The Model: A Workplace Romance

by Layne, Harlow

  After she stood there for a full two minutes and said nothing, I prompted her. “What happened?”

  “She asked who I was with,” Raine sat down behind the desk and shook her head. “I was surprised she didn’t ask at the beginning, but the second I said I was your assistant, her tune changed. I know you said to offer anything, but she was asking for more than you’re getting paid for the entire job.”

  “As much as I want to tell Ryder the news, I’m not going bankrupt to pay him to be there. Did she give you his email by any chance?” I knew deep down that Raine wouldn’t be this upset if we had a way to contact Ryder.

  “No, she kept shutting me down. Do you know if he has a website?”

  “If he does, it would be one she put up. It wouldn’t have his actual contact information, but hers.” What was I going to do if I couldn’t get Ryder for the job?

  “He needs a new agent.” Raine let out a frustrated sigh.

  “I couldn’t agree more. I told him I’d give him the names of ones I’ve worked with that will keep his best interest at heart. I do have to give Angie credit, though. She’s got him out there and made him very sought after, but she has got to know how wearing it is to be constantly traveling.” I felt bad for Ryder, even if he had betrayed me. He had no place to call his own, and I couldn’t imagine having to find a friend’s couch to sleep on when he wasn’t in a hotel.

  Raine let out a strange, happy sound. It was a mix between a sigh and a giggle, causing me to cock my head in question. “What was that sound about?”

  “You and the look on your face.”

  “Please tell me what my face was saying.”

  She pursed her lips and shook her head. “I’m not sure you want to know.”

  I so wasn’t in the mood for her games. “If I didn’t want to know, I wouldn’t have asked.”

  “Fine.” She flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. “You love him, and there’s a very good chance you’ll give him another chance.” She blurted it out and then clamped her mouth shut. Her eyes were wide as she stared back at me.

  “I already told you I’d give him the chance to explain, but that doesn’t mean I’ll take him back.” When her eyes lit up, I held my hand up. “Not that we were ever together. All we were doing is fucking when we were in proximity to each other.”

  Raine grimaced at my words. “It was more than that, and you know it. While I wasn’t there in Rio, I saw some of your pictures and how you looked when you got home. You were happy.”

  “I was happy. I never denied that I liked spending time with Ryder because I did, but I always knew something like this would happen. He’s so young and just starting out. Ryder has a lot of growing to do.”

  “That may be true, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t do it with you.”

  “It does because I’m not traveling all over the world to spend little bits of time with him only to find him in bed with someone else.”

  “Don’t let that picture jade you. I don’t think Ryder would be a cheater, but you have to trust him. Otherwise, your distrust would ruin your relationship.”

  “There is no relationship. Please don’t get your or my hopes up when I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again.”

  Dropping her elbows to the desk, Raine rested her head on top of her hands. “Now you’re the one being dramatic. You’ll see him again, that I can promise you. Today is day one in trying to acquire Ryder Williams. I’ll figure out something, even if I have to set up a fake company email so I can lie to that bitch.”

  That wasn’t a bad idea. If we offered enough money and used a different name, Angie would never know. “I think you’re onto something. Angie may never even contact Ryder if she knows it’s me who’s trying to hire him, but if it’s someone else, we might have a shot.”

  Raine’s head perked up, and her bright smile came out, making me feel hopeful again. “What are you thinking?”

  “We come up with a new name, and I’ll quickly put together a website with some pictures that haven’t been used. Once we come up with a name, I’ll set up a new email address for us.” This could work. I jumped up and rounded my desk, hugging Raine as she sat in shock. “You’re brilliant.”

  “I do what I can,” she mumbled into my shoulder.

  “Great, let’s get to work.”

