot say the same up-close.
“The view from here is just so beautiful,” I say as I feel Caleb’s presence from behind. His hand quickly comes up to touch the bare skin of my nape, just resting his hand as if it belongs there.
Caleb hums in agreement, as his fingers start to apply a bit of pressure on my nape, gently massaging the skin underneath his fingers. “I take that you like your temporary room,” he says after a while, his hand trailing down to my shoulder, leaving bits of pressure as his other hand joins and does the same.
I close my eyes on reflex as his hands work its magic to soothe the tense muscles on my shoulders. He gently places his thumbs at the junction where my neck meets my shoulders, rubbing circles on the skin under the pads of his thumbs. A soft gasp escapes my lips as he presses hard on the same space, dragging his thumbs away from it while still applying the pressure.
He does it repeatedly a few more times, my gasp now turning into, what I think, lewd moans as the muscles beneath his fingers loses its tension. He ends the ministrations by rubbing circles against the skin, and I instantly feel like a ton has just been lifted up from my shoulders.
“That feels so good,” I murmur, leaning my back against his broad chest as his hand finds its way, again, on my nape, while the moves down to the curve of my waist, giving it a good pat before settling.
“Glad that you enjoyed it,” he whispers to my ears, his deep, husky voice sending shivers down to my spine.
My body relaxes against his body, his head dipping forward into the crook of my neck, trailing soft kisses on my exposed skin. My body involuntarily shudders as he grazes his teeth into the skin of my collarbone at the same time a soft breeze passes by.