  21

  Ryder

  VEGAS

  Letting out a deep breath, I made my way downstairs to the meeting room. I wasn’t used to having a meeting before a shoot, but this seemed to be a big campaign, so I’d do what I had to do. Angie had begged me and then informed me she’d already said I’d do the job after they doubled how much they’d pay me. It would be my most lucrative job by far and would set me up for slowing down next year. Angie still had no idea I had no intention to re-sign the contract with her, and after her booking this job without even asking me, there was no way I would change my mind. The only problem was I had very little work for the next year in the books, and it was a little worrying. I could always take the job with Igolide since they didn’t seem to want to take no for an answer. Angie had been pestering me about signing with them and to renew her contract. Neither was happening now that I was doing this job.

  I found the conference room with Mathers - Skön written on a piece of paper, taped to the door. For some reason, I was nervous about this job. I wasn’t sure if I should knock or walk right in and ended up standing there until I felt someone walk up behind me.

  A man cleared his throat. “Are you going in?”

  Turning around, I found another model standing behind me. “Oh, I wasn’t sure what to do. Normally I just show up, and they start taking pictures. I’ve never had to go to a meeting beforehand.”

  “Ah, that would be my doing. Sorry, this is an important account, and we want everything perfect. We thought if the models knew what we wanted, it would be beneficial all around.”

  Wait, this guy wasn’t a model? He had to be. He was probably in his mid-twenties, the same height as me, with dark hair, the lightest green eyes I’d ever seen, and amazing bone structure. I was around enough models to know what to look for, and he was it. If Angie or any modeling agency saw him, they’d try to sign him on the spot. How’d he slip by them?

  “Are you the photographer?”

  He smiled and held his hand out for me to shake. “I’m Tyson Jacobs. I work for Mathers.”

  “Ryder Williams, one of the models.”

  He gave me a tight smile. “I know who you are, Mr. Williams.”

  Shaking his hand, I tried to wrap my head around this job. I’d never heard of any of the companies, yet they were desperate to use me. I tried looking up Blue Stars Photography, but only found a website with very little information on it. They seemed relatively new, so it didn’t make sense they’d be used on such a big and important job. Maybe the photographer knew someone from Mathers. I had no idea.

  Leaning around me, Tyson put his hand on the doorknob. “What do you say we go inside and get this meeting started?”

  I let Tyson go inside ahead of me and followed in behind him. There were only a few people in the room, but what caught my attention was the woman on the other side of the room with blue hair cascading down her back. There was no else in the world it could have been.

  It was my Lexie.

  Hope filled me, and a deep burn spread through every inch of my soul. I had no idea what she was doing here, and I didn’t care. With all that was in me, I tried to hold back from running to her. I’d been patiently waiting for this moment for months, and I couldn’t screw it up now that I had her in my sights.

  As I walked toward her, all eyes were on me. It was as if they knew our history, and they were waiting to see the fallout when she finally saw me. Standing only a few inches away from her, I could smell her scent. She always smelled of coconut and saltwater, even when we were hundreds of miles away from the ocean.

  Reaching out to finally touch Lexie, her name slipped from my lips. It was a mix between a prayer
and an apology. She moved as if in slow motion. Turning ever so slowly, I took in each inch of her. I loved everything about her, from her petite frame to the beautiful tattoos she adorned her body with, to her deep blue eyes that stood out against her hair. She was more beautiful than any woman I’d ever seen, and this time I wasn’t going to let her slip away from me.

  My gaze snagged on the slight protrusion of her belly that was covered up with a tight white t-shirt. I blinked, and in the next instant, Lexie was looking up at me with tears brimming in her eyes.

  Was Lexie pregnant?

  How? Who had she hooked up with since I last saw her?

  I didn’t understand. None of this made sense.

  And it didn’t seem possible.

  “And that’s our cue to leave,” I heard someone say behind me.

  Lexie shook her head and stepped around me. I turned, unable to take my eyes off her. “I think it would be better if Ryder and I leave to have our talk.” She pulled out her phone and then just as quickly put it back into the back pocket of her short jean shorts. “Why don’t we meet back in here after lunch? Say, one o’clock? That should give us enough time.”

  Our meeting was scheduled for ten, and I’d left my room to get here early, so I knew it was only a little after ten if that. What did she have to say that would take three hours?

  “Are you sure it’s enough time? We could call off today and maybe start tomorrow an hour earlier than had planned,” a cute brunette said from beside the man I’d met outside. With the shock of seeing Lexie and the news I couldn’t quite wrap my head around, I couldn’t remember his name.

  “That should give you enough time.” He nodded as if all this made perfect sense to him.

  Enough time for what? My head to explode?

  I wanted to ask questions, but my mouth wouldn’t work as my mind spun with my new reality. Tears streamed down Lexie’s beautiful face. Her eyes were full of anger and questions. Grabbing onto my arm, she pulled me out of the room and down the hallway to the elevator. We were silent the entire way. I watched her hit the button for the twenty-fourth floor and then move to the other side of the elevator, where she stood looking at the doors. She didn’t even want to look at me. If that was the case, why did she go to all this trouble to bring me here?

  I realized at that moment, it could have all been a trick. Was Angie in on this as well? Was Lexie so angry at me for what she thought happened with Lana that she brought me here to rub it in my face she was pregnant with another man’s child?

  When the doors opened, I followed her out and down another hall to what I assumed was her room. Was her boyfriend in there waiting for me? I didn’t think Lexie had it in her, but did I really know her?

  Slipping her keycard in the door, she stepped inside and waited for me to enter before she went to the bar and poured a drink. She held it out to me, and I gratefully took it. I had a feeling I was going to need it. She pulled out a water bottle for herself and drank half of it. I had a feeling she wished she was drinking what I had instead of water.

  Her eyes traveled my body and stopped on my clenched hand at my side. Slowly she walked over to one of the couches and sank down onto it. Pulling her knees to her chest, Lexie motioned for the chair across from her.

  Downing my drink, I sat the glass down on the bar before I moved to sit across from her. “Are we alone?”

  Her brows pulled together before she nodded. While she was no longer crying, wetness still brimmed in her dark blue eyes. Her voice was soft and full of sadness when she finally spoke. “The whole point of coming up here was for us to be alone so we could talk without a room full of people hanging on our every word.”

  “I wasn’t sure if someone was going to step out of one of the rooms and announce he was your boyfriend and baby daddy.” Leaning back in the chair, I closed my eyes as I said my next words. “This isn’t how expected the next time I saw you going. I thought you’d be fuming and demanding answers.”

  She cleared her throat. “I do want answers as I’m sure you do as well. I…this isn’t how I saw this going either. I didn’t think you’d look at me the way you did, and I’d be so…devastated.” Her voice broke on the last word.

  What did she have to be wrecked about? I just found out the woman I loved was carrying another man’s baby. If she wasn’t with someone and that was a big if, I wasn’t sure it would matter or if we could move past this.

  Taking in a shaky breath, I opened my eyes and asked her. “Who's the father?”

  Wrapping her arms around her legs, Lexie rested her chin on her knees. “Is that why you’re looking so…” she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth before letting it go, “heartbroken?”

  A dark laugh built up in my chest and filled the room. I didn’t want to give her any more ammunition than she already had. “Just answer the question.”

  Straightening, Lexie’s eyes hardened as she took me in. “No matter what you think, I’m not a slut. I know we jumped into bed after only knowing each other a handful of hours, but that’s not who I am.”

  “Who are you, Lexie? Because I tried calling you when I could, I tried to get a hold of you on social media, and I was shut down at every turn. It seems to me that you were done with me and didn’t have the balls to tell me.”

  A tear slipped down her cheek, and even though I was mad as hell at her, I wanted nothing more than to pull her in my arms and make everything better. Instead, I sat on my hands to keep from reaching out to her.

  “I declined one phone call. One.” She jutted her chin out at me. “After I saw that…that picture. When I tried to call you back, you had changed your number or some shit.”

  “So, you had to change yours?” I shot back. My hands clenched into fists under my legs.

  “Yes, I had to change mine, but not because of you. I changed it because Ben was…he was making my life a living hell, and I couldn’t take it anymore. The only way I saw to keep him from his constant threatening voicemails was to change my number.”

  I hated hearing that Ben was the reason. I had been worried he might have been the cause. What were the odds we’d both have to change our numbers and not be able to contact each other?

  Resting her head on her knees once again, she continued. “Once I couldn’t reach you, and I found out I was pregnant, I knew I had to come up with a plan to see you again, or at the very least, get your new contact information. Only your agent is a huge bitch who seems to hate me and refused to give us your information.”

  Angie did hate Lexie. One time I’d accidentally let it slip that it was Lexie who had given me the advice to be smarter on the jobs I took and that I was going to slow down next year. After listening to her tirade, I knew I couldn’t mention Lexie’s name to her again without an epic meltdown.

  “How did you get me here then?”

  “We came up with a fake company name, and I built a little website to make it look legit. Even with all that, Angie wouldn’t give us your contact info.”

  I gritted my teeth and barely got the words out. “That’s an awful lot of trouble to go to just to let someone know you’ve found someone else, and you don’t want to hear from me any longer.”

  Lexie’s head popped up, and her eyes were wide with shock. “Have you been listening to a word that’s come out of my mouth? There was only one time I didn’t want to talk to you, and it was after Raine showed me the picture Lana posted. You know how I feel about her.”

  Yes, I most definitely did know how Lexie felt about Lana, and after the shit Lana pulled, I understood why she felt that way. I never knew a person could be so devious.

  Relaxing my hands, I let out a cleansing breath. “I cannot control who gets booked on the jobs I’m hired for.”

  Cocking her head, she narrowed her eyes at me. “Actually, you can. You can have a rider that states you won’t work with her. If you had an agent that gave a damn about you, they would help you come up with one.”

  I hadn’t thought of that.

  �
��I don’t want it put out there I’m difficult to work with. You told me I needed to be professional.”

  Lexie laughed without humor. “Anyone who’s worked with Lana would commend you on putting your foot down.” Her lips thinned out into a firm line as she shook her head. “I don’t know how she still gets jobs.”

  “Great, once I find a new agent, I’ll make sure to have that I won’t work with Lana as a clause.” It would be a relief.

  Lexie blinked rapidly in my direction. “So, you’re not with Lana?”

  “I’ve never touched her, let alone fucked her,” I growled out.

  Squaring her shoulders, she asked. “Why did she post that picture then?”

  “Probably to cause exactly what happened between us.” Running my hand through my hair, I shot up out of the chair and sat next to Lexie. I couldn’t stay away from her any longer. I needed to feel the heat of her body next to mine, and for her to understand, I would never be with Lana for as long as I lived. “I didn’t know she posted that picture for almost a month. I was on a casting call and ran into Parker. When he asked how we were doing, and I told him I hadn’t talked to you. That’s when he showed me the picture Lana had posted. All of a sudden, everything made sense. Well,” I moved my head from side to side, “I wouldn’t say it made sense, but I understood why you wouldn’t want to talk to me. It killed me when I couldn’t get a hold of you. All I did was eat, sleep, work, and workout, and not in that order.”

  The majority of my time was spent working or working out.

  Lexie shuffled on the couch until her back was against the arm, and she was facing me with her forehead wrinkled in confusion. “Why did you change your number?”

  “Fucking Lana, that’s why. She broke my phone on my last night in Sydney, and I couldn’t get a replacement for it for a few days. By then, I was in a foreign country where I could barely understand what the guy was saying. The next thing I knew, I had a different phone number. I tried calling you right after I got my phone, but when I did, it said your number had been disconnected or was no longer in service. I didn’t know how to contact you, but I promised myself once I got back, I was going to come to see you. Then Angie told me I had this job.” I hung my head, realizing that I’d almost told her I didn’t care what she had to do but to get me out of doing it. If I had done that, I wouldn’t be sitting here with Lexie. “Now that I know she staged and posted that picture, I think she shattered my phone on purpose.